Pristina, 18 Nov. (AKI) - Kosovo's Prime Minister Hasim Taci said on Tuesday he was ready to accept United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's six-point plan for the deployment of the European Union's police and judicial mission. Belgrade opposes Kosovo's independence and has resisted EULEX's deployment without prior approval from the UN Security Council.
It will be difficult for the EU to deploy EULEX in the Serb-populated northern regions of Kosovo without Belgrade’s acceptance.
To appease Belgrade, Ban has proposed a six point-plan for Serb autonomy in the area of the judiciary, police, customs, communications and transport. But the plan has been met with stiff resistance by Kosovar leaders in the capital, Pristina.
The change in direction came after a visit to Pristina by the United States Under-Secretary of State Daniel Fried, who assured Kosovar leaders that the plan would not infringe on Kosovo's independence.
“Kosovo is an independent state and no one can question that,” Fried said after meeting with Taci and president Fatmir Seidiu. “EULEX is the most ambitious mission and the US absolutely supports it,” he said.
“The USA has shown that whenever you have a problem you must bear in mind that we have always kept our word,” Fried assured Kosovar leaders.
The US has spearheaded Kosovo's independence drive and was among the first 52 countries, which include 22 EU members, to recognise Kosovo.
“If that six-point story ends unfavourably for Pristina, we will accept it, not for Belgrade’s sake, but with the support of the EU,” Taci told Belgrade Radio B92.
He said Kosovar authorities would not tolerate parallel Serbian institutions in the province, nor its partitioning.
Full Article via Adnkronos
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