US diplomat "to take over Kosovo reconciliation mission"

He should also take up one of the key roles in future negotiations between the two sides, Danas said it learned.

This newspaper referred to diplomatic sources in the West to report that "it has not yet been determined who will be the main US negotiator in the next stage of the negotiations, which should be final when it comes to resolving the Kosovo issue."

However, these sources continued, "Palmer, who has been present for more than two decades in the Western Balkans, will certainly have one of the most important roles."

Danas recalled the statement of this US State Department official, who told RTS in October that when it comes to Kosovo "there are no blank cheques or red lines," and that an agreement should be reached between Belgrade and Pristina "as soon as possible."

"What we would like to achieve is full normalization of relations between Belgrade and Pristina, and that is a complex challenge," said Palmer.

Palmer in the past served as director of the US State Department's South East Europe office, and was on several occasions posted at the US embassy in Belgrade.