Eulex to open Belgrade office soon
The head of the Eulex mission Yves de Kermabon has announced the opening of the mission’s office in Belgrade
(KosovoCompromise Staff) Monday, December 15, 2008
De Kermabon also announced close cooperation with Europol, Interpol and other missions related to the rule of law.
Kermabon, who was visiting the spiritual seat of the Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC) at the Patriarchate of Pec. in northwestern Kosovo,, also told reporters the mission under his command will work to solve unsolved criminal cases in Kosovo.
Asked whether this also meant finding the killers of the six Serb boys murdered in a local café in Pec - an event which intensified the clash prior to the NATO bombings ten years ago -- he said that EULEX will try to obtain all the information related to complicated cases.
De Kermbabon was in Pec as Serb families organized a church service in memory of the victims, but did not meet with them.
"We are determined to provide answers to all the questions and solve all the cases that have so far remained unsolved," he said, and added, "that is the reason why Kosovo needs EULEX".
The French official continued to say that the EU mission is a technical one, and that it's tasks will be to improve the rule of law in Kosovo, "with many versatile experts that it has in order to achieve the goal".
"We have tried looking at the files and we will do all to solve the problems, therefore we are sending out a message to everyone to help us", said he.
Meanwhile, the State Secretary of the Serbian Ministry for Kosovo Oliver Ivanovic said on Sunday that the duty of EULEX is to secure the rule of law in Kosovo and to solve crimes committed against the Kosovo Serbs.
Among others, they have to solve four major crimes - the murder of harvesters in Staro Gacko, the murder of 12 Serbs in Podujevo, the murder of the Stolic family in Obilic and the murder of Serb young men in Gorazdevac, Ivanovic said during his visit to the Pec Patriarchate.
Ivanovic said that EULEX will face first problems in Kosovo in one year, when it gets faced with organized crime.
"Crime is coupled with politics in Pristina. Too much attention is focused on the north of Kosovo, and that should stop," said Ivanovic.
