A third round of talks on the future status of Kosovo ended in Vienna Monday between officials from Serbia and Kosovo with no final agreement being reached.

UN mediator Albert Rohan, who chaired Monday's session, said stark differences remained on both sides, though they had reached consensus on certain issues.

Monday's discussions were based on a report drafted by the UN office on the status of Kosovo, after summarizing the results of the previous two talks. They focused on the financing of the Serb minority in Kosovo, municipal boundaries, and the relations between Kosovo's Serb minority and Serbia.

Both sides expressed reservations with the contents of the report, according to local media reports.
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After the Kosovo war ended in June 1999, the province became a UN protectorate according to Resolution 1244 of the UN Security Council.

Ethnic Albanians, who comprise over 90 percent of the province's population, insist on full independence. But Serbia insists Belgrade must retain sovereignty over the province.

The UN-mediated negotiation process on the status of Kosovo started last November, and two round of talks were held in Vienna in February and March. The two sides will meet again in Vienna on May 4 for the fourth round of talks.

(Xinhua News Agency April 4, 2006)