UNMIK/PR/1460
PRISTINA - SRSG Søren Jessen-Petersen today paid a visit to Mitrovicë/Mitrovica region where he met representatives of the Kosovo Serb community.
“This area is an important part of Kosovo and UNMIK is ready to work with all those who are willing to work positively for the benefit of all the people of Kosovo,” said the SRSG. He added that the international community understood the “special concerns of Kosovo's minority communities”.
The SRSG told the Kosovo Serb representatives that he recognized that the start of the status process had raised concerns among some people. “I appeal to all responsible leaders on both sides of the River Ibar to ensure that their communities participate in the status process,” added the SRSG.
On the issue of decentralization, the SRSG emphasized that “we all recognize that decentralization is one of the key elements of the status solution. The ongoing comprehensive reform of local government in Kosovo in which all communities should participate will feed into the status process.”
The SRSG met the Municipal Presidents of Zvecan, Zubin Potok and Leposavic/Leposaviq at the municipal offices in Zvecan. In Mitrovicë/a, he met the Advisory Board to UNMIK’s Administration in Mitrovicë/a (UAM) at UAM’s premises in north Mitrovica, the regional head of the Co-ordination Centre for Kosovo (CCK) Momir Kasalovic, the head of the Serbian National Council Milan Ivanovic, and the President of the Association of Serbian Municipalities Marko Jaksic. In the southern part of the city he met the recently elected Municipal Assembly President.