The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Brian Cowen, today welcomed the transfer of 146 Kosovo Albanian prisoners by Serbian authorities to UN custody.
The prisoners had been held in Serbian prisons since June 1999, when Yugoslav forces moved approximately 2,000 detainees from Kosovo to other facilities in Serbia following NATO air strikes.
Mr Cowen called the detention of the prisoners, three years after the end of the conflict in Kosovo, "unjustifiable", and hoped that their release would now assist efforts to develop a real dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina.
"The realisation of this commitment by the Belgrade authorities removes an unnecessary irritant and is a major step in the process of reconciliation between the Albanian and Serbian communities in Kosovo", he said.
His announcement comes as the UN Security Council meets today to review recent developments in Kosovo.
The United Nations Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) has been at the forefront of negotiations on the release and transfer of prisoners.
Assisted by a team of international judges, the UNMIK has been reviewing court files of prisoners. Those whose convictions proved to have been legally invalid have been released, while those with valid convictions will serve out their sentences in Kosovo.
The UNMIK, headed by Mr Michael Steiner has also been encouraging Kosovo Serb engagement in the new government, formed on February 28th, and the improvement in security and freedom of movement in the province.