Russia’s UN Envoy Points to Corruption Among EU Mission Staff in Kosovo

UNITED NATIONS, December 5 (Sputnik) – Russia's envoy to the United Nations Vitaly Churkin has called for an investigation into reported corruption among members of the European Union Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo (EULEX).

"…we express our serious concern regarding information that high ranking staff members of EULEX were implicated in corruption, while these are the very individuals who should be encouraging Kosovar-Albanians to commit to the rule of law. We urge impartial investigations into these cases," Churkin said at a UN Security Council meeting on Thursday.

UN Special Representative and head of the UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo, Farid Zarif, told the Security Council Thursday that "the new EULEX Head of Mission, Ambassador Gabriele Meucci, has confirmed that investigations into the allegations have been, and remain, ongoing since 2013".

Kosovo, a landlocked region with a population consisting mainly of ethnic Albanians, declared its independence from Serbia in February 2008. Since then, more than 100 UN member states have recognized Kosovo.

The EULEX Kosovo mission operates under the UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo, established by the UN Security Council.