Tuesday, December 07, 2004

Foreign Secretary meets the Special Representative of the UN Secretary General in Kosovo - UK Wire

Following his meeting today with Mr Jessen-Petersen, the Special Representative of the UN Secretary General in Kosovo, Jack Straw said:

"It has been my great pleasure to meet Mr Soren Jessen-Petersen for the first time today and to welcome him to London. We have had a good discussion. Mr Jessen-Petersen has injected a new spirit of partnership into relations between the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) and Kosovo's Government, and I reassured him of our strong support.

"Our discussions focused on the coming months for Kosovo which will be critical. The new Provisional Institutions of Self Government (PISG) must move forward quickly with much-needed reforms and particularly reach out to all minorities, including Kosovo Serbs. The PISG must fully respect the rule of law and cooperate with the international Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia. We will be monitoring the government's performance closely and will hold it to account for its actions now and in the run-up to the review of the UN Security Council endorsed Standards next year.

"I also encourage Belgrade to play a constructive role in Kosovo and I call on Kosovo Serbs to play a full role in Kosovo's institutions.

Only through participation can they ensure their concerns are fully heard and addressed."

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