Ban: Progress being made in Kosovo

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says that progress has been made in Kosovo and that the province’s constitution will come into force on June 15. In a brief statement to Bota Sot, Ban said that the UN’s role in Kosovo this year would be to monitor the situation on the ground. Ban: Progress being made in Kosovo “I’m pleased that so far there have been no ethnic clashes in Kosovo, and I call on all sides to refrain from unilateral steps that could provoke violence,“ said Ban. He added that the UN was ready to perform its duties throughout the province. Ban Ki-moon (Fonet, archive) "Guehenno to head UN mission" Jean-Marie Guehenno is expected to head the new “reconfigured” UNMIK mission after June 15, writes Pristina daily Zeri. The daily states that according to well-informed western diplomatic sources, the current deputy secretary-general for peacekeeping operations would head the UN mission from New York. Zeri states that the UN’s decision will not be announced until Guehenno’s visit to Pristina, scheduled for early May. The daily writes that if Guehenno gets what he wants, current UNMIK Chief Joachim Ruecker and his deputy Larry Rosin will leave Kosovo in June. Guehenno would, in a sense, serve as a charge d’affaires to the UNMIK mission. Zeri states that it is yet to be seen whether UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will agree to such a plan, adding that the roles and powers of a reconfigured UNMIK are still unclear. The Kosovo constitution is due to take effect on June 15, after which, according to the Ahtisaari plan, the EU is expected to take over from the UN mission in the province. However, this is now unlikely to happen because of pressure from Russia, Serbia and other countries that oppose Kosovo’s unilateral independence. Yesterday, the same paper wrote that Russia had proposed that the elected chief of the EU mission to Kosovo Yves de Kermabon become head of UNMIK. Zeri wrote that the current chief of the EU mission (EULEX) Pieter Feith would become the chief of UNMIK’s pillar responsible for economic development. However, according to the daily, this proposal was unacceptable for most Western European countries. French Lieutenant-General de Kermabon assumed command of KFOR in September 2004, replacing German Army Lieutenant General Holger Kammerhoff and becoming the 9th KFOR commander since its deployment in Kosovo in June 1999. According to the Russian proposal, the daily stated, UNMIK would continue to perform its duties and would have the same authority even after June 15, when the Kosovo constitution takes effect. Western European countries and the U.S. do not accept this proposal, the daily added, because it veers away too much from Washington and Brussels’ original idea of EULEX taking over UNMIK’s powers and duties. The proposal is unacceptable for them because it would mean all issues regarding Kosovo returning to the UN Security Council, which was unable to find a solution to the status crisis because of a lack of consensus between its members.

Ban: Progress being made in Kosovo

“I’m pleased that so far there have been no ethnic clashes in Kosovo, and I call on all sides to refrain from unilateral steps that could provoke violence,“ said Ban.

He added that the UN was ready to perform its duties throughout the province.

"Guehenno to head UN mission"

Jean-Marie Guehenno is expected to head the new “reconfigured” UNMIK mission after June 15, writes Priština daily Zeri.

The daily states that according to well-informed western diplomatic sources, the current deputy secretary-general for peacekeeping operations would head the UN mission from New York.

Zeri states that the UN’s decision will not be announced until Guehenno’s visit to Priština, scheduled for early May.

The daily writes that if Guehenno gets what he wants, current UNMIK Chief Joachim Ruecker and his deputy Larry Rosin will leave Kosovo in June. Guehenno would, in a sense, serve as a charge d’affaires to the UNMIK mission.

Zeri states that it is yet to be seen whether UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will agree to such a plan, adding that the roles and powers of a reconfigured UNMIK are still unclear.

The Kosovo constitution is due to take effect on June 15, after which, according to the Ahtisaari plan, the EU is expected to take over from the UN mission in the province. However, this is now unlikely to happen because of pressure from Russia, Serbia and other countries that oppose Kosovo’s unilateral independence.

Yesterday, the same paper wrote that Russia had proposed that the elected chief of the EU mission to Kosovo Yves de Kermabon become head of UNMIK.

Zeri wrote that the current chief of the EU mission (EULEX) Pieter Feith would become the chief of UNMIK’s pillar responsible for economic development.

However, according to the daily, this proposal was unacceptable for most Western European countries. French Lieutenant-General de Kermabon assumed command of KFOR in September 2004, replacing German Army Lieutenant General Holger Kammerhoff and becoming the 9th KFOR commander since its deployment in Kosovo in June 1999.

According to the Russian proposal, the daily stated, UNMIK would continue to perform its duties and would have the same authority even after June 15, when the Kosovo constitution takes effect.

Western European countries and the U.S. do not accept this proposal, the daily added, because it veers away too much from Washington and Brussels’ original idea of EULEX taking over UNMIK’s powers and duties.

The proposal is unacceptable for them because it would mean all issues regarding Kosovo returning to the UN Security Council, which was unable to find a solution to the status crisis because of a lack of consensus between its members.