The insults coming from the Serb delegation side were very similar to those used by Milosevic 

Prishtinë, 23 October 2007 – A serious clash between the Pristina and Belgrade delegations occurred during the direct meeting in Vienna. Members of the Kosovo Unity Team admitted publicly that yesterday’s meeting was grave, accusing the Serbian side for unprincipled positions that resemble the Milosevic era. Kosovar leaders have expressed serious remarks about some of the 14 points of the Troika, whereas the Serbian delegation has rejected all 14 points.

Under the headline “No agreement in Vienna either”, Prishtina Daily “Koha Ditore” quotes sources from the Kosova’s delegation as saying that Pristina responded positively to a number of points of the Troika, while Belgrade rejected the document saying that it pre-empts the status of Kosovo.

“The meeting was grave due to rigid positions and obstructions by the Serbian side,” Unity Team spokesman Skender Hyseni is quoted as saying.

Under the leading front-page headline “The points of uneasiness”, the other daily “Express” notes that Monday’s meeting in Vienna was the most difficult one of the 120 days. The paper claims that there is growing international pressure for additional compromise. “The Kosovar Delegation in principle accepted the 14 points of the Troika. Belgrade rejected them and came out with different 14 points. The debate produced insults,” the paper elaborates.

During the press conference, Kosova’s President also disclosed the rude language and threats coming from the Serbian delegation’s side.

Things such as “you will starve without us” and “we will never recognize you” were among the things mentioned by the Serb side.

Experts suggest that the only possible reason the Serb delegation would do this would be to intimidate the Kosovar delegation and discourage them from participating in the next scheduled round of talks.

The international mediators have presented their document of 14 points, with key principles stating that Belgrade will not be able to directly govern the province and that Serbian and Albanian sides will develop special relations and resolve all the problems in a peaceful way. The Serbian delegation has also presented a counter-document of 14 points, whose essence is that the future status of Kosovo must be based on UNSCR 1244. The document also states that there can be no return to the situation prior to 1999, but that the negotiating sides are obliged to refrain from any unilateral moves.

Serbia has already made unilateral moves by adopting a constitution that has put Kosova in its preamble, without allowing residents of Kosova to vote.