United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon met on Feb. 9 with Vuk Jeremic, Foreign Minister of Serbia.

This meeting followed the regular Security Council session on the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) held yesterday.

The focus of their discussion was the situation in northern Kosovo and the European Union-facilitated dialogue between Pristina and Belgrade.

The Secretary-General expressed satisfaction with the recent reduction of tensions and the progress made in the restoration of freedom of movement in northern Kosovo.

He commended Belgrade's positive contribution to the lowering of tensions and encouraged its continued constructive engagement.

On the referendum organised by the Kosovo Serbs in the north, the Secretary-General asked for Belgrade's close cooperation with UNMIK and other stakeholders to ensure that tensions would not escalate.

Ban Ki Moon: Tensikon affects dialog, EU integration

The tense situation in northern Kosovo greatly affects the dialog between Belgrade and Pristina and the talks on the region's European prospects, U.N. Secretary General Ban Kimoon said in his report on the situation in Kosovo.

While presenting the report of Ban Kimoon at the session of the U.N. Security Council, Assistant Secretary General Edmond Mulet expressed satisfaction on Feb. 8 over the resumption of the dialog between Belgrade and Pristina and over the reached agreements, but also concern because of the slow progress in the return of the displaced and the establishing of the fate of the missing.

The report also said that it is unclear whether the referendum on accepting Kosovo institutions in the Serb municipalities in northern Kosovo, scheduled for Feb. 14 and 15, will be held.

"Although tension has been reduced, I am still concerned over the unstable situation, which carries continuous risk of provocation and escalation of interethnic tension," the U.N. secretary general indicated.

For the first time within the regular three-month report on Kosovo, the annex of EULEX presented a report by the EULEX special team investigating the trafficking in human organs in Kosovo.