PRISTINA, Serbia - Talks about a UN plan for Kosovo were postponed for one week, after Serbia requested more time to allow for a parliament to be formed in Belgrade, a UN mediator said Friday.
Albert Rohan said that chief UN envoy Martti Ahtisaari agreed to reschedule the talks for Feb. 21, after receiving a formal request from Serbian President Boris Tadic. The negotiations were initially planned for Tuesday.
Rohan, a deputy to Ahtisaari, spoke at a news conference in Kosovo's capital, Pristina, where he met with ethnic Albanian leaders on Friday before a final round of negotiations to resolve the province's final status.
Rohan, who has mediated yearlong talks between ethnic Albanians and Serbs, arrived in Kosovo a week after Ahtisaari unveiled a proposal which envisions internationally supervised statehood for the province.
The plan does not explicitly mention independence from Serbia, but spells out conditions for self-rule --complete with the trappings of nationhood, including a flag, anthem, army and constitution and the right to apply for membership in international organizations. Kosovo's Serb minority would have a high degree of control over their own affairs.
Rohan was expected to discuss details of the plan, which was endorsed by key ethnic Albanian leaders and rejected by Serbian officials.
Ahtisaari had invited the two sides to meet again this month to negotiate a final proposal before he presents it to the UN Security Council by the end of March, which ultimately will decide Kosovo's status.
Serbian officials had requested the meeting be delayed, as politicians are in the midst of negotiations to form a new government following Jan. 21 elections.
