UNMIK scaling down personnel

The UN mission in Kosovo will further decrease its numbers in the summer, with only about 500 remaining, UNMIK spokesperson Alexander Ivanko said. He told the BBC in Albanian that UNMIK is no longer administering Kosovo, and that its role “turned into a role of reporting and political observation of the events in Kosovo.” UNMIK scaling down personnel Regarding the demand from the Kosovo Albanian government for UNMIK to end its mission, he said that the UN Security Council makes such decisions to start or end such world missions. Ivanko said that if all those involved reach an agreement, UNMIK could also have offices abroad in countries where Kosovo Albanians' unilateral independence declaration was not recognized. Russian ambassador to the UN Vitaly Churkin said that UNMIK will be working in Kosovo as long as the UN Security Council believes that it is necessary, and added that the 850 officials will be decreased to some 500 soon. “In recent contact, the UNMIK administration assured us that the number of officials will be scaled down, from the current 850 to about 500 people, but that the decreases in personnel will stop after that,” Churkin said after a meeting of the UN Security Council regarding Kosovo. According to Russian agency Itar-Tass, he said that UNMIK will continue functioning “as long as the UN Security Council feels that it is necessary to preserve Resolution 1244 – which no one intends to correct or abolish for now.” The UNMIK numbers are decreasing to make room for the EULEX officials in Kosovo. Churkin said that it is of principal importance, regardless of the number of personnel, that UNMIK continues to work effectively, and to “fulfill not only political, but also administrative functions, to continue to fulfill of the function of representing Kosovo in international organizations”.

UNMIK scaling down personnel

Regarding the demand from the Kosovo Albanian government for UNMIK to end its mission, he said that the UN Security Council makes such decisions to start or end such world missions.

Ivanko said that if all those involved reach an agreement, UNMIK could also have offices abroad in countries where Kosovo Albanians' unilateral independence declaration was not recognized.

Russian ambassador to the UN Vitaly Churkin said that UNMIK will be working in Kosovo as long as the UN Security Council believes that it is necessary, and added that the 850 officials will be decreased to some 500 soon.

“In recent contact, the UNMIK administration assured us that the number of officials will be scaled down, from the current 850 to about 500 people, but that the decreases in personnel will stop after that,” Churkin said after a meeting of the UN Security Council regarding Kosovo.

According to Russian agency Itar-Tass, he said that UNMIK will continue functioning “as long as the UN Security Council feels that it is necessary to preserve Resolution 1244 – which no one intends to correct or abolish for now.”

The UNMIK numbers are decreasing to make room for the EULEX officials in Kosovo.

Churkin said that it is of principal importance, regardless of the number of personnel, that UNMIK continues to work effectively, and to “fulfill not only political, but also administrative functions, to continue to fulfill of the function of representing Kosovo in international organizations”.