UNMIK/PR/630
PRISTINA –A large number of members of the Kosovo Transitional Council, which met today after a three week recess, supported SRSG Hans Haekkerup’s initiative of holding talks with the Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Nebosja Covic, to resolve problems of Kosovo and seek his support to get Kosovo Serbs to participate in Kosovo institutions.
Mr. Haekkerup, who briefed the members about his meeting with Mr. Covic, head of the Coordination Centre for Kosovo, on 15 August, said the meeting had gone very well. He said he had informed Mr. Covic that no parallel structures would be accepted in Kosovo, underlining the fact that full security and administrative responsibility for Kosovo rests with KFOR and UNMIK. SRSG said Mr. Covic agreed and wants to resolve problems and not create them. SRSG said Mr. Covic has been supportive in urging Kosovo Serbs to register.
Mr. Haekkerup outlined the other issues that he discussed with Mr. Covic, including the Kosovo Albanian detainees in Serbian prisons, the Kosovo Serb prisoners in Kosovo, missing persons and Mitrovica. The issue of educational systems had also come up, but it needs to be discussed again in the future.
Responding to reservations expressed by some members about the role of Mr. Covic, SRSG said the purpose of talking to Mr. Covic was to resolve problems. In now way did it infringe the authority of UNMIK and KFOR under UN Resolution 1244 and “Mr. Covic understands that.”
KTC also received a security briefing from KFOR and UNMIK Police. UNMIK Police Commissioner Chris Albiston also told the members about the violent incident in Prizren on Monday, over the installation of memorials. He said the function of police was to uphold law. Several members also spoke about this incident.
DSRSG Daan Everts, head of OSCE, briefed the members about election preparations. He said civil and voter registration was going rather slowly and urged the members to motivate members of public.