EU Presidency statement on the appointment of Mr Joachim Rücker as the new Special Representative of the UN Secretary General for Kosovo

Press release 297/2006
16 August, 2006

The Presidency of the European Union welcomes the appointment of Mr Joachim Rücker as the new Special Representative of the UN Secretary General for Kosovo and head of UNMIK.

The Presidency is confident that Mr Rücker's strong experience as well as knowledge and understanding of the region give him the qualifications required for successfully carrying out his new tasks. The Presidency gives its full support to Mr Rücker in his efforts to implement the UN Security Council resolution 1244 and to prepare the transition from UNMIK to the future international presence in Kosovo once the status of Kosovo has been determined. The Presidency looks forward to cooperating closely with Mr Rücker and wishes him best of luck in fulfilling his demanding assignment as the status process moves in to a crucial phase.