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UNMIK-UNHCR-OSCE-EU Press briefing, 16 March 2001 UNMIK Spokespersons Susan Manuel/Michael Keats UNMIK Spokeswoman Susan Manuel Legal framework Mr. Johan Van Lamoen will give a press briefing on the work of the Legal Framework Working Group directly after this briefing. Russian Federation Minister of Foreign Affairs to visit Kosovo The Russian Federation Minister of Foreign Affairs, Igor Ivanov, will visit Kosovo on Tuesday, with a press opportunity at 3 p.m. at the Russian contingent HQ in Slatina Airfied. We will put on a bus to take journalists but whether you go with us or independently, you must register ahead of time with Sylvana. No journalists who are not on her list will be admitted to the site. Investigation on the bus attack The detention order under which two Kosovo Albanians have been held in connection with the attack on the bus convoy near Podujevo on 16 February was not extended. The International prosecutor (Peter Korneck) has not recommended an extension of that order. Even if the two are released today, UNMIK police are proceeding vigorously with their investigation, while observing the human rights of all concerned. Mitrovica The situation in Mitrovica is now calm but tense with sporadic attacks on UNMIK police vehicles. Police On Tuesday evening, unknown persons threw a hand grenade at an occupied Kosovo Serb house in the village of Gonia Gusterica in Lipjan/Lipljan, causing minor structural damage. UNMIK Police is investigating. Yesterday, just after midnight, in the village of Brekoc in
Gjakovë/Djakovica, a Kosovo Albanian male reported that a rocket
propelled grenade had been fired at his petrol station. No injuries were
reported. We understand that according to a statement issued following a meeting
between Serb deputy PM Zoran Djindjic and Mr. Oliver Ivanovic yesterday in
Belgrade, the Serbian government voiced its support for Kosovo Serbs
participation in elections in Kosovo with some conditions such as increase
security, freedom of movement and increased returns. The border crossing with FYROM continues to make life difficult in Kosovo. Hundreds of trucks are stuck with goods needed here, such as potato seed, which must be planted within days before being spoiled…. Media event One hundred and eighty seven former combatants from the Prizren and Gjakovë/Djakovica areas have finished their vocational training courses. This group is part of the 1,136 former combatants who chose to reintegrate into civilian life through the vocational training offered by IOM. Media is invited to attend the graduation ceremonies tomorrow Saturday 17 March at 10:00 am and next Tuesday, 20 March at 12:00 noon. There is a press release on this outside. Other This will be my last briefing for about six weeks, as I am taking a leave. Mr. Michael Keats will take over as spokesperson and he is taking question. UNHCR Spokeswoman Astrid van Genderen Stort Developments in FYROM The situation in the west of the FYROM appears to have calmed considerably during the afternoon of 15 March following two police actions in the area of the KALE feature, above the town, during the morning. Sporadic firing and a few explosions in the hills above TETOVO were heard during the afternoon of 15 March. The town of Gostivar 25 kilometers south of Tetovo was also reported to be tense by media sources. The actual situation was very calm with a near normal atmosphere. There were numerous other unconfirmed reports of security incidents in the west of the country that have yet to be verified. The reports of population movement were confirmed in and out of Tetovo, as some residents are taking up the habit of commuting, while some have relocated dependents and others moved temporarily with relatives in other areas, including Skopje. UNHCR fYROM has so far not registered any displaced persons and has reported difficulty in estimating the movement of a highly-independent urban population, which is fairly mobile and relatively well off when compared to villagers in the hills. Inter?agency Coordination & Assistance in FYROM ICRC/IFRC continue vulnerability assessment of medical facilities, social institutions in Tetovo and assistance to affected rural population, while UNHCR remains the lead agency undertaking regular inter?agency and donor co-ordination briefing/information sharing, as well as negotiations with the central and regional authorities. As per standing arrangements, UNHCR will step into assistance mode if the situation on the ground requires such intervention. Unified stocks and Stand?by capabilities are in place. North FYROM (Crna Gora) A Macedonian soldier was reported badly injured in a land mine explosion in the Brest-Gozince area during the morning of 15 March and there have been reports of sporadic firing in the Kodra Fura and Malina Mala area between EAAG and Macedonian Security Forces. Assessment and registration of the population who has temporarily moved from villages in the border region of the Crna Gora Mountains to lower villages continues. However, the great majority of this caseload is now believed to have been identified and assisted and there are no reports of more people leaving the villages in or close to the areas affected by the continued unrest here. As of 15th March 2001, the number of persons who have relocated from this area still stands at 955, as reported before. Skopje The city remains calm. There have been reports of increased food and petrol buying by inhabitants due to fear of shortages. Supplies of basic goods and fuel appear not to have been affected so far. Southern Serbia UNHCR has received no information on internal displacement in/from southern Serbia following the entry of the Serb forces into the GSZ bordering FYROM on Wednesday. UNHCR is closely monitoring the situation and is prepared for any emergency if needed. OSCE Spokeswoman Laura O'Mahony OSCE Ambassador Daan Everts is in Belgrade at the moment. He's there for a regional OSCE Heads of Mission meeting and he's also attending the official opening of the OSCE Mission to the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. OSCE's training programme for the civil service and the new municipal structures A group of senior local staff from the central JIAS departments will be presented with diplomas today from the OSCE-run Institute of Civil Administration (ICA) in Ferizaj / Urosevac. The group has just completed a six-week programme at the ICA. The aim of the course was to provide them with a comprehensive introduction to the core skills required of modern public sector managers. The training covers, economics, public finance, public management, human resources and conflict resolution, and presents the participants with new ideas, theories and ways of approaching their work. During the course, for example, the participants examined modern approaches to managing Kosovo's public sector - concentrating specifically on leadership, communication and motivational skills. The graduation ceremony takes place at 2.30pm today. There is a press release outside. The second event concerning the ICA…. Officials from the municipal assemblies will leave for Norway tomorrow
for a specially- organised training course facilitated by the OSCE. A
total of 26 chief executive officers (CEOs) will take part in the five-day
programme, in the Norwegian capital, Oslo, from Monday till Friday. The
course forms part of a comprehensive series of training programmes being
co-ordinated by the OSCE-run Institute of Civil Administration (ICA) aimed
at assisting the new local government structures. The programme is being
organised by the Norwegian Association of Local and Regional Authorities
and is funded by the Norwegian Department of Foreign Affairs. If any members of the media would like to contact the participants while they are in Norway, please see me and I will give you details of how to do that. OSCE-run Kosovo Judicial Institute in Pristina Finally, another event coming up next week, this time concerning the OSCE-run Kosovo Judicial Institute here in Pristina.It will be officially inaugurated next Thursday by OSCE Head of Mission, Ambassador Daan Everts. The KJI provides training in international human rights law and other subjects for local judges and prosecutors. As such, it is playing a very important role in helping to foster a professional judiciary in Kosovo. We will send you a press advisory on that event next week. Finally, I'd like to wish you all a Happy St. Patrick's Day tomorrow! EU Spokesman Reinhold Brender Consumers all over Kosovo are urged to use water sparingly due to a lack of precipitation since last April. Also, in Pristina, due to a capacity problem of the pumps, a water reduction schedule continues to be in operation with parts of the town being without water from 23:00 hours until 6:00 hours. Domestic power production is good with 4 units (A3, A4, B2 and the hydroelectric plant at Gazivode/Ujmani) producing a total of 466 MW. Imports are coming in from Montenegro (50 MW) and Bulgaria (85 MW from midnight until 7.00 am and 140 MW from 7.00 am until midnight). These imports are less than contracted as the demand is less than anticipated due to the better weather conditions and improved domestic production. Trade and Industry The commercialisation team in Pristina launched two tenders for socially owned enterprises, for the chicken farm in Lipjan and for the Fapol enterprise in Podujevo. The commercial law development group of DTI is giving lectures to law and business students at the University of Pristina. Seminars on the new commercial laws are also organised for the business community all over Kosovo, in conjunction with the Kosovo Chamber of Commerce. The CSA consultancy group has arrived to manage and advise on Trepca operations. The group will also focus on environmental remediation and retraining of Trepca workers. During the past week CSA carried out site visits to the mining complex to establish logistical arrangements. RTK The European Agency for Reconstruction signed an agreement with Radio and Television of Kosovo (RTK) to provide EURO 2.5 million (about DM 5 million) of EU funding to support RTK in its development as a high quality sustainable and independent true public service broadcaster. The Agency's intervention will address the main challenges faced by RTK, such as the need for increased transmission, transfer of responsibility to local experts and the diversification of programmes.
Q: According to the closure of the border between Kosovo and FYROM, as I have understood, international bodies in Kosovo have access to FYROM but not, as Susan said, people from the former or present Yugoslavia. Does this mean that the Kosovars are able to cross the border and go to FYROM? Can you show how much you are worried about the closure of the border between Kosovo and FYROM? MK: As I understand it nobody, apart from internationals and UNMIK nationals staff, can cross the border and yes of course, we are worried. As Susan said, we have a great deal of trucks and equipment there that needs to come into Kosovo. We've got potatoes that are going off. So yes, we are worried, and we have asked the authorities in Skopje for their help in seeing that this can be done. Q: Have you just asked them, or have you done something concreteon that? MK: I have said that we have asked them. We can't demand. Q: I understood that yesterday, some UNMIK spokesperson from Mitrovica, said that it was a mistake of the UNMIK Police that they had taken action in arresting people there. I haven't heard that UNMIK has condemned the violence in the northern part of Mitrovica. Can you just say: do you condemn or not the violence there? MK: Very easily. As you know, I am the spokesman for Mitrovica, and yesterday I did not say what you said. I said that one person, who had been arrested had the same name of a person wanted by police, and was released. He was the first one released. And of course UNMIK condemns the violence. Q: I am just wondering Mike, why didn't you condemn the violence Monday two days ago when it happened? When something happens, everybody is rushing to condemn the violence, just on this podium. Why shouldn't you expect our questions to condemn the violence? MK: I don't need your questions. If you had been in Mitrovica two days ago, you would have heard the same answer: of course we condemn the violence. We condemn violence wherever it occurs. We look forward to Mitrovica being a progressive and peaceful society. Q: UNMIK Police has said, before that, that in several cases KFOR soldiers were staying in Mitrovica north, they were watching, standing by, without intervening, because these were the order that were given, and they didn't intervene when UNMIK Police officers were attacked by the mobs in the north. Is this the case again, now? MK: No, it is not. The incidents that have occurred over the last two days were in protest against the arrests and operations carried out by the police. That has been stated. That is what has happened. Q: Did KFOR intervene this time to protect UNMIK Police officers, which is part of their mandate in Kosovo? MK: The good news is: I don't think any police officers were actually attacked, apart from one CIVPOL officer who was threatened in his home, but managed to escape himself. Q: Do you have any information about the number of refugees that moved out of FYROM and into Albania? AvGS: No. Give me a call this afternoon, and I will get that verified. Q: How concerned are you that Kosovo Albanians are not allowed to cross into FYROM, and do you think that can make them into trying to find other ways into FYROM? MK: As the lawyers say: that calls for speculation. I don't want to speculate. Of course we don't like border being closed. We hope that normal traffic can resume as soon as possible. Q: We heard yesterday that there is no oxygen in the Pristina hospital for surgery, and this is because of the closure of the border. What can you do to provide oxygen for the Pristina hospital. MK: I'll check and let you know. Q: How did you receive that very precise information about what is happening inside FYROM, i.e. about Macedonian soldiers being seriously injured? AvGS: I can't give you all my sources. This I got from my UNHCR office in FYROM. Q: You said that you have asked the Macedonian authorities in Skopje to open the borders again. How much power do you have on the Macedonian authorities? How much can you influence them? MK: It is a request, and we can only hope that governments will act on requests.
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