The new head of the United Nations Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), Soren Jessen-Petersen, arrived in Pristina Sunday to take up his post, promising to work hard to achieve stability in the troubled region. "I intend to work hard with my colleagues at UNMIK, with Kosovo institutions and with all the players in Kosovo and in the region, to move Kosovo and the region forward toward normalization, stabilization and a future they deserve and they need," Jessen- Petersen, a Danish diplomat, told reporters at Pristina airport. He was scheduled to meet Sunday with Kosovo leaders to discuss the region's work on reaching U.N. standards of democracy, rule of law and human rights. Progress in these areas will be assessed by the U.N. Security Council in mid-2005. Ahead of Jessen Petersen's arrival, U.N. spokesman Jeff Bieley said UNMIK and its new head were aware that time was running out to implement U.N. standards in Kosovo, and that much work needed to be done. Jessen-Petersen is taking over UNMIK at a time when it is facing harsh international and local criticism, along with calls for reforms and more efficiency in establishing democracy and a viable economy in Kosovo.
