Flimsy Preparations for New Talks
Negotiations or a Tea Party?
Serbian Minister for Kosovo-Metohija Slobodan Samardzic said today that eight days ahead of the announced beginning of talks in Vienna about the status of Serbian province, Serbian side has not received any material, including the official invitation to talks, or the meeting schedule.
“This is rather strange, since the beginning of talks is quickly approaching and the Serbian side has given to ‘troika’ back on August 10 orderly proposal of the negotiating rules and official Serbian platform in both extended and summarized versions,” stressed Samardzic in a statement to Tanjug.
(Still) Waiting for the Response
Minister explained that the Serbian side has not formed its negotiating team yet, because the subject, format and the way negotiations will be held are still entirely unknown. “We shall leave few more days to see if we’ll receive a response to our proposals, so we can form our delegation and go to Vienna,” said Samardzic.
He underlined that the least Belgrade expects is to receive the written invitation and the schedule for the meeting, even though it was announced there will be no direct talks on August 30, but talks held in two rooms.
“Still, we have to know the subject, framework and the agenda for the meeting,” stressed the minister, adding that “it is difficult to expect the talks to be run well in few months time if we don’t have any clear principles and negotiating rules set out.”
Burns Alone Knows the Outcome of Negotiations That Haven’t Even Begun
Kosovo-Metohija Minister pointed out that even before the start of the official negotiations there are speculations in the international public circles and press about their outcome — something that, according to Samardzic, undermines the negotiating process.
“For example,” said Samardzic, “we still don’t know anything concrete about the upcoming negotiations, but Mr. Burns, the US Undersecretary alone, knows for sure that Kosovo will be independent and that NATO state will be created on Serbia’s soil after all.”
Image from ArtOfMarkBryan.com
Comments
I adore your choice of illustrations in the articles. But this one is something very special.
I admit I don't know many painters, especially from U.S., with such gift for satiric expression. Once, many years ago, I had the opportunity to see an exhibition with some satiric paintings by Paul Cadmus in Charleston. Pretty impressive, with great drawing, like in this case. But I must say I didn't expect too much contemplative art in that part of the world, nowadays. Maybe I'm wrong, but I still don't expect Americans to be too critical to their own society.
Posted by: Žana | August 22, 2007 01:54 PM
Good eye, Žana, I too really liked this one!
That good artistic satire is all too rare in this part of the world probably makes it even more special.
Will look Paul Cadmus up, sounds very interesting, thanks!
Posted by: Svetlana | August 22, 2007 02:10 PM
We can speculate about a possible sinister game played by the West in order to make the Serbian side in the negotiations look bad (ill-prepared), but it is obvious that the scheduled talks are not meant to result in anything else than the acknowledgement of the KLA/Nato position.
Why does this procedure remind me of 'Shambouillet'...? :-\
JJ
Posted by: JJ van Kempen | August 22, 2007 05:38 PM
Sadly, and given Burns' incessant belligerent claptrap in line with the ICG/KLA warmongering, you're most probably right, JJ. Still, allowing it to become that obvious that Serbs are the only ones who approach the possibility of talks responsibly and seriously isn't very smart, to say the least.
Then again, who needs to be smart when he has smart bombs to do all his thinking for him?!
Posted by: Svetlana | August 23, 2007 04:19 AM