Vulin opposes UNMIK's reduction
Head of the government office for Kosovo Aleksandar Vulin said on Thursday after a meeting with UNMIK officials a reduction of UNMIK's presence in Kosovska Mitrovica was unacceptable and threatened security in northern Kosovo.
(KosovoCompromiseStuff) Friday, December 28, 2012
UNMIK officials Massamba Seck and Kerim Bardad discussed with Vulin and head of Kosovska Mitrovica municipality Krstimir Pantic the end of UNMIK Administration in Kosovska Mitrovica (UAM).
A reduction of UNMIK's presence in Kosovska Mitrovica would at the very least push northern Kosovo into chaos, Vulin remarked.
"If the reason for UNMIK's reduction is technical difficulties and lack of funds, the problem can be solved," Vulin said, adding that the reduction was unacceptable if it was a political issue.
He said he would work towards preventing the reduction.
"I stated our concern and that our Prime Minister Ivica Dacic would ask Hasim Taci that the cosolidated Kosovo budget start funding UNMIK," he said.
"They said they were not leaving and we are happy about that. UNMIK will stay here in a reduced form. The reduction worries us, but the fact that UNMIK is staying is definitely important to us," he said, adding that UNMIK could not leave, because the work in Kosovo was not finished.
Pantic said after the meeting the contracts of local UAM staff expire on December 31 and that only the international employees will stay after that.
The number of UAM officials is not large enough, Pantic said, adding that UNMIK has an executive role in Kosovska Mitrovica.
"We think they cannot do their tasks with such a reduction in field manpower, which poses a danger of serious conflicts in Kosovska Mitrovica next spring," Pantic pointed out.
He fears Albanians will continue with attempts to change the ethnic structure of the population in some parts of Kosovska Mitrovica and that EULEX and others are not willing to react in a status neutral fashion.
UNMIK ran the local government in the past years. An advisory body of 6 members, coming from all the nationalities plus one UNMIK official, had the executive role.
UAM had around 100 employees.
A reduction of UNMIK's presence in Kosovska Mitrovica would at the very least push northern Kosovo into chaos, Vulin remarked.
"If the reason for UNMIK's reduction is technical difficulties and lack of funds, the problem can be solved," Vulin said, adding that the reduction was unacceptable if it was a political issue.
He said he would work towards preventing the reduction.
"I stated our concern and that our Prime Minister Ivica Dacic would ask Hasim Taci that the cosolidated Kosovo budget start funding UNMIK," he said.
"They said they were not leaving and we are happy about that. UNMIK will stay here in a reduced form. The reduction worries us, but the fact that UNMIK is staying is definitely important to us," he said, adding that UNMIK could not leave, because the work in Kosovo was not finished.
Pantic said after the meeting the contracts of local UAM staff expire on December 31 and that only the international employees will stay after that.
The number of UAM officials is not large enough, Pantic said, adding that UNMIK has an executive role in Kosovska Mitrovica.
"We think they cannot do their tasks with such a reduction in field manpower, which poses a danger of serious conflicts in Kosovska Mitrovica next spring," Pantic pointed out.
He fears Albanians will continue with attempts to change the ethnic structure of the population in some parts of Kosovska Mitrovica and that EULEX and others are not willing to react in a status neutral fashion.
UNMIK ran the local government in the past years. An advisory body of 6 members, coming from all the nationalities plus one UNMIK official, had the executive role.
UAM had around 100 employees.
