EC chief defends mission; EULEX withdraws from north

The question of the legal grounds for the EU mission to Kosovo was once again addressed earlier this week. European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso told Thursday's joint press conference with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown in Brussels, that the mission, dubbed EULEX, is not illegal, "because UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has not opposed it". EC chief defends mission; EULEX withdraws from north "The EU mission is not contrary to UN Security Council Resolution 1244 and the international law," Barroso stated, once again citing one section of Paragraph 10 of that resolution, which works in favor of the EU argument, but leaving out the second part of the same paragraph, which analysts say favors Serbia. Belgrade, backed by Moscow, has rejected EULEX deployment as illegal. In its document on the legal basis for sending the mission, the EU quoted a section of Paragraph 10 which says that 1244 allows the "secretary general, with the help of relevant international organizations, to set up an international civilian presence in Kosovo." However, the second part of that paragraph reads, "in order to create a provisional administration in Kosovo under which the citizens of Kosovo could enjoy essential autonomy within the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia." In reaction to remarks by reporters that Ban ki-Moon did not allow the deployment of EULEX, as stated in the first part of the paragraph, Barroso denied that this is true, saying the secretary general "officially did not oppose the sending of the EU mission." Brown stated that Great Britain, which has recognized the unilateral secession of Kosovo, would continue backing Kosovo through a military, civilian and economic presence, but that is also it "continues to believe in Serbia's European future". Because of Belgrade's opposition, the EU mission could run into difficulties operating in the northern, Serb-inhabited parts of the province, although Pieter Feith, the Dutch diplomat at its helm, was confident this week that EULEX will deploy in the entire territory of the province. But today, Feith confirmed that the EU Mission temporarily withdrew its personnel from the northern part of Kosovo. "We have withdrawn our personnel on a temporary basis, but we will keep one of our offices in the north," he told journalists in Prizren and voiced belief that conditions would soon allow them to continue their activities. An unnamed international official told Reuters yesterday that a week ago, a small EU team had been transferred from the northern part of Kosovoska Mitrovica due to security reasons following the ethnic Albanians' unilateral proclamation of independence, rejected by the Serbs in that part of the province. Feith today called on the Kosovo Serbs to cooperate with the EU Mission. "I would like to ask the Serb community to be generous, to turn the page and to look forward to cooperating with us," the Dutch diplomat said.

EC chief defends mission; EULEX withdraws from north

"The EU mission is not contrary to UN Security Council Resolution 1244 and the international law," Barroso stated, once again citing one section of Paragraph 10 of that resolution, which works in favor of the EU argument, but leaving out the second part of the same paragraph, which analysts say favors Serbia.

Belgrade, backed by Moscow, has rejected EULEX deployment as illegal.

In its document on the legal basis for sending the mission, the EU quoted a section of Paragraph 10 which says that 1244 allows the "secretary general, with the help of relevant international organizations, to set up an international civilian presence in Kosovo."

However, the second part of that paragraph reads, "in order to create a provisional administration in Kosovo under which the citizens of Kosovo could enjoy essential autonomy within the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia."

In reaction to remarks by reporters that Ban ki-Moon did not allow the deployment of EULEX, as stated in the first part of the paragraph, Barroso denied that this is true, saying the secretary general "officially did not oppose the sending of the EU mission."

Brown stated that Great Britain, which has recognized the unilateral secession of Kosovo, would continue backing Kosovo through a military, civilian and economic presence, but that is also it "continues to believe in Serbia's European future".

Because of Belgrade's opposition, the EU mission could run into difficulties operating in the northern, Serb-inhabited parts of the province, although Pieter Feith, the Dutch diplomat at its helm, was confident this week that EULEX will deploy in the entire territory of the province.

But today, Feith confirmed that the EU Mission temporarily withdrew its personnel from the northern part of Kosovo.

"We have withdrawn our personnel on a temporary basis, but we will keep one of our offices in the north," he told journalists in Prizren and voiced belief that conditions would soon allow them to continue their activities.

An unnamed international official told Reuters yesterday that a week ago, a small EU team had been transferred from the northern part of Kosovoska Mitrovica due to security reasons following the ethnic Albanians' unilateral proclamation of independence, rejected by the Serbs in that part of the province.

Feith today called on the Kosovo Serbs to cooperate with the EU Mission.

"I would like to ask the Serb community to be generous, to turn the page and to look forward to cooperating with us," the Dutch diplomat said.