Pristina 'Will Not Discuss Division of Kosovo'

Edita Tahiri, who leads Kosovo's delegation in the talks in Brussels, told Belgrade daily Blic that "Kosovo agreed to negotiate only technical issues".

"However, the head of the Serbian team, Borislav Stefanovic, has been very constructive so far, which gives cause for optimism," she said.

Kosovo and Serbia began direct talks in March under the aegis of the EU, and thus far have discussed land registry books, birth and death certificate registries, telecommunications, the presidency of the regional trade agreement CEFTA, customs seals and electric energy.

Stefanovic's statement this weekend that Belgrade was open to the possibility of discussing a partition of Kosovo "will not threaten the talks if they remain focused on technical issues, as specified by a UN Security Council resolution", said Tahiri.

Tahiri told the newspaper that the idea of dividing Kosovo is a political one "that was promoted by Slobodan Milosevic's politicians, and such ideas are a true danger to peace and stability in the region".

"It is very dangerous to reopen the issue of borders, because it causes new complications and conflict at a time when everyone is focused on European integration," Tahiri stated.

"The Serbs living in northern Kosovo are merely a part of the Kosovo Serb population, and the rest of them have integrated into Kosovo's institutions," she noted.

"The problem is that the Serbs in the north are under too much influence from Belgrade," she said, adding that "once Serbia stops exerting negative influence on them, they will quickly realize they have a future in Kosovo".

Most Serbs in the north of Kosovo reject Pristina's 2008 declaration of independence from Serbia, while Serb communities in the rest of the country mostly live in enclaves.