UNMIK will no longer be present in Kosovo in a year from now - UNMIK chief

Text of report by Radio-Television Kosovo TV website on 8 September

A solution for the Kosova [Kosovo] issue will be achieved by the end of this year, UNMIK [UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo] chief Joachim Ruecker has said. He assessed that the foundations of a functioning market economy have been laid in Kosova. The post-status international presence in Kosova will be smaller than UNMIK and there will be a continuation of sufficient military presence to prevent possible risks in Kosova for a certain period of time.

Ruecker did not divulge what the status of Kosova will be, but he pointed to the Contact Group principles of no partition, no unification with other states and no return of Kosova to the pre-1999 situation.

Bearing in mind these Contact Group principles, one can foresee how the future status of Kosova will look, Ruecker added. He also reiterated that the decision on status will reflect the will of the majority population in Kosova. The situation in Kosova is stable; of course there are always risks, but generally the democratic process is functioning, UNMIK chief Joachim Ruecker concluded.

Source: RTK TV website, Pristina, in Albanian 8 Sep 06