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UNMIK-UNHCR-OSCE-EU Press Briefing, 3 May 2001 UNMIK Spokesman Susan Manuel UNMIK Spokesman Susan Manuel SRSG Intensive meetings are continuing this week aimed at reaching an agreement on the Legal Framework by Friday. SRSG Hans Haekkerup will speak to you here at noon after his meeting with Prince Philippe of Belgium. Yesterday members of the IAC and Legal Framework working group met, after SRSG Haekkerup had individual meetings with the IAC members. Today the IAC members will meet with representatives of the liaison offices of US, UK, France, Germany, Italy and Sweden. There will be a follow up meeting with the IAC at 5:30 p.m., as well as individual meetings again with the Kosovo Albanian members. The IAC will meet again on the issue Friday. Tax collection Regarding the tax collection points set up by UNMIK in Northern Kosovo, UNMIK officials and officials of the FRY and Serbia met in Belgrade last Thursday and reached an understanding on the necessity and legality of sales and excise tax collection at the administrative boundary. UNMIK has assured the FRY authorities that custom duties will not be charged on goods that originate or are produced in the FRY. The UNMIK officials involved have reported that the FRY authorities expressed understanding of the legal background (UNSCR 1244) for UNMIK to collect taxes on the ABL. Technical level follow up meetings between officials of UNMIK and the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Serbia will be held to harmonize tax issues and to further prevent smuggling and double taxation. Two Kosovo Serb leaders are today in Belgrade to discuss the issue with
the relevant ministries. UNMIK police have identified the two men who escaped from Mitrovica prison Sunday night as Xheladin Geci, who had been charged with murder and weapons possession, and Ilir Tahiri. A third man, also a Kosovo Albanian, was caught and returned to prison. The body of a Serbian male, approximately 50 years old, was found in a ditch yesterday morning, 9 km east of Vitina. He appears to have been strangled. A dead body found several days ago in Pristina has been identified as a 63-year-old Serbian male, who had been reported missing earlier. An autopsy is being conducted into the cause of his death. Two Kosovo Roma houses have been set on fire as a Kosovo Serb barn was set on fire in the Gnilane region. Police yesterday seized about 800 false vehicle registration forms which had been issued to Kosovo residents, during a raid on a counterfeit ring in Pristina These were false insurance documents and purchasing contracts. Two Kosovo Albanians were arrested yesterday in Vitina, and charged with the murder of a 17-year-old Serb boy and the wounding of a Kosovo Albanian -both on 30 April. The international prosecutor is handling the case. There may be other charges. Hajrizi Isa, a senior northern Kosovo TMK official, was taken into police custody yesterday in his house in Vushrtii, and is under investigation for a connection with the grenade attack on a Mitrovica café in Feb 2000 which resulted in the wounding of 17 people. The international prosecutor will see him today. A new international judge Vagn Prusso JOENSEN, of Denmark, who will serve in Mitrovica, will be sworn in tomorrow. The STANOJEVIC case resumes tomorrow in Pristina District Court (related to Racak massacre)-there have been problems with attempts at reconstruction of the crime scene, hence delay. The new Kosovo Judicial and Prosecutional Council has appointed its members and will be sworn in on 10 May. Solana Dr. Javier Solana, EU High Representative for Common Foreign and
Security Policy, will visit Kosovo next Monday 7 May. This is the third day of the Weapons Amnesty Program, however only a negligible amount of weapons have been turned in. UNMIK Police and KFOR will be distributing leaflets, which explain the procedures for surrendering the weapons and with instructions for weapon removal. University Reforms Michael Daxner, International Administrator of University of Pristina and co-head of the Department of Education and Science, will deliver a lecture on university reforms tomorrow at 10 a.m. at the Student Centre in the University of Pristina. The lecture is in response to demands from the students. Journalists are invited to attend. UNHCR Spokeswoman Astrid van Genderen Stort Morris Statement First I would like to start with a statement by UNHCR Special Envoy Eric Morris. "UNHCR is most concerned with the humanitarian consequences on the
civilian We trust that those responsible for the discussions on Sector B in the
Ground Safety Zone UNHCR has consistently been insistent on drawing the attention of the
Belgrade authorities UNHCR also continues to call upon the Albanian leaders to remain committed to a peaceful political process." RAE Meeting On Monday 7 May 2001 Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian (RAE) representatives will meet with the three IAC representatives Ibrahim Rugova, Hashim Thaci and Ramush Haradinaj to discuss a declaration of principles supporting the RAE communities in Kosovo, specifically on issues relating to return and security. The meeting is being jointly organised by UNMIK and UNCR and will be attended by the SRSG Hans Haekerup and UNHCR's Special Envoy Mr. Eric Morris. The leaders of the RAE communities will also be able to relate their specific security concerns to representatives of KFOR and UNMIK police. The meeting on Monday marks another step in a process that was set in motion one year ago with the endorsement of the Platform of Joint Action, initiated by UNHCR in April 2000. In May and September of 2000, UNHCR organized two field visits of the Albanian leadership, UNMIK's SRSG, UNHCR's Special Envoy and ComKFOR to RAE communities all over Kosovo with the intention of showing the commitment of all parties to create better conditions for the RAE communities and welcome their return in Kosovo society. The field visits were followed by two working sessions with the RAE leadership and the JIAS departments. UNHCR and UNMIK are strongly committed to improving the conditions of the marginalized RAE community and believe that return of all members of this community should be a priority. FYROM returns UNHCR will remain committed to returning those displaced from fYROM to their homes as soon as conditions are conducive to such a return. UNHCR urges all parties involved to keep the focus on a political dialogue in order not to create yet another situation in which the civilian population could become the major victim. OSCE Spokeswoman Claire Trevena Opposition Seminar Today the OSCE is holding a one-day seminar on the role of the opposition in municipal governments. The seminar is involving representatives in assemblies across Kosovo and the aim is to raise awareness on what opposition members can actually do and what part they can play. Participants will be presented with the role that opposition parties play in western democracies, but the real focus is learning how to act constructively as an opposition member within a municipal assembly. The seminar is open to the media at the OSCE Headquarters on the 4th floor and it runs until 5pm this afternoon. Code of Ethics On Saturday May 5th, lawyers from all over Kosovo are meeting in Prishtina to discuss a code of ethics. The seminar is being supported by the OSCE's Rule of Law division and is taking place at the Cimik Center near the Sports Center. It is being organized by the Kosovo Bar Association and the French organization, Advokats Sans Frontiers, Lawyers Without Borders. The Code of Ethics is important set of guidelines that will govern how lawyers will interact with their clients, with each other and with the judicial system. It also covers regulations on financial matters, such as salaries, legal costs and so on. The media are welcome to the seminar. There will be a press release with more on this later today. EU Spokesman Mike Todd Technical Assistance Programs In terms of private sector development, last week the contract for the
technical assistance Commercial Law Regulations In terms of Commercial Law regulations which is also under the
Department of Trade and So far a total of 4 commercial laws have been passed and these include
regulations on Water Project Approved Finally there has been a water project approved to improve the quality
of water services in Questions: Q: When was the body of the Serb found? SM: The day before yesterday.
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