Text of report by "jdc" entitled "According to unofficial sources, Kosovo will gain independence" carried by Belgian newspaper De Standaard website on 16 January
Nobody wanted to give an official confirmation at last week's OSCE conference in Vienna, but unofficial well-informed observers are saying with surprising firmness that "we have no alternative to Kosovo's independence".
The issue is very sensitive. Officially, Kosovo is still a province of Serbia that the United Nations has been governing since the 1999 war. By the middle of this year, however, a decision on its "definitive status" is due. The Kosovo Albanians, i.e. 90 per cent of the population, want independence. The Kosovo Serbs, the remaining 10 per cent who live mainly in the north, want to stay with Belgrade.
Last Friday [13 January] in Vienna, [Belgian Foreign] Minister [and OSCE Duty President] De Gucht met former Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari, the UN envoy who is leading the status talks. After the meeting, De Gucht declined to confirm or deny that independence - which will most likely be restricted in the initial stage - is the most plausible option because of the overly sensitive nature of the issue.
"Whatever happens, we will have to strive laboriously for a balanced solution," De Gucht said. "There are many minorities; we will have to maintain close contacts with Belgrade; and we will have to conduct the talks on the possible decentralization of power in Kosovo."
"Not all proposals are equally valuable. A Greek professor suggested granting Kosovo's minorities the same status as Mount Athos (a republic of monks in Greece - De Standaard editor's note), including their own legal system. In my opinion, this would be unfeasible in Kosovo."
In addition, the fear exists that the Kosovo Serbs will want to annex their part of the country to Serbia.
Monday, January 16, 2006
Italy Supports Conditional Independence for Kosova
Gianfranco Fini International Herald Tribune
MONDAY, JANUARY 16, 2006
ROME The coming year promises to be marked by delicate phases that could be decisive for the future of the Balkans. On an official visit to the area a few weeks ago, I registered concerns of a possible flare-up in tensions that are anything but dormant, together with sincere, widespread hopes that the painful experiences of the past can be consigned, once and for all, to history.
The main road to a lasting settlement in the Balkans passes through Kosovo. The start-up of the Kosovo status negotiations, thanks to the UN secretary general's appointment of a special envoy, was brought about by a reality that the international community could no longer afford to ignore: that the post-conflict status quo is unsustainable and the "standards before status" formula is impracticable.
This does not mean, however, that its terms can be freely reversed. Tangible progress in these negotiations is inconceivable unless progress is made in the area of standards, particularly in connection with security, the return of refugees, respect for multi-ethnicity, and the protection of sacred places, which are a cultural heritage for the world and a sine qua non for the Serbian community.
Kosovars of Albanian ethnicity would thus be wrong to take the outcome of the negotiations for granted. But so would the Serbs, in both Pristina and Belgrade, were they to spurn them by refusing to come up with coherent, realistic and constructive proposals.
The linchpin of any new status is the prospect of integrating Kosovo into the European Union in the context of a gradual stabilization of the region. The moment will come when, in parallel to shuttle diplomacy, it will be opportune for Belgrade and Pristina to engage in direct dialogue, with the full involvement of the Kosovar Serbs.
In short, Pristina's European aspirations may be the most attractive way for the Kosovars themselves to give substance to a transition that promises to be lengthy. Its status could be based on a form of conditional independence within the framework of a European guarantee, while awaiting integration into the EU institutions.
A strong international military and administrative presence will of course have to be maintained to safeguard the specific mechanisms of economic support.
The same criterion holds true for Belgrade, which is grappling with the unknown of a referendum on the secession of Montenegro. Only a Serbia confident in its ability to achieve the goal of integration into the EU - and into NATO through the Partnership for Peace - will have sufficient incentives to contribute to the stabilization of the region.
In truth, the door of the EU should remain open for all the Balkan countries, through modalities to be established on a case-by-case basis. This is the best way to guarantee the success of the international community's endeavors.
A certain optimism is warranted in view of recent European Union measures long advocated by the Italian government. I am referring to the decisions to start negotiations on an EU association agreement with Bosnia, Serbia and Montenegro, as well as to recognize the accession candidacy status of Macedonia. These negotiations represent further starting points that will hopefully lead to positive conclusions of their own.
Europe has a specific imperative: to contribute substantially toward finding the best solution for the future of this region.
"In the Balkans the hour of Europe has come." So spoke the foreign minister of Luxembourg in the summer of 1991. We know all too well what came after this ambitious declaration: a decade of Balkan conflicts and of dismal European inertia.
Fifteen years later, Europe would be well advised to keep a safe distance from a rhetoric that is as loud as it is content-free and instead to take concrete steps toward offering real integration prospects to a region that is European in every way.
On the strength of its age-old friendship with the countries of the region and its significant involvement in the Balkans through policing actions, military presence and economic support, Italy is ready to do its part.
(Gianfranco Fini is the foreign minister of Italy.)
MONDAY, JANUARY 16, 2006
ROME The coming year promises to be marked by delicate phases that could be decisive for the future of the Balkans. On an official visit to the area a few weeks ago, I registered concerns of a possible flare-up in tensions that are anything but dormant, together with sincere, widespread hopes that the painful experiences of the past can be consigned, once and for all, to history.
The main road to a lasting settlement in the Balkans passes through Kosovo. The start-up of the Kosovo status negotiations, thanks to the UN secretary general's appointment of a special envoy, was brought about by a reality that the international community could no longer afford to ignore: that the post-conflict status quo is unsustainable and the "standards before status" formula is impracticable.
This does not mean, however, that its terms can be freely reversed. Tangible progress in these negotiations is inconceivable unless progress is made in the area of standards, particularly in connection with security, the return of refugees, respect for multi-ethnicity, and the protection of sacred places, which are a cultural heritage for the world and a sine qua non for the Serbian community.
Kosovars of Albanian ethnicity would thus be wrong to take the outcome of the negotiations for granted. But so would the Serbs, in both Pristina and Belgrade, were they to spurn them by refusing to come up with coherent, realistic and constructive proposals.
The linchpin of any new status is the prospect of integrating Kosovo into the European Union in the context of a gradual stabilization of the region. The moment will come when, in parallel to shuttle diplomacy, it will be opportune for Belgrade and Pristina to engage in direct dialogue, with the full involvement of the Kosovar Serbs.
In short, Pristina's European aspirations may be the most attractive way for the Kosovars themselves to give substance to a transition that promises to be lengthy. Its status could be based on a form of conditional independence within the framework of a European guarantee, while awaiting integration into the EU institutions.
A strong international military and administrative presence will of course have to be maintained to safeguard the specific mechanisms of economic support.
The same criterion holds true for Belgrade, which is grappling with the unknown of a referendum on the secession of Montenegro. Only a Serbia confident in its ability to achieve the goal of integration into the EU - and into NATO through the Partnership for Peace - will have sufficient incentives to contribute to the stabilization of the region.
In truth, the door of the EU should remain open for all the Balkan countries, through modalities to be established on a case-by-case basis. This is the best way to guarantee the success of the international community's endeavors.
A certain optimism is warranted in view of recent European Union measures long advocated by the Italian government. I am referring to the decisions to start negotiations on an EU association agreement with Bosnia, Serbia and Montenegro, as well as to recognize the accession candidacy status of Macedonia. These negotiations represent further starting points that will hopefully lead to positive conclusions of their own.
Europe has a specific imperative: to contribute substantially toward finding the best solution for the future of this region.
"In the Balkans the hour of Europe has come." So spoke the foreign minister of Luxembourg in the summer of 1991. We know all too well what came after this ambitious declaration: a decade of Balkan conflicts and of dismal European inertia.
Fifteen years later, Europe would be well advised to keep a safe distance from a rhetoric that is as loud as it is content-free and instead to take concrete steps toward offering real integration prospects to a region that is European in every way.
On the strength of its age-old friendship with the countries of the region and its significant involvement in the Balkans through policing actions, military presence and economic support, Italy is ready to do its part.
(Gianfranco Fini is the foreign minister of Italy.)
UN mediation with Kosovo and Serbia begins in late January
VIENNA, Jan 16, 2006 (AFP) -
The first formal meeting between UN mediators, led by former Finnish president Martti Ahtisaari, and representatives of Serbia-Montenegro and Kosovo over the future status of Kosovo will take place in Vienna on January 25, a spokesperson told AFP Monday.
Ahtisaari attended Monday a meeting of the Contact Group of six countries (Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Russia and the United States) to discuss the future status of Kosovo, which is now an autonomous province in Serbia-Montenegro, the envoy's spokeswoman Hua Tiang said.
The ethnic Albanian majority in the UN-administered Serbian province is seeking independence.
The UN representative to Kosovo, Soeren Jessen-Petersen, also took part in the meeting held behind closed doors at the German embassy in Vienna, the embassy said.
"The (January 25) meeting will be focussing on (the) decentralisation" of Kosovo, said Hua.
The two governments are expected "to choose their representatives and hand over their papers" (on decentralisation), Hua said.
The European Union, NATO and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe are expected to send observers.
Ahtisaari, a former president of Finland who helped negotiate peace in Bosnia-Hercegovina after the war there from 1992-1995, was appointed UN special envoy for the future status process for Kosovo in late 2005.
The first formal meeting between UN mediators, led by former Finnish president Martti Ahtisaari, and representatives of Serbia-Montenegro and Kosovo over the future status of Kosovo will take place in Vienna on January 25, a spokesperson told AFP Monday.
Ahtisaari attended Monday a meeting of the Contact Group of six countries (Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Russia and the United States) to discuss the future status of Kosovo, which is now an autonomous province in Serbia-Montenegro, the envoy's spokeswoman Hua Tiang said.
The ethnic Albanian majority in the UN-administered Serbian province is seeking independence.
The UN representative to Kosovo, Soeren Jessen-Petersen, also took part in the meeting held behind closed doors at the German embassy in Vienna, the embassy said.
"The (January 25) meeting will be focussing on (the) decentralisation" of Kosovo, said Hua.
The two governments are expected "to choose their representatives and hand over their papers" (on decentralisation), Hua said.
The European Union, NATO and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe are expected to send observers.
Ahtisaari, a former president of Finland who helped negotiate peace in Bosnia-Hercegovina after the war there from 1992-1995, was appointed UN special envoy for the future status process for Kosovo in late 2005.
Cardinal Angelo Scola of Venice meets Kosovo officials
PRISTINA, Serbia-Montenegro (AP) - Cardinal Angelo Scola, the patriarch of Venice, met with Kosovo's prime minister and other officials Monday.
Scola will also meet the deputy head of the U.N. mission in Kosovo, Larry Rossin, a U.N. statement said.
The cardinal came to the disputed province to attend the funeral last week of Bishop Mark Sopi, the head of the Catholic Church in Kosovo, who died of a heart attack.
Sopi, 67, was buried Saturday in the central Kosovo village of Bince, where he was born.
Sopi, an ethnic Albanian, was appointed Kosovo's bishop in 1996.
The late bishop was very close to Kosovo's ailing President Ibrahim Rugova, who is suffering from lung cancer.
Pope Benedict XVI named Zef Gashi, the Archbishop of Bar, a town in neighboring Montenegro, as the acting head of the Roman Catholic Church in Kosovo, a senior church official said Monday.
Gashi, who was born in Kosovo, immediately took on the duty of running the province's church, said Don Shan Zefi.
Kosovo is predominantly Muslim. But some 4 percent of its people are ethnic Albanian Catholics.
Kosovo, which officially remains a province of Serbia-Montenegro, has been administered by the United Nations since 1999. Talks to determine its future status will start later this year.
Scola will also meet the deputy head of the U.N. mission in Kosovo, Larry Rossin, a U.N. statement said.
The cardinal came to the disputed province to attend the funeral last week of Bishop Mark Sopi, the head of the Catholic Church in Kosovo, who died of a heart attack.
Sopi, 67, was buried Saturday in the central Kosovo village of Bince, where he was born.
Sopi, an ethnic Albanian, was appointed Kosovo's bishop in 1996.
The late bishop was very close to Kosovo's ailing President Ibrahim Rugova, who is suffering from lung cancer.
Pope Benedict XVI named Zef Gashi, the Archbishop of Bar, a town in neighboring Montenegro, as the acting head of the Roman Catholic Church in Kosovo, a senior church official said Monday.
Gashi, who was born in Kosovo, immediately took on the duty of running the province's church, said Don Shan Zefi.
Kosovo is predominantly Muslim. But some 4 percent of its people are ethnic Albanian Catholics.
Kosovo, which officially remains a province of Serbia-Montenegro, has been administered by the United Nations since 1999. Talks to determine its future status will start later this year.
Bosnian Serb entity cannot be Serbia's compensation for Kosovo - Muslim leader
Text of report by Bosnian Serb news agency SRNA
Sarajevo, 16 January: There is no question of Bosnia-Hercegovina being involved in plans for compensation for Kosovo, president of the Party of Democratic Action (SDA) and Bosnia-Hercegovina Presidency member Suljeman Tihic told FENA today.
He said this while commenting on the statement by international law professor Francis Boyle who said that the objective of the reforms of the former first deputy High Representative Donald Hays was "to consolidate the [Bosnian] Serb Republic and pave the way for it to eventually join Serbia".
Boyle recalled that the talks on Kosovo's status were expected to open soon, and that certain international officials had already openly proposed that Serbia-Montenegro should be forced to give up Kosovo, while receiving the Serb Republic as compensation.
"This will not happen, nor is there any political strength for such a thing in Bosnia-Hercegovina," Tihic told FENA today, adding that Bosnia-Hercegovina politicians would never allow that.
Source: SRNA news agency, Bijeljina, in Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian 1237 gmt 16 Jan 06
Sarajevo, 16 January: There is no question of Bosnia-Hercegovina being involved in plans for compensation for Kosovo, president of the Party of Democratic Action (SDA) and Bosnia-Hercegovina Presidency member Suljeman Tihic told FENA today.
He said this while commenting on the statement by international law professor Francis Boyle who said that the objective of the reforms of the former first deputy High Representative Donald Hays was "to consolidate the [Bosnian] Serb Republic and pave the way for it to eventually join Serbia".
Boyle recalled that the talks on Kosovo's status were expected to open soon, and that certain international officials had already openly proposed that Serbia-Montenegro should be forced to give up Kosovo, while receiving the Serb Republic as compensation.
"This will not happen, nor is there any political strength for such a thing in Bosnia-Hercegovina," Tihic told FENA today, adding that Bosnia-Hercegovina politicians would never allow that.
Source: SRNA news agency, Bijeljina, in Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian 1237 gmt 16 Jan 06
Albanian premier to visit Kosovo
TIRANA, Albania (AP) - Albania's prime minister planned to visit Kosovo later this month in an effort to increase bilateral ties and contribute to regional peace and stability, his press office said Monday.
Prime Minister Sali Berisha was invited Kosovo Prime Minister Bajram Kosumi and Soren Jessen-Petersen, top U.N. official in the disputed province, to visit Jan. 26-27.
"Regional consultation and cooperation will have a positive impact, not only on the future status determination process, but also on the improvement of social and economic condition of the inhabitants of Kosovo," the invitation said, according to Berisha's press office.
U.N.-mediated talks on Kosovo's future status are to begin Jan. 25, when Serb and ethnic Albanian representatives meet for a first round of talks in Vienna, Austria.
Kosovo, though officially a province of Serbia-Montenegro, has been administered by the United Nations since a 1999 NATO bombing campaign halted the Serbian crackdown on independence-seeking ethnic Albanians.
The province's ethnic Albanian majority insists on independence, while Serbia wants to retain at least formal control over the region.
Tirana has said an independent Kosovo would bring peace and stability to the Balkans, and it has appealed to its ethnic Albanians to help create conditions to provide the province's Serb minority a normal life.
Albania has said it has no territorial claims on Kosovo. It also said Kosovo needs a continuing NATO presence to maintain peace and stability.
7
Prime Minister Sali Berisha was invited Kosovo Prime Minister Bajram Kosumi and Soren Jessen-Petersen, top U.N. official in the disputed province, to visit Jan. 26-27.
"Regional consultation and cooperation will have a positive impact, not only on the future status determination process, but also on the improvement of social and economic condition of the inhabitants of Kosovo," the invitation said, according to Berisha's press office.
U.N.-mediated talks on Kosovo's future status are to begin Jan. 25, when Serb and ethnic Albanian representatives meet for a first round of talks in Vienna, Austria.
Kosovo, though officially a province of Serbia-Montenegro, has been administered by the United Nations since a 1999 NATO bombing campaign halted the Serbian crackdown on independence-seeking ethnic Albanians.
The province's ethnic Albanian majority insists on independence, while Serbia wants to retain at least formal control over the region.
Tirana has said an independent Kosovo would bring peace and stability to the Balkans, and it has appealed to its ethnic Albanians to help create conditions to provide the province's Serb minority a normal life.
Albania has said it has no territorial claims on Kosovo. It also said Kosovo needs a continuing NATO presence to maintain peace and stability.
7
Saturday, January 14, 2006
Missing persons to be discussed at Kosovo status talks, says negotiator
Text of report by Radio-Television Kosovo TV on 13 January
[Announcer] One of the prime issues in talks on Kosova's [Kosovo's] status is going to be missing persons issues, says member of the Kosova negotiation team Veton Surroi. He met the chairman of the government committee for the missing.
[Reporter] Shedding light on missing persons has to be discussed with the UN special envoy and deputy envoy for Kosova status talks, Martti Ahtisaari and Albert Rohan, which is expected to take place in the coming weeks.
[Veton Surroi] Kosova status belongs to family members and all those missing who sacrificed their lives so Kosova can be independent. I have raised this issue with the Kosova negotiation team and I will raise it at the next meeting again.
[Reporter] The issue of the missing has to be solved by more pressure being applied by the international community on the Serbian government, emphasized Nysrete Kumnova. She called for greater engagement by the negotiation team on the issue of missing persons.
[Representative of the government committee for missing persons Nysrete Kumnova] This issue has to be raised at the highest levels of international and local governments. Light must be shed on all the missing and all mortal remains of our loved ones returned.
[Reporter] It has been evaluated that shedding light on missing persons is a moral and political obligation of the Kosova institutions and the negotiation team.
Source: RTK TV, Pristina, in Albanian 1830 gmt 13 Jan 06
[Announcer] One of the prime issues in talks on Kosova's [Kosovo's] status is going to be missing persons issues, says member of the Kosova negotiation team Veton Surroi. He met the chairman of the government committee for the missing.
[Reporter] Shedding light on missing persons has to be discussed with the UN special envoy and deputy envoy for Kosova status talks, Martti Ahtisaari and Albert Rohan, which is expected to take place in the coming weeks.
[Veton Surroi] Kosova status belongs to family members and all those missing who sacrificed their lives so Kosova can be independent. I have raised this issue with the Kosova negotiation team and I will raise it at the next meeting again.
[Reporter] The issue of the missing has to be solved by more pressure being applied by the international community on the Serbian government, emphasized Nysrete Kumnova. She called for greater engagement by the negotiation team on the issue of missing persons.
[Representative of the government committee for missing persons Nysrete Kumnova] This issue has to be raised at the highest levels of international and local governments. Light must be shed on all the missing and all mortal remains of our loved ones returned.
[Reporter] It has been evaluated that shedding light on missing persons is a moral and political obligation of the Kosova institutions and the negotiation team.
Source: RTK TV, Pristina, in Albanian 1830 gmt 13 Jan 06
Albanians from the Presevo Valley demand special status
PRESEVO, Serbia and Montenegro, Jan 14 (Reuters) - Albanians in Serbia's restive south on Saturday demanded devolution from Belgrade and the withdrawal of Serbian troops in a move seen as posturing ahead of talks on the future of Kosovo.
A 6-month ethnic Albanian insurgency in the Presevo Valley ended in 2001 in a NATO-backed deal giving Albanians greater rights. But dissatisfaction is widespread and locals say the Serbian government remains indifferent to the lack of jobs or economic development.
Albanians in the region are now trying to press their case by positioning themselves as a third party in U.N.-led talks on Kosovo, the province west of Presevo where the 90-percent ethnic Albanian majority wants independence from Serbia.
But diplomats say the strategy has won little support among Western powers content to grapple this year with Kosovo, run by the United Nations since NATO bombing forced the pullout of Serb forces in 1999.
A declaration adopted by three mainly Albanian municipalities in southern Serbia called for the region to be granted special status, with control over courts, police, schools and economic development.
They demanded the right to use Albanian as an official language in public bodies and to display the Albanian flag.
"At a time when Kosovo is entering its most significant phase ... Albanians in the Presevo Valley see the need to take concrete and coordinated steps to resolve the question of Albanians in this region," the declaration said.
It demanded "special ties" with Kosovo and warned that should Serbia try to partition the province and snatch the mainly Serb north, Presevo would join Kosovo -- something the West says is impossible.
Kosovo's Western backers are confident tension in the Presevo Valley will remain in check as U.N.-led negotiations on Kosovo's "final status" climax, probably in late 2006.
Legally part of Serbia, Kosovo has been run by the United Nations since 1999, when NATO bombing drove out Serb forces accused of the "ethnic cleansing" of Albanian civilians in a two-year war with separatist guerrillas.
A senior Western official said Kosovo's Albanian leaders had been warned against stoking tensions among their ethnic kin in Presevo. "I think they'll accept that what we're discussing here is Kosovo," he told Reuters. "Serbia has to reach its own solution" for Presevo.
A 6-month ethnic Albanian insurgency in the Presevo Valley ended in 2001 in a NATO-backed deal giving Albanians greater rights. But dissatisfaction is widespread and locals say the Serbian government remains indifferent to the lack of jobs or economic development.
Albanians in the region are now trying to press their case by positioning themselves as a third party in U.N.-led talks on Kosovo, the province west of Presevo where the 90-percent ethnic Albanian majority wants independence from Serbia.
But diplomats say the strategy has won little support among Western powers content to grapple this year with Kosovo, run by the United Nations since NATO bombing forced the pullout of Serb forces in 1999.
A declaration adopted by three mainly Albanian municipalities in southern Serbia called for the region to be granted special status, with control over courts, police, schools and economic development.
They demanded the right to use Albanian as an official language in public bodies and to display the Albanian flag.
"At a time when Kosovo is entering its most significant phase ... Albanians in the Presevo Valley see the need to take concrete and coordinated steps to resolve the question of Albanians in this region," the declaration said.
It demanded "special ties" with Kosovo and warned that should Serbia try to partition the province and snatch the mainly Serb north, Presevo would join Kosovo -- something the West says is impossible.
Kosovo's Western backers are confident tension in the Presevo Valley will remain in check as U.N.-led negotiations on Kosovo's "final status" climax, probably in late 2006.
Legally part of Serbia, Kosovo has been run by the United Nations since 1999, when NATO bombing drove out Serb forces accused of the "ethnic cleansing" of Albanian civilians in a two-year war with separatist guerrillas.
A senior Western official said Kosovo's Albanian leaders had been warned against stoking tensions among their ethnic kin in Presevo. "I think they'll accept that what we're discussing here is Kosovo," he told Reuters. "Serbia has to reach its own solution" for Presevo.
Friday, January 13, 2006
Bush, Merkel discuss Kosovo at their first Oval Office meeting
Press Briefing by Scott McClellan
James S. Brady Briefing Room
For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
January 13, 2006
Q Scott, did President Bush and German Chancellor Angela Merkel today discuss the Kosovo issue due to the upcoming talks of January 25th in Geneva?
MR. McCLELLAN: I know that they talked about Kosovo and they addressed that; they talked about Afghanistan, Kosovo and they talked about a number of important areas around the globe. I think that they may have talked in a little bit more detail when they were in the Oval Office, just the two of them. They only touched on it briefly in the discussion with the full delegation.
Q Do they agree at least on this issue?
MR. McCLELLAN: I'm sorry?
Q Do they agree --
MR. McCLELLAN: On which issue?
Q On Kosovo issue.
MR. McCLELLAN: We're all working together on these issues.
James S. Brady Briefing Room
For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
January 13, 2006
Q Scott, did President Bush and German Chancellor Angela Merkel today discuss the Kosovo issue due to the upcoming talks of January 25th in Geneva?
MR. McCLELLAN: I know that they talked about Kosovo and they addressed that; they talked about Afghanistan, Kosovo and they talked about a number of important areas around the globe. I think that they may have talked in a little bit more detail when they were in the Oval Office, just the two of them. They only touched on it briefly in the discussion with the full delegation.
Q Do they agree at least on this issue?
MR. McCLELLAN: I'm sorry?
Q Do they agree --
MR. McCLELLAN: On which issue?
Q On Kosovo issue.
MR. McCLELLAN: We're all working together on these issues.
Thursday, January 12, 2006
Third time lucky? Charlemagne - The Economist
The European Union and the Balkans
The European Union has stumbled twice in the Balkans. Now it has a chance to make amends
EVEN as European Union leaders yammer about resurrecting their constitution, their attention this year may end up focusing instead on the Balkans. Twice in the past 15 years, the region has tested the EU's claims to have ended wars on the continent: in 1991-92, when EU members split over backing independence for Slovenia, Croatia and Bosnia, and in 1998 when they stood by as Serbs and Albanians slaughtered each other in Kosovo. Now three events are coming together to turn the first half of 2006 into a third chance for the EU—and perhaps the trickiest period in the Balkans for some years.
The first is a referendum on independence in Montenegro. If passed, it would take yet another slice off Serbia (with which Montenegro exists in uneasy union). Next, talks on the independence of Kosovo (also nominally part of Serbia) could result in an offer of conditional independence, meaning that the rights of the Serb minority in Kosovo are protected by international guarantee. And third, the European Commission will rule in May on whether Romania and Bulgaria have met the conditions for EU membership. Had this ruling been made last year, say commission officials, the answer would have been no. That would make headlines, even if its effects prove less obviously dramatic than the break-up of the former Yugoslavia. (If the ruling is no, the two countries will merely join in 2008, instead of 2007.)
What the three events have in common is that they will change the Balkans' fragile status quo (with luck for the better, but it would be foolish to count on that). All are also reminders of the importance of the EU's role. Only Brussels can promise local politicians that their future lies in integration with Europe, not with their historical grievances and inward-looking nationalism. EU countries have promised to help Montenegro if it plumps for independence. And although Kosovo's future is being hammered out under the auspices of the United Nations, it will in practice be the EU that will have to look after the place.
On the face of it, the Europeans have been making good on past promises of help. Last year saw a flurry of negotiations in which nearly every Balkan country started some form of talks with Brussels. Croatia began full membership talks in October (at the same time as Turkey). Bosnia and Serbia began the preliminary stage that should lead to talks. In December, the EU gave Macedonia formal status as a candidate (a step up from Serbia and Bosnia, a step below Croatia). Talks to get Albania to the preliminary stage continue. And three economic deals have been done between the Balkans and the EU.
Yet even all these may add up to no more than a good start. Ultimately, the EU's powers of persuasion rest on the lure of full membership. Now the onset of “enlargement fatigue” risks undermining that promise. Recently, the disease has broken out even in that bulwark of expansion, the European Commission. One commissioner has said that the EU should let in Romania and Bulgaria, but then close its doors. Enlargement fatigue may not only reduce the EU's appeal. It could also make it harder to dole out interim benefits that go with membership talks, such as aid for new roads or help with agricultural reform. Last month's budget deal has already cut the money earmarked for Balkan reconstruction by about a fifth.
The Balkans will anyway not respond to the EU's gravitational pull in the same way as did the central and eastern Europeans. The Balkan people are further removed than the Czechs and Poles were from EU standards of democracy and free markets. They have to set up functioning governments before they can become functioning democracies. This means that much of the Balkans will have to wait for membership even longer than did the central and eastern Europeans. And it is no longer clear how long accession can retain its allure, or how attractive the “pre-accession” phase can be made.
At worst, there is a risk that the EU could end up dividing the Balkans, rather than modernising it—splitting the region into countries on the road to membership (Bulgaria, Romania, Croatia, Macedonia) and the ghetto of the rest, whose status would be uncertain and whose “pre-accession” limbo might be made worse by cuts in aid. For Bosnians and Serbs, there is a danger of EU membership becoming like an old Soviet joke: we pretend to prepare for membership, they pretend to be ready to give it to us.
The virtues of Austro-Hungarian imperialism
Doubts over the EU's influence in the Balkans will be either allayed or confirmed over the next six months. At minimum, it must avoid the divisions and passivity that bedevilled previous episodes in ex-Yugoslavia. But it could do better. And by happy accident, the EU presidency—usually a silly arrangement for each country to set the agenda for six months—has fallen at this critical juncture to the largest single investor in the Balkans and one of the strongest supporters of EU membership for Balkan countries: Austria. The Austrians may be notoriously hostile to Turkey's membership aspirations, but they have said that the Balkans are their top foreign-policy priority. What is less clear is whether they are ready to spend political capital to get reluctant partners to do things to give the rhetoric substance.
Michael Emerson of the Centre for European Policy Studies, a think-tank in Brussels, suggests that Balkan countries might be given membership of the customs union between the EU and Turkey, replacing a tangle of 31 regional trade agreements. He also proposes that the EU should encourage Balkan countries to set up visa-free travel among themselves, to avert travel restrictions that would otherwise arise as some countries join. These are good ideas in themselves, but more important is the message they would send: that the Balkans matter even when blood is not being shed, and that the EU wants to improve the entire region, not just (to borrow a phrase from the constitutional debate) to cherry-pick the bits it likes best.
The European Union has stumbled twice in the Balkans. Now it has a chance to make amends
EVEN as European Union leaders yammer about resurrecting their constitution, their attention this year may end up focusing instead on the Balkans. Twice in the past 15 years, the region has tested the EU's claims to have ended wars on the continent: in 1991-92, when EU members split over backing independence for Slovenia, Croatia and Bosnia, and in 1998 when they stood by as Serbs and Albanians slaughtered each other in Kosovo. Now three events are coming together to turn the first half of 2006 into a third chance for the EU—and perhaps the trickiest period in the Balkans for some years.
The first is a referendum on independence in Montenegro. If passed, it would take yet another slice off Serbia (with which Montenegro exists in uneasy union). Next, talks on the independence of Kosovo (also nominally part of Serbia) could result in an offer of conditional independence, meaning that the rights of the Serb minority in Kosovo are protected by international guarantee. And third, the European Commission will rule in May on whether Romania and Bulgaria have met the conditions for EU membership. Had this ruling been made last year, say commission officials, the answer would have been no. That would make headlines, even if its effects prove less obviously dramatic than the break-up of the former Yugoslavia. (If the ruling is no, the two countries will merely join in 2008, instead of 2007.)
What the three events have in common is that they will change the Balkans' fragile status quo (with luck for the better, but it would be foolish to count on that). All are also reminders of the importance of the EU's role. Only Brussels can promise local politicians that their future lies in integration with Europe, not with their historical grievances and inward-looking nationalism. EU countries have promised to help Montenegro if it plumps for independence. And although Kosovo's future is being hammered out under the auspices of the United Nations, it will in practice be the EU that will have to look after the place.
On the face of it, the Europeans have been making good on past promises of help. Last year saw a flurry of negotiations in which nearly every Balkan country started some form of talks with Brussels. Croatia began full membership talks in October (at the same time as Turkey). Bosnia and Serbia began the preliminary stage that should lead to talks. In December, the EU gave Macedonia formal status as a candidate (a step up from Serbia and Bosnia, a step below Croatia). Talks to get Albania to the preliminary stage continue. And three economic deals have been done between the Balkans and the EU.
Yet even all these may add up to no more than a good start. Ultimately, the EU's powers of persuasion rest on the lure of full membership. Now the onset of “enlargement fatigue” risks undermining that promise. Recently, the disease has broken out even in that bulwark of expansion, the European Commission. One commissioner has said that the EU should let in Romania and Bulgaria, but then close its doors. Enlargement fatigue may not only reduce the EU's appeal. It could also make it harder to dole out interim benefits that go with membership talks, such as aid for new roads or help with agricultural reform. Last month's budget deal has already cut the money earmarked for Balkan reconstruction by about a fifth.
The Balkans will anyway not respond to the EU's gravitational pull in the same way as did the central and eastern Europeans. The Balkan people are further removed than the Czechs and Poles were from EU standards of democracy and free markets. They have to set up functioning governments before they can become functioning democracies. This means that much of the Balkans will have to wait for membership even longer than did the central and eastern Europeans. And it is no longer clear how long accession can retain its allure, or how attractive the “pre-accession” phase can be made.
At worst, there is a risk that the EU could end up dividing the Balkans, rather than modernising it—splitting the region into countries on the road to membership (Bulgaria, Romania, Croatia, Macedonia) and the ghetto of the rest, whose status would be uncertain and whose “pre-accession” limbo might be made worse by cuts in aid. For Bosnians and Serbs, there is a danger of EU membership becoming like an old Soviet joke: we pretend to prepare for membership, they pretend to be ready to give it to us.
The virtues of Austro-Hungarian imperialism
Doubts over the EU's influence in the Balkans will be either allayed or confirmed over the next six months. At minimum, it must avoid the divisions and passivity that bedevilled previous episodes in ex-Yugoslavia. But it could do better. And by happy accident, the EU presidency—usually a silly arrangement for each country to set the agenda for six months—has fallen at this critical juncture to the largest single investor in the Balkans and one of the strongest supporters of EU membership for Balkan countries: Austria. The Austrians may be notoriously hostile to Turkey's membership aspirations, but they have said that the Balkans are their top foreign-policy priority. What is less clear is whether they are ready to spend political capital to get reluctant partners to do things to give the rhetoric substance.
Michael Emerson of the Centre for European Policy Studies, a think-tank in Brussels, suggests that Balkan countries might be given membership of the customs union between the EU and Turkey, replacing a tangle of 31 regional trade agreements. He also proposes that the EU should encourage Balkan countries to set up visa-free travel among themselves, to avert travel restrictions that would otherwise arise as some countries join. These are good ideas in themselves, but more important is the message they would send: that the Balkans matter even when blood is not being shed, and that the EU wants to improve the entire region, not just (to borrow a phrase from the constitutional debate) to cherry-pick the bits it likes best.
Kosovo Premier Expects Independence In June - Report
TIRANA (AP)--Kosovo Prime Minister Bajram Kosumi said he is convinced the province will gain independence by June, an Albanian newspaper reported Thursday.
"There are always stages in the creation of a state. For us it is important that in June 2006 we should make Kosovo a state. I am convinced we shall do that," Kosumi was quoted as saying in an interview with the daily Tema.
Kosovo remains officially part of Serbia, the dominant republic in the Serbia-Montenegro union that replaced Yugoslavia. But it has been administered by the U.N. and NATO since the alliance's 1999 air war halted former President Slobodan Milosevic's crackdown on ethnic Albanian separatists and expelled Serb troops from the province.
Kosovo, which has an ethnic Albanian majority and Serb minority, is to enter talks this year on its future political status, which are likely to increase tensions in the deeply polarized region.
Kosovo's leadership has insisted on full independence, while Belgrade wants to give it wide autonomy but have it remain within its territory.
In a rare interview with Belgrade newspaper Vecernije Novosti earlier this month, Kosumi said ethnic Albanians would not negotiate directly with Serbian officials about Kosovo's future status.
Kosumi said that "the existing processes are not in favor of creating ethnic states."
"Time has come for a new process -that of creating civic states." he added. "Different ethnicities may live together in a state provided this state guarantees the economic, national, religious and cultural development of everyone."
"There are always stages in the creation of a state. For us it is important that in June 2006 we should make Kosovo a state. I am convinced we shall do that," Kosumi was quoted as saying in an interview with the daily Tema.
Kosovo remains officially part of Serbia, the dominant republic in the Serbia-Montenegro union that replaced Yugoslavia. But it has been administered by the U.N. and NATO since the alliance's 1999 air war halted former President Slobodan Milosevic's crackdown on ethnic Albanian separatists and expelled Serb troops from the province.
Kosovo, which has an ethnic Albanian majority and Serb minority, is to enter talks this year on its future political status, which are likely to increase tensions in the deeply polarized region.
Kosovo's leadership has insisted on full independence, while Belgrade wants to give it wide autonomy but have it remain within its territory.
In a rare interview with Belgrade newspaper Vecernije Novosti earlier this month, Kosumi said ethnic Albanians would not negotiate directly with Serbian officials about Kosovo's future status.
Kosumi said that "the existing processes are not in favor of creating ethnic states."
"Time has come for a new process -that of creating civic states." he added. "Different ethnicities may live together in a state provided this state guarantees the economic, national, religious and cultural development of everyone."
Nato denies misuse of Kosovo camp
Nato has denied that one of its Kosovo detention centres has been used by the US to interrogate militant Islamist suspects under its rendition programme.
Nato official James Appathurai told the BBC the alliance had nothing to hide.
He said all former detainees had been held for their activities in Kosovo, adding that there were no longer detainees at Camp Bondsteel.
European democracy watchdog the Council of Europe has urged Nato to allow investigators into the camp.
"If there is nothing to hide, the Council of Europe Committee for the Prevention of Torture should be given immediate and unlimited access," said Council of Europe chairman Terry Davis.
The Council of Europe, which has unlimited access to all prisons run by the UN in Kosovo, has been trying to reach agreement with Nato for more than a year to enable anti-torture investigators to inspect the camp.
"If there are skeletons in the K-For cupboard, the eve of the talks on the future status of Kosovo provides a last-minute opportunity to get them out," Mr Davis said.
Talks on the final status of Kosovo are due to begin later this month.
Nato official James Appathurai told the BBC the alliance had nothing to hide.
He said all former detainees had been held for their activities in Kosovo, adding that there were no longer detainees at Camp Bondsteel.
European democracy watchdog the Council of Europe has urged Nato to allow investigators into the camp.
"If there is nothing to hide, the Council of Europe Committee for the Prevention of Torture should be given immediate and unlimited access," said Council of Europe chairman Terry Davis.
The Council of Europe, which has unlimited access to all prisons run by the UN in Kosovo, has been trying to reach agreement with Nato for more than a year to enable anti-torture investigators to inspect the camp.
"If there are skeletons in the K-For cupboard, the eve of the talks on the future status of Kosovo provides a last-minute opportunity to get them out," Mr Davis said.
Talks on the final status of Kosovo are due to begin later this month.
Wednesday, January 11, 2006
Argentina orders extradition of Serbian war crimes suspect
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) - An Argentine judge on Wednesday ordered the extradition of a Serbian war crimes suspect charged with a string of notorious killings during the Bosnian War.
A spokesman for federal Judge Jorge Urso told The Associated Press that Milan Lukic, 38, will be extradited to the Hague, Netherlands, where he was indicted in 2000 by a U.N. war crimes tribunal.
Lukic is charged in the U.N. indictment with organizing a paramilitary group that executed at least 135 Bosnian Muslims in the territory of Visegrad and elsewhere in Bosnian Serb-controlled areas between May 1992 and October 1994.
In July 2005, a Serbian court sentenced Lukic in absentia to 20 years in prison for his role in the torture and execution of 16 Muslims who were abducted from a bus in eastern Serbia in 1992 and taken to Bosnia. Their bodies were dumped in the Drina River.
Lukic was arrested last August in the Argentine capital, Buenos Aires, after being on the run since the late 1990s.
He acknowledged being the person sought by the international tribunal but denied the charges against him.
In May 2005, Argentine authorities arrested another Serbian war crimes suspect, Nebojsa Minic, the alleged commander of the notorious "Lightning" unit that operated in the Serbian province of Kosovo during the 1998-99 war. Minic died in October at a hospital in western Argentina.
A spokesman for federal Judge Jorge Urso told The Associated Press that Milan Lukic, 38, will be extradited to the Hague, Netherlands, where he was indicted in 2000 by a U.N. war crimes tribunal.
Lukic is charged in the U.N. indictment with organizing a paramilitary group that executed at least 135 Bosnian Muslims in the territory of Visegrad and elsewhere in Bosnian Serb-controlled areas between May 1992 and October 1994.
In July 2005, a Serbian court sentenced Lukic in absentia to 20 years in prison for his role in the torture and execution of 16 Muslims who were abducted from a bus in eastern Serbia in 1992 and taken to Bosnia. Their bodies were dumped in the Drina River.
Lukic was arrested last August in the Argentine capital, Buenos Aires, after being on the run since the late 1990s.
He acknowledged being the person sought by the international tribunal but denied the charges against him.
In May 2005, Argentine authorities arrested another Serbian war crimes suspect, Nebojsa Minic, the alleged commander of the notorious "Lightning" unit that operated in the Serbian province of Kosovo during the 1998-99 war. Minic died in October at a hospital in western Argentina.
UNMIK chief, Speaker rule out Kosovo partition
Text of report in English by independent internet news agency KosovaLive
Prishtina [Pristina], 11 January: UNMIK [UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo] chief Soeren Jessen-Petersen and Kosova [Kosovo] Assembly Chairman Nexhat Daci said today that there will be no creation of entities and there will be no partition of Kosova.
Jessen-Petersen and Daci made these remarks today following their first meting this year, where they discussed the negotiation process and the work that awaits the parliament this year.
Speaking about the decentralization and Belgrade's demand for creation of entities in Kosova, Jessen-Petersen said that he thinks that there should be no demands, but positions, "because the word demand is not something that [UN special envoy Martti] Ahtisaari would like."
"As far as the issue of entities, I am still not aware of any detail. But if entities in any way smell like partition, then that is not on the agenda. It is absolutely clear that partition of Kosovo is not on the agenda."
While, Daci said that anything that may signalize partition or division into ethnic lines cannot be implemented. "I continue to make it clear that after independence, a substantial decentralization for Kosova citizens shall take place, a decentralization that would be governed with the laws for local administration, local finances, justice, education and so on. So, it shall be a decentralization only for Kosovars," Daci said.
He also said that the responsibilities and obligations to the citizens lie with Kosova institutions "and not with Belgrade, which of course can be interested for cultural heritage, human rights."
While, Jessen-Petersen said that UNMIK is in Kosova to support the negotiation process, a process which is in the interest of all citizens.
"I have made it clear from the beginning that I believe it is important that we now move on to the status, that the status issue be resolved. I am confident that it will be resolved in the course of this year. And I think this will be the best way to move forward on European issues. We have to get status clarified and move forward with the better assurances to the minorities; to move forward on economy, which is of concern to all citizens of Kosovo, and to move forward in getting the minorities together. Clarity will help and that is why the status is so important," Jessen-Petersen said.
Jessen-Petersen said that negotiations are the top priority and called on the Negotiating Team to meet on regular bases and get prepared for very difficult talks.
Daci said that he is confident that the Negotiating Team will meet more frequently. He said that there is information that the health of Kosova's President Ibrahim Rugova is improving continuously, but added that "other modalities" for functioning of the Negotiating Team will also be considered.
Source: KosovaLive website, Pristina, in English 11 Jan 06
Prishtina [Pristina], 11 January: UNMIK [UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo] chief Soeren Jessen-Petersen and Kosova [Kosovo] Assembly Chairman Nexhat Daci said today that there will be no creation of entities and there will be no partition of Kosova.
Jessen-Petersen and Daci made these remarks today following their first meting this year, where they discussed the negotiation process and the work that awaits the parliament this year.
Speaking about the decentralization and Belgrade's demand for creation of entities in Kosova, Jessen-Petersen said that he thinks that there should be no demands, but positions, "because the word demand is not something that [UN special envoy Martti] Ahtisaari would like."
"As far as the issue of entities, I am still not aware of any detail. But if entities in any way smell like partition, then that is not on the agenda. It is absolutely clear that partition of Kosovo is not on the agenda."
While, Daci said that anything that may signalize partition or division into ethnic lines cannot be implemented. "I continue to make it clear that after independence, a substantial decentralization for Kosova citizens shall take place, a decentralization that would be governed with the laws for local administration, local finances, justice, education and so on. So, it shall be a decentralization only for Kosovars," Daci said.
He also said that the responsibilities and obligations to the citizens lie with Kosova institutions "and not with Belgrade, which of course can be interested for cultural heritage, human rights."
While, Jessen-Petersen said that UNMIK is in Kosova to support the negotiation process, a process which is in the interest of all citizens.
"I have made it clear from the beginning that I believe it is important that we now move on to the status, that the status issue be resolved. I am confident that it will be resolved in the course of this year. And I think this will be the best way to move forward on European issues. We have to get status clarified and move forward with the better assurances to the minorities; to move forward on economy, which is of concern to all citizens of Kosovo, and to move forward in getting the minorities together. Clarity will help and that is why the status is so important," Jessen-Petersen said.
Jessen-Petersen said that negotiations are the top priority and called on the Negotiating Team to meet on regular bases and get prepared for very difficult talks.
Daci said that he is confident that the Negotiating Team will meet more frequently. He said that there is information that the health of Kosova's President Ibrahim Rugova is improving continuously, but added that "other modalities" for functioning of the Negotiating Team will also be considered.
Source: KosovaLive website, Pristina, in English 11 Jan 06
Kosovo assembly speaker flatly rejects formation of Serb entity
Pristina/Belgrade_(dpa) _ Kosovo assembly speaker Nexhat Daci on Wednesday completely rejected any possibility of creating a Serb entity in Serbia's breakaway province.
"Everything that has a tendency to physically segregate Kosovo, on the basis of ethnicity or entities, will not succeed," Daci said after a meeting with Soren Jessen-Petersen, head of the U.N. Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK).
Belgrade's platform for talks on the future status of Kosovo proposes the creation of a Serb entity in the province, which would include all areas where Serbs live in significant numbers, as well as Serbian Orthodox religious centres.
U.N.-mediated talks on the status of Kosovo began last November, while late January will see the start of direct negotiations between delegations from Belgrade and Pristina, to be held in Vienna.
Formally still a province of Serbia, Kosovo has been administered by the U.N. since mid-1999, when NATO expelled Serbian forces from the province.
The majority ethnic Albanians in Kosovo demand quick independence for the province, while Serbia refuses to give up sovereignty and offers wide autonomy instead.
"Everything that has a tendency to physically segregate Kosovo, on the basis of ethnicity or entities, will not succeed," Daci said after a meeting with Soren Jessen-Petersen, head of the U.N. Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK).
Belgrade's platform for talks on the future status of Kosovo proposes the creation of a Serb entity in the province, which would include all areas where Serbs live in significant numbers, as well as Serbian Orthodox religious centres.
U.N.-mediated talks on the status of Kosovo began last November, while late January will see the start of direct negotiations between delegations from Belgrade and Pristina, to be held in Vienna.
Formally still a province of Serbia, Kosovo has been administered by the U.N. since mid-1999, when NATO expelled Serbian forces from the province.
The majority ethnic Albanians in Kosovo demand quick independence for the province, while Serbia refuses to give up sovereignty and offers wide autonomy instead.
Tuesday, January 10, 2006
Vlahovic: All Nationalities Favour Independence of Montenegro
Ljubljana, 10 January (STA) - Speaking to the press during his Tuesday
visit to Slovenia, Montenegro FM Miodrag Vlahovic said the referendum on
the future status of Montenegro would surely take place.
The terms of the referendum would be the result of an agreement among all
political forces in the state, he added.
According to Vlahovic, independence is favoured by all nationalities and
religious groups in Montenegro. This shows, he said, that the population
does not fear it would have to pay the terrible price other former
Yugoslav republics had to pay for independence.
Vlahovic confirmed that 16 January will see the beginning of talks between
the Montenegrin government and the opposition, which should determine the
details of the referendum probably to take place in April.
The minister also expressed his conviction that Montenegro's potential
independence would have absolutely no impact on the situation in Kosovo,
saying these were two separate issues.
visit to Slovenia, Montenegro FM Miodrag Vlahovic said the referendum on
the future status of Montenegro would surely take place.
The terms of the referendum would be the result of an agreement among all
political forces in the state, he added.
According to Vlahovic, independence is favoured by all nationalities and
religious groups in Montenegro. This shows, he said, that the population
does not fear it would have to pay the terrible price other former
Yugoslav republics had to pay for independence.
Vlahovic confirmed that 16 January will see the beginning of talks between
the Montenegrin government and the opposition, which should determine the
details of the referendum probably to take place in April.
The minister also expressed his conviction that Montenegro's potential
independence would have absolutely no impact on the situation in Kosovo,
saying these were two separate issues.
Mining and agriculture - two main potentials for development in Kosovo
Pristina, January 9, 2006 – One year ago when we have carried out a study on the potentials for economic development of Kosovo, it was clear that the mineral resources along with the agriculture are the main potentials for development of Kosovo, Orsalia Kalantzopoulos from the World Bank told the Radio Free Europe.
Along with the EU, World Bank has made a study on energy resources in Southeastern Europe, a region which needs larger amount of electricity. The study indicated that lignite sources of Kosovo are on the top of the list. “If Kosovo uses properly its many mineral resources and invest those income in education and health, then Kosovo would be sustainable and a developed country and provide good living conditions for its citizens,” Kalantzopoulos said.
She evaluated that the unresolved status is a big obstacle for economic development, as the private investors dare not make investments in a place, which does not know what its status will be. “But the things are moving in the right direction. The status talks have started. I am sure that a solution will be found, what will allow a larger presence of private sector in economy,” she said.
Along with the EU, World Bank has made a study on energy resources in Southeastern Europe, a region which needs larger amount of electricity. The study indicated that lignite sources of Kosovo are on the top of the list. “If Kosovo uses properly its many mineral resources and invest those income in education and health, then Kosovo would be sustainable and a developed country and provide good living conditions for its citizens,” Kalantzopoulos said.
She evaluated that the unresolved status is a big obstacle for economic development, as the private investors dare not make investments in a place, which does not know what its status will be. “But the things are moving in the right direction. The status talks have started. I am sure that a solution will be found, what will allow a larger presence of private sector in economy,” she said.
Monday, January 09, 2006
Kosovo mayor injured, assistant dies in a car crash
PRISTINA, Serbia-Montenegro (AP) - A Kosovo mayor was seriously injured and his assistant died in a traffic accident in neighboring Macedonia, an official said Monday.
Aqif Shehu, the mayor of the southwest town of Djakovica, and his assistant were involved in the accident Saturday while driving back from Turkey in a Macedonian highway, municipality official Zef Komani said.
Shehu, 52, was being treated in a hospital in Macedonia. Komani said his injuries were serious, but reported his condition as stable.
Shehu is an official from the Democratic League of Kosovo, the province's largest party, which until recently was headed by the ailing President Ibrahim Rugova, who is suffering from cancer.
Kosovo has been administered by the United Nations and patrolled by NATO-led peacekeepers since 1999, following the alliance's bombing of Serb forces, a campaign aimed at stopping their crackdown on independence seeking ethnic Albanians.
Aqif Shehu, the mayor of the southwest town of Djakovica, and his assistant were involved in the accident Saturday while driving back from Turkey in a Macedonian highway, municipality official Zef Komani said.
Shehu, 52, was being treated in a hospital in Macedonia. Komani said his injuries were serious, but reported his condition as stable.
Shehu is an official from the Democratic League of Kosovo, the province's largest party, which until recently was headed by the ailing President Ibrahim Rugova, who is suffering from cancer.
Kosovo has been administered by the United Nations and patrolled by NATO-led peacekeepers since 1999, following the alliance's bombing of Serb forces, a campaign aimed at stopping their crackdown on independence seeking ethnic Albanians.
UNMIK starts moving Kosovo Roma to safer Mitrovica locality
Text of report by Bosnian Serb news agency SRNA
Kosovska Mitrovica, 9 January: UNMIK [UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo] and the UNHCR today started moving 125 Roma families from the settlements of Zitkovac, Kablar and Cesmin Lug, which are polluted by lead dust, to the abandoned French camp Osterode near Kosovska Mitrovica.
UNMIK spokesman Gyorgy Kakuk has said the Roma families would be relocated to camp Osterode from their previous places of residence within the next three days because of the presence of excessive quantities of lead dust, which presents a health hazard.
"The decision on the relocation of the Roma to the camp was made on the basis of a request by the Roma community following extensive tests on the presence of lead dust in zones populated by Roma," Kakuk said.
He said that the Roma would be accommodated at the French camp until the completion of construction of two high-rises in the Romska Mahala area in south Kosovska Mitrovica.
The Roma, who were expelled from their settlement in south Kosovska Mitrovica in 1999, are temporarily residing in a housing district used until the early 90s by miners of the Trepca mines.
Source: SRNA news agency, Bijeljina, in Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian 1240 gmt 9 Jan 06
Kosovska Mitrovica, 9 January: UNMIK [UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo] and the UNHCR today started moving 125 Roma families from the settlements of Zitkovac, Kablar and Cesmin Lug, which are polluted by lead dust, to the abandoned French camp Osterode near Kosovska Mitrovica.
UNMIK spokesman Gyorgy Kakuk has said the Roma families would be relocated to camp Osterode from their previous places of residence within the next three days because of the presence of excessive quantities of lead dust, which presents a health hazard.
"The decision on the relocation of the Roma to the camp was made on the basis of a request by the Roma community following extensive tests on the presence of lead dust in zones populated by Roma," Kakuk said.
He said that the Roma would be accommodated at the French camp until the completion of construction of two high-rises in the Romska Mahala area in south Kosovska Mitrovica.
The Roma, who were expelled from their settlement in south Kosovska Mitrovica in 1999, are temporarily residing in a housing district used until the early 90s by miners of the Trepca mines.
Source: SRNA news agency, Bijeljina, in Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian 1240 gmt 9 Jan 06
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