UN / KOSOVO

The Head of the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), Zahir Tanin, told the Security Council that “antagonistic gestures and accusations continue to be far more prominent” than efforts for a resumption of political dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina. UNIFEED

• Categories: News & Features / News Stories / Unifeed
• Video Length: 00:02:52
• Production Date: 7 February 2019
• Asset Language: English
• Personal Subject: ZAHIR TANIN
• Corporate Name: SECURITY COUNCIL; UNITED NATIONS INTERIM ADMINISTRATION MISSION IN KOSOVO - UNMIK
• Subject Topical: PEACEKEEPING OPERATIONS
• Geographic Subject: KOSOVO; SERBIA
• MAMS Id: 2355859
• Parent Id: 2355859
• Alternate Title: unifeed190207e

Description

STORY: UN / KOSOVO
TRT: 02:52
SOURCE: UNIFEED
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS

DATELINE: 07 FEBRUARY 2019, NEW YORK CITY / FILE

Shotlist

FILE – RECENT, NEW YORK CITY

1. Wide shot, exterior United Nations headquarters

07 FEBRUARY 2019, NEW YORK CITY

2. Wide shot, Security Council
3. Med shot, delegates
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Zahir Tanin, Special Representative of the
Secretary-General and Head of theUnited Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK):
“This past period was characterised by action and rhetoric that overall did not improve the atmosphere for a swift resumption of the political dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina. Antagonistic gestures and accusations continue to be far more prominent than efforts to return to the new phase of dialogue.”
5. Med shot, delegates
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Zahir Tanin, Special Representative of the
Secretary-General and Head of theUnited Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK):
“There has been a tendency to disrupt rather than de-escalate the situation. The absence, in Pristina, of a unified stance on the conditions for the resumption of the dialogue with Belgrade has reached a critical point in the days since the close of the reporting period, raising concerns about the continued viability of the current government coalition in Kosovo.”
7. Med shot, delegates
8. SOUNDBITE (Serbian) Ivica Dačić, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Serbia:
“The one-sided decision of Pristina to increase taxes on Serbian goods by as much as hundred per cent and contrary to the Central European Free Trade Agreement is, primarily, a politically motivated decision which wreaked irreversible damage and forestalled the continuation of the dialogue on normalization of relations between Belgrade and Pristina. For its part, Serbia continues to firmly believe that talks are the only way for the solution of outstanding issues and refrained, even after the imposition of the taxes, from reciprocal measures and any other act that would have aggravated the situation.”
9. Med shot, delegates
10. SOUNDBITE (English) Vlora Çitaku, Ambassador of the Republic of Kosovo to the United States:
“I can seriously not understand why on earth we are here today for the third time in four months talking about Kosovo. It is unbelievable, that this Council has convened more sessions to talk about Kosovo, than it has for Syria, Yemen, or Venezuela. There are real problems out there, real challenges that require your valuable time and attention. Real people who need your help, as we in Kosovo once did. It is unacceptable that this chamber is being turned into a theatre by our northern neighbour.”
11. Wide shot, Council

Storyline

The Head of the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), Zahir Tanin, told the Security Council today (7 Feb) that “antagonistic gestures and accusations continue to be far more prominent” than efforts for a resumption of political dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina.

Tanin said, “there has been a tendency to disrupt rather than de-escalate the situation. The absence, in Pristina, of a unified stance on the conditions for the resumption of the dialogue with Belgrade has reached a critical point in the days since the close of the reporting period, raising concerns about the continued viability of the current government coalition in Kosovo.”

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Serbia, Ivica Dačić, blamed “the one-sided decision of Pristina to increase taxes on Serbian goods by as much as hundred percent” for forestalling the continuation of the dialogue on normalization of relations between Belgrade and Pristina.

Dačić said, “Serbia continues to firmly believe that talks are the only way for the solution of outstanding issues and refrained, even after the imposition of the taxes, from reciprocal measures and any other act that would have aggravated the situation.”

For her part, Kosovo’s representative, Vlora Çitaku, questioned the fact that “for the third time in four months” the Council is meeting on Kosovo.”

Çitaku said, “it is unbelievable, that this Council has convened more sessions to talk about Kosovo, than it has for Syria, Yemen, or Venezuela. There are real problems out there, real challenges that require your valuable time and attention. Real people who need your help, as we in Kosovo once did. It is unacceptable that this chamber is being turned into a theatre by our northern neighbour.”

The Security Council has regularly received a briefing on the UN Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), on a quarterly basis.

Resolution 1244, which established the UN Interim Administration in Kosovo, requested only that the Secretary-General report to the Council “at regular intervals on the implementation of this resolution”. Since 1999, when the resolution was adopted, the Secretary-General has established a practice of reporting to the Council at three-month intervals.