Kosovo: attacks against minorities continue to give concern, report says.
DECEMBER 22 -- Attacks against ethnic minorities continue to give cause for concern, according to the UN Secretary-General's monthly report to the Security Council on the international security presence in Kosovo.

"The security situation for the various minorities in Kosovo remains precarious, and the protection of minorities remains one of the highest priorities of KFOR, " the 20 December report says.

According to the report, the overall level of violence within the province continued to fall although it increased again towards the end of the reporting period. However, ethnically motivated violence has increased in intensity and arson, particularly of houses belonging to Serbs, has also continued. As a result, the potential exists for tension to escalate in areas of confrontation between the Albanian and Serb communities, such as Mitrovica.

At the end of November, KFOR had approximately 48,000 troops in place. However, the deployment of Russian troops in the town of Orahovac continues to be hampered, despite the removal of roadblocks surrounding the town. Four countries -- Jordan, Morocco, United Arab Emirates and Ukraine -- have all completed their deployments, he reports.

Kosovo strives to clear roads as snowfall disrupts flow of humanitarian aid.
DECEMBER 22 -- Kosovo is struggling to clear roads as a major snowfall snarls traffic and disrupts flow of humanitarian aid.

A statement issued by the UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) today said the Blace border between Kosovo and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia is blocked due to icy conditions and disabled vehicles clogging the roadway.

Efforts are being made to clear the major roads. KFOR, which is spearheading the efforts, will also clear the secondary road from Pec to the Montenegro border to allow humanitarian aid to get through. KFOR has 50 modern snowplows and expects another 20 very soon. In addition, 2,000 tons of sand and salt have been delivered to control icy conditions.

Kosovo's Interim Administrative Council meets to discuss new administrative structure.
DECEMBER 21 -- Kosovo's newly established Interim Administrative Council met in Pristina today to discuss the draft regulation on the joint administrative structure launched last week and the rules of procedure.

The Council was established following a landmark agreement by three Kosovo Albanian political leaders on 15 December to share the provisional management of Kosovo with the UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) until elections are held next year.

The Principal Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Mr Jock Covey, said the Council meeting was "very professional, open and cooperative".

Mr. Covey said the Council also discussed the 14 departments that will make up the new joint administrative structure. "We are very, very pleased with the tone of the discussion as well as the highly professional content," he said.

The Council, comprised of four Kosovo and four UNMIK members, oversees the Joint Interim Administrative Structure established under the agreement, defines policies and recommends new regulations or amendments to current law. Each of the departments is to be co-headed by a representative of UNMIK and Kosovo.

Kosovo's lead mine scheduled to reopen soon to help kickstart the economy.
DECEMBER 20 -- Kosovo's lead mine, Stari Trg, is scheduled to reopen soon after a six-week assessment to see what preliminary work needs to be done to get the mine operational, the UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) said today in a statement issued in Pristina.

The reopening of Stari Trg -- part of the Trepca mining complex -- will be a significant step towards the economic recovery of Kosovo, according to the Mitrovica Regional Administrator, Mr. Staffan de Mistura. The lead mine, which closed as a result of the conflict in the territory, had also been producing silver, gold, cadmium, bismuth and zinc. About 200 workers will carry out the initial assessment.

Meanwhile, UNMIK has announced that it has removed the UN flag from the Mitrovica hospital in the northern part of the city as a result of Serb doctors refusing a Saturday deadline to accept the return of 22 Albanian doctors to the hospital. In a statement, UNMIK also said funding to the hospital would be cut and the money used instead to establish another medical facility in north Mitrovica which would be open to all patients.

UNMIK also announced on Saturday the signing of a contract on 17 December to provide Kosovo with a mobile telephone system within three months. The contract was signed between the Post and Telecommunications in the territory of Kosovo (PTK) and the French telecommunications company, Alcatel. Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Civil Administration, Mr. Tom Koenings told a press briefing in Pristina that the new telephone system will help to restart the economy, maintain security and normalize the country. Work on deployment of the network, that will cover Pristina and the seven major centres in Kosovo, could begin as early as Wednesday, UNMIK said.