NATO: KFOR remains in Kosovo if new UN resolution does not pass

BRUSSELS, Belgium — KFOR personnel will remain in Kosovo if the UN Security Council does not pass a new resolution on future status, NATO spokesman James Appathurai said in Brussels on Wednesday (May 23rd). The decision followed a meeting between NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer and US President George W. Bush earlier this week. Appathurai said that while both officials support the adoption of a new resolution, based on former UN envoy Martti Ahtisaari’s plan for supervised independence of Kosovo, they agreed that if one is not passed, KFOR must remain in the province on the basis of current UN Resolution 1244.

On Thursday, Serbian media reported that the resolution drafted by the US and EU nations would be submitted to the UN Security Council by the end of this week. Sources say the document does not stipulate independence, but contains wording that paves the way for eventual supervised independence. (B92 – 24/05/07; Telegrafi, RTK, KosovaLive, Tanjug – 23/05/07)