Thank you, Mr. President.
Mr. President, the Security Council must ensure that we are using the time and resources of this Council wisely and where the needs are greatest. In light of last week’s open debate on Security Council working methods, today’s very lengthy relitigations of historical grievances which do nothing to move things forward in Kosovo only underscored the wisdom of our strong support for a reduced number of council sessions concerning UNMIK. While the UN continues to have a useful role to play in Kosovo, this can be carried out under the UN Country Team. The United States would welcome a clear path to phase out UNMIK, which has achieved its original mandate, and a transition of its activities to a Country Team.
We share the Secretary-General’s concern about the heightened tensions between Belgrade and Pristina. The priority of both sides should be to lower tensions, remove barriers, and immediately return to Dialogue negotiations. For Kosovo, this means suspending tariffs on Serbian imports. For Serbia, this means avoiding provocative actions and words and ceasing its campaign against Kosovo’s international standing – an effort that runs counter to normalization.
See the full statement at: https://usun.state.gov/remarks/9100
