Brussels, 10/07/2007 (Agence Europe) - United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon has called on the European Union to remain 'united' and continue to exert leadership over the future status of Kosovo, and has urged the other parties involved to abstain from making any unilateral moves. Kosovo is one of the most serious challenges facing the international community at the moment and any further delay in implementing Martti Ahtisaari's recommendations run the risk of creating further problems in a dossier that is already complicated enough, explained Ban Ki-Moon at a press conference after a meeting in Brussels on Tuesday with EU High Representative for the CFSP Javier Solana. European Union unity is 'fundamentally important', said the UN secretary general, explaining that he had asked Solana to continue meeting with the stakeholders and to keep up leadership on the issue. Solana said that the EU was prepared to send a police and rule of law mission to Kosovo once the United Nations Security Council has approved a resolution on the status of the province. 'We hope for that resolution soon' because the current discussion process 'is not an open-ended process,' added Solana.
The situation in the Middle East, Afghanistan and Darfur (Sudan), Iran's nuclear programme and the question of non-proliferation were also discussed by the two politicians. Solana told reporters that cooperation with the UN is fundamental for the EU because they both believe in multilateralism and the United Nations is 'in the heart of it'. Ban Ki-Moon said that over the past six months he had already visited the EU institutions twice which, he said, reflected his commitment to cooperate closely with the EU - an 'essential partner' for the UN. (hb)