Rupel: EULEX to join, strengthen UNMIK

The EU mission to Kosovo could strengthen the EU segment of the existing UN mission there, Dmitrij Rupel says.

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Saturday, 26.04.2008.

12:15

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The EU mission to Kosovo could strengthen the EU segment of the existing UN mission there, Dmitrij Rupel says. The Slovenian foreign minister, whose country holds the rotating EU presidency, spoke yesterday during a debate in Vienna dubbed, "UN and EU, with joint forces toward the challenges of the 21st century". Rupel: EULEX to join, strengthen UNMIK Rupel says that the biggest challenge the EU is facing are "relations between Serbia and Kosovo, and replacement of the international presence in Kosovo". UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon also attended the gathering. "There is concern about how to reconcile Resolution 1244 with Kosovo's proclamation of independence," Rupel said, and added that "the aspect of legality of international presence must be considered". "The proposal is that UNMIK should stay for a while in Kosovo, while EULEX would join this mission. Introduction of EULEX could be implemented as an addition to UNMIK or strengthening of the UN EU pillar," Rupel explained. "The other challenge is the coming into force of the Kosovo constitution. In that sense we need to be governed by the expectations of the majority of Kosovo's population," Tanjug news agency quoted Rupel as saying. Although Brussels made the decision to deploy its mission in the province in early February, it has not received an official invitation for this from the UN secretary-general – necessary under Resolution 1244, that regulates any international presence in Kosovo post-1999. Moscow and Belgrade, but also Kosovo's Serbs, view the deployment of EULEX as illegal.

Rupel: EULEX to join, strengthen UNMIK

Rupel says that the biggest challenge the EU is facing are "relations between Serbia and Kosovo, and replacement of the international presence in Kosovo".

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon also attended the gathering.

"There is concern about how to reconcile Resolution 1244 with Kosovo's proclamation of independence," Rupel said, and added that "the aspect of legality of international presence must be considered".

"The proposal is that UNMIK should stay for a while in Kosovo, while EULEX would join this mission. Introduction of EULEX could be implemented as an addition to UNMIK or strengthening of the UN EU pillar," Rupel explained.

"The other challenge is the coming into force of the Kosovo constitution. In that sense we need to be governed by the expectations of the majority of Kosovo's population," Tanjug news agency quoted Rupel as saying.

Although Brussels made the decision to deploy its mission in the province in early February, it has not received an official invitation for this from the UN secretary-general – necessary under Resolution 1244, that regulates any international presence in Kosovo post-1999.

Moscow and Belgrade, but also Kosovo's Serbs, view the deployment of EULEX as illegal.

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