New York - Kosovo's newly appointed Foreign Minister Skender
Hyseni told the United Nations on Friday Belgrade and Pristina should
engage in discussions as 'two independent and sovereign states,'
marking another step forward for Kosovo's independence.
Hyseni was attending a UN Security Council meeting in New York for
the first time as foreign minister of the Republic of Kosovo. Seated
across him at the horse-shoe-shaped council table was Serb Foreign
Minister Vuk Jeremic.
Hyseni claimed that Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has 'likewise
proposed that each country discuss with the UN a number of practical
arrangements.'
Ban had stressed UN neutrality on the issue since Kosovo
unilaterally declared its independence in February.
'We, of course, took seriously the secretary general's commitment
to consult closely with us, as no arrangements can be viable without
full participation and approval of the government of the Republic of
Kosovo,' Hyseni said.
Hyseni appealed for international assistance, describing Kosovo as
the world's 'youngest state ... in desperate need of investment from
abroad and economic development.'
He said Kosovo is now recognized by 43 countries and is opening
embassies in several of them. The United States and many European
governments have recognized Kosovo's independence.
While Hyseni said no decisions can be made in Kosovo without the
approval of his government, the chief of the UN mission in Kosovo
(UNMIK) told the 15-nation council that his power to administer the
former Serb province has practically disappeared after the government
in Pristina instituted its constitution last month.
Lamberto Zannier, who has headed UNMIK since June 20, told the
council that the ethnic Albanian-led Kosovo government has sought to
assume the powers and responsibilities of a 'sovereign state' since
the Constitution of the Republic of Kosovo entered into force on June
15.
The minority Serbs in northern Kosovo have, on the other hand,
held elections in their municipalities to form local governments with
the support of Serbia. Zannier has declared those election results
invalid.
'As a consequences of this stark divergence of paths taken by
Kosovo's Serb and Albanian communities, the space in which UNMIK can
operate has changed,' said Zannier.
Zannier said the Kosovo parliament has issued new legislation and
the government in Pristina has taken decisions without seeking his
approval.
UNMIK was created in 1999 to administer Kosovo until its final
political status was decided by the UN Security Council.
The UN is not in the position to recognize Kosovo as a country.
Kosovo, like newly formed states in the past, has sought recognition
from other states and may one day seek UN membership. But it will
certainly face a veto from Russia in the UN Security Council.
Serbia and Russia continue to strongly reject Kosovo's
independence and Belgrade still considers the territory its province.
Zannier said ties between UNMIK and Pristina had changed
drastically and UN work in Kosovo has been reduced because UNMIK is
no longer the broker in solving problems and proclaiming legislation
in Kosovo.
'While I and my staff continue to monitor the work of the Kosovo
authorities and to mediate and facilitate in disputes between
communities, my power to impose solutions through much of the
territory has in practice disappeared,' Zannier said in the speech to
the 15-nation council.
UNMIK is operating under a resolution from 1999, which gave it
vast authority to govern Kosovo after Serb security forces, accused
of atrocities against ethnic Albanians, were pushed out of the
province by NATO.
Ban has called for restructuring UNMIK based on the new situation
in Kosovo. But Russia wanted UNMIK to remain in place because the
resolution has not been repelled.
Jeremic, the Serb minister, said talks of restructuring of UNMIK
were an 'inglorious episode.' But he said it cannot be done without
Serb cooperation and approval by the Security Council.
'The voice of Serbia - on reconfiguration and much else besides -
can no longer be avoided or disregarded,' Jeremic said, adding that
Serbia will work with the UN to ensure that the new, restructured
UNMIK will not infringe upon Serbia's sovereignty and integrity.
US Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad acknowledged that the council is
deadlocked on Kosovo because of strong opposition by Russia. He said
the impasse has prevented the council from providing Ban with
guidance to restructure UNMIK.
But Khalilzad said Kosovo is headed to 'a time of great promise'
after a donor conference in Brussels on July 11 generated pledges
totalling 1.9 billion dollars in economic development.
USA
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