U.S., EU sign EULEX agreement

U.S. Under Secretary of State Daniel Fried has signed an agreement between the EU and U.S. in Brussels on the involvement of American officials in EULEX. 80 American police officers, eight prosecutors and one judge will be participating in the EU’s Kosovo mission. U.S., EU sign EULEX agreement The EU and U.S. released a joint statement after the signing which stresses that “the first operative capabilities of EULEX are expected to be declared in early December.” “The EU and U.S. have a common wish to work together in supporting the development of democratic standards in Kosovo, especially in strengthening the independent and multi-ethnic system of the rule of law,” according to the statement, which adds that the deployment of EULEX “throughout Kosovo will be in the best interests of all communities in Kosovo.” Fried stressed that Kosovo independence had been recognized by “51 countries, including all the members of G7 and two-thirds of the European Union. At the same time, the U.S. supports the Serbia’s European perspective.” The EU Council of Ministers last week gave the go-ahead to U.S. participation in the rule of law mission. The U.S. asked for two exceptions: that "any disciplinary measures remain in the U.S.'s jurisdiction" and that the status of U.S. members of the mission be in the "exclusive legal jurisdiction" of that country. The EU mission is due to feature a number of other non-member states, including Turkey, Switzerland, Croatia and Norway. B92

U.S., EU sign EULEX agreement

The EU and U.S. released a joint statement after the signing which stresses that “the first operative capabilities of EULEX are expected to be declared in early December.”

“The EU and U.S. have a common wish to work together in supporting the development of democratic standards in Kosovo, especially in strengthening the independent and multi-ethnic system of the rule of law,” according to the statement, which adds that the deployment of EULEX “throughout Kosovo will be in the best interests of all communities in Kosovo.”

Fried stressed that Kosovo independence had been recognized by “51 countries, including all the members of G7 and two-thirds of the European Union. At the same time, the U.S. supports the Serbia’s European perspective.”

The EU Council of Ministers last week gave the go-ahead to U.S. participation in the rule of law mission.

The U.S. asked for two exceptions: that "any disciplinary measures remain in the U.S.'s jurisdiction" and that the status of U.S. members of the mission be in the "exclusive legal jurisdiction" of that country.

The EU mission is due to feature a number of other non-member states, including Turkey, Switzerland, Croatia and Norway.