U.S. Department of State: Serbia and Kosovo "are never going to be one again"December 22, 2007 - 13:21 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Serbia and Kosovo will never be part of the same country again, and all those concerned should work for a stable outcome in the Balkans based on that reality. Rice stopped short of endorsing a timetable for Kosovo independence, but she made clear her expectation that the majority-Albanian Serbian province will soon be on its own, and urged all concerned parties to accept that reality. A final round of talks between Kosovar and Serbian officials mediated by the United States, the European Union and Russia ended inconclusively earlier this month. Serbia, backed by its ally Moscow, had offered a maximum degree of autonomy but not independence for the region. In the aftermath of the talks, U.S. and European Union officials have made clear they favor giving Kosovo supervised independence under the plan presented last March by UN special envoy Martti Ahtisaari. Kosovar leaders in Pristina have said they will announce independence early in the coming year. Asked about such a prospect, Rice said it will be important to take decisions about Kosovo's status in the next several weeks, and that not doing so would be destabilizing: "The fact is that Kosovo and Serbia are never going to be part of the same state again. I think that's quite clear. It was the logic even of (UN Resolution) 1244 on the special status accorded Kosovo as a result of the war. And the important thing is for these two peoples to get on with their futures," she said, VOA reports. Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | Titus, Bilirakis lead legislation to sanction Azerbaijani war criminals Representatives Dina Titus (D-NV) and Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) have introduced the bipartisan legislation. Armenia: Defense Ministry warns against involving army in political processes The Ministry’s statement came after a video surfaced online, showing soldiers joining the protests in Tavush. Scholz hopes Armenia-Azerbaijan peace treaty will be signed this year German Chancellor Olaf Scholz hopes that a peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan will be signed this year. Ucom equips four bus stops in Ijevan with free Wi-Fi Ucom now provides free Wi-Fi coverage in smart bus stops in four communities of Ijevan. |