Christopher Hill, testifying at The Hague as a defense witness for former Kosovo President Hashim Thaçi, stated that the meeting between Kosovo President Ibrahim Rugova and Serbian President Slobodan Milošević had been encouraged by the Americans.
Hill described details from the meeting in Prishtina, which he attended alongside U.S. diplomat Richard Holbrooke.
“This was the first time Ambassador Holbrooke went to Pristina. I went with him, and we sat down with President Rugova. Although it had not been discussed beforehand, Ambassador Holbrooke thought it would be a good idea if Mr. Rugova met with Mr. Milošević in Belgrade,” the American diplomat said.
Hill admitted he was more skeptical about the meeting but said Holbrooke believed it could help resolve several issues.
According to Hill, the meeting ultimately harmed Rugova’s standing in Kosovo.
“I think it’s fair to say this was a matter of analysis and opinion. It hurt Rugova. I don’t think there was strong support in Kosovo for meeting with Milošević. People didn’t think the meeting could help. Rugova himself was unsure if it was a good idea, but he didn’t want to appear to reject such a suggestion from Holbrooke. Rugova was the informal leader of Kosovo, yet opposition to him was growing because people felt he wasn’t making progress,” Hill said.
