Spokesman: UNMIK will be "reconfigured"

The UN Mission will continue to be present in Kosovo, but it will reconfigure its presence, an UNMIK spokesman says. Sven Lindholm, speaking for Kosovska Mitrovica KIM Radio Sunday, said this reconfiguring will be "in keeping with the situation on the ground". Spokesman: UNMIK will be "reconfigured" "The reconfiguring of the UN Mission in Kosovo is an answer to the change of the situation on the ground" he said. "We are aware of the political reality that has presented itself in Kosovo, in that sense that new institutions have been set up and that part of the authority has been transferred onto them," Lindholm continued. Asked if UNMIK would leave Kosovo and transfer its jurisdictions onto someone else come June 15, Lindholm answered that there was "no such thing as a fixed date for the UN Mission to leave Kosovo". He underlined that "UNMIK will remain in the province as long as UN Security Council Resolution 1244 was in force". Lindholm added that the constitutional framework was still in force and that it would "continue to be in force for a certain period of time". The UNMIK spokesman refused to directly answer whether the Kosovo assembly in Pristina violated 1244 the moment it adopted the province's constitution. "UNMIK took note of the Kosovo constitution adoption, but UNMIK, according to Resolution 1244, still has executive powers in Kosovo," he said. Asked to further explain the phrase "to take note of" for the radio's listeners, Lindholm said it was "something that might be attributed to the reality on the ground". "The Kosovo assembly has decided to go ahead and declare independence, and UNMIK, that is, the UN, have a neutral position on this. We are aware that things are changing all the time. In the field, we have a period of political changes and that is the reason for the reconfiguring," the spokesman said. As for the speculation that UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is considering renewing negotiations between Belgrade and Pristina, Lindholm said UNMIK "for now has not position on that". He also refused to comment a recent ruling, when the UN war crimes court at The Hague set Ramush Haradinaj free, and said that UNMIK "does not comment on decisions made by an independent court".

Spokesman: UNMIK will be "reconfigured"

"The reconfiguring of the UN Mission in Kosovo is an answer to the change of the situation on the ground" he said.

"We are aware of the political reality that has presented itself in Kosovo, in that sense that new institutions have been set up and that part of the authority has been transferred onto them," Lindholm continued.

Asked if UNMIK would leave Kosovo and transfer its jurisdictions onto someone else come June 15, Lindholm answered that there was "no such thing as a fixed date for the UN Mission to leave Kosovo".

He underlined that "UNMIK will remain in the province as long as UN Security Council Resolution 1244 was in force".

Lindholm added that the constitutional framework was still in force and that it would "continue to be in force for a certain period of time".

The UNMIK spokesman refused to directly answer whether the Kosovo assembly in Priština violated 1244 the moment it adopted the province's constitution.

"UNMIK took note of the Kosovo constitution adoption, but UNMIK, according to Resolution 1244, still has executive powers in Kosovo," he said.

Asked to further explain the phrase "to take note of" for the radio's listeners, Lindholm said it was "something that might be attributed to the reality on the ground".

"The Kosovo assembly has decided to go ahead and declare independence, and UNMIK, that is, the UN, have a neutral position on this. We are aware that things are changing all the time. In the field, we have a period of political changes and that is the reason for the reconfiguring," the spokesman said.

As for the speculation that UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is considering renewing negotiations between Belgrade and Priština, Lindholm said UNMIK "for now has not position on that".

He also refused to comment a recent ruling, when the UN war crimes court at The Hague set Ramush Haradinaj free, and said that UNMIK "does not comment on decisions made by an independent court".