Today, at the National Assembly House, a delegation of the Committee on Kosovo-Metohija, headed by Committee Chairman Ljubomir Kragovic, talked to Björn Von Sydow, rapporteur on Kosovo-Metohija for the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly Political Affairs Committee.

The PACE rapporteur said that the goal of his visit is to establish the facts concerning human rights and the rule of law in Kosovo-Metohija, of both those who live there and displaced persons.

The Committee members briefed Von Sydow on the difficult position of the Serbian and other non-Albanian population in Kosovo-Metohija whose freedom of movement and basic human rights are compromised. The Serbian Government accepted the deployment of EULEX forces because the six-point Agreement with the UN Secretary General guaranteed the protection of Serbian and other non-Albanian population and the mission’s neutrality.

It is the Committee members’ belief that neither UNMIK nor EULEX missions have justified their term, but are instead working on the realisation of M. Ahtisaari’s plan of Kosovo-Metohija independence. This is reflected in the facts that over 40 laws implementing the plan have been adopted by the Kosovo Assembly, as well as in some specific moves like introduction of customs duties on Serbian merchandise. They also pointed out that Kosovo-Metohija has become a territory ruled by corruption, crime, drug and weapons smuggling, trafficking in human beings, which is all controlled by government men.

The Committee members stressed that Serbia is trying to keep Kosovo-Metohija within its territory peacefully and employing legal means on the international level. They also concluded that the international community should get more involved in resolving the Kosovo-Metohija issue, but on established principles. They advocated the continuation of negotiations between Belgrade and Pristina until a compromise solution acceptable to both sides is reached.

However, it was also estimated that the Government and National Assembly are not doing enough to help the Serbian and other non-Albanian population in Kosovo-Metohija and ensure its safety and basic rights. Because of it, the local population is exposed to pressure from the international community representatives who have demonstrated that they are not neutral, but instead act in favour of the Albanian community.