The representative and ambassador of the United States to the United Nations, Jeff Bartos, declared today at the session of the UN Security Council that the time has come for the UNMIK mission (United Nations Mission in Kosovo) to withdraw from Kosovo.
He argued that the security situation in the country no longer justifies the presence of this mission.
“There is no security crisis in Kosovo and UNMIK has no role in the governance of Kosovo. The time has come to withdraw the mission. We appreciate UNMIK’s efforts for dialogue. The reality is that UNMIK is a peacekeeping mission, without peacekeepers working in functions that should be performed by other organizations,” Bartos said during his speech at the Security Council.
According to Barto, UNMIK’s responsibilities can be transferred to other international organizations or local institutions of Kosovo, which already have sufficient capacity to manage internal affairs.
Bartos has also underlined the position of the United States on the need to continue the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia, calling on both sides to avoid actions that could lead to an escalation of tensions.
“The US urges Kosovo and Serbia to refrain from escalating measures and build peace and stability with recognition as the ultimate goal,” he said, reaffirming Washington’s support for a final solution leading to normalization of relations between the two countries.
UNMIK was established in 1999 after the end of the war in Kosovo, with Resolution 1244 of the UN Security Council, to administer the territory and support the building of democratic institutions.
After the declaration of Kosovo’s independence in 2008 and the strengthening of local institutions, UNMIK’s role has been significantly reduced, focusing mainly on facilitating dialogue and monitoring the situation.
