UNMIK/PR/1598
PRISTINA – Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General in Kosovo (SRSG) Joachim Rücker and KFOR Commander Lt.-Gen. Roland Kather 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 CBE, KPC Commander Lt.-Gen. Sylejman Selimi, representatives of Contact Group Liaison Offices, the Dutch Liaison Office, the European Commission and the European Union.
This is the first KPCDG meeting since the SRSG and COMKFOR assumed their current appointments. They took the opportunity to reiterate their support to the KPC and its continued development. In particular, the KPC Commander was congratulated for performance in the on-going reconstruction work of Kosovo Serb properties in Svinjarë/Svinjare and for the continued efforts and results in the implementation of Standard 8 and reaching out to ethnic minorities.
Lt.-Gen. Kather briefed the meeting on the recently revised training support provided by KFOR, which targets key areas and the management level within the KPC. Lt.-Gen. Kather also stated that he was impressed with the motivation of KPC members and the cooperation between the KPC and KFOR.
Maj.-Gen. Steirn brought to the meeting’s attention draft selection criteria aimed at further professionalisation, which were supported, and the recent report of the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD). The GICHD report supported the view that the KPC demining capacity would be sufficient to manage the residual mine and unexploded ordnance (UXO) threat in Kosovo beyond 2007. The recommendation was also endorsed by the Development Group.
Lt.-Gen. Selimi detailed the extensive work and results of the KPC since the previous meeting in continuing to professionalise and contribute to a positive future for Kosovo, and expressed the KPC’s readiness to undertake any other tasks.
Prime Minister Çeku congratulated the KPC for the great progress made in all fields and appealed to members of the Development Group to allow for planning to proceed in respect of the KPC, to ensure that prospective transformation is successfully implemented and that obligations continue to be fulfilled after status is determined. The Development Group agreed that there is merit in thinking and planning ahead and, while detailed plans depend on the status settlement and cannot yet be made, Maj.-Gen. Steirn was invited to take this process forward.
There was also a discussion regarding the Marshall Center and it was agreed that Marshall Center’s expertise could be invited to Kosovo to help the KPC in their further development.