Kosovo says United Nations plan for EU rule of law mission is 'unacceptable'

Kosovo's prime minister again yesterday rejected a new United Nations plan for a European Union justice police mission to be deployed in the newly independent country.

Hashim Thaci's reaction came a day after UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon said Kosovo and Serbia would co-operate on a European Union Rule of Law Mission (Eulex). Kosovo's objection yesterday, as before, has to do with an amended six-point plan which Serbia has accepted.

"The six-point plan, for the institutions of Kosovo and for the people of Kosovo, was, is and will be unacceptable and inapplicable," Mr Thaci told Kosovo's parliament.

In February, the EU agreed to send the mission to oversee police, judiciary and customs, but its deployment had been delayed by opposition from Serbia, which does not recognise the secession of its former province.

Police, customs officers and judges in the Serb-run areas will be under the UN umbrella, while their Albanian counterparts will work with Eulex. Kosovo has accepted the idea of Eulex deployment, but rejected Mr Ban's plan as violating its constitution and resulting in a de facto partition of Europe's youngest state.

"We have given support, invited and welcomed the Eulex mission . . . Eulex will be deployed in Kosovo according to Kosovo's constitution," said Mr Thaci.

Kosovo's population is 90 per cent ethnic Albanian. The remaining 120,000 Serbs refuse to co-operate with Albanian-run institutions.

© 2008 Reuters