The Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General (SRSG) and Head of UNMIK Lamberto Zannier, announced Thursday that he would be taking up the post of Secretary-General of the Organization for Security and Co-Operation in Europe (OSCE) and leave Kosovo.

According to the relevant UNMIK release, Zannier called on Belgrade and Pristina to fully engage in resolving open issues.

“I trust UNMIK will continue to support all of Kosovo's communities in their road towards reconciliation, peace and prosperity and I encourage Pristina and Belgrade to fully engage in dialogue to resolve open issues,” Zannier said.

“I look forward to continuing working on issues related to Kosovo from my new post at the OSCE,” he said, adding that he is “very grateful for the support and cooperation of my international partners, the UN Kosovo Team, the OSCE, KFOR, EULEX and the other European Union organisations, and the diplomatic community.”

Lamberto Zannier, a senior Italian diplomat, took the helm of UNMIK on 21 June 2008.

Zannier's term at the post of OSCE Secretary-General, where is replacing Marc Perrin de Brichambaut, will last three years.