Belgrade, April 4, 2003 - Serbian Prime Minister Zoran Zivkovic said after today's meeting with UNMIK Chief Michael Steiner, Head of the Coordinating Centre for Kosovo-Metohija Nebojsa Covic and the Serbian and Montenegrin Army's Chief-of-Staff Branko Krga, that Belgrade authorities are not satisfied with the four-year performance of UNMIK's administration of the province, and that Belgrade opposes any process that leads to an independent Kosovo, as it is a violation of UN Security Council Resolution 1244.

"We follow the transfer of UNMIK's authority to Kosovo institutions with special attention, because standards are still far from satisfactory. We reiterated our stand against any process that leads to an independent Kosovo," Prime Minister Zivkovic said, stressing that the government's priorities are the return of Serb and other non-Albanian refugees to the province as well as security and freedom of movement in the province.

However, UNMIK Head Michael Steiner said that Kosovo's interim institutions will not receive authority over security, defence, judiciary and foreign affairs. But Prime Minister Zivkovic remained dissatisfied.

"Still, we did not get a positive response to our request for postponement of that process. We hope it will not cause the destabilisation of the region," Zivkovic said.

Head of the Coordinating Centre for Kosovo-Metohija Nebojsa Covic said that there are many differences in the positions of Belgrade and UNMIK. "After all, we do not have the repatriation of the displaced persons, safety and the freedom of movement, and it is very hard to have confidence. We have frustrated ethnic communities and those jurisdictions of Kosovo institutions will not be valid as they are not multiethnic. After four years, we need to analyse the situation and not to cause additional instability," Covic said.

He added that the announced privatisation process in Kosovo must not be pushed, and that UNMIK and its chief, Michael Steiner, should pay more attention to the interests of the Serbian government in Kosovo-Metohija after the assassination of prime minister Zoran Djindjic on March 12.

At the same time, Steiner told a press conference that the transfer of authority to Kosovo's interim institutions is in line with UN Security Council Resolution 1244 and the constitutional frameworks for Kosovo, and added that this does not mark the final status of the province.

"You know I pledge for the principle 'standards before status'," reiterated Steiner. "We have three priorities: respect of minority communities' rights and their return, the fight against organised crime and the economy's development," he added.

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COORDINATING CENTER JUSTICE DIVISION PROTESTS POWER TRANSFER

The transfer of powers will only further deepen the process of supporting local authorities' institutions and their transformation into state bodies, the Centre's justice and human rights division said in a statement.

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SERBIAN GOVERNMENT
April 03, 2003

Vladimir Bozovic - chief of the Justice division, CCK

Belgrade, April 2, 2003 - The Coordinating Centre for Kosovo-Metohija division for justice and human rights strongly protested UNMIK head Michael Steiner's intention to transfer additional powers to Kosovo's institutions.

The transfer of powers will only further deepen the process of supporting local authorities' institutions and their transformation into state bodies, the Centre's justice and human rights division said in a statement.

The provisions and goals of UN Security Council Resolution 1244 regarding safety and freedom of movement have not been met, said the statement. At least 250,000 Serbs and non-Albanians have been dispelled. At present, there at least 25 houses and apartments in the province which have been illegally seized by ethnic Albanians.

Human rights have not been protected or improved and there are no democratic institutions of local self-government. This is why the justice and human right division believes that there are no conditions for the transfer of powers to Kosovo's interim institutions and that such a move would only place hurdles to already difficult conditions for the life of Serbs and other non-Albanians in Kosovo-Metohija, read the statement.

According to the statement, the planned manner of power transfer is not in line with UN Security Council Resolution 1244 which stipulates that Kosovo institutions can perform administrative duties without exercising power or making decisions.

The division gave weight to the positions that Kosovars should approve decisions of interim institutions rather than UNMIK, and that resolutions of future violations of Resolution 1244 and the Kosovo constitutional framework should be sought within provincial institutions.

"These resolutions are legal and political nonsense as only the UN General Assembly and the Security Council, that is, the UN Secretary-General Special Envoy and UNMIK, can interpret Resolution 1244 and UNMIK decrees," the statement read.

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STEINER: TRANSFER OF AUTHORITIES IS REQUESTED BY THE UN SECURITY COUNCIL

We do not think of authorities reserved for UNMIK, which cannot be transferred as long as the final status is not settled

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BETA (abridged)
April 04, 2003

Michael Steiner, UNMIK

UN civil administrator for Kosovo Michael Steiner said today that transfer of authorities from UNMIK to Kosovo institutions has to be completed by the end of the year because it was decided so by the UN Security Council. He cathegorically denied possibility that those authorities reserved for UNMIK be transfered too. "It is clear, if you see UN SC Resolution 1244, my mandate is to create functional temporary institutions for the autonomous rule", said Steiner on the press conference.

"This is not a new process because it began last year when the multiethnic temporary government was established. No one is questioning issue of transfering authorities to these temporary institutions. It must be clear, however, that we do not think of authorities reserved for UNMIK, which cannot be transferred as long as the final status is not settled, and we will keep to this", added Steiner.

He mentioned that authorities reserved for UNMIK remain issues of foreign relations, security, defence, judiciary and minority rights. He also denied that the scope of activity of the Kosovo Protection Corps will be widened.

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COVIC: STEINER DID NOT GET SUPPORT OF THE UN SECURITY COUNCIL TO TRANSFER AUTHORITIES BY THE END OF THE YEAR

Belgrade authorities have reliable information that Steiner is working on the projects of Foreign Ministry, police and justice by which he is intensively working on establishing independent Kosovo and Metohija

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BETA
April 04, 2003

Covic and Steiner

BELGRADE, APRIL 4 - President of the Coordination center for Kosovo and Metohija Nebojsa Covic said that claims of UNMIK's chief Michael Steiner that he had support of the UN Security Council to transfer wide authorities to Kosovo temporary institutions by the end of the year were not true.

"This is not correct; this is not true. It is only his free interpretation. Security Council is not objecting transfer of authorities, but it is important when that would occur and in which circumstances", said covic to BETA agency this evening in his reaction to Steiner's statement at the press conference in Belgrade today.

"If Steiner remains stubborn, as he is, then he would only fulfill his wish since the time he arrived to Kosovo, and that is to throw out Serbs from the institutions in Kosovo and Metohija. By this he will only show that he does not want multiethnic society and institutions although he constantly speaks of multiethnicity", said Covic.

Covic said that in the existing situation authorities will be transfered to monoethnic institutions only.

"This is inacceptable. With whom did he agree about this, he will have to explain and not to say one thing and do the other", said Covic and added that Belgrade authorities have reliable information that Steiner is working on the projects of Foreign Ministry, police and justice by which he is intensively establishing independent Kosovo and Metohija".

"We cannot accept his (Steiner's) approach by which he is trying to explain to the international community that everything is going fine and at the same time he is getting ready to leave Kosovo. This is a trap, unfair game which looks more and more like a farce and a fraud", said Covic.

He warned "Serb politicians who think of themselves that they have suppoort of some international circles should not be deceived by Steiner's words. They must know that by doing so they sell national and state interests, deepen the crisis and drag the region to dangerous and radical waters in which new unwanted conflicts may occur."

Covic said that Belgrade authorities have already alarmed Security Concil and they will inform the Council with the new position that Serbia cannot taker rosponsibility for what might happen if Steiners stubbornly perseveres with "methods for resolving kosovo problems which are he only understands".

The real priorities in Kosovo for Covic are: returns, freedom of movement, security, decentralization of power and finding missing and kidnapped persons.

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MOMCILO TRAJKOVIC: CONFLICT BETWEEN AMERICAN AND EUROPEAN OPTION

The American-European collision is becoming increasingly obvious. They are trying to cover this by choosing Europeans with pro American views. This can be clearly seen thru the moves made by the UNMIK head people such as Kouchner, Haekkerup, or Steiner. They have made decisions that are not in accordance with the stances of the country from which they came, said Trajkovic

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GLAS JAVNOSTI
April 04, 2003

Momcilo Trajkovic - Chairman of the kosovo.netmittee in Serbian Parliament

Belgrade, 04 Apr - The murder of Zoran Djindjic, the Serbian Prime Minister has considerably slowed down the solution of the Kosmet issue. Momcilo Trajkovic who is the president of the SPOT (Serbian Revival Movement) political party, reminds “Glas” that Djindjic was ready to openly talk with the international community representatives on solving the situation on Kosovo.

GLAS JAVNOSTI: Can you see similar readiness in some of your DOS collages?

TRAJKOVIC: DOS (Ruling Serbian Coalition) is interested in Kosovo. The most important thing is for us not to be hasty about this. We need to be wise and calm in coming forward with the international community.

GLAS JAVNOSTI: What is the international community policy towards Kosovo?

TRAJKOVIC: In public they talk of multiethnic Kosovo, but in reality they support the ethnic principals and the Albanians. With these stances, instead of being factor of peace and stability they become factor of crises. What we are seeing now is a conflict of the American and the European stances in the solving of the problem. The superimposing of the American multiethnic concept in the Balkans where there are still hostilities between the ethnic communities will become the cornerstone of failure. I hope that the European concept of co existence becomes the key formula for the solving of the problem.

GLAS JAVNOSTI: What is your vision for the solving of the problem?

TRAJKOVIC: I am for the principle of co existence thru which the multiethnic concept will come forward. Decentralization and forming of municipalities in places where the Serbs are majority is a priority. I recommend the forming of two houses of parliament as a phase towards multiethnic society. Solutions such as the Italian, Spanish, or Belgian one are also acceptable.

GLAS JAVNOSTI: Should the Serbs participate in the institutions?

TRAJKOVIC: I have always opposed the participations of the Serbs in institutions in which there are no protection mechanisms against the Albanian majority. Some are just beginning to realize this. The “Povratak” coalitions has to assess its position and reach a decision. If there are means for achieving goals than they should stay, but I doubt this. This way its better to acknowledge the mistake and leave the ongoing saga. The main reason for this is the fact that they will bear the consequences for the fact that the Albanian institutions have the legitimacy which is being reinforced with Steiner’s transfer of authority.

GLAS JAVNOSTI: What do you think of the announced Serbian referendum?

TRAJKOVIC: It is not enough if we just organize a union of municipalities or regions. The Serbs need to send a clear message to the Albanians and the international community that they will not accept independent Kosovo. The referendum against independent Kosovo is a legitimate answer.

GLAS JAVNOSTI: UNMIK’s Personal?

TRAJKOVIC: The international community on Kosovo is bust. The American-European collision is becoming increasingly obvious. They are trying to cover this by choosing Europeans with pro American views. This can be clearly seen thru the moves made by the UNMIK head people such as Kouchner, Haekkerup, or Steiner. They have made decisions that are not in accordance with the stances of the country from which they came, finished Trajkovic.

Trans. A. S.

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ETHNIC ALBANIAN HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS BEAT UP BUS PASSANGERS IN PLAIN SIGHT OF POLICE OFFICERS

Serious Incident in a Public Transport Company bus: Three police officers stood at the doors of the bus and when the bus driver opened the doors, they let the assailants run away

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Dnevnik, Skopje (FYR Macedonia)
April 03, 2003


By Igor K. Ilievski
Translation by Zemela

Skopje (02/04/2003) - Three high school students [od unknown ethnic affiliation] suffered serious injuries when a group of ethnic Albanian high school students began to beat on passengers of the Public Transport Company Skopje (JSP "Skopje") yesterday afternoon in Bit Pazar.

According to the bus driver and the passengers, three policemen present at the scene allowed the assailants to get away. Yesterday the Public Transport Company officially requested an explanation from the three traffic police officers at the Police Station for Public Transport Safety. The passengers claimed that two of the officers were ethnic Albanians.

Until the publication of this issue the Ministry of Internal Affairs had no information about this incident. Officials of the Public Transport Company claim that they have problems on all bus lines which go through areas with Albanian population and that their controllers have not worked on some of those lines for years.

The incident happened around 1PM on the bus line number 54. Most of the passengers in the bus were high school students on their way to school.

"Near the Automotive High School Center "Boro Petrushevski" around thirty ethnic Albanian high school students opened the bus doors by force and entered. That happens on a daily basis. Everyone sitting on the back of the double bus moved to the front, but soon the Albanians spread throughout the bus. There were no problems until Bit Pazar, but all of a sudden I heard cries from passengers. The group (of ethnic Albanian high school students) was beating everybody," said the bus driver Tome Sokolovski.

The assailants first affronted the passengers, most of whom were high school students, but then they started to beat them with their fists, kicks, metal bars and chains.

"One boy from my school was sitting quietly, but the Albanians jumped him with metal bars and kicked him, and they broke his teeth," claimed one 10th grade student from the "Vasil Antevski-Dren" High School.

While the assailants were striking people, the driver saw three police officers and stopped the bus in front of them.

"I told the policemen that I am having a problem and that there is a fight going on in the bus. They, two men and one woman, stood in front of the doors and ordered me to open the doors. Then the assailants ran out of the bus in front of the police officers and these (the police officers) did not react even though they were literally standing at the doors. Instead of the assailants, the police officers grabbed the boy who had suffered the heaviest beating. I asked them what to do, cause I had injured passengers, but they simply left," claimed the bus driver. He drove the passengers to the station in front of the hotel Holiday, from which point the passengers were transported to the City Hospital.

"The policemen told us that that is nothing, and suggested that we should fight the assailants," says one of the female passengers.

The Public Transport Company made an official complaint to the Police Department.

"We made an official request that the police officers be held responsible. It is not important whether they were ethnic Albanians, traffic officers or trainees. They are in uniform and must act to protect the passengers. The bus driver acted properly - he drove the passengers to the police officers, but they did not take action," says Done Mokrievski, manager of the Internal Control Service of the Public Transport Company. According to this service, controllers are not able to do their job on lines 56, 11, 55, and 70. Two of the controllers on lines 11 and 56 resigned yesterday because they did not feel safe. Public Transport Company controllers claim that they are attacked and threatened on all bus lines that travel through areas populated with ethnic Albanians.

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ERP KIM Info-Service is the official Information Service of the Serbian Orthodox Diocese of Raska and Prizren and works with the blessing of His Grace Bishop Artemije.
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