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Love Hurts

05 February 2010 |

Simon Cottrell It's a shame that the internet is a virtual medium, because there are a lot of people out there that I'd like to express my deep feelings of friendship to, and having spent the last two years here in Serbia, I'd like to do it in a truly Serbian way.


Feith: 'New Beginning' for Mitrovica
05 February 2010 | Lawrence Marzouk

The International Civilian Representative in Kosovo, Pieter Feith, has said the appointment of a team to create a new Serb-majority municipality in the divided city of Mitrovica could herald a 'new beginning'.

Georgieva, Ciolos Approved with New Commission
09 February 2010 |

The European Parliament has approved the new European Commission at its session in Strasbourg. Kristalina Georgieva and Dacian Ciolos are the new commissioners from Bulgaria and Romania, respectively.

Koricanske stijene: Awareness of Security
09 February 2010 |

A member of the Intelligence-Security Agency of Bosnia and Herzegovina says he spoke to Milorad Skrbic while investigating the murder at Koricanske stijene and "determined that he did not have any operational data about this event".



UN To Stay In Kosovo 'For Now'

| 01 April 2008 |
 
Ban Ki-Moon
Ban Ki-Moon
Pristina _ The United Nations Mission, UNMIK, is set to continue its work in newly-independent Kosovo, the UN Secretary General says in his last report.

“Considering the latest developments in Kosovo, the mandate of UNMIK will continue based on the Resolution 1244”, the report says, referring to the UN Security Council resolution passed in 1999, at the end of the conflict between Serb forces and Kosovo’s ethnic Albanian majority. The resolution regulates the mandate of UNMIK.

The report says that after the February 17 declaration of independence by Kosovo’s ethnic Albanian leaders, they expressed hope that the “UNMIK mission will cease functioning by mid June when the EU mission should take over the international presence.”

Ban Ki-Moon’s report emphasises that “pending further instructions from the Security Council, UNMIK may continue operating in Kosovo, depending on the developments that occur.”

This leaves questions about when the European Union’s new law and order mission to Kosovo, EULEX, will begin deploying.

Serbia has branded EULEX illegal, claiming that under Resolution 1244 only the UN has the right to administer Kosovo on Serbia’s behalf.

Ban’s report also reflects on the current situation in Kosovo adding “it is evident that the declaration of independence has had a significant impact over the situation in Kosovo.”

It also mentions the drafting of Kosovo’s constitution, where Ban advises the Security Council that Kosovo’s authorities will adopt the highest legal act in April and it will come into force by June.

Ban also condemns the violence directed against UNMIK staff in Kosovo.

In particular he referred to the clashes on March 17 in Mitrovica, which left one UN police officer dead and more than 100 people injured.



Main News Page

Comments:
"depending on developments"
2008-04-03 10:29:55
We read that 'Ban Ki-Moon’s report emphasises that “pending further instructions from the Security Council, UNMIK may continue operating in Kosovo, depending on the developments that occur.”' This kind of reactive "wait and see" policy is an invitation to those who would disrupt the fragile situation to initiate 'developments' and move UNMIK in one direction or another. Sometimes the fence isn't the safest place to be sitting.

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