By Prensa Latina
Brussels : The European Union advocated Monday to keep the UN mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) until the presidential elections in Serbia in May, to avoid provocations by Serbian-Kosovars in the zone of Mitrovica.
Slovenian Interior Minister Dimitrij Rupel said that his government supports the idea that UNMIK stays at the border between Serbia and Kosovo, artificially established with Pristina s unilateral declaration of independence.
Slovenia is the current EU president, and Rupel said the plan was to replace UNMIK with a 1,900-member EU mission of police, judges and customs officers, known as EULEX, but EU wants to preserve stability in the zone for the May 11 elections, in which EU has interest in the victory of political parties in favor of an approach with Europe.
The idea of EULEX was rejected by the Serbian government of Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica, which considered it a direct recognition of the Kosovar separation from Serbia, violating Serbia’s integrity.
The unilateral proclamation of Kosovar independence provoked strong disturbances in the north of the Serbian province. Control posts were destroyed by the Serbian-Kosovars, and there were demonstrations against the declaration of independence by Pristina.