EULEX, UNMIK to sign agreement

The EULEX mission will sign a technical agreement with UNMIK to standardize relations between the two missions. Earlier, UNMIK announced that it would begin reducing its personnel levels, and that the process would be over by the end of autumn. EULEX, UNMIK to sign agreement However, Kosovo Serbs representatives claim that the agreement will have a direct impact on Serbs living in the enclaves, and that it is not in accordance with Security Council Resolution 1244. B92 has learned from one of its sources that communication between EULEX and UNMIK has intensified in recent days, and that a technical agreement could be signed soon. A source in the mission said that the agreement would enable the EULEX mission to employ more personnel. In order for the agreement to be implemented, B92’s source says, people, premises and support on the ground are needed to allow the mission to function smoothly. B92 understands that the agreement between UNMIK and EULEX will not address details about the deployment of the EU mission on the ground, nor will there be any mention of whether EULEX will be deployed in the north of Kosovo. Senior Kosovo Serb official Marko Jaksic told B92 that the decision to deploy the EULEX mission was detrimental to the Serbs living in the province. “I don’t think that this is an agreement, certainly not a concrete one. One thing’s for sure, though. In the areas where Serbs live, the EULEX mission will never be welcome, and we’ll fight using all means, all political means to prevent the mission from being deployed in areas where Serbs live,” Jaksic stressed. While the solution for the north of Kosovo is still unclear, other areas populated by Serbs will face the replacement of the UN mission with EULEX. Rada Trajkovic, leader of the Serb National Council for Central Kosovo, said that the main problem was that the Serb community would not know whom to turn to with their problems “given that the UNMIK administration was a mediator between Serbs living in Kosovo and the Pristina administration. There is also a problem of security—how to get to Pristina—and a problem that is actually a political decision, because these institutions will not be recognized.” The UNMIK reconfiguration process should be complete by December. Before the start of the reconfiguration of the UN mission in Kosovo, Lamberto Zannier was appointed by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon as the new UNMIK Chief, tasked with reconfiguring the UN mission, in spite of the absence of a corresponding UN Security Council resolution. UNMIK begins scaling down UNMIK spokesman Alexander Ivanko says that UNMIK will begin cutting down the number of its employees. He repeated that the civil mission’s branch in Pristina would close down on Monday, with the number of UNMIK employees falling by more than 70 percent, reports KiM radio. Ivanko said that the reconfiguration process was under way and that the EULEX mission was currently working under the UN umbrella. “As the number of UNMIK personnel falls, EULEX will expand, and that will take several months, probably until late autumn. We will cut our numbers by 70 percent and EULEX will, in that time, increase its personnel by a certain amount,” the spokesman explained. At a press conference in Pristina, he repeated UNMIK’s view that Serb Kosovo Police Force (KPS) officers wishing to serve their community should return to work and work under the existing chain of command. “For now there is no new chain of command. However, if there are new ideas on where the UN could help, as well as dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, we are ready to offer our services,” Ivanko stressed. “We are not a party in the talks, we are trying to facilitate dialogue at local level between Pristina and Belgrade, to see if we can resolve the outstanding issues. Maybe we will be able to, maybe not,” he said. KPS spokesman Veton Elshani added that the Kosovo Interior Ministry had decided to extend the Serb KPS officers’ suspensions. “The police officers are still suspended, but they are still receiving wages. We do not know how long it will be that way, because the Interior Ministry will have to take a decision on that,” he said.

EULEX, UNMIK to sign agreement

However, Kosovo Serbs representatives claim that the agreement will have a direct impact on Serbs living in the enclaves, and that it is not in accordance with Security Council Resolution 1244.

B92 has learned from one of its sources that communication between EULEX and UNMIK has intensified in recent days, and that a technical agreement could be signed soon.

A source in the mission said that the agreement would enable the EULEX mission to employ more personnel.

In order for the agreement to be implemented, B92’s source says, people, premises and support on the ground are needed to allow the mission to function smoothly.

B92 understands that the agreement between UNMIK and EULEX will not address details about the deployment of the EU mission on the ground, nor will there be any mention of whether EULEX will be deployed in the north of Kosovo.

Senior Kosovo Serb official Marko Jakšić told B92 that the decision to deploy the EULEX mission was detrimental to the Serbs living in the province.

“I don’t think that this is an agreement, certainly not a concrete one. One thing’s for sure, though. In the areas where Serbs live, the EULEX mission will never be welcome, and we’ll fight using all means, all political means to prevent the mission from being deployed in areas where Serbs live,” Jakšić stressed.

While the solution for the north of Kosovo is still unclear, other areas populated by Serbs will face the replacement of the UN mission with EULEX.

Rada Trajković, leader of the Serb National Council for Central Kosovo, said that the main problem was that the Serb community would not know whom to turn to with their problems “given that the UNMIK administration was a mediator between Serbs living in Kosovo and the Priština administration. There is also a problem of security—how to get to Priština—and a problem that is actually a political decision, because these institutions will not be recognized.”

The UNMIK reconfiguration process should be complete by December.

Before the start of the reconfiguration of the UN mission in Kosovo, Lamberto Zannier was appointed by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon as the new UNMIK Chief, tasked with reconfiguring the UN mission, in spite of the absence of a corresponding UN Security Council resolution.

UNMIK begins scaling down

UNMIK spokesman Alexander Ivanko says that UNMIK will begin cutting down the number of its employees.

He repeated that the civil mission’s branch in Priština would close down on Monday, with the number of UNMIK employees falling by more than 70 percent, reports KiM radio.

Ivanko said that the reconfiguration process was under way and that the EULEX mission was currently working under the UN umbrella.

“As the number of UNMIK personnel falls, EULEX will expand, and that will take several months, probably until late autumn. We will cut our numbers by 70 percent and EULEX will, in that time, increase its personnel by a certain amount,” the spokesman explained.

At a press conference in Priština, he repeated UNMIK’s view that Serb Kosovo Police Force (KPS) officers wishing to serve their community should return to work and work under the existing chain of command.

“For now there is no new chain of command. However, if there are new ideas on where the UN could help, as well as dialogue between Belgrade and Priština, we are ready to offer our services,” Ivanko stressed.

“We are not a party in the talks, we are trying to facilitate dialogue at local level between Priština and Belgrade, to see if we can resolve the outstanding issues. Maybe we will be able to, maybe not,” he said.

KPS spokesman Veton Elshani added that the Kosovo Interior Ministry had decided to extend the Serb KPS officers’ suspensions.

“The police officers are still suspended, but they are still receiving wages. We do not know how long it will be that way, because the Interior Ministry will have to take a decision on that,” he said.