Kosovo Urged to Complete Ahtisaari Plan

The 25 members of the International Steering Group, which groups various countries that recognise Kosovo’s independence, on Tuesday reaffirmed "full support for the consolidation of an independent, fully sovereign, democratic, multi-ethnic Kosovo within its current borders".

The 14th meeting of the ISG welcomed the government's progress in adopting laws required by the so-called Ahtisaari plan and encouraged the government to put the rest of the plan into law. 

The 2007 Ahtisaari plan, named after the Finnish UN Special Envoy to Kosovo, called for Kosovo's conditional independence - the conditions being its agreement to a degree of international supervision, extensive decentralisation, special measures for the Serb minority and other reforms.

“The ISG renews its support for the International Civilian Representative, ICR, including his affirmative and corrective powers,” the press release reads.

The ISG said the ICO was being reduced in Kosovo, now that many tasks undertaken in the regional offices had been completed.

“The ISG notes with approval that the ICO has continued to reduce its size as tasks have been further completed, most recently with the closure of four field offices,” the press release reads.

Meanwhile, the ISG urged Kosovo to continue efficient completion of the remaining tasks. “Kosovo’s government commits itself to finding the funding necessary for the ICO until the end of its mandate,” the ISG stated. 

The ISG welcomed the election of Atifete Jahjaga as President, "following Kosovo’s navigation of a period of political uncertainty".

The government was also commended for its engagement in the dialogue with Serbia, which is being conducted under EU facilitation. 

The government was praised further for its commitment to fully cooperate with the EU rule-of-law mission, EULEX, in investigating the allegations contained in the report of Council of Europe rapporteur Dick Marty.

Marty's report accused high-ranking Kosovo officials of having engaged in grave crimes including organ trafficking during the Kosovo conflict in the 1990s.