EU denies plans to send envoy to Priština

EU denies plans to send envoy to Priština

BRUSSELS -- The EU will not send a high-ranking official as an envoy to Priština to discuss the formation of a new Kosovo government with the local political leaders.

This was announced on Tuesday by Maja Kocijančič, spokesperson of EU High Representative Catherine Ashton.

The spokesperson thus denied a report in the Priština-based Albanian language daily Gazeta Blic that an unnamed high-ranking EU official will visit Kosovo on Thursday, following the failed negotiations to form a government, and in order to "pressure Kosovo's political leaders to form a government as soon as possible."

"Those are empty speculations," Kocijančič told Tanjug, adding that the EU "treated the formation of the Kosovo government as an internal affair of Kosovo's institutions."

"We believe Kosovo's political leaders will be able to form a government based on the election results and following the democratic procedure," she stated.