SRSG Press Conference, 19 March 2002

SRSG Michael Steiner
UNMIK Spokeswoman Susan Manuel

Welcome everybody; here is Mr. Steiner. Off with your cell phones, please.

SRSG Michael Steiner

Good to see you again. What are you interested in?

I am just coming from the meeting with representatives of the Serb community in the Assembly. If I want to sum it up, it is fair to say this was a very intensive and fruitful talk.

We have essentially addressed three issues; one is the participation of the Serbs in the government in accordance with their constitutional right; second, we discussed return, which is obviously one of the essential issues for them; and thirdly we have discussed the security situation in Kosovo.

We agreed that they will work very closely with the Head of the office of Return and Communities in my office, Andrew Whitley. I intend also to continue this dialogue between UNMIK and the elected members of the Assembly on a more regular basis. This would be taken up by Chuck Brayshaw, my Principal Deputy and by others, so that we have this continuous dialogue.

Concerning the participation in the Provisional Government, I have explained the possibilities, and what the offer is--that is the Ministry for Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Development. As well,--as they are interested specifically in the issue of return,-- that we would create the function of an assistant minister responsible for cooperation in returns issues, and on issues of communities, within the Prime Minster’s office. I have talked with the Prime Minister, Prime Minster Rexhepi, on this issue.

This offer both addresses the substantial needs of the Serbs, but on the other hand also respects the Constitutional Framework. The Constitutional Framework explains clearly that return is an issue within the reserved powers of UNMIK, within my reserved powers, so that is why there is no minister for return, and there cannot be a minister of return, because I am not in a position to derogate from the obligations I have under 1244, or the Constitutional Framework.

But on substance, I think this is a very good offer, because the one who coordinates these issues within the government can address exactly the points the Serb representatives, for good reasons, want to see addressed.

Part of the offer which is now on the table for the Serb representatives is also,-- and one should not forget that--, that they have to nominate very quickly representatives to lower levels in the different ministries. And there are number of posts for experts. I have explained how many there are in the different ministries and in the Prime Minister’s office, so one should not underestimate this need to participate and to nominate qualified people.

Finally, we have also agreed to work more closely together in the future on return issues. You have to see that the Serb representatives in the Assembly have also, of course, the obligation in the interest of Serbs here to make their living conditions easier and to make return possible.

So, what is on offer is a comprehensive package addressing both the question of posts in the government as well as substance. They of course now have to meet in their caucus; they have to make up their mind, as they have just now listened to the offer made to them, and I hope very much that they will come back with a positive answer once they have discussed the issue within their caucus.

Let me also address the other issue with which I was concerned yesterday in Skopje, and you might be interested in this. Just to outline the broad understanding we have reached--.

President Trajkovski and I agree that it is now time that both in Macedonia, as well as in Kosovo, that both can develop their potential first and foremost in the economic field. If you want to do that; and we both want to do that--I want to do that here in Kosovo, he wants to do this in Macedonia--, what is the precondition you need?

If you want to foster the economy and if you want to have a more prosperous society on both sides of the border, you need to have stability and you need to take advantage of the fact that this is a neighbouring country and that, of course, both sides can profit from mutual exchange.

On the issue which has been disputed: as you know, I have always said I am working for the UN; I am working for the Security Council. You know that the Security Council has taken a position on the border issue last March, before I came here. The question is not whether we like it or not; the question is not whether I like it or not. I have to accept what the highest organ of the international community has as a position, so I cannot in any way negotiate on this issue: there, my hands are tied.

But what I can address and what I did address in Skopje are the practical needs of the people who are living in this border area. There are farmers who have an interest in going to the other side, to go to their fields. Now that spring is coming, it is high time that they can do that in such a way that they are unhindered and can continue their life on the ground.

In order to make this possible, I have proposed to President Trajkovski that we form a Joint Expert Committee, which should address these very practical questions which are the most pressing issues for the people on the ground.

After disusing this issue with his government, he has agreed to this proposal. We have also said that this committee should meet as soon as possible. From my side I intend to nominate as the Co-chair from UNMIK Jean Cady, who is my Deputy, and we discussed this morning what should be the mandate and how we would like this to proceed.

I also intend, of course, to go for advice here from the government as well as from local representatives so that we can take up the concerns of the people affected in the border region.

A second proposal I made to President Trajkovski was also accepted, and that was that,-- yet again Mr. Cady, because he is the responsible Pillar Head,-- will go, hopefully next week, to Skopje, and take up with the Macedonians issues which are of mutual interest; and mainly I want to mention the area of police cooperation, a very important issue. Another issues which is in the mandate of Jean Cady is the question of the recognition of the license plates. This is very important for Kosovars, as well as the the issue of travel documents and visas.

Finally, I have also agreed with President Trajkovski that we look together into the issue of Blace, which is in the interest of both sides, but still takes time. Perhaps we need also to address together the European Commission, to address President Prodi, in this aspect.

So, let me say, understanding the emotions concerning the border issue and asking you for your understanding, this is an issue I cannot address because that is with the Security Council. But what I can do is address the practical issue, and that this could be done in such a productive way with President Trajkovski shows that it is right now to look also beyond Kosovo, and to look into relations with the neighbourhood. I hope very much that what we have agreed upon yesterday will bear fruit in the next days in the future, specifically in the interest of people, because that is our mandate, and what we have to work for.

Finally, if you allow me, I would address also the issues of the Agreement reached between Serbia and Montenegro, just to make some more procedural remarks on that.

My first point here would be to say that of course we all should welcome this, if after a long, burning dispute which was ongoing now for months and years between Belgrade and Podgorica, they reached a conclusion, a common understanding with the help of Javier Solana, to diffuse tensions. And to diffuse tensions and different views, to calm the situation, is of course also in the interest of Kosovo.

So, one can only welcome what has been achieved there. But what concerns Kosovo: Kosovo is ruled by 1244, as you know, and what concerns the future status of Kosovo,-- there is a specific stipulation in 1244, and that is paragraph 11, line e,--which tasks me to facilitate, when the time is ripe, the solution of the final status.

So, we will come to that, and I will address this issue when the time is there. But before we address the status questions, before we come to that, we first have to do our homework here; and that is also what is expected from me.

We need in the core areas of our activities, both of the Provisional Government as well as of UNMIK, to reach a certain level so that we are satisfied that Kosovo can rely also on its own, on functioning institutions, on a better economy, on security for all and, last but not least, on crime prevention.

So what we need to do, probably, in the following days and weeks, is to reach some benchmarks where we would feel ourselves, not ideally, but more or less satisfied, with the progress made.

Why do I say that: I think that before we can address, and come to the question of the future status, we want Kosovo to be a honourable and respected society. We do not want to be an aircraft for organized crime. We want Kosovo to be a society where people feel safe, where people can say we have institutions which work, institutions we can rely upon. We have an economy which is may be difficult, but is on a good way; and where we have security for all communities living there.

Once we have that, and I think we should all work together to get there as quickly as possible, then we need to, and we will take up, the issue of the final status. We will also have to have a dialogue on this issue with Belgrade, no doubt. This does not mean that Belgrade would get a veto. Nobody would get a veto; but of course, one needs to talk, as everybody else does here in the region.

So let me just say that we come to the status question: we are not there yet. First we have to do our homework. The sooner we this homework, the earlier we come to the status question, but this will be done on the merits of 1244, and will be done as it is prescribed in 1244, and so to speak in a way which is in line with what the international community has requested from us.

Thank you very much.

SM: Thank you Mr. Steiner.

Questions to follow.