Belgrade’s rule of Kosovo is over, says EU

Date: 24/02/05

The European Union said this week that Kosovo would not go back to being ruled directly from Belgrade, ahead of expected talks on the province's final status.

The EU's 25 foreign ministers agreed a statement saying that Kosovo, currently part of Serbia and Montenegro, would "not return to the situation before 1999".

Their comments came ahead of a UN review of standards of democracy and governance, expected in the middle of this year.

The UN's assessment will decide whether much-delayed talks on Kosovo's final status can begin.

Ahead of that decision, diplomatic pressure is mounting on the Kosovar authorities in Pristina to improve the way they treat ethnic Serbs. The province's treatment of the ethnic Serbs living in Kosovo, as well as Serbs' participation in embryonic government structures are seen as crucial to the UN's assessment.

Although all agree on the need to move forward, diplomats privately say that there is intense discussion in the EU over how fast to move towards final status.

There is great concern that uncertainty over Kosovo's future is fuelling high unemployment and stoking political unease, and some are keen to press ahead.

"The economy is in a dramatically bad situation," said UN representative Søren Jessen-Petersen, after two hours of talks with EU foreign ministers on Monday (21 February).

Almost one year ago, violence erupted in the northern town of Mitrovica killing 28. Some are concerned that moving too fast could destabilise the wider Balkans.

"We will have to take into account the internal situation in Serbia," said one senior European diplomat. "The topic is long overdue, it is very sensitive, but there is no avoiding it," he said.

The EU is pressing for Kosovo to move towards membership of the Union and Brussels is likely to continue to play a major role in economic development. "The objective is to make the European perspective for Kosovo real and tangible," said Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn.

The EU's 25 foreign ministers agreed a statement saying that Kosovo, currently part of Serbia and Montenegro, would 'not return to the situation before 1999' when the province was directly ruled from Belgrade. Their comments came ahead of a UN review of standards of democracy and governance, expected in the middle of 2005. It was planned that the UN's assessment would decide whether much-delayed talks on Kosovo's final status could begin.