Vondra says EU has three priorities in Kosovo
in www.tanjug.rs, 4th of february 2009
BRUSSELS/STRASBOURG - The indivisibility of territory, decentralisation and participation at regional integrations are three EU priorities regarding Kosovo, Czech Minister of European Affairs Alexander Vondra said on behalf of the Czech EU Presidency on Wednesday during a debate on a draft resolution on Kosovo proposed by Dutch MEP Joost Lagendijk.
In his address to the European Parliament in Strasbourg, Vondra stressed the issue of Kosovo's regional cooperation and participation in the main European processes and stressed his expectation that the European Union would some day bring Kosovo closer to the stabilisation and association process.
He also stressed that numerous challenges were to be overcome by that date, because it would be difficult for the European Union to achieve unity on Kosovo.
The Czech minister said that the division on the status of Kosovo within the European Union in no way diminished the key goals of long-term stability.
Our main challenge in the next few months will be the full engagement of EULEX, Vondra said.
He stressed the situation in northern Kosovo, voicing his expectation that it would be difficult in the next few months and that it would be an object of constant EU attention.
On behalf of the European Commission, the MEPs were addressed by Commissioner for Consumer Affairs Meglena Kuneva, who quoted several EC programmes of assistance and stressed the special concern over the position of Roma in the lead-polluted camp in Kosovska Mitrovica.
The debate on the draft passed in an atmosphere of usual conflict between the supporters and opponents of Kosovo's independence.
German MP Doris Pack called on the European Parliament to invite Pristina authorities to implement the Ahtisaari plan, while Hungarian Socialist Csaba Tabajdi said that the deployment of EULEX in the north was very important for avoiding the division of Kosovo.
Lagendijk said that the European Union had to help Kosovo to become a sustainable state.
On the other hand, Polish MEP Ryszard Czarnecki said that Pristina's path to the European Union would be much longer unless Serb rights were observed. Tobias Pflueger, a German Leftist, rejected Lagendijk's draft because it was based on Kosovo's independence, which he said violated international law.
All solutions must be in accordance with international law, Pflueger said.
We are not satsified with EULEX, because its operation is based on the recognition of Kosovo, which violates international law. We oppose the EULEX mission, he said.
Polish MEP Sylwester Chruszcz said that Kosovo's independence had brought disastrous consequences in the Caucasus.
He said that the EP should not adopt any decisions before the International Court of Justice decided on the province's status, because Kosovo was Serbia until that date.
French MEP Patrick Louis said that the 10th anniversary of the illegal NATO bombing of Serbia was approaching and that Serbia's integrity had to be observed.
Czech Socialist Libor Roucek said that Serbia had had a very constructive role in the issue of EULEX.
Romanian MEP Adrian Severin said that Kosovo could not be independent before this was accepted by Serbia and UN Security Council and before Kosovo became self-sustainable.
The Ahtisaari plan has failed, Severin said and called for an international conference on finding a sustainable solution.
He and his compatriot Jean Marinescu, opposed the draft resolution saying that it did not observe the stands of all EU member-states.
British Conservative Charles Tannock once again oposed the independence of Kosovo.
According to the European parliament website, the resolution welcomes the fact that the Serbian government has agreed that EULEX be deployed on the whole of Kosovo territory and it encourages Serbia to continue to assume constructive positions in future as well, which is in line with the country's aspirations to join the EU.
The resolution also welcomes the progress that has been made in Kosovo in respect to security, but at the same time points to the need that multiethnic police units be engaged in all parts of Kosovo.
The vote on the resolution will take place early on Thursday.
BRUSSELS/STRASBOURG - The indivisibility of territory, decentralisation and participation at regional integrations are three EU priorities regarding Kosovo, Czech Minister of European Affairs Alexander Vondra said on behalf of the Czech EU Presidency on Wednesday during a debate on a draft resolution on Kosovo proposed by Dutch MEP Joost Lagendijk.
In his address to the European Parliament in Strasbourg, Vondra stressed the issue of Kosovo's regional cooperation and participation in the main European processes and stressed his expectation that the European Union would some day bring Kosovo closer to the stabilisation and association process.
He also stressed that numerous challenges were to be overcome by that date, because it would be difficult for the European Union to achieve unity on Kosovo.
The Czech minister said that the division on the status of Kosovo within the European Union in no way diminished the key goals of long-term stability.
Our main challenge in the next few months will be the full engagement of EULEX, Vondra said.
He stressed the situation in northern Kosovo, voicing his expectation that it would be difficult in the next few months and that it would be an object of constant EU attention.
On behalf of the European Commission, the MEPs were addressed by Commissioner for Consumer Affairs Meglena Kuneva, who quoted several EC programmes of assistance and stressed the special concern over the position of Roma in the lead-polluted camp in Kosovska Mitrovica.
The debate on the draft passed in an atmosphere of usual conflict between the supporters and opponents of Kosovo's independence.
German MP Doris Pack called on the European Parliament to invite Pristina authorities to implement the Ahtisaari plan, while Hungarian Socialist Csaba Tabajdi said that the deployment of EULEX in the north was very important for avoiding the division of Kosovo.
Lagendijk said that the European Union had to help Kosovo to become a sustainable state.
On the other hand, Polish MEP Ryszard Czarnecki said that Pristina's path to the European Union would be much longer unless Serb rights were observed. Tobias Pflueger, a German Leftist, rejected Lagendijk's draft because it was based on Kosovo's independence, which he said violated international law.
All solutions must be in accordance with international law, Pflueger said.
We are not satsified with EULEX, because its operation is based on the recognition of Kosovo, which violates international law. We oppose the EULEX mission, he said.
Polish MEP Sylwester Chruszcz said that Kosovo's independence had brought disastrous consequences in the Caucasus.
He said that the EP should not adopt any decisions before the International Court of Justice decided on the province's status, because Kosovo was Serbia until that date.
French MEP Patrick Louis said that the 10th anniversary of the illegal NATO bombing of Serbia was approaching and that Serbia's integrity had to be observed.
Czech Socialist Libor Roucek said that Serbia had had a very constructive role in the issue of EULEX.
Romanian MEP Adrian Severin said that Kosovo could not be independent before this was accepted by Serbia and UN Security Council and before Kosovo became self-sustainable.
The Ahtisaari plan has failed, Severin said and called for an international conference on finding a sustainable solution.
He and his compatriot Jean Marinescu, opposed the draft resolution saying that it did not observe the stands of all EU member-states.
British Conservative Charles Tannock once again oposed the independence of Kosovo.
According to the European parliament website, the resolution welcomes the fact that the Serbian government has agreed that EULEX be deployed on the whole of Kosovo territory and it encourages Serbia to continue to assume constructive positions in future as well, which is in line with the country's aspirations to join the EU.
The resolution also welcomes the progress that has been made in Kosovo in respect to security, but at the same time points to the need that multiethnic police units be engaged in all parts of Kosovo.
The vote on the resolution will take place early on Thursday.
Tobias Pflüger - 2009/02/09 11:09
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