Estonian formin slams attacks against UN, NATO in Mitrovica 
18.03.2008
TALLINN, Mar 18, BNS - Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Paet has condemned attacks in Mitrovica, Kosovo, against UN policemen and NATO forces.
"Attakcs against international organizations are impermissible and we hope they will end," Paet told reporters on Tuesday.
The minister's stance was provoked by Serb attacks against UN policemen and NATO forces in Mitrovica, where numerous representatives of the United Nations and NATO have been injured and according to Reuters an Ukrainian member of the United Nations police forces has been killed.
Paet said that it was important in these circumstances that the civilian mission of the European Union in Kosovo would launch its operations at the scheduled time and in the manner as it was planned.
Estonia is planning to despatch seven experts to the 2,000-strong police and justice mission in Kosovo.
Estonian experts will advise the newly independent country in police, border guarding, tax and customs issues.
The first experts should arrive in Kosovo in April.
Paet underlined that in order to avoid a vaccuum the United Nations should not retreat as a result of Monday developments, but the UN police force must conclude their mandate.
According to a plan endorsed in February the EU will take over from the present UN mission in Kosovo duties connected with teh police, judicial and civilian adminstration after the expiry of the 120-day transition period.
Paet added that the situation in Kosovo would be one of the issues at the EU Foreign Ministers' unofficial meeting in Slovenia next week.
Tallinn newsroom, +372 610 8861, sise@bns.ee
 
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