The issue of national identity is taken seriously by Balkan people – including the least serious among them.
UN Urges Serbia To Cooperate On Customs
| 12 March 2008 |
The United Nations Mission in Kosovo, UNMIK says that it expects close cooperation from Serbian authorities regarding the customs policies at some border points with Kosovo.
Alexander Ivanko, UNMIK spokesperson told media that this cooperation is in line with United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244, which Belgrade is urging the international community to respect.
Resolution 1244 was passed in 1999 at the end of the conflict between Serb forces and Kosovo's ethnic Albanian majority. The resolution placed Kosovo under UN administration although Kosovo would remain a part of Serbia. Hence Belgrade has argued that Kosovo's declaration of independence is a violation of this resolution and condemned those countries which have recognised its independence.
“If Belgrade says publicly that 1244 should be respected, then we expect them to ensure that Resolution is respected on the ground as well, with regard to customs,” Ivanko said.
In the days following the independence declaration by Kosovo’s Assembly, a group of local Serbs torched two border crossings along the Kosovo-Serbia border.
To date these crossing points are being checked only by police but no customs service is in place.
While NATO-led forces, KFOR are taking care of the security at those border crossings, the UN has not yet been able to re-establish the customs service there.
“We can solve this problem without Belgrade’s cooperation, but that is not the issue,” Ivanko said, adding that “it is probably easier to solve this problem with their cooperation.”
