(PRISTINA) - An EU rule of law mission to Kosovo dubbed EULEX said Monday it has stepped up deployment significantly here.

"During the weekend approximately 50 new international mission members joined EULEX Kosovo," the mission said in a press release, adding that it would be followed by approximately 100 new arrivals per week.

"This is the first important step in the large scale deployment of EULEX Kosovo," head of the Mission Yves de Kermabon said.

Despite initial delays, the 2,000-member mission is expected to be fully deployed by the end of autumn.

De Kermabon expressed commitment that his mission would "help the local government to build a strong rule of law situation, free from political interference, operating within a sound legal framework and in close coordination and cooperation with all relevant actors."

So far, the EU mission has deployed around 300 officials including police, judges, prosecutors and custom officers in Kosovo.

Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in February and has since been recognized by 47 countries.

But Serbia -- together with Russia, its principal ally on the world stage -- maintains the move violates international law, and both continue to regard Kosovo as a province of Serbia.

Due to strong Serbia's opposition to EULEX, the mission will initially operate under the auspices of the UN mission to Kosovo (UNMIK).

UNMIK has run Kosovo under UN Resolution 1244 since a NATO bombing campaign in 1999 ousted Serbian forces then waging a brutal crackdown on the Albanian majority.

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