Kosovo Government Opposes EU Mission Deal Despite US Urgings
President Fatmir Sejdiu emerged from a meeting with U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Daniel Fried to say Kosovo would only accept the plan to deploy EULEX if it respected the sovereignty of the breakaway Serbian province.
"We are for the deployment of EULEX throughout the whole territory of Kosovo as quickly as possible," Sejdiu told reporters in Pristina.
"The institutions of the Republic of Kosovo will cooperate with EULEX for the deployment all over the territory of Kosovo (as long as it) respects the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Kosovo."
Kosovo seceded from Serbia on Feb. 17 despite staunch opposition from Belgrade, which considers the move a breach of international law.
The E.U. plans to deploy the 2,000-strong police, justice and customs mission to replace a U.N. mission that has administered Kosovo since the end of its 1998-1999 war.
Fried, the State Department's top diplomat for European affairs, said for his part that the Kosovo government's position on EULEX would be taken into consideration in E.U.-U.N. talks.
"We believe (that is) a good platform for moving ahead," Fried said.
"There are tough issues ahead. But the government of Kosovo has outlined its position in a way that we think we can work with and move forward with."
The U.N. and Serbia have already reached a deal with the E.U. which would keep local customs and police services in the Serb-dominated areas in northern Kosovo under U.N. and EULEX command.
The accord must be approved by the U.N. Security Council at Serbia's request.
Click here to go to Dow Jones NewsPlus, a web front page of today's most important business and market news, analysis and commentary: http://www.djnewsplus.com/al?rnd=ca%2BNpgo7zosg6xjniF472A%3D%3D. You can use this link on the day this article is published and the following day.
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
November 18, 2008 09:27 ET (14:27 GMT)
Publié le 18 novembre 2008 Copyright © 2008 Dowjones
Partager sur:
