“Albanians unwilling to cooperate with UNMIK”

Some Kosovo authorities became less willing to cooperate with UNMIK in northern Kosovska Mitrovica following the ICJ opinion, UNMIK Head Lamberto Zannier says. Presenting a report on Kosovo which covers the period from July 16 to October 18 to the UN Security Council on Friday, Zannier said that the UNMIK administration in northern Kosovska Mitrovica faced several challenges during this time. “Albanians unwilling to cooperate with UNMIK” “The publication of the erroneous report by the coordinator for the implementation of Pristina's strategy for northern Kosovo, which blamed the lack of progress on the UN, was followed by a vigorous media campaign against the UN administration in Mitrovica,” he added. “Also, Albanian representatives in northern Kosovo have recently been increasingly unwilling to cooperate with the UN administration, which makes its job of staying in touch with the local community more difficult,” Zannier stressed. “In the meantime, inter-ethnic relations in northern Kosovo appear to have deteriorated. Although the situation is stable, constant incidents present potential for the eruption of violence,” the UNMIK head explained. Among the major events he included in the report are the resignation of Kosovo's president and the fall of the Kosovo government in October. “The second area of UNMIK's mandate in which Kosovo authorities are less open to cooperation is the facilitation of regional cooperation,” he said. “Kosovo's long-term stability and prosperity are inextricably tied to the stability and prosperity of its neighbors, and participation in regional cooperation is key to the development necessary for securing durable peace in the region, Zannier noted. He pointed out that this was a common goal of both Belgrade and Pristina. “The challenge was and is finding practical solutions to overcome political obstacles, and Pristina and Belgrade can find such a solution. UNMIK will continue to offer help and propose practical ways to overcome the hurdles, but we believe that solutions can most efficiently be found through dialogue, he concluded. “Belgrade shouldn’t discourage Serbs from participating in elections” Kosovo Deputy Foreign Minister Vlora Citaku also addressed the UN Security Council on Friday and said that the Pristina government was willing to negotiate with Belgrade on technical issues, but that Kosovo's independence will not be up for discussion. “We are willing to talk about the future, not the past, about missing persons, telecommunications, everything that is of mutual interest, but I am explicitly saying that we will never again discuss Kosovo's right to exist as a free nation after everything that happened, she pointed out. The Pristina official also called upon the international community to invite Kosovo Serbs to vote in the parliamentary elections in Kosovo, and upon Belgrade not to discourage them from going to the polls. “In the north, there is still resistance to integration into Kosovo society,” Citaku pointed out.

“Albanians unwilling to cooperate with UNMIK”

“The publication of the erroneous report by the coordinator for the implementation of Priština's strategy for northern Kosovo, which blamed the lack of progress on the UN, was followed by a vigorous media campaign against the UN administration in Mitrovica,” he added.

“Also, Albanian representatives in northern Kosovo have recently been increasingly unwilling to cooperate with the UN administration, which makes its job of staying in touch with the local community more difficult,” Zannier stressed.

“In the meantime, inter-ethnic relations in northern Kosovo appear to have deteriorated. Although the situation is stable, constant incidents present potential for the eruption of violence,” the UNMIK head explained.

Among the major events he included in the report are the resignation of Kosovo's president and the fall of the Kosovo government in October.

“The second area of UNMIK's mandate in which Kosovo authorities are less open to cooperation is the facilitation of regional cooperation,” he said.

“Kosovo's long-term stability and prosperity are inextricably tied to the stability and prosperity of its neighbors, and participation in regional cooperation is key to the development necessary for securing durable peace in the region, Zannier noted. He pointed out that this was a common goal of both Belgrade and Priština.

“The challenge was and is finding practical solutions to overcome political obstacles, and Priština and Belgrade can find such a solution. UNMIK will continue to offer help and propose practical ways to overcome the hurdles, but we believe that solutions can most efficiently be found through dialogue, he concluded.

“Belgrade shouldn’t discourage Serbs from participating in elections”

Kosovo Deputy Foreign Minister Vlora Citaku also addressed the UN Security Council on Friday and said that the Priština government was willing to negotiate with Belgrade on technical issues, but that Kosovo's independence will not be up for discussion.

“We are willing to talk about the future, not the past, about missing persons, telecommunications, everything that is of mutual interest, but I am explicitly saying that we will never again discuss Kosovo's right to exist as a free nation after everything that happened, she pointed out.

The Pristina official also called upon the international community to invite Kosovo Serbs to vote in the parliamentary elections in Kosovo, and upon Belgrade not to discourage them from going to the polls.

“In the north, there is still resistance to integration into Kosovo society,” Citaku pointed out.