NATO Secretary-General on visit to Kosovo
NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer is visiting Kosovo on Monday and discussing with new UNMIK chief Lamberto Zannier and officials of the European Union mission EULEX.
(KosovoCompromise Staff) Monday, June 23, 2008
He will also confer with the KFOR commander Xavier Bout de Marnhac and with Kosovo interim President and Premier Fatmir Sejdiu and Hashim Thaci, his office said.
NATO decided last week to start training the future Kosovo security forces despite strong opposition by Serbia and Russia.
At the UN Security Council session on Friday, Serbian President Boris Tadic expressed concern over the implicit change in the NATO stand and the announcement that KFOR will take on "new tasks" in Kosovo.
"NATO reiterated its neutrality regarding status and its dedication to UN Security Council Resolution 1244, but it was nevertheless announced that KFOR would take over alleged new tasks", the Serbian president said.
Tadic said he was referring to the NATO intention to monitor the disbanding of the Kosovo Protection Corps, and to supervize and support the founding and training of the so-called Kosovo Security Forces, a new institution whose founding has not been approved by the Security Council.
"This without doubt steps outside the frameworks of Resolution 1244", the Serbian president said, adding this new role could help the forming and training of an illegal army.
"Such a step would jeopardize the confidence betweeen KFOR and all ethnic communities in Serbia 's southern province, in particular Kosovo Serbs. Such a wrong move would also violate the confidence built up over a long time between KFOR and the Serbian Army", the Serbian president concluded.
