Antonijevic: Ziadeh’s report objective, UNMIK still has a purpose

Lawyer Milan Antonijevic stated for Kosovo Online that Caroline Ziadeh, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General, presented an objective report on the situation in Kosovo over the past six months at last night’s UN Security Council session.

In response to the remarks made by Pristina’s representative Donika Gervalla during the session, that the UNMIK mission is losing credibility, and to the statement by the US diplomatic representative that it is time for UNMIK to be shut down and that the US is calling on Security Council members to review the mission’s mandate, Antonijevic noted that it is interesting that other permanent members of the Security Council and some additional members did not support such an initiative.

"The position of the Pristina authorities regarding UNMIK is not surprising, nor is the continued support for that initiative from the United States. However, it is interesting that other permanent members of the Security Council, as well as some other member states, did not support this initiative, even though they had done so in previous interactions and sessions. So, it seems there may be a move toward easing pressure on UNMIK and reinforcing elements of the dialogue that is ongoing, which Caroline Ziadeh herself pointed out multiple times in her speech. Given the balanced nature of her report and the overall discussion, it appears that UNMIK will continue its work. The mission has a purpose, and the Serbian community in Kosovo sees that. Anyone dealing with the problems of the Serbian community is welcome, especially when viewed from Serbia’s perspective and that of everyone who desires peace in the region," Antonijevic said.

Speaking generally about last night’s session, he said there were no new tones or unexpected angles, that Kosovo defended its positions, and denied or dismissed the incidents and unilateral actions Pristina had taken over the past six months.