EU rep in Kosovo wants to "integrate" north

EU special representative in Kosovo Pieter Feith says a "dangerous task" of fitting the north of Kosovo into a single customs and legal space lies ahead. Feith on Monday addressed the European Parliament (EP) Foreign Policy Committee to say that "Pristina is ready to talk to its neighbors" about the six-point plan agreed on by Belgrade and the UN, but added that "this will not be helpful if the intention is to undermine the reality in Kosovo". EU rep in Kosovo wants to "integrate" north This Dutch diplomat continued to say that the Kosovo Albanian authorities' position on the six-point plan and "violent events in northern Kosovo" show that the circumstances there are "fragile" and that for this reason, "it would be best for EULEX to mediate in the good neighborly relations of Belgrade and Pristina" – when it comes to northern Kosovo. EP rapporteurs for Kosovo and Southeastern Europe Joost Lagendijk and Doris Pack stressed during the discussion that followed that the government in Belgrade should cooperate with EULEX, "for the sake of its road toward the EU". Pack and some other MEPs also pointed out that EULEX cannot start working in the north without Belgrade's cooperation. Feith also stated that dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina would require the political will from both sides, and went on to say that the European Union considers that "countries" that have a European perspective should have "minimum mutual contacts". He mentioned customs, judiciary and railways as EULEX's important tasks in the north, pointing out that "Kosovo can only achieve full independence" if it has one judicial system and if there is a policy of "good neighborly relations". Feith told journalists after the meeting that the committee also heard about organized crime, "which has branches across the border in neighboring countries". When asked about "the big criminals" in northern Kosovo, which he mentioned to the committee, he told reporters that those "criminals exist there for the past ten years, and must be removed because they have no legitimate mandate, they are self-appointed people and are in no way of benefit to the citizens in northern Kosovo". The EU representative mentioned no one by name. He expressed his support to holding of municipal elections, "because that eliminates the problem of parallel institutions and would bring legitimately elected municipal authorities". Some MEPs criticized the EU policy in Kosovo during the committee's session, notably France's Pierre Pribetich, who described that policy as "an ostrich who constantly hides its head in the sand and will not see the reality". He said he was very worried that the fact the Kosovo Albanians want only complete independence, while the Kosovo Serbs want to remain tied to Serbia and reject the unilateral declaration, is being ignored. Pribetich said he had visited Kosovo, and asked how anyone can expect Belgrade's cooperation when the authorities there have said that the Kosovo Security Forces are an illegal paramilitary formation, and that there are 300,000-400,000 pieces of illegally hidden weapons in the province. He also pointed out that "even during Tito's era, Kosovo was colonized by Albanians in order to create Greater Albania". Feith replied to this by saying that Greater Albania cannot be formed, "because Kosovo is indivisible and cannot be annexed to neighboring countries".

EU rep in Kosovo wants to "integrate" north

This Dutch diplomat continued to say that the Kosovo Albanian authorities' position on the six-point plan and "violent events in northern Kosovo" show that the circumstances there are "fragile" and that for this reason, "it would be best for EULEX to mediate in the good neighborly relations of Belgrade and Priština" – when it comes to northern Kosovo.

EP rapporteurs for Kosovo and Southeastern Europe Joost Lagendijk and Doris Pack stressed during the discussion that followed that the government in Belgrade should cooperate with EULEX, "for the sake of its road toward the EU".

Pack and some other MEPs also pointed out that EULEX cannot start working in the north without Belgrade's cooperation.

Feith also stated that dialogue between Belgrade and Priština would require the political will from both sides, and went on to say that the European Union considers that "countries" that have a European perspective should have "minimum mutual contacts".

He mentioned customs, judiciary and railways as EULEX's important tasks in the north, pointing out that "Kosovo can only achieve full independence" if it has one judicial system and if there is a policy of "good neighborly relations".

Feith told journalists after the meeting that the committee also heard about organized crime, "which has branches across the border in neighboring countries".

When asked about "the big criminals" in northern Kosovo, which he mentioned to the committee, he told reporters that those "criminals exist there for the past ten years, and must be removed because they have no legitimate mandate, they are self-appointed people and are in no way of benefit to the citizens in northern Kosovo".

The EU representative mentioned no one by name.

He expressed his support to holding of municipal elections, "because that eliminates the problem of parallel institutions and would bring legitimately elected municipal authorities".

Some MEPs criticized the EU policy in Kosovo during the committee's session, notably France's Pierre Pribetich, who described that policy as "an ostrich who constantly hides its head in the sand and will not see the reality".

He said he was very worried that the fact the Kosovo Albanians want only complete independence, while the Kosovo Serbs want to remain tied to Serbia and reject the unilateral declaration, is being ignored.

Pribetich said he had visited Kosovo, and asked how anyone can expect Belgrade's cooperation when the authorities there have said that the Kosovo Security Forces are an illegal paramilitary formation, and that there are 300,000-400,000 pieces of illegally hidden weapons in the province.

He also pointed out that "even during Tito's era, Kosovo was colonized by Albanians in order to create Greater Albania".

Feith replied to this by saying that Greater Albania cannot be formed, "because Kosovo is indivisible and cannot be annexed to neighboring countries".