Media Analysis 10 October 2003

• Kosovo Assembly decides - no position on dialogue (Koha Ditore)
  
• Ries: Washington hopes status will be separated from practical issues in Vienna (Koha)
  
• Dickinson: Dialogue doesn't damage Kosovo (Zëri)
• Ries: Washington hopes status will be separated from practical issues in Vienna (Koha) |
• Daniel Serwer Comment: Making Pristina-Belgrade Talks Effective (Koha)
  
• Shala: Denying abstention (Zëri)
  
• Busek tries to rescue the process launched by Holkeri (Koha Ditore)
  
• Haradinaj: No to "improvised" dialogue in Vienna (Epoka e Re)
  
• I. Rexhepi: Privatization - blackmail or a real problem (Koha Ditore)
  
• UN advises KTA not to fear needlessly (Koha Ditore)
  
• Sofalia is bought by Pristina municipal officials (Koha Ditore)
  

• Albanian police arrest K-Albanian suspected of terrorism (Koha Ditore)

Kosovo Assembly decides - no position on dialogue (Koha Ditore)

Koha Ditore says that the Assembly debate on Thursday on the dialogue with Belgrade turned into a personal clash between assembly speaker Nexhat Daci and PDK leader Hashim Thaçi.

'This happened when Daci decided to put the request of PDK for voting, whereas Thaçi's political party insisted that the Assembly should say whether or not it supported talks with Belgrade,' Koha Ditore reported.
The request of the second political party in Kosovo was supported only by 26 members out of 96 present in the Assembly. AAK said it would abstain from this voting though Daci had not asked for it or whether they were pro or against it. None of the LDK members took the floor to discuss this issue. "Twenty six votes in favour of a discussion cannot force anybody. This is over for today, if need be we can have a plenary session every day, but our stances are clear, this issue has been concluded," Daci said. Koha Ditore claims that during the break there was an exchange of unpleasant words between Thaçi-Daci-Haradainaj. Daci told to Thaçi, "You cannot tell me what to do." Thaçi told Daci, 'The Assembly is not a blacksmith's store.' Sources from the Assembly claimed that talks between Pristina and Belgrade expected to take place on October 14 in Vienna will not be put on the agenda. According to Koha Ditore, PDK said that the Assembly was wrongly avoiding taking responsibility. The response from Daci was that the request from PDK had not found support. Thaçi said that these things do not happen anywhere else in the world, on an issue of historical importance not to be discussed in parliament. "It is not good to gain votes in the name of independence and then to work against it", he said. Daci snapped back "Thank you for the explanation. It is for the Assembly and its president to decide, and you as a member of and as a leader of the second party have the right to express your opinion. But if you want to teach or dictate me, do not waste your energy. I told you this on the day I was elected".

Ries: Washington hopes status will be separated from practical issues in Vienna (Koha)

Koha Ditore carries an interview with Marcie Ries, the head of the US Office in Pristina. 'Washington believes that Kosovar representatives will travel to Vienna and it also hopes that the issue of Kosovo's status will finally be divorced from practical issues', Ries said. She insisted that it is for the Kosovars to decide on taking part in the dialogue.

KD: How do you assess the current situation regarding the dialogue? Are we going to be represented in Vienna and how?

Ries: I think that we had a long, serious and a constructive discussion, and I think that we took a step forward. I do not want to get into the stances of Kosovar leaders and the discussions among them, since at the end of the day it is they who have to decide. I think that the SRSG has put forward a very good offer, which should be taken seriously.

KD: Those unhappy with the organization of the dialogue say that Holkeri is at the same time organizer, guarantor and the one to decide about Kosovo's stance, and they say that this could make the success of the talks impossible. Do you consider that the role of UNMIK and the offer should change?

R: No, I consider that this concern is unfounded. According to 1244 it is adequate for him to head the talks, and for UNMIK to be at Kosovo's side. This is due to his responsibilities as Kosovo administrator and as SRSG, and he is obliged to advocate benchmarks and eventually to facilitate the final statues.

KD What is the role of US delegation, EU and NATO? Observers or what?

R: You need to see the talks as consisting of two parts. First it is the beginning of the talks. This is going to happen in Vienna at a political level to underline the commitment of the international community towards Kosovo and the dialogue. In the first part the US is going to be represented by a senior representative from Washington, Ambassador Montgomery and I. This is the beginning. The talks will be technical. The US will be present during this stage, too, and we expect to be present all the time, not at the table, but to provide support for the delegations.

KD: Some Albanian leaders are hesitating to involve in talks with Belgrade for fear of prejudging Kosovo's final status. Is there ground for this fear and is there some possibility among the internationals to give Kosovo a status other than independence?

R: I think that there is nothing to prejudge the status on this issue. In fact, the dialogue is one of the benchmarks, and opening the dialogue should be a step in the direction of solving the final status. Therefore any talks or statements about the status are irrelevant. This dialogue is on certain technical issues and not on status.

KD: There is fear that divisions among Kosovars might be passed on to institutions and destabilize them. What measures should be taken to prevent this from happening and to take part in the talks?

R: It is understandable that there is a serious reflection regarding these talks. At the end of the day we are talking about sitting around the table with people you fought a war with not long ago. We all understand that this is a difficult decision for Kosovo. At the same time there is an open and live debate about it, and this is what democracy is about and I do not see it as a negative thing. The fact that it is covered by media, discussed by people, political leaders, parliament, is a good thing, because it is up to Kosovars to decide. At the end of the day people will understand that going to that dialogue is a very positive thing, no matter how difficult the decision.

KD Talking points like returns, missing, energy, transport will be there for quite a while, five or ten years. Does this mean that after the first meeting, along with this dialogue, there will be another process which will lead towards the final status?

R: Dialogue means continuous talking aiming at solving problems. Therefore I think that we are dealing with a continuing process of discussing these problems, and not with the final status. When you think about topics that will be discussed, they are of real benefit, since so far there have been no official contacts, though there have been some individual ones.

KD Ambassador Holbrooke said that the international community has been moving too slowly towards the final status. Do you share his opinion?

R: Ambassador Holbrooke is an eminent American and a personal friend of mine, and he has the right to express his opinion, but it is the policy of our government to address standards before status, though I think that there is room to accelerate the process, but if we fail to have an agreement to start the talks, we will be lagging behind with one of the benchmarks. This is an argument to push this dialogue forward.

KD Political representatives of Kosovo Serbs are closer to the stance of Belgrade than to the one of Kosovar institutions, is this weakness in the Kosovar delegation?

R: I think it is an advantage to have representatives from all the communities in Kosovo, in fact this is crucial.

KD To get back to Holbrooke, do you consider there is a change in American policy towards Kosovo and the region from the previous administration?

R: No, on the contrary, I think there is continuation in our policy. We continue to have a strong presence in Kosovo, there is a considerable presence of NATO and UN, our mission is here, in fact we have a process of normalizing our mission. I think there is continuity, in terms of big issues in the foreign policy, and we continue to be committed to the future of Kosovo. This also shows why we consider these talks to of great importance. Over the last two weeks we had three high level visitors, two from the previous administration and one from the current administration, and I expect this to continue.

KD: One of the benchmarks not related to this dialogue is privatization and economy. Now, suddenly the privatisation process has came to a halt and it seems to be a step back. Do you consider it as such, and what is it about?

R: Yes, it is a setback. The issue is a legal one and the US is willing to offer its help to resolve it.

KD: But don't you think there is connection to the dialogue?

R: Not at this point, privatization is a very important process for economic development in Kosovo and I am very concerned with this development. I have been in touch with UNMIK to discuss this issue and we are working together to solve it.

Dickinson: Dialogue doesn't damage Kosovo (Zëri)
Zëri had an interview with the UK Liaison Office chief in Pristina Marc Dickinson about the upcoming dialogue.

You had a long meeting with Kosovar leaders on Wednesday but without results. What do you think, why is there still no final response?
I cannot speak on behalf of the Kosovar leaders. They should clarify their position, while we will make sure that their concerns are taken into consideration and see if their concerns are reasonable.

Kosovar leaders are concerned about the competencies. They have said that they need competencies to have discussions on the issues on the agenda in Vienna. What do you think?
I know that they are worried about competencies. SRSG made a substantial offer. The international community and the Contact Group do not believe that these issues are related to each other. This is on practical issues. By discussing mechanisms of the government, it is not important to find a functional solution, but it is important to work for the interest of Kosovo's people. However, this is not an issue that can be negotiated in a few days.

The UK government thinks that provisional institutions of self-government should become a reality in accordance with the Constitutional Framework. In order to make this happen it requires a certain kind of structures. Technically those structures should be defined adequately. I understand the political aspect of this issue. But in the technical aspect how should they function in order to perform that role? How many people would they need? I understand the political reasons why Kosovo leaders want that every function mentioned in the Constitutional Framework be turned into a ministry.

They have concerns which we share and I would use words of the Kosovar leaders for establishing a dialogue between Kosovo's institutions and UNMIK. This has happened in the past. I do not believe that either side needs to blame each other on why this dialogue hasn't been successful. The administration of Kosovo should function in unanimity in areas in which the competencies of UNMIK and provisional institutions of self-government are separate. However, half of the functions are shared. If the issues goes beyond the point in which competencies have been allocated, then it also goes beyond the administrative support for these competencies. And we want these to function properly.

What is the stance of the UK government regarding dialogue between Prishtina and Belgrade?
The dialogue is a good thing and has nothing bad for either side. The dialogue is one of the standards and this is well known to everybody. We hope that the dialogue will produce results that are useful for the people of Kosovo. It is important to see that Kosovo is talking to Serbia, with which it has been in confrontation. It is important to see that [Kosovo] is able to sit and discuss issues that are less divisive, before going into areas that are more divisive. On the issue of the dialogue, Kosovars made a commitment to the international community in Thessaloniki. We believe that Kosovo will keep its promises that have been given to the internationals.

Are you optimistic that the dialogue will go on as SRSG Harri Holkeri has planned?

Of course, I am optimistic. I believe that the dialogue will happen on October 14. If Kosovar leaders still have concerns about any of the technical issues, I think that Vienna is the right place to make their proposals.

Ries: Washington hopes status will be separated from practical issues in Vienna (Koha)

Koha Ditore carries an interview with Marcie Ries, the head of the US Office in Pristina. 'Washington believes that Kosovar representatives will travel to Vienna and it also hopes that the issue of Kosovo's status will finally be divorced from practical issues', Ries said. She insisted that it is for the Kosovars to decide on taking part in the dialogue.

KD: How do you assess the current situation regarding the dialogue? Are we going to be represented in Vienna and how?

Ries: I think that we had a long, serious and a constructive discussion, and I think that we took a step forward. I do not want to get into the stances of Kosovar leaders and the discussions among them, since at the end of the day it is they who have to decide. I think that the SRSG has put forward a very good offer, which should be taken seriously.

KD: Those unhappy with the organization of the dialogue say that Holkeri is at the same time organizer, guarantor and the one to decide about Kosovo's stance, and they say that this could make the success of the talks impossible. Do you consider that the role of UNMIK and the offer should change?

R: No, I consider that this concern is unfounded. According to 1244 it is adequate for him to head the talks, and for UNMIK to be at Kosovo's side. This is due to his responsibilities as Kosovo administrator and as SRSG, and he is obliged to advocate benchmarks and eventually to facilitate the final statues.

KD What is the role of US delegation, EU and NATO? Observers or what?

R: You need to see the talks as consisting of two parts. First it is the beginning of the talks. This is going to happen in Vienna at a political level to underline the commitment of the international community towards Kosovo and the dialogue. In the first part the US is going to be represented by a senior representative from Washington, Ambassador Montgomery and I. This is the beginning. The talks will be technical. The US will be present during this stage, too, and we expect to be present all the time, not at the table, but to provide support for the delegations.

KD: Some Albanian leaders are hesitating to involve in talks with Belgrade for fear of prejudging Kosovo's final status. Is there ground for this fear and is there some possibility among the internationals to give Kosovo a status other than independence?

R: I think that there is nothing to prejudge the status on this issue. In fact, the dialogue is one of the benchmarks, and opening the dialogue should be a step in the direction of solving the final status. Therefore any talks or statements about the status are irrelevant. This dialogue is on certain technical issues and not on status.

KD: There is fear that divisions among Kosovars might be passed on to institutions and destabilize them. What measures should be taken to prevent this from happening and to take part in the talks?

R: It is understandable that there is a serious reflection regarding these talks. At the end of the day we are talking about sitting around the table with people you fought a war with not long ago. We all understand that this is a difficult decision for Kosovo. At the same time there is an open and live debate about it, and this is what democracy is about and I do not see it as a negative thing. The fact that it is covered by media, discussed by people, political leaders, parliament, is a good thing, because it is up to Kosovars to decide. At the end of the day people will understand that going to that dialogue is a very positive thing, no matter how difficult the decision.

KD Talking points like returns, missing, energy, transport will be there for quite a while, five or ten years. Does this mean that after the first meeting, along with this dialogue, there will be another process which will lead towards the final status?

R: Dialogue means continuous talking aiming at solving problems. Therefore I think that we are dealing with a continuing process of discussing these problems, and not with the final status. When you think about topics that will be discussed, they are of real benefit, since so far there have been no official contacts, though there have been some individual ones.

KD Ambassador Holbrooke said that the international community has been moving too slowly towards the final status. Do you share his opinion?

R: Ambassador Holbrooke is an eminent American and a personal friend of mine, and he has the right to express his opinion, but it is the policy of our government to address standards before status, though I think that there is room to accelerate the process, but if we fail to have an agreement to start the talks, we will be lagging behind with one of the benchmarks. This is an argument to push this dialogue forward.

KD Political representatives of Kosovo Serbs are closer to the stance of Belgrade than to the one of Kosovar institutions, is this weakness in the Kosovar delegation?

R: I think it is an advantage to have representatives from all the communities in Kosovo, in fact this is crucial.

KD To get back to Holbrooke, do you consider there is a change in American policy towards Kosovo and the region from the previous administration?

R: No, on the contrary, I think there is continuation in our policy. We continue to have a strong presence in Kosovo, there is a considerable presence of NATO and UN, our mission is here, in fact we have a process of normalizing our mission. I think there is continuity, in terms of big issues in the foreign policy, and we continue to be committed to the future of Kosovo. This also shows why we consider these talks to of great importance. Over the last two weeks we had three high level visitors, two from the previous administration and one from the current administration, and I expect this to continue.

KD: One of the benchmarks not related to this dialogue is privatization and economy. Now, suddenly the privatisation process has came to a halt and it seems to be a step back. Do you consider it as such, and what is it about?

R: Yes, it is a setback. The issue is a legal one and the US is willing to offer its help to resolve it.

KD: But don't you think there is connection to the dialogue?

R: Not at this point, privatization is a very important process for economic development in Kosovo and I am very concerned with this development. I have been in touch with UNMIK to discuss this issue and we are working together to solve it.

Daniel Serwer Comment: Making Pristina-Belgrade Talks Effective (Koha)
US and European Union must play a part in forcing real dialogue on well-prepared and substantive issues.

While the United Nations mission and the Contact Group prepare the formal opening of the first direct dialogue between Pristina and Belgrade since the Kosovo conflict, the main ingredients of success lie elsewhere. Strong engagement by the United States and the European Union, as well as careful groundwork by both Serbs and Albanians, are essential if the talks are to succeed.

It is essential that the Americans and the EU both contribute to the negotiating process which follows the official opening of talks, scheduled for October 14 in Vienna. The major recent peace-making moments in the Balkans have resulted from engagement by the US and the EU, and from the combined weight of both.

The 1995 Dayton agreements on Bosnia came from a US push, and the relative success of their implementation is a combined US-EU effort. The Belgrade agreement that has temporarily stabilized the relationship between Serbia and Montenegro was reached with under EU pressure, with substantial US support. It was a joint EU-US effort that ended the 2001 Albanian insurgency in Macedonia.

In both Kosovo and Serbia, the formula has been essential. Support for the indigenous effort to oust Slobodan Milosevic from power was a combined US and EU effort. The backbone of the protectorate in Kosovo is likewise formed by the US and the EU, not the UN.

The Contact Group has always been a means of keeping the Russians involved, but at one remove from the main action. The hope is that engagement will prevent them from acting as spoilers, and convince them to use their weight (especially with Serbia) in the right direction. The mainspring of international engagement is the US and the EU.

Where do the US and the EU feature in the Vienna meeting, and the technical-level talks that will follow? It is not yet clear.

The issue is not their formal status, but whether the negotiating parties are made to feel the full political and economic weight that Washington and Brussels can bring to bear.

Neither Belgrade nor Pristina sees political advantage in successful talks. Any politician who comes home to either capital after being too friendly to the other side will suffer for it.
While they are anxious to establish good relations with the new Special Representative of the Secretary General, Harri Holkeri, neither Pristina nor Belgrade sees the UN Administration Mission in Kosovo, UNMIK, as a neutral broker, or as one with political muscle. If the dialogue is to succeed, they must be made to understand that Brussels and Washington expect them not only to talk but also to produce results. There will need to be consequences if they fail.

US and European political and economic pressure alone cannot, however, guarantee success. Careful preparations are needed on both sides.

Belgrade has already unified its political forces by passing a parliamentary resolution asserting sovereignty over Kosovo, and is engaging in the necessary substantive spadework on potential agenda issues. It has begun the hard work of accounting for missing Albanians, tracking down Kosovo artifacts in Serbia, totting up what it thinks Kosovo owes in World Bank debt and the proceeds of privatization, and studying the possibilities for decentralization of governance in Kosovo. It has also been cataloguing security incidents in which harm has been done to Serbs.

Pristina is behind in its preparations. So far, the international community has discouraged the Kosovo assembly from making any unified political statement, since that would necessarily declare independence to be the ultimate goal. It therefore remains risky for any of the Albanian political parties to push for dialogue with Belgrade, for fear of appearing to compromise the overwhelming goal of the electorate.

The Provisional Institutions of Self-Government, PISG, that govern Kosovo are handicapped in talking with Belgrade by the role of UNMIK, which retains the powers needed to address likely agenda issues. Even accounting for missing people is still regarded as a security issue and therefore as UNMIK's responsibility, although it can hardly achieve much without Albanian cooperation. Important aspects of telecommunications, electricity trade, privatization and other possible agenda items still lie within UNMIK's responsibilities.

Without either political cover or full authority, Pristina's preparatory work on technical issues has lagged. There appears to be no concerted effort to identify precisely which public records the Serbs took when they left Kosovo, though it is clear enough that the return of property and birth registers is a main concern of Pristina. There appears to be no study of how Serb monuments might be protected by the Kosovo Police Service, which is still largely controlled by UNMIK.

The Kosovars object to Serbia providing telecommunications and other services to Serb enclaves in Kosovo, but there has been no study of how these enclaves could be reconnected to the local network.

Pristina is handicapped in other ways as well. Its institutions have no representation in New York, Washington, Brussels or Belgrade. They have no coordinating structure for the talks. Nor do they have access to the UN Security Council, as Belgrade does. Next to none of Kosovo's politicians and high officials has been in Serbia for years, and they have no formal mechanism for gathering and analyzing information on what is going on there.

PISG and UNMIK documents are not accepted by Belgrade. People traveling on UNMIK documents are blocked from entering Serbia, and it is even difficult for someone arriving from Washington to travel there from Kosovo because of the lack of a Serbian passport stamp.

The ceremonial opening of the dialogue can only be the first step in a larger process. As that process continues, UNMIK will have to transfer more authority to the PISG and clarify their respective responsibilities. Serbia will need to accept UNMIK and the PISG as legitimate authorities under UN Security Council resolution 1244, and the PISG will have to intensify its political and technical preparations.

With a lot of push from the US and EU, the dialogue will then have some hope of success.

Shala: Denying abstention (Zëri)
In a front-page editorial for Zëri, Blerim Shala writes that 'lacking courage to openly and publicly respond to the offer made by Holkeri and the Contact Group, our politicians have been throwing the ball into each other's courts for several weeks now'.

There is no stronger argument against the reasonable proposal of the Kosovo Government for additional competencies than to put the local authorities in front of the international request of starting talks with Serbian representatives. Cynical persons would add in this case that Kosovar authorities aren't capable to solve the problem of the Basketball League, let alone something else.

In this mess of failing in making decisions, it seems that every single Kosovan politician has his own motives. The bad part of this is that in most cases these motives are in open contravention with the logics of developments in Kosovo.

Lacking courage to openly and publicly respond to the offer made by Holkeri and the Contact Group, our politicians have been throwing the ball into each other's courts for several weeks now. In principle, the Kosovo Government is right to ask the Kosovo Assembly to make a political decision on this issue. But we all know that the Kosovo Government cannot take on a position on such a complicated process without the clear statement of the five leading politicians (the president, the prime minister, the assembly speaker and the leaders of the PDK and AAK) and the heads of the three parliamentary groups.

If the above-mentioned politicians would come to an agreement, then the assembly without the slightest hesitation would make a decision in accordance with this agreement in less than five minutes.

Both the approval and disapproval of a proposal, which in this case is related to talks with Serbia and Montenegro, are political answers. But the way things stand right now, we are going to witness an abstention in making a decision. An abstention, which will be perceived as refusal.

Busek tries to rescue the process launched by Holkeri (Koha Ditore)
Citing diplomatic sources, Koha Ditore reports that an UNMIK delegation visited the Austrian capital, Vienna, on Wednesday to discuss the protocol of talks between Pristina and Belgrade, which is expected to commence next week.

Koha Ditore claims that the chairman of the Stability Pact for Southeastern Europe, Erhard Busek launched a final attempt on Thursday to rescue the talks between Prishtina and Belgrade.

A member of the EU general commission for the Balkans, Stephan Lehne said Kosovo's present status is the biggest challenge in the Balkans. He added that the UN has no strategy about Kosovo, while the EU is still following the policy of the former SRSG Steiner, 'standards before status', he said.

Earlier, in an editorial published by Vienna based paper Kurier Busek expressed the suspicion on the 'standards before status' formula. He also supported the idea of the dialogue in Vienna and inclusion of Kosovo in the process of integration. Busek assessed that prominent diplomats should lead these initiatives.

The paper says that although Busek is making a great contribution to this conference, he thinks that currently it is not the right time for such meetings. He highlighted that the Serbs are coming here just before their elections, which would prevent them from making any concessions.

'The international community needs success now, at a time when the US and the EU hold similar positions and both Pristina and Belgrade have other concerns,' Busek said.

Haradinaj: No to "improvised" dialogue in Vienna (Epoka e Re)
Epoka e Re carried an interview that Ramush Haradinaj, leader of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) gave to Gazeta Shqiptare.

You have just received an invitation from the chief of UNMIK for the dialogue between Prishtina and Belgrade. Will you be attending this dialogue?
Not personally. Because I think that the Kosovar side is still unprepared for dialogue. She is not ready to become a negotiating party. I think that first we must have all conditions to address this issue, the government must be completed with new ministries and there should be a transfer of necessary competencies. I think that this project is improvised. This doesn't mean we are refusing the dialogue, because we still support the idea, but this is the position of my party and my position.

You think that the time is not right to commence dialogue?
No, time is right. And in fact, the dialogue could have even been held before. But even though the time is right, there are several issues that have to be previously discussed. The Kosovar side must be taken into account, and a delegation should be formed that would be prepared for dialogue. We support the development of dialogue, but we don't think that all necessary preparations have been made.

Do you expect concrete results from talks in Vienna?
Regardless of this position, I have positive opinions about possible talks with Belgrade. Certainly, we believe that these talks can be successful if we show our capabilities in being a prepared delegation for negotiations. These are going to be successful only if we put together a prepared delegation. We must prepare to launch a process that will not fail.

Does dialogue pose any danger to your goals for Kosovo's final status?
It is clear that results are not going to be serious if there are improvisations. We will not be in a position to act if the project will have ambiguities. Such talks end up with unclear results.

Is there cooperation between political parties for a joint platform on dialogue?
It is in our interest to establish direct relations with Belgrade, the Serbian government and to cooperate with the international community on the issue of dialogue. This is our joint interest, although there must be conditions for talks, Kosovar leaders must present their opinions and there has to be more cooperation. We share similar opinions. We have one goal, but we have different ways of discussions on practical issues. Therefore, our positions have begun to harmonize.

You have said that Kosovo's independence would be declared very soon, in January next year. Do you think that declaring independence will be the solution of problems in Kosovo?
The issue of Kosovo's status cannot be solved in a single day. But I think that the declaration of independence would be of great assistance to resolve the issue of Kosovo. We are certain that security in Kosovo cannot be achieved without the assistance and cooperation of NATO, but we think that the issue of status doesn't need the assistance and decision of internationals.

I. Rexhepi: Privatization - blackmail or a real problem (Koha Ditore)
Koha Ditore carried an opinion piece by economic columnist Ibrahim Rexhepi, who writes, 'Serbs and Serbia are not a problem for privatization in Kosovo, but the problem is the Kosovo Trust Agency. It must solve problems within itself and problems vis-à-vis UNMIK and the United Nations. Afterwards, everything is going to be clear'.

The Mayor of Shtërpce brought out another fact that could be linked to the dispute that Serbia was making to the privatization of socially owned enterprises in Kosovo. He said that Serbia was establishing a fund that would provide loans to individuals and companies that are going to buy enterprises in Kosovo.

Serb governmental and non-governmental organizations said that they were going to do something similar to this with the houses that are being sold in northern Kosovo. Media have reported that such foundations have bought around 30 Albanian houses.

Setting aside all other reasons, the establishment of a fund to buy enterprises in Kosovo proves the Serb insistence not to give up from the big bargaining that has commenced in Kosovo. In fact, they are even doing this with foundations and various ways of stimulation in order to convince Serbs to be as much present in Kosovo as possible. There would be nothing bad about this if this had been according to market rules, as KTA would say. The ones who present the best offers get to buy enterprises in Kosovo. It doesn't matter where you come from, or what is your nationality.

The establishment of funds in Serbia is a tendency to intimidate the future buyers of enterprises in Kosovo, and that Serbia insists to be directly present in this process. In fact even by using instruments that are not in 'fair-play'. This is where things go wrong. In fact, the whole thing could go so far that Serbs might try to preserve ownership of enterprises in Serb enclaves by all means possible.

Serbs and Serbia are not a problem for privatization in Kosovo, but the problem is the Kosovo Trust Agency. It must solve problems within itself and problems vis-à-vis UNMIK and the United Nations. Afterwards, everything is going to be clear.

Otherwise, in the context of current problems, there is nothing more to add about this, except for the fact that the whole process is in danger of failing completely.

UN advises KTA not to fear needlessly (Koha Ditore)
Koha Ditore reported that the Legal Office of the United Nations has sent a letter to SRSG Harri Holkeri saying that the Kosovo Trust Agency (KTA) is an independent mechanism formed under the Constitutional Framework of Kosovo and that it doesn't have the privileges and immunity of the United Nations.

'The KTA should carry on its work under applicable law which is adopted after careful and long discussions made by UNMIK, Pillar IV and UNHQ,' said the response from the legal office in New York.

The UN lawyers told Holkeri that 'during negotiations for establishing the KTA, UN demanded that the agency should be judicially accountable because this is required by the European Convention on Human Rights and insisted not to give the KTA immunity and privileges of UN'.

'I must stress that article 16.9 of the KTA regulation offers substantial protection to the KTA staff, by enabling them not to become liable to third parties, but only to be accountable to the KTA. Therefore, the KTA is not just responsible for its acts but also for those of its staff. This does mean that the KTA staff performing their duty properly must be defended by the KTA in any cases relating to their work. In other words, the KTA is similar to any other government institutions,' concludes the response from the UN legal office in New York.

Following the issue of privatization, Koha Ditore reported that the Minister of Economy and Finances Ali Sadriu criticized the non-participation of Kosovar members in the last KTA Board meeting.

'It is a hasty decision. Nikolaus Lambsdorff is friend of mine, but he doesn't have a right to take such decisions. Such decisions could be taken only by the KTA Board,' Sadriu said and added that the KTA Board hasn't discussed yet stopping the privatization process.

He further said that internationals at the KTA shouldn't fear signing the contracts because privatization in Kosovo is done by the Special Court and not by the KTA.

'The Special Court will analyze in detail every factory which is privatized. The KTA doesn't deal with privatization, it only manges it,' he said.

Sofalia is bought by Pristina municipal officials (Koha Ditore)
Koha Ditore claimed that at least nine officials of the Directorate of Cadastre and Geodesy in Prishtina Municipality have organized together to buy the lands owned by Serbs in Sofalia neighborhood in Prishtina. They have also included some of their relatives in this affair.

Koha Ditore claims to have secured the list with the names of 53 owners of lands in Sofalia neighborhood. Many of the owners are municipal officials and the others have family connections with these officials, and they are all organized to build an elite neighborhood in the most beautiful neighborhoods in Prishtina.

'Based on their common project, the 53 owners have planned to spend at least 297.570 euros, and based on the name list of the owners it can be said that they have paid 126.000 euros for the lands,' added Koha Ditore.

A municipal official, who was involved in the collective buying said that the transaction was done after the war and that everything was according to the rules.

'We have bought those properties after the war. The fact that we are several municipal officials together is a result of the fact that we have hired a joint lawyer,' said Enver Visoka, a senior official of the Directorate of Cadastre and Geodesy. 'We have fulfilled all our obligations to the sellers'.

The paper claims that apart from Visoka, the other municipal officials are Bajram Ismajli, Demë Hasanxhekaj, Idriz Sutaj, Sabri Zylfiu, Ramadan Selimaj, Xhavit Gorçaj, Fehmi Havolli and Zize Nezaj. There are also another ten persons who have family connections with the abovementioned officials.

On the matter, Veli Bytyçi, spokesperson for Prishtina Municipality was quoted as saying, 'every citizen has the right to buy. We think that these transactions are legal if they have been verified by the municipal courts'.

Koha Ditore claimed that an official of the cadastre and geodesy directorate had shocked an UNMIK official by telling him, 'do you think that we work for 200 euros?'. 'I knew that some people in the municipality don't work only for their salary but I wasn't expecting such a direct answer,' added the UNMIK official.

Commenting on the issue, Shemsi Veseli, head of the PDK parliamentary group in Prishtina Municipal Assembly, said: 'I think that this is a conflict of interests. Instead of shedding light on the issue of ownership, the officials of the cadastre directorate are involved in this affair themselves'.

Veseli said it was surprising how municipal officials told someone that they couldn't finish their work due to the lack of documents, 'and on the other hand manage to do their personal business in several hours'.

Koha Ditore quoted a reliable international source as saying that almost 50 percent of all transactions in the Sofalia neighborhood had fictive names of Serb owners. 'The police has confirmed that a large number of Serbs who are presented as sellers in this case in fact don't even exist,' added the international source.

'Another problem is that this is about workers who are competent to identify the wealth. On the contrary, they are serving as a bridge for transactions between Serbs and Albanians,' added Veseli. 'Every citizen is entitled to transactions, but not by using his position and by buying property at much lower prices and then selling them again.'

Albanian police arrest K-Albanian suspected of terrorism (Koha Ditore)
Koha Ditore reported that yesterday Albanian police officers in Kukës arrested a Kosovar Albanian, the 47 year-old Fikret Spahiu from Prizren, and then handed him over to UNMIK Police.

According to police officials in Kukës, Spahiu was on the wanted list of UNMIK Police and was suspected of planting bombs in the city of Prizren.

Officials in Albanian police and UNMIK Police were reportedly unwilling to offer more details about the suspect's activities.

· Main Stories 10 October Kosovo Assembly decides - no position on dialogue (Koha Ditore)
· EU threatens grave consequences for Kosovo (Koha Ditore)
· SRSG Harri Holkeri: 14th October deadline, the door is open (Koha Ditore)
· Holkeri announces offer for 'capacity-building' of the government (Zëri)
· Solana says dialogue must commence on October 14th (Zëri)
· Busek tries to rescue the process launched by Holkeri (Koha Ditore)
· Berisha: Conditions for talks with Serbs have been fulfilled (Epoka e Re)
· Albanian PM Fatos Nano isn't allowed to visit Kosovo (Koha Ditore)
· Dickinson: Dialogue doesn't damage Kosovo (Zëri)
· Ries: Washington hopes issue of status is separated from practical issues
· Shala: Denying abstention (Zëri)
· Serwer: How to make talks between Pristina and Belgrade effective (Koha)
· UN advises KTA not to fear needlessly (Koha Ditore)
· Serbian Govt welcomes stopping privatization in Kosovo (Zëri)
· I. Rexhepi: Privatization - blackmail or a real problem (Koha Ditore)

Kosovo Media Highlights

Kosovo Assembly decides - no position on dialogue (Koha Ditore)
Koha Ditore says that the assembly debate on Thursday regarding dialogue with Belgrade turned into a personal clash between assembly speaker Nexhat Daci and PDK leader Hashim Thaçi.

'This happened when Daci decided to put the request of the PDK for voting, whereas Thaçi's political party insisted that the assembly should say whether or not it supported talks with Belgrade,' added Koha Ditore. [extensive coverage in Media Analysis]

EU threatens grave consequences for Kosovo (Koha Ditore)
Koha Ditore quotes a high-ranking official of the European Union as saying, 'If the international community goes there [in Vienna] at the highest level, with Solana, Patten, Robertson, Rossin, then certainly we cannot expect the mayor of Gracanica and Deçan from Kosovo'.

Koha Ditore also quotes other EU officials as saying that the failure of commencing dialogue would have grave consequences for Kosovo.

SRSG Harri Holkeri: 14th October deadline, the door is open (Koha Ditore)
Koha Ditore quotes SRSG Harri Holkeri as saying, 'Time is passing and we have preparations to make, but the door is open… Deadlines are always dangerous. We have a deadline of October 14th, but in practical terms we must continue our preparations and discuss with our friends how to move forward… I know from my experience that you must make difficult decisions if you want to be in a position to make easier decisions.'

Zëri quotes SRSG Holkeri as saying, 'I will try to enhance the capacities of the provisional institutions and structures of the government, as envisaged in the Constitutional Framework'.

Solana says dialogue must commence on October 14th (Zëri)
Zëri claims that so far the High Representative of the European Union, Javier Solana was never more nervous than yesterday when he called on Kosovar Albanian political leaders to say 'yes' to dialogue with Belgrade.

'To the European Union, dialogue between Pristina and Belgrade is of basic importance. It must commence on October 14th,' Solana was quoted as saying.

Busek tries to rescue the process launched by Holkeri (Koha Ditore)
Citing diplomatic sources, Koha Ditore reports that an UNMIK delegation visited the Austrian capital, Vienna, on Wednesday to discuss the protocol of talks between Pristina and Belgrade, which is expected to commence next week.

Koha Ditore claims that the chairman of the Stability Pact for Southeastern Europe, Erhard Busek launched a final attempt on Thursday to rescue the process of talks between Prishtina and Belgrade.

'The international community needs success now, at a time when the US and EU hold similar positions and both parties have other concerns,' Busek was quoted as saying. [more in Media Analysis]

Berisha: Conditions for talks with Serbs have been fulfilled (Epoka e Re)
Epoka e Re carries an interview that Kolë Berisha, deputy leader of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) gave to Radio Free Europe. Berisha reportedly said that Kosovars have no reason not to go Vienna because all conditions have been fulfilled to hold talks with Serbs.

Albanian PM Fatos Nano isn't allowed to visit Kosovo (Koha Ditore)
Citing reliable sources, Koha Ditore reports that the US has suggested to the Albanian Prime Minister Fatos Nano not to visit Kosovo at this period by connecting it with the impact that his visit might have on the upcoming dialogue between Pristina and Belgrade in Vienna.

Dickinson: Dialogue doesn't damage Kosovo (Zëri)
In an interview with Zëri, Mark Dickinson, the head of the British Office in Kosovo said, 'Dialogue is a good thing and it doesn't won't damage the two parties, therefore Kosovo also.' [full translation in Media Analysis]

Ries: Washington hopes issue of status will be separated from practical issues (Koha)
Koha Ditore carries an interview with Marcie Ries, the head of the US Office in Pristina. 'Washington believes that Kosovar representatives will travel to Vienna and it also hopes that the issue of Kosovo's status will finally be divorced from practical issues,' Ries was quoted as saying.

Shala: Denying abstention (Zëri)
In a front-page editorial for Zëri, Blerim Shala writes that 'lacking courage to openly and publicly respond to the offer made by Holkeri and the Contact Group, our politicians have been throwing the ball into each other courts for several weeks now'. [full translation in Media Analysis]

Serwer: How to make talks between Pristina and Belgrade effective (Koha)
'US and the European Union should play the role of stimulating a true dialogue on substantial and well-prepared issues,' writes Daniel Serwer, director of the Balkans Initiative of the US Institute for Peace.

UN advises KTA not to fear needlessly (Koha Ditore)
Koha Ditore reports that the Legal Office of the United Nations has sent a letter to SRSG Harri Holkeri saying that the Kosovo Trust Agency (KTA) is an independent mechanism formed under the Constitutional Framework of Kosovo and that it doesn't have the privileges and immunity of the United Nations.

Serbian Govt welcomes stopping privatization in Kosovo (Zëri)
Zëri reports that the Serbian Government yesterday welcomed UNMIK's decision to stop the privatization of socially owned enterprises in Kosovo. The Serbian Government also said that this implied stopping of illegal privatization in Kosovo and that this was a result of its direct pressure addressed to all world institutions.

I. Rexhepi: Privatization - blackmail or a real problem (Koha Ditore)
Koha Ditore carries an opinion piece by economic columnist Ibrahim Rexhepi, who writes, 'Serbs and Serbia are not a problem for privatization in Kosovo, but the problem is the Kosovo Trust Agency. It must solve problems within itself and problems vis-à-vis UNMIK and the United Nations. Afterwards, everything is going to be clear'. [full translation in Media Analysis]

Kosovo Press Headlines
Koha Ditore
Front page
· Assembly decides, no stance on dialogue
· UN tells KTA not to fear
· Ries: Issue of status should be separated from the practical issues
· EU threatens Kosovo with grave consequences
· Holkeri: Deadline is October 14, the door is still open
· Sofalia is bought by Pristina municipal officials
· Busek tried to save process is started by Holkeri

Other headlines
· Kammerhoff: Rugova is very busy with Vienna talks (2)
· Rugova and Daci want to go to Vienna on their own (3)
· Deputies believe that rules of procedure will be implemented (3)
· Association of missing persons leaves training (5)
· Serbian opinion about privatization in Kosovo (6)
· Banks are more willing to finance trade (6)
· Privatization couldn't be protected by watching TV (7)
· KTA signs deal with second bidder (7)
· Dr. Marie Fucci, KTA's acting managing director (7)
· Kosovar suspected of terrorism is arrested (8)
· Malisheva: Nobody agrees to have dialogue with Serbia (9)
· Rexhepi: Privatization, blackmail or real problem (10)
· Serwer: How to have effective talks between Prishtina and Belgrade (11)

Zëri
Front page
· Assembly has no stance on dialogue with Belgrade
· Dickinson: Dialogue won't harm Kosovo
· Shala: Denying abstention
· Holkeri announces offer to 'increase capacities' of government
· Solana is disappointed, dialogue should start on October 14
· Kammerhoff: UNMIK should transfer competencies to Kosovo institutions
· Marie Fucci take over the KTA

Other headlines
· Nobody from Kosovars confirmes participation in Vienna (3)
· Solana visits Pristina at October-end, if dialogue starts on October 14 (3)
· We do not want training with security structures (4)
· OSCE ask for elimination of parallel structures (4)
· Inauguration of building (4)
· EU denies its involvement in stopping privatization process (5)
· Lambsdorff has no right to take decisions outside the KTA Board (5)
· Sadriu: What should I say to investors in New York? (5)
· Serbian government praises itself for stopping privatization in Kosovo (5)
· UNMIK hasn't received any complaint from Serbia (5)
· Road between Durres and Kukes begin on November [Albania] (6)
· Gjergji: Status of University is in opposition to Bologna statement (6)
· Kosovars adopt healthy children (7)
· Jarvenpaa demands not to put obstacle in selling of Albanian houses (8)
· Border crossing point is temporarily closed (8)
· Gjakova seeks all construction to be legal in villages (9)

Bota Sot
Front page
· Holkeri: time is passing, doors are still open
· Rugova on the eve of dialogue demands recognition of independence
· Kosovo assembly doesn't discuss dialogue, adopts laws
· Kosovo's main road is towards Europe
· Holkeri to show his personality
· Sadriu: There is still no decision to stop privatization
· Macedonians beat Albanians, police does nothing

Other headlines
· Kosovo representatives have full support of the Albanian nation (2)
· To continue cooperation with KFOR (2)
· Del Ponte is given 'European 2003' prize (4)
· Statement by Harri Holkeri (4)
· Irresponsibility in refurbishing schools (5)
· Buçpapaj: It is normal to have Holkeri, Rugova, Rexhepi and Quint in Kosovo assembly (5)
· Ajeti: Enclavization, cancer that must be cured (6)
· Kelmendi: Editorial on anti- Rugova people (6)
· Twenty years later: Who killed Tahir Kurti? (8)
· Baleta: Votes are useless, it needs to be boycotted (9)
· Weapons, campaign tool for Albanian parties [Macedonia] (10)

Kosova Sot
Front page
· "Puppet" parliament votes for division
· Server: Kosovars unprepared for talks
· Two ministries for three parties
· Holbrooke and Kouchner confess to Wall Street Journal
· UN no concessions on dialogue
· Albanians pay millions of Euros for Yugoslav passports
· PTK: French make millions, Morina promises
· Marie Fucci to lead the KTA
Other headlines
· Holkeri expects the answer from Kosovar leaders (2)
· Solana: No change of date of meeting (2)
· Kammerhoff wishes luck for the talks (2)
· KFOR commander briefed about the position of Kosovar side (2)
· LDK: Institutions for dialogue (3)
· Holkeri crucial in Vienna (4)
· Government's hand tied, privatization blocked (5)
· Leaders 'chill' the Assembly (5)
· In serious situations, political grudges are detrimental (6)
· Odyssey of licensing continues (6)
· When administrator in Mitrovica changes her words (6)
· Minister of Finances critical of suspension of privatization (8)
· Fiscal package; businesses 'hit' again (8)
· IMF does not support business proposals (8)

Epoka e Re
Front page
· Berisha: Conditions for talks with Serbs met
· Nexhat Daci turns on everybody
· Gjokaj: We never gave money to Azem Syla
· Haliti: We do not need dialogue just to get photographed
· Haradinaj: No to the improvised dialogue in Vienna
· Assembly with its indifference approves Holkeri's decision
· Verling: Eqrem Kryeziu has no right to put statues down
· Thaçi and Daci have sharp exchanges
· ICRC had invited members of Serb Security, say families of missing
· Despite accusations for stealing by health workers, there is no end to it
· Commentary: Int. meet requests of Serbia, do not care about Kosovo

Other headlines
· Holkeri promises competencies and seeks participation in dialogue (2)
· Xhaferi: Holkeri in haste, a nonsense (2)
· Lehne: Balkans won't be stable without resolving Kosovo status (3)
· A protest at students center today (3)
· Solana's threat (3)
· Janjiq: There is only stick in Pristina-Belgrade talks, no carrot (4)
· Serbia happy with suspension of privatization in Kosovo (4)
· Dialogue with Serbia, politics has roots in KEK (5)
· Maria Fucci nominated head of KTA (5)
· Repetition of 'talks' with Serbia (7)
· Thaçi: "Acting unity" yes, but just for independence (8)
· Rugova and Rexhepi do not tell if they are going to Vienna (8)

Belgrade Media Highlights

· Harri Holkeri on the eve of Vienna trip (Politika)
· Zivkovic to head delegation in Vienna (Politika)
· Marovic to travel to Vienna (Vecernje Novosti)
· Solana: No postponement of dialogue on Kosovo (Blic)
· Interview by Zoran Zivkovic (Vecernje Novosti)
· Surroi's warning on possible failure of Vienna talks (Tanjug)
· Russian Ambassador Ivanovski's interview to Balkan (Balkan)
· Kosovo Assembly didn't discuss dialogue (Glas/Fonet)
· Announcement by the Serbian government (Politika/Tanjug)
· Swiss government's aid to Kosovo (Danas/Beta)

Harri Holkeri on the eve of Vienna trip (Politika)

"The dialogue is very important for reaching standards and for resolving practical issues regarding Kosovo and Metohija and this is why I respect it," UNMIK Head Harri Holkeri said in a short address to journalists in Pristina. Responding to the questions whether they will go to Vienna even though a decision had not been brought and Kosovo Premier Bajram Rexhepi didn't wish to "conduct the dialogue without the Assembly's decision," Holkeri stressed that "time was passing and we must prepare, but the door is open." He also said that following the dialogue, more precisely at the beginning of next year, discussed would be issues from the fields of energy, international cooperation, i.e. issues that are envisaged by constitutional frameworks for the interim self-rule in Kosovo. He was explicit that Kosovo Albanians must decide on passing complex decisions so they could be later in a possibility for passing simpler ones. "I have come from a society where the word is much more important from the letter on paper," said Holkeri, having here in mind words promised by Albanian representatives at the summit in Thessalonica on 21 June at which they said they accept participation in an eventual dialogue.

Zivkovic to head delegation in Vienna (Politika)

Serbian Prime Minister Zoran Zivkovic will head the Serbian delegation that will commence talks with Kosovo Albanians in Vienna on 14 October. SaM President Svetozar Marovic, the Head of the CCK Nebojsa Covic, and the Minister for Human and Minority Rights Rasim Ljajic will be in the negotiating team. In order to present state and national interests in talks they will be assisted by experts, NS leader Velimir Ilic told Politika.

Marovic to travel to Vienna (Vecernje Novosti)

SaM President Svetozar Marovic will definitely attend the opening of the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue in Vienna on 14 October, Novosti learns at the Federation Palace. Marovic received a formal invitation for participation in these talks from UNMIK Head Harri Holkeri.

Solana: No postponement of dialogue on Kosovo (Blic)

The EU High Representative Javier Solana has stated that "the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue is of fundamental importance for the EU" and stressed that it must commence when it has been scheduled, in Vienna on 14 October. Officials close to the EU High Representative have warned that the non-arrival of Albanian representatives would have "very serious consequences" for Kosovo's accession to the EU, and stressed they expected from the Kosovo side in Vienna "both the president and the premier."

Interview of Zoran Zivkovic (Vecernje Novosti)

Holkeri has scheduled talks at the round table so as not to give the impression that at issue are negotiations between two states, while Rexhepi announced that the "Pristina delegation" - if Kosovo were treated as part of Serbia - would demonstratively leave the negotiations. What do you expect from Vienna?

"What we expect from 14 October is verification of our policy. These talks are our victory. For three years we have been building an atmosphere leading to talks on Kosovo and Metohija between Kosovo Albanians and legitimate Belgrade democratic authorities. I was the first to propose talks as early as 1 December 2000 in Athens when the project on Kosovo and Metohija was presented. The then UNMIK head Bernard Couchner, Rugova and Thaci, perhaps Haradinaj, I don't remember, were in the Greek capital at the time, and I was invited as the vice-president of DS, although I was already then the minister of the interior. I proposed talks to Rugova at once. I told him: let's go to Belgrade to talk. Couchner said he couldn't talk because he didn't have the legitimacy. The same was later when he received it. Albanians refused all of our invitations because they had UNMIK's support for such a stand. Now that has changed as well. Holkeri is taking Albanians for talks on 14 October and I don't see how can they demonstratively leave the meeting. Let me stress again: I see the promotion of our successful policy on the 14th, especially the part that refers to Kosovo and Metohija although this is only the beginning of the resolution of problems. For the first time in history, the resolution of the complicated Kosovo problem is finally commencing. Neither Milosevic nor Rankovic nor King Aleksandar had seriously resolved this. In any case, not in a way to protect Serb interests, and at the same time non-violating healthy interests of Albanians on that territory."

Surroi's warning on possible failure of Vienna talks (Tanjug)

Prominent Kosovo reporter and owner of the Koha Ditore daily Veton Suroi has said the very chaotic political climate ahead of the Oct 14 onset of the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue in Vienna could cause a complete failure of the negotiations. "In essence, we do not know what should be discussed, and I also believe that the international community was neither ready nor organized when it entered this phase," Suroi said in a statement for the Podgorica daily Dan.

Russian Ambassador Ivanovski's interview to Balkan (Balkan)

The Russian troops were the first to arrive in Kosovo, but also the first to leave. Why?

"As regards the presence of Russian troops in Kosovo, it was important to Moscow that two things be respected: to respect UNSCR 1244 and to establish peace in Kosovo and Metohija. We left because we consider that police forces are presently more important than the military forces, and Russia is actively taking part here with its policemen."

How do you see the situation in Kosovo. You were even in Walker's commission in Kosovo and Metohija?

"Any dialogue is better than violence. The biggest problem in Kosovo is that nobody can guarantee safety presently, and without that other issues cannot be resolved, like the return of expellees, economic prosperity, political stability. This is why I think that the resolution of technical issues must go along with the improvement of the safety situation. I think this situation will last for some time, but things will start moving on 14 October when negotiations between Pristina and Belgrade commence. I don't think that the opening of that dialogue will bring anything spectacular, but it could be the beginning of something we all wish."

Kosovo Assembly didn't discuss dialogue (Glas/Fonet)

The Kosovo Assembly hasn't brought a decision on the participation of the Pristina delegation at the upcoming dialogue between Kosovo Albanians and the Serbian authorities in Vienna. The proposal by PDK caucus whip Asim Bajrami for the Assembly to make a stand on the continuation of the debate and adoption of the platform for the dialogue with Belgrade was supported by only 26 AMs, i.e. everybody from Hashim Thaci's PDK. Kosovo Assembly Speaker Nexhat Daci conveyed to AMs that a move was achieved in talks with representatives of the US, Great Britain, Germany, France and Italy, but that there was no agreement on having UNMIK Head Harri Holkeri, Kosovo President Ibrahim Rugova and Premier Bajram Rexhepi address the Assembly.

Announcement by the Serbian government (Politika/Tanjug)

The Serbian government has welcomed the decision of the international provisional administration in Kosovo and Metohija to stop the illegal privatization of socially owned companies in the province. The Serbian government reminds that in the last two years they have been sending requests for the stopping of illegal privatization to all relevant institutions worldwide - the UN, the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and many others.

Swiss government's aid to Kosovo (Danas/Beta)

The Swiss government will help Kosovo in the next three years with 25-30 million euros, investing in the projects of the infrastructure, water-supply and development of agriculture, said in Pristina Hubert Elize, the regional director of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation. Elize said that Switzerland would invest in Kosovo in the economy and the development of small and medium companies. Over the past four years, the Swiss government has invested nearly 150 million euros in Kosovo, and now it is entering a new phase - the setting up of a short-term investment strategy in the period of 2004-2006.