[news] Kosovo media today

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Kosovo Media Highlights   Contact Group tells Ahtisaari to wait until after 21 January (Koha/Express) Koha Ditore reports on its lead story that the UN Status Envoy Martti Ahtisaari had a meeting with EU officials before the scheduled meeting with the Contact Group.   Upon hearing the news from Belgrade, still unconfirmed, that the elections in Serbia will take place on 21 January 2007, the paper quotes some unnamed CG diplomats as saying that it is already clear there will be a postponement of Kosovo's status until next year and that 'the delay will not change the final outcome', reports Koha Ditore.   Ahtisaari had a meeting with EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn and according to the paper's sources he also had a meeting with the head of the European Commission, Jose Manuel Barroso.   On the same issue, Express reports that status will be postponed until March. The status of Kosovo will not be solved this year because of the elections in Serbia, says the paper. According to the paper's sources from the Contact Group, Ahtisaari will present his proposal in March when the U.K. will chair the UN Security Council.   Çeku announces declaration of independence (Dailies)   Papers report that after a meeting with UNMIK chief Joachim Rücker, Prime Minister Agim Çeku said that the Kosovo Assembly may unilaterally decide to declare the independence of Kosovo from Serbia. He added that it would have been better if the new resolution of UN SC clearly defined Kosovo's independence and stressed that independence should not be seen as a threat to the international community.   Çeku said that the meeting of the Contact Group with President Ahtisaari on Friday will not result in a postponement of the status decision because this decision will depend on the announcement of the date of elections in Serbia.   SRSG Rücker added that he expects the Contact Group and Ahtisaari to use this moment to resolve Kosovo issue.   Assembly Presidency says the parties should agree on state symbols (Dailies)   Koha Ditore reports that the President of Kosovo Fatmir Sejdiu has called on the Prime Minister and the Assembly President to initiate the procedure for defining national symbols for Kosovo. The Assembly Presidency says that a consensus among the heads of the parliamentary groups and the political parties in general is a necessity for the issue.   "Let us make the state and reach consensus on symbols. Symbols are not an issue of a one day discussion.and specialists should give opinions which would then be decided about by consensus," Zëri quotes PDK Assembly Presidency member Xhavit Haliti as saying.   Haziri and Surroi: Gracanica a municipality in independent Kosovo Zëri reports that Deputy Prime Minister Lutfi Haziri and ORA leader Veton Surroi visited Gracanica yesterday, where they discussed the status process with local residents and political representatives.   "The Vienna talks are over. This story has been completed. The work now remains with Martti Ahtisaari who is expected to soon give his proposal to the Contact Group. We are all waiting for this," Haziri said.   Surroi, who is also chairman of the Consultative Council for Communities, said that Kosovo will be independent soon and that this should not damage anyone. "We have so many practical problems in life that we have to resolve together," Surroi said.   SLKM leader Randjel Nojkic also took part in the debate and accused the Albanian side for first drafting and approving documents and then presenting them to the Serb side. "Why aren't we in the Consultative Council for Communities? Because we have been misused there too," Nojkic told the Kosovo leaders.