WHAT WOULD BE INTERNATIONAL CIVILIAN PRESENCE AFTER STATUS

(Zeri)

 

What kind of international civil-political presence will be in Kosovo after the definition of status, which is expected to be known in the late spring of 2006, if the international process will go according to known predictions?

 

It seems that an answer to this question was easier to find in the autumn last year, than now, when only several weeks divide Kosovo from the most important period in its newest history. At that time, it seemed that Brussels (the EU) was looking for a possibility that the EU takes over the main political role in Kosovo, similar to the one it has now in Bosnia and Herzegovina, where the UN had never the position it has in Kosovo.

 

Ambassador Kai Eide too, in his first Report abut Kosovo, had recommended to look into the possibility of the appointment of an EU senior representative, with an approximate mandate with the one in Bosnia, although in Kosovo this representative would serve in the first place as a guarantor of all the rights of the minority communities, of Serbs first of all.

 

Now, it seems that many things were put in doubt regarding the political role of the EU due to the failure of the referendums for the EU Constitution in France and Netherlands.

 

Lately, from the office of Javier Solana were sent two massages addressed to Prishtina on this very important issue. The first one expressed the interesting of Solana about the ideas and proposals of the Kosovans themselves for the international civil presence in Kosovo, while the second message of Solana was the denial that UNMIK will be replaced by EUMIK.

 

Both these messages verify that Brussels is ready more than ever to talk to Kosovo representatives about the modalities of the mission and the mandate of the international presence in Kosovo. This does not mean that the recommendations of the Kosovan authorities will be taken into account totally.

 

What it may be assumed now is that besides EUMIK, Brussels is not willing anymore to fully apply the approach, which is in power in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Different diplomatic circles have mentioned the alternative of civilian mission in Afghanistan, but comparisons of Kosovo with Afghanistan make it unrealistic.

 

Some western diplomats think that the best solution in this aspect would be reaching of bilateral agreements between Kosovo Government and certain Western Governments, which would help Kosovo to strengthen rule of law or minorities protection. These ideas also are not detailed and are more suggestions of the moment of the western diplomats.



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