UK urges Montenegro to recognise Kosovo

01/09/2008

PODGORICA, Montenegro -- British Ambassador to Podgorica Kevin Lyne called on Montenegro to recognise Kosovo, saying "the time is right" for such a move. In an interview with the daily Pobjeda on Saturday (August 30th), Lyne said he is convinced recognition will become a fact ahead of the EU summit in September. "I understand that the Kosovo issue is very sensitive for Montenegro and its relations with Belgrade and Pristina, but we believe that the time is right for Montenegro to recognise Kosovo," the ambassador noted. He also said his country has very good relations with Montenegro, which he believes will help Podgorica move closer to EU and NATO memberships.

In other news, Ramush Haradinaj, leader of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK), said on Sunday that Pristina could hold direct talks with Belgrade, should both sides agree on some issues beforehand. In an interview with the BBC, Haradinaj said UNMIK chief Lamberto Zannier should not mediate the talks, as Kosovo is an independent country that can choose what to discuss with Serbia and can ask for its own mediator. Haradinaj also described Kosovo's current diplomacy as a failure and said it was responsible for deterioration of the situation in the north since the declaration of independence in February. (Beta, B92, RBK, BBC, Telegrafi, Top channel - 31/08/08; Pobjeda, Kosovapress - 30/08/08)