Kermabon "explains" EULEX-MUP protocol

EULEX chief Yves de Kermabon has requested a meeting with Kosovo Albanian President Sejdiu and PM Hashim Thaci for Thursday. Reports said that the meeting will, among other issues, discuss a police protocol that EULEX and Serbia's Interior Ministry and police (MUP) are set to sign. Kermabon "explains" EULEX-MUP protocol Kermabon has released a statement in which he says there was "a misunderstanding in Pristina and a bad interpretation of the protocol on cooperation with the Serbian Interior Ministry". “EULEX has not and cannot sign any kind of protocol on behalf of Kosovo. EULEX, as a technical rule of law mission, can only sign protocols on behalf of EULEX and on issues related to the rule of law, as agreed by the EU 27.” “Organized crime, smuggling and trafficking in human beings, drugs and weapons are all serious crimes that can only be resolved through regional cooperation. In order to bring criminals to justice evidence needs to be shared and exchanged through the region and mechanisms need to be established to facilitate this,” Kermabon underscored in his statement. Kermabon also recalled that similar agreements had already been signed by EULEX on cooperation in the exchange of financial intelligence related to money laundering and the financing of terrorism, with Macedonia, Montenegro and Albania, and that EULEX will continue to seek operational cooperation on all issues related to the mandate of EULEX. Thaci's office on Tuesday stated that the signing of the protocol, "ignoring the relevant Kosovo institutions, will cause a deterioration of the relations between the European mission and the Kosovo government", Tanjug reports. "Demurs for internal use" Pristina-based analyst Sadil Maloku told B92 that the police is under the authority of the European Union mission, but that the Kosovo Albanian government in Pristina cannot allow itself to look weak and without authority in the eyes of the public. “I think that EULEX is behaving in accordance with its competencies, which it has according to the Ahtisaari plan, and the Kosovo government is trying to behave according to these competencies, but in the eyes of the public, the government is trying to maintain its image,” Maloku said. Dusan Janjic of the Forum for Ethnic Relations agrees that Pristina's objections come mostly for internal political purposes, because they are aware they cannot spoil the signing of a protocol "which is in the interest of Brussels, Washington and NATO". “With the protocol Belgrade is entering into issues related to border control and cooperation with EULEX, which is a big step, and everyone dealing with the security question is very interested in leading an effective fight against organized crime which starts from that border on the ‘Balkan tour’. It is important that Serbia will be able to step into visa liberalization with this, and that it will enable Washington and Brussels to said that they have nothing against the European integration of Serbia,” according to this analyst. EULEX has said that all information received from the Serbian police will be exchanged and given to the Kosovo police, with whom a similar agreement and cooperation protocol will be signed, Janjic said.

Kermabon "explains" EULEX-MUP protocol

Kermabon has released a statement in which he says there was "a misunderstanding in Priština and a bad interpretation of the protocol on cooperation with the Serbian Interior Ministry".

“EULEX has not and cannot sign any kind of protocol on behalf of Kosovo. EULEX, as a technical rule of law mission, can only sign protocols on behalf of EULEX and on issues related to the rule of law, as agreed by the EU 27.”

“Organized crime, smuggling and trafficking in human beings, drugs and weapons are all serious crimes that can only be resolved through regional cooperation. In order to bring criminals to justice evidence needs to be shared and exchanged through the region and mechanisms need to be established to facilitate this,” Kermabon underscored in his statement.

Kermabon also recalled that similar agreements had already been signed by EULEX on cooperation in the exchange of financial intelligence related to money laundering and the financing of terrorism, with Macedonia, Montenegro and Albania, and that EULEX will continue to seek operational cooperation on all issues related to the mandate of EULEX.

Thaci's office on Tuesday stated that the signing of the protocol, "ignoring the relevant Kosovo institutions, will cause a deterioration of the relations between the European mission and the Kosovo government", Tanjug reports.

"Demurs for internal use"

Priština-based analyst Sadil Maloku told B92 that the police is under the authority of the European Union mission, but that the Kosovo Albanian government in Priština cannot allow itself to look weak and without authority in the eyes of the public.

“I think that EULEX is behaving in accordance with its competencies, which it has according to the Ahtisaari plan, and the Kosovo government is trying to behave according to these competencies, but in the eyes of the public, the government is trying to maintain its image,” Maloku said.

Dušan Janjić of the Forum for Ethnic Relations agrees that Priština's objections come mostly for internal political purposes, because they are aware they cannot spoil the signing of a protocol "which is in the interest of Brussels, Washington and NATO".

“With the protocol Belgrade is entering into issues related to border control and cooperation with EULEX, which is a big step, and everyone dealing with the security question is very interested in leading an effective fight against organized crime which starts from that border on the ‘Balkan tour’. It is important that Serbia will be able to step into visa liberalization with this, and that it will enable Washington and Brussels to said that they have nothing against the European integration of Serbia,” according to this analyst.

EULEX has said that all information received from the Serbian police will be exchanged and given to the Kosovo police, with whom a similar agreement and cooperation protocol will be signed, Janjić said.