UNMIK/PR/634
PRESS RELEASE - 24 aUGUST, 2001

SRSG and Mr. Covic Meet Again

PRISTINA - SRSG Hans Haekkerup met today Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Nebojsa Covic. They held long and constructive talks that covered a number of issues.

During the meeting they met with representatives of the families of the missing from Gracanica and discussed ways in establishing the truth about what had happened to all those who were still missing.

They also discussed the question of detainees. Mr. Haekkerup raised the question of those Kosovo Albanians who were still detained in Serbia whilst Mr. Covic was concerned about the Serbs held in detention in Kosovo. Mr. Haekkerup agreed that if there were genuine grounds to review any of these cases this would be done in accordance with normal judicial process.

Both of them agreed the necessity to encourage a higher participation of Serbs in Kosovo and internally displaced people in Serbia in the registration process. They discussed ways in which this could be improved.

Both also expressed desire to continue dialogue and maintain communication on these and other issues in the future.