A New Attempt

Ischinger was picked by EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana "as EU representative in the European Union-Russia-United States team charged with facilitating negotiations between Belgrade and Pristina on the future of Kosovo," Solana's spokeswoman Cristina Gallach said in a statement on Sunday.

The 61-year old, who is the German ambassador to Britain, is an expert on Balkan affairs. He was -- together with US diplomat Richard Holbrooke -- instrumental in brokering the 1995 Dayton Peace Agreement which brought an end to the war in Bosnia.

Ischinger will be joining top US and Russian diplomats under a scheme announced last week to negotiate the future status of the southern Serbian province.

A new attempt

The scheme was announced by the six members of the Kosovo Contact Group, which said talks on the future status should take place in the form of an EU-US-Russian troika.

The six members -- Balkan experts from the US, Russia, Germany, France, Britain and Italy -- announced it as an attempt to overcome the US-Russian deadlock a week after Russia blocked a resolution on a UN plan to grant Kosovo internationally-monitored independence.

Kosovo leaders, however, warned on Monday that they would not accept further delays in determining the province's final status and would not give up their demands for independence.

"We consider that this will be the last delay and we will not accept any other deadlines," said Kosovo's president Fatmir Sejdiu in an address to the province's 120-seat parliament.

"Further deadlines carry with them dangers not only in compromising the process but also raising concerns and tensions with unforeseeable consequences," Sejdiu said. "We stress that Kosovo's independence is not negotiable."

The role of Russia

In what was considered a surprise move, Russia agreed to the troika format suggested by German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier at the EU foreign ministers' meeting last Monday, even though it previously insisted on keeping the process in the Security Council, where it holds veto power.

Agreement has yet to be reached on the timing of a new round of talks. The EU had suggested limiting negotiations to 120 days, while Russia prefers open-ended talks.

Diplomat Frank Wisner has been appointed to represent the US in the talks. Russia is yet to announce its representative.

Opposing views

The talks on the future of Kosovo are bound to remain extremely difficult and are unlikely to bring any substantial improvements in the relations between Belgrade and Pristina.

Kosovo's ethnic Albanian majority, frustrated by setbacks and delays, will accept nothing short of full independence. Belgrade, on the other hand, is only ready to grant far-reaching autonomy, fearing Kosovo's Serb minority will be endangered in case of independence.

A unilateral declaration of independence by the province's leadership could lead to a further destabilization of the region, diplomats fear.