"507 UNMIK personnel to remain"

'It looks like the US is beginning to rethink their Kosovo policy ...'

What makes you think this? When Obama told Medvedev that "everything was on the table" he specified "except Kosovo," after all.

Bye bye UNMIK, good riddance. Your work here is done. Thanks for what you did, however you are no longer need, but thanks anyway.

"He has already hinted this" (referring to Obama coming round to the Serbian position).

Can you provide a reference for this hint please Zoran?

I agree Zoran, Kosovo's independence is indeed irreversibly bloked, it will only move forward.

Although significantly reduced, UNMIK will remain in Kosovo for as long as UNSCR 1244 is in force, the missions' representatives have stated.
--
I suspect UNSCR 1244 is going to be in place until our Southern Serbian citizens (mainly of Albanian ethnicity) realise that independence is illegal, irreversibly blocked and will never be achieved.

It looks like the US is beginning to rethink their Kosovo policy and I have to admit I am impressed with Obama's performance so far. I think he is the sort of person to stop funding misguided missions and initiate real negotiations based on Serbia's very generous offer of more than autonomy, less than independence.

He has already hinted this but said it will take time so the sooner the temporary institutions stop lying to our Southern citizens the better it will be for all in the whole region.

Looks like two trends would predominate news from Kosova now onwards.
1. As situation improves, the actual news itself becomes scarcer and scarcer
2. As indicated by recent pieces, Serbian media outlets will become increasing reliant on Albanian sources to find out what really goes on in Kosova.
That in itself it is very symptomatic of the current state of affairs, southern province indeed.

With their leaving, the Albanians do lose sources of income, as the UN personnel pay high rent and eat out all the time at restaurants in Kosovo. The EU staff aren't paid as well and will be more careful with their money.

Each UN person probably injected 10,000 per year into Kosovo - rent, food, fuel, services, entertainment, etc. So the loss of 500 would be the loss of around 5 million.

"Although significantly reduced, UNMIK will remain in Kosovo for as long as UNSCR 1244 is in force, the missions' representatives have stated."

I hope Obama has the guts to say: 1244 is still in force.

How can any nation say it wants a bigger role for the UN while still recognizing Kosovo?

With their leaving, the Albanians do lose sources of income, as the UN personnel pay high rent and eat out all the time at restaurants in Kosovo. The EU staff aren't paid as well and will be more careful with their money.

Each UN person probably injected 10,000 per year into Kosovo - rent, food, fuel, services, entertainment, etc. So the loss of 500 would be the loss of around 5 million.

-----
Serbia should take them, get some new source of income...in Presevo Valley. There isn't a day when we don't hear Tadic or Delic looking for handouts, or loans (from IMF, EU, Russia...)

Today Delic said he wants EUR 150 million for a "high tech center."

If you take UNMIK this would be 5 mil less in EU welfare. Have them work on implementing a 6 points plan there.

Zoran you could not be more wrong. It is the Russian stance on Kosovo that is up for discussion. There has never been a remote chance of US reversal.
But Russia's plans for Serbia would go a lot easier without the Kosovo issue bogdown.

Ian UK: "Bye bye UNMIK, good riddance. Your work here is done. Thanks for what you did, however you are no longer need, but thanks anyway."

"...work HERE..."? I thought that you lived in Scotland and know about this issue because your Dad introduced you to one family of Kosovo Albanians? Does UNMIK have a programme running in Scotland?

Kosovo-USA - It's laughable that you speak about the UN having 'money to waste' when the whole of Kosovo is being supported by European and international taxpayers.

“Previously, our main components were police and courts, since we are no longer working on them, we do not need a large number of personnel. The mission will be political, it already is, we have no operative functions, we will deal with political reports and monitoring, for communities and foreign officials in Kosovo,” Ivanko said.

hm.hm I wonder what all this means. I guess 1244 in the trash bin.

To my fellow Serbian citizens, Obama has already hinted that a change in US policy over Kosovo could take about 15 years and that he envisioned only a small base in the region.

It will take about that amount of time for all of those people pushing independence to realise it's a lost cause and a waste of further effort.

Independence cannot be achieved but I can understand our Southern citizens attempting to get the best deal they can.

'So the loss of 500 would be the loss of around 5 million.'

Freedom isn't free. (On the other hand, EU pre-accession funds are.)

UNMIK is clinically dead but temporary on breath machine. Thaci will unplug this machine very soon...and we will call it history...

Tadic will be called to bury it, in a ceremony that would mark the openning of the Serbian embassy in PRishtina.

Time is on our/just-people side.

We have suffered enough, now this game is over.

"Independence cannot be achieved but I can understand our Southern citizens attempting to get the best deal they can.
(Zoran, 8 June 2009 17:34)"

Dear Zoran,

You are dreaming. Statements like this have brought Serbia where it is now, from a very powerful nation to a nation on a life support machine (losing everything, begging for IMF loans, in verge of bankrupcy). The sooner Serbia recognizes Kosovo independence, faster it's going to become a democratic country with a stable economy and politics. Kosovo will become a UN member probably before the end of this year, and if Serbia wants to remain a member of the UN, it has to recognize all other UN member states.

PRN,

As long as 1244 is valid, UNMMIK is alive!

Why don't you get a life and start accepting facts!

UNMIK is leaving, KFOR is scaling down (to 10k), Kosova's Govt and KSF strengthening. The writing's on the wall.

"When Obama told Medvedev that "everything was on the table" he specified "except Kosovo," after all."
Amer

Ha ha ha! Where do you get this info from? Seems like you hear about news nobody else in the world know anything about.

I wonder if a certain reader from Holland who keeps saying UNMIK is in charge in Kosovo has read this. According to UNMIK their job is done, from now on they will only function to report and monitor.
It is important that 1244 remian in force at least until there is a guarantee that Serbia has no intentions to reinvade. Kosovo still needs its international mandated (even by Russia) protection from those who would try to ethnically cleanse it.

ida,
although you have a point there, you have represented the matter only from one perspective. As always its better, i think, to kind of examine those matterS in a more critical way.
There are those that would argue that due to UNMIK's incompetencies or unwillingens to support Kosova's institutions they have impeded their progress by preventing them form achieving their full potential.
There are also those who would argue that UNIMK was one of the main pillars of the corruption, hiding behind their status of being from 'UNMIK' hence no Kosovan authority would/could do anything in terms of shedding any light on many substantial allegations.
Therefore many would agree that there are stronger arguments for better financial gain by the incompetent officials of UNMIK leaving Kosova altogether.

Good day to you

Out of 507, 2/3 are local staff and they will get paid doing nothing. UN has a lot of money to waste.

UNMIK is leaving, KFOR is scaling down (to 10k), Kosova's Govt and KSF strengthening. The writing's on the wall.
(Adrian Gashi, 8 June 2009 19:12)

You are SO right Mr. Gashi....more corruption & view to accountability. This is actually a good thing....the entire world can really see what the "kosova" government is made of....."the Snake" for example.

CCCC

You are SO right Mr. Gashi....more corruption & view to accountability. This is actually a good thing....the entire world can really see what the "kosova" government is made of....."the Snake" for example.
---
Kosova has much lower corruption than Serbia, something B92 didn't write about when the survey came out

Bye bye UNMIK, good riddance. Your work here is done. Thanks for what you did, however you are no longer need, but thanks anyway.
(Ian, UK, 8 June 2009 12:20)

Ian, why are you thanking them for leaving. What do you get out of all this and how does this concern your people who are British?

By saying good riddance you display a great displeasure for UNMIK. Taking all this a bit too personal for a Brit aren't you?

In any case, Obama is going to Moscow in early July and it'll soon be obvious whether I've been wrong about this.
(Amer, 8 June 2009 20:50)

That's right. Obama is going to Moscow and not the other way around.

Obama has been very busy trying to make amends for all the bad decisions his predecessors made. I'm sure he is tired of having to make some sort of amends in order to salavage some relationships.
What do you think he will be doing with Medvedev? Do you think he will be making demands or amendments?

MikeC:

'Ha ha ha! Where do you get this info from? '

I've tried Google and Google News - but I think it was on the TV news. For some reason, US media doesn't fixate on every reference to Kosovo and maybe it didn't make it into print. Possibly it was actually made by Hillary Clinton during the Thaci-Sejdiu visit in referring to something Obama had said.

In any case, Obama is going to Moscow in early July and it'll soon be obvious whether I've been wrong about this.

'What do you think he will be doing with Medvedev? Do you think he will be making demands or amendments?'

Obama's too smart to get into this business of making demands, and I'm not sure what you mean by "amendments." Surely you can't view changing a bad policy as something shameful?

With Russia's economy in the shape it's in, I doubt that Medvedev will be making any demands, either. It's in the interest of both sides, and of the whole world, that they come to some sort of agreement on nuclear weapons, and that will surely be at the top of the list of subjects discussed. Also, if Obama can trade the sites in Poland and the CR the Russians are so worried about and get something useful, so much the better.

UNMIK-THE STORY OF FAILURE.
It is very important that, slowly but surely, all the relevant HESITATION-ORGANIZATIONS, are understanding that Kosovo is, a finished story for UNMIK and all other Kosovo's Independence NON-REALIZING, irrelevant factors.

"Obama's too smart to get into this business of making demands, and I'm not sure what you mean by "amendments." Surely you can't view changing a bad policy as something shameful?"

Amer, what bad policy are you refering to?

I was questioning if Obama will be making demands or amendments and you reply with changing a bad policy is not shameful. Please be more clear.

Although significantly reduced, UNMIK will remain in Kosovo for as long as UNSCR 1244 is in force, the missions' representatives have stated.
--
I suspect UNSCR 1244 is going to be in place until our Southern Serbian citizens (mainly of Albanian ethnicity) realise that independence is illegal, irreversibly blocked and will never be achieved.

It looks like the US is beginning to rethink their Kosovo policy and I have to admit I am impressed with Obama's performance so far. I think he is the sort of person to stop funding misguided missions and initiate real negotiations based on Serbia's very generous offer of more than autonomy, less than independence.

He has already hinted this but said it will take time so the sooner the temporary institutions stop lying to our Southern citizens the better it will be for all in the whole region.

'It looks like the US is beginning to rethink their Kosovo policy ...'

What makes you think this? When Obama told Medvedev that "everything was on the table" he specified "except Kosovo," after all.

Bye bye UNMIK, good riddance. Your work here is done. Thanks for what you did, however you are no longer need, but thanks anyway.

"He has already hinted this" (referring to Obama coming round to the Serbian position).

Can you provide a reference for this hint please Zoran?

Looks like two trends would predominate news from Kosova now onwards.
1. As situation improves, the actual news itself becomes scarcer and scarcer
2. As indicated by recent pieces, Serbian media outlets will become increasing reliant on Albanian sources to find out what really goes on in Kosova.
That in itself it is very symptomatic of the current state of affairs, southern province indeed.

I agree Zoran, Kosovo's independence is indeed irreversibly bloked, it will only move forward.

With their leaving, the Albanians do lose sources of income, as the UN personnel pay high rent and eat out all the time at restaurants in Kosovo. The EU staff aren't paid as well and will be more careful with their money.

Each UN person probably injected 10,000 per year into Kosovo - rent, food, fuel, services, entertainment, etc. So the loss of 500 would be the loss of around 5 million.

-----
Serbia should take them, get some new source of income...in Presevo Valley. There isn't a day when we don't hear Tadic or Delic looking for handouts, or loans (from IMF, EU, Russia...)

Today Delic said he wants EUR 150 million for a "high tech center."

If you take UNMIK this would be 5 mil less in EU welfare. Have them work on implementing a 6 points plan there.

Zoran you could not be more wrong. It is the Russian stance on Kosovo that is up for discussion. There has never been a remote chance of US reversal.
But Russia's plans for Serbia would go a lot easier without the Kosovo issue bogdown.

PRN,

As long as 1244 is valid, UNMMIK is alive!

Why don't you get a life and start accepting facts!

"Although significantly reduced, UNMIK will remain in Kosovo for as long as UNSCR 1244 is in force, the missions' representatives have stated."

I hope Obama has the guts to say: 1244 is still in force.

How can any nation say it wants a bigger role for the UN while still recognizing Kosovo?

“Previously, our main components were police and courts, since we are no longer working on them, we do not need a large number of personnel. The mission will be political, it already is, we have no operative functions, we will deal with political reports and monitoring, for communities and foreign officials in Kosovo,” Ivanko said.

hm.hm I wonder what all this means. I guess 1244 in the trash bin.

To my fellow Serbian citizens, Obama has already hinted that a change in US policy over Kosovo could take about 15 years and that he envisioned only a small base in the region.

It will take about that amount of time for all of those people pushing independence to realise it's a lost cause and a waste of further effort.

Independence cannot be achieved but I can understand our Southern citizens attempting to get the best deal they can.

UNMIK is leaving, KFOR is scaling down (to 10k), Kosova's Govt and KSF strengthening. The writing's on the wall.

'So the loss of 500 would be the loss of around 5 million.'

Freedom isn't free. (On the other hand, EU pre-accession funds are.)

I wonder if a certain reader from Holland who keeps saying UNMIK is in charge in Kosovo has read this. According to UNMIK their job is done, from now on they will only function to report and monitor.
It is important that 1244 remian in force at least until there is a guarantee that Serbia has no intentions to reinvade. Kosovo still needs its international mandated (even by Russia) protection from those who would try to ethnically cleanse it.

Ian UK: "Bye bye UNMIK, good riddance. Your work here is done. Thanks for what you did, however you are no longer need, but thanks anyway."

"...work HERE..."? I thought that you lived in Scotland and know about this issue because your Dad introduced you to one family of Kosovo Albanians? Does UNMIK have a programme running in Scotland?

Kosovo-USA - It's laughable that you speak about the UN having 'money to waste' when the whole of Kosovo is being supported by European and international taxpayers.

With their leaving, the Albanians do lose sources of income, as the UN personnel pay high rent and eat out all the time at restaurants in Kosovo. The EU staff aren't paid as well and will be more careful with their money.

Each UN person probably injected 10,000 per year into Kosovo - rent, food, fuel, services, entertainment, etc. So the loss of 500 would be the loss of around 5 million.

Out of 507, 2/3 are local staff and they will get paid doing nothing. UN has a lot of money to waste.

UNMIK is clinically dead but temporary on breath machine. Thaci will unplug this machine very soon...and we will call it history...

Tadic will be called to bury it, in a ceremony that would mark the openning of the Serbian embassy in PRishtina.

Time is on our/just-people side.

We have suffered enough, now this game is over.

ida,
although you have a point there, you have represented the matter only from one perspective. As always its better, i think, to kind of examine those matterS in a more critical way.
There are those that would argue that due to UNMIK's incompetencies or unwillingens to support Kosova's institutions they have impeded their progress by preventing them form achieving their full potential.
There are also those who would argue that UNIMK was one of the main pillars of the corruption, hiding behind their status of being from 'UNMIK' hence no Kosovan authority would/could do anything in terms of shedding any light on many substantial allegations.
Therefore many would agree that there are stronger arguments for better financial gain by the incompetent officials of UNMIK leaving Kosova altogether.

Good day to you

MikeC:

'Ha ha ha! Where do you get this info from? '

I've tried Google and Google News - but I think it was on the TV news. For some reason, US media doesn't fixate on every reference to Kosovo and maybe it didn't make it into print. Possibly it was actually made by Hillary Clinton during the Thaci-Sejdiu visit in referring to something Obama had said.

In any case, Obama is going to Moscow in early July and it'll soon be obvious whether I've been wrong about this.

You are SO right Mr. Gashi....more corruption & view to accountability. This is actually a good thing....the entire world can really see what the "kosova" government is made of....."the Snake" for example.
---
Kosova has much lower corruption than Serbia, something B92 didn't write about when the survey came out

UNMIK is leaving, KFOR is scaling down (to 10k), Kosova's Govt and KSF strengthening. The writing's on the wall.
(Adrian Gashi, 8 June 2009 19:12)

You are SO right Mr. Gashi....more corruption & view to accountability. This is actually a good thing....the entire world can really see what the "kosova" government is made of....."the Snake" for example.

CCCC

"Independence cannot be achieved but I can understand our Southern citizens attempting to get the best deal they can.
(Zoran, 8 June 2009 17:34)"

Dear Zoran,

You are dreaming. Statements like this have brought Serbia where it is now, from a very powerful nation to a nation on a life support machine (losing everything, begging for IMF loans, in verge of bankrupcy). The sooner Serbia recognizes Kosovo independence, faster it's going to become a democratic country with a stable economy and politics. Kosovo will become a UN member probably before the end of this year, and if Serbia wants to remain a member of the UN, it has to recognize all other UN member states.

"When Obama told Medvedev that "everything was on the table" he specified "except Kosovo," after all."
Amer

Ha ha ha! Where do you get this info from? Seems like you hear about news nobody else in the world know anything about.

In any case, Obama is going to Moscow in early July and it'll soon be obvious whether I've been wrong about this.
(Amer, 8 June 2009 20:50)

That's right. Obama is going to Moscow and not the other way around.

Obama has been very busy trying to make amends for all the bad decisions his predecessors made. I'm sure he is tired of having to make some sort of amends in order to salavage some relationships.
What do you think he will be doing with Medvedev? Do you think he will be making demands or amendments?

Bye bye UNMIK, good riddance. Your work here is done. Thanks for what you did, however you are no longer need, but thanks anyway.
(Ian, UK, 8 June 2009 12:20)

Ian, why are you thanking them for leaving. What do you get out of all this and how does this concern your people who are British?

By saying good riddance you display a great displeasure for UNMIK. Taking all this a bit too personal for a Brit aren't you?

'What do you think he will be doing with Medvedev? Do you think he will be making demands or amendments?'

Obama's too smart to get into this business of making demands, and I'm not sure what you mean by "amendments." Surely you can't view changing a bad policy as something shameful?

With Russia's economy in the shape it's in, I doubt that Medvedev will be making any demands, either. It's in the interest of both sides, and of the whole world, that they come to some sort of agreement on nuclear weapons, and that will surely be at the top of the list of subjects discussed. Also, if Obama can trade the sites in Poland and the CR the Russians are so worried about and get something useful, so much the better.

UNMIK-THE STORY OF FAILURE.
It is very important that, slowly but surely, all the relevant HESITATION-ORGANIZATIONS, are understanding that Kosovo is, a finished story for UNMIK and all other Kosovo's Independence NON-REALIZING, irrelevant factors.

"Obama's too smart to get into this business of making demands, and I'm not sure what you mean by "amendments." Surely you can't view changing a bad policy as something shameful?"

Amer, what bad policy are you refering to?

I was questioning if Obama will be making demands or amendments and you reply with changing a bad policy is not shameful. Please be more clear.