Kosovo editor against new ministry of return

Good evening ladies and gentlemen! UNMIK [United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo] chief Soeren Jessen-Petersen adopted an administrative decision by which the new Kosova government will have three new ministries. The new government will also have a deputy prime minister and deputy ministers. Veton Surroi, head of the civic political movement Ora expressed his reservations about the creation of the ministry of return.

[Reporter, Seremb Gjergji] The three new ministries are the Ministry of Energy, the Ministry of Local Government and the Ministry of Return and Minorities. Mr Petersen informed President [Ibrahim] Rugova about the decision. He also spoke of a quick formation of a new government. UNMIK officials said once we have the new government in place we will continue with the transfer of competencies especially in the field of economy.

[Jeff Bieley, UNMIK spokesperson speaking in English with superimposed Albanian translation] As you know the constitutional framework does specify that some of the ministries be given to non-Albanian ethnic groups. But it is the duty of the new government to assign the head of the new Ministry of Return and Minorities.

[Reporter] After meeting Petersen, Veton Surroi said that he had reservations about the decision of the UNMIK chief regarding the creation of the Ministry of Return and Minorities.

[Veton Surroi] I don't think that Kosova needs, that the Kosova government needs a ministry of return. I think that this should be a special office within the Office of the Kosova President, as the representative of the people's unity, and in this way we would have inter-ministerial coordination.

[Reporter] Ramush Haradinaj, chairman of the Alliance for the Future of Kosova [AAK] was also informed about the decision of Petersen. He said that the decision adopted by the UNMIK chief comes after a request made by the Kosova government to expand its activities and to have competencies transferred to it. [Passage omitted]