PM: Urgent and credible organ trafficking probe

Serbia is in favor of urgent establishment of an efficient and credible international investigation into the human organ trafficking in Kosovo. This was heard from Prime Minister Mirko Cvetkovic, who on Thursday in Belgrade met with Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) official Bjorn von Sidow. PM: Urgent and credible organ trafficking probe Von Sidow is due to submit his report on the situation in Kosovo. Cvetkovic stressed that he was in favor of the United Nation's involvement in such a probe. The case, investigated by the Serbian War Crimes Prosecution, and reported on by Council of Europe official Dick Marty, concerns kidnappings and murder for their vital organs of Serb civilians in Kosovo and northern Albania in 1999 and 2000. These atrocities are believed to have been perpetrated by the ethnic Albanian KLA. Speaking about the CoE activities in Kosovo and Metohija, Cvetkovic said that they should continue with the goal of efficiently implementing principles and standards of this European institution related to protection of human and especially minority rights, the rule of law and protection of cultural heritage. Serbia finds acceptable only the status-neutral engagement of the Council of Europe (CoE) in Kosovo, in line with UN Security Council Resolution 1244, the premier explained. He also noted that Serbia assigned great importance to its cooperation with the CoE, and was successfully implementing the council's programs designed to improve standards and reform processes in many sectors. Von Sidow, who serves as PACE Political Affairs Committee chairman, said in Belgrade today that he would confer with Serbia's top officials about the situation in Kosovo, and would also meet with mayors of the four municipalities in the Serb north and the authorities in Pristina. In a meeting with Serbian Parliament Speaker Slavica Djukic-Dejanovic earlier in the day, Von Sidow stressed that he was aware of the situation faced by Serb and other non-Albanian communities in Kosovo, and that he would try to present that and all other issues in the most unbiased manner. According to a statement from the Serbian parliament, Von Sidow also noted that he would focus on "obtaining information about the situation in Kosovo". Von Sidow and Cvetkovic meet in Belgrade (Tanjug) Tanjug

PM: Urgent and credible organ trafficking probe

Von Sidow is due to submit his report on the situation in Kosovo.

Cvetković stressed that he was in favor of the United Nation's involvement in such a probe.

The case, investigated by the Serbian War Crimes Prosecution, and reported on by Council of Europe official Dick Marty, concerns kidnappings and murder for their vital organs of Serb civilians in Kosovo and northern Albania in 1999 and 2000. These atrocities are believed to have been perpetrated by the ethnic Albanian KLA.

Speaking about the CoE activities in Kosovo and Metohija, Cvetković said that they should continue with the goal of efficiently implementing principles and standards of this European institution related to protection of human and especially minority rights, the rule of law and protection of cultural heritage.

Serbia finds acceptable only the status-neutral engagement of the Council of Europe (CoE) in Kosovo, in line with UN Security Council Resolution 1244, the premier explained.

He also noted that Serbia assigned great importance to its cooperation with the CoE, and was successfully implementing the council's programs designed to improve standards and reform processes in many sectors.

Von Sidow, who serves as PACE Political Affairs Committee chairman, said in Belgrade today that he would confer with Serbia's top officials about the situation in Kosovo, and would also meet with mayors of the four municipalities in the Serb north and the authorities in Priština.

In a meeting with Serbian Parliament Speaker Slavica Đukić-Dejanović earlier in the day, Von Sidow stressed that he was aware of the situation faced by Serb and other non-Albanian communities in Kosovo, and that he would try to present that and all other issues in the most unbiased manner.

According to a statement from the Serbian parliament, Von Sidow also noted that he would focus on "obtaining information about the situation in Kosovo".