EULEX: Solution via dialogue

Head of the EULEX mission to Kosovo Yves de Kermabon says he is ready to talk to Kosovo Serb representatives elected at the May 11 local elections. “I am willing to talk to everybody, because I believe that is the only way to find solutions for the Serbs living here” said de Kermabon, stressing that he would come to the north of the province as soon as he found people there willing to talk. EULEX: Solution via dialogue He added that EULEX had already started to deploy its 300-strong mission in Kosovo. “We intended to start the mission by June 15, but we are facing both political and technical difficulties, and we’ll be forced to postpone the exact date of the mission’s launch. “The first obstacle the EU mission is facing is that UINMIK still has the main authority in Kosovo, which prevents us from making certain decisions, and the second obstacle is the lack of logistics”, said the EULEX chief, adding that the mission would not be assuming UNMIK’s powers. “We shall take action based on decisions made in Brussels”, he said. De Kermabon stated that the basis for the EULEX mission in Kosovo was the decision of all 27 EU countries to approve that mission, as well as Security Council Resolution 1244. The EULEX chief stated that one of his first objectives would be to deploy the mission throughout the entire province, as specified in a joint statement. “I do not want the EU to be forcibly deployed here. I consider that impossible, and that is why I want to have talks with members of the Serb community in Kosovo, as well as with the authorities in Belgrade”, he said. De Kermabon added that the main objective would be to deploy a technical mission that would give priority to citizens’ pragmatic, as opposed to political, interests. Yves de Kermabon (FoNet, archive)

EULEX: Solution via dialogue

He added that EULEX had already started to deploy its 300-strong mission in Kosovo.

“We intended to start the mission by June 15, but we are facing both political and technical difficulties, and we’ll be forced to postpone the exact date of the mission’s launch.

“The first obstacle the EU mission is facing is that UINMIK still has the main authority in Kosovo, which prevents us from making certain decisions, and the second obstacle is the lack of logistics”, said the EULEX chief, adding that the mission would not be assuming UNMIK’s powers.

“We shall take action based on decisions made in Brussels”, he said.

De Kermabon stated that the basis for the EULEX mission in Kosovo was the decision of all 27 EU countries to approve that mission, as well as Security Council Resolution 1244.

The EULEX chief stated that one of his first objectives would be to deploy the mission throughout the entire province, as specified in a joint statement.

“I do not want the EU to be forcibly deployed here. I consider that impossible, and that is why I want to have talks with members of the Serb community in Kosovo, as well as with the authorities in Belgrade”, he said.

De Kermabon added that the main objective would be to deploy a technical mission that would give priority to citizens’ pragmatic, as opposed to political, interests.