§ 23. Dr. GodmanTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if when he last met his colleagues from other member-states of the European Union they discussed matters relating to the policing of communities in Kosovo. [95056]
§ Mr. VazMy right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary discussed the security situation in Kosovo with his EU counterparts at the General Affairs Council meeting on 11 October. Partners welcomed a proposal by my right hon. Friend for an EU initiative to tackle the threat of organised crime in Kosovo, and commissioned further work to take this forward. The council also condemned the continuation of ethically based violence in Kosovo and called on leaders of various ethnic groups to put an end to it.
§ 28. Mr. Nigel GriffithsTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the reconstruction programme required in Kosovo; and if he will make a statement. [95062]
Dr. Desmond TurnerTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the reconstruction programme in Kosovo; and if he will make a statement. [95035]
§ Mr. VazAssessments on the needs for reconstruction assistance have been carried out by the World Bank and the European Commission who are leading the international effort on the reconstruction of Kosovo. These will be presented to a donors conference on 17 November. We fully support the efforts of the UN, the EU and the Stability Pact for South-East Europe in their reconstruction efforts.
§ Mr. MaplesTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the security situation in the Kosovo towns of(a) Mitrovica and (b) Orahovac. [96945]
§ Mr. VazThere are continuing stand-offs between Albanians and Serbs at Mitrovica over freedom of movement and access to homes, Mitrovica University and the local hospital. The Kosovo Force (KFOR) and UN Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) are working with both communities to encourage the process of reconciliation and to allow freedom of movement within the city. In Orahovac, there is a continuing stand-off with the local Albanian inhabitants over the deployment of a Russian KFOR contingent. We support KFOR and UNMIK efforts to resolve the problem.
§ Mr. MaplesTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the extent to which the borders between(a) Kosovo and Albania and (b) Kosovo and Macedonia are adequately secured; and who controls them. [97063]
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§ Mr. VazUnited Nations Security Council Resolution 1244, which established the international presences in Kosovo, gives the NATO-led international military presence in Kosovo, KFOR, responsibility for conducting border monitoring duties as required. Assuring the security of Kosovo's border with Albania and Macedonia is also a task for the United Nations interim administration in Kosovo (UNMIK), which has general responsibility for maintaining civil law and order.
Both KFOR and UNMIK recognise the importance of ensuring adequate control of Kosovo's borders. KFOR will continue to give border monitoring a high priority while the UN mission builds up the international police force in Kosovo, part of whose functions include border duties. UNMIK has also set up a customs service operating at border crossings. Negotiations are under way with the Macedonian Government to improve the efficiency of the major crossing point on the Kosovo/ Macedonia border.
§ Mr. MaplesTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what was the number of Kosovo Albanians killed by the Yugoslav Army, Serbian security forces and paramilitaries in Kosovo during the Operation Allied Force. [96949]
§ Mr. VazOur current estimate remains that at least 10,000 civilians were killed in Kosovo as a result of war crimes by the Serbs between June 1998 and June 1999. We do not have disaggregated figures for those killed during Operation Allied Force.
§ Mr. MaplesTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many of the planned 3,000 police officers for Kosovo have been deployed since 10 June. [96947]
§ Mr. VazCurrently around 1,750 international police officers from 25 countries are deployed to Kosovo. The full contingent of officers originally required should be in place by the end of November. Following his report of 16 September, the United Nations Secretary-General has approved proposals for the deployment of 1,600 extra officers. The United Nations is expected to issue a request to donor nations for further officers soon.
§ Mr. MaplesTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the ethnic composition is of the Kosovo Transitional Council; how many times the Council has met since 10 June; and if it is still operational. [97066]
§ Mr. VazThe Kosovo Transitional Council (KTC) was established by the UN Secretary-General's Special Representative in Kosovo as an inclusive, consultative body bringing together all major political parties and ethnic groups in Kosovo. Its members include two each from the three major Kosovo Albanian political groupings, two Kosovo Albanian independents, two Kosovo Serbs and two members representing Kosovo's other ethnic minorities.
The Council has met sporadically since its inaugural meeting on 16 July. We are aware of six further meetings. Attendance has varied, depending on reactions by the various groupings to the situation on the ground or political developments at the time.
123WThe Transitional Council is still operational, and has an important role to play in allowing representatives of different ethnic groups to have their say in the running of Kosovo and in preparing the transition from UN administration to local self-government.
§ Mr. MaplesTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assistance the Government have provided to the international effort to identify and investigate mass graves in Kosovo. [97064]
§ Mr. HainA UK Scenes of Crime Team consisting of police and forensic personnel carried out investigations in Kosovo on behalf of the International Criminal Tribunal for former Yugoslavia from 18 June to 24 October. The Team was responsible for exhuming bodies, establishing the cause of death and collecting other evidence at the sites of some of the worst atrocities.
§ Mr. MaplesTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of whether the Kosovo Liberation Army's demilitarisation has been conducted in accordance with the terms of UN Security Council Resolution 1244 and a consequent Demilitarisation Agreement. [97083]
§ Mr. VazUN Security Council Resolution 1244 gave the NATO-led international military force in Kosovo (KFOR) responsibility for demilitarising the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA). On 20 September, KFOR reported that the KLA had complied with the undertaking to demilitarise which it had given to NATO on 21 June.
The then commander of KFOR, General Sir Mike Jackson, said on 13 October that over 10,000 weapons and 5 million rounds of ammunition had been handed in by the KLA. Any weapons now found on ex-KLA members are unlawfully held and are subject to seizure and destruction.
§ Mr. MaplesTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which international organisation has the mandate to function as the primary investigative and prosecutional agency for criminal acts committed on the territory of Kosovo between March 1998 and 10 June 1999. [96948]
§ Mr. VazUN Security Council Resolution 1244, which established the UN Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) and the NATO-led Kosovo force (KFOR), gives UNMIK responsibility for maintaining civil law and order in Kosovo. This includes investigations and prosecutions for alleged criminal acts committed on the territory of Kosovo before the deployment of UNMIK and KFOR in June 1999. In the case of possible war crimes, decisions would be made in consultation with the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY).
§ Mr. MaplesTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the Government's policy is on the Kosovo Serbs' proposal regarding establishment of(a) Serb enclaves within Kosovo and (b) Serb defence forces. [97065]
§ Mr. VazWe support, and are contributing to, the efforts of the international presences in Kosovo, the UN Mission (UNMIK) and the NATO-led international force (KFOR). UNMIK and KFOR are committed to promoting a secure environment in Kosovo for all ethnic groups.124W They are making special efforts to protect members of minority groups judged to be at risk, including Kosovo Serbs.
We want Kosovo Serbs to participate in institutions established by the international presences in Kosovo, such as the police, the Kosovo Protection Corps and the civil administration. We would not support proposals for separate enclaves or protection forces.
§ Mr. WinnickTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the latest position in Kosovo. [95052]
§ Mr. VazThe security situation has stabilised, due to the work of the NATO-led international force in Kosovo—KFOR, and the United Nations international police presence. Ethnic violence is still a problem, but KFOR and the United Nations Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) are putting as many resources as possible into tackling this issue. The number of Serbs and other ethnic minorities leaving the province has fallen. Some are returning.
Efforts are underway to control the borders more effectively for the purposes of security and revenue collection. A new customs service has been established and police are now posted at border crossings. Life is slowly getting back to normal with rubbish collections; post offices, businesses, factories, schools and universities opening; rail services being restored and a police emergency service line. Water and power supplies are being rehabilitated—two out of the four electricity generating stations are now operational and health care facilities are vastly improved. To prepare for winter over 78,500 house rehabilitation or prefabrication kits are being distributed which will help almost half a million people. Over a million square metres have been cleared of land mines and unexploded ordnance.
Work is also underway on restoring human rights and self governance to the province. This includes assistance to the media, political parties, judiciary, and prisons. Plans for voter registration and preparations for local elections are also being made. The work of the International Criminal Tribunal for Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) is well underway. We continue to strongly support their work.
There is still much to be done, but the international community and its agencies are committed to the goal of a peaceful, democratic and prosperous Kosovo.