"Brussels wary of new EULEX delay"

EU official Stefan Lehne says that the start of EULEX's work in Kosovo could once again be postponed, Novi Sad's Dnevnik writes on Saturday. According to the newspaper, Lehne, who is the Western Balkans Director with the EU Council, told this body's Political-Security Committee about this possibility. "Brussels wary of new EULEX delay" Unless agreement is reached in New York next week, Lehne reportedly said according to unnamed sources, "EULEX will be delayed for next year, which is not to anyone's benefit". At the same time, some EU countries, including UK and Germany, say they will not vote in favor of Serbia becoming an EU candidate before the issue of the Brussels' mission in Kosovo has been solved, Dnevnik adds. Belgrade has asked that EULEX must be "status-neutral", and that it must come with a UN SC approval, but refrain from implementing the Ahtisaari plan. EU's General Directorate for Enlargement Director for Western Balkans Pierre Mirrel said in Belgrade yesterday that the EU had accepted these conditions. Today, EU's representative in the province Pieter Feith denied this, while some Kosovo Albanian officials and opposition spoke against giving EULEX a "neutral" status.

"Brussels wary of new EULEX delay"

Unless agreement is reached in New York next week, Lehne reportedly said according to unnamed sources, "EULEX will be delayed for next year, which is not to anyone's benefit".

At the same time, some EU countries, including UK and Germany, say they will not vote in favor of Serbia becoming an EU candidate before the issue of the Brussels' mission in Kosovo has been solved, Dnevnik adds.

Belgrade has asked that EULEX must be "status-neutral", and that it must come with a UN SC approval, but refrain from implementing the Ahtisaari plan.

EU's General Directorate for Enlargement Director for Western Balkans Pierre Mirrel said in Belgrade yesterday that the EU had accepted these conditions.

Today, EU's representative in the province Pieter Feith denied this, while some Kosovo Albanian officials and opposition spoke against giving EULEX a "neutral" status.