VOA常速英语2007-Kosovo Status Talks Near Halfway Point With Litt

By Barry Wood
Washington
03 October 2007

Little progress is reported in the negotiations¹ led by Russia, the European Union and the United States aimed at reconciling the conflicting views of Belgrade and Pristina on the future of Kosovo. VOA's Barry Wood reports that the US participant in the Troika rejects any possibility of partition as a solution to Kosovo's disputed status.

Frank Wisner, the retired² US diplomat³ who represents Washington in the Troika, says it is unlikely that the Kosovo issue can be resolved this year. There is, he tells VOA, simply not enough time.

"Practically speaking, we expect to have our report ready by the 10th of December to the Secretary General [UN]," said Wisner. "He then is going to have to discuss the matter with the key contact group [US, UK, Russia, Italy, France, Germany] countries. I wouldn't rule out that there is going to have to be some Security Council discussions. So, just the calendar is going to press very hard to get a definitive⁴ conclusion in 2007."

The Troika negotiations were launched in August after Russia threatened to veto a US and EU backed plan for Kosovo's conditional⁵ independence. Moscow proposed the latest talks as a final attempt to bridge the wide gulf⁶ between Serbia and Kosovo's 90 percent majority ethnic⁷ Albanians. While the Kosovars demand independence, Serbia says it will accept nothing more than widespread autonomy.

Last week (September 28) in New York, the Troika brought Serbian and Kosovar leaders into face-to-face discussions. A second such meeting will take place in Brussels on October 14. Wisner says that while the respective leaders have not yet presented substantive⁸ new proposals, they do agree that partition of the province is not an option.

"Dividing Kosovo is not on the table with the Kosovars and isn't on the table with the Serbs, and isn't on the table with the Troika," he said. "That's out. It is against contact group principles. It would only produce havoc⁹ in the region. So that [it] is beyond the realm of possibility."

But Council on Foreign Relations Europe specialist Charles Kupchan says any Kosovo outcome is likely to destabilize the Balkans. Kupchan offers two reasons why the separation of the mostly Serb inhabited north of the territory should not be completely ruled out.

"One is that it is possible that partition could bring Belgrade around, get Belgrade to say we could live with the independence of Kosovo as long as northern Kosovo remains¹⁰ part of Serbia," said Charles Kupchan. "And if Belgrade says yes, then Russia says yes and this whole problem goes away. And secondly¹¹, because Kosovo, if it has northern Kosovo as part of it, starts life at a disadvantage; it will have a major part of its territory that doesn't want to part of that new state."

Most analysts¹² expect the Troika negotiations will fail. In that event, Kosovo Albanians have said they will declare their independence. Washington, which favors an independent Kosovo, has indicated that it would recognize the new state. The European Union is divided but most states favor independence. Kupchan of the Council on Foreign Relations says Europe-including Germany-is ultimately likely to follow the American lead.

1 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。

2 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

3 diplomat   

n.外交官，外交家；能交际的人，圆滑的人

参考例句：

• The diplomat threw in a joke, and the tension was instantly relieved.那位外交官插进一个笑话，紧张的气氛顿时缓和下来。
• He served as a diplomat in Russia before the war.战前他在俄罗斯当外交官。

4 definitive   

adj.确切的，权威性的；最后的，决定性的

参考例句：

• This book is the definitive guide to world cuisine.这本书是世界美食的权威指南。
• No one has come up with a definitive answer as to why this should be so.至于为什么该这样，还没有人给出明确的答复。

5 conditional   

adj.条件的，带有条件的

参考例句：

• My agreement is conditional on your help.你肯帮助我才同意。
• There are two forms of most-favored-nation treatment:conditional and unconditional.最惠国待遇有两种形式:有条件的和无条件的。

6 gulf   

n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂

参考例句：

• The gulf between the two leaders cannot be bridged.两位领导人之间的鸿沟难以跨越。
• There is a gulf between the two cities.这两座城市间有个海湾。

7 ethnic   

adj.人种的，种族的，异教徒的

参考例句：

• This music would sound more ethnic if you played it in steel drums.如果你用钢鼓演奏，这首乐曲将更具民族特色。
• The plan is likely only to aggravate ethnic frictions.这一方案很有可能只会加剧种族冲突。

8 substantive   

adj.表示实在的；本质的、实质性的；独立的；n.实词，实名词；独立存在的实体

参考例句：

• They plan to meet again in Rome very soon to begin substantive negotiations.他们计划不久在罗马再次会晤以开始实质性的谈判。
• A president needs substantive advice,but he also requires emotional succor. 一个总统需要实质性的建议，但也需要感情上的支持。

9 havoc   

n.大破坏，浩劫，大混乱，大杂乱

参考例句：

• The earthquake wreaked havoc on the city.地震对这个城市造成了大破坏。
• This concentration of airborne firepower wrought havoc with the enemy forces.这次机载火力的集中攻击给敌军造成很大破坏。

10 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

11 secondly   

adv.第二，其次

参考例句：

• Secondly,use your own head and present your point of view.第二，动脑筋提出自己的见解。
• Secondly it is necessary to define the applied load.其次，需要确定所作用的载荷。

12 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。