Top UN official in Kosovo addresses last meeting of transitional council

Opening the final session of the Kosovo Transitional Council, the top United Nations official in the province said today that the Council's members had contributed to changing Kosovo into a more democratic place, and that a form of dialogue had been carried on in that body since its formation.

Hans Haekkerup, the head of the UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), told Council members that the future of Kosovo and international support for the province depended on the security situation. "I appeal to all of you to make Kosovo a violence-free society," he said, stressing that the success of the elections depended on a violence-free atmosphere.

The Council was holding its last meeting on the eve of the start of the electoral campaign for the 17 November elections. At a joint special session with the Interim Administration Council, security and justice issues were discussed, UNMIK said.

The electoral campaign will be launched tomorrow by Mr. Haekkerup and the head of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), Daan Everts. According to UNMIK, Kosovo's 20 administrative departments will be clustered into nine transitional administrative departments, which will be in place until the new ministries are formed. International officers will run these transitional departments until the new ministers are appointed. All Kosovo co-heads will go on leave from 3 October.