ATHENS - United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan will stress in a report to the Security Council that the organisation`s verdict on democracy standards in Kosovo is "not a given", Security Council member Greece said Wednesday.
In his report, which is nearly complete, Annan is expected to announce the UN`s intention to conduct a full Kosovo evaluation during the summer, and appoint a special envoy on the issue, Greek foreign ministry spokesman George Koumoutsakos told a scheduled press conference.
Greece has closely followed developments in Kosovo, and recently embarked on a diplomatic initiative to help reach a solution.
Serbia`s mainly ethnic Albanian southern province has been under UN administration since NATO intervened militarily in 1999 to end a crackdown by Serbian forces on Albanian separatist guerrillas.
The satisfaction of UN criteria are a condition for the opening of final negotiations on Kosovo`s status, expected to start this year.
But Annan`s report which will be released Friday will stress that the results of this evaluation should not be considered as a given, the ministry said.
According to Koumoutsakos, Annan`s report is expected to express satisfaction with the "tangible process" achieved in the province, but also to voice concern on efforts to tackle key issues such as decentralisation and the continuing presence of "extremist elements."
The UN secretary general will also stress to the Albanian majority`s leadership that adherence to UN criteria is a long-term objective, and insist on the need to maintain Serbian attempts at direct dialogue with the Kosovar leaders.
Serbia`s President Boris Tadic and Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica recently proposed holding direct talks with Ibrahim Rugova and Bajram Kosumi, their Albanian counterparts in Kosovo, but no date has been fixed for these contacts.
Belgrade rejected Kosumi`s demand that he be treated as prime minister of a state neighbouring Serbia.
05/25/2005 14:39 GMT