The secretary-general of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon has appealed to Kosovo's government for flexibility in accepting a renewed UN mission in Kosovo.

"I hope Pristina will understand the importance of flexibility and will act pragmatically," said Ban, as reported by Duetche Press Agentur, after Kosovo's leadership late November 10 announced that they will reject a plan that will regulate the future work of the UN's Kosovo mission.

Following this announcement, the UN Security Council postponed a session scheduled for November 11 in which it was supposed to discuss the Kosovo mission. Acceptance of the plan will pave the way for the deployment of the European Union's Rule of Law mission.

But Kosovo's leadership says the six-point plan breaches Kosovo's sovereignty, territorial integrity and constitution. "There will be no other compromise but Kosovo's constitution. The constitution has been a compromise itself. Other compromises would translate into transferring our sovereignty, which is absolutely unacceptable," said the deputy prime minister Hajredin Kuci.

Pristina is under pressure to accept the agreement, but has been excluded from negotiations between Belgrade, the UN and the EU.

"The pressure is non-democratic," said Jakup Krasniqi, Kosovo's parliamentary speaker.

On November 11, Kosovo's opposition parties held a meeting with the country's senior leaders in which they agreed with the position taken by the government, and said Kosovo's political class stands united in rejecting the UN proposal.

Source: Balkan Insight