UN secretary-general presents plan to reconfigure UNMIK

13/06/2008

NEW YORK, United States -- UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon unveiled plans Thursday (June 12th) to reconfigure UNMIK, transferring responsibilities to the EU force, EULEX, despite strong opposition from Serbia's ally Russia. The plan is detailed in a report Ban issued to the UN Security Council and in letters sent to Kosovo President Fatmir Sejdiu and Serbian President Boris Tadic. The Council will debate it next week.

"I believe that the United Nations is confronting a new reality in Kosovo, with operational implications" for the UN mission in Kosovo that it must take into account, Ban said in his report. "Not doing so could lead to increased tension with Kosovo, including between Kosovo's communities." Moscow insists UNMIK's reduced presence in the police sector, a move essentially aimed to provide EULEX the opportunity to take over, requires approval by the 15-member UN Security Council. (Koha Ditore, Zeri, Express, Lajm - 13/06/08; AFP, Reuters, BBC, AP -12/06/08)