PRESS STATEMENT BY SECURITY COUNCIL PRESIDENT ON KOSOVO

Following is the press statement on Kosovo, delivered today by Council President Adolfo Aguilar Zinser (Mexico):

Members of the Security Council strongly supported the decisions by the Secretary General’s Special Representative in Kosovo, Michael Steiner, to declare as having no legal effect the enactment of legislation on Higher Education by the Kosovo Assembly on 3 April 2003.

They expressed their concern about this action by the Assembly and called on the Provisional Institutions of Self-Government to focus their work on competencies under their purview, in a way fully consistent with 1244 and the Constitutional Framework.

Members of the Council strongly reaffirmed the need for strict observance of resolution 1244 and full respect for the authority of the Special Representative.

Members of the Security Council reiterated their support for the process of transfer of competencies as set out in Chapter 5 of the Constitutional Framework to the Provisional Institution of Self-Government (PISG), in full compliance with the provisions of resolution 1244.

Members of the Security Council called on the Kosovo PISG and all Kosovans to cooperate genuinely for this transfer to be successful.

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