Belgrade proposes to Unmik an agreement on cooperation in rule of law, customs, transport…
Belgrade has officially proposed to the UN a coordination of activities in Kosovo in the spheres of rule of law, customs, transport, as well as religious, historical and cultural heritage.
(KosovoCompromise Staff) Monday, March 24, 2008
The proposal, which has arrived to the UN headquarters in New York, is named: "Agreement between Unmik and the Republic of Serbia on the joint implementation of the Resolution 1244 of the UN Security Council after the illegal proclamation of independence by the provisional institutions of self-governance in Kosovo".
The agreement "confirms the validity of Resolution 1244 and the understanding that the resolution can only be successfully implemented through common efforts between Unmik and the Republic of Serbia".
The agreement underlines "its commitment to all previous agreements between Unmik and the Republic of Serbia, including agreements between Unmik and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, of which the Republic of Serbia is a legal successor".
"The office of the Ministry for Kosovo and Metohia of the Republic of Serbia is acknowledged as the successor of the Coordination center. The office is formed with the aim of facilitating help and development programs of Serbia in Kosovo, as well as for cooperation with Unmik and Kfor", the agreement said.
"Unmik and the Republic of Serbia agree on intensifying cooperation in the fields of police, justice, customs, transport, control of administrative line between Kosovo and Serbia, as well as religious, historic and cultural heritage".
According to the agreement, Serb police officers are responsible to local Serb authorities and are functioning under Unmik police command.
"Unmik and the Republic of Serbia are committed to development of free trade between Kosovo and the other part of the Republic of Serbia, and no trade barriers will be enforced ... if a third side puts up trade barriers, Kosovo Serbs have the right to establish their customs authority".
"Unmik and Serbia are committed to free and unrestrained movement of people and goods between Kosovo and the second part of the Republic of Serbia".
"As far as religious, historical and cultural herigage is concerned, the monitoring of the implementation of this policy will be based on cooperation between Unmik and the Republic of Serbia, with the aim of starting work in May 2008", says the proposal.
Serbia's Minister for Kosovo Slobodan Samardzic said Belgrade proposed the agreement to UNMIK on "creating an atmosphere for the functional separation of Serbs and Albanians in Kosovo."
"We accept Resolution 1244 and the authority of the UNMIK police force, judiciary, and customs, but after the unilateral declaration of independence of Kosovo only Serbs can support that authority with Serbian assistance," he added.
In addition, Samardzic stressed that the proposal applies to all Serb municipalities and settlements in Kosovo, not just the territory north of the Ibar River.
"The Kosovo Albanians will take full control of these institutions with UNMIK's tacit support, unless Serbia does so first," he added.
"It's clear that if we don't have a presence in Kosovo and Metohia, we will lose the province," Samardzic said.
Asked if the proposal violates Resolution 1244, Samardzic replied that "Serbia will not cease to respect this document adopted by the highest U.N., but the decision has been undermined by the unilateral declaration of independence of Kosovo and the fact that the Kosovo Albanians are ignoring it."
Samardzic described the present situation as "a challenge for UNMIK that involves creative thinking and not just pulling out before the job is done."
"If they want peace and stability, a lasting agreement needs to be reached with the Serbs instead of resorting to violence every other day to put out the fire," he said.
