UNITED NATIONS (AA) – Several Balkan leaders, including the Serbian president and the prime ministers of Montenegro and Kosovo, were among the first to meet separately with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.
On the eve of the 68th UN General Assembly (UNGA) session, the UN chief was supposed to also meet with the presidents of Croatia Ivo Josipovic and Slovenia Boris Pahor.
Addressing the leaders, Ban reiterated the readiness of the United Nations to support reconciliation in the western Balkans.
-- All certain but Bosnians
However, Mirsad Ibrovic, adviser to the Chairman of the Bosnian Tripartite state Presidency Zeljko Komsic, told AA on Sunday night that he was unsure over the schedule, on when or whether Komsić will meet the UN Secretary General during his stay in New York.
Foreign Minister of Bosnia and Herzegovina Zlatko Lagumdzija was also present in New York.
At the very start of the UNGA 68th session, Ban met with Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic. Ban commended Serbia for the progress on the ongoing Belgrade-Pristina dialogue and the steps Serbia had taken in the context of the dialogue facilitated by the European Union.
The UN Secretary General stressed the importance of successful the local elections in Kosovo scheduled for the beginning of November, and the importance of the Kosovan Serb community's participation. Ban also expressed confidence that the agreements reached would improve the lives of all in Kosovo.
In particular, the UN chief expressed appreciation for Serbia’s continued cooperation with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia.
-- Kosovo wants to become a full member of the UN
During his meeting with Prime Minister of Kosovo Hashim Thaci on Sunday at the UN Headquarters in New York, Ban also praised Kosovan leadership for the “historic progress achieved” in the EU facilitated dialogue, in particular the landmark Agreement of April 19, 2013.
The Consul-General of Kosovo in New York Bekim Seidiu told AA the meeting with Ban was very productive and lasted over 30 minutes.
At the meeting, the Kosovan delegation voiced their goal of becoming a full UN member, said ambassador Seidiu, who did not want to comment on the UN chief's reaction to the particular issue.
Ban encouraged further “constructive engagement” between Pristina and Belgrade to ensure Kosovan Serb participation at the upcoming local elections in Kosovo on November 3, the UN official statement sent to AA said.
He also underlined the importance of close cooperation with the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) for the benefit of normalization and “confidence-building between Kosovo and Serbia.”
While in New York until September 28 to attend the 68th UNGA session, Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic will hold a number of bilateral meetings with world officials, diplomatic sources confirmed.
-- Serbia gets closer to NATO?
Serbia's Nikolic will also meet with NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen.
While eager for EU membership, Belgrade is likely to openly show aversion to NATO due to the Western Military Alliance's bombing of Serbia in 1999 to protect Kosovan Albanians from the brutal regime of Slobodan Milosevic.
Nikolic will meet with Slovenian President Borut Pahor, Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades, Slovakian President Ivan Gasparovic, Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg and others.
He will also attend the unveiling of the Tesla statue in front of the Tesla laboratory in Wardenclyffe in Long Island.
-- Montenegro moving forward
On Sunday the UN Secretary General also met with Prime Minister of Montenegro Milo Djukanovic, with whom he discussed cooperation between the UN and Montenegro, including the country’s contribution to UN peace operations as well as its role in the Human Rights Council.
UN experts Montenegro is progressing on the road to Euro-Atlantic integrations as well.
Ban and Djukanovic exchanged views on developments in the wider western Balkans region, including the ongoing dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, and the lack of progress in the name dispute between Macedonia and Greece, an unresolved issue for almost 20 years.
by Erol Avdovic
englishnews@aa.com.tr
