§ Mr. MaudeTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what assessment he has made of the progress made in re-establishing a joint city administration in Mitrovica; [126644]
(2) what representations he has made to UNMIK regarding (a) establishment of local power-sharing arrangements for the Serbs in Mitrovica; and (b) reestablishing blocked trade ties between the southern and the northern parts of Mitrovica; [126645]
(3) what recent representations he has received from Mitrovica's regional administrator regarding additional human, financial and security resources for this town; [126643]
228W(4) what estimate he made of progress made by the Joint Interim Administrative Council for Mitrovica. [126646]
§ Mr. Vaz[holding answer 19 June 2000]Measures to improve public order and to counter extremist activities in Mitrovica have continued to be a key focus of both UNMIK and KFOR. Working with the Joint Interim Administration Council (JIAC) they have implemented a strategy to stabilise the situation and to build confidence between the communities. UNMIK police and KFOR are taking steps to enhance joint security operations. The zone of confidence in central Mitrovica has been implemented.
Additional KFOR and UNMIK police and personnel have been deployed. Village employment and rehabilitation projects, funded by the EU, are being implemented around Mitrovica. New protected train and bus services have started allowing Serbs to commute to Mitrovica.