Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica briefed a UN Security Council fact-finding mission in Belgrade on Thursday about the situation in Kosovo ahead of a key UN debate on the future status of the disputed Serbian province.

Kostunica informed his guests of "violations of UN Resolution 1244" that regulates UN and NATO protectorate over the territory, said Kostunica's advisor Slobodan Samardzic after the meeting.

"The Prime Minister warned that the resolution was not being implemented and he handed over a number of documents describing the problems facing Serb returnees to the province, including numerous abductions, killings, limited freedom of movement, destruction of housing and religious sites," said Samardzic.

UN Resolution 1244, passed in June 1999, placed Kosovo under transitional UN administration, reaffirmed the "sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia" and called for the "substantial autonomy and meaningful self- administration for Kosovo."

The 15-member UN mission, which is formed on Russia's initiative at the UN Security Council, is tasked with gathering information on the situation in Kosovo. The mission, led by Belgian Ambassador Johan Verbeke, arrived in Belgrade on Wednesday evening and would leave for Kosovo on Thursday evening.

The majority Albanian population in Kosovo wants nothing less than independence, while Belgrade is offering nothing more than autonomy and insists on more talks before the UN moves on Kosovo in May.

Samardzic said the South African ambassador Dumisana Kumaloh had asked an interesting question about a third path, as only two options were being discussed so far - the status quo and the UN envoy Martti Ahtisaari's plan that envisions internationally monitored independence for Kosovo.

"For the first time, the ambassadors were told there is a third Serbian proposal, which is something in-between," Samardzic said, referring Serbia's offer of substantial autonomy with international guarantors.

Source: Xinhua