Gerry Reynolds
Question:22 Mr. G. Reynolds asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will give an assessment of the current situation in Kosovo. [25483/99]
Vol. 512 No. 2
22 Mr. G. Reynolds asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will give an assessment of the current situation in Kosovo. [25483/99]
58 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the degree to which the situation in Kosovo has been addressed, with particular reference to the issue of ethnic cleansing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25641/99]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 22 and 58 together.
Since the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 1244 which authorised the deployment of KFOR and the setting up of the United Nations interim administration mission in Kosovo, UNMIK, the situation in the province has radically changed. KFOR has taken over much of the responsibility for security in Kosovo, in conjunction with the international police force, which is directly under UN control. Alongside UNMIK several international organisations have moved into Kosovo. These include the UNHCR to deal with returning refugees, the OSCE, which has been charged with institution building, the Council of Europe which is providing experts in fields such as law, human rights and local democracy, and the EU reconstruction agency. Non-governmental organisations active in Kosovo include Concern and GOAL.
The major immediate concerns for both KFOR and UNMIK have been to stabilise the security situation and to ensure that the Kosovar population are provided with adequate shelter for the coming winter.
Attacks by returning Kosovo Albanian refugees have been mainly directed at the Serbian and Roma communities. These have forced virtually all non-Albanians either to leave Kosovo or to gather in ethnic centres, which are effectively ghettoes. The UNHCR estimates that there are now over 150,000 Kosovo Serbs in Serbia and Montenegro. Recently KFOR has been able to reduce the number of these attacks and there are indications that small numbers of Serbs are returning but relations between ethnic groups are still tense. The main Kosovar Albanian political leaders seem to be conscious of the dangers as they have disassociated themselves from attacks against non-Albanians.