Serb leader: Parts of EU mission already in Kosovo

Marko Jaksic says some elements of the EU's controversial mission to Kosovo are already in the province. Serbia opposes the deployment of a mission designed to replace UN's UNMIK without authorization from the UN Security Council. Serb leader: Parts of EU mission already in Kosovo But Brussels seems determined to go ahead with its plans despite protests from Belgrade and Moscow. Jaksic, who is presiding over a Serb council set up in the northern part of the province, says that "some parts of the mission arrived in Pristina on Thursday or Friday". The EU has not yet approved the deployment of its planned mission. Now Jaksic says this news "represents clear intention on the part of the EU to snatch a part of the Serbian territory." "Quietly, without any significant presence of the public, police and judiciary segments of the mission, not waiting for a decision by the EU Council of Ministers, have started arriving in Pristina," he was quoted as saying. But Jaksic added he had "reliable information" that "for the time being", they did not plan a trip to the north. The EU's official decision last Monday to approve plans for the mission seriously destabilized Serbia, with Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica linking this with the issue of an offer to Serbia to sign an interim deal with the Union. While both he and President Boris Tadic consider the mission itself unacceptable, Tadic is in favor of signing the agreement, offered instead of the SAA, and sent to Belgrade on the same day when mission plans were publicized. Jaksic, based in Kosovska Mitrovica, believes that this agreement is "much more important to the EU than to Serbia, to serve as a logistics base for the mission's arrival." "The European Union story that the agreement with Serbia and the Kosovo status settlement are two separate processes, is completely false," he concluded. But in Belgrade, President of the Forum of Ethnic Relations Dusan Janjic said, also Sunday, that the EU will send its personnel to Kosovo in line with UN Resolution 1244, something contested by official Belgrade. "In the meantime, Washington, Brussels and Moscow will try to somehow strike a deal on Kosovo's final status," Janjic told Novi Sad daily Dnevnik. "If they fail to do so, there'll be trouble," he added. As for Serbia's complaints over the EU mission's legality, Janjic said it is "deliberately overlooked" that Brussels "solved this problem" by connecting Articles 5 and 9 of Resolution 1244. "These articles define international and security presence in Kosovo, in line with expert and legal interpretation of the UN secretary-general," he said. Janjic added that Brussels will look to deploy its mission before Kosovo's ethnic Albanians declare secession from Serbia. He also downplayed the importance of speculation that this will happen on Feb. 17. "Kosovo will not proclaim independence on Feb. 17. What could happen on that day is some sort of declaration on independence to be passed by the Kosovo assembly, obligating Hashim Thaci's government to adopt a constitution of an independent state," Janjic concluded.

Serb leader: Parts of EU mission already in Kosovo

But Brussels seems determined to go ahead with its plans despite protests from Belgrade and Moscow.

Jakšić, who is presiding over a Serb council set up in the northern part of the province, says that "some parts of the mission arrived in Priština on Thursday or Friday".

The EU has not yet approved the deployment of its planned mission.

Now Jakšić says this news "represents clear intention on the part of the EU to snatch a part of the Serbian territory."

"Quietly, without any significant presence of the public, police and judiciary segments of the mission, not waiting for a decision by the EU Council of Ministers, have started arriving in Priština," he was quoted as saying.

But Jakšić added he had "reliable information" that "for the time being", they did not plan a trip to the north.

The EU's official decision last Monday to approve plans for the mission seriously destabilized Serbia, with Prime Minister Vojislav Koštunica linking this with the issue of an offer to Serbia to sign an interim deal with the Union.

While both he and President Boris Tadić consider the mission itself unacceptable, Tadić is in favor of signing the agreement, offered instead of the SAA, and sent to Belgrade on the same day when mission plans were publicized.

Jakšić, based in Kosovska Mitrovica, believes that this agreement is "much more important to the EU than to Serbia, to serve as a logistics base for the mission's arrival."

"The European Union story that the agreement with Serbia and the Kosovo status settlement are two separate processes, is completely false," he concluded.

But in Belgrade, President of the Forum of Ethnic Relations Dušan Janjić said, also Sunday, that the EU will send its personnel to Kosovo in line with UN Resolution 1244, something contested by official Belgrade.

"In the meantime, Washington, Brussels and Moscow will try to somehow strike a deal on Kosovo's final status," Janjić told Novi Sad daily Dnevnik.

"If they fail to do so, there'll be trouble," he added.

As for Serbia's complaints over the EU mission's legality, Janjić said it is "deliberately overlooked" that Brussels "solved this problem" by connecting Articles 5 and 9 of Resolution 1244.

"These articles define international and security presence in Kosovo, in line with expert and legal interpretation of the UN secretary-general," he said.

Janjić added that Brussels will look to deploy its mission before Kosovo's ethnic Albanians declare secession from Serbia.

He also downplayed the importance of speculation that this will happen on Feb. 17.

"Kosovo will not proclaim independence on Feb. 17. What could happen on that day is some sort of declaration on independence to be passed by the Kosovo assembly, obligating Hashim Thaci's government to adopt a constitution of an independent state," Janjić concluded.