§ Mr. Gerald HowarthTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps K-For is taking to secure the return of Kosovar coal and mineral mines to their former owners; and what reports he has received on the extent of shareholdings in the Trepca Company by President Milosovic and his family. [101962]
§ Mr. VazThe United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) has responsibility for the Trepca industrial complex. UNMIK has said it will run state property for the benefit of all communities in Kosovo, with issues of ownership, which are inevitably complex in Kosovo's present circumstances, to be resolved later. The priority is to promote a functioning economy in Kosovo as quickly as possible.
The exact balance of involvement by the FRY/Serbian regime and its supporters in the ownership of the Trepca industrial complex is difficult to assess. The Government in Belgrade exercises extensive control over the public and private sectors of the economy, both directly and through banks and businesses manipulated by the regime.