2006年VOA标准英语-UN Says Kosovo Status Talks Off to Good St

By Barry Wood
Belgrade
28 February 2006

Serbia-Montenegro's Foreign Minister Vuk Draskovic, left, with Martti Ahtisaari, in Belgrade, Feb, 28, 2006  
  
Martti Ahtisaari, the United Nations chief negotiator for the future status of the Serbian province of Kosovo, says the technical talks between Serbia and Kosovo's ethnic¹ Albanian majority are off to a good start.

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In a briefing for reporters, Ahtisaari said it is important that the talks move fast in the initial stages. In Belgrade, Ahtisaari met with the Serbian president, prime minister, foreign minister and ambassadors from Islamic countries. "I told the leaders that the decentralization talks held in Vienna last week were a good start. And I urged them to be continuously engaged," he said.

Ahtisaari, a former president of Finland and veteran international negotiator, left no doubt that the talks will become more difficult as time passes. Serbia and the Kosovo Albanians have staked out what Ahtisaari calls opening bids that are polar opposites and there seems little basis for compromise on the ultimate issue of Kosovo independence. Last week's talks were the first face to face negotiations² between the two parties. Ahtisaari said the two sides showed little willingness to compromise. "In other words, starting the process by dealing³ with practical, I would call them status neutral issues. So apart from decentralization we will run in parallel discussions on cultural heritage, minority rights and economic issues," he said.

Mr. Ahtisaari said he is very concerned about the status of Kosovo's non-Albanian minority. The next round of talks, he said, will take place in Vienna on March 17. He is hopeful that the negotiations on Kosovo's status will be completed by the end of the year.

A five nation contact group of western nations plus Russia has been suggesting that the outcome of the talks will be some form of independence. James Lyon, the International Crisis Group representative in Belgrade, has little doubt that Kosovo will become independent. "Judging by the statements of the contact group, it appears the contact group is committed to the idea that at some point Kosovo will have to have a referendum of its citizens and they will be the ones to decide. Given that 90 percent of Kosovo's residents are Albanians, I think the outcome of that referendum is easy to predict," he said.

Ahtisaari goes from Belgrade to Pristina, the Kosovo capital, and then to New York and Washington for consultations⁴.

1 ethnic   

adj.人种的，种族的，异教徒的

参考例句：

• This music would sound more ethnic if you played it in steel drums.如果你用钢鼓演奏，这首乐曲将更具民族特色。
• The plan is likely only to aggravate ethnic frictions.这一方案很有可能只会加剧种族冲突。

2 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

3 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

4 consultations   

n.磋商（会议）( consultation的名词复数 )；商讨会；协商会；查找

参考例句：

• Consultations can be arranged at other times by appointment. 磋商可以通过预约安排在其他时间。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Consultations are under way. 正在进行磋商。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》