Kosovo Stalemate

"The Baden conference marks the end of face-to-face talks" between Serbia and Kosovo, Wolfgang Ischinger, the EU's representative in the Kosovo troika, said at a press conference in Vienna on Wednesday, Nov. 28. "Regrettably the parties were unable to reach agreement."

The US envoy to the talks, Frank Wisner, called on Belgrade and Pristina to uphold promises not to engage in violence, adding that peace in the Balkans was "very much at stake."

The mediators, who said they probed every solution that was "humanly possible," are scheduled to make final visits to Serbia and Kosovo next Monday before submitting a report to the United Nations, due by Dec. 10.

Calls for independence "very soon"

The failed talks set the stage for the province's independence, as Kosovo's leaders, who enjoy the support of Washington, said they wanted independence "very soon." The call for independence was one of the few issues that united ethnic Albanians in Kosovo during parliamentary elections earlier this month.

"We regret that Serbia did not find it possible to agree to the independent final state of Kosovo," the province's likely new prime minister, Hashim Thaci, said at the conclusion of the three days of talks.

Belgrade's leaders, however, have offered only a degree of autonomy to the province and repeatedly vowed not to accept Kosovo's secession from Serbia.

"We are going to cancel all these decisions by Kosovo authorities leading to independence and use all legal instruments," Serbian President Boris Tadic warned. "This is a very serious situation."

Balkan domino effect feared

Some observers have said a unilateral declaration of independence on the part of Kosovo could encourage the Serb-populated northern part of the province to secede, and possibly even lead to similar moves by Serbs in Bosnia and Albanians in Macedonia, which could then cause unrest.

Pristina made it clear that it had never intended to budge from achieving full independence

"We have not sought Belgrade's consent but partnership with Serbia," Kosovo delegation member Veton Surroi told reporters.

The Serbian province, 90 percent of whose population is ethnic Albanian, has been under UN administration and NATO protection since the military alliance ended violence there in 1999.

Security Council impasse expected

Serbia insisted talks had to be continued even after the Dec. 10 deadline set by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. A stalemate in the Security Council is likely as Russia is expected to block any decision that does not meet with Belgrade's approval.

"We have to wait for a Security Council decision," Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica said. Unilateral action on the part of Pristina would trigger similar responses, Serbia's leaders warned.

Kosovo's President Fatmir Sejdiu made it clear after the meeting that Pristina would not consent to new talks.

"We consider this process thoroughly exhausted," he said.