Ruecker quits as Unmik chief, Zannier to replace him
The head of the Unmik mission, German diplomat Joachim Rucker, will leave his post this week, and he will be replaced by his Italian colleague Lamberto Zannier.
(KosovoCompromise Staff) Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Ruecker quits as Unmik chief, Zannier to replace him
The head of the Unmik mission, German diplomat Joachim Rucker, will leave his post this week, and he will be replaced by his Italian colleague Lamberto Zannier.
Rucker announced his decision to leave the UN position on Monday, following a meeting in Pristina with Kosovo's president, prime minister and speaker of parliament.
Last Thursday, Russia demanded disciplinary action against Rucker for "preparing to hand over power to the Eulex mission" that Moscow says is illegal.
Rucker said that his departure does not mean the end of the UNMIK, which has been in Kosovo since June 1999.
"As long as (UN Security Council Resolution) 1244 is in place, the UN will always have a role in Kosovo," he said.
"We will adapt to the changing circumstances in a very profound way," he, nevertheless, said.
Rucker, who took the post in August 2006, said that his successor is likely to have comparatively limited powers.
Italy's Lamberto Zannier is expected to be the next head of UNMIK, and should arrive to Pristina as early as the end of this week.
Zannier is a career diplomat and former director of the OSCE's Conflict Prevention Centre in Vienna.
