Kuwait calls on Kosovo, Serbia to reach consensus
NEW YORK: Kuwait urged Kosovo and Serbia to overcome their differences and reach fair and sustainable solutions that are acceptable to both sides, adding this would contribute to laying the foundations for peace, security and stability in the region. At a UN Security Council session on Kosovo, Kuwait’s UN mission First Secretary Jarrah Jaber Al-Ahmad AlSabah applauded October 6 parliamentary elections held there. He said the occasion provided an opportunity for the parties in Kosovo to exercise democracy and encourage public debate and dialogue. This chance needs to be seized upon to address social and economic priorities, and strengthen the rule of law, through good governance, justice and accountability. A resumption of the highlevel dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, facilitated by the European Union, is another matter that should be focused on, he added. The EU remains the “most appropriate” framework for resolving all outstanding issues between both and the way to reach solutions conducive to a comprehensive settlement, he highlighted. However, the Kuwaiti mission “reaffirms the importance of ensuring the neutrality and commitment of UN mission personnel,” he said, and “holding those responsible for any abuses or violations of such immunity accountable.” Some 1,653 people out of 6,063 remain missing until May, he said quoting an International Committee of the Red Cross report. In relation, he praised an amendment to a missing persons law by the Government of Kosovo, which aims to provide protection for the rights and entitlements of the relevant families.
Disclosure of their fate is one of the most fundamental humanitarian issues to achieving long-term reconciliation and creating an appropriate environment for good neighborly relations as emphasized by Security Council resolution 2474, he said. Meanwhile, he welcomed the continued efforts of the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo in supporting confidence-building measures there, but he stressed this cannot succeed without the strengthening of the rule of law and the judiciary. — KUNA