While EULEX is leaving unresolved cases, expenditures higher than a billion of euros, and disappointing statistics, UN Mission, although reduced several times, remains the main international political factor in Kosovo, Belgrade-based Politika daily wrote on Sunday.

Serbia attaches particular importance to UNMIK – Mission to which Serb and other non-Albanian communities trust the most. This was a message, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic conveyed during the recent meeting with UN Assistant Secretary General for Peacekeeping Operations, Bintou Keita, handing over to her a list including Albanian attacks against Serbs that took place in May.

At the moment, when EULEX is almost shunned down and reduced to a symbolic advisory role, the UN Mission, headed today by Zahir Tanin, undoubtedly remains the pillar of international presence in the southern Serbian province, when it comes to civilian and political powers, despite being several times reduces and bypassed over the last two decades, Politika further wrote.

Regardless that ten years ago, when Pristina unilaterally declared independence UNMIK welcomed EULEX Mission and handed over numerous authorities to it, which made look like the UN presence was practically ousted, positions of these two stakeholders on the ground now seem to be replaced again. And it happens at the moment, when a series of inter-ethnic incidents took place, in which Albanians across Kosovo and Metohija physically attacked Serbs and when threat of violence became real again.

Unavoidable “foreign body”

While EULEX leaves behind unresolved cases, expenditures higher than a billion of euros made since 2008, and disappointing statistics, since it did not prosecute a single inter-ethnic crime committed against Serb population, diplomatic struggle to keep UNMIK is ongoing in the UN Security Council.

Former head of Yugoslav diplomacy and ambassador to the UN, Vladislav Jovanovic pointed out this fact to Politika daily.

“UNMIK became slightly obsolete, when the-then Serbian authorities decided to transfer number of authorities to the EU. This way they weakened us as a country and in a way minimized the role of the Security Council.”

Jovanovic also reminded that at times when a terrain for EULEX arrival was prepared, critics coming mainly from Western countries but also from Pristina that UNMIK is inefficient and that Brussels mission would be more efficient could be heard.

Former Serbian State Secretary for Kosovo and Metohija, Dusan Prorokovic said Belgrade had good cooperation with UNMIK till 2008 since this was a mission that came to Kosovo based on UN SC Resolution 1244 and they respected it.

Asked to comment on a fact that UNMIK either did not prosecute war crimes while it had powers to do so, Prorokovic said it was not possible to expect that this Mission would so swiftly manage judicial system in Kosovo.

Silence of Belgrade over EULEX arrival

At the time when two Missions signed “Memorandum of Understanding” in 2008, there were even claims that EULEX would work under UN umbrella. According to Prorokovic, EULEX entered Kosovo with an official press release of the then UN SC Ban Ki-Moon and then everybody interpreted the way it suits them. Quint countries interpreted in their own way and transferred authorities to EULEX while Belgrade authorities remained silent.

Confirmation that United Nations and its Mission are today the main address where one can hear worrying conclusions about the situation in Kosovo, came in a form of a quarterly UN SG Antonio Guterres report at beginning of May. This document noted deterioration of Belgrade-Pristina relations, in particular following the arrest of Head of the Serbian Government Office for Kosovo, Marko Djuric, which Guterres termed as “reason for concern.” He further called for detailed investigation into this event and corrective measures in case there were human rights violations. UN SG noted that only three non-Albanians returned to Kosovo in the three months’ time and expressed dissatisfaction over slow pace of Oliver Ivanovic murder investigation.

Vladislav Jovanovic is convinced that Serbia should work more on returning Kosovo issue to the Security Council, adding Serbia should work more to revive the role of UN as the only way to finally resolve the Kosovo issue.

Dusan Prorokovic also thinks that UNMIK has perspective to the extent of UN SC Resolution 1244 validity. “And this Resolution is valid, as long as Serbia does not give up on it.” Respectively if we allow Kosovo to enter the UN. That is why from political aspect UNMIK certainly remains the most important Mission for us, Prorokovic concluded.