The International Steering Group for Kosovo, which is set up to guide Kosovo’s democratic development and promote good governance, multi-ethnicity and the rule of law in accordance with the Ahtisaari plan on Kosovo, yesterday welcomed UNMIK’s decision to prohibit Serbia from holding local elections in the territory of Kosovo.

In a statement from its meeting in Vienna, ISG said, “ISG supports the stance taken by UNMIK that holding the elections on May 11, 2008, in Serb municipalities in Kosovo would violate UNMIK’s exclusive authority according to the UN Security Council’s Resolution 1244.”

In the meeting chaired by the EU rep to Kosovo, Pieter Feith, ISG stated that the recent violence in Kosovo directed towards the international personnel, which led to the tragic death of one UN police officer of March 17, was “completely unacceptable.”

The International Steering Group for Kosovo, which was rejected by Belgrade and Moscow as well, also stated that it welcomed the “great progress made in the Republic of Kosovo in the first two months of its independence”, and reminded that “Kosovo has already been recognized by 40 countries, about a fourth of the EU and NATO and all eight members of the G8″.

ISG said, “We have especially noticed that the Kosovo parliament has adopted 19 related laws, which encompass the priority laws for communities, decentralization and the protection of cultural heritage. The Kosovo leaders need to continue working on adopting laws that will lead to a visible improvement in the lives of Kosovo’s citizens.”