UNMIK/PR/1556
PRISTINA – Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General in Kosovo (SRSG) Søren Jessen-Petersen and KFOR Commander Lt-Gen. Giuseppe Valotto this afternoon co-chaired the quarterly meeting of the Kosovo Protection Corps Development Group (KPCDG) at UNMIK HQ. Participants at the meeting included Prime Minister Agim Çeku, KPC Co-ordinator Maj.-Gen. Chris Steirn, KPC Commander Lt.-Gen. Syleman Selimi, and representatives of the Quint Liaison Offices, the Dutch Liaison Office, the European Commission and European Union.
This is the first meeting that Prime Minister Çeku and Lt.-Gen. Selimi attended in their new capacities. The SRSG, Lt-Gen. Valotto and Prime Minister Çeku praised the new KPC Commander for his leadership and his success in ensuring that the implementation of Standard 8 remains a priority for the KPC. The SRSG said, “In all areas there is continuing impressive progress and you are the lead institution and model in the implementation of Standards.”
Lt-Gen. Giuseppe Valotto expressed confidence in the KPC and briefed the meeting on the training support provided by KFOR which is being consolidated into a comprehensive package and which will considerably aid the KPC in its efforts to further professionalise and modernise. Lt.-Gen. Selimi informed the KPCDG of the work the KPC is undertaking in this regard. Quint representatives and others were urged to support these efforts of the KPC through lending financial support and key experts.
The KPCDG congratulated the KPC for what it is doing for all the people of Kosovo and for the continued efforts and results in the implementation of Standard 8, particularly the efforts made to reach out to ethnic minorities, notably Kosovo Serbs. Lt.-Gen. Selimi demonstrated his determination for the KPC to be a multi-ethnic organisation by informing the KPCDG of his decision to reserve the second Deputy Commander’s post for a Kosovo Serb and to recently appoint two Kosovo Serbs into his Cabinet.
The KPCDG meeting followed a successful Public Standard 8 Meeting that was held at the KPC HQ earlier in the day, in which Lt.-Gen. Selimi, Maj.-Gen. Steirn and Maj.-Gen. Philippe Sommaire made presentations on the KPC’s progress in implementing Standard 8.