BELGRADE, Serbia - A U.N. envoy on Friday unveiled a plan for the bitterly contested province of Kosovo, its first tentative step toward eventual statehood.
The proposal handed to Serbian President Boris Tadic by U.N. envoy Martti Ahtisaari in a 45-minute meeting details terms for what would amount to internationally supervised statehood, but does not mention the word "independence," according to highlights obtained by The Associated Press.
Parts of the plan shown to the AP call for a multiethnic Kosovo "governing itself democratically and with full respect for the rule of law." They also recommend that the province adopt its own constitution and be empowered "to negotiate and conclude international agreements, including the right to seek membership in international organizations."
The plan drafted by Ahtisaari, which was to be presented later to Kosovo's ethnic Albanian leadership, laid out terms for "a future Kosovo that is viable, sustainable and stable."
The blueprint, which still needs approval from the U.N. Security Council, is likely to be flatly rejected by Serbian officials, who staunchly oppose the independence of Kosovo, the nation's historic heartland.
After his meeting with Tadic, Ahtisaari refused to say whether his proposal would lead to Kosovo's independence. He added that further consultations between the parties could be held later this month and that the current version "is a draft and not a final proposal."
"I'm willing to integrate compromise solutions that parties might reach, and I will then finalize my settlement proposal for submission to the U.N. Security Council," Ahtisaari said, specifying that he would invite the rival sides to meet on Feb. 13.
Kosovo has been a U.N. protectorate since 1999, when NATO airstrikes stopped Serbia's crackdown on separatist ethnic Albanian rebels. Ethnic Albanians, who account for 90 percent of Kosovo's 2 million population, have rejected Serbia's offer of broad autonomy within Serbian borders and demand outright independence.
Diplomats warned that the plan would disappoint people on both sides of the ethnic divide.
"The Serbs will have to accept the loss of Kosovo," a Western official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss details of the plan with reporters.
And Kosovo's Albanian majority "will have to accept continued international presence, significant limitations on their sovereignty and a very generous package of rights for the Kosovo Serbs."
The European Union urged both Serbian and ethnic Albanian officials Friday to discuss the plan "in a serious manner and without reservations."
"Both sides must demonstrate responsibility, flexibility and a recognition of the need for realistic compromised-based solutions," the EU said in a statement.
Trappings of independence would include a flag and anthem along with the right to seek membership in international organizations -- though a seat at the United Nations would by no means be assured.
If the proposal eventually wins Security Council approval, that would set the stage for the U.S. and other countries to formally recognize Kosovo's independence. But there were concerns that the plan could trigger a showdown between the United States -- long an advocate of an independent Kosovo -- and Russia, a traditional ally of Serbia which wields veto power.
In a snub to Ahtisaari, Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica refused to meet with the former Finnish president, who met with Tadic instead.
Kostunica has threatened to cut off diplomatic ties with any country that recognizes Kosovo as an independent state. That drew a stern rebuke Thursday from the U.S. Embassy in Belgrade, which issued a statement saying it was "very disappointed by this approach."
In Kosovo, where only about 100,000 Serbs still live -- many complaining they are subject to discrimination and reprisal attacks -- some Serbs expressed doubts that the plan would adequately protect their minority.
Ahtisaari had said protecting the rights of Kosovo's Serbs and other minorities was at the heart of the proposal.
For Serbs, the plan outlines "a high degree of control" over their own affairs by granting them six new Serb-administered municipalities and a greater voice in the higher education and health systems. Serbs also would be granted "extensive municipal autonomy in financial matters, including the ability to accept transparent funding from Serbia."
Kosovo's prime minister, Agim Ceku, appealed for calm, and the 16,500-member NATO-led peacekeeping force stepped up patrols.
The plan recommends the establishment of an international representative -- similar to the office set up in Bosnia after that country's bloody 1992-95 war -- to oversee day-to-day affairs.
It also included provisions for a 2,500-member Kosovo security force which would be overseen by NATO.
