US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton pressed Kosovo leaders on Wednesday to start talks with Serbia as soon as possible despite a political crisis over the president's recent resignation.
"We think the dialogue should start as soon as it is ready because even though there will be elections here and then in the following years elections in Serbia, we believe that it is in Kosovo's interest for this dialogue to begin and to conclude in as expeditious a manner as possible," Clinton said after meeting Kosovo Prime Minister Hashim Thaci.
She added that the United States will play a supportive role in the EU-brokered talks and that she will discuss the path to take with European leaders at meetings in Brussels Thursday on the final stop of her European tour.
Clinton stressed that the dialogue "cannot go on for a long time. It needs to be focused and produce results". In September Belgrade and Pristina agreed to move ahead with talks about the practical issues in the region. These range from technical questions such as transport, telecommunications and energy to more sensitive issues like return of refugees, wartime missing persons, the status of Serbian Orthodox monasteries and the majority Serbs living in northern Kosovo.
But just weeks after that agreement Kosovo was shaken by the sudden resignation of president Fatmir Sejdiu for internal political reasons. There are fears that the political crisis, that appear likely to be resolved by early elections in February or March, could slow down the start of the discussions.
After meeting Clinton, Thaci said that Pristina was ready to heal the long-running rift with Belgrade. "Time has come for finishing a century old conflict between Kosovo and Serbia. Kosovo is ready," the prime minister said. "Kosovo has shown the will for dialogue with Serbia about practical issues as two states and at an equal level," he added.
Washington has been a staunch supporter of Kosovo and is among 70 states that have recognised Kosovo as independent. "It is important to continue to increase the number of countries that recognise Kosovo," Clinton said, adding that she had a list of countries she planned to talk to about the issue.
Serbia vows it will never recognise the independence of Kosovo, seen as the cradle of Serbian culture and the Serbian Orthodox church. However they do agree that talks on practical issues that can improve daily lives for all of Kosovo's citizens should be worked out.
Tadic said Wednesday that Belgrade wanted the talks with Pristina to start "as soon as possible". After her meetings in Pristina, Clinton went to the neighbouring Serb-majority community of Gracanica to see how much progress was being made in integrating the Serb minority that stayed behind when Serb troops left Kosovo. Touring the medieval Gracanica Serb Orthodox monastery, an important religious site, she stressed that "preserving all of Kosovo's cultural and religious heritage is essential to the goal of long term stability". Later on Wednesday Clinton was to leave for Brussels where she has meetings planned Thursday with EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton and the EU President Herman Van Rompuy.