The United Nations Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances continues today with its visit to Kosovo, in a fact finding mission for the missing persons.
The three members of the Working Group, Mr. Ariel Dulitzky, Ms. Jasminka Dzumhur, and Mr. Osman el-Hajjé, met yesterday with President Jahjaga, the Working Group for the Missing and Government Commission for the Missing Persons.
Kosovo President Atifete Jahjaga met today with a delegation of the United Nations Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances, led by Ariel Dulitzky. The delegation is visiting Kosovo and the Balkans on a fact-finding mission related to missing persons. Jahjaga said the fate of over 1,700 missing persons needs to be resolved as quickly as possible, as this would help heal a grave wound in society and help families of missing persons to find peace. Jahjaga said this would also help foster peace and stability in the Balkans and create conditions for trust and reconciliation.
BELGRADE - Serbian parliament resumes the second extraordinary session on Thursday with a debate on deployment of Serbian Armed Forces (SAF) and the police to United Nations and European Union peacekeeping missions and operations.
With parliament's approval, the SAF could this year be engaged in seven new international UN peacekeeping operations and the EU military training mission to Mali.
The head of the UN Office in Serbia, Irena Vojackova Sollorano announced that UN will give $ 1.8 million for the compensation of the consequences of the floods. “From the beginning, the UN helped the Serbian government and the Red Cross in providing aid, and now we mobilize our own resources and provide expert support,” said Vojackova Sollorano to the reporters in Belgrade.
Prior to the adoption of the Resolution were held negotiations between Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic and Viktor Chernomyrdin, who was the representative of the then Russian President Boris Yeltsin. These negotiations were completed in early June, with the mediation of Martti Ahtisaari, who represented the EU and the UN. Document on Milosevic-Ahtisaari-Chernomyrdin agreement, which was adopted by the National Assembly and then the federal government, was the basis for the Resolution 1244.
RUDNICA - The remains of 37 people killed in the Kosovo conflict in 1999 have so far been exhumed from the Rudnica quarry, southern Serbia, head of the commission on missing persons Veljko Odalovic has said during a visit to the location.
"The process goes on and 37 bodies have been recovered so far," he told reporters on Thursday, adding that the exhumation would continue throughout June.
United Nations Assistant Secretary General for Peacekeeping Operations, Edmond Mulet and the head of UNMIK, Farid Zarif, are visiting today Rudnica, the mass grave in Rashka, Serbia, where it is believed to have been buried 300 victims from the latest war in Kosovo, informs news agency Presheva Jone. The United Nations Delegation will be accompanied by the head of the Commission of Serbia for Missing Persons Veljko Odalovic and representatives from Pristina and other international organizations.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Justice Hajredin Kuçi yesterday met with a United Nations delegation, headed by Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Edmond Mulet. The main topics of discussion were developments in Kosovo in the area of rule of law, the dialogue process with Serbia, the EU integration process, and membership in regional and international organizations, including the United Nations. Assistant Secretary-General Mulet said he was impressed by positive developments in Kosovo in recent years.
The President of the Republic of Kosovo, Atifete Jahjaga, hosted today the UN Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, Mr. Edmond Mulet.
President Jahjaga informed Mr. Mulet about general developments in Kosovo, the dialogue process with Serbia, and the early general elections, which will be held this Sunday. She stressed that all citizens should exercise their right to vote and elect their legitimate representatives.
Based on the up to date campaign, the general elections to be held on 8 June, are the most represented and dynamic in the 15 year history of the free elections in Kosovo, and as such, they will be under a close monitoring of the population and the international community. This will be another test for the Central Election Commission to prove that the success of the local elections was not a coincidence, but a maturity of this institution to manage challenges represented by the elections in Kosovo.