Zannier: UNMIK staying put

Lamberto Zannier says the UN mission will stay in Kosovo, especially in areas with Serb and mixed populations. "UNMIK will scale down its presence, while EULEX will expand on the ground. We (UNMIK) will continue to be present in Pec, Gracanica, Strpce and definitely in Kosovska Mitrovica,“ the UNMIK chief told a press conference in Pristina. Zannier: UNMIK staying put He also denied ever suggesting the creation of a Serb police force within the Kosovo Police Service (KPS) outside the KPS’s command chain, as certain Pristina newspapers reported a month ago. Zannier added that he had not been able to react to these reports earlier because he had been on vacation outside Kosovo. He said that over the last month he had read numerous articles in the last month that neither reflected the contents of his statements or represented his political views. The UNMIK chief explained that following his meeting with Serbian Kosovo Minister Goran Bogdanovic, he had briefed the Kosovo government and that there had been no mention at that meeting of the creation of separate or parallel command structure for Serb KPS officers. According to Zannier, Bogdanovic asked the Serb officers to stay under UNMIK police command. In response, he had said that the transition process (transfer of responsibilities to the KPS) had been performed and that the Serbs should be part of a single Kosovo police command. “I heard that there was an idea to create a split command for Serb police. I want to say that I never mentioned anything like that to anyone,“ he underlined. On the subject of customs, Zannier highlighted the necessity to guarantee the presence of legal authorities in northern Kosovo, because, as he put it, “everything there is out of control“. The UNMIK chief said that relations between UNMIK and the Kosovo government were good, as were his relations with Kosovo Prime Minister Hashim Thaci. He said that he could not envisage any disagreements between the UN administration and the provincial government. Lamberto Zannier (Tanjug, archive) UNMIK-EULEX deal "test balloon" The agreement due to be signed between UNMIK and EULEX represents a test for Belgrade, says a senior Kosovo Ministry official. The agreement is a “test balloon” to guage the reaction of the Serbian government, and see whether “we’ll let an agreement, even of only technical character, slip by without any special reaction,” said State Secretary Oliver Ivanovic. On Monday, UNMIK Chief Lamberto Zannier signed a technical agreement with representatives of the EULEX preparatory team in Pristina regarding the transfer and sale of technical resources, vehicles and certain facilities that UNMIK has built during its administration in Kosovo since 1999. Stressing that the agreement was technical in nature, and that it governed the transfer of UNMIK resources to EULEX, Ivanovic said that it should not be underestimated and pass without a government reaction. He said that the reactions to the signing had been good, that they showed that Serbia was keeping a close eye on events, in particular the Foreign and Kosovo Ministries. “I think the interpretation by certain UNMIK officials actually rang alarm bells that the EULEX mission could sneak in by the back door into a domain that we consider to be our own,“ said the state secretary, adding that EULEX had serious problems with its legality. “Without the resistance of Serbia and a large part of the international community, it would have take over control of this domain long ago,“ said Ivanovic, adding that “those who six months ago handed Kosovo its independence so lightly have to find a solution because Serbia is prepared for constructive dialogue with UNMIK representatives,“ who are the only legitimate officials for solving the problems of the Kosovo Serbs.

Zannier: UNMIK staying put

He also denied ever suggesting the creation of a Serb police force within the Kosovo Police Service (KPS) outside the KPS’s command chain, as certain Priština newspapers reported a month ago.

Zannier added that he had not been able to react to these reports earlier because he had been on vacation outside Kosovo.

He said that over the last month he had read numerous articles in the last month that neither reflected the contents of his statements or represented his political views.

The UNMIK chief explained that following his meeting with Serbian Kosovo Minister Goran Bogdanović, he had briefed the Kosovo government and that there had been no mention at that meeting of the creation of separate or parallel command structure for Serb KPS officers.

According to Zannier, Bogdanović asked the Serb officers to stay under UNMIK police command. In response, he had said that the transition process (transfer of responsibilities to the KPS) had been performed and that the Serbs should be part of a single Kosovo police command.

“I heard that there was an idea to create a split command for Serb police. I want to say that I never mentioned anything like that to anyone,“ he underlined.

On the subject of customs, Zannier highlighted the necessity to guarantee the presence of legal authorities in northern Kosovo, because, as he put it, “everything there is out of control“.

The UNMIK chief said that relations between UNMIK and the Kosovo government were good, as were his relations with Kosovo Prime Minister Hashim Thaci.

He said that he could not envisage any disagreements between the UN administration and the provincial government.

UNMIK-EULEX deal "test balloon"

The agreement due to be signed between UNMIK and EULEX represents a test for Belgrade, says a senior Kosovo Ministry official.

The agreement is a “test balloon” to guage the reaction of the Serbian government, and see whether “we’ll let an agreement, even of only technical character, slip by without any special reaction,” said State Secretary Oliver Ivanović.

On Monday, UNMIK Chief Lamberto Zannier signed a technical agreement with representatives of the EULEX preparatory team in Priština regarding the transfer and sale of technical resources, vehicles and certain facilities that UNMIK has built during its administration in Kosovo since 1999.

Stressing that the agreement was technical in nature, and that it governed the transfer of UNMIK resources to EULEX, Ivanović said that it should not be underestimated and pass without a government reaction.

He said that the reactions to the signing had been good, that they showed that Serbia was keeping a close eye on events, in particular the Foreign and Kosovo Ministries.

“I think the interpretation by certain UNMIK officials actually rang alarm bells that the EULEX mission could sneak in by the back door into a domain that we consider to be our own,“ said the state secretary, adding that EULEX had serious problems with its legality.

“Without the resistance of Serbia and a large part of the international community, it would have take over control of this domain long ago,“ said Ivanović, adding that “those who six months ago handed Kosovo its independence so lightly have to find a solution because Serbia is prepared for constructive dialogue with UNMIK representatives,“ who are the only legitimate officials for solving the problems of the Kosovo Serbs.