NATO shouldn't be pulled out of Kosovo

Former Finnish President Marti Ahtisari said that NATO needs to stay in Kosovo no matter what the outcome of the status discussions will be.

Ahtisari, who will most likely be appointed as the UN’s special envoy for observing the status talks by UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, did not want to comment on what he believes the future status of Kosovo will be or how long the discussions would last, but said that he is not partial to any particular side’s Kosovo strategy.

“Time will tell whether there will be a compromise and what kind of compromise it could be. There exist several armed groups that are not under the control of the government and because of this, it is important for NATO to keep its security role, regardless of the solution.” Ahtisari said.

He said that the discussions need to begin with the all involved parties listening to the suggestions of all sides, even if everyone is already well aware of all the stances.

“It is then important to discuss with everyone how the situation should be taken care of. There are still many elementary jobs to be taken care of before any specific types of discussions can begin.” Ahtisari said, adding that it is also necessary to form a work group for the status talks.

Although UN sources say that Ahtisari is expected to be named special envoy this week, he said that the decision will probably be made some time next week, B92 reports.

V.Y.