Tadić to attend UNSC Kosovo session

The UN Security Council will on Monday debate the situation in Kosovo, with President Boris Tadic attending the session. The key issues on the agenda will be the reconfiguration of the UN mission in Kosovo, UNMIK, and the six-point plan reached by Belgrade and the UN last year that allowed EU mission EULEX to deploy in the province. Tadic to attend UNSC Kosovo session UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and UNMIK chief Lamberto Zannier will present their reports to the meeting. Ban's report states that the situation in Kosovo is stable, despite a series of incidents in northern Kosovska Mitrovica, but that the number of internally displaced persons who returned to their homes last year recorded a dramatic drop. He will also tell the Security Council ambassadors that an accelerated reconfiguration of the UN mission in Kosovo is underway with consultations with the main actors in the field, and that this is expected to finish by the time the 2009/2010 budget cycle starts. UNMIK spokesman in Pristina Alexander Ivanko said that the UN will be present in Kosovo with scaled down numbers, likely by 85-90 percent. "The mission's focus will be mainly political – to monitor the situation and report, because we are still under obligation to report to the UN Security Council on the progress in Kosovo." "We'll also, if need be, represent Kosovo, like for instance in the CEFTA. We'll take part in consultations on upcoming issues from the secretary-general's report, but those are only technical consultations where UNMIK is one of the participants, since most are related to police, judiciary and customs, which are now under EULEX's jurisdiction," said Ivanko. Kosovo Albanian government's foreign minister, Skender Hyseni, will also attend the meeting in New York, to ask for UNMIK to end its mission altogether, "since it has almost no powers". At the same time, Belgrade is insisting that the six-point plan be implemented, while Kosovo Albanian officials says that it was made behind their backs and that they disagree with it. A file photo of the UNSC in session (FoNet)

Tadić to attend UNSC Kosovo session

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and UNMIK chief Lamberto Zannier will present their reports to the meeting.

Ban's report states that the situation in Kosovo is stable, despite a series of incidents in northern Kosovska Mitrovica, but that the number of internally displaced persons who returned to their homes last year recorded a dramatic drop.

He will also tell the Security Council ambassadors that an accelerated reconfiguration of the UN mission in Kosovo is underway with consultations with the main actors in the field, and that this is expected to finish by the time the 2009/2010 budget cycle starts.

UNMIK spokesman in Priština Alexander Ivanko said that the UN will be present in Kosovo with scaled down numbers, likely by 85-90 percent.

"The mission's focus will be mainly political – to monitor the situation and report, because we are still under obligation to report to the UN Security Council on the progress in Kosovo."

"We'll also, if need be, represent Kosovo, like for instance in the CEFTA. We'll take part in consultations on upcoming issues from the secretary-general's report, but those are only technical consultations where UNMIK is one of the participants, since most are related to police, judiciary and customs, which are now under EULEX's jurisdiction," said Ivanko.

Kosovo Albanian government's foreign minister, Skender Hyseni, will also attend the meeting in New York, to ask for UNMIK to end its mission altogether, "since it has almost no powers".

At the same time, Belgrade is insisting that the six-point plan be implemented, while Kosovo Albanian officials says that it was made behind their backs and that they disagree with it.