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UNMIK/PR/594 SRSG Briefs KTC on His Talks with President Kostunica PRISTINA - SRSG Hans Haekkerup today stressed the need to continue the dialogue with the new government in Belgrade to resolve outstanding issues that affect Kosovo. Briefing the Kosovo Transitional Council on his visit to Belgrade yesterday where he met both the Yugoslav President Vojislav Kostunica and Foreign Minister Goran Svilanovic, Mr. Haekkerup said they had discussed all issues of "high priority" such as the missing and the detained, participation of the international community and Kosovo Albanians in the exhumation process in Serbia, the return of Kosovo Serbs, their participation in the elections, the situation in north Mitrovica and tax collection points. Mr. Haekkerup disagreed with some KTC members who said nothing had changed in Belgrade and wondered about taking instructions from there. Mr. Haekkerup said "we should not take orders from Belgrade, but Belgrade may have a good influence" in resolving some of the outstanding issues in Kosovo. UNMIK and FRY authorities need to cooperate on a variety of subjects. For instance, he said, Belgrade can influence the Kosovo Serb decision to participate in the elections. "Belgrade is supportive of Kosovo Serbs participating in the registration. But there is no clear commitment to support their participation in the elections", Mr. Haekkerup said, adding that Belgrade authorities said they "want Kosovo Serbs to be able to participate in the elections but some confidence-building measures such as their return to Kosovo and an improvement in the security situation were needed to be put in place before that." The participation of Kosovo Serbs in the elections and institutions of self-government is in the interest of all Kosovo and the way the international community perceives Kosovo, the SRSG said. The SRSG and FRY leaders also discussed the Statement of Principles on Returns. Mr. Haekkerup informed them that the UNHCR was working to identify 10 sites to which a small number of Kosovo Serbs may return this year. Mr. Haekkerup also suggested to the FRY authorities that international and Kosovo Albanian experts be present during the exhumation process of bodies of Kosovo Albanians killed during the war. "But this has to be reciprocal. If there are gravesites here, where bodies of Kosovo Serbs are likely to be found, representatives of Kosovo Serbs have to be present. This issue will be discussed in the future", Mr. Haekkerup stated. On Mitrovica, the SRSG said the parallel security structures were unacceptable. "Although President Kostunica did not say yes, he was ready to hold a dialogue on it", Mr. Haekkerup said. On the tax collection points, Mr. Haekkerup said he underlined the need to collect taxes for the Kosovo Consolidated Budget, but that some disagreement remained with the FRY authorities over implementation of the tax point programme. He said he had urged the FRY leaders to release all political detainees, but was told that their cases would be reviewed by the judiciary there. He reiterated the request to hand over all those charged with common crimes to UNMIK to have their cases reviewed here. "They seemed to accept the point but we need to reach practical results". Mr. Pajazit Nushi, chairman of the KTC Working Group on Detainees and Missing, presented the group's report. The discussion will continue next week.
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