The chief of the International Civilian Office in Kosovo, Pieter Feith, stated on Jan. 14 that a strategy exists for the integration of the northern part of Kosovo, which envisages the forming of the institutions of Kosovo in this part of Kosovo's territory.

After a meeting with Kosovo Premier Hashim Thaci, Feith said that the draft strategy envisages respect of the laws of Kosovo in the north, and the forming of the new municipality of Northern Mitrovica in mid-2010, according to the plan of Martti Ahtisaari.

The strategy is based on the fact that the International Civilian Office does not recognize parallel structures, but only the institutions of Kosovo in the north. With this draft plan, we wish to establish law and order in the north and strengthen the Kosovo institutions, and not the parallel structures, Feith said.

In his words, the plan is only a draft on which work is still under way in cooperation with all international partners and Kosovo institutions.

On Jan. 14, the media in Pristina reported on the details of the alleged strategy, which the former chief of the UNMIK regional office in Mitrovica, Gerard Galucci, published on his blog.