To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of (a) the political situation in Kosovo and (b) the political consequences of UN Special Envoy Ahtisaari’s recommendations for the future status of Kosovo. (118358)

The UN Special Envoy presented draft proposals to Belgrade and Pristina on 2 February. We encourage both parties to engage constructively and responsibly with the Special Envoy over these proposals. We believe that completion of the status process is important in order to provide clarity to the people of Kosovo over their future which in turn will help stabilise the political situation in Kosovo.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions she has had with her International Contact Group for Kosovo counterparts on the recommendations of UN Special Envoy Ahtisaari; what the outcome was of those discussions; and if she will make a statement. (118359)

The UK has worked in close partnership with Contact Group partners (US, France, Germany, Italy, Russia) to assist efforts to achieve a lasting status settlement for Kosovo and the region.

Contact Group Ministers last met in New York in September 2006, where we asked UN Special Envoy Martti Ahtisaari to prepare a comprehensive proposal for a status settlement. Contact Group officials met on Friday 26 January in Vienna, where they discussed UN Special Envoy Ahtisaari’s plans for taking the status process forward.

We will continue working closely with Contact Group partners to achieve the durable solution for Kosovo which will enhance regional stability and the region’s Euro-Atlantic prospects.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions she has had with her (a) European Union, (b) United States and (c) Russian counterparts on the European Union’s future role in Kosovo; what the outcome was of those discussions; and if she will make a statement. (118360)

I have had several discussions on the EU’s future role in Kosovo in bilateral and multilateral fora. Most recently, I discussed Kosovo with EU Foreign Ministers at the General Affairs and External Relations Council on 22 January and at the EU-NATO transatlantic lunch on 26 January. We continue to work closely with the US and Russia in the Contact Group which last met at ministerial level in September 2006.

A safe, secure and prosperous Kosovo in a stable region is vital to Europe. There is broad agreement among member states that the EU should be closely involved in the future of Kosovo and should play a leading role in the implementation of a Kosovo settlement. Planning has now started to ensure the EU is well placed to meet their responsibilities. But we should avoid prejudging the outcome of the status process.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of the implications of the recent parliamentary elections in Serbia for the process to establish the final status of Kosovo. (118361)

The UN Special Envoy Martti Ahtisaari adjusted the timeline for the Kosovo status process to accommodate the elections in Serbia on 21 January. The official results of the elections show that pro-EU, pro-reform parties have a clear majority. We await the formation of a new government.

Meanwhile, the Kosovo final status process continues. The UN Special Envoy put draft proposals to Belgrade and Pristina on 2 February. We fully support the UN Special Envoy’s efforts to bring this process to completion as soon as possible so that Kosovo can finally have clarity over its future, enabling the Balkan region to move beyond the conflicts of the recent past towards a future with a Euro-Atlantic perspective.

We are encouraging both Belgrade and Pristina to engage positively and constructively with the Special Envoy.