Balkans: July 21, 2005

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Here's an indicator that Kosovo is on a path to independence from Serbia. On July 19th, the UN administrator in Kosovo said that Kosovo's "elected institutions" will take over control of the Kosovar police and judiciary by the end of 2005. The UN, however, will retain an oversight authority "for remedial intervention." The spokesman also said the UN would "continue to exercise sovereign functions such as conclusion of international agreements and international judicial and police cooperation." Those are hedge words, and to be expected. Though Kosovo's "final status" has not been settled it certainly looks like some administrators have concluded independence from Serbia is the likely outcome.