Media Analysis 22 September 2003

• Rexhepi: Politicians, institutions to cooperate for the good of the country
  
• SRSG Harri Holkeri, chairman of talks (Kosova Sot)
  
• Maloku: Talks between Prishtina and Belgrade are imposed (Epoka e Re)
  
• Palokaj: Dialogue without hesitation (Koha Ditore)
  
• PTK, KEK… legally do not exist (Koha Ditore)
  
• Kosovo Serb media are above the law, no one monitors them (Zëri)
  

Belgrade Update Media

• Balaj and Musliu to remain in custody (Beta)
  
• Marovic to be head of SCG delegation in New York, Kosovo main topic (Tanjug)
  
• Dialogue should start as soon as possible with help of Contact group - Marovic (Tanjug)
  
• Serbian journalists threatened with automatic weapon in Obilic (Tanjug)

Rexhepi: Politicians, institutions to cooperate for the good of the country
Epoka e Re quoted Prime Minister Bajram Rexhepi as saying that it was high time for the Albanian political entities and Kosovar institutions to cooperate closely for all issues in the interest of Kosovo.

Rexhepi made these remarks after meeting with senior officials of the Board of Directors of the American University. The meeting focused on current challenges in Kosovo, and Rexhepi emphasized that Kosovo needs the assistance and support of the US, especially the help of experts.

Commenting on Friday's dinner hosted by Kosovo chief administrator Harri Holkeri, Prime Minister Rexhepi reiterated the position of the government that first the procedure of talks must be determined, the equal level of talks must be guaranteed and the transfer of competencies from UNMIK to Kosovar institutions must take place before starting dialogue between Prishtina and Belgrade.

'I will once again insist for the Kosovo Assembly to make the political decision for these talks,' Rexhepi was quoted as saying.

SRSG Harri Holkeri, chairman of talks (Kosova Sot)
Kosova Sot quoted UNMIK spokesperson Christian Lindmeier through BBC Radio as saying that SRSG Harri Holkeri was going to be the chairman of talks between Pristina and Belgrade.

Lindmeier said that talks were an opportunity window that would not remain open forever and added that talks would initially focus on issues involving the everyday lives of citizens.

Asked whether Holkeri was a bit optimistic when he said that dialogue between Pristina and Belgrade was a matter of days and not weeks, Lindmeier was quoted as saying, 'I agree that it is an optimistic statement, but according to the impressions that it has left it is a positive and possible statement, therefore, it is not something unreasonable.'

Lindmeier also told BBC that the agenda of talks was not decided yet. 'As you have seen in the press, we must start with technical issues, freedom of movement, license plates, etc., therefore, everything related to the everyday lives of people. You must start from somewhere and this is where we can begin,' he added.

Asked to comment on the statements of some Albanian politicians who said that dialogue would fail even without starting because the Kosovo Government lacks the necessary competencies, Lindmeier said: 'The transfer of competencies and the start of dialogue are not two connected issues. Mr. Clinton mentioned something similar in the speech that he gave in Pristina and he said that we must look ahead and leave the past behind. This is something similar to this statement. We must move ahead and it doesn't matter if 50 percent or 75 percent of the competencies have been transferred. Talks are talks and they imply that people and governments must get to know each other and start their first meetings.'

Commenting on whether SRSG Holkeri is going to be a participant or a mediator, Lindmeier said that the UNMIK chief was to be the chairman of the talks. He also said that the aim was to have a Kosovar delegation that would represent all communities, including the minorities.

Maloku: Talks between Prishtina and Belgrade are imposed (Epoka e Re)
Epoka e Re carried an interview that the deputy leader of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) and member of the Kosovo Assembly, Naim Maloku gave to Radio Free Europe.

The meeting of the Contact Group will be held on September 23, and it is said that this meeting is crucial for the fate of technical talks between Prishtina and Belgrade. In your opinion, what are the chances for the start of dialogue?
Well, it seems that in the end this is being imposed. Talks were imposed on us, and it's not that we don't talks, or that we don't support technical talks with Serbia and other neighboring countries; however, it is an undeniable fact that we are not prepared enough. Therefore, in a way these talks were imposed on us. I think that talks are going to start, but now we must accelerate the pace and we must prepare for these talks.

Could these talks be one of the priorities of the government and institutions, or only one of the standards that has to be fulfilled, like Prime Minister Bajram Rexhepi said on one occasion?
No, the talks are not a priority. We have other priorities. Economic development, building the government, which we still haven't completely consolidated. We are in the phase of building the institutions of Kosovo, our government is not fully consolidated and the current ministries don't have all the competencies. We have security problems, the building of the Kosovo Police Service, and the transfer of competencies in the field of security. Without taking over competencies in the segment of security, it is difficult to do something radically positive about security in Kosovo. We have numerous problems, including privatization, unemployment, and the energy crisis; therefore, a number of priorities and talks with Serbia are not a priority. However, with the imposition that we are facing now, this is one of the standards that have to be fulfilled.

Since you mentioned competencies, do you think that the transfer of competencies is necessary before the start of talks, because in a way even the government, and other leaders have conditioned the beginning of talks with the transfer of more competencies.
In the latest assembly session, the AAK parliamentary group had a powerful stance on this matter. We gave two options, therefore there are two paths before the start of talks with Serbia, one is to declare the independence of Kosovo and the process of building institutions and the implementation of independence, the formulation of the constitution and the steps that should be made in order to implement it. The other path is the building of institutions of Kosovo, in order to have an equal position in talks. Therefore we cannot go to talks unequal, because then those talks would be meaningless. Talks can be successful only between equal partners. We cannot go to talks without building our institutions. Or the concrete example: we cannot talk to Serbia about electricity, when all of KEK is under the competencies of UNMIK and we cannot talk about an issue that is under UNMIK's competencies. Or another example, we cannot talk about the security of minorities when security is completely in the reserved competencies of UNMIK. We must divide things.

Mr. Maloku, you mentioned the proposal of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo to declare Kosovo a sovereign and independent country. What would be the real effects of this kind of action?
We cannot expect immediate effects. The main effect would be to achieve psychological calmness among Kosovar citizens, because we would know Kosovo's final status - the independence of Kosovo, we have declared independence and then follow the steps for the recognition of independence and its implementation. Furthermore, we also have a certain obligation before our voters. In parliamentary elections, all Albanian political parties have announced the platform for the independence of Kosovo and while we have this mandate we must do something about it. On the other hand, we cannot go the next parliamentary elections without a constitutional basis. And simply the next parliamentary mandate must be four years and we must build ourselves.

Palokaj: Dialogue without hesitation (Koha Ditore)
'Even though they can think that the international community has decided about the agenda of talks with Belgrade without asking Kosovar leaders much; even though the Kosovo Assembly tried to avoid responsibility by only discussing and lacked the courage to take on a clear position on dialogue, Kosovars have no other choice except for entering dialogue, but they must do this without hesitation,' suggests Augustin Palokaj in an opinion piece for Koha Ditore.

A much expected picture was not taken in Thessaloniki. The summit didn't bring the historic moment of a picture of Kosovar Albanian leaders and 'Belgrade representatives'. EU High Representative Javier Solana and former UNMIK chief Michael Steiner were the ones who wanted such a historic picture the most. In the end, Solana took a picture with the president of Union of Serbia and Montenegro, Marovic, whereas Steiner took a picture with UNMIK's multiethnic delegation, which was the official name of the delegation spearheaded by Steiner and which also included the Kosovo President Ibrahim Rugova, Prime Minister Bajram Rexhepi and coordinator Milorad Todorovic.

Steiner took out from the Kosovar side 'the willingness to start talks', whereas Solana didn't even ask Kosovars and said that 'an agreement was reached to start dialogue in July'. Solana's sentence remained as the sole historic result of the summit regarding the Balkans, and it had a bigger echo in the media than the repeated promises that 'no matter what happens, Balkans is going to be in Europe where it belongs'.

Instant result is sometimes more efficient than its long-term non-implementation. Only few of the agencies that reported on 'the historical agreement to start dialogue in July', later reported that the same dialogue has not started even in September. Now the European Union is making excuses that the fact that Steiner was leaving from his post of chief administrator of Kosovo was the reason why dialogue could not start, and that now when Holkeri has the same post this is becoming possible.

The memories from Thessaloniki should explain one thing that Solana doesn't want to mention. At that time, it was Belgrade that refused to start dialogue in Thessaloniki and Steiner was the reason why Belgrade didn't do that, 'because it doesn't want to please Steiner to have a biography that would say that he managed to bring Belgrade and Prishtina at the same table of talks'.

Belgrade officials said this publicly. At that time the Albanian side was willing to start dialogue, in fact even after pressure and warnings that if the start of dialogue in Thessaloniki would fail as a result of the fault of Kosovars there would be consequences. The pressure was so big that it was clearly and publicly said that if the Kosovar side were not willing to talk to Belgrade it wouldn't be invited to Thessaloniki at all. And dialogue did not start in Thessaloniki because Belgrade didn't want that to happen. And it was not important in Thessaloniki that Steiner was leaving his post, because dialogue was supposed to have a symbolic start.

Now the pre-Thessaloniki atmosphere is taking place again, and Kosovars still have various stances of whether or not they should enter dialogue, and whether or not there is a need for dialogue. They hold various debates on this issue even though they know that they have no other choice except to agree to the start of dialogue.

Even though they can think that the international community has decided about the agenda of talks with Belgrade without asking Kosovar leaders much; even though the Kosovo Assembly tried to avoid responsibility by only discussing and lacked the courage to take on a clear position on dialogue, Kosovars have no other choice except for entering dialogue, but they must do this without hesitation. The number of officials in the international community supporting dialogue is so big that Kosovars no longer hesitate about the 'Yes' or 'No' question about dialogue with Belgrade. Did we hear what our friend Bill Clinton had to say, when he raised the importance of dialogue with Belgrade to the skies. From Brussels to Washington and from Tirana to Berlin we hear the same words about the importance of support for dialogue, but in Prishtina one can still notice our leaders' fear of responsibility, who now want to have institutional support to start dialogue.

Once again we have reached the phase when dialogue must not fail due to the fault of the Kosovar side, because if it fails due to our fault then the consequences for Kosovo will be bigger. If it fails due to Belgrade's fault, then there are going to be no consequences for the Serb-Montenegrin side. Maybe Belgrade is in fact even interested for dialogue to fail. The failure of dialogue and the claim that 'Albanians and Serbs have nothing to talk about, because they can never reach an agreement' can serve as an argument to divide Kosovo.

'You would be surprised if you knew what high-ranking levels in Belgrade mention the possibility of dividing Kosovo,' a EU official, who had just visited Belgrade, told us in a private conversation, and I ironically answered telling him 'you just discovered hot water', because all levels in Belgrade and among Kosovo Serbs support and work for this idea. Belgrade only wants to find an excuse for division and not get the blame on itself. Do you remember what Todorovic said in Thessaloniki; 'If Kosovo becomes independent, then Kosovo Serbs will not remain in Kosovo and Serbs wont be guilty for the division of Kosovo'. And that Kosovar representative in Thessaloniki clearly said that 'We are wrong if we think that Kosovo Serbs are going to have a different position from Belgrade' and he said so while answering to a question on which side of the table he was going to be during dialogue.

The importance of dialogue are not the points of discussions but the symbolic that everyone is talking to each other in the Balkans now, and this will create conditions for solving major problems. Serbia is after all selling electricity to Kosovo, there is ongoing trade, be it legally or in the black market, and it is a unilateral issue of Belgrade whether or not it is going to recognize license plates. In fact, there are rumors that UNMIK has already agreed with Belgrade on these issues and that it now only wants to legitimize them by including Albanians and Kosovar institutions in this process.

So far, UNMIK was involved in close cooperation and coordination with Belgrade, but Kosovar institutions had no access to these contacts. Therefore, the start of dialogue will in a way present a fait accompli for Kosovars, who nonetheless must be certain and enter dialogue without much noise.

PTK, KEK… legally do not exist (Koha Ditore)
Koha Ditore conducted an interview with Nikolaus Lambsdorff, the head of UNMIK Pillar IV. '

PTK, KEK and other public enterprises that are under KTA control in legal aspect present nothing, said UNMIK Pillar IV chief Nicolas Lambsdorff in an interview to Koha Ditore.

'Currently all enterprises have serious problems, which are different from each other. But, the biggest problem is they do not have proper legal form. What is PTK? In one way it is nothing. It is part of KTA and UNMIK Pillar IV. However, in market economy you are either government or legal corporate. In this sense KEK and PTK are nothing,' Lambsdorff was quoted as saying. He added that creation of the legal framework for these companies is the first step that should be undertaken to improve management and supervision.

'Establishment of this status is our task. After we will decide how the management it will looks like, supervisory board we also need to clarify who is owner of this company. Later you can improve management and in the end you may privatized it. In my country in Germany, Lufthansa belonged to the state, but the government slowly sold majority of shares. Companies such is PTK, after having a clear legal status and good management could be very attractive for the investors,' he said.

'I will give an example: KEK has a restaurant, which it cannot sell, because it has no legal status. For KEK to have a team in soccer, handball, volleyball and a restaurant, it seems to me like a socialist structure of organization,' Lambsdorff said.

Paper reported that international administration did not define status of these companies because is feared from Serbia's reaction, which annexed them in years of '90.

'There could be problems in definition of the legal status and these problems were present either at the privatization process. We should discuss if there are other owners, Serb or from abroad. This will happen with public enterprises also and we should faced this challenge,' he said. Speaking about public enterprises, Lambsdorff said that the express of interest for the international management over the KEK is aimed to transfer this company. 'Problem is that we did not have real international management over the KEK so far, there were international advisers, there was Jo Trutschler who supervised the KEK, but you did not have a team that would led KEK and change its management also. You have hard workers in the KEK but management structure is not modern. Intern control is not modern, so the idea for international management was supported by the government,' Lambsdorff explained.

Skeptics say that all managers will fail if do not achieve to collect moneys from the consumers. 'Do not ask me how Kosovars will collect moneys. You are not paying, I am paying. I am convinced that without paying electricity you will stay always without electricity. This is horrible for the economy. What has happened in '90 or '80 when you paid the bills? I went at UNMIK Pillar I and told them if they can arrest 200,000 consumers that have debts, therefore the rest of people will understands what happen if they do not pay, but they cannot do that and they would not do it. But the problem consists in the local judges who aren't doing their part of the job. We have more then 10,000 cases in courts and nothing is done. In the end if you do not pay electricity, you are violating the law,' he said.

'I still think that right decision is taken at that time. In 1999 we were due to reconstruct what we found, in theory it will be better to build new power plant, but this wasn't possible then. Several mistakes have happened in last four years and at least somebody is paying for that, Jo Trutschler. So we cannot be pleased with what happened there But if you go there and speak with those people, you realize that progress is achieved there,' said former economic adviser of former SRSG Steiner.

Except UNMIK Pillar IV, Lambsdorff is key person also in the privatization process, because he led KTA Board. Although privatization goes ahead, the prime remark is related with lower SOEs prices.

"Workers have no right to say that, because SOEs, purchased by the highest offered price. This is a very simple privatization process, because winner is announced according the highest offer,' Lambdsdorff said.

He said that is not informed about the Tobacco industry in Gjilan. 'The highest offer should be announced as a winner. We could receive other offers that are very low, therefore board should decide about it. The right value is that one that purchaser is willing to pay. If we have only to offers board should decide whether offered biggest price is real one? Therefore these cases go at the KTA board,' he said.

UNMIK Pillar IV chief is surprised by Kosovar interest on privatization. 'Surprisingly, Kosovar interest on privatization is very good. Nobody expected to have 180 offers for 20 company,' he said.

Though lack of the foreign investors seems to be a weak point of the entire privatization process. 'Fact that Kosovars are investing here is a very good sign, and as you said what they would do if they did not invest money, I am not sure that they would use it for the benefit of this country. There is no difference where money comes from, but when they come. You have limited number of foreign investors. Lets become real, Kosovo is very difficult place for investments and this implies that we need additional efforts to attract investors. We are working in this sense and we should create clime for investments,' Lambsdorff said.

He added regardless KTA attempts clime for foreign investments is still lacking, because of the several reasons but not because of the unsolved political status. 'First, unsolved statues shouldn't be used as reason for the economic problems.
We should be careful. It might happen that investors do not know what will happen with Kosovo. I have information that some people regardless of their of the statues are interested to invest,' he said.

He further added that KTA work proves that here is place for investments, they are attempting to create clime for foreign investments. 'Now question is whether the clime is created, I think yes. But it is not easy for us to create such clime. Lots of things that are normal in other places here are new things, therefore it needs some times and something cannot be done over the night. This is the other point of view, privatization proves that here is place for investments and as money companies invest here clime for investments is better. Other point at KTA is public services, as better as they work clime is better. Before you asking me about KEK, I will tell you that if you don't have electricity, doesn't help to make a business plan.' he said.

Lambsdorff took this post three weeks ago and first obvious job that he did, was signature of contract for Kosovar Airline Company. 'This issue took time and need two explanations. First it was summer and nobody was here, even myself and I started work before three weeks. But main thing is that we are doing this business for the first time, everybody, Hamburg International, advisers, Minister of Transport and Communications Morina and myself. We were due to involve our HQ New York and everything took a time. However, this is not problem anymore because signature happened,' Lambsdorff said.

Involvement of Un and few other attorneys was reason for delay, paper reported. 'I do not want to talk about past, but Kosovo is a special place, therefore to design an airline company as I said for the first time and secondly UN wanted to analyze whether this was violation of the Resolution 1244 and if there is something about Kosovo's status. So the experts were due to analyze such things, here and there. Contract is quit big and everybody should agreed about it, winning bidder and UNMIK Pillar IV,' Lambsdorff said.

He added that UN made no comments about contract and nobody complaints except competitions. Also there was no diplomatic pressure during preparation of the contract.

'Surely there were complaints because there was only one winner, while second position wins nothing, so they did not like it. This was additional reason why we wanted to have okay process. We assessed and reassessed whether process is Ok and it took us few times. But it was worth enough,' he said.

He said that company still need to appoint its name and logo. Questioned whether JAT demanded to operate at Prishtina Airport, Lambsdorff said that company must make request for slots.

'As far as I know they did not apply for the license to operate at Prishtina Airport They should apply and the procedure is very transparent and are same for JAT, Lufthansa and other,' he concluded.

Kosovo Serb media are above the law, no one monitors them (Zëri)
Zëri reported that even after four year after the war TMC has no access in the Serbian Kosovar media.
All newspapers that are published in Serbia come in Kosovo, respectively in the Serb enclaves. These newspapers frequently write against Kosovo institutions, the KPC, KPS, UNMIK and KFOR etc. Kosovo Serbs also have TV channels, radio stations, dailies, weeklies etc. These media have never promoted standards of the international community on Kosovo, but in the contrary, they have strongly opposed integration of the Serb minority in Kosovo society and institutions as well. When dealing with Kosovo, they follow extremist policy of Belgrade towards Kosovo, respectively the policy produced by so-called Co-ordination Center for Kosovo chaired by Serb Deputy Prime Minister Nebojsa Covic.

This harmful campaign, which is intensified especially during this year and which is expected to become much stronger during the next months, is being carried out in all enclaves without any problem. Since its establishment, UNMIK was interested in Kosovo media not to 'produce' inter-ethnic hatred, and none's integrity to be infringed. The Temporary Media Commission was established for this. According to certain regulations, it monitors the media and reviews complaints regarding their programs. The TMC carried out its duty with commitment only towards the Albanian media in Prishtina and not towards the Serb one in Kosovo. 'I have reviewed all complaints the TMC has received from 2002. They are about 70 and all deal with Albanian media in Prishtina. Since then, we have not received any complaint and we have taken nothing against a non-Albanian media, TMC Commissioner Robert Gillette was quoted as saying.

'I have been here for less than a month and it is clear to me that monitoring of the media outside of Prishtina was not done properly,' he said. He further added that the international community in Kosovo, or their field offices have also followed the Serb language media, but there was not a good co-operation between the TMC and these offices. He said that the TMC cannot do anything about editorial-offices of the media published out of Kosovo.

'If they violate regulations, it logical that the distributor holds same responsibility as the publisher,' Gillette said. Regarding Serbian TV and radio stations that can be watched in Kosovo, Gillette added that 'we cannot regulate broadcasting of RTS (Radio-Television of Serbia) or Voice of America, but we can bring the media that make possible broadcasting of these stations before justice.'

For taking measures against untrue things published in the media, Gillette said that it is needed a written complaint on certain articles, but this is not indispensable for the TMC to start a procedure according to regulations. Some media operate without license, as it is the case with two radio-stations in Serb language in Obiliq.

'We are aware that these two radio-stations have been operating without license for a long time. We visited them and spoke with their directors. We will send warnings that we will close them down,' Gillette highlighted. He said that the TMC follows a police regarding these things. 'We give 14 or more days to a radio-station to answer these warnings or proposals. We give them a chance to see if they are serving their community constructively or causing damage. After we review their arguments, we see whether it is better to license it or stop their work,' Gillette concluded.

Belgrade Update Media

Balaj and Musliu to remain in custody (Beta)
The Hague Tribunal has refused appeals from former Kosovo Liberation Army members Haradin Balaj and Isak Musliu for release on bail pending their trials. Balaj and Musliu are charged with the murder of 22 Serb and Albanian civilians in the Lapusnik camp in the summer of 1998, as well as the illegal holding and torture of prisoners. Also charged on the same indictment is camp commander Fatmir Limaj, whose application for bail has already been refused. The court explained its ruling by saying that there was reason to believe the accused would not appear for trial because the temporary administration in Kosovo could offer no guarantees.

Marovic to be head of SCG delegation in New York, Kosovo main topic (Tanjug)
Serbia-Montenegro (SCG) President Svetozar Marovic left for New York on Monday, and will be the head of a SCG delegation at a UN General Assembly session. The SCG delegation also includes Foreign ministers of the state union and Montenegro, Goran Svilanovic and Dragisa Burzan.

Dialogue should start as soon as possible with help of Contact group - Marovic (Tanjug)
Serbia and Montenegro President Svetozar Marovic assessed on Monday that a dialogue on Kosovo needs to start as soon as possible, and that the Contact group meeting, to be held within the next few days in New York, could greatly contribute to this. "We need a dialogue that would stop violence and give the basic guarantees to all those living in Kosovo, that is the right to life," said Marovic in an interview published by the Podgorica daily Dan on Monday.

Serbian journalists threatened with automatic weapon in Obilic (Tanjug)
Serbian journalists attending a Sunday mass at the Orthodox church in Obilic, served by Bishop of Ras, Prizren and Kosovo-Metohija Artemije for the first time over the past four years, were attacked on their way back from Obilic on Sunday. After leaving the church yard in the center of Obilic by car, reporters of KIM Radio from Caglavica and Glas Juga from Gracanica Zivojin Rakocevic, Predrag Radonjic, Goran Avramovic and Dragan Ilic were intercepted by a black Volkswagen Golf driven by an Albanian wearing a combat uniform, threatening the reporters with an automatic gun.

· Main Stories 22 September
· SRSG Holkeri to present Kosovar demands for competencies to UN (Zëri)
· SRSG Holkeri, head of talks (Kosova Sot)
· PM Rexhepi: Assembly must make decision for talks (Kosova Sot)
· Swoboda: Talks most probably in Vienna (Koha Ditore)
· SRSG Holkeri to meet Nebojsa Covic (Koha Ditore)
· Covic: It is good if Solana and Robertson participate in first meeting (Zëri)
· Kosovo Serbs agree to be part of Kosovar delegation for talks (Zëri)
· Albanian leaders in Montenegro: Kosovo cannot be part of Serbia (Zëri)
· Signatures for Kosovo-Albania Union to be sent to assembly (Koha Ditore)
· Scandal: Adem Demaçi arrested in Vienna (Epoka e Re)
· President Rugova believes in forming of Defence Ministry (Koha Ditore)
· PTK, KEK… legally do not exist (Koha Ditore)
· Kosovo Serb media are above the law, no one monitors them (Zëri)
· Palokaj: Dialogue without hesitation (Koha Ditore)

Kosovo Media Highlights

SRSG Holkeri to present Kosovar demands for competencies to UN (Zëri)
Zëri claims that one of the main topics in SRSG Harri Holkeri's visit to New York are to be the demands of the Kosovo Government to accelerate the transfer of competencies from UNMIK to local institutions.

Citing sources in UNMIK, Zëri claims that apart from the meeting with the Contact Group on September 23, SRSG Holkeri will also visit the UN Headquarters where he will meet senior officials of the Security Council to discuss the transfer of competencies in Kosovo.

SRSG Holkeri, head of talks (Kosova Sot)
Kosova Sot quotes UNMIK spokesperson Christian Lindmeier through BBC Radio as saying that SRSG Harri Holkeri is going to be the chairman of talks between Pristina and Belgrade.

PM Rexhepi: Assembly must make decision for talks (Kosova Sot)
Kosova Sot reports that the Prime Minister of Kosovo, Bajram Rexhepi said that the Kosovo Assembly must make the political decision for talks between Pristina and Belgrade.

Swoboda: Talks most probably in Vienna (Koha Ditore)
Koha Ditore quotes Hannes Swoboda, head of the Austrian delegation at the European Parliament as saying that talks between Pristina and Belgrade would most probably be held in Vienna, Austria.

'These talks between Albanians and Serbs are very important for the future of the Balkans. Surely in the beginning there are going to be talks only on technical issues, but later the final status of Kosovo will also be a topic of discussion,' added Swoboda.

SRSG Harri Holkeri meets Nebojsa Covic (Koha Ditore)
Koha Ditore quotes Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Nebojsa Covic as saying that he met with SRSG Harri Holkeri on Saturday. 'I expect the Contact Group to support what is going to happen, and that is dialogue,' added Covic.

Covic: It is good if Solana and Robertson participate in first meeting (Zëri)
Zëri reports that the chairman of the Coordination Center for Kosovo, Nebojsa Covic told Belgrade-based B92 that the proposals of SRSG Harri Holkeri for the start of dialogue are righteous and constructive.

'I expect that high-ranking EU and NATO officials like Mr. Solana and Mr. Robertson are going to participate in the initial meeting. This would be good,' Covic was quoted as saying.

Kosovo Serbs agree to be part of Kosovar delegation for talks (Zëri)
Zëri reports that the Povratak Coalition, which represents the Serb minority in the provisional institutions of self-government, has decided to become part of the Kosovar delegation in technical talks between Prishtina and Belgrade. The decision was confirmed by Minister Goran Bogdanovic and Povratak chief Dragisa Krstovic.

Albanian leaders in Montenegro: Kosovo cannot be part of Serbia (Zëri)
Zëri claims that the assessment of Albanian political leaders in Montenegro is that the United Nations Security Council should make the final decision on Kosovo's status and that they are certain that the international community would support the will of the majority.

Ferhat Dinosha, leader of the Albanian Democratic Union said that after the genocidal war waged by Milosevic's regime against Albanians and the intervention of international forces, it is clear to everyone that Kosovo's future cannot be sought within Serbia.

Signatures for Kosovo-Albania Union to be sent to assembly (Koha Ditore)
Koha Ditore reports that the project of gathering signatures for forming the Union of Kosovo and Albania is ongoing throughout the territory of Kosovo and it is expected to start in Albania soon.

The paper also claims that the Kosovo Popular Movement, LPK, has launched the idea for forming the Union of Kosovo and Albania and now it is gathering the necessary signatures to enter this issue for discussions at the Kosovo Assembly.

LPK leader Emrush Xhemajli was quoted as saying, 'The project for the Union of Kosovo and Albania is ongoing. At a certain point, we will make the request for the issue to be discussed at the assembly. Afterwards, through referendum we can decide about the integration of the two divided parts of the Albanian nation.'

Scandal: Adem Demaçi arrested in Vienna (Epoka e Re)
Epoka e Re reports that while traveling from Vienna to Bucharest, Adem Demaçi, chairman of the Board of the Radio and Television of Kosovo (RTK) was arrested by Austrian authorities. Demaçi reportedly spent a night in detention.

According to Epoka e Re, Demaçi protested against the entire event but Austrian police authorities would not accept to set him free on the same day. On the next day, Demaçi was allowed to continue his flight to Bucharest, after it was found out that no arrest warrant was issued against him.

On the other hand, Demaçi told Zëri that the UNMIK travel document was the reason why Austrian police detained him. 'Kosovo has become an experimental area and now they are experimenting with us; the UNMIK passport is worth nothing and that was the problem,' he added.

President Rugova believes in forming of Defence Ministry (Koha Ditore)
Koha Ditore carries a report on the commemoration remembering the assassination of former Defence Minister of the Kosovo Government in exile, Ahmet Krasniqi.

Koha Ditore reports that President Ibrahim Rugova, who also participated in the ceremony, said he believed that Kosovo was soon going to have its Ministry of Defence.

PTK, KEK… legally do not exist (Koha Ditore)
Koha Ditore runs an interview with Nikolaus Lambsdorff, the head of UNMIK Pillar IV. 'KEK has a restaurant, which it cannot sell, because it has no legal status. For KEK to have a team in soccer, handball, volleyball and a restaurant, it seems to me like a socialist structure of organization,' Lambsdorff was quoted as saying. [full translation in Media Analysis]

Kosovo Serb media are above the law, no one monitors them (Zëri)
Zëri claims that even four years after the war, the Temporary Media Commissioner has no access on Kosovo Serb media. The author of the article claims that newspapers that are published in Serbia are distributed in Serb enclaves in Kosovo and 'they often attack the provisional institutions of Kosovo, the Kosovo Police Service and the Kosovo Protection Corps, and even against UNMIK and KFOR'. [more in Media Analysis]

Palokaj: Dialogue without hesitation (Koha Ditore)
'Even though we think that the international community has decided about the agenda of talks with Belgrade without asking Kosovar leaders much; even though the Kosovo Assembly tried to avoid responsibility by only discussing and lacked the courage to take on a clear position on dialogue, Kosovars have no other choice except for entering dialogue, but they must do this without hesitation,' suggests Augustin Palokaj in an opinion piece for Koha Ditore. [full translation in Media Analysis]

Kosovo Press Headlines

Koha Ditore

Front page
· University statute is communist
· PTK, KEK… doesn't exist
· Signatures for union between Kosovo and Albania toward Assembly
· [Macedonia] LSDM and BDI analyze situation
· Albanian residents hostage of border between Serbia and Kosovo

Other headlines
· Co-existence or separate buildings [Macedonia] (2)
· Rugova believes in creation of Ministry of Defense (2)
· Swoboda: Talks will be in Vienna (3)
· Gjakovë: Public debate on privatization and economy's future (5)
· Gjakovë: Where is going company Metaliku (5)
· Albania guar borders according to American model (6)
· Car market still gather thousands of interested (7)
· Youth from Switzerland assist children from Prishtina (7)
· KMLDNJ visits prison in Lipjan (8)
· Lorik Xhumshiti is suspected for rape (8)
· Çeku: KPC will not leave you alone (9)
· Mistakes in documents cause nervous at people (9)
· Municipality is not working effectively (9)
· Palokaj: Dialogue without hesitation (10)
· Tornado called Wesley Clark (11)

Zëri

Front page
· Holkeri presents at UN the Kosovars demands for more competencies
· Rugova: Ahmet Krasniqi worked to create a professional army
· Shala: property and business
· Demaçi: Austrians arrested because of UNMIK passport
· General Mini finishes work as COMKFOR
· Reuters: US assess possibility to withdraw from Balkan?
· Serbian media in Kosovo are above law and nobody monitors them

Other headlines
· Annan on world peace day (2)
· Alfred Moisiu participate at UN General Assembly session (2)
· Holkeri: Date of talks is issue of days and not of weeks (3)
· Covic: In first meeting is good if Solana and Robertson participates (3)
· Kosovar Serbs agree to be part of Kosovar delegation (3)
· Albanians from Montenegro: Kosovo cannot become part of Serbia (4)
· BDI and LSDM talks about their mistakes [Macedonia] (4)
· Attorneys: Shefket Musliu's arrest is illegal (5)
· KTA: Few people offer higher prices, but they don't have money (5)
· Ministry of Education is not rushing to licenses schools (6)
· One moths deadline to remove kiosks from school (6)
· Kastrati: Economy and competencies (7)
· Gjilan: Kosovo's indepence cannot be negotiate with Serbia (8)
· Refurbishment of houses bought be Serbian government is illegal (8)
· Sadullahoglu: Turkish KFOR is willing to assist Kosovo's integration (8)
· Workers fear from privatization (9)
· Switzerland office assist Psychiatric hospital (9)
· Municipal officials call citizens to hand over weapons (10)

Bota Sot

Front page
· Ahmet Krasniqi was career officer and extraordinary professional
· Sali Kabashi attacks paper Bota Sot
· Investors are willing to invest, local institutions are without competencies
· Statue for Ahmet Krasniqi, Minister of defense of Republic of Kosovo
· Bill Clinton met only Ibrahim Rugova and not with Thaçi
· Will KTA return properties to the municipalities?
· Evil doesn't sleep
· Week with violence against Albanians in Manastir [Macedonia]

Other headlines
· Buçpapaj: Srebrenica, 11.07.1995 covered with flowers of 21.09.2003 (3)
· Bardhi: Kosovo is already state (4)
· Italy and regional countries will approve trade agreement (4)
· Moisiu: Arbiter without whistle [Albania] (8)
· Baleta: Zogaj issue and amoral pragmatism at Albanians policy [Albania] (9)
· PDSH destroyed Albanians more then Macedonia (10)

Kosova Sot

Front page
· Will dialogue begin in few days?
· Three major parties plays with each other
· Will KTA resurrect Trepça?
· First classes on September 6
· Finalization of negotiations is expected in the end of moth [PTK]
· Daci: Bundestag should have leadership role in Kosovo
· Is registering results are true? [Macedonia]
· Madeline Albright: 'Serbs out, NATO in, return of refugees'
· Editorial: Strike and awareness

Other headlines
· Holkeri, leader of negotiations (2)
· PM Rexhepi: Assembly should decide about talks (2)
· Consults in function of preparing the dialogue (3)
· Rugova: Colonel Krasniqi was career officer (4)
· Covic: Trust to be achieved through talks (4)
· Dialogue and isolated Kosovo (6)
· Lack of projects block finances [Albania] (8)
· Winning bidders demand money from banks (9)
· Gjakova is an example for shareholding companies (8)
· Creation of conditions for good services (9)
· Concrete assistance in helping Kosovars (9)
· 'We go in market to spend time only' [car market in Prishtina] (10)

Epoka e Re

Front page
· Scandal: Demaçi is arrested in Vienna
· Holkeri send in New York Kosovo's leaders messages
· Shaqiri: Presevo Valley problem is national problem
· Enver knew about trap in Corfus [history]

Other headlines
· PM Rexhepi: Politicians and institutions to work together for country (2)
· Winning bidders require money from banks (2)
· Moisiu to meet Powell and Clark (3)
· Musliu case: Testimony of two internationals did not bring evidence (4)
· Support for Limaj fund (4)
· Naim Maloku: Talks between Prishtina and Belgrade are intrusion (5)
· Spahiu: Feasibility of motorways in Kosovo (6)
· Sexual mistreat of women (8)
· Rugova: I will reward Ahmet Krasniqi (9)
· Thousand children waiting normal school (9)
· American University begin classes on October 6 (9)

Belgrade Media Highlights

· European Parliament announced talks in Vienna possible (Glas/Beta)
· Holkeri and Albanian officials without agreement on beginning of dialogue with Belgrade (Vecernje Novosti/Beta)
· Holkeri talked with KP representatives (Glas)
· Holkeri: Dialogue a matter of days (Blic/Beta)
· Covic: We don't want to politicize situation prior to negotiations (Balkan)
· Svetozar Marovic's interview (Vecernje Novosti)
· Shots in Gorazdevac again (Politika/Tanjug)
· Contact Group to discuss beginning of dialogue on Tuesday (Blic)
· Marovic to meet in New York Powell and Holkeri (Danas/Beta)
· Trial to Serb leaders in Mitrovica begins (Balkan)
· Prime Minister Zivkovic met with children from Gorazdevac (Vecernje Novosti)
· Threats to Serb journalists in Obilic (Politika/Beta)
· London's "Sunday Telegraph" on the situation in Kosovo and Metohija (Glas/Srna)

European Parliament announced talks in Vienna possible (Glas/Beta)
Talks on Kosovo will be most probably held in Vienna, announced the member of the foreign political board in the European Parliament Hanes Svoboda. "Talks on Kosovo's future will be most probably held in Vienna," said the statement issued by the Austrian Social-Democratic Party following the meeting between its member and Nebojsa Covic in Belgrade. Svoboda said that Covic told him that Vienna entered the narrowest circle of cities where the talks between representatives of the Serbian government and Kosovo Albanians could be held, along with UN and EU participation. "The option of Brussels continues to be opened, but, at the same time, it turned out that Vienna enjoys larger trust," stressed the head of the delegation of the foreign political board in the European Parliament.

Holkeri and Albanian officials without agreement on beginning of dialogue with Belgrade (Vecernje Novosti/Beta)
During the meeting with top Kosovo officials and representatives of the leading parties, UNMIK Head Harri Holkeri didn't reach agreement on the beginning of the dialogue with official Belgrade, it was announced following the meeting. At the working dinner with Kosovo officials, Holkeri didn't present a plan for the beginning of the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, as earlier announced, so that the date and place of the talks will probably be determined at the Contact Group meeting in New York on 22 and 23 September. Kosovo President Ibrahim Rugova has stated following the three-hour meeting that he had discussed with the UNMIK head the difficult cooperation between the Kosovo institutions and the civil administration, and the transferal of competencies to the interim institutions. Kosovo Premier Bajram Rexhepi has confirmed that agreement on the beginning of the dialogue had not been reached at the meeting, and added that the Kosovo representatives brought forward their suggestions that will be brought forward by Holkeri at the Contact Group session.

Holkeri talked with KP representatives (Glas)
KP representatives have met in Pristina for a working breakfast with UNMIK Head Harri Holkeri upon his departure for New York for the meeting with Contact Group members. KP caucus whip Dragisa Krstovic has stated that Holkeri had been told that it will be difficult to accept the international community's request that insists on having Kosovo Serb representatives in the Pristina team, and that everything depends on the further political negotiations. According to Krstovic, the UNMIK head said the Albanian side expressed concern when it came to future negotiations. What this means remains to be seen, he added. Holkeri promised KP representatives that Belgrade-Pristina talks would commence for sure apart from the Albanian side being reserved, and that they would talk outside the SaM borders. I don't expect in the beginning a high political level from the negotiations, Krstovic said.

Holkeri: Dialogue a matter of days (Blic/Beta)
UNMIK Head Harri Holkeri declared that the beginning of the dialogue between Pristina and Belgrade on technical issues is just a matter of days, and not weeks.
Holkeri, who will participate in the meeting of the Contact Group in New York next Tuesday and Wednesday, declared at a press conference that he would request from the Contact Group to accept his suggestions regarding the procedural issues related to this dialogue. He repeated that the topics to be discussed during the Belgrade - Pristina dialogue would be the same ones that have been established at the Thessaloniki summit, namely issues concerning energy, transportation, return of refugees and the fate of missing persons.

Covic: We don't want to politicize situation prior to negotiations (Balkan)
Deputy Serbian Prime Minister Nebojsa Covic has said that Belgrade does not want to politicize the situation in Kosovo prior to the dialogue with Albanians.
"Those who want this must realize that it is most important that the dialogue begin as soon as possible, that it be constructive, and that we must come together to a resolution of various problems," he said. Covic refused to comment on Albanian parties' representatives from southern Serbian to be included in the dialogue, but said that the delegation would be composed of officials and political consultants. Asked whether he ruled out negotiations with possible ICTY indictees from the Albanian side, Covic replied that nobody could impose rules on the make-up of the delegations.

Svetozar Marovic's interview (Vecernje Novosti)
Will you talks about Kosovo and Metohija and the upcoming dialogue with Kofi Annan and your other collocutors, among whom Collin Powell is being also mentioned?

"We are a state union that wishes to be the leader of the dialogue. The dialogue is especially important in resolving the issue of Kosovo. That is why we will use this opportunity as well to call on once again for a dialogue on Kosovo, because it is obligatory and must commence as soon as possible. It is important to prevent further non-safeness of people, to stop the departure of non-Albanians, to guarantee the right to life and open an opportunity for the return of Serb and Montenegrin IDPs. It is important so that, in a more normal and rational atmosphere, along with the presence of international institutions, organizations and centers of power, one could find a lasting solution for Kosovo that could be a factor of stability of the entire region, and at the same time, a democratic and pro-European one," SaM President Svetozar Marovic told Vecernje Novosti.

Shots in Gorazdevac again (Politika/Tanjug)
The Albanians continue shooting around Gorazdevac, while the KFOR and UNMIK police, instead of stepping up the safety measures, come to the village each day announcing that they will search the Serbian houses, said Milisav Dakic, father of the boy Panta Dakic who was killed by the Albanian extremists on 13 of August. "The KFOR and UNMIK police, instead of looking for the murderers on the Albanian side, come every day to the village and exert pressure on 12-year-old Bosko Bogicevic who was wounded that day on the river, to give a statement in connection to that event," said Dakic. He added that three Albanians fired near the village, adding that his relative Rade Dugandzic had seen them and returned frightened, while the parents closed their children at home and didn't let them go to school.

Contact Group to discuss beginning of dialogue on Tuesday (Blic)
Diplomatic representatives of six member-countries of the Contact Group will hold in New York on 23 September a meeting where details should be agreed regarding the beginning of the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue. The meeting will be held at the level of the executive directors of the foreign ministries of the US, Russia, France, Great Britain, Italy and Germany, who will be updated by UNMIK Head Harri Holkeri on the course of the events in the province and the stands by the local politicians in Pristina and Belgrade with whom he had talked prior to his departure for New York. Talks will be conducted on the technical issues of mutual interest, like traffic and energy, but also on the return of IDPs and the problem of missing persons.

Marovic to meet in New York Powell and Holkeri (Danas/Beta)
SaM President Svetozar Marovic will take part in the UN General Assembly session in New York on 24 September, in a debate on international crises and economic problems in the world and the implementation of the most important UN conclusions. On the occasion of the upcoming visit to New York, SaM President Svetozar Marovic has stated that the state union wishes and wants to be an "ally to everything that is humanly good." "We are trying not to be an opponent to anyone ever again," Marovic told the Podgorica Vijesti. Regarding the seeking of a solution for Kosovo, he said he was "sure that two principles should be built in." "First of all, the problem of Kosovo will never be resolved with murders and by military means, and secondly, the only acceptable solution is the one arrived by Belgrade and Pristina with a mutual agreement with the help of international institutions, and by way of political means," Marovic told Vijesti.

Trial to Serb leaders in Mitrovica begins (Balkan)
The trial to SNC leader for northern Kosovo and Metohija Milan Ivanovic, and the Chairman of SNC's Municipal Board Nebojsa Jovic will commence before the International Court Council of the Municipal Court in Mitrovica. The two of them have been accused of taking part in the group that caused violence on 8 November 2002, when citizens and international peace forces clashed near the central bridge in Mitrovica.

Prime Minister Zivkovic met with children from Gorazdevac (Vecernje Novosti)
Serbian Prime Minister Zoran Zivkovic has told the children from Gorazdevac who are visiting Belgrade that "the older ones in power have the responsibility to do everything so that their older years would be nicer than their childhood." Zivkovic said the government intended to do everything to achieve this goal, and that the most important thing was for children to be able to play and freely arrive to Belgrade, but also to return to Gorazdevac. "It will not be easy and I will not tell you this will be in seven or fifteen days, but we will do everything for children to freely play and move," said Zivkovic. The government has also prepared gifts for the children from Gorazdevac, who are spending their weekend in Belgrade.

Threats to Serb journalists in Obilic (Politika/Beta)
While returning from the liturgy in a church in Obilic, a group of Kosovo journalists of the media in Serbian have been encountered with a vehicle from which they received death-threats. The journalists of KIM radio and Glas Juga told Beta that a person in a camouflage uniform gave them signs "with a finger under the throat" from a black Golf when leaving Obilic, slowing them down several times on their way towards Pristina.

London's "Sunday Telegraph" on the situation in Kosovo and Metohija (Glas/Srna)
The Sunday Telegraph has published an article entitled "Serbs regret over the withdrawal of British troops after the killing returned to Kosovo." Over the past four months in Kosovo, eight Serbs and Serb children were murdered, while the number of KFOR members has been reduced by half since 1999, which is causing fear that avenger violence could occur again, the British paper writes. As stated, KFOR's British soldiers are especially missed, since their number, due to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan has been drastically reduced from 11,000 to only 200 soldiers. Compared to KFOR members from other countries, the British soldiers had known the best how to face the situation in Kosovo thanks to the experience from Northern Ireland, The Sunday Telegraph stressed.