EU mission in Kosovo to remain neutral on status
(WASHINGTON) - The future EU justice and police mission in Kosovo (EULEX) will follow the UN's lead in staying neutral on the territory's independence, UN chief Ban Ki-Moon said in a report published Tuesday.
"EULEX will fully respect Security Council Resolution 1244 (1999) and operate under the overall authority and within the status-neutral framework of the United Nations," Ban said in the report to the UN Security Council.
By working within the framework of the resolution, the mission in Kosovo will not imply any recognition of the territory's independence.
The UN has not made a decision on Kosovo's independence, which Pristina's majority Albanian authorities declared unilaterally in February in a move rejected by Serbia.
Some 50 countries, including the United States and most European countries, backed the move.
Russia has supported its Serbian ally and can block through its veto power any attempt by the Security Council to guarantee Kosovo's independence.
"The deployment of EULEX throughout Kosovo will be carried out in close consultation with relevant stakeholders, taking into account the specific circumstances and concerns of all communities, and will be coordinated with UNMIK," the UN's mission in Kosovo, Ban added.
UNMIK chief Lamberto Zannier "is facilitating the European Union preparations to undertake an enhanced operational role in Kosovo in the rule of law area."
The EU agreed in February to send the EULEX mission to Kosovo to gradually replace a United Nations mission and oversee the police, judiciary and customs.
But Serbia has rejected the secession of its former province and its opposition has delayed the mission's deployment.
Serbia's Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic said earlier Tuesday that the plan submitted to the UN Security Council to deploy the European mission in Kosovo had included Serbian demands opposed by the Albanian-majority region.
"According to unofficial information we have received, (the report) fully contains all the demands" of Serbia, Jeremic told reporters in Belgrade.
Serbia had demanded that EULEX viewed Kosovo's status as neutral.
The European mission of some 2,000 policemen, judges and customs officers intends to deploy to Kosovo in early December, according to EU officials.
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