UN chief: Kosovo is European problem

"This is basically a European issue, therefore ... the European Union will take primary responsibility," UN chief said following the meeting with Slovak President Ivan Gasparovic in Bratislava.

Ban's announcement came after a series of shapeless statements on Kosovo crisis, largely attributed to the huge pressure by great powers, namely United States and Russia, bitterly opposed over the approach to province's future status.

However, the UN chief failed to directly describe full diapason of moves the world organization plans to take during the next phase of Kosovo crisis, saying simply that steps would be taken at the right time "to protect human life".

"I have taken notice of the EU plans to deploy a police mission to Kosovo ... I intended to discuss the issue further with EU representatives and other concerned parties," Ban said.

World's major powers squeezed the UN chief over the Kosovo issue lately, causing the full marginalization of the United Nations ever since Russia and the West collided over the US plan to push the province's independency trough the Security Council failed in mid-July.

Following months of support to the proposal on Kosovo's future status drafted by former Finish President Maarti Ahtisarri, Ban made a significant U-turn earlier this year calling both sides to keep the process within the framework of the UN and continue discussions aimed towards the mutually acceptable solution.

The EU urged Ban to "open the gate" for deployment of Union's mission in Kosovo, but UN chief managed to defy the pressure, taking the quite neutral position mainly because secretary general has no legal authority to cancel existing UN mission in province and call Brussels to take over the international administration in province.

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