Media Analysis 16 October 2003

• Official reactions following the meeting in Vienna (Koha Ditore)
  
• Thaçi: Never in my life have I avoided responsibility (Java)
  
• Haradinaj isn't going to leave the Government and Assembly (Java)
  
• Shala: A day after Vienna (Zëri)
  
• How did we come to Vienna? (Koha Ditore)
  
• Kelmendi: Who is UNMIK's Monica Lewinsky? (Koha Ditore)
  
• Indictment by US businessman led to suspension of privatization (Zëri)
  
• Boycott of Albanians impedes restart of privatization (Koha Ditore)
  
• Environment Minister physically attacks permanent secretary (Bota Sot)
  
• Brothels at the corner of your house (Koha Ditore)

Belgrade Media Update

• Covic says Belgrade ready to discuss final status of Kosovo (B92)
  
• Zivkovic says 'Launch of Dialogue' could be "graded D" (DW)

Official reactions following the meeting in Vienna (Koha Ditore)

Koha Ditore quoted Austrian Chancellor Wolfgang Schuessel as saying, 'Even though the closing moments were not emotional, it is important that the first direct talks between Serbs and Kosovar Albanians have taken place'.

The Austrian Chancellor also said that Vienna as the host for the first meeting between Serb and Kosovo Albanians had a very important role, and he especially praised the Austrian Foreign Minister Benita Ferrero Waldner for her initiative.

Koha Ditore quoted Aldrin Dalipi, spokesperson for the Albanian Government as saying that the issues that were discussed in Vienna were equally important for both parties.

A press release issued by the Albanian Government noted that it was a historically important step that cooperation between Pristina and Belgrade was held through open and constructive dialogue.

'Furthermore, with the consensus of the other entities of the civil society they are going to contribute to the success of the dialogue,' added Dalipi.

Koha Ditore also quotes a communiqué issued by the Russian Foreign Ministry as saying that Russia welcomes the start of direct talks between Pristina and Belgrade on practical issues.

'Russia gives importance to the formation of a multi-ethnic democratic environment in Kosovo, ensuring genuine equality, efficient guarantees for all residents of Kosovo and creating conditions for the return of IDPs. We believe that talks between working groups are going to be apolitical and productive,' it said.

Thaçi: Never in my life have I avoided responsibility (Java)

Java weekly newspaper ran an interview with Hashim Thaçi, leader of the Kosovo Democratic Party (PDK), who said that Prime Minister Bajram Rexhepi was not going to resign because he had his backing.

PDK has not opposed the talks between Pristina and Belgrade and said that the meeting in Vienna must take place. However, the Prime Minister, who is a member of the PDK, didn't attend the meeting. Was this a mistake by the Prime Minister or was it your mistake?
This is exactly the political value and vision of the Kosovo Democratic Party. I have never perceived the leadership of the coalition of local institutions as a one-party policy. The leading mechanisms of the PDK made the right assessment of the circumstances and we took our political position that was evaluated by everyone on attending the meeting in Vienna. If someone made a mistake it was the speaker of the Kosovo Assembly who for two months blocked every initiative made by parliamentary groups and the prime minister to build an institutional consensus on the meeting in Vienna. He was the one who split the Albanians.

You said that the decision of the Prime Minister to say no to Vienna was his personal decision. Can the Prime Minister make a personal decision, despite the endorsement by his party of the Vienna meeting?
In taking his decision, the Prime Minister is and remains autonomous. I want to reemphasize that the prime minister has blocked the authoritarian position shown by the assembly speaker.

You also received an invitation to go to Vienna. Why did you refuse to go?
It is true that I received an invitation to go three days before the meeting in Vienna. My position was very clear; never in my life have I avoided responsibility, but Kosovo has the elected leaders of institutions. I assist the institutions and I don't plan to overshadow them.

The Kosovar delegation went to Vienna incomplete. Do you think that there is danger of the coalition government falling?
The Kosovar delegation did not go to Vienna. There were two Kosovar from the LDK leadership there. Those with tendencies to destroy the institutions are making a grave mistake.

There has been talk on the possible resignation by the Prime Minister. What if this does happens?
This is not going to happen because he has my backing for governing the country.

Do you see a possibility of relations between the Albanian political entities being 'repaired', after everything that happened on the dialogue?
I don't think that things have gone so far. My active role for the unified and efficient functioning of Kosovar institutions will be continue. We have various concepts and individuals in the political scene but I am going to cooperate with everyone who works seriously for the independence of Kosovo.

Haradinaj isn't going to leave the Government and Assembly (Java)

Java weekly newspaper says that everyone who thought that Ramush Haradinaj was going to leave the government and the assembly of Kosovo because he opposed talks between Prishtina and Belgrade were wrong.

'The Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK), a signatory to the coalition agreement, will continue to remain in Kosovo institutions even though Kosovo was represented in Vienna by an incomplete delegation,' Java added.

Haradinaj, leader of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK), told Java that he wasn't interested in the dissolution of the government. Haradinaj however added that after the meeting in Vienna, the political situation in Kosovo has become very grave.

'We are going to support the working of Kosovo institutions. But we are not going to support actions that do not help our aims. We have opposed a concrete action, not only from the government but also from UNMIK, a project which we have considered to be an improvisation,' Haradinaj added. 'We have not demanded the dissolution of the government but we have asked for it to be given other necessary ministries.'

Haradinaj said that the participation of the incomplete Kosovo delegation to Vienna had damaged the cooperation between political parties. 'There is now a gap between locals and internationals and the situation has been aggravated,' he added.

Haradinaj said that the coalition government would not fall but that the approach of locals towards the internationals was certainly going to change. He also added that from now on there was going to be no compromises for courtesy sake. 'There are going to be no false compromises. There is going to be only consensus on our common objectives, in which the internal political spectrum can cooperate. But this cooperation should not be conducted in a blind manner. We dare not agree with steps that don't lead to the implementation of our objectives,' said Haradinaj.

Shala: A day after Vienna (Zëri)
In an editorial for Zëri, Blerim Shala wrote:

It would be a major political mistake if Kosovan officials continue to deal with the meeting in Vienna. For the time being, there is not even willingness to peacefully analyze the consequences of this event, which in the last couple of weeks prevailed in the Kosovar political scene. On the contrary, based on the reactions from the last couple of days, there is reasonable concern that the Vienna meeting could be used as an excuse to settle scores between the partners in the coalition government in Kosovo. For this reason, Prime Minister Bajram Rexhepi publicly emphasized that he was not going to resign.

In order to make political changes one must always start from things that cannot happen and then move on to things that might happen.

Let us be more direct: New elections, premature general elections cannot take place. If we have forgotten, we must then recall that the organizing elections is still part of the reserved competencies of the international administration. Furthermore, bearing in mind the difficulties of reaching the co-government agreement, it would a loss of time to think that the government could be recomposed if the prime minister or a certain minister is replaced.

Therefore, this government will remain in office until next year's regular general elections. If all the important political factors in Kosovo come to this conclusion, then they should also conclude that Vienna should be set aside and it would be good from now on for them to focus on political priorities in Kosovo. The unblocking of the process of privatization, accelerated transfer of competencies from UNMIK to the hands of Kosovans and the operationalisation of standards, are issues that cannot wait.

How did we come to Vienna? (Koha Ditore)

After the war, it was very difficult if not impossible, to foresee relations between Pristina and Belgrade. What happened during the two years of conflict was so horrible and it seemed that there was no room left for any kind of sympathy for a nation that was accused of terror and collective crimes over a decade in the Balkans.
Such a situation prevailed in Kosovo, too, and the international strategists rightly perceived it, as they decided to take small but well coordinated political steps to reach big objectives. The first objective of the international community was to gain the confidence of the majority population that was a victim during the war, and it was assessed that it could only be achieved through a person with a human spirit and honesty but who did not articulate clearly the stance of the international community; like the first administrator Bernard Kouchner.
It was the time when Kosovars willfully became guinea pigs a UN experiment and rolled up their sleeves to reconstruct their lives in cooperation with the agencies of the world's biggest organization, while the Frenchman Kouchner, was become more and more popular among the people for a mission that was seen as a paradise from their point of view. By the end of his mission, his trust was built and reached climax with his speech in Albanian at a Kebab store behind the National Theatre.
However, though the evolution of the situation to any sort of relationship with Belgrade could still not be foreseen, Kouchner, using his influence managed to send the UN message to establish institutions based on Resolution 1244 and that Belgrade was an important factor.
The institutions that Kouchner created faced increasing pressure to take into account the Belgrade factor and he had managed to reach the first agreement with Serbians on the return of Serb IDPs from Kosovo, including eight points, which were criticized by the Albanians.
Of course everybody knew that it was too early for the return of the Serbs but ice was broken and Serbs were representative partners in Kosovo, later those from Belgrade, too. It also measured the pulse of Kosovars and not just that.
From among the members of the then Kosovo Transitional Council, Hashim Thaçi left the meeting and later it was apparent that he was just trying to attract attention, since he returned after verbal promises by the Quint.
This was the precedent of breaking the consensus and partially securing votes from Albanian representatives that was going to help a lot in the most difficult moments of the process.
This practice had manifold and complex effects, among which the most important was to make clear to the Albanian representatives as to who had the final say on Kosovo and creation of the opinion that official Belgrade and Serb representatives were going to be important players in Kosovo's politics.
In this environment in 2001, the Albanians were looking suspiciously at the third Kosovo administrator, the Danish Hans Haekkerup, who with a military 'coldness' did not let them know what he had in mind.
The removal of Milosevic from power, justly caused fear among the Albanians in Kosovo, since the stance of the international community was becoming clearer and clearer, and especially of its representative, Hans Haekkerup. The removal of Milosevic should have meant the Albanian politicians becoming less smug but that did not happen.
In the meantime, Haekkerup took a step, which from the Kosovar perspective from Kouchner's time, was impossible; the Constitutional Framework for setting up Provisional Institutions, which was interpreted in different forms by various sections of the Albanian politics.
This document was approved too, in the IAC, again with Thaçi's opposition as before, while the other Albanian political representative from the former KLA, Ramush Haradinaj, called the PDK opposition a 'patriotic folklore', while LDK with its consistent policy said simply, without any hesitation 'yes', articulated by its president Ibrahim Rugova.
Later while setting up institutions, concessions started with an unbearable ease.
The Constitutional Framework of Hans Haekkerup had clarified principles of how the provisional institutions were to look, with a subordinate nature that Kosovo has today, and he went on. He signed, with Nebojsha Covic, another supplementary document that opened a channel for the Serb police and judges to come to Kosovo, known as Haekkerup-Covic agreement, which the latter mentioned in Vienna.
The establishment of the Assembly and the Government complicated the political scene even further, adding another two personalities, different from Rugova, Thaçi and Haradinaj; the PM Rexhepi, and the Assembly Speaker Daci, and the Albanian politics will continue to miss proactive actions.
But, in essence, it will no longer be important for the international community in Kosovo, since they have already secured some solid support from the Albanian representatives, in order for them not to remain completely alone.
The same techniques of identifying people and methods to achieve their objective, was applied in the case of the Vienna conference, though this time we witnessed a sharper division among the three major political parties and Ramush Haradinaj, the leader of the AAK was the only one who surprised everyone.

In the end, Rugova remained with the green card in his hand to give his 'yes' vote, Thaçi continued his opposition to attract attention and Haradinaj put on the robe that he used to call 'patriotic folklore'. Daci and PM Rexhepi, though they were in 'the same line' and drink coffee with the same amount of 'sugar', remain in the shadow of their party leaders.

PM Rexhepi: Government must appoint and lead working groups (Koha Ditore)
Koha Ditore reported that Kosovo government might get included in further talks between Pristina and Belgrade through establishment of the working groups.

The Kosovo government is not informed officially about talks in Vienna, said Kosovo Prime minister Bajram Rexhepi. He expects to receive a request from UNMIK to take over the appointment and leadership of working groups on practical issues. He hopes to meet SRSG very soon and also expects from 'Holkeri to give to the government the right to establish and to chair the working groups'.

On the other hand, UNMIK spokesperson said to Koha Ditore that UNMIK and Kosovo government should be part of the working groups together. This issue will be clarified after the meeting between SRG and Rexhepi.

Although Pristina and Belgrade expressed contradictory stances at the Vienna meeting, SRSG Harri Holkeri had said that 'an agreement had been reached between the two delegations'.

Holkeri added that Pristina and Belgrade have a duty to establish working groups, which should start working by the beginning of November to resolve practical problems of electricity, communication, missing persons and returns of IDPs.

LDK sees the Vienna meeting as a great success, while the AAK sees the meeting as a failure. The PDK had no comment on the Vienna talks.

Kelmendi: Who is UNMIK's Monica Lewinsky? (Koha Ditore)

Koha Ditore carries an opinion piece by Adriatik Kelmendi who points out that there have been several articles, books and studies on how the former US President Bill Clinton would make a major decision to shift public attention from the Lewinsky affair in order to retire peacefully and be remembered as one of the most successful US Presidents.

'It seems that UNMIK bureaucrats have learned a good lesson from the political trick of making up a 'major problem' in order to smother other problems. This trick was used to stop the process of privatization in Kosovo in the wake of the dialogue between Pristina and Belgrade,' added Kelmendi.
That, adds Kelmendi, helped Clinton reach a peaceful end to his eight year long mandate and to be remembered as one of the most successful US presidents. How much truth there is to it and how different Kosovo would have been without the Lewinsky affair cannot have an impartial assessment. But at times when politics and media cannot work without each other, a doctrine to 'make up a bigger problem' is quite familiar, and has historically been used by many authorities to overcome a difficulty without even being noticed by the public.
It seems, the trick of 'big problems' has been learned well by UNMIK bureaucrats lately. Who can name all the unsolved problems in Kosovo and that did not make it to the talks, in media or in the Parliament?
No doubt there are many. Some of the most obvious ones are Mitrovica, parallel structures, unsolved crimes, transfer of competencies, unemployment rate of over 60 per cent, corruption in enterprises, for which UNMIK has the last word, non- recognition of documents issued by this mission to the slow speed of the functioning of institutions which issue them. For all these phenomenon, the blame lies at the door of UNMIK first. And, though many of these problems date back to the installation of this mission in Kosovo, there has been no successful strategy to solve them.
What should be done in this situation?
The UN Mission's 'spin doctors' had the experience of similar jobs. Hmm: we have the issue of 'Pristina-Belgrade dialogue', which will overnight cover all the other problems and will serve as the axis of everything going on in Kosovo. It turns out to be a fantastic idea. Since the initiation of the issue of dialogue in Thessalonica Summit in June, this was the only topic everybody was talking about, forgetting many others.
For the moment the most dreadful phenomena is suspension of one of the core issues for Kosovo: privatization.
UNMIK, influenced by continuous pressure from Belgrade, has suspended the process and if this is not withdrawn it is going to have startling consequences for the future of Kosovo. But, there could hardly be a better moment for undertaking such a sensitive step.
Small has been the number of those who realized what suspension of this process means, since people were infected by the 'bigger problem' of debate on a very important dialogue. A scenario adopted brilliantly by UNMIK, producer ala UNMIK and the film 'a big problem' in Kosovo is ready for Oscar prize.
On Tuesday, the dialogue between Pristina and Belgrade definitely started in Vienna. Assessed as an undeniable success by many sides. But this process is a Pyrrhic victory, that has to do with a modern character in our era, the shadow of Monica Lewinsky is on the dialogue table.

Indictment by US businessman led to suspension of privatization (Zëri)

Citing reliable international sources, Zëri claims that an American-Jewish businessman has filed a case against the Kosovo Trust Agency (KTA) in a New York state court, that has led to the suspension of the entire process of privatization in Kosovo.

According to Zëri, the American businessman has disputed the privatization of the Wood Combine in Peja, claiming that he had won the tender for the company.

The paper further reported that the person who has filed the case was announced by the then Department for Trade and Industry as the winner of the commercialization contract of the Wood Combine.

In the meantime, with the beginning of the privatization process and after the promulgation of the regulation on lands, the commercialization process is stopped.

UNMIK Pillar IV has admitted that stopping the privatization process was related to the case in an international court, but it hasn't said by whom. The paper quotes sources saying that the suspension of the privatization process was the result of a case in a New York court. The source also denied claims that the suspension was related to pressure from official Belgrade, as Serbia is taking credit or with the issue of the talks between Pristina and Belgrade. The Serbian authorities said that they succeeded in stopping the privatization process in Kosovo. The Serbian government had called privatization 'illegal', but the international community considers it a significant process for sustainable economic development. The source further said that international legal officers in Kosovo doubts after this case and have become more doubtful about the privatization process.

In its response, the UN legal office advised the KTA to continue the privatization process in Kosovo even though it rejected giving the KTA personnel the required immunity. Kosovo Prime Minister Bajram Rexhepi has urged continuation of the privatization process.

However, UNMIK Pillar IV doesn't say when the privatization process might re-start. 'Legal issues for which we have sought clarifications from the UN's legal office are being discussed with the relevant people,' said UNMIK Pillar IV spokeswoman Monique de Groot.

'We hope to solve this issue as soon as possible and to continue the privatization process. This is all what we can say for the moment, when we have something new we will inform you,' De Groot concluded.

Boycott of Albanians impedes restart of privatization (Koha Ditore)

Koha Ditore quoted reliable sources as saying that none of the three Albanian representatives of the board of the Kosovo Trust Agency (KTA) attended yesterday's board meeting, which was supposed to vote on the restart of the process of privatization.

'For this reason, the meeting was postponed to Friday,' added the sources. 'It is regrettable that the Albanian members or their representatives did not participate in the meeting where many important issues were due to be discussed,' UNMIK Pillar IV said.

'Even though enough members were present there for 'quorum', the board decided to postpone the meeting till 17 October,' it said.

Kosovo Prime Minister Bajram Rexhepi had asked UNMIK to postpone yesterday's board meeting. He told reporters that the KTA board meeting would not be held that day since the minister for Economy and Finance Ali Sadriu was still in New York.

Environment Minister physically attacks permanent secretary (Bota Sot)

Citing reliable sources, Bota Sot reported that there has been 'another scandal' in the Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning. 'This time the main actor in the scandal was Minister Ethem Çeku, and the victim was not the fund of the Kosovo Government but the permanent secretary of the same ministry,' added the paper.

According to Bota Sot, Minister Çeku physically attacked the permanent secretary of the ministry, Ruzhdi Sefa, because the latter refused to take off a red pullover that he was wearing. Çeku reportedly did not like the fact that the permanent secretary was wearing a pullover that was similar to that worn by LDK leader Ibrahim Rugova. In fact, Bota Sot even claims that Çeku told Sefa to take off the red pullover because it is similar to that worn by the 'scarf' [the nickname used to refer to President Rugova].

Brothels at the corner of your house (Koha Ditore)

Koha Ditore runs a series of articles about prostitution and trafficking in Kosovo, saying that it has reached a worrisome scale

Fourteen girls at Dr. Galles' club in "Sunny Hill" in Pristina do striptease and drink with clients until 2 o'clock in the morning, when they start to fade away one by one, to get back in one hour. The owner prefers to call this form of entertainment a 'massage'. Dr. Galle, in his fifties, long, with curly hair, partially bald, and with long pony tail, exercises his illegal, but very transparent business' in "Dubrovniku' street, where police cars patrol dozens of times during the night.
Dr. Galles's club is one of 200 suspicious places practicing prostitutions, which UNMIK says it is difficult to prove that prostitution that is illegal in Kosovo, goes on there.
'It is difficult to tell whether these girls work as striptease dancers, waitresses, or prostitutes,' says Adrian Dobrezsku, an investigator in the Anti-trafficing unit of the police for Pristina region.

How difficult is it to find brothels?

A tour through Pristina region for some hours is enough to see some of the brothels where prostitution is clearly going on. The bill in Dr. Galles Club comes to 100 Euros for a 'massage' starting at 2 o'clock in the morning, and the girls themselves do not deny it is sexual intercourse or prostitution.
'Apart from the 'massage' everything else here is legal' says Sanja, one of the 14 girls, who together with her friend Antoneta sit at our table. 'I am sorry you need to wait two hours', says Sanja in clear Serbian.
No need for explanation where this place is. It is enough to ask a taxi driver in Fushe- Kosova about "Hasan Lludi" place. (crazy Hasan)!
'Watch out for the dog!' is written without translation in the place where Sanja spends her nights awake and days asleep. In most of the cases girls from these bars speak good Serbian, though they say they come from Transylvanian countries.

Police are awkward, say the girls

This club is among the first and the biggest, not just because of the 14 girls but also because of the prices, clients and other services that it offers.
Also, the Galles' has the 'privilege' to receive very important people in Kosovo. And, this club was at least once the host of one of the heads of Kosovo justice. "I tried to get rid of one of the girls that threw herself on my back, while my colleague, who is a lawyer, had several in his lap.'
Sanja left a family behind in her country and headed for Spain only to end up in Kosovo. She says she supports her family with the money she makes in Pristina. First she says she is a free woman and that she can do whatever she pleases, though she is not allowed to go out without 'guards'. The police come from time to time, but they are very awkward, says the Ukrainian blond, who recalls the Spanish shores as the best part of her life. She was there to work as a waitress.
'It was far better than here. Even Ukraine is better than Kosovo. Here men are very aggressive and inconsiderate' she says. Sanja, however, has national pride. She mentions Shevcenko, the Milano football player, brothers Klitchko, two world known boxers. But she does not like politicians.
Deep poverty in her country, according to data from some agencies, has pushed girls into prostitution. Thirty Euros is the approximate monthly salary there. For a 'massage' at Dr. Galles', she makes 25 Euros while her boss gets 75 €.
'He treats us well' says Sanja, and puts her head under the table laughing when asked whether this club was earlier known as 'Hasan Lludi"
After some glasses of whiskey and vodka, an hour later, Sanja reveals that not everything is OK with her boss.
'Six times is two much for a night. But not for the boss. He gets nervous whenever I have less than four clients and is happy when I have more than six.'
Here she apologizes, since it is time for her to dance for some time and change. She showed up again in the bar, and this time with her half naked bottom.

Brothels cover provinces

Provincial brothels do not resemble the Galles' kingdom. Smoky and often dark, though close to main streets, they receive other sort of guests; have other prices and other girls. Without red lights and without florescent interiors, surrounded by walls blackened by smoke, there are seven tables with dirty covers with holes made by cigarettes, a club near the main Pristina- Fushe-Kosova road receives clients that greet each other with 'uncle', 'cousin' or 'merhaba'.
This is one of the clubs UNMIK has included in its off limit list. 'You can drink, have coffee and f…' if you want, says a 15-year old boy who passes by. 'Would you like anything to drink', says a woman in her thirties in Serbian. The barman closely follows his three waitresses while serving and sitting with the clients. At one moment he leaves the bar and approaches two men with weather-beaten faces. He whispers something to them. Soon afterwards he sneaks out of the bar with a girl in her twenties following him. In one hour's time, the girl returned, checking in candlelight if her collar was in place. After her, the client showed up, even gloomier. He paid € 100 and left. This is the end of Qazim's day, who makes a living as a construction worker. The same table is soon occupied by some other fat people, who after saying hello start talking about the Vienna dialogue.

Belgrade Media Update

Covic says Belgrade ready to discuss final status of Kosovo (B92)

Serbian D/PM and Head of the Coordination Center for Kosovo (CCK) Nebojsa Covic, told Radio B92 that there has been no dialogue in Vienna as they only sat at the same table and read statements. He assessed that the organization of the entire gathering was bad and qualified the Pristina delegation to have been "ethnically cleansed" because non multiethnic, and considers that "this should not have happened since the international community, i.e. UNMIK, was the organizer of that meeting." Covic commented that Kosovo Albanian war criminals should be sent to The Hague "because some of them are meddling in politics and they don't even allow moderate Kosovo Albanian representatives to lead a normal policy." He reiterated that all those who advocate Kosovo's independence are in fact advocating the instability of the region and expressed Belgrade's readiness to immediately approach talks on Kosovo's future status: "If they want to speak right now about the status - we're here! We're ready to talk about the status and everything else. There is no taboo topic for us," said Covic while stressing that Belgrade was ready to accept all options except Kosovo's independence. He called on the international community to send a clear message to Kosovo Albanians that there would be no independent Kosovo. Covic underlined that the working groups, if their meeting occurs, must be multi-ethnic, and that everything should be precisely done - especially regarding the issue of the return of Serbs and other non-Albanians to the province. He concluded that it was nevertheless good that the Belgrade delegation traveled to these talks and stated that the Belgrade authorities actually "saved" the meeting.

Zivkovic says 'Launch of Dialogue' could be "graded D" (DW)

Serbian PM Zoran Zivkovic told Radio Deutsche Welle yesterday that the Vienna meeting could be "graded D" and commented that "if it is enough that we sat at the same table, then the assessment could be positive, but if I consider what was said a the table, then I can say that there was no dialogue, that there were no talks and that the old expressions, old statement were repeated, which do not contribute to resolving the present situation in Kosovo." He considers that not only the Albanian side is to blame for the failure of the Vienna talks, but that also UNMIK Chief Harri Holkeri as "his mistake is that he allowed Kosovo PM Bajram Rexhepi to discredit the entire event with his decision." Zivkovic further commented that he was not at all surprised with Kosovo Albanian insistence on squeezing the issue of Kosovo's status in the Belgrade-Pristina talks, because this has been the one and only goal of their policy, and stressed that "it is more important to see what the international community thinks about that." Regarding the latter's reaction to Rexhepi's refusal to participate in the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue, he considers it should react "the same way as it used to react against Serbia and the former FRY", and denounces the fact that it demonstrates "a certain level of hypocrisy, because it is still exerting preventive and corrective pressures on one side, while for some unknown reasons shows a great deal of understanding for the other one." Zivkovic concluded by saying that it would be good for the Kosovo Government to take part in the negotiations because he believes that without the executive branch there can be no "talks or any taking responsibility."

Main Stories 16 October PM

· Rexhepi: We aren't at risk to resign (Koha Ditore)
· PM Rexhepi: Govt must appoint and lead working groups (Koha Ditore)
· Holkeri to have dinner with prime minister and ministers (Zëri)
· Solana to visit Prishtina and give impetus to continuing dialogue (Koha)
· EU wants K-Govt to immediately join dialogue with Belgrade (Zëri)
· Covic says Belgrade rescued Vienna talks (Koha Ditore)
· Shala: A day after Vienna (Zëri)
· Indictment by US businessman led to suspension of privatization (Zëri)
· Boycott of Albanians impedes restart of privatization (Koha Ditore)
· Carla del Ponte confirms two cases are being confirmed in Kosovo (Koha)
· Kelmendi: Who is UNMIK's Monica Lewinsky? (Koha Ditore)
· KPS and UNMIK Police confiscate 36 kilograms of heroin (all dailies)

Kosovo Media Highlights

PM Rexhepi: We aren't at risk to resign (Koha Ditore)
Koha Ditore quotes Prime Minister Bajram Rexhepi, one day after the meeting in Vienna, as saying that his position wasn't at such risk for him to resign.

'I don't think we are so much in danger to resign. Proof of this is the fact that despite various opinions about the meeting in Vienna today in the government session we nonetheless stood united… We have never ignored dialogue, but we always had our requests. I have always respected the institutional line and I will continue to do so,' Rexhepi said.

PM Rexhepi: Govt must appoint and lead working groups (Koha Ditore)
Koha Ditore reports that despite the refusal to attend the meeting in Vienna, Prime Minister Bajram Rexhepi was quoted as saying that he expects to receive a request from UNMIK to take over the appointment and leadership of working groups on practical issues.

Holkeri to have dinner with Prime Minister and Ministers (Zëri)
Zëri quotes Prime Minister Bajram Rexhepi as saying, 'I hope that tonight or tomorrow night we are going to have a private dinner with Holkeri, and we are going to make our suggestions as a government, and Holkeri has promised us that after the Vienna meeting he is going to focus more on Kosovo's priorities'.

Solana to visit Prishtina and give impetus to continuing dialogue (Koha Ditore)
Citing sources in EU headquarters in Brussels, Koha Ditore reports that EU High Representative Javier Solana is expected to visit Prishtina soon and give an impetus to continuing dialogue.

EU wants K-Govt to immediately join dialogue with Belgrade (Zëri)
Zëri reports that the European Union is expected to increase pressure on the Kosovo Government and Prime Minister Bajram Rexhepi who didn't attend the opening ceremony of the dialogue with the Serbian Government in Vienna on Tuesday.

The paper also reports that the Presidents and Prime Ministers of 15 member countries of the European Union will meet on Thursday and Friday in Brussels to discuss the future of the European constitution and the latest political developments in relations between Prishtina and Belgrade.

EU officials told Zëri that the highest leaders of EU countries will reemphasize the importance of dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia, and point out that the Kosovo Government must join the process of dialogue as soon as possible.

Covic says Belgrade saved Vienna talks (Koha Ditore)
Koha Ditore reports that Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Nebojsa Covic told Beta news agency that the Belgrade authorities 'saved' the meeting with the Pristina delegation in Vienna.

Covic said he was proud of such an initiative by the authorities from Belgrade. He also added that the working groups, if their meeting takes place, must be multi-ethnic and that everything should be precisely done - especially on the issue of the return of Serbs and other non-Albanians in Kosovo.

Shala: A day after Vienna (Zëri)
In an editorial for Zëri, Blerim Shala claims that based on the reactions from the last couple of days, 'there is reasonable concern that the Vienna meeting could be used as an excuse to settle scores between the partners in the coalition government in Kosovo. For this reason, Prime Minister Bajram Rexhepi publicly emphasized that he was not going to resign'. [full translation in Media Analysis]

Indictment by US businessman led to suspension of privatization (Zëri)
Citing reliable international sources, Zëri claims that an American-Jewish businessman has filed an indictment against the Kosovo Trust Agency (KTA) at the Court of the State of New York, an act that has led to the suspension of the entire process of privatization in Kosovo.

According to Zëri, the American businessman has disputed the privatization of the Wood Combine in Peja/Pec, claiming that he had won the tender for the company. [more in Media Analysis]

Boycott of Albanians impedes restart of privatization (Koha Ditore)
Koha Ditore quotes reliable sources as saying that none of the three Albanian representatives of the board of the Kosovo Trust Agency (KTA) has attended yesterday's board meeting, which was supposed to vote on the restart of the process of privatization.

'For this reason, the meeting was postponed for Friday,' added the sources.

On the other hand, Kosova Sot reports that Prime Minister Rexhepi had requested from UNMIK to postpone the KTA Board meeting.

Bota Sot reports that the Legal Office of United Nations HQ in New York has opposed the suspension of the process of privatization in Kosovo.

Carla del Ponte confirms two cases are being investigated in Kosovo (Koha Ditore)
Koha Ditore reports that during her speech before the foreign ministers of the European Union, ICTY Chief Prosecutor Carla del Ponte said that apart from the first indictment against former members of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA), she was also investigating another two cases in Kosovo and she complained about having problems in gathering evidence and witness protection.

Kelmendi: Who is UNMIK's Monica Lewinsky? (Koha Ditore)
Koha Ditore carries an opinion piece by Adriatik Kelmendi who points out that there have been several articles, books and studies claiming that former US President Bill Clinton had to make a major decision in order to shift the attention of the public opinion from the Lewinsky Affair in order to retire peacefully and be remembered as one of the most successful US Presidents.

'It seems that UNMIK bureaucrats have learned a good lesson from the political trick of making up a 'major problem' in order to forget other problems. This trick used to stop the process of privatization in Kosovo in the shadows of the dialogue between Prishtina and Belgrade,' added Kelmendi. [full translation in afternoon Media Analysis]

KPS and UNMIK Police confiscate 36 kilograms of heroin (all dailies)
All dailies report that Kosovo Police Service and UNMIK police have recently confiscated 36 kilograms of heroin at the border crossing point of Vërmica, at the border with Albania.

KPS spokesman Refki Morina said that this was the largest amount of drugs confiscated in the last four years in Kosovo. 'The value of this shipment is estimated at 1.5 million euros,' Morina added.

Kosovo Press Headlines
Koha Ditore
Front page
· Rexhepi: We aren't at risk to resign
· Bordellos nearby your home
· Surroi: Votes in Albania
· Albanian boycott impedes re-start of the privatization process
· Del Ponte confirms investigation on two cases in Kosovo
· Breaking news: Unknown attackers killed Xhevdet Behramin

Other headlines
· Solana to visit Prishtina, to encourage the dialogue (2)
· Serbs have mixed feelings about dialogue (2)
· Covic: Belgrade saved talks in Vienna (2)
· Official reactions on beginning of the dialogue (2)
· Rexhepi: Working groups should be formed and led by government (3)
· NATO welcomes meeting in Vienna, pressure needs to be increased (3)
· UNMIK officials in Mitrovica aware of OSCE report on parallel structure (4)
· Parties' support for campaign on weapons was required [Macedonia] (5)
· Interview with UNMIK customs director Paul Acda (5)
· Every Kosovar spends three euro per day (5)
· Incidents in Himara escalates [Albania] (6)
· Guzelova: EU and OSCE appeal to students of Tetovo University (6)
· Police confiscated 36 kg heroin (7)
· Concerns of the missing persons' relatives are high (8)
· American people invested $264,000 through USAID (8)
· Citizens complain for lack of efforts (8)
· Kaçanik residents facing grave social situation (9)
· Assistance for minorities in Klina (9)
· How we came up to Vienna? (10)
· Who is UNMIK's Monica Lewinsky? (10)

Zëri
Front page
· Privatization wasn't revoked because of Serbia's pressure, but because of a charge by an American businessman
· EU demands from Kosovo government to be included in dialogue
· Will PDK repeat again its stance towards Daci in assembly session?
· More than two hundreds personalities from Kosovo participate in sanctification of Mother Teresa
· Locals do not go at the KTA Board meeting
· Naim Ternava, new head of the Kosovo Islam community

Other headlines
· Solana to visit Prishtina and Belgrade (2)
· Covic: If Kosovars have right on independence, same thing should belong to the Serbs in Bosnia (2)
· The US invites Prishtina and Belgrade to fully participate in dialogue (2)
· France demands to continue dialogue on practical issues (2)
· R. Trajkovic accuses international community for supporting Albanians (2)
· Rexhep: I do not think that we are at risk to resign (3)
· Kosovo is lost for Serbia (4)
· Nowicki returns to Kosovo (4)
· German press on Kosovo (4)
· Increase of revenues by customs services (5)
· Increase of the consumers' awareness, aim of the project (5)
· How much is Ohrid agreement implemented? [Macedonia] (6)
· Internationals: Do not manipulate students (6)
· Ostreni gets PPD support on weapon issue (6)
· Ministry of Education rejects status of University of Prishtina (6)
· Kosovo's blind people demand more assistance (7)
· Dedushaj: We are eating uncontrolled and contaminated food (8)
· Parallel Serb structure operates in Gjilan (9)
· Inauguration of the new school, gift from USAID (9)
· UNMIK: Illegal contract for executing the project (9)

Bota Sot
Front page
· UN legal office opposes stopping of the privatization process
· With those stances, such people damaged Kosovo
· Minister of Environment Çeku attacked his permanent secretary Sefa
· Tetovo university will not join 'Stooel' university
· The KTA Board meeting is postponed again
· Rugova closes mouth of some anti-national circles
· It is aimed to increase consumers awareness
· Economic development will not lack in South and East Europe
· EU and OSCE on Tetovo university [Macedonia]

Other headlines
· 25th anniversary of Pope (2)
· KFOR dismantles grenade (2)
· USAID gifts school to Rugova residents (3)
· Buçpapaj: Slow down Solana! (4)
· Three persons die in traffic accidents (4)
· Police confiscated 36 kg heroin (4)
· Buçpapaj: How we met with Pope (5)
· Authorities of center on problems with students (6)
· Clashes in the Kosovo political scene (7)
· Baze: Theft of votes by ODIHR [Albania] (8)
· To remove Serb parallel structures (9)
· Ministry of Health appoints new directors at Prishtina hospital (9)
· PDH doesn't support campaign on weapons, PPD yes [Macedonia] (10)

Kosova Sot
Front page
· Game of authority
· Parties, a fist around the government
· Kosovars expect status from Americans
· Rexhepi: I am not going to resign
· Covic accepts independence of Kosovo if borders change
· To sell Kosovo for 1 billion Euro
· Return of Serbs for 8 billion Euros
· OSCE feels bad about parallel structures
· Largest amount of drugs seized in Kosovo

Other headlines
· Assembly members to discuss talks with Serbia (2)
· Birman: Without compromise Albanians risk independence (2)
· Working groups still without address (3)
· Talks that lead to status (4)
· UNMIK ignores the PM's request, meeting of KTA board fails (5)
· A further factorization of Kosovar institutions aimed at (5)
· No electricity without paying, not even for the poor (6)
· Ahmeti, new Director of Pristina Hospital (6)
· Rules should be respected by both professors and students (7)
· A Dutch will sit in the 'armchair' of PTK manager (7)
· Public enterprises 'saved' from salary leveling (8)
· In Peja over 4.000 ha remain wasteland (8)
· Why Kosovars continue to ignore local production (8)
· Progress and challenges of economic development measured (8)

Epoka e Re
Front page
· Rexhepi: No need for resignation!
· Commentary: 'Daci's "peasant-like" revenge
· Daci's dangerous vocabulary
· Mr. Daci's is fulfilling Tito's last wishes
· Supreme Court to decide about "Dukagjini Group"
· Alliance of Berisha with Greek-Montenegrins

Other headlines
· Assembly members seemed tired of Daci (2)
· "Standard": No Albanian able to talk to Serbs present in Vienna (3)
· Kosovo receives 40 dead bodies of Albanians (3)
· Solana soon in Belgrade and Pristina (3)
· We should not have gone to Vienna, say citizens (4)
· Birman: Kosovo issue to be solved before Serbia-Montenegro'e entrance to EU (4)
· Opinions: Elimination (5)
· 36 kg heroin seized (5)
· Berisha's shame: Himara in the south at risk like Mitrovica in the north (6)
· Nano: To investigate Himara's incidents (6)
· Naim Tërnava, elected new head of Islamic Community in Kosovo (6)
· Klina people continue to support Limaj's fund (6)
· Minister Luan Rama hits journalist Ilir Babaramo (7)
· OSCE justifies parallel structure (7)
· US and Europe greet democratic elections in Albania (7)

Belgrade Media Highlights

· Belgrade is ready to discuss the issue of Kosovo's final status, says Covic (B92)
· Covic on talks in Vienna (Balkan)
· Zivkovic: I am not surprised with Kosovo Albanian insistence on the status issue (Politika/Tanjug)
· Zivkovic: Holkeri is to be blamed (Blic)
· Kostunica cannot imagine independent Kosovo (Vecernje Novosti)
· Rasim Ljajic: Talks in Vienna not successful (Blic)
· Krstovic and Bogdanovic against Holkeri's reconsideration of standards (Vecernje Novosti)
· Americans to stay in Kosovo (Danas)
· Solana soon to visit Belgrade (Glas/Tanjug)
· France welcomes beginning of dialogue (Glas/Beta)
· Serbs avoided the first dangerous trap (Nedeljni Telegraf)

Belgrade is ready to discuss the issue of Kosovo's final status, says Covic (B92)
Speaking in the Radio B92 morning program, the Head of the CCK Nebojsa Covic has assessed that there was no dialogue in Vienna, but that they only sat at the same table and read statements. Covic assessed that the organization of the entire gathering was bad. He especially criticized the
inability of the Pristina delegation to be multiethnic. "This should not have happened since the international community, i.e. UNMIK was the organizer of that meeting. They told us the evening before the meeting in Vienna that Serb and Turkish representatives Todorovic and Mumxiju would
not be in the Pristina delegation, because Rugova laid the condition that then he and Daci would not go. After that they started calling us and yet again exerting pressure on Belgrade. We said - hello, we do not accept to be treated as usual suspects, and whenever you don't know what to do you flick
us with fingers on the head." Covic assessed that it was nevertheless good that the Belgrade delegation traveled to these talks, because it showed it could rise above such provocations. I am not satisfied with what happened in Vienna, but I am satisfied with our stands. I hope the people from the
international community, especially from the EU, will understand that we are not going to play here and will not trade. The Serbian DPM stressed that Belgrade has saved Harri Holkeri on Tuesday, "I don't know whether he could have worked if the dialogue, i.e. these initial talks did not happen." Covic criticized Ibrahim Rugova for his statement that he was the representative of a multiethnic Kosovo: "What kind of representative of multiethnic Kosovo is he? Let's not lie to each other - it is not enough to put on a scarf around your neck and then make exhibitions." Covic reiterated that all those who advocate Kosovo's independence are in fact advocating the instability of the region. He even expressed Belgrade's readiness to immediately approach talks on Kosovo's future status: "If they
want to speak right now about the status - we're here! We're ready to talk about the status and everything else. There is no taboo topic for us, but we're not ready to take part in some Hollywood-style shows," stressed the Head of the CCK. Covic said that Belgrade was ready to accept all options except Kosovo's independence, and called on the international community to
send a clear message to Kosovo Albanians that there would be no independent Kosovo. "If this would happen, you would see how 60-70% of those ideas would go down within a week. You know, we Serbs have also been slapped for all the stupidity we have done, and who knows what else awaits us, but it is very important here to send Kosovo Albanians this message It is also necessary to make one more step and send their war criminals to The Hague, because some of them are meddling in politics and they don't even allow moderate Kosovo Albanian representatives to pursue a normal policy."

Covic on talks in Vienna (Balkan)
The Head of the CCK Nebojsa Covic has stated that the Belgrade authorities "saved" the meeting with the Pristina delegation in Vienna. Covic said at a press conference that he was proud with such an input by the Belgrade authorities. He added that the working groups, if their meeting occurs, must be multi-ethnic, and that everything should be precisely done - especially regarding the issue of the return of Serbs and other non-Albanians to the province. Covic added that Belgrade was ready for talks on Kosovo's status, but stated that change of borders means an independent Kosovo. He warned that such a scenario would cause destabilization of the entire region. Covic criticized the organizers of the meeting over the interruption of the broadcast of the meeting in Vienna, and said the interruption had not been planned. He also criticized the international community and UNMIK for not ensuring the participation of national minorities in the Pristina delegation, and assessed the Pristina delegation was "ethnically cleansed."

Zivkovic: I am not surprised with Kosovo Albanian insistence on the status issue (Politika/Tanjug)
Serbian Prime Minister Zoran Zivkovic told the German radio Deutsche Welle that he was not at all surprised with Kosovo Albanian insistence on squeezing the issue of Kosovo's status in the Belgrade-Pristina talks, because this has been the one and only goal of their policy : "However, it is more important to see what the international community thinks about that," said Zivkovic. Asked what the international community should do after Bajram Rexhepi's refusal to participate in the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue, Zivkovic answered that it should react "the same way as it used to react against Serbia and the former FRY." According to him, the international community demonstrates "a certain level of hypocrisy," because it is still exerting preventive and corrective pressures on one side, while for some unknown reasons shows a great deal of understanding for the
other side. Assessing the beginning of the dialogue in Vienna, Zivkovic said that this meeting "could be given a D." He repeated that this was no dialogue and that only well-known statements were given, which could not in anyway contribute to overcoming the difficult situation in Kosovo.

Zivkovic: Holkeri is to be blamed (Blic)
Serbian Prime Minister Zoran Zivkovic has reiterated in Novi Pazar that there had been no real Belgrade-Pristina dialogue in Vienna, and blamed the UNMIK head for this. "Holkeri is to be blamed, and we give him time to correct the initial mistakes because he is still at the beginning of the mission. His mistake is that he allowed Kosovo Premier Bajram Rexhepi to discredit the entire event with his decision," said Zivkovic.
Kostunica cannot imagine independent Kosovo (Vecernje Novosti)
DSS leader Vojislav Kostunica has stated that he cannot imagine an independent Kosovo, and that one cannot speak about stability in that province until a safe return of Serb refugees is enabled. In an interview to Berlin-based Tageszeitung, he responded to the question as to whether he could imagine an independent Kosovo: "No, not until we are alive. We must aspire to a solution for Kosovo that excludes the creation of new borders," he said.

Rasim Ljajic: Talks in Vienna not successful (Blic)
SaM Minister for human rights Rasim Ljajic has not participated in the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue, although he had been announced to travel to Vienna as the representative of the state union's ministerial council. "Our delegation was made to match the Albanian delegation. Premier Zoran Zivkovic and Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Nebojsa Covic have estimated for this reason that there is no need for me to travel to Vienna," Ljajic told Blic. At the remark that with his non-departure to Austria's capital the state union didn't have its representative in the dialogue on Kosovo and Metohija, Ljajic stated that the CCK was a joint body of the two governments, so that the state union was represented through Covic who heads this center. Ljajic assessed that talks in Vienna were "out mostly unprepared" and added "therefore such an outcome that can be characterized in any way but not as successful."

Krstovic and Bogdanovic against Holkeri's reconsideration of standards (Vecernje Novosti)
A statement of UNMIK Head Harri Holkeri that he will reconsider standards charted by his predecessor Michael Steiner, as conditions for the final status of Kosovo and Metohija, has caused various reactions among Serb political leaders in the province. KP caucus whip Dragisa Krstovic assessed that the reconsideration of standards that Holkeri had announced during the Vienna talks should not be opposed to interests of Serbs in the province. International community's policy towards Kosovo and Metohija must change because the existing situation is unsustainable, Krstovic pointed out. Minister of Agriculture in the Kosovo government Goran Bogdanovic stated that the announced reconsideration of standards charted by Michael Steiner was unacceptable for Serbs.

Americans to stay in Kosovo (Danas)
Roy Stafford, professor at the National Military College in Washington, has stressed the situation in Kosovo is different from the one in B-H, and that the withdrawal of the American forces from Kosovo would cause a far more intense situation. "I think the presence of the American forces in Kosovo will require more time since the safety situation is not yet stable and since there is a possibility of ethnic and other violence," said the American analyst. SaM Defense Minister Boris Tadic has talked in Vienna with his counterpart Günter Platter on forms of possible cooperation, and about the current safety-political situation in the region of southeastern Europe. It was stated at a joint press conference that lack of safety in Kosovo represents a problem for the entire region of southeastern Europe. Platter promised Tadic that the Austrian government would continue to take part in the international peace forces in Kosovo. Around 500 Austrian soldiers are presently taking part in the peace forces in Kosovo.

Solana soon to visit Belgrade (Glas/Tanjug)
The EU High Representative for Foreign Policy and Security Javier Solana will visit Belgrade and Pristina by the end of the month in order to encourage both sides, after Tuesday's meeting in Vienna, to continue the dialogue, stated Solana's spokesperson Christine Galyak in Brussels. As Solana said in Vienna, that first step is very important, but the most important for the EU is that the process of talks continues, that working groups charged with resolving of practical questions of mutual interest be formed, Galyak said. She particularly emphasized that along with other international factors, the EU was determined to fully engage in the continuation of talks, because, according to her, there is no alternative, but talks.

France welcomes beginning of dialogue (Glas/Beta)
France welcomed the beginning of dialogue on Kosovo and assured that it will open a path towards new and more constructive talks. It is exactly the talks on technical and humanitarian issues that could restore mutual trust and eliminate the consequences of the tragic past - reads the statement of the French Foreign Ministry.

Serbs avoided the first dangerous trap (Nedeljni Telegraf)
The Serb side was supposed to be blamed for the failed beginning of the dialogue and a severe punishment was planned - the international institutions should have been set in motion to expressly recognize Kosovo's independence. The trap that had been set at the last minute could be labeled as one of the dirtiest and the most insidious diplomatic games. The night before leaving for Vienna, Holkeri excluded representatives of the Serb and the Turkish ethnic communities from the delegation of Kosovo, sending a clear message to Belgrade that Kosovo belongs to Albanians and should only be represented by them. This sudden biasness of Holkeri (claims could be heard that he was blackmailed and petrified by an assassination attempt) was visible in his wholehearted attempt to persuade Hashim Thaci to come to Vienna. On the other hand, he was not at all interested in whether the Belgrade delegation would come, although it hesitated a lot after being blackmailed by Pristina. Holkeri and his associates tried to play the well-known card - to provoke the Serb pride and stubbornness and "clinch the deal" for the Albanians even before the beginning of dialogue. However, they tricked themselves. Although this issue is above all matter of principle, because Kosovo is a multiethnic environment that does not belong exclusively to Albanians, the SaM leadership did not fall for this trick. In the end they decided to go to Vienna in a bit modified team and surprised Holkeri and his advisors.