Pristina accepts UN chief's plan, Serbia rejects it

17/06/2008

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon's recent plan says events in Kosovo have significant operational implications for UNMIK and that the mission must adjust to developments.

By Blerta Foniqi-Kabashi for Southeast European Times in Pristina -- 17/06/08

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's plans give authority to the EU mission. [Getty Images]

Kosovo leaders responded positively to a proposal to reconfigure the civilian international presence in the newly independent state. The plan, submitted by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon on Thursday (June 12th) to the Security Council, gives more authority to the EULEX mission over police, courts and other institutions in Kosovo.

Ban said the EU is ready to put staff on the ground in Kosovo in the police, justice and customs sectors and that the UN will maintain a presence in the state to carry out "limited, residual tasks".

"I believe that the [UN] is confronting a new reality in Kosovo with operational implications" for UNMIK that it must take into account, Ban said in his report. "Not doing so could lead to increased tension with Kosovo, including between Kosovo's communities."

Kosovo President Fatmir Sejdiu confirmed that the government, in general, supports Ban's plan, which does not threaten the sovereignty of the former province. "Kosovo is ready to co-operate with [the UN] on transferring competencies from UNMIK to Kosovo's institutions and EULEX," Sejdiu said.

"I am aware that this package maybe will not satisfy all sides. However, I sincerely believe that, after long discussions of this issue, we will find a way out. My aim was to create a provisional agreement that is acceptable to all sides and that will have the support of important international forces. I sincerely believe that this package achieves this goal," Ban said in Brussels.

"The efforts of the [UN] are directed at ensuring that the political and security situation in Kosovo and in the wider region remains stable and that the population of Kosovo, in particular the minority communities, is adequately protected," Ban wrote.

"In the absence of guidance from the Security Council, and following extensive consultations, it is my intention to reconfigure the structure and profile of the international civil presence to one that corresponds to the evolving situation in Kosovo and that enables the [EU] to assume an enhanced operational role in Kosovo in accordance with [Security Council] resolution 1244," the plan says.

Security Council members are still studying Ban's proposal, US Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad, this month's Council president, said.

The UN also sent the plan to Serbian President Boris Tadic. On Friday, Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica said that it is contrary to resolution 1244 and, as such, is unacceptable to Serbia.