New Kosova Report

UNMIK Chief to be transferred to New York?

Tuesday, 15 January 2008

According to diplomatic sources, a handful of representatives from international organizations will on Monday meet in Vienna to discuss the modalities of the transitional international presence in Kosovo, reports Kosovo daily Zëri. After the agreement of the EU on 14 December 2007 in Brussels to establish a European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP) mission and to contribute towards establishing the International Civilian Office in Kosovo, consultations between Brussels and United Nations have intensified.

Diplomats told Zëri that UNMIK Chief Joachim Rücker, EU Planning Team Chief, Roy Reeve, and COMKFOR Xavier De Marnhac will participate in today’s meeting in Vienna.

Because of the inability to cancel resolution 1244, the EU and the UN have to find a way to transfer competencies from UNMIK to the ESDP, but the future of UNMIK remains unclear. Resolution 1244 does not allow the complete shutdown of the UN presence in Kosovo and according to some diplomats, one of the options being discussed is a small UN office to remain in Kosovo and the SRSG to be transferred to UN Headquarters in New York.