Kosovo (Hansard, 28 February 2000)

§ Mr. Maude
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the progress made by European Union in its economic and infrastructure reconstruction efforts in Kosovo. [112059]

§ Mr. Vaz
The EU is making a major contribution to international efforts in Kosovo. The EU makes the biggest contribution to reconstruction. In 1999, the EU pledged 127 million euros. This year, the EU will make available 360 million euros, almost half of international pledges.
The main priority of the UNMIK EU reconstruction pillar, under the leadership of Mr. Joly Dixon, a British national, has been the establishment of a coherent modern macro-economic framework. EU assistance is making possible urgent repair of large numbers of homes and transport infrastructure and education facilities and, for electricity supply, generation and distribution facilities as well as paying for emergency imports of power supplies. The EU has also established a Customs Service.

§ Mr. Maude
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of progress in establishing and overseeing the development of the first stage provisional democratic self-governing institutions in Kosovo. [112060]

§ Mr. Vaz
The UN Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) under the authority of Security Resolution (SCR) 1244, intend to hold municipal elections this Autumn for provisional institutions in Kosovo. UNMIK are currently preparing regulations to set up the election law and administration.

§ Mr. Maude
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the progress that has been achieved in the civil implementation of the UNSCR 1244 in Kosovo. [112303]

§ Mr. Vaz
UNSCR 1244 charges the UN Mission in Kosovo with the establishment of provisional democratic institutions and the transfer of responsibility to the people of Kosovo. The Kosovar Albanian leadership agreed in December 1999 that they would participate in a new Joint Administrative Structure (JIAS). The Serbs have not yet joined the JIAS but the UN is hopeful that they will do so soon. Four of the 19 administrative departments under the JIAS have now been established. The Kosovo Transitional Council (KTC) will remain as a consultative body to UNMIK and has been expanded to about 40 to be more representative of Kosovo's ethnic composition including better representation of women. UNMIK intend to hold municipal elections this Autumn to provisional institutions and are preparing regulations to this end.