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| No Deal Yet in Talks to Reduce Strife Between Serbia and Kosovo | |
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| PARIS — Talks aimed at overcoming ethnic enmities between Serbia and its former province, Kosovo, ended Wednesday without an agreement, senior Kosovo officials said, as the two countries struggled to negotiate a deal that would enhance regional stability and help clear the way for their eventual membership in the European Union. | PARIS — Talks aimed at overcoming ethnic enmities between Serbia and its former province, Kosovo, ended Wednesday without an agreement, senior Kosovo officials said, as the two countries struggled to negotiate a deal that would enhance regional stability and help clear the way for their eventual membership in the European Union. |
| After nearly 14 hours of talks in Brussels, the European Union’s foreign policy chief, Catherine Ashton, described the differences between the two sides as “narrow and very shallow.” She said a window remained for them to come to an agreement before she presents a crucial report at a union ministerial meeting on Monday, which is expected to determine whether Serbia will get a start date for talks to join the bloc. | After nearly 14 hours of talks in Brussels, the European Union’s foreign policy chief, Catherine Ashton, described the differences between the two sides as “narrow and very shallow.” She said a window remained for them to come to an agreement before she presents a crucial report at a union ministerial meeting on Monday, which is expected to determine whether Serbia will get a start date for talks to join the bloc. |
| Having admitted the divided island of Cyprus in 2004, the European Union has been unwilling to import another frozen conflict, and it had made clear to Kosovo and Serbia that normalizing relations is the only way to smooth a path to their eventual membership. | Having admitted the divided island of Cyprus in 2004, the European Union has been unwilling to import another frozen conflict, and it had made clear to Kosovo and Serbia that normalizing relations is the only way to smooth a path to their eventual membership. |
| An agreement would be a turning point in relations between Serbia and Kosovo, which declared independence on Feb. 17, 2008, almost a decade after NATO intervened against the Serbian strongman Slobodan Milosevic to halt a brutal civil war with Kosovo’s majority ethnic Albanians. | An agreement would be a turning point in relations between Serbia and Kosovo, which declared independence on Feb. 17, 2008, almost a decade after NATO intervened against the Serbian strongman Slobodan Milosevic to halt a brutal civil war with Kosovo’s majority ethnic Albanians. |
| Serbia, which has long considered Kosovo its medieval heartland, has steadfastly refused to recognize Kosovo, arguing that the declaration of independence was a reckless breach of international law. Kosovo’s independence has been recognized by the United States and a majority of European Union countries. But countries including Russia and Spain have refused recognition, fearing separatist movements in their own territories. | Serbia, which has long considered Kosovo its medieval heartland, has steadfastly refused to recognize Kosovo, arguing that the declaration of independence was a reckless breach of international law. Kosovo’s independence has been recognized by the United States and a majority of European Union countries. But countries including Russia and Spain have refused recognition, fearing separatist movements in their own territories. |
| Any deal will fall short of Serbian recognition of Kosovo’s independence. But analysts said an agreement would nevertheless herald a new reconciliation after the Balkan wars of the 1990s, which broke up Yugoslavia. | Any deal will fall short of Serbian recognition of Kosovo’s independence. But analysts said an agreement would nevertheless herald a new reconciliation after the Balkan wars of the 1990s, which broke up Yugoslavia. |
| In addition to undermining Serbia’s and Kosovo’s chances of joining the European Union, failure to reach a deal would be a blow to both countries’ struggling economies and weaken regional stability. | In addition to undermining Serbia’s and Kosovo’s chances of joining the European Union, failure to reach a deal would be a blow to both countries’ struggling economies and weaken regional stability. |
| Officials close to the talks said the two countries had agreed on the broad principle that Serbs in the small Serbian-majority area in northern Kosovo would gain more powers in return for tacitly recognizing the authority of Kosovo’s government. But in a sign of the tough challenges ahead, the prime minister of each country blamed the other’s intransigence for undermining a deal. | Officials close to the talks said the two countries had agreed on the broad principle that Serbs in the small Serbian-majority area in northern Kosovo would gain more powers in return for tacitly recognizing the authority of Kosovo’s government. But in a sign of the tough challenges ahead, the prime minister of each country blamed the other’s intransigence for undermining a deal. |
| Kosovo’s prime minister, Hashim Thaci, told reporters that as in previous rounds of talks, Serbia had refused a deal. But Prime Minister Ivica Dacic of Serbia insisted that Kosovo had torpedoed the agreement by demanding too many conditions, including insisting on its membership in the United Nations, according to an independent Serbian broadcaster, B92. | Kosovo’s prime minister, Hashim Thaci, told reporters that as in previous rounds of talks, Serbia had refused a deal. But Prime Minister Ivica Dacic of Serbia insisted that Kosovo had torpedoed the agreement by demanding too many conditions, including insisting on its membership in the United Nations, according to an independent Serbian broadcaster, B92. |
| At a time when the European Union is mired in a euro crisis, an accord would also be a vindication of the soft power of the world’s biggest trading bloc, its ability to press countries that want to join to make difficult compromises. | At a time when the European Union is mired in a euro crisis, an accord would also be a vindication of the soft power of the world’s biggest trading bloc, its ability to press countries that want to join to make difficult compromises. |
| Trying one last push after talks collapsed earlier this month, Ms. Ashton, invited Serbia and Kosovo back to the negotiating table on Wednesday, delaying her report, scheduled for Tuesday, on Serbia’s readiness to start membership talks. | Trying one last push after talks collapsed earlier this month, Ms. Ashton, invited Serbia and Kosovo back to the negotiating table on Wednesday, delaying her report, scheduled for Tuesday, on Serbia’s readiness to start membership talks. |
| At stake is how much autonomy Kosovo is willing to cede to its Serbian minority. Serbia has retained de facto control over the area in northern Kosovo where Serbs have lived in isolated enclaves that do not recognize the authority of the Kosovo government. | At stake is how much autonomy Kosovo is willing to cede to its Serbian minority. Serbia has retained de facto control over the area in northern Kosovo where Serbs have lived in isolated enclaves that do not recognize the authority of the Kosovo government. |
| Under a potential agreement, municipal structures in that area would attain greater autonomy over services like health care and education in return for Belgrade’s recognition of Pristina’s authority there. But Kosovo’s deputy foreign minister, Petrit Selimi, said the talks had faltered Wednesday over Belgrade’s demand for too much autonomy over judges and police in northern Kosovo, which he said Pristina regarded as a breach of its sovereignty. | Under a potential agreement, municipal structures in that area would attain greater autonomy over services like health care and education in return for Belgrade’s recognition of Pristina’s authority there. But Kosovo’s deputy foreign minister, Petrit Selimi, said the talks had faltered Wednesday over Belgrade’s demand for too much autonomy over judges and police in northern Kosovo, which he said Pristina regarded as a breach of its sovereignty. |
| It was a sign of progress that the leaders of Kosovo and Serbia, both former archnationalists, sat at the same table. Mr. Thaci is reviled by many Serbs as a guerrilla commander of the Kosovo Liberation Army, which fought the war in the 1990s. | It was a sign of progress that the leaders of Kosovo and Serbia, both former archnationalists, sat at the same table. Mr. Thaci is reviled by many Serbs as a guerrilla commander of the Kosovo Liberation Army, which fought the war in the 1990s. |
| His Serbian counterpart, Mr. Dacic, was the wartime spokesman of Mr. Milosevic’s, who was overthrown in 2000 and died in jail in 2006 while being tried for crimes against humanity. | His Serbian counterpart, Mr. Dacic, was the wartime spokesman of Mr. Milosevic’s, who was overthrown in 2000 and died in jail in 2006 while being tried for crimes against humanity. |
| Kosovo’s security is guaranteed by roughly 5,000 NATO troops, and the international community hopes that the potential calming of ethnic tensions engendered by any agreement would tip the scale decisively toward peace. | Kosovo’s security is guaranteed by roughly 5,000 NATO troops, and the international community hopes that the potential calming of ethnic tensions engendered by any agreement would tip the scale decisively toward peace. |
| An agreement would pave the way for Serbia to get a date to begin European Union membership talks. It would help Serbia rejuvenate its economy and cement its links to the West, an important psychological and geopolitical landmark. | An agreement would pave the way for Serbia to get a date to begin European Union membership talks. It would help Serbia rejuvenate its economy and cement its links to the West, an important psychological and geopolitical landmark. |
| It would also enhance regional harmony. Slovenia, a former Yugoslav republic, joined the union in 2004. Croatia is set to join in July. A deeply divided Bosnia remains the regional laggard, though analysts predicted that a potential Kosovo deal would help focus minds there. | It would also enhance regional harmony. Slovenia, a former Yugoslav republic, joined the union in 2004. Croatia is set to join in July. A deeply divided Bosnia remains the regional laggard, though analysts predicted that a potential Kosovo deal would help focus minds there. |
| For Kosovo, a desperately poor, predominantly Muslim landlocked country of two million, warmer ties with Serbia would help buttress its standing and lift a beleaguered economy. Unemployment in Kosovo is about 40 percent, and lawlessness and corruption are rife. | For Kosovo, a desperately poor, predominantly Muslim landlocked country of two million, warmer ties with Serbia would help buttress its standing and lift a beleaguered economy. Unemployment in Kosovo is about 40 percent, and lawlessness and corruption are rife. |
| But vocal critics on both sides have expressed visceral anger and skepticism, underlining the challenges to enforcing any deal. The Kosovo opposition movement Vetevendosje — which means self-determination in Albanian — said it planned mass protests if any deal emerged. | But vocal critics on both sides have expressed visceral anger and skepticism, underlining the challenges to enforcing any deal. The Kosovo opposition movement Vetevendosje — which means self-determination in Albanian — said it planned mass protests if any deal emerged. |
| Shpend Ahmeti, the vice president of Vetevendosje, insisted by phone from Pristina that a deal would reinforce rather than overcome ethnic divisions. Giving further autonomy to Kosovo’s Serbs, he said, would effectively make Kosovo “another Bosnia,” where a decentralized institutional structure and ethnic rifts make it hard to govern. | Shpend Ahmeti, the vice president of Vetevendosje, insisted by phone from Pristina that a deal would reinforce rather than overcome ethnic divisions. Giving further autonomy to Kosovo’s Serbs, he said, would effectively make Kosovo “another Bosnia,” where a decentralized institutional structure and ethnic rifts make it hard to govern. |