Kosovo Unity Team to Discuss State Symbols

"Kosovo should enter independence with its own symbols," Veton Surroi, a member of the Unity Team and head of the ORA opposition party, said at a press conference on Tuesday.

"I see no reason why they should be delayed week after week, and month after month. I believe that the issue of whether Kosovo has its symbols or not is a high level responsibility."

Kosovo's Unity Team, a five-member group tasked with negotiating independence, is expected to meet this week to discuss the province's future state symbols, after a failure to reach a consensus in a meeting held late last week.

Agim Ceku, Kosovo's prime minister and a member of the team, said after the meeting last week that Kosovo indeed might be without symbols when its final status is resolved.

"We are expecting independence to come very soon, it is a matter of weeks, but we have to be realistic that we cannot have the state symbols within that time, because they require a specific procedure and political and civil consensus," Ceku was quoted in the local media, adding that the issue of symbols is a very delicate one.

Hashim Thaci, head of the Democratic Party of Kosovo and the other opposition member of the team, said on Monday that he believes that the symbols will be ready in due course.

"Kosovo is united, ready and will have its symbols on the day of its independence," said Thaci.

The issue of symbols directly affects the issue of Kosovo's future passports, after the end of the120-day transition period set by Marti Ahtisaari's status proposal.

According the Ahtisaari proposal - on which the resolution drafted by EU and US is based and which foresees supervised independence for the province - the current travel documents, issued by the current UN administration that is running Kosovo, will be invalid after the transition period.

The proposal also points out that Kosovo's future flag, seal and anthem must reflect the multi-ethnic character of the province.