"UNSC should expand EULEX mandate"

Oliver Ivanovic has confirmed that Serbia prepared a second, modified draft UN resolution meant to define a future probe of the Kosovo human organ trafficking. It represents Belgrade's proposal to the UN Security Council to take over direct responsibility for expanding the EULEX mandate, said the Kosovo Ministry state secretary. "UNSC should expand EULEX mandate" “The UN cannot be avoided and Serbia has many reasons to insist on that. One of the main reasons is UN SC Resolution 1244, which sent the civilian mission there and which will remain in effect, until those who adopted the resolution decide to amend it, or declare that it is no longer valid,“ Ivanovic said. He said that taking into account the balance of forces within the council, that would not happen. Serbia insisted that the investigation into the alleged atrocities committed against Serb and other civilians by the ethnic Albanian KLA should be investigated under the auspices of the UN, and gained support for this from Russia and China. But the U.S., France and Britain opposed the idea. For now, it is not certain whether the new, modified proposal has entered the Security Council procedure, namely whether the SC has held consultation on the document. The Thursday issue of the Belgrade-based daily Politika writes that the UN SC permanent members considered the new proposal on Wednesday, but Tanjug's sources in New York could not confirm whether the information was true. Commenting on the second, modified draft resolution on investigation into allegations of human organ trafficking in Kosovo-Metohija, Ivanovic said that it backs up the claims of Serbian diplomats- that EULEX has a limited mandate. “Serbia's remarks on EULEX activities and programs are well-grounded, but politics is meddling in everything, so the stance of any UN SC member state should be put in the context of its political stand on Kosovo and the Western Balkans,“ said Ivanovic, State Secretary at Serbian Ministry for Kosovo-Metohija. Serbia submitted a draft proposal for establishment of an independent investigative mechanism in April, and since then competent officials have been working on a concrete proposal that could be put on the UN SC agenda by a member of that body, so that it could be decided upon. Serbia proposed that, under the auspices of UN Security Council, be formed a team of independent, competent and impartial investigators, which would be headed by a special representative of the UN secretary-general.

"UNSC should expand EULEX mandate"

“The UN cannot be avoided and Serbia has many reasons to insist on that. One of the main reasons is UN SC Resolution 1244, which sent the civilian mission there and which will remain in effect, until those who adopted the resolution decide to amend it, or declare that it is no longer valid,“ Ivanović said.

He said that taking into account the balance of forces within the council, that would not happen.

Serbia insisted that the investigation into the alleged atrocities committed against Serb and other civilians by the ethnic Albanian KLA should be investigated under the auspices of the UN, and gained support for this from Russia and China. But the U.S., France and Britain opposed the idea.

For now, it is not certain whether the new, modified proposal has entered the Security Council procedure, namely whether the SC has held consultation on the document. The Thursday issue of the Belgrade-based daily Politika writes that the UN SC permanent members considered the new proposal on Wednesday, but Tanjug's sources in New York could not confirm whether the information was true.

Commenting on the second, modified draft resolution on investigation into allegations of human organ trafficking in Kosovo-Metohija, Ivanović said that it backs up the claims of Serbian diplomats- that EULEX has a limited mandate.

“Serbia's remarks on EULEX activities and programs are well-grounded, but politics is meddling in everything, so the stance of any UN SC member state should be put in the context of its political stand on Kosovo and the Western Balkans,“ said Ivanović, State Secretary at Serbian Ministry for Kosovo-Metohija.

Serbia submitted a draft proposal for establishment of an independent investigative mechanism in April, and since then competent officials have been working on a concrete proposal that could be put on the UN SC agenda by a member of that body, so that it could be decided upon.

Serbia proposed that, under the auspices of UN Security Council, be formed a team of independent, competent and impartial investigators, which would be headed by a special representative of the UN secretary-general.