Serbia, Russia oppose plan to pull UN mission from Kosovo (Roundup)

By JT Nguyen dpa Jun 20, 2008, 17:01 GMT

New York - Serbia and Russia joined forces on Friday to oppose any moves to draw down the UN Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) without the authorization of the UN Security Council, which convened to hear once more leaders of Belgrade and Pristina.

Serbia and Russia have strongly opposed Kosovo's independence declared in February. But Kosovo's new constitution, which went into effect on Sunday, has compelled UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to call for readjusting UNMIK's role in the former Serb province.

Ban announced the appointment of Lamberto Zannier of Italy as his new Kosovo representative to oversee the new phase of UNMIK activities after it is reconfigured to adjust to the situation there.

Serbia's President Boris Tadic rejected Ban's assessment when he attended a special session of the 15-nation council in New York to carry on his fight to keep Kosovo. He charged the 40 or more countries that recognized Pristina with violating international law.

Kosovo's President Fatmir Sejdiu also attend the meeting. But while the council president, US Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad, called Tadic 'Mr President,' he did not give Sejdiu that title.

Sejdiu reminded the council that he represents Kosovo and its institutions, and not just the majority Albanian in the territory. He pledged support for the UN.

Tadic said, 'Under the circumstances, the United Nations cannot, and must not, walk away.'

He cited for background the council's Resolution 1244, which established UNMIK in 1999 to administer that province until a political solution was found to resolve demands of autonomy by the Albanian majority.

'That is why the Republic of Serbia cannot endorse the secretary general's report,' he said. 'Until the process envisaged by Resolution 1244 ... is complete, the international community, led by the UN, has to retain its central role in the maintenance of peace and security in Kosovo.'

Russia's UN Ambassador Vitaly Churkin said UNMIK should continue its work, warning any attempts to change its mandate without the council's authorization would violate UN resolutions and the UN Charter. He blasted the European Union and NATO for sending a large mission to Kosovo, which in the future would replace UNMIK and take over the responsibility of training Kosovo's security forces in addition to developing democracy and human rights.

Both Tadic and Churkin criticized the former head of UNMIK, Joachim Rucker of Germany, for allegedly failing to inform the council when he authorized the transfer of more than 426 million euros to the Albanian-led government in Pristina.

Both of them called Rucker's action before he stepped down 'illegal.' Details about the funds transfer were not made public.

In his opening remarks to the council, Ban asked the body to provide guidance about the future of Kosovo. He said Kosovo's independence has confronted the UN with a 'new reality and challenges' whereby the UN would have to readjust UNMIK's mandate.

In his assessment to the council, Ban said Kosovo's new constitution is 'designed in such a way that it seeks to effectively remove from UNMIK its current powers as interim civil administration.'

He said the UN wants to remain neutral in the dispute over new situation in Kosovo, calling it 'the most divisive, delicate and intractable.'

'Legally, politically, morally, it is a landscape of enormous complexity and sensitivity that required the exercise of extraordinary objectivity and balance,' Ban said Friday.

He said his plan to draw down UNMIK and reconfigure its activities and personnel was the 'least objectionable' to the parties in the dispute. He urged the council to give guidance on the various aspects of UNMIK's work in Kosovo, from customs to the protection of Serbian heritage in that former Serb province where 5 per cent of the population are Serbs and Romas. The rest are Albanians.

Some council members did not share the criticism of Rucker, however. France's UN Ambassador Jean-Maurice Ripert said UNMIK should be able to work under the new climate and he pledged Paris' support in the new reconfiguration plan. Belgium's Ambassador Jan Grauls said Ban's plan is appropriate.

US Ambassador Khalilzad said 'most council members' endorse Ban's plan and Resolution 1244 gives him the discretion to revamp UNMIK.

'The fact that Kosovo's democratic, multi-ethnic government is ready to govern is a testament to the UN success in building institutions,' Khalilzad said.

The United States is among the more than 40 countries that have recognized Kosovo's independence. European countries form a majority in that group.