Diplomatic Diary: Rupel, Ban discuss Balkans, Kosovo

15/04/2008

Slovenian Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel reiterates his opposition to Kosovo's division. Also in diplomatic news this week: German President Horst Koehler is in Croatia, and Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan is in London.

Slovenia's Dimitrij Rupel and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon met in New York. [UN]

Slovenian Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel met with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon in New York on Saturday (April 12th). The two discussed the Balkans, especially the Kosovo situation. Rupel, whose country holds the rotating EU presidency until July, said the secretary-general has a few "new ideas that we in the EU will take into account". He said talks between Belgrade and Pristina could resume on certain issues but added that the most important goal would be preventing Kosovo's partition.

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Macedonian Foreign Minister Antonio Milososki was in Ireland on Monday (April 14th) for one day. Milososki met with Irish Minister of European Affairs Dick Roche and signed an agreement to prevent double taxation between Macedonia and Ireland. Milososki participated in a meeting of the European People's Parties, which also was attended by German Chancellor Angela Merkel and European Parliament President Hans-Gert Poettering.

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German President Horst Koehler arrived on Monday (April 14th) for a three-day official visit to Croatia. Koehler is scheduled to meet with his Croatian counterpart, Stipe Mesic, and Prime Minister Ivo Sanader. The German president also will participate in a Croatian-German state forum and meet Parliament Speaker Luka Bebic.

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Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan arrived in London on Monday (April 14th) for a three-day official visit. He and his British counterpart, David Miliband, will discuss bilateral relations and Turkey's EU bid, as well as regional and international issues. Babacan, who is also Turkey's chief EU negotiator, will meet British businessmen and lecture at the Royal United Service Institute for Defence and Security Studies.

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UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon appointed Ethiopian Taye-Brook Zerihoun as new UN envoy to Cyprus and head of the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) on Thursday (April 10th). Zerihoun will replace Michael Moller of Denmark. The new envoy is expected to help unify the divided island after decades of diplomatic effort.

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Zeljko Komsic, the Croat member of BiH's tripartite presidency, left on Monday (April 14th) for an official visit to the Czech Republic. His meeting with President Vaclav Klaus will focus on bilateral co-operation, BiH's progress in Euro-Atlantic integration and the latest regional developments. In Prague, Komsic also will meet with representatives of the BiH diaspora and attend some cultural events.

(Various sources 08/04/08-15/04/08)