EU and UN sign agreement over Kosovo

The European Union administration of Kosovo, EULEX, has signed an agreement with UNMIK, the United Nations Mission in Kosovo, governing the transfer of responsibilities from the latter to the former. The government in Belgrade immediately opposed the agreement, since it does not recognise EULEX’s right even to be in Kosovo: EULEX was set up as part of the recognition of Kosovo’s independence by a majority of EU states. The State Secretary in Belgrade’s Ministry for Kosovo, Oliver Ivanović, said that his government would submit a protest to the United Nations Security Council, which brought UNMIK into being in the first place. He said, “This is a technical memorandum concerning technical details, space, cars, equipment, but that memorandum cannot sanction the mission. As with every similar provocation, this technical move cannot be ignored.” The Defence Minister attacked the agreement as “a violation of international law.” “It’s a bad move,” said Dragan Šutanovac. “There is no United Nations decision on this.” The opposition Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS) said that the signing of the document was a demonstration that the policy of force can provide official status to the illegal mission of the European Union in Kosovo, EULEX. DSS Vice-President, Slobodan Samardžić said there had been numerous attempt in the United Nations Security Council to provide legality to EULEX. “One by one, all these attempts have failed, and now UNMIK is making an agreement with EULEX without the approval of the Security Council. It is necessary that the Serbian authorities react most energetically, in keeping with the resolutions adopted by the National Assembly, and make an unequivocal announcement that the EULEX mission is illegal and that its presence in the province has absolutely no legal meaning for Serbia.” [B92.net, 18 August 2008]

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