The European Union's special envoy in Kosovo said Monday that he hopes the EU Rule of Law Mission (EULEX) soon will have access to the entire territory of Kosovo, including the northern Serb-dominated area.
Pieter Feith, who heads the International Civil Office (ICO) in Kosovo, expressed this optimism after the fourth meeting of the International Steering Group (ISG), an international body with the authority to supervise Kosovo's independence.
"We hope that the EULEX and the ICO will soon have access to all parts of Kosovo," said Feith after the meeting.
The Dutch diplomat said the EULEX extension to Serb areas would be an important contribution to the reconciliation.
Although Serbia strongly opposes the EULEX deployment without a UN Security Council Resolution, Feith believed that Belgrade would help achieve this goal.
"We hope that the government in Belgrade that will soon be formed can consider this development in a positive way," he said.
Ethnic Serbs in Kosovo, who oppose the EULEX deployment in their localities and consider the mission illegal, established in the northern town of Mitrovica an assembly of Serbs with representatives of 24 municipalities in Kosovo Saturday.
"As far as the establishment of the Assembly in the north, the members of International Steering Group considers that it has no legal effect," Feith said.
The ISG for Kosovo consists of 25 member countries that have recognized Kosovo's independence, proclaimed unilaterally in February despite strong opposition by Serbia and Kosovo Serbs.
All 20 EU members recognizing Kosovo's independence are members of the ISG. Five other members include Croatia, Norway, Switzerland, Turkey and the United States.
Russia was offered participation in the body, but Moscow refused its participation since it opposes the group's way of resolving Kosovo's status.
Source:Xinhua
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