United Nations Security Council will meet on June 20 2008 in New York to discuss secretary general Ban Ki-moon's report on the reconfiguration of the UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), world news agencies reported.
The reconfiguration was made necessary after Kosovo's constitution went into force on June 15, which marked a shift of power from UNMIK to the official authorities of the newly-born state and the European Union.
Days before the enactment of Kosovo's basic law, Ban announced on June 12 that the UN planned to reconfigure UNMIK, as reported by UN's news centre.
In a letter sent both to Serbian president Boris Tadic and Kosovar president Fatmir Sejdiu, Ban said UNMIK would be adjusted so as to allow the increase of the role of the EU in the rule of law field, but still under an UN umbrella. The reconfiguration would include appointing a new UN special representative to Kosovo.
“It is my intention to reconfigure the structure and profile of the international civil presence to one that (...) enables the EU to assume an enhanced operational role in Kosovo in accordance with resolution 1244,” Ban wrote, as quoted by Reuters.
UNMIK has been managing the troubled Balkan province ever since Nato bombed Serbia in 1999 to end the ethnic cleansing carried out by Serbian forces on the orders of Slobodan Milosevic.
The deployment of European Union's Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo, the EULEX, failed to meet its June 15 deadline and will continue over the months to come. The EULEX was designed as a continuation of UNMIK's presence in Kosovo.
Serbia and Russia, who is fully backing Belgrade in its refusal to recognise an independent Kosovo, have claimed EULEX is illegal as it is backed by no official UN decision. Russia, as one of the five veto-wielding powers on the UN Security Council, has vowed to block any resolution to Serbia's detriment.
Before leaving for New York to take part in the Security Council session, Tadic gave an interview for FoNet news agency, in which he said that only the Security Council could make and adopt plans to reconfigure UNMIK, Serbian broadcaster B92 reported.
“Only that UN institution has the power to conduct a reconfiguration of the international civil presence and not the UN secretary general, as that does not come within his jurisdiction,” Tadic told FoNet, as quoted by B92.
Tadic also added negotiations on the status of Kosovo would have to be renewed and defined the current status situation as unrealistic and unsustainable.
“Sooner or later, we’ll discuss a compromise solution,” Tadic said. “Serbia will continue its legitimate struggle, but using peaceful and democratic means.”
