Brussels, 03/07/2012 (Agence Europe) - Kosovo will attain “full sovereignty” in September 2012, four years after its self-proclaimed independence, the International Steering Group, which comprises 25 countries, including EU member states, decided on Monday 2 July. “The international supervision (of Kosovo) ends with today's decision”, announced Austrian Foreign Minister Michael Spindelegger, pointing out that this decision had been in the offing since January 2012. Full sovereignty will become effective in September once the Kosovar parliament has adopted the appropriate legislative texts.
The decision will not change anything for the EULEX mission, the mandate for which runs until 2014, or for the NATO force in Kosovo, KFOR. “The EU will continue to provide assistance and recommendations, mainly through its Special Representative and Head of the EU Office in Pristina as well as through its rule of law mission, EULEX Kosovo”, said Maja Kocijancic, spokesperson for High Representative Catherine Ashton. She said to that “the EU will remain committed to playing a leading role in assisting Kosovo in its European reform efforts”.
Kosovar Prime Minister Hashim Thaçi welcomed the Steering Group's decision, describing the day as “historic” and speaking of a “further step for Kosovo”. Serbian Secretary of State for Kosovo Oliver Ivanovic, on the other hand, said that “this decision will be of no great significance” for the Serbian community in Kosovo as it had “rejected it from the beginning”.
Good relations between Pristina and Belgrade are a precondition for Serbia's hopes of joining the EU. Five member states - Cyprus which has just taken over the rotating presidency of the EU Council of Ministers, Spain, Romania, Greece and Slovakia - do not recognise the independence of Kosovo. (CG/transl.rt)