KPS members suspended (Blic/Beta)

Nine KPS members from Urosevac have been suspended because they had exerted too much force against two suspected thieves they arrested. The thieves were arrested in Urosevac on 8 May, while the commander of the police station Jeffrey Barns accused the KPS members whose names were not announced.

Reaction to the statement by General Johnson (Glas)

Commenting Johnson’s statement, the associate of the Center for anti-war action Bogoljub Milosavljevic states that, according to the founding contract, only sovereign states can be NATO members. “This leads to the conclusion that Kosovo should acquire in that period characteristics of a sovereign, i.e. independent state,” assesses Milosavljevic, adding that there are several options in the American plans on resolving the Kosovo issue, but that none of them envisages integration of Kosovo under Serbia’s full sovereignty. Those ideas, according to him, are ranging from a high degree of autonomy within SCG and complete state independence. However, stresses Milosavljevic, the statement made by the commander of NATO’s southern flank could possibly aim at testing the public opinion. Compared to him, Kosovo Assembly Presidency member Oliver Ivanovic doubts that Johnson had in mind the special status of the southern Serbian province and supposes at issue is a bad interpretation. Dusan Janjic, the Director of the Forum for ethnic relations, states that the people from the international community are used to giving statements in which they are not directly giving their opinion on Kosovo’s status. Janjic assesses that, this way, Albanians are being calmed down since the majority of them are for independence, and, thus, more favorable safety conditions for the international community’s officials are being created in the province.

Albanian government to open border for Kosovo Albanians during summer (Danas/Beta)

The Albanian government has decided to enable Kosovo Albanians to cross the border without passports in Morin this summer as well, said in Pristina Albanian Minister for Tourism Bashkim Fino, who was on a two-day visit in Kosovo. “The Albanian government has brought the decision that goes into effect in June and lasts until the end of September, towards enabling Kosovars to cross the border near Morin without any obstacle,” said Fino following talks with Kosovo Premier Bajram Rexhepi.

Dragan Marsicanin on solution for Kosovo and Metohija (Vecernje Novosti)

The only solution for Kosovo and Metohija is a broad autonomy within Serbia, However, in such a system, in areas where Serbs make up a majority population, there must be ensured a high degree of autonomy as well. In short, the solution for Kosovo and Metohija is autonomy within autonomy within Serbia, presidential candidate of the ruling coalition DSS, G17plus, SPO and NS, Dragan Marsicanin said during his visit to Bor. “It is impossible to estimate how much time will pass until the problem of Kosovo and Metohija is resolved. Just look at the example of Cyprus where, not even after several decades, a solution to the conflict between the Greek and Turks is perceived,” said Marsicanin.

May 16

Gregory Johnson in Kosovska Mitrovica (Vecernje Novosti)

Admiral Gregory Johnson, NATO Commander for Southeastern Europe, has met in Kosovska Mitrovica with Kosovo Assembly deputy speaker Oliver Ivanovic, and stated following talks that all issues can be resolved only with dialogue. “We don’t have a new strategy for Kosovo, the essence is in dialogue and if there isn’t one, we will have no results,” said Admiral Johnson, and advocated immediate talks on the safety issue. Municipal leadership has a significant role in this, said Gregory Johnson. “I told the NATO Commander for Southeastern Europe that KFOR has not only military but also a political role in Kosovo and asked that the composition and number of soldiers in the peace mission remain the same. If extremists are removed from this area and new political leaders are created then problems will be solved more easily,” said Oliver Ivanovic.

Gregory Johnson meets Rexhepi (Politika/Beta)

Admiral Gregory Johnson has stated following the meeting with Kosovo Premier Bajram Rexhepi in Pristina that Kosovo could be part of the Alliance “in a not so far future.” “We can see Kosovo as member of the North Atlantic Alliance in a not so far future, but only through the respect of law and guarantees of normal functioning of institutions and inter-ethnic tolerance,” said Johnson. According to him, NATO “guarantees peace and safety in Kosovo that will not be built through arms, but through respect and enforcement of the law.”

Strategy for Kosovo (Glas/Beta)

The Coordinator of the Stability Pact for Southeastern Europe Erhard Busek has advocated an “exit strategy” of the international community for Kosovo and in B-H. In a discussion at the Vienna Faculty of Economics, he pointed out in connection with the issue of EU’s expansion in the former Yugoslav countries that there were two unresolved problems in that part of Europe. Busek pointed out that the “viceroy” Paddy Ashdown was ruling in B-H. “I doubt that the international community is happy for being in B-H,” he assessed. The former Austrian vice-chancellor has pointed out that Kosovo is a bigger problem. “An exit strategy of the international community is necessary for these two problems,” he assessed.

EU ministers on Kosovo (Politika/Tanjug)

Western Balkans and Kosovo and Metohija will be among the important topics at the regular meeting of EU’s foreign ministers in Brussels on Monday and Tuesday. EU officials have announced that the analysis of the situation in Kosovo and Metohija, following the March wave of violence of Albanian extremists against Serbs, will be in the center of attention during the debate on Western Balkans. The ministers are expected to confirm EU’s orientation in the support of the “standards before final status” policy. The European Commissioner for foreign policy Christopher Patten will inform the foreign ministers how much progress had there been in the reconstruction of Serb sacred and religious facilities damaged or destroyed in the March wave of violence, especially insisted on by the EU. It is being more loudly, but unofficially, spoken in Brussels that UNMIK Head Harri Holkeri will leave Pristina as early as this summer, and that someone from Europe will succeed him.

Ninoslav Randjelovic – only cameraman of March events in Kosovo (Balkan)

Ninoslav Randjelovic, was the only one in Kosovo on 19, 20 and 21 March who noted with his camera the tragic testimony of Serbs on their suffering in the southern Serbian province. He states that he realized for the first time that people abroad are interested in his photos when he visited Paris and the US – Chicago, New York and Boston. “These photos were shown at the Sorbonne, Columbia University, Fordam University, the University in Boston – MIT, where people from Harvard came to see them, at the Rockford University, and at the Serbian Cultural Center in Chicago. The material finally arrived to certain American politicians, senators and governors. I recall that this is the only record of the humanitarian catastrophe in Kosovo that exploded in March.

Nikolic advocates return of army to Kosovo (Blic)

SRS presidential candidate Tomislav Nikolic has advocated in Medvedja the return of the Serbian Army and police to Kosovo. “Let them be part of KFOR and UNMIK, and let them defend Serb villages and churches, so Kosovo and Metohija would remain eternally within Serbia. We will grant autonomy to Albanians, let them elect each other and let them implement power. If they can acquire some conveniences, let them share them, but Serbs should live on their properties and it should be the Serbian state,” said Nikolic.