Direct talks between Serbia and Kosovo on the future of the breakaway Serbian province are expected to begin "as soon as possible", the so-called troika mediating the talks said Thursday according to DPA. Wolfgang Ischinger, the German diplomat heading the EU side in the troika which also includes the US and Russia, said the Serbs and Kosovans were both well aware of the need for early direct talks. He was speaking after initial talks in Vienna to sound out readiness for negotiations. He also countered media speculation of a partition of Kosovo. This, he stressed, would not happen. Thursday's talks were a fresh attempt to find a way out of the stalemate around the future status of Kosovo, and involved three-way consultations between Serbia, Kosovo and the troika. The aim of the talks, held separately with both delegations at Austria's Foreign Ministry in Vienna, was to reunite the parties at the negotiating table after progress was brought to a halt by Russia's refusal to back a UN Security Council resolution on the issue. The Kosovo delegation was led by President Fatmir Sejdiu and the Serbian delegation was headed by Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic. Kosovo's ethnic Albanians have made clear they expect independence soon. Ceku said ahead of the meeting he expected a declaration of independence shortly after the troika presented the results of this last round of talks to UN Secretary General Ban Ki- moon on December 10. Belgrade, supported by Russia, rejects the proposal for internationally monitored independence which was presented by UN special envoy Martti Ahtisaari in January.
