Holkeri against quick resolution of Kosovo’s status (Glas/Tanjug)
Bringing a premature decision on Kosovo’s status would represent giving in to violence that had shook the province ten days ago, said UNMIK Head Harri Holkeri, assessing that the UN should change and renew its strategy in Kosovo because, as he admitted, “multi-ethnicity is not functioning as it had been planned.” Bringing a premature decision on Kosovo and Metohija’s status is not a solution. “That would be equal to giving in to violence,” Holkeri told the Finnish daily Helsingin Sanomat.
UNMIK and KFOR on alert (Politika/Tanjug)
UNMIK and KFOR are in a state of continued alert since they have received information of possible new Albanian attacks in the province, while it is feared that now they are the targets of Albanian extremist groups, said the representative of the Institute for War and Peace Reporting in Pristina, Jeta Xhara. UNMIK police spokesperson Angela Joseph has stated that the situation continues to be very dangerous in Kosovo and Metohija and that UN forces are “undertaking all the necessary measures in order to be prepared for everything that could happen.” If violence erupts again in the province, UNMIK representatives have made a plan for evacuation that, among other things, implies money saving in the urgent withdrawal of personnel to Thessaloniki and its limited movement in Kosovo so that they could quickly come to Pristina, UNMIK’s press service states.
New resolution doesn’t abolish previous one (Blic/FoNet)
SaM Foreign Minister Goran Svilanovic has told BBC that the goal of the draft resolution on the present state-of-affairs in Kosovo and Metohija, which will be submitted to the UNSC, is not a replacement or abolishment of UNSCR 1244. “It is good that one more round of talks is implemented among the SC members and to examine the elements we are offering,” said Svilanovic. He said that at issue was not an official sending of a resolution, but a series of talks with diplomatic representatives of the SC member-countries, the result of which will be presented to the public only when UN officials from SaM give a clearer picture on the realistic situation on the elements of the proposed resolution.
Reconstruction of YU program building in Pristina begins (Politika/Beta)
The Kosovo government is resolute to repair very quickly all premises destroyed in last week’s violence in Kosovo, said Premier Bajram Rexhepi at the beginning of the reconstruction of the YU program building in Pristina. Rexhepi labeled as “vandalism” the destruction of those apartments, which were built in the Pristina Ulpijana settlement at the beginning of 90’s. UNMIK deputy head for civil administration Francesco Bastagli has assessed that the reconstruction of the YU program building is a modest start, but encouraging.
Gunter Hefler: Violence planned for a long time (Vecernje Novosti/Beta)
The situation in Kosovo continues to be tense and fragile, assessed Austrian Major General Gunter Hefler, the head of the department for the participation of the Austrian Army in international missions. Austrian Army representatives consider that the peace mission in Kosovo will last at least another ten years. The latest violence that has surprised KFOR, according to Austrian military officials, was not accidental, but, as Hefler said, a long planned operation.
Two hundred arrested (Vecernje Novosti/Tanjug)
UNMIK members have so far arrested 200 people in connection with last week’s unrest in Kosovo, UNMIK spokesperson Neraj Sing announced. Sing, however, added that it could not be established for the time being whether all of the arrested were responsible for the unrest, UNMIK’s press service announced.
Balkan/Tanjug)
The wave of violence in Kosovo could be renewed any minute, warned the former EU administrator in Mostar Hans Koshnik, and estimated that the peace troops in the Serb province could stay for a long time, perhaps more than three decades, as is the case with
Solana: New violence against Serbs in Kosovo possible (Balkan/Beta)
The governments of EU countries must focus again on the Balkans or new ethnic clashes will explode in Kosovo, Javier Solana told EU leaders. Solana also announced that he would appoint a special representative for Kosovo.
Diplomatic offensive begins (B92)
US Under-secretary for Political Issues Marc Grossman arrived in Kosovo for talks with top local and international officials in Pristina. NATO Southeast Europe commander Gregory Johnson also arrived in the UN-governed province. Johnson told reporters he had come in search of cooperation with all Kosovo leaders. “I just want to get a guarantee that we’ll work together,” he said. Grossman refused to speak to reporters at Pristina airport. According to unofficial information, he is also expected to visit
Europe moves on Kosovo, officials due in
Kostunica on Kosovo (Politika/Tanjug)
Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica has stated that Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija should be enabled to have some sort of autonomy within the province, primarily for the reasons of their self-protection and basic human rights, such as the right to live. Emphasizing that the problem of Kosovo must be resolved politically, Kostunica pointed to the fact that territorial autonomy was not an introduction to something that would be the division of Kosovo, since it is well-known that various conflicts and wars that shook
Nowicki on the situation in Kosovo and Metohija (Vecernje Novosti)
“My first reaction was that ethnic cleansing was attempted in Kosovo on 17 March. I think it should be said, and I had mentioned this in earlier statements, that the problem of Kosovo Serbs had started earlier. However, the most important thing now is what will be happening in the next following weeks. I think that Albanian leaders and the Albanian community on the whole must show Serbs that the majority of the Albanian population is not standing behind these events, and that there really exists the possibility of mutual life,” Kosovo ombudsman Marek Nowicki told Vecernje Novosti.
You say that there was “an attempt of ethnic cleansing” on 17 March, but people were killed, their homes set on fire, religious temples destroyed. Isn’t this a mild word for what happened on the ground…?
“I think that this word is extremely strong. But, when someone uses this term it means he/she is very concerned with Kosovo’s future, because this word is not used so easily. I hope that Albanians will learn some lessons from those events, while it is also important that the reaction of the international community was very strong.”
But, while Albanians are learning lessons, Serbs are paying with their heads?
“It is very clear that what happened on 17 March must not continue, and that nothing can’t be achieved through this because there is no perspective after such events. Still, what consoles is my knowledge that a large number of Albanians was horrified with the events of 17 March.”
Labus: NATO is the only hope for Serbs in Kosovo (Balkan)
Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Miroljub Labus has expressed assurance that, in order to resolve the Kosovo issue, the country needs to enter the Partnership for Peace Program, along with ensuring the return of Serbs and political-territorial autonomy, and a long-term solution – entrance of the entire region into the EU. “Cooperation with NATO, this must be openly stated, is the only guarantee for the protection of Serbs in Kosovo…We must enter the Partnership for Peace Program and continue to fight for a multi-ethnic Kosovo,” Labus said at the G17plus election assembly. Labus stressed that the state, the international community and Kosovo Albanians should let go off the illusions on Kosovo. “The time of illusions has passed. We must let go off the illusion that a solution is possible with military means, the international community must let go off the illusion that there is no terrorism in Kosovo, and Kosovo Albanians must let go off the illusion of an independent Kosovo,” said Labus.
Fear of new violence in Kosovo (Blic)
The
Tragic balance (Glas/Srna)
The Raska-Prizren Eparchy has announced that, according to confirmed information, after the recent pogrom of Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija, 12 Serbs had been killed or went missing, but this number is not final. “The balance after two days of the March pogrom is 12 killed or missing Serbs, more than 4000 expelled, around 1000 Serb houses destroyed or damaged, 35 destroyed Orthodox Churches and monasteries, dozens of desecrated graves,” the Eparchy stated.
Oliver Ivanovic’s assessment (Politika/Beta)
Kosovo Assembly Presidency member Oliver Ivanovic has stated that talks on Kosovo and Metohija’s status at this moment are drawing away the attention from the essence of the problem, assessing that this will enable the culprits for the ethnic cleansing to stay behind. “Cantonization, decentralization and entities at this moment are not a topic, and this is totally mistakenly launched as the most important thing, and the attention is drawn away from the real problem – ethnic cleansing occurred in Kosovo and Metohija, just like in 1999. The culprits for 1999 and 17 March, and taking measures for establishing their responsibility, will stay behind, which isn’t good for us,” said Ivanovic.
Protest by families of missing (Danas)
The Association of the families of kidnapped and murdered in Kosovo and Metohija has lodged a complaint to the Serbian Parliament because it had not requested in the resolution on Kosovo the release of kidnapped Serbs and punishment of criminals from KLA ranks. The statement by the Association reads that the families will never forget their kidnapped and accuse the MPs of “forgetting the suffering of civilians, priests, soldiers and policemen, as well as destroyed churches and monasteries.” “The families will not forget that