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February 16, 2008

EU Gives Final Approval to Kosovo Police Mission
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http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=1B444E1:A6F02AD83191E1606E44D6CB72366792B3350E090FE6A6E8& Mission to help
keep peace, prevent human rights abuses in Kosovo, in advance of
anticipated declaration of independence from Serbia that could be made
Sunday The European Union has approved a civilian police and justice
mission to help keep the peace and prevent human rights abuses in
Kosovo, in advance of an anticipated declaration of independence from
Serbia that could be made Sunday.

A force of about 1,800 troops specializing in police, prosecution and
government administrative duties was given final EU approval Saturday.

The mission had to be approved by all 27 EU nations.

Both Serbia and Russia oppose the EU mission as well as Kosovo's move
towards independence.

President Bush and U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon discussed the
situation in Kosovo at the White House Friday. Further details of
their talks are not available, and U.N. officials in New York also
said Friday they had no comment on a call by Serbia's foreign minister
for Mr. Ban to reject any independence proclamation by Kosovo's
ethnic-Albanian administration.

Kosovo has been under United Nations administration since 1999, when
NATO air strikes halted a Serbian crackdown on Kosovo's ethnic
Albanians.

Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.


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