Kosovo must stay under UN rule
Serbia's foreign minister on Tuesday warned against any transfer of authority from the UN mission in Kosovo to a European Union body as he again urged the world not to recognize Kosovo's secession.
Vuk Jeremic told reporters after briefing the UN Security Council that he reaffirmed Belgrade's strong opposition to "any transfer of competencies from UNMIK (the UN mission in Kosovo), the only mandated civilian presence in Kosovo, to any other body."
A total of 27 countries, including France, Britain, Italy and Germany, have already recognized the breakaway territory. But a number of others, including EU members Cyprus and Spain, have refused to do so for fear of spurring independence or separatist movements in their own countries.
Following Kosovo's unilateral declaration of independence from Belgrade last month, the EU last month authorized the deployment of a 2,000-strong force known as EULEX to Kosovo to train and mentor local police, justice and border officials.
The first 20 members of EULEX, which has no UN mandate, have been deployed, but more will follow only after further discussion with the United Nations, the mission's leader, Yves de Kermabon, said Monday.
"It is a great pity that some European countries have joined in this dubious exercise," he added. "First by recognizing the unilateral declaration of independence by the authorities in Pristina ... And then by establishing EULEX and the affiliated International Steering Group of countries."
Russia's UN Ambassador to th UN Vitaly Churkin circulated a non-binding statement reaffirming the need for peaceful dialogue to resolve the dispute and for preserving Serbia's national sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The statement would also reaffirm Security Council Resolution 1244, adopted in 1999, as the legal framework governing the mandate of UNMIK in Kosovo.
But US Ambassador to the UN Zalmay Khalilzad said both Serbia and Russia must take into account the "new reality" created by Kosovo's independence.
Comments