Should the Kosovo government end funding of the UN Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) Administration in Mitrovica (UAM), it will cut-off one of the few institutional linkages between north Mitrovica and Pristina.

Having achieved its aim of demonstrating that the northern resistance to the imposition of Pristina institutions is a genuine popular response, and not the result of criminal coercion, it is now time to reconsider the planned 15th February referendum.

Self-congratulatory remarks by the International Civilian Representative for Kosovo

With the ISG saying it plans to leave by the end of 2012, even whilst outstanding issues – including the north – remain, the UN must be prepared to play an essential buffering role between the two sides in the status dispute.

Europe seems to be allowing Germany to lead it into a historic blunder by freezing Serbia out rather than bringing it in.

The new agreement between Belgrade and Pristina on the crossing points, plus the removal of some barricades, may provide an opportunity to finally end the current crisis in the north that began on July 25th.

Beset with enormous – perhaps insurmountable – economic and political problems of their own, the Europeans seem uninterested and/or unable to support real solutions in the central Balkans.

It is increasingly apparent that the respective parties – including the Quint – are talking past each other and reacting more to what has happened, rather than what might be done to move away from conflict.

The current talks between Belgrade and Pristina may provide the US with an opportunity to shift away from a policy that has become dependent upon giving full backing to Kosovo’s prime minister, Hashim Thaci, regardless of the accusations made against him.

Trenutni razgovori između Beograda i Prištine mogli bi biti prilika za SAD da naprave pomak od politike koja je postala ovisna o njihovoj punoj podršci kosovskom premijeru, Hašimu Tačiju, bez obzira na optužbe protiv njega.