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OSCE welcomes agreement on establishment of Provisional Institutions of Self-government in Kosovo
VIENNA 1 March 2002
VIENNA, 1 March 2002 - The Chairman-in-Office of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, Portuguese Foreign Minister Jaime Gama, has welcomed the agreement reached in Kosovo between its political leaders on the election of a President of Kosovo and the establishment of a Government.
"The resolution of the political deadlock serves the best interests of the province and I hope that the future Kosovo Executive will assume its functions fully in accordance with the Constitutional Framework on Provisional Self-government," said Mr. Gama. During the Chairman-in-Office's visit to Pristina last week, he sent a clear message to the Kosovo political leaders, namely that the international community could not be asked to make an effort to organize municipal elections if they were not willing to resolve the political stalemate.
Municipal elections have been called by Michael Steiner, the Special Representative of the United Nations' Secretary-General, for 21 September 2002. Organizing and running these elections would be a task for the OSCE Mission in Kosovo, as was the case with the first municipal elections held in October 2000 and the elections for the province-wide Assembly, that took place in November 2001.
"The resolution of the political deadlock serves the best interests of the province and I hope that the future Kosovo Executive will assume its functions fully in accordance with the Constitutional Framework on Provisional Self-government," said Mr. Gama. During the Chairman-in-Office's visit to Pristina last week, he sent a clear message to the Kosovo political leaders, namely that the international community could not be asked to make an effort to organize municipal elections if they were not willing to resolve the political stalemate.
Municipal elections have been called by Michael Steiner, the Special Representative of the United Nations' Secretary-General, for 21 September 2002. Organizing and running these elections would be a task for the OSCE Mission in Kosovo, as was the case with the first municipal elections held in October 2000 and the elections for the province-wide Assembly, that took place in November 2001.