Security Council is preparing a new reorganization of the UN Mission in Kosovo
“The main topic of the briefing on UNMIK, in the Security Council on 21 August, will be the reorganization and reduction of the UN mission in Kosovo. Format of UNMIK should be adapted to the results of the Brussels agreement on the normalization of relations between Belgrade and Pristina,” said political analyst Dusan Janjic.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Serbia has confirmed that Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic will participate in this meeting. According to Janjic, representatives of UNMIK and Pristina will also participate.
With the consent of Belgrade and in accordance with Resolution 1244, in 1999, UNMIK became responsible for the administration over protectorate Kosovo. Under UNMIK administration, Pristina unilaterally declared independence in 2008. Now, UNMIK has an office in New York, Representative office in Kosovo and Offices for the support to the Communities. This mission has been already reduced when the Government of Serbia and its PM Mirko Cvetkovic agreed to the deployment of EULEX in Kosovo, in late 2008. EULEX deployment was conditioned by the negotiations on “six-point” that were essential for the survival of Serbs in Kosovo, which never happened. Pristina has repeatedly asked Security Council to abolish UNMIK.
“UNMIK, as the name, cannot be abolished until adoption of the new resolution on Kosovo in the Security Council, but it can reduce and adapt to the situation. The size of the mission and the issue of UN special representative in Kosovo now should be reconsidered. Even now it is quite a large administration, because in every Serbian municipality there is Council for the communities. That will not be required any more, since now, with the implementation of the Brussels Agreement, all communities are transferred into the Kosovo system of local government,” says Janjic.
He points out that after the reorganization of UNMIK remains to be resolved the status of KFOR, which “according to the composition is part of NATO and formally is part of UN mission.” According to Janjic there are two solutions – to extend the existing mimicry or, that in accordance with the Constitution of Kosovo, NATO become official international military presence in Kosovo. “This second solution is not possible without consulting the UN Security Council and the agreement with Russia, although there is an agreement between Belgrade, Pristina and the EU on the reorganization of the Kosovo Security Force in Kosovo army and disbanding of the Serbian Civil Protection,” says Janjic.
He believes that the results of upcoming “briefing” in New York will be important for the continuation of the political dialogue between Prime Ministers of Serbia and Kosovo, Vucic and Mustafa. At this meeting, they should be accompanied with the FM Ivica Dacic and Hashim Thaci, who as Prime Ministers initialled the first Brussels Agreement.
