"EU continues to prepare Kosovo mission"

The EU is preparing to send a civilian mission to Kosovo, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said Friday. After a meeting with his Swedish counterpart Carl Bildt in Berlin, Steinmeier said that the 27 EU member states are preparing for the moment when Serbia's southern province would declare independence. "EU continues to prepare Kosovo mission" "It does not take much imagination to guess what the decision would be," he was quoted by the DPA news agency. Bildt said that it was necessary to preserve what he described as a "semi-consensus" of EU members on Kosovo, but predicted a "long period of difficulty" if Kosovo declared independence unilaterally. According to Deutsche Welle radio, Bildt said that the situation was difficult and that everything "would have been much easier if an agreement between Belgrade and Pristina were possible, and if a decision had been adopted at the UN Security Council, especially when the problem of Kosovo is viewed from the aspect of international law." "But, we have to maneuver the resolution of this issue as much as the space allows," he added. Bildt said that efforts were still invested within the European Union for a "better understanding of the complexity of the Kosovo problem." Also Friday in Kosovo, European Union officials said that a EU mission expected to be sent to Kosovo "will endeavor to guarantee the rule of law, community interests and protection of cultural and religious heritage." "The EU mission will be established throughout Kosovo and its mandate will include the security sector," Jonas Jonsson, from the EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana told a news conference in Caglavica. "Preparations are underway in the entire territory of Kosovo and cooperation with UNMIK and KFOR is good," he said. "The goal of the EU mission is to make all Kosovo residents safe and aware that they have a clear European perspective," Jonsson concluded. But Serbia is strongly opposed to such a move, as reiterated yesterday by Minister for Kosovo Slobodan Samardzic, DSS, who urged the EU to respect the UN Charter and Serbia's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and not to ignore its objections to the announced sending of the mission. "The EU must respect the UN Charter and Serbia's sovereignty and territorial integrity as internationally recognized state," he said in Belgrade. "Serbia strongly opposes the sending of an EU mission to Kosovo-Metohija as it would constitute a brutal violation of the UN Security Council Resolution 1244," Samardzic also told Tanjug news agency. "The Serbian parliament has made it clear that any unlawful sending of an EU mission would violate Serbia's sovereignty and territorial integrity and constitutional order," he added. "The fact that EU officials are ignoring Serbia's stand and pursuing preparations for the mission is therefore a cause for concern," Samardzic explained. "Serbia insists that its internationally recognized borders must be respected and that only the UN SC can take a decision approving the sending of an international mission to its territory," the minister concluded.

"EU continues to prepare Kosovo mission"

"It does not take much imagination to guess what the decision would be," he was quoted by the DPA news agency.

Bildt said that it was necessary to preserve what he described as a "semi-consensus" of EU members on Kosovo, but predicted a "long period of difficulty" if Kosovo declared independence unilaterally.

According to Deutsche Welle radio, Bildt said that the situation was difficult and that everything "would have been much easier if an agreement between Belgrade and Priština were possible, and if a decision had been adopted at the UN Security Council, especially when the problem of Kosovo is viewed from the aspect of international law."

"But, we have to maneuver the resolution of this issue as much as the space allows," he added.

Bildt said that efforts were still invested within the European Union for a "better understanding of the complexity of the Kosovo problem."

Also Friday in Kosovo, European Union officials said that a EU mission expected to be sent to Kosovo "will endeavor to guarantee the rule of law, community interests and protection of cultural and religious heritage."

"The EU mission will be established throughout Kosovo and its mandate will include the security sector," Jonas Jonsson, from the EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana told a news conference in Čaglavica.

"Preparations are underway in the entire territory of Kosovo and cooperation with UNMIK and KFOR is good," he said.

"The goal of the EU mission is to make all Kosovo residents safe and aware that they have a clear European perspective," Jonsson concluded.

But Serbia is strongly opposed to such a move, as reiterated yesterday by Minister for Kosovo Slobodan Samardžić, DSS, who urged the EU to respect the UN Charter and Serbia's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and not to ignore its objections to the announced sending of the mission.

"The EU must respect the UN Charter and Serbia's sovereignty and territorial integrity as internationally recognized state," he said in Belgrade.

"Serbia strongly opposes the sending of an EU mission to Kosovo-Metohija as it would constitute a brutal violation of the UN Security Council Resolution 1244," Samardžić also told Tanjug news agency.

"The Serbian parliament has made it clear that any unlawful sending of an EU mission would violate Serbia's sovereignty and territorial integrity and constitutional order," he added.

"The fact that EU officials are ignoring Serbia's stand and pursuing preparations for the mission is therefore a cause for concern," Samardžić explained.

"Serbia insists that its internationally recognized borders must be respected and that only the UN SC can take a decision approving the sending of an international mission to its territory," the minister concluded.