ISG supports Kosovo's strategy for north

09/02/2010

VIENNA, Austria -- The strategy to bring Serb-dominated northern Kosovo legally and politically in line with the rest of the country won unanimous backing by the 25 member states of the International Steering Group (ISG) in Vienna on Monday (February 8th). The ISG members will also support International Civilian Representative Pieter Feith and Prime Minister Hashim Thaci as they implement the strategy, sources close to the meeting said. Feith and Thaci briefed the ISG about the plan to dissolve Serb parallel structures in the north, establish municipalities that will act under the authority of Kosovo institutions, and install courts to restore the rule of law to that part of the country. Though they extended Feith's mandate, meeting participants decided to cut the staff of the International Civilian Office (ICO) by 15% within a few months.

Separately Monday, Serbian official Oliver Ivanovic dismissed as invalid the ICO decision to appoint a team to help establish a new municipality in northern Mitrovica. He cited a 2002 agreement between UNMIK and Serbia's government, which Ivanovic says remains in effect. (Koha Ditore, Kosova Sot, Zeri, Express, Lajm, Telegrafi - 09/02/10; Kohavision, RTK - 08/02/10)