Annan: Too Early To Assess Kosovo's Final Status

24 November 2004 -- UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan says it is too early to assess the final status of Kosovo.

The UN, which administers Kosovo, has set standards on law and order, security and human rights that must be met before the question of Kosovo's final status can be discussed.

Annan said some progress has been made on those standards since riots in March. But in a report to the Security Council, Annan said that progress has been "uneven and limited."

Kosovo's majority ethnic Albanian community demand independence for Kosovo, while Belgrade says Kosovo must remain part of Serbia.

(Reuters)