At separate talks in Vienna last week, Serbians and Kosovar Albanians together with representatives from the diplomatic troika, comprising the United States, the European Union and Russia, failed to reach a breakthrough.
"The sides have already confirmed their intention of holding the next round of talks soon after the New York meeting of the Contact Group, involving the U.S., Russia, Britain, Italy, and France," Alexander Botsan-Harchenko said, adding that the direct negotiations are "most likely to be held September 27."
He said the troika also agreed to carry out separate talks with Belgrade and Pristina a week prior to the meeting.
Meanwhile, Kosovo's premier, Agim Ceku, has reiterated his readiness to declare independence from Serbia November 28. Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic said Belgrade would eye "response measures" in case of the secessionist move.
The EU envoy, Wolfgang Ischinger, Friday urged the bloc to find a common response in case the final round talks on Kosovo failed, including a scenario for unilaterally declared independence, the EUobserver Web site said.
After a vote on a draft resolution on Kosovo proposed by UN special envoy Martti Ahtisaari, which granted the province internationally supervised independence, was cancelled by the UN Security Council, troika envoys launched a 120-day effort to end the stalemate over Kosovo.
"There is a great risk that the troika will fail to reach an agreement [between Belgrade and Pristina] and therefore, the EU has to start preparing to speak with one voice after 10 December," Ischinger said.
Kosovo has been a UN protectorate since NATO's 78-day bombing campaign against the former Yugoslavia ended a conflict between Serb forces and Muslim Albanian separatists in 1999. The province has been striving for independence from Serbia ever since.
Moscow, a staunch ally of Belgrade, believes that granting Kosovo sovereignty would violate Serbia's territorial integrity and set a precedent for other breakaway regions, including those of the former Soviet Union.
