Written answers

Tuesday, 6 July 2010

Department of Foreign Affairs

Overseas Missions

10:00 am

Photo of Bernard DurkanBernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 395: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the extent to which he has generated discussion with his EU colleagues regarding issues in the western Balkans; the extent to which EU and or UN peacekeepers-observers are likely to be required and deployed in the future in view of locally expressed concerns and information; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30177/10]

Photo of Micheál MartinMicheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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The Western Balkans was discussed at the Foreign Affairs Council held in Luxembourg on 14 June which I attended. This came shortly after a high level meeting on the Western Balkans which took place in Sarajevo on 2 June and was organised by Spanish EU Presidency. The meeting in Sarajevo was attended by all EU and Western Balkans countries, including Serbia and Kosovo. Ireland was represented at the meeting by Minister of State Mansergh.

The Foreign Affairs Council in Luxembourg reaffirmed the EU's unequivocal commitment to the European perspective of the Western Balkan countries while noting that each country's progress towards the EU depends on its individual efforts to comply with the Copenhagen criteria and the conditionality of the Stabilisation and Association Process. The Council also welcomed the commitment of countries in the region to intensify the pace of reform in key areas and stressed the importance of addressing the challenges ahead. The importance of strengthening regional cooperation was underlined and recent positive initiatives regarding reconciliation were welcomed. The EU's support for the goal of the abolishment of the visa regime for all the countries of the Western Balkans was also recalled.

Ireland, along with our EU partners, remains committed to enhancing stability in the Western Balkans region. The EU perspective for the countries in the region, agreed at the June 2003 Thessaloniki European Council, is essential in helping to build and maintain this stability. The EU's Stabilisation and Association process provides the framework for cooperation on economic, political and legal matters aimed at bringing countries in the region towards EU standards and principles.

The high level meeting held in Sarajevo in 2 June took place in a positive, constructive and pragmatic atmosphere and served to build on positive developments we have seen in the region over the last six months.

From an operational perspective, there are several actors with significant presences on the ground in Bosnia and Herzegovina and in Kosovo. The international military presences in both Kosovo and in Bosnia and Herzegovina are gradually downsizing in line with the improving security situation while the civilian peace operations continue to focus on building up local rule of law and police capacities, in particular supporting the fight against organised crime and corruption, in both countries.

The UN peace presence in the Western Balkans is now restricted to the residual UN interim administration in Kosovo (UNMIK). With the declaration of Kosovo's independence and the deployment in 2008 of the EU rule of law mission EULEX, UNMIK relinquished its executive role for one of support to minority communities, encouragement of reconciliation and facilitation of dialogue and regional cooperation.

The key international presence in Kosovo is EULEX, the EU's largest civilian mission that aims to assist and advise Kosovo institutions in developing and professionalising across the rule of law area, specifically police, judicial and customs authorities. While the initial mission mandate was for two years, it is foreseen that the mission will continue to further assist the Kosovo authorities with the development of their capacities to guarantee that all members of society in Kosovo benefit from the rule of law. The April 2010 EU Foreign Affairs Council welcomed the mission's increased presence on the ground in the north of Kosovo and its intensified efforts in the fight against organised crime and corruption.

The UN-mandated and NATO-led Kosovo Force (KFOR) helps the local authorities and EULEX to maintain a safe and secure environment in Kosovo. Deployed under UN Security Council Resolution 1244 of June 1999, in June 2008 KFOR assumed new tasks of supporting the development of professional, democratic and multi-ethnic Kosovo security structures. Over time, KFOR has gradually adjusted its force posture to what it calls a deterrent presence: essentially a reduced number of troops progressively relying more on flexibility and intelligence. At their meeting in June 2010, NATO Defence Ministers and Ministers from non-NATO KFOR contributing nations agreed that this gradual transformation of KFOR into a smaller and more mobile force is proceeding successfully.

In Bosnia and Herzegovina, on the other hand, both main international peace operations are from the European Union: the military stabilisation Operation Althea and the police reform mission EUPM. The EU Police Mission, established in 2003 to follow on from the UN's International Police Task Force, focuses on capacity-building and professionalising the local law enforcement authorities, in particular in relation to the fight against organised crime. The April 2010 EU Foreign Affairs Council welcomed the refocusing of the mission's mandate on the support to the fight against organised crime and corruption.

Under UN Security Council mandate the EU's military operation Althea was launched in December 2004 to succeed the NATO-led Stabilisation Force (SFOR). Althea supports the efforts of the Bosnian authorities to maintain a safe and secure environment. In January 2010, the EU underlined its readiness to maintain an executive military role to support these efforts beyond 2010, under a UN mandate, should the situation so require. At the same time, Operation Althea will commence capacity-building and training of the armed forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

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