Martti Ahtisaari is the latest diplomat to call Belgrade to reconsider the order it gave K-Serbs to severe the ties with Prishtina. "When we pressure Pristina to move forward, we also need the co-operation of the minority community.” Another source quotes him saying "It's a very old and worn slogan that you need two to tango. It's miserable to dance the tango all alone." Olli Rehn from the European Commission expressed the same.

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The EU Foreign and Security Policies Chief and the UN’s Special Envoy for the Kosovo status discussions agreed that new Kosovo Prime Minister Agim Ceku has made a significant effort to try and convince Kosovo Serbs to participate in regional institutions.(B92)

My question to Serbs would be: would you rather prefer a "war criminal" like Çeku that works for your return or a loser like the previous PM (what's his name?) who was no good for either Albanians or Serbs?

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Prishtia daily Express has an article on the "most corrupted" institutions in Kosova: KEK (electricity), PTK (telecommunications), and KTA (privatisation). European "experts" either oversaw the investments that were done and abused in the three or participated directly in the abuse.

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25 minority members join the Kosovo Protection Corps. Balkan Update has the short news.

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In the Vienna front, there are already cracks on the Serb side. They have proposed that the final status should be discussed in parallel with the current talks despite the earlier agreement that the technical issues should be taken out of the way first. The idea for the current formula is that if one side decides to withdraw from the talks (probably Serbs if the decision for independnece is really taken), some good deeds will exist with which Ahtisaari, the benevolent diplomat, can go to the Security Council and justify himself. In lieu of this kind of positioning, Serbs might decide to withdraw from all talks in order to prevent the bigger outcome from being realized, but doing so will also sacrifice any benefits that they are likely to recieve from the talks. Will Serbs play it all or nothing once again? Rambuillet deja vu?

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I love the diplomatic games being played right now. Western diplomats are slowly but surly revealing the bad news to Belgrade. They are playing on Serbia's string like a mandolinier would do. One would have to dumb not to get it. And with the intensity rising, it's hard to pretend not getting it either. US Amabassador to Belgrade is the latest that had to withdraw the latest statement of someone pitching independence, Nicholas Burns. Although I find it strange that somebody working unders Burns has to say that his boss was mistaken, that the the status has not been decided.