Statement by Ambassador Yoshifumi Okamura
Deputy Permanent Representative of Japan to the United Nations
At the Briefing of the United Nations Security Council
On the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo
27 February 2017

 

 

Mr. President,

 

          Please allow me to thank SRSG Tanin for his briefing and continued service.  As indicated in the report of the Secretary-General, the escalation of tension between Pristina and Belgrade is a matter of concern. Violent extremism, radicalization and terrorism continue to pose a threat to security in Kosovo and the region. However, the risk and intensity of violence are considerably less than those in other regions including Africa and Middle East often taken up by the Council.  Limited peacekeeping resources should be allocated to areas where there is urgent need to do so.  If UNMIK is indeed still necessary in its current configuration as suggested by the report of the Secretary-General, the Council must identify the activities that specifically require such an UNMIK presence.

 

Mr. President,

 

          The efficient and effective functioning of the Council should take priority.  Indeed, improvement of working methods is of keen interest to all Council members.  In this regard, we do not see any reason why meetings of UNMIK need to be held as frequently as during the time of the adoption of the UN Security Council Resolution 1244.  A meeting and report every six months is sufficient.

          Personally, I do appreciate the opportunity to recall my memories of Kosovo.  I mentioned wine last time.  Today, I would like to talk about business opportunities.  The Trepča mines hold the largest natural resources in Kosovo and could potentially generate a large sum of tax revenues.  It is regrettable that challenges remain in the business operation of the mines.  At the same time, there are other types of business at hand in Kosovo.

          Allow me to share one example here.  In 2013, a Japanese company established a farm and factory in Mitrovica which produces shiitake mushrooms.  By making use of Japanese technology, the company has a production capacity of eight tons of mushrooms a day.  It exports their produce to twelve countries in Europe and North America.  I have not brought any mushrooms today and will not introduce the name of the company, but I can share the contact details later if anybody is interested.

          Kosovo also has rich tourism resources.  There is a magnificent waterfall in Mirusha, and Gadime e Poshtme is proud to be a host of a mysterious limestone cavern.  You can enjoy trout raised in fish farms in Istog at a restaurant adjacent to the farm.  I also found a good hot spring, onsen in Japanese, near Peja.  The sulfurous white water is pleasant and warm - just the type of onsen for Japanese people like me.  Mosques in Prizren and Orthodox monasteries in Dečani and Gračanica are breathtaking.  These sites all appear in the tourism guides of Kosovo and represent the great potential for tourism development in Kosovo.

 

Mr. President,

 

          I would like to emphasize the following to the people of Kosovo:  For Kosovo to be seen as a genuinely mature democracy, the greatest challenge is reconciliation between communities.  Prior to the conflict in Kosovo, Kosovar Albanians and Kosovar Serbs lived together.  However, the Kosovar Serbs were forced to flee in the wake of the conflict.  The majority of them have not returned.  Now, reconciliation must be accelerated before all memories of more harmonious time are lost.  So long as animosity and injustice remain in the society of Kosovo, tourists and foreign companies will hesitate to visit or invest.  In this regard, Japan highly values the high-level commitment by both sides to resolve issues even after several incidents that heightened tensions.  I ask both sides to demonstrate the rich, diverse cultures and societies of Kosovo through efforts on reconciliation and tolerance, including the establishment of the Association/Community of Serb-majority municipalities in Kosovo.

 

Mr. President,

 

          In concluding my remarks, I would like to recall three outstanding colleagues from my time as chief political officer in UNMIK seventeen years ago.  Ms. Nadia Younes was the spokesperson at UNMIK, while Mr. Jean-Selim Kanaan and Ms. Fiona Watson were advisors to then-SRSG Kouchner.  All of them greatly contributed to Kosovo’s recovery from devastation and chaos.  Three years later, a UN office was established in the post-Sadam Hussein Iraq.  Keenly aware of their high caliber, then-SRSG Sergio de Mello brought them to Iraq.  On August 19, 2003, Mr. de Mello convened a regular senior staff meeting with these three people present.  A truck just parked beside the building.  A strong explosion occurred, crushing the building into rubble.  The attack killed whoever happened to be at the site, including these brightest UN personnel I have just mentioned.

          People with talent and bravery like them are tirelessly working at the forefront of peacekeeping missions to bring peace and justice, at times in dangerous environments.  We must never forget the dedication and sacrifice by many brilliant people to achieve peace.

 

Mr. President, I would like to report to those three great colleagues of mine in the hopes that they can hear me somehow.  In Kosovo, peace and stability, democracy, and economic development have steadily progressed.

 

Thank you, Mr. President.