KOSOVSKA MITROVICA, September 16 - The Serbian Ministry of Education and Sport and UNMIK representatives reached an agreement providing for the University of Pristina to reopen in Kosovo, stated Serbian Assistant Ministry of Education and Sport Srbijanka Turajlic.

"Head of UNMIK Education Department Michael Daxner told us that UNMIK will guarantee security for the work of faculties and students in Leposavic, northern Mitrovica, Zvecane and Gracanica. The question of Zubin Potok remains open and in this case we will not be too hasty in restarting the work of the faculty until we can guarantee safety," said Srbijanka Turajlic after a four-hour meeting with Daxner.

At a news conference held in the new Rectorate building, Srbijanka Turajlic and dean of the University of Pristina Gojko Savic announced that effective today the Rectorate has officially moved to Kosovska Mitrovica, and that the seat of all faculties of the University of Pristina will be in Kosovo.

According to Turajlic, Council of Europe representatives and the assistant secretary-general of the European Universities Association participated in the meeting and gave their support to the University of Pristina as part of the European education system. The University itself has shown its readiness to reform education programs in line with European practices.

"In his talks with Hans Haekkerup, Serbian Deputy Prime Minister and head of the State Coordination Center for Kosovo Nebojsa Covic stressed that the federal state accepts UN Security Council Resolution 1244, the constitutional framework and UNMIK rule in Kosovo, but insists on UNMIK's obligation to create conditions to facilitate higher education," Srbijanka Turajlic said.

In addition, she communicated Daxner's promise that UNMIK would reconstruct teaching facilities at Serbian faculties and help stock laboratories and provide other classroom aids.

The dean of the University of Pristina announced that preparations have been made for the Faculty of Law in Pristina, Faculty of Philology in Zvecane and Faculty of Arts in Zubin Potok to resume their functioning.