The chief of the UN Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) Lamberto Zannier ruled out Wednesday claims he had agreed for a separate ethnic Serb police service in the territory.
"Transition is over and Serb police must be part of a unique command of Kosovo police," said Zannier at a news conference in Pristina.
His comment follows media reports about his earlier meeting with Serbian Minster for Kosovo Goran Bogdanovic, saying Zannier has agreed on such a move in the ethnic Albanian-dominated region.
Zannier explained that at his meeting with Bogdanovic there had been no talk about the creation of any separate or parallel command structure for the Serb members of the Kosovo Police Service (KPS).
"I heard and read for ideas to create a separate command for Serb policemen, but I must clarify I never mentioned that with anyone," said Zannier.
The Italian diplomat said Bogdanovic asked him for Serb policemen to be under UNMIK command, but according to him that was impossible.
Disagreements come at the moment of UNMIK reduction on the ground, and their replacement with the EU Rule o Law Mission (EULEX).
UNMIK will decrease the number of its personnel since its deployment in 1999, while EULEX will expand itself on the terrain, Zannier said.
Despite its reduction, Zannier said UNMIK will continue its presence in Kosovo, particularly in the regions inhabited by the Serb or mixed population such as Pec/Peja, Gracanica, Strpce and Mitrovica.
More than 300 Serb policemen in central and eastern Kosovo abandoned the KPS after Pristina's unilateral declaration of independence in February.
In northern Serb-dominated area Serb policemen continued to serve in KPS uniforms but obey only to orders from UNMIK police instead of central command in Pristina.
Source:Xinhua
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