UN Security Council approves Ban's six-point plan

27/11/2008

The UN secretary-general's blueprint for EULEX's deployment has won unanimous backing from Security Council members. Pristina has voiced serious reservations but says it will co-operate with the international community.

By Blerta Foniqi-Kabashi for Southeast European Times in Pristina – 27/11/08

The UN Security Council cleared the way for the EU mission to Kosovo on Wednesday (November 26th). [Getty Images]

The UN Security Council gave its backing Wednesday (November 26th) for a plan to reconfigure UNMIK and deploy a European police and justice mission in Kosovo. Members unanimously approved UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon's six-point plan authorising the EULEX mission to deploy across the entire territory of Kosovo.

Kosovo leaders have opposed Ban's plan, on the grounds that it would dilute the authority of Kosovo institutions. Foreign Minister Skender Hyseni repeated those objections Tuesday, telling the Security Council that his country is ready to co-operate but does not want its sovereignty called into question.

"Kosovo is not against the international community and we are interested in co-operating closely with them. But we don't recognise the plans which threaten our sovereignty," he said. He warned that the six-point plan would create two parallel chains of authority, hampering Pristina's efforts to bring the whole country under its governance.

Serbia, which initially opposed EULEX's deployment, has agreed to an amended version of Ban's proposal. Under it, deployment remains separate from the Ahtisaari plan for supervised independence, which has not won Security Council approval. Serb enclaves will have considerable self-government powers, including over policing.

Serbia continues to argue that Kosovo's independence is illegitimate. Its powerful ally on the Security Council, Russia, has blocked the Ahtisaari plan and now warns that the independence declaration could lead to the province's partition.

"There is a de facto division of Kosovo," said Russia's ambassador to the UN, Vitaly Churkin.

The United States and other Western countries continue to voice support for Kosovo while also calling for the quick deployment of EULEX. "The independence and sovereignty of Kosovo are non-negotiable," said Britain's ambassador to the UN, John Sawers.

EU security chief Javier Solana has said the 2,000-strong mission could be deployed throughout Kosovo by mid-December.