UN to Investigate Kosovska Mitrovica Events
UN HQ — Not UNMIK — to Investigate NATO Assault on Kosovska Mitrovica Serbs
Serbia's Minister of Foreign Affairs Vuk Jeremic told Tanjug news agency after his meeting with the UN Secretary General in New York that Ban Ki-moon has accepted Serbia's request to launch an official investigation into the NATO assault on Kosovska Mitrovica Serbs on March 17 this year.
“The most important result of my meeting is that the United Nations General Secretariat decided to respond positively to our written request of March 18 to launch an official investigation into the events in Mitrovica. The investigation will not be carried out by UNMIK, but from the highest place, directly from the UN headquarters, which is of the exceptional importance for the investigation's integrity,” Jeremic said.
Samardzic's Proposal and Polling Stations for Kosovo Serbs Also Discussed
The minister added that the UN is also willing to start a dialog on the institutionalization of relations between Serbia and UNMIK, as proposed by the Kosovo-Metohija Minister Slobodan Samardzic prior to the NATO attack on Kosovska Mitrovica Serbs, which would eventually result in some form of agreement.
Jeremic also said that "there is full readiness to cooperate on carrying out of the parliamentary elections in Kosovo on May 11, like it has been done thus far", but he added there are some reserves concerning the holding of local elections.
"I insisted that the local elections have to be held everywhere the citizens of Serbia live, who wish to take part in the elections, and we have agreed to make an effort to overcome the differences in the dialog they are ready to start," Jeremic said.
"During our conversation, we have once again confirmed the joint position of Serbia and the General Secretariat that the Resolution 1244 must continue to be honored, that UNMIK must continue to fulfill its mandate as assigned by this UN SC Resolution, in its full capacity", said Jeremic.