PanARMENIAN.Net

EU approves mission dispatch to Kosovo next week
16.02.2008 15:12 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The European Union has approved a
civilian police and justice mission to help enforce
the rule of law in Kosovo, which is poised to declare
independence from Serbia. The 2,000-strong mission
will begin deploying to the region from next week.

The U.S. and most EU states are preparing to recognize
Kosovo quickly, but Serbia and Russia strongly oppose
the move, which is widely expected on Sunday.

Earlier, Kosovo’s PM sought to reassure the province’s
Serbian minority that it would not face
discrimination.

Speaking to reporters in Kosovo’s capital Pristina,
Hashim Thaci pledged that the rights of all
communities, including Serbs, would be guaranteed. He
said no citizen of an independent Kosovo should feel
discriminated against. "In Kosovo, there will be
security for all citizens. The government is committed
to looking forward to the future and overcoming the
sad past."

The EU waited diplomatically until Serbia’s
pro-Western President Boris Tadic was sworn into
office on Friday before giving the final green light
for the deployment of the mission.

The decision was formalized by a so-called "silent
procedure", under which members of the 27-nation bloc
had until midnight on Friday to voice objections.

The 2,000 EU police and customs officers, judges and
prosecutors are tasked with helping to prevent human
rights abuses and ensure that Kosovo’s fragile
institutions are free from political interference.

Crucially, the mission will be able to intervene in
sensitive areas such as fighting corruption and
organized crime and catching war crime suspects.

While Germany and Italy are the biggest contributors,
all EU members except for tiny Malta will take part,
as well as non-EU countries like the United States,
Turkey and Croatia.

It is a clear signal to Serbia and Russia, which
fiercely oppose Kosovo’s independence and insist the
presence of the EU there will be illegal