Kosovo amends draft law to formally prolong EU’s mission

PRISTINA, Kosovo – The Kosovo government has amended a draft law to prolong the European Union rule of law mission, known as EULEX, for two years.

The outgoing mission expires on Tuesday. It wasn’t immediately clear why the Kosovo authorities waited until the last day to authorize the extension.

The government said the Cabinet approved the prolongation of the current EU mission at a session on Monday. The Parliament must now approve that decision, and it may convene in an extraordinary session Tuesday to do so.

“We are continuing to work with the Kosovo authorities in order to complete all preparations for the renewal of the EULEX mandate,” a spokeswoman for the EU mission to Kosovo, Dinka Zivalj, told The Associated Press.

Since 2008, EULEX has supported Kosovo on its path to greater European integration in the areas of rule of law and the fight against corruption.

Kosovo came under U.N. and NATO administration after a 1999 NATO-led air war halted a Serb crackdown on ethnic Albanian separatists. In 2008 Kosovo declared independence, recognized by 111 countries but rejected by Serbia.