The U.N. envoy for Kosovo urged the government on Tuesday to move swiftly to establish a court to investigate crimes committed by ethnic Albanian rebels during the country's 1998-99 war of independence from Serbia.

Farid Zarif told the U.N. Security Council that he underlined the expectations of the international community and possible victims of crimes "that there be no delays in the steps required from Kosovo toward the establishment of the court."

Lawmakers in Kosovo cleared the way for the creation of a European Union-backed court in April 2014 following years of diplomatic pressure by the EU and United States for Kosovo to open a state investigation into civilian killings committed by the rebel side. But the required constitutional and legislative steps have not been completed.

Suspected crimes include the killing of about 400 civilians, chiefly Serbs, and allegations that a handful of victims were slain specifically to harvest their organs for sale on the black market.

U.S. deputy ambassador David Pressman urged Kosovo to promptly adopt the legal measures "to set up a robust special court that can adjudicate these cases, following last summer's findings by the EU special investigative task force that there is sufficient evidence to indict a handful of individuals for serious crimes committed during this period."

Zarif said he had hoped to report that the necessary legal steps had been completed, "but the issue now has been tentatively scheduled for action this Friday."

He said he also urged political leaders in Kosovo to promote public understanding of the importance of the court for Kosovo's future.

On a positive note, both Zarif and Pressman welcomed continued progress in discussions between Kosovo and Serbia on key issues and the European Commission's recent approval of a Stabilization and Association Agreement proposal — an important step to EU membership.