The biggest question that is still unanswered is, “What is UNMIK’s plan for transferring powers to the Kosovo?” UNMIK is in a difficult position because it is not receiving further instructions, said Albert Rohan, the Former UN deputy envoy.

According to Rohan, UNMIK had not received any instructions from New York on how the process of transferring powers to the Kosovo institutions and the EU mission should proceed. The unilateral declaration of Kosovo independence had solved the status question for good, and that the conflict was continuing because of Serbia’s resistance, which was supported on a diplomatic level by Russia. There had been no way for Belgrade and Priština to reach an agreement themselves.

“Ahtisaari’s plan was a compromise solution that Belgrade rejected because it was based on independence, and the Kosovo people, who were dissatisfied, accepted it as the price to pay for their much desired independence,” Rohan said.

He maintained that despite Belgrade’s resistance, there should be no fear of armed conflict, because Serbia was not prepared to go that far. “However, there will be local, armed scuffles. Several weeks ago we had problems in Mitrovica, which were proven to have been organized by Belgrade. The problem with all small conflicts is that every spark can lead to an explosion,” Rohan warned.

The Former UN deputy envoy said that that the Ahtisaari Plan was not the best solution, and that a compromise would have been better. He said that the problem was that Serbs were boycotting the international and Kosovo institutions on Belgrade’s instructions, and this was leading to a scenario where the measures intended for their protection could not be applied.