Russia expects from UN head principled assessment of UNMIK action

UNITED NATIONS, August 7 (Itar-Tass) - Russia hopes that UN
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will clearly and unequivocally express his
attitude to the "incorrect and provocative" decisions of the former
leadership of the UN Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) that sanctioned the use of
force against the participants in a protest action at the building of the
district court in Northern Mitrovica on March 17, this year, Russian
Permanent Representative to the United Nations Vitaly Churkin told
journalists on Wednesday commenting on the results of a closed-door
meeting of the UN Security Council at which the UN Secretariat's report
was presented on the results of the investigation of the March events in
Kosovska Mitrovica.
On March 17, 2008, an international police unit on the order of deputy
UNMIK head Larry Rosin unexpectedly broke into the district court building
where Serbian lawyers were staying for several days demanding
reinstatement. The operation was launched despite an agreement reached a
day earlier with Serbian Minister for the Affairs of Kosovo and Metohija
Slobodan Samardjic that he would arrive in Kosovska Mitrovica to
personally resolve the conflict. One Ukrainian policeman was killed as a
result of the storming of the building and ensuing clashes between Serbs
and UNMIK police and several tens of people were injured.
The Security Council members discussed the Secretariat's report. In
the words of diplomats, some Security Council members, including France,
Great Britain and the United States were against bringing to the UN chief
the idea by the Council chairman that it is necessary to raise the issue
of personal responsibility of the former UNMIK leadership. Nevertheless,
it was agreed during the discussion that the Security Council chairman
will after all bring to the UN head's notice the concern expressed during
the discussion. An official of the Secretariat promised to the Security
Council members that the UN Secretary-General will in the coming days make
a statement on this issue. "We hope that it (the statement) will give a
principled assessment to the actions of those who made these unreasonable
and even provocative decisions," said Churkin.
The Russian ambassador expressed the hope that the UN Secretariat and
Secretary-General will draw the necessary lessons from the Kosovska
Mitrovica events and disciplinary measures will be taken against the
former UNMIK leadership. Churkin called "strange" a situation in which
then Deputy UNMIK Head Rosin, exceeding powers assumed responsibility for
the use of force at a moment when the negotiations with the protest action
participants were underway on the settlement of the situation by peaceful
methods. "Although this man has already quit his post, we believe that the
UN Secretary-General has possibilities to clearly express his attitude to
such incorrect and provocative decision," said the Russian ambassador to
the UN.