UN chief calls for 'enhanced' bloc role in Kosovo mission

Brussels :United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has told Kosovo's leaders he intends to reshape the world body's mission there to allow the European Union to take on key tasks, according to a letter obtained on Thursday.

"It is my intention to reconfigure the structure and profile of the international civil presence to one that enables the European Union to assume an enhanced operational role in Kosovo in accordance with resolution 1244," Ban said in the letter to Kosovo President Fatmir Sejdiu.

In Pristina, Sejdiu told reporters: "I have received the letter from Ban. We cannot comment. We are still analysing it."

The move follows weeks of uncertainty over the international security presence in Kosovo, which declared independence from Serbia on February 17 but has won only partial recognition.

Serbian ally Russia has opposed steps for a handover of the UN Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) to the EU in activities such as police oversight, insisting the 27-member bloc has no mandate.

Diplomats have said they expect Ban to set up arrangements under which the 2,200-strong EU mission - already months behind schedule because of the diplomatic logjam - will function autonomously but under the umbrella of a UN mandate.