Kosovo (Hansard, 11 April 2000)

§ 35. Dr. Godman
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with his colleagues from other member states of the European Union on the development of autonomy in Kosovo. [117202]

§ Mr. Vaz
I have regular discussions with my EU colleagues on all aspects of the situation in and around Kosovo. The EU is committed to the framework for Kosovo set out in UNSCR 1244. This provides for international administration in Kosovo, to be followed by arrangements to provide the people of Kosovo with substantial autonomy and self-government, and, in a final stage, a decision on Kosovo's future status.

§ Mr. Bercow
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is his estimate of the number of Serbs killed in Kosovo since the end of hostilities. [118020]
109W

§ Mr. Vaz
In my reply to the right hon. Member for Penrith and The Border (Mr. Maclean) on 1 February 2000,Official Report, column 539W, I reported to the House that there had been 430 reported murders in Kosovo in the period between KFOR' s deployment there on 12 June and 25 December last year. I added that we did not have a breakdown of these figures by ethnic origin but of the 383 murders reported up to mid-November, 139 were Serbs. Since 1 January, responsibility for collecting crime statistics in Kosovo has been transferred to UNMIK, who have advised that of the 79 murders reported between 1 January and 31 March this year 19 were Serbs.

§ Mr. Maude
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the President of the Security Council on the progress made in the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1244. [118246]

§ Mr. Vaz
The UN Security Council has regular discussions on Kosovo and on progress made in implementing UNSCR 1244. The Council was briefed on the situation in Kosovo by Dr. Bernard Kouchner, Special Representative of the Secretary-General, on 6 March. The Council is planning a mission to Kosovo next month.

§ Mr. Maude
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received regarding the activities of(a) the Kosovo Liberation Army's military police and (b) the KLA Intelligence Service. [118248]

§ Mr. Vaz
The Kosovo Liberation Army was demilitarised in September 1999 in accordance with UN Security Council resolution 1244. KFOR continues to monitor closely and take action against activities by any parallel structures or institutions in Kosovo which pose a threat to KFOR's or UNMIK's objectives.

§ Mr. Maude
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he has taken to ensure that the OSCE mission in Kosovo registers all the displaced(a) Albanians and (b) non-Albanians to enable them to vote in the forthcoming elections. [118250]

§ Mr. Vaz
Registration of all displaced persons within Kosovo is the responsibility of the UN/OSCE. The OSCE Head of Mission, Daan Everts, regularly briefs the OSCE Permanent Council and the British Office in Pristina has regular contacts with the task force to obtain updates on this process.
The registration of refugees outside Kosovo has been contracted by the OSCE to the International Organisation for Migration (IOM). The IOM has contacted all governments of countries which shelter Kosovan refugee populations for assistance in disseminating information about the registration for the elections. The Refugee Council has agreed to be the UK's contact point for the IOM.
The international community has urged the FRY authorities to allow Kosovo Serb refugees in the FRY to participate in this exercise and to encourage them to register.

§ Mr. Maude
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what KFOR's policy is towards those held responsible for crimes against humanity in Kosovo. [118244]
110W

§ Mr. Vaz
KFOR is mandated to establish a secure environment in Kosovo and to ensure public safety and order until UNMIK can take over responsibility for this task. KFOR works closely with the UN police, including in the investigation of alleged crimes against humanity. KFOR troops are authorised to detain persons indicted by the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY).

§ Mr. Maude
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his counterparts from the Contact Group on the security and political situation in(a) Kosovo and (b) Serbia. [118247]

§ Mr. Vaz
Contact Group Political Directors met in Paris on 28 March, the first meeting of the Group since the start of NATO's air campaign a year before. The discussion covered Kosovo, Serbia and Montenegro. There was a large measure of consensus on the international approach and the Group agreed to meet again later this month or early in May.

§ Mr. Maude
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many ex-KLA members have been integrated into(a) the Kosovo Police Service and (b) the Kosovo Protection Corps. [118249]

§ Mr. Vaz
Neither the Kosovo Police Service nor the Kosovo Protection Corps are able to specify how many ex-KLA members they currently employ. Former membership of the Kosovo Liberation Army is not an entry requirement to either of these civilian organisations. The International Organisation for Migration is making considerable efforts to assist former members of the KLA to return to civilian life and enhance their career prospects by the provision of training and job placement support.

§ Mr. Maude
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he last met the UN Special Representative in Kosovo; and if he will make a statement on the progress of reconstruction in Kosovo. [118254]

§ Mr. Vaz
My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary met Dr. Kouchner in London on 30 March. Dr. Kouchner briefed on the security situation and on progress in political and economic reconstruction in Kosovo. He welcomed the UK's proposals to strengthen our contribution to the international policing effort in Kosovo. The Secretary of State and Dr. Kouchner agreed on the importance of taking forward democratisation, including the holding of local elections later this year, and of encouraging growth and investment in the economy in Kosovo.