Feith: Strategy for integrating Kosovo's north

The EU envoy to Kosovo and chief of the International Civilian Office, Pieter Feith, says a strategy exists for the integration of the northern Serb-populated part of Kosovo.

(KosovoCompromise Staff) Friday, January 15, 2010

It envisages the forming of the Kosovo Albanians institutions in this part of Kosovo's territory, Beta news agency reported.

After a meeting with Kosovo Albanian Premier Hashim Thaci, Feith said that the draft strategy envisages "respect of the laws of Kosovo in the north, and the forming of the new municipality of Northern Mitrovica in mid-2010, according to the plan of Martti Ahtisaari".

"The strategy is based on the fact that the International Civilian Office does not recognize parallel structures, but only the institutions of Kosovo in the north. With this draft plan, we wish to establish law and order in the north and strengthen the Kosovo institutions, and not the parallel structures," Feith said.

In his words, the plan is only a draft on which work is still under way in cooperation with all international partners and Kosovo institutions.