Kermabon: Judiciary most important issue

EULEX chief Yves de Kermabon says it is most important to solve the issue of judiciary in Kosovo and improve the work of judicial bodies. He added that he is maintaining permanent contact with the authorities in Belgrade for this purpose. Kermabon: Judiciary most important issue "The focus is on the justice. The most important issue is to improve the work of the courthouse in Mitrovica which currently has only prosecutors from the EULEX," Kermabon said in an interview for Tanjug. He reminded that since June 2009 a technical team of three Serbian and three (ethnic) Albanian judges has been brought back in the courthouse in Kosovska Mitrovica in order to work on pending files. "The next step is to succeed to bring back at least two Kosovo Serbian and two Kosovo Albanian judges in the courthouse in order to deal with all the pending cases under the EULEX monitoring," he said. Kermabon underlined that during the meetings in Belgrade he "found flexibility and some confidence building measures in order to accept the return of two Kosovo Serbian judges to the courthouse", and added that he is currently in discussion on the issue with the Pristina authorities. Speaking of the strategy for northern Kosovo made by the Pristina interim authorities, Kermabon said that the the EU "is not part of the strategy" and that "EU from the beginning and EULEX have explained that we are here to establish step-by-step policy in northern Kosovo". "We are not here to force the people or to act by force. We are here once again to bring a better rule of law for everybody. To do this we need to work with everybody," he underlined. "We are here for the benefit of the population, and not to deal with politics, with status, with independence," Kermabon added.

Kermabon: Judiciary most important issue

"The focus is on the justice. The most important issue is to improve the work of the courthouse in Mitrovica which currently has only prosecutors from the EULEX," Kermabon said in an interview for Tanjug.

He reminded that since June 2009 a technical team of three Serbian and three (ethnic) Albanian judges has been brought back in the courthouse in Kosovska Mitrovica in order to work on pending files.

"The next step is to succeed to bring back at least two Kosovo Serbian and two Kosovo Albanian judges in the courthouse in order to deal with all the pending cases under the EULEX monitoring," he said.

Kermabon underlined that during the meetings in Belgrade he "found flexibility and some confidence building measures in order to accept the return of two Kosovo Serbian judges to the courthouse", and added that he is currently in discussion on the issue with the Priština authorities.

Speaking of the strategy for northern Kosovo made by the Priština interim authorities, Kermabon said that the the EU "is not part of the strategy" and that "EU from the beginning and EULEX have explained that we are here to establish step-by-step policy in northern Kosovo".

"We are not here to force the people or to act by force. We are here once again to bring a better rule of law for everybody. To do this we need to work with everybody," he underlined.

"We are here for the benefit of the population, and not to deal with politics, with status, with independence," Kermabon added.