SG Annan admits status may not be resolved by end 2006

The Secretary-General of the United Nations, Kofi Annan, the highest official in the UN announced that there may be a delay in the decision for Kosovo's status.  This is the first admission by the UN that the status may be delayed.  Annan does go on to say that special envoy Ahtisaari's negotiations are expected to conclude but as we have seen so far, the negotiations are not likely to bring around any compromised status anytime soon.  This new statement from Annan coincides with statements made a few weeks ago by EU representatives that the status may not be resolved until early 2007.  The fear is that should Serbia lose Kosovo (15% of its territory) that ultra-nationalists will take over in the coming elections (scheduled for December).  An article in the International Tribune gives some extra insight as to why delaying the status decision is politically sound and a good decision.