US recognises new Kosovo passports

05/08/2008

PRISTINA, Kosovo -- The United States officially recognised Kosovo passports as legitimate travel documents and will allow the issuing of visas for this document, the US Embassy in Pristina announced on Monday (August 4th). At the same time, the United States will continue to recognise more familiar UNMIK-issued travel documents until they expire. Kosovo authorities have said citizens can travel with their new passports in countries that have recognised Kosovo.

In other news, the state secretary of Serbia's ministry for Kosovo, Oliver Ivanovic, says UNMIK should act as a mediator between Serbs and Albanians. He emphasised that Serbs will not recognise Pristina institutions, adding that limited autonomy in command is the only realistic solution for Kosovo Serbs in police structures.

But Kosovo Interior Minister Zenun Pajaziti seemed to rule that out on Monday. He described the creation of special Serb police units within the Kosovo Protection Corps (KPS) as unacceptable. Also Monday, the government appointed Fehmi Mujota as the first minister of the Kosovo Security Forces, the successor to the KPS. (Zeri, Koha Ditore, Express, Lajm, Kosova Sot - 05/08/08; Fonet, Tanjug, B92, Kohavision, RTK - 04/08/08)