About 20 organisations in Kosovo are planning protests against a planned agreement between European Union rule-of-law mission Eulex and Serbia’s interior ministry on fighting international organised crime and corruption – an agreement that Kosovo sees as "denying" its self-declared independence.
 
Serbia and Kosovo are locked in a struggle at diplomatic and international level over Kosovo’s February 2008 unilateral declaration of independence, which Belgrade rejects as illegitimate.
 
The agreement is one of a series planned between Eulex and Serbia.
 
In a joint statement on the website of the US embassy in Pristina, International Civilian Representative for Kosovo Pieter Feith and the diplomats representing the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy and the US set out their perspective on the agreement.
 
They said that the Eulex deployment had been accepted by Kosovo.
 
"The Republic of Kosovo’s support of this mission, which includes the participation of police, customs and justice officials from European countries, the United States and other nations, is a clear expression of its desire to combat cross-border criminality in the Western Balkans." 
 
The joint statement said that based on the signatories’ "detailed examination of the legal issues", Eulex’s instruments of technical co-operation were consistent with its mandate to strengthen border management and had "no bearing" on the question of Kosovo’s independence.
 
"The Republic of Kosovo is not a party to this technical arrangement, but we commend the commitment and interest of the institutions of the Republic of Kosovo in combating illicit cross-border activities," the joint statement, released on September 10 2009, said.   
 
"We strongly support the work of the institutions of the Republic of Kosovo for the Euro-Atlantic future of the Republic of Kosovo," the statement said.
 
The same day, media in Pristina said that the EU had rejected claims that it was applying political pressure on Kosovo on the issue of the police co-operation protocol with Serbia.
 
"You know that all EU member states gave their full support to the Eulex mission in Kosovo and to the signature of the police co-operation protocol between Eulex and Serbia. Consultations are continuing intensively between the EU and Pristina and we do not see this as pressure but simply as negotiations, dialogue and consultation," an EU diplomatic source was quoted as having told Kosovo daily Koha Ditore.
 
The paper quoted UK ambassador in Pristina Andy Sparks as saying that the protocol was in Kosovo’s interest.
 
"Yes, we believe that the protocol will be signed. Of course we all know that the Kosovo leadership will be sensitive about the sovereignty issue, therefore we are have attempted to overcome this sensitivity. And now we are telling Kosovo leadership that it will not suffer damages and it will be good if this document will be signed," Sparks was quoted as saying.
 
However, about 20 organisations in Kosovo, led by Kosovo self-determination movement Vetevendosje were expected to protest in coming days against the protocol being signed.
 
"It has become obvious that Eulex is going ahead with signing the document with Serbia, which denies Kosovo’s independence," according to Avni Zogjani of the Çohu association, one of the organisations due to take part in the protests.