2007年VOA标准英语-New Round of Kosovo Status Talks Launched

By Barry Wood
Pristina
12 August 2007

A new and possibly final round of negotiations¹ to determine the status of the majority of ethnic² Albanian in Serbian province of Kosovo have been launched in Belgrade and Pristina. VOA's Barry Wood reports what are expected to be up to four months of talks are being undertaken by diplomats³ from Russia, Germany and the United States.

Calling themselves the troika, the three high level diplomats came to Pristina Saturday from Belgrade. Here they held nearly three hours of talks with ethnic Albanian leaders who comprise Kosovo's all party negotiating team. They also met with UN administrators⁴ and the commander of the Nato-led force that has been responsible for Kosovo's security since 1999.

Speaking to reporters, American envoy⁵ Frank Wisner said the troika seeks to build bridges and bring the two sides together in order to preserve peace. "We will agree to whatever the parties agree to. We are not here to make proposals. We are here to obtain your ideas and seek consensus," he said.

Wisner said Serbian leaders assured the troika that they are committed to full cooperation in seeking a settlement. The two sides hold contradictory⁶ positions with Serbia opposed to independence and ethnic Albanians saying they will accept nothing less.

German envoy Wolfgang Ischinger admitted it will not be easy to bring the two sides together. "I think this is a good beginning for what is obviously not a very easy mission for the troika," he said.

Ischinger said Kosovo is very important to the European Union.

Russian envoy Alexander Botsan-Kharchenko said the troika is working under the auspices⁷ of the UN secretary general. "So it means that the overall status process keeps within the UN framework. We are going to facilitate as actively⁸ as we could a compromised based solution, an agreement between Belgrade and Pristina. And thus we could enable the Security Council to endorse⁹ this solution," he said.

Russia last month blocked Security Council action on a plan for Kosovo's supervised independence advanced by a UN envoy who had conducted ten months of futile¹⁰ negotiations that failed to bridge the chasm¹¹ between Belgrade and Pristina. Agreeing with Serbia, Russia is the prime mover for this new round of talks.

The troika will meet with the parties again within the next few weeks.

1 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。

2 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。

3 diplomats   

n.外交官( diplomat的名词复数 )；有手腕的人，善于交际的人

参考例句：

• These events led to the expulsion of senior diplomats from the country. 这些事件导致一些高级外交官被驱逐出境。
• The court has no jurisdiction over foreign diplomats living in this country. 法院对驻本国的外交官无裁判权。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 administrators   

n.管理者( administrator的名词复数 )；有管理（或行政）才能的人；（由遗嘱检验法庭指定的）遗产管理人；奉派暂管主教教区的牧师

参考例句：

• He had administrators under him but took the crucial decisions himself. 他手下有管理人员，但重要的决策仍由他自己来做。 来自辞典例句
• Administrators have their own methods of social intercourse. 办行政的人有他们的社交方式。 来自汉英文学 - 围城

5 envoy   

n.使节，使者，代表，公使

参考例句：

• Their envoy showed no sign of responding to our proposals.他们的代表对我方的提议毫无回应的迹象。
• The government has not yet appointed an envoy to the area.政府尚未向这一地区派过外交官。

6 contradictory   

adj.反驳的，反对的，抗辩的；n.正反对，矛盾对立

参考例句：

• The argument is internally contradictory.论据本身自相矛盾。
• What he said was self-contradictory.他讲话前后不符。

7 auspices   

n.资助，赞助

参考例句：

• The association is under the auspices of Word Bank.这个组织是在世界银行的赞助下办的。
• The examination was held under the auspices of the government.这次考试是由政府主办的。

8 actively   

adv.积极地，勤奋地

参考例句：

• During this period all the students were actively participating.在这节课中所有的学生都积极参加。
• We are actively intervening to settle a quarrel.我们正在积极调解争执。

9 endorse   

vt.(支票、汇票等)背书，背署；批注；同意

参考例句：

• No one is foolish enough to endorse it.没有哪个人会傻得赞成它。
• I fully endorse your opinions on this subject.我完全拥护你对此课题的主张。

10 futile   

adj.无效的，无用的，无希望的

参考例句：

• They were killed,to the last man,in a futile attack.因为进攻失败，他们全部被杀，无一幸免。
• Their efforts to revive him were futile.他们对他抢救无效。

11 chasm   

n.深坑，断层，裂口，大分岐，利害冲突

参考例句：

• There's a chasm between rich and poor in that society.那社会中存在着贫富差距。
• A huge chasm gaped before them.他们面前有个巨大的裂痕。