UN: UNMIK representative tells the Security Council that the U.N. should prepare to leave Kosovo

The U.N. representative for Kosovo told the Security Council on Wednesday (September 13) that it was time for UNMIK to an end to its mandate in that country. Joachim Rücker, special representative for the Secretary-General in Kosovo said that the country was entering a new phase in its history and that isolation was not the answer. "UNMIK will discharge its responsibilities as long as it has them. But I would like to reiterate that for the good of the future of the people of Kosovo, the current period of uncertainty needs to be brought to an end as soon as possible," he said. Kosovo has been under U.N. administration since 1999 following a NATO bombing campaign that drove out Serb forces accused of ethnic cleansing. Ninety percent of the southern Serb province's 2 million people are ethnic Albanians. Serbian representative, Sanda Raskovic Ivic, in her address to the Security Council, pointed out recent violence against Serbs in Kosovo and said that mere adoption of laws was not a solution, that tribal leaders still made the decisions. She added, "It is really hard to believe that anyone would want to take that responsibility just to meet a certain deadline. I emphasize that only patience and patience alone with eyes wide open to the reality and future can bring about a true compromised solution to Kosovo and Metohija issue. An imposed solution will not be conducive to the resolution of the problem of Kosovo and Metohija." There was a mixed reaction from Security Council delegations. The European Union and the United States both insist on a negotiated settlement before the end of 2006. "Delay in resolving Kosovo's status benefits neither side and creates further instability. Both sides must be realistic about the outcome of the status process. Kosovo must remain multi-ethnic and the settlement must be acceptable to the people of Kosovo. Additionally there will be no return of Kosovo to the pre-1999 situation, no partition of Kosovo and no union of Kosovo with any other, or part of, another country," said Ambassador Jackie Sanders of the United States. U.N.-brokered talks are underway to determine whether Kosovo will remain part of Serbia, as sought by the government in Belgrade, or become independent, as the vast majority of Kosovo's residents insist. The Russian Federation is determined not to rush the process and warns that it is necessary to work within the framework of the Vienna negotiations. Russian ambassador, Vitaly Churkin told the council, "We deem to be counter-productive the establishment of any arbitrary time-frames. A negotiated solution on the future status of Kosovo is a priority for Russia. This is the thrust of the statement of the contact group following the Vienna summit negotiations which clearly talks about moving forward to a decision on the basis of compromise." The talks began in February and U.N. officials hope to wrap them up by the end of the year. But there has been little hint of a breakthrough in the negotiations, which have focused so far on the rights and security of the 100,000 Serbs still living in Kosovo. U.N. mediator Martti Ahtisaari is on course to make his proposal on Kosovo's final status within the next three months.

ITN Source | September 15, 2006

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