COMMUNIQUE OF THE INTERNATIONAL PRESS CENTER

Two new incidents in Zvecan and southern Kosovska Mitrovica

Kosovska Mitrovica, December 28, 2005

Two new incidents occurred last night in Zvecan and southern Kosovska Mitrovica in which no one was hurt, regional Kosovo Police Service spokesman Sami Mehmeti confirmed for the International Press Center.

Just after midnight, at approximately 00:30 a.m. a hand grenade was tossed into the yard of a house in Zvecan, which is inhabited exclusively by Serbs. The head of household reported only damage to his house and automobile to the KPS, as there were none injured.

Tadic: I Will Not Sign Kosovo Independence

Belgrade, 28 Dec (RTS)

In an interview for Radio Television Serbia (RTS), Boris Tadic, president of Serbia, stated possible solution of giving Kosovo independence cannot be disregarded. He said this also applies to any other forced solution. Tadic pointed out he would not sign a document giving Kosovo independence.

There needs to be a careful observation on what every politician is doing and not on what he is saying, stated Tadic. “Battle for Kosovo is being led on two fields. One is international-law field, and the other is the political field,” said Tadic and added that international law depends on politics and political interests, and that this is why a political decision is reached from the political and not the law field even tough international law is on Serbian side. “This does not mean Serbia is leaving international law position and its legal legitimacy,” said Tadic.

Serbian president emphasized that negotiation team supports protection of sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country and that this is why constitutional law solution cannot be classic but realistic and compromising.

According to Tadic’s evaluations compromising solution is one which enables total territorial integrity and sovereignty over the province, at the same time allowing possibility for institutional connection between Serbs and Serbia.

“What is at stake is a realistic proposal which under the new circumstances when there is no territorial  connection between Serbian enclaves, cannot be pointed to as a proposal for dividing of Kosovo,” said Tadic. “We are dealing with a negotiation strategy which will be on the negotiations table as early as in the first days of January,” said Tadic and added that working groups of Serbian government and the presidential cabinet are making all possible efforts in stopping a forced solution, because if that happens it will put the state in a very hard position.   

Tadic also emphasized that key country members of the UN Security Council must be constantly reminded how it is in their interest to stop independent Kosovo and Metohija, since it is their interest to see stabile Serbia, since stability of the Balkans is essentially connected with not allowing a legal precedent such as independent Kosovo and Metohija, and because it is in their economic interest that Serbia becomes stable and favorable for investments.

Tadic, stated that Serbia needs a new government, which will be composed of democratic forces, and which will be able to “hold thru” the Kosovo negotiations, referendum in Montenegro, and negotiation on stabilization and association with the EU.

Belgrade Media Update, December 29, 2005

Shooting in northern Kosovska Mitrovica again (RTS)

Unknown persons fired several shots at one of the three skyscrapers in northern Kosovska Mitrovica, but nobody was wounded in the attack. The police reported that three flats were damaged. Police investigation is underway.

Kosovo police release suspects (B92)

KPS has released five suspects who were brought in for interrogation regarding the shootings of two Serbs in Kosovska Mitrovica on Sunday night. KPS Deputy Regional Commander in Kosovska Mitrovica Ergin Medic said that the five suspects were in the vicinity of the victims during the time of the attacks, but added that the shooting victims could not give a positive identification on any of the five suspects. “KPS will step up security measures and maximally engage itself in providing safety for all Mitrovica citizens,” Medic said.

Serbs protest in northern Kosovska Mitrovica (RTS)

The latest incidents in Kosovo show that ethnic cleansing of Serbs is underway in the province, and that only Kosovo Serbs are resisting it, it was said at a peaceful protest rally in northern Kosovska Mitrovica, attended by more than 1,000 Serbs. UNMIK was asked to respond whether they are able to provide security for Serbs in Kosovo. If they are not, the only solution is the return of the Serbian Army and police to Kosovo.

Raskovic-Ivic and Batakovic: Necessary decentralization of Kosovo (RTS)

Decentralization is for both Belgrade and the international mediators the key topic in negotiations on the future status of Kosovo, as the survival of the Serb community in the province will depend on it, underlined the Head of the CCK Sanda Raskovic-Ivic. She said in Belgrade that UN Special Envoy Kai Eide and UNMIK Head Sřren Jessen-Petersen had also rejected the plan of the Albanian side on decentralization pilot projects. The Serbian President’s Advisor Dusan Batakovic said that the survival of Serbs in Kosovo was possible only if they are allowed to link the municipalities where they are the majority population and establish constitutional and legal ties with Belgrade. Batakovic pointed out that the decentralization processes must also relate to churches and monasteries of the Serbian Orthodox Church in the province.

Bulatovic: Security stable in Serbia (RTS)

Security in Serbia is stable and there are no security risks that could endanger the republic in the following period, said the Director of the Security Information Agency (BIA) Rade Bulatovic. While presenting the report on the work of this agency in the second half of the year, Bulatovic said at the session of the Serbian Parliament Board for Security that only possible escalation of violence in Kosovo, which could be out of control of the international forces, could lead to the deterioration of the security situation. He pointed out that the political-security situation in Kosovo has been representing a significant factor for a long time now, which most directly influences the stability of the region and the beginning of negotiations on the final status of the province.

Vujacic: Progress in relations with the US (Tanjug)

The SCG Ambassador in Washington Ivan Vujacic assessed that the US initiative for resolving the future status of Kosovo had been aimed at moving this process forward without defining a final plan or status of the province. The status should be defined during the negotiations, and the US will play an important role in this, as well as other Contact Group member states, Vujacic told Tanjug, summing up relations between the SCG and the US in the previous year.

Ivanovic: Serbs not a minority (Beta)

SLKM leader Oliver Ivanovic will not meet with the Kosovo minority leader “because Serbs in Kosovo are not a minority.” He stated that he has not met with the head of the Advisory Council for minorities of the Kosovo negotiating team Veton Suroi “because Serbs in Kosovo are not a minority.” Ivanovic said that he could always meet with Suroi as the ORA leader, but not as the head of the Advisory Council for minorities. He said he would present the stands and ideas of his list to the Belgrade negotiating team, and not to the Advisory Council for minorities.

Holy See still firmly for UNSCR 1244 (RTS/Tanjug)

Apostle Nuncio in Belgrade Eugene Zbarbaro told Tanjug that the Holy See was still firmly supporting UNSCR 1244 and “it will remain that way until the international community and the interested local parties find a new solution for Kosovo.” The apostle nuncio set out that position following the statements by Bishop Marko Sopi, apostolic administrator for Kosovo, in which he, the media reported, compared the birth of Christ to “the birth of a new reality in Kosovo” and called on the faithful to “prey for an independent and sovereign Kosovo.” Zbarbaro has stated there is no change of the stand of the Holy See towards Kosovo and that the Vatican continues to firmly adhere to UNSCR 1244. That stand of the Roman Catholic Church was directly conveyed by the Holy See leadership to Presidents Marovic and Tadic, as well as Foreign Minister Draskovic, during their visits to the Vatican in August and September this year,” said Zbarbaro.

Platform on resolving Albanian status in southern Serbia (RTS/Tanjug)

At a meeting in Presevo, held without the presence of the public, leaders of four Albanian parties from Bujanovac, Presevo and Medvedja have adopted the “Platform on the resolution of the status of Albanians in southern Serbia,” while the board members of these municipalities should make this document official. Tanjug has learned that this platform envisages that, if Serbs in Kosovo receive autonomy, the same would be valid for Albanians in southern Serbia according to the reciprocity system. There is also an annex in that document, stating that, in case of change in the status of the province, Albanians who live in the municipalities of Presevo, Bujanovac and Medvedja will also demand that this territory unites with Kosovo. The text of the platform has also been sent to Veton Suroi, one of the Albanian representatives in the negotiations on the final status of Kosovo.

Batakovic: Albanians from Presevo deteriorating situation (RTS)

Member of the Serbian negotiating team for talks on the future status of Kosovo Dusan Batakovic has said Albanians from Presevo in southern Serbia will try to deteriorate the situation with their extremist position in order to improve the chances of Kosovo getting the status desired by the majority of Albanians. It is a fact that Albanians in Presevo live essentially different compared to the Serbs in Kosovo, they have a normal self-government, they elect and dismiss mayors on their own, there are no threats either for their property or safety, they travel freely,” Batakovic told a press conference. “Serbs in Kosovo have none of that. Non-readiness by the Albanian community is amazingly high for any sort of small concession to the Serb community in order to only survive in Kosovo,” said Batakovic. If Serbs in Kosovo lived like Albanians in Presevo, it would be easier to reach a solution,” said Batakovic.