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The Government of the Republic of Serbia

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Protocol on return of IDPs to Kosovo signed

Belgrade/Pristina, 7 June 2006

Vice-President of the Coordinating Centre for Kosovo-Metohija Milorad Todorovic and head of the Pristina working group for the return of internally displaced persons (IDPs) Dardan Gashi signed a protocol on the return of IDPs to Kosovo yesterday. The protocol was signed with the mediation of UNMIK Chief Soren Jessen-Petersen.

Author: Beta

Following the signing, Todorovic said that the protocol defines the roles and responsibilities of all three sides, reaffirms UN SC Resolution 1244 that emphasises the leading role UNMIK should play in enabling conditions for the return of all IDPs, and allows IDPs to return to places other than the ones from which they had fled.

According to Todorovic, it is essential that people return to places in Kosovo-Metohija where there are conditions for return, as well as that they should be allowed to choose the place they want to go to.

"It is in everyone's interest to work on the return of IDPs since the matter is all about fulfilling standards. However, standards are not fulfilled by a protocol, but through work in the field. In the upcoming period, we will see just how genuine this wish for actual standards fulfillment is", said Todorovic.

According to UNHCR's previously announced data, 223,316 people left Kosovo-Metohija in June 1999. This figure included 159,207 Serbs, 13,931 Montenegrins and 25,155 Roma, while among the displaced there were also the Ashkali, Egyptians, Muslims, Bosniaks and Goranis.