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UNMIK-OSCE-EU-UNHCR Press Briefing, 13 September 2001 UNMIK Spokeswoman Susan Manuel
Tragedy in the United States Can we take a moment of silence for the events of Tuesday. Thank you. I would like to express my thanks for the many people of Pristina and in the greater region who have expressed themselves on this tragedy and for the vigil yesterday. Mr. Hans Haekkerup, upon his return yesterday, issued a statement in which he said expressed his deepest sympathies for the families of the victims who lost their lives yesterday in the appalling terrorist attacks in NY and Washington. Mr. Haekkerup said that "these terrorist attacks were not only aimed at the United States, but also at the fundamental values upon which the US and UN are built: peace, democracy and human rights…We will not be dissuaded by terrorists from continuing our work to maintain peace and build democracy. Tomorrow at noon UNMIK will have a ceremony of condolences. More details to be released to staff later today. Lazim Rexhepi Memorial Just after this briefing, a large memorial service for KPS Officer Lazim Rexhepi is being held, at 1 p.m. in Petrovce village. Acting police commissioner Thom Hacker will lead the ceremony. We are expecting a large crowd so any of you planning to go should leave soon. Police are continuing their investigation into the shooting which in which Officer Rexhepi was killed and officer Avdullah Musliu was severely wounded. One suspect was also killed. Police are optimistic they will achieve results in terms of arrests the near future. Police News Also from the police, yesterday morning, a member of the "Help from Germany" de-mining team stepped on a landmine during a removal operation along the border at Cafa Morina. The injured de-miner is a citizen of Bosnia and Herzegovina. He had an injury to his foot. SRSG Mr. Haekkerup is expected to sign today the regulation on the executive structures of Provisional Self Government. I understand it is basically the same as the version we released earlier. Currently he is meeting with Mr. Covic, out at Olga, Pristina, where they are continuing their discussions on Mitrovica and education. Claire will expand on registration, but as far as civil registration of communities in Kosovo, we now have 40,000 new registrants inside Kosovo -mainly Serbs, and some 73,300 IDPS in Serbia and Montenegro Serbs in Assembly As we are meeting, there is drama next door at the Municipal Assembly where 3 of the five Kosovo Serbs appointed to the Assembly last year were to have been sworn in. As per the agreement made with the Assembly at its inauguration last year, members were to be sworn-in in front of whatever flag they felt represented them. However, Muni President Gashi reneged on this yesterday. At 11:26 this morning, the Assembly, after much discussion, has allowed the three members to be sworn-in in front of all flags representing members of the Assembly: those include the Serbian and Albanian flags. Other issues Regarding two questions that came up in the last press briefing, Belgrade University does indeed offer courses in Albanian language studies. And the Miami Beach club will be closed or removed from the school yard in the next few days.
Quarterly Report The Department of Reconstruction (DOR) has this week published its second quarterly report covering the months April-June of 2001. The report shows that in the second quarter of this year about DM 284 million of new contracts were awarded bringing the total for the year so far to around DM 1,000 million. The report states that economic development is progressing well. The rural economy will benefit considerably from a number of agricultural investments and industry has much greater access to credit than ever before. Similarly there was good progress in the social sectors as both health and education received important new commitments. However, the report underlines the urgent need for additional donor support to transport, environmental protection, civil security and emergency preparedness, justice and the Kosovo Police Service in order for important programmes to go ahead this year. There will be a media event, with DOR co-heads Roy Dickinson and Mehmet Hajrizi presenting the findings of the report, this afternoon at 2.30 in room c301 here in the Government Building. Details are available outside. Power A note on the power from PUD, Unit A3 is down due to leakages and with the lack of availability of imports from the region, there will be quite heavy load shedding: 2 hours on, 4 hours off. Euro - Meeting The Euro working group, chaired by DSRSG Bearpark, will meet next week. Since the working group last met some months ago, a great deal of work has been carried out in preparing sectoral areas such as public administration and business for the currency changeover. Work has also been carried out on the logistical implications of bringing in the actual cash. The EU Pillar's Banking and Payments authority is working closely with the Police, KFOR and institutions such as the Chamber of Commerce. With the arrival of the Euro in Kosovo at the beginning of next year, UNMIK and the EU are encouraging all Kosovo's citizens to be aware of its arrival, be prepared and to open bank accounts to ease the transition to the new currency. Last week the BPK licensed five new bank branches that will be established in Gjilane (BRK), Ferizaj/ Uroshevac (BRK), Gjakova/ Dakovica (BRK), Prizren (BPB). This means that a total of 12 bank branches will be open and operating in Kosovo. Media will be invited to attend the Euro group meeting and further details will follow. Insurance Regulation In a related matter the BPK has submitted its draft insurance regulation for legal review. Following this review it is expected that the regulation will be discussed by the IAC. The draft regulation defines the legal provision governing the licensing and supervision of insurance companies and Insurance intermediaries. The Guiding Principles that prevailed in the drafting process were aimed at ensuring consistency with European Union Insurance Directives, and to strive for harmony between Insurance and Bank Regulation. Declaration by the European Union The council of the European Union, meeting in special session yesterday, in the presence of the Secretary General of the Atlantic Alliance expressed horror at this week's terrorist attacks in the United States. The Council stressed its complete solidarity with the government of the United States and the American people at this terrible time and extended its deepest sympathy to all the victims and their families. We ask all the Europeans to observe 3 minutes of silence Friday, 14 September at 12h00 and we also declare 14 September 2001 a day of mourning. These horrendous acts are an attach not only on the United States but against humanity itself and the values and freedom we all share. The life and work of our open and democratic societies will continue undeterred. The Union utterly condemns the perpetrators and sponsors of these acts of barbarism. The Union and its member states will spare no efforts to help identify, bring to justice and punish those responsible: there will be no safe haven for terrorists and their sponsors. The Union will work closely with the United States and all partners to combat international terrorism. All international organizations, particularly the United Nations, must be engaged and all relevant international instruments, including on the financing of terrorism, must be fully implemented. The Community and its members states have offered to the United States all possible assistance with search and rescue operations. Discussion are underway to establish what would be most useful. Recalling the strong and enduring ties which exist between the European Union and the United States, the Council has asked the Presidency to stay in close contact with the government of the United States in order to convey this message of solidarity.
CEC The Central Election Commission meets this afternoon. Two of the main areas of discussion will be the format of the ballot paper and a discussion on campaign finance - and the need for scrutiny of financing for political entities. Candidates' Lists Political entities have submitted their candidates lists - which are now being examined by the political party services division of the Elections' Department to make sure they meet requirements. The CEC will have to approve the lists. Polling Station Committee Training Still on the coming election - the chair people of polling station committees are receiving training this week in order to help the committees avoid some of the problems that occurred last year, like the long lines. The polling station committee members are nominated by political parties and NGO's. Voter Services/Registration We've seen an upswing of people going to registration and voter services following the extension of the deadline. As of September 11th there were 52 thousand new registrants in Kosovo, 71,566 in Serbia proper and just over 3,750 in Montenegro. However the deadline is the 22nd September; after that time people cannot add their names to the voters' list. Electoral Campaign A newspaper today has made a mistake I would like to correct - the
official start to the Electoral Campaign is October 3rd. This is 45 days
ahead of the election day. We would like to offer our condolences to the families of the two KPS officers killed in the line of duty. The OSCE trained these officers - and the increasing number of attacks on Kosovo's police officers should not be accepted. Saturday is the graduation of the 16th class of the OSCE run Kosovo police services school. This marks the fulfilment of the school's original mandate, to provide basic police training to 4,000 locally recruited officers - it actually brings to 4,106 the number of officers who have graduated. Now the school will be training a further 1700 officers by the end of next year. This graduation will be at the University of Pristina Sports Centre on Saturday at 10.30. Media are as ever very welcome to attend.
Total Number of Arrivals Since the Beginning of the
Conflict: 81,824 Estimated number of returnees approximately 50,575 Estimated Total remaining 31,249 Return to FYROM People continue to return to FYROM. Since the heights in return on Saturday ( over 3000 people returned that day alone), the rate of return has decreased, stabilising to a level of around 1000 returnees a day. As of to date over 50,000 people have reportedly returned to fYROM, with over 31,000 people remaining in Kosovo. Unfortunately not all of the returnees manage to return home: several who returned enthusiastically find that return to their place of origin is still difficult or that their house is badly damaged. As a result once again they find themselves in a situation of secondary displacement. Most of the returnees are heading for the urban centers, such as Skopje, Kumanovo and Tetovo. Also to smaller villages such as Saraj, Svilar, Haricina, Hasanbeg, Kumanova and Nikustak . Because there are ethnic Albanian villages sealed off by Macedonian troops, some arrivals wait in the cities and towns for the opportunity to return to their homes. This is also one reason for the increased number of IDPs the Macedonian Red Cross has registered - 76,000 so far. UNHCR has warned against returns to areas regarded as extremely volatile and is consistently calling for an urgent international arrangement to fill the security vacuum that will arise at the end of NATO's arms collection operation on September 26 in FYROM. The surge in returns last week followed a parliament vote to
consider minority rights and the lifting of blockades at two main roads to
FYROM from Yugoslavia. Returnees say they are tired of living with host
families in Kosovo, where some have been staying since the war broke out
in FYROM in February. They say their children have to go back to schools
and they should now begin to rebuild their lives, even if it means living
this winter in a tent if their houses are destroyed. SECURITY inside FYROM Leaders of displaced ethnic Macedonian, Serb and Albanian groups from Lipkovo municipality held an informal joint meeting on Tuesday with UNHCR in Kumanovo town to discuss how they can freely travel to their villages in Lipkovo municipality which are blockaded by Macedonian security forces. They decided to raise the issue with the municipal crisis committees in Kumanovo. Before the war broke out in FYROM in February, Lipkovo's 19 villages had a population of around 30,000. Around 15,000 are now in the villages, including those who never left and several thousand who recently came back from across the mountains. Ethnic Macedonians and Serbs in some mixed villages in Lipkovo have stayed away but want to go back and see their homes. During a visit to the area last week, UNHCR saw little damage to the main town of Lipkovo, but some villages are badly thrashed. Local leaders said 80 percent of the houses sustained damage from the recent fighting. UNHCR is increasing its presence in FYROM in a bid to help build confidence in returns of both refugees and IDPs. Assistance In addition to the regular provision of food and non food items, another major thrust of UNHCR's relief program in fYROM is to provide materials for minor repair of damaged houses. In severely affected areas, UNHCR's plan is to help families build one warm room for winter. UNHCR will buy cement, roof tiles, wood and window frames from local sources for this project. Several thousands homes are believed to have sustained damage or total destruction. Priorities for return will be the basis in granting assistance for building a warm shelter. Returns should take into account safety and security, clearance of land mines and unexploded ordnance, availability of water and electricity. The UNHCR's shelter program is intended to meet urgent needs for repairs and minor rehabilitation. Other international organizations and aid groups have drawn up plans for major infrastructure rehabilitation and the rebuilding of destroyed houses. In the meantime, UNHCR has been assessing damage to houses at Lopate, Brnjarci and Aracinovo. Similar assessments will continue in all the affected villages. A press release on assistance available in fYROM is here with me. No Questions.
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