UNMIK/PR/24

Press Release

6 August 1999

UNMIK Pristina Regional Administration Moves to Municipal Building

PRISTINA -- UNMIK's Pristina Regional Civil Administration moved its offices today to the Municipal Building joining Kosovar employees who have been reporting for duty under UNMIK and KFOR supervision.

The move demonstrated UNMIK's partnership with Kosovar workers who perform essential public services.

"This is an important moment in the history of the United Nations mandate in Kosovo and in the history of Pristina," said Dominique Vian, Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary General for Civil Administration in Kosovo. "It is a concrete expression of our shared desire to build a democracy in Kosovo founded on human rights."
 
Mr. Vian also introduced the Civil Administrator of the Pristina Region, Enrique Aguilar, whose office  will be located in the Municipal Building. He said the Administration would immediately begin to address pressing issues in the region such as the rehabilitation of utilities.

"Together we can find solutions to some of the immediate problems facing Pristina as well as address long term issues," Mr. Aguilar said. "We should make use of the support of the international community in solving these problems."

Following the opening ceremony, the Pristina Transitional Municipal Authority held its first official meeting. The Authority is chaired by Mr. Aguilar and includes Kosovar Albanian and Kosovar Serb public employees. Today the body broke into working groups to discuss such topics as: documentation, health, education and culture, economics, finances, civil administration and governance.

Albanian and Serb workers have been returning to the Municipal Building over the past several weeks under UNMIK supervision. Some 400 employees are expected to return by the end of September to carry out normal municipal functions, including administration of health, education and welfare services.