VOA标准英语2008年-US: Time is Now to Resolve Kosovo Status

By David Gollust
State Department
11 January 2008

The United States has reaffirmed support for early action giving Kosovo what is called supervised independence under the plan of U.N. envoy¹ Martti Ahtisaari. The U.N.-administered Serbian province is expected to declare independence in a matter of weeks.  VOA's David Gollust reports from the State Department.

State Department officials say the United States supports, and is encouraging, a coordinated² international response to the anticipated Kosovo independence move.

But they are non-committal about a New York Times report Friday that the United States and Germany have agreed to swiftly recognize an independent Kosovo and are urging the rest of Europe to follow suit.

The Times report said President Bush and German Chancellor³ Angela Merkel agreed in a recent conversation that recognition is vital to the stability of the western Balkans. It said the United States is aggressively pressing the European Union to not delay acceptance of the prospective⁴ new state, even by a week.

State Department Deputy Spokesman Tom Casey said he was unaware⁵ of a specific agreement to act in concert with Germany on Kosovo.
 
But he said U.S. support for implementing⁶ the Ahtisaari plan has long been clear and that the Bush administration expects broad international support for such an outcome.

"We believe that the time for resolving the final status of Kosovo is now," he said.  "We are committed to an implementation⁷ of the Ahtisaari plan, and that includes supervised independence for Kosovo. No secret about that, but there's nothing new out there in terms of our views or our approach to this."

After months of failed negotiations⁸ with Serbia to resolve Kosovo's status, the majority ethnic-Albanian province is expected to declare independence within weeks, possibly after elections in Serbia are completed February 3.

Kosovo has been administered by the United Nations since 1999, when NATO intervened to halt a Serb military drive against ethnic-Albanian separatists.

Serbia adamantly⁹ opposes independence for Kosovo, instead offering the region maximum autonomy. Belgrade has gotten diplomatic support from Moscow, which vows¹⁰ to veto any U.N. Security Council move authorizing¹¹ independence.

Spokesman Casey said despite the Russian position, the United States expects the international community, broadly speaking, to be united on Kosovo's final status, as it has been throughout the diplomatic process.

A senior official here said the United States is still trying to get Russian support for the Ahtisaari formula, arguing that it would be better for Moscow to be in, rather than out of, the international consensus¹².

Wednesday, U.S. Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Nicholas Burns congratulated Kosovar leaders on forming a coalition¹³ government and pledged full U.S. support for the earlier possible resolution of Kosovo's final status.

A written statement said the United States believes prompt implementation of the Ahtisaari plan, including its measures to protect Kosovo's Serb minority, will promote regional stability and enable both Serbia and Kosovo to move toward greater cooperation with NATO and the European Union.

1 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。

2 coordinated   

adj.协调的

参考例句：

• The sound has to be coordinated with the picture. 声音必须和画面协调一致。
• The numerous existing statutes are complicated and poorly coordinated. 目前繁多的法令既十分复杂又缺乏快调。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

3 chancellor   

n.(英)大臣；法官；(德、奥)总理；大学校长

参考例句：

• They submitted their reports to the Chancellor yesterday.他们昨天向财政大臣递交了报告。
• He was regarded as the most successful Chancellor of modern times.他被认为是现代最成功的财政大臣。

4 prospective   

adj.预期的，未来的，前瞻性的

参考例句：

• The story should act as a warning to other prospective buyers.这篇报道应该对其他潜在的购买者起到警示作用。
• They have all these great activities for prospective freshmen.这会举办各种各样的活动来招待未来的新人。

5 unaware   

a.不知道的，未意识到的

参考例句：

• They were unaware that war was near. 他们不知道战争即将爆发。
• I was unaware of the man's presence. 我没有察觉到那人在场。

6 implementing   

v.实现( implement的现在分词 )；执行；贯彻；使生效

参考例句：

• -- Implementing a comprehensive drug control strategy. ――实行综合治理的禁毒战略。 来自汉英非文学 - 白皮书
• He was in no hurry about implementing his unshakable principle. 他并不急于实行他那不可动摇的原则。 来自辞典例句

7 implementation   

n.实施，贯彻

参考例句：

• Implementation of the program is now well underway.这一项目的实施现在行情看好。

8 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。

9 adamantly   

adv.坚决地，坚定不移地，坚强不屈地

参考例句：

• "Come over here,"he told her adamantly. “到这边来，”他对她坚定地说。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• His family were adamantly opposed to the marriage. 他的家人坚决反对这门亲事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 vows   

誓言( vow的名词复数 )； 郑重宣布，许愿

参考例句：

• Matrimonial vows are to show the faithfulness of the new couple. 婚誓体现了新婚夫妇对婚姻的忠诚。
• The nun took strait vows. 那位修女立下严格的誓愿。

11 authorizing   

授权，批准，委托( authorize的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Letters of Marque: Take letters from a warning friendly power authorizing privateering. 私掠许可证：从某一个国家获得合法抢劫的证书。
• Formal phavee completion does not include authorizing the subsequent phavee. 阶段的正式完成不包括核准随后的阶段。

12 consensus   

n.(意见等的)一致，一致同意，共识

参考例句：

• Can we reach a consensus on this issue?我们能在这个问题上取得一致意见吗？
• What is the consensus of opinion at the afternoon meeting?下午会议上一致的意见是什么？

13 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。