CONTENTS
EU REMOVES MILOSEVIC'S ASSOCIATES FROM LIST OF VISA
BANNING
ROBERTSON: KOSOVO SAFER NOW THEN A DECADE AGO
ADMIRAL
GUIDO VENTURONI TO VISIT KOSOVO ON THURSDAY
HOMBACH: IT WOULD BE GOOD
IF THAÇI & RUGOVA MET KOSTUNICA
SHALA: POWER AND
RESPONSIBILITY
CUFAJ: WHEN KOSTUNICA SPEAKS AND RUGOVA IS
SILENT
EU COUNCIL REMOVES MILOSEVIC'S ASSOCIATES FROM VISA BANNING
Koha Ditore carried on page three a report on EU Council's decision to remove Milosevic's closest associates from the visa banning.
When some were questioning as to why many Serb and Yugoslav officials were not in the Hague lists for war crimes, EU removed many of them from their visa banning that was imposed on them as part of Milosevic's regime. The list that had 600 names today another 184 names were removed of what were considered the closest Milosevic's associates and were responsible for Serb repressions and crimes in Kosovo.
Serbs were surprised that EU removed from the list Chief of the State Security Radomir Markovic, SPS General Secretary Gorica Gajevic, brothers Karic, former Yugoslav Prime Minister Momir Bulatovic, and former Foreign Minister Zivadin Jovanovic. According to EU officials, "these changes were undertaken after information from the field came that these persons are not associated with Milosevic anymore". It is surprising as to how some of his closest associates were removed form the list, the chief of the state security and the prime minister; only some unimportant names have remained in the list. Now the EU with this amnesty reveals that the "Criminals are not criminals-associates with Milosevic anymore, they are not associated to him".
ROBERTSON: KOSOVO SAFER NOW THEN A DECADE AGO
"My duty as Secretary General is to certify that NATO remains successful in offering security for the next generations as it has been doing until now," this is how NATO Secretary General Sir George Robertson evaluated his assignment at NATO during a speech at the European Center for Studies in Brussels. He took as examples of NATO's achievements in stopping the wars in Bosnia and Kosovo, and now offers security in the region to aid the international community in rebuilding the economy of these post warring states.
"We have achieved a considerable progress. Bosnia is very close to standing in its two feet. Kosovo is much safer then during the last decade," said NATO Secretary General Sir George Robertson and evaluated that holding of local elections on 28 October is NATO's success in moving Kosovo towards democracy.
Last year 78 day NATO intervention against Serb forces in Kosovo and Serbia was according to Robertson an intervention against Milosevic's forces and this was "one of the main reasons that Yugoslavs removed him and chose a leader that would live in peace with his citizens and the others in the region". However, he signified that now success has to be strengthened to keep security in the region. "NATO led troops in Bosnia and Kosovo are co-operating with civilian authorities in helping to rebuilt self-sufficient societies which will not need a large presence of the international community".
ADMIRAL GUIDO VENTURONI VISITS KOSOVO ON THURSDAY
Zëri carried on page two a report on Admiral Guido Venturoni's visit to Kosovo.
NATO Chief of the Military Committee Admiral Guido Venturoni will arrive on Thursday on a one-day visit to Kosovo. KFOR sources notified that on the same day Admiral Venturoni would hold a press briefing at KFOR Headquarters. COMKFOR Gen. Carlo Cabigiosu will be present at this briefing said KFOR spokesperson Maj. Steven Chappell.
HOMBACH: IT WOULD BE GOOD IF THAÇI & RUGOVA MET KOSTUNICA
Koha Ditore carried an interview with the Stability Pact Coordinator, Bodo Hombach.
"Europe must keep its promises. Now that the Serb nation ended
Milosevic’s isolation, in the meantime giving signs that they want
reintegration in the European family, Europe must keep the promises given
before the elections, that Europe is open to Serbia in all sectors. We are
talking about economical recovery, democracy enforcement, and agreements
in safety matters, all these promises must become reality the sooner and
without bureaucracy," said Hombach in the beginning of the
interview.
Will others suffer from the aid delivered to
Serbia? Thus, will the funds dedicated for other regional programs be
decreased in order to compensate the aid for Serbia?
No, not in any way. It would not be right at all, even the doubt that such a thing, a decrease of the final projects’ money for Serbia’s neighbor states is damaging. It is important for me that all neighbor countries realize that the cake will not be divided again. Others will not suffer because of the aid for Serbia, this was expressed by European Union foreign ministers in their meeting in Luxemburg.”
The Stability Pact conceived in consolidating the region the splitting of former Yugoslavia and other neighboring countries, in the meantime Serbia under Milosevic’s regime was considered a black stain. Does the Stability Pact now have basis and does a general concept for this region’s badly shaken parts really exist?
You can say that the so-called black stain was painful! To make it clear that the Stability Pact does not want to build a wall in front of Serbia, we have always allowed for a free chair for Serbia in all our meetings, because we could hardly wait and Serbia has her place there. It often occurred that the opposition representatives, who have now responsibility for the country, sat in these seats. These means that we recognized them and have worked together for a year and a half.
I have mentioned earlier the importance of creating a stability zone around Kosovo, in order for Milosevic not to be able to create battles with destabilizing effects, as he has done several times. This idea has functioned very well, the cooperation in the region is better than ever, and it will be even easier now that Serbia can get involved also. This is because of the fact that the embargo against her has hurt the neighbor countries, where the majority of commerce was made with or through Serbia. Negative consequences for the neighbors had their difficulties in traffic because of the damaged roads in Serbia and bridges of the Danube River. With the changes in Serbia, everywhere is sensed that the tensions have decreased immensely and this is a great chance.”
Are the wars’ deeply shaken countries, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia and Slovenia ready to cooperate with Serbia?
There are two kinds of feelings for this issue: the lowering of tensions and liberation after Milosevic, who was a threat for everyone, getting away from the scene. On the other hand, there is the question: what will happen with us? This is because many positions, especially relations with the European Union’s International Community have known the background of Milosevic’s military attitude. With the change of all these constellations, the entire scenario will change. In such a situation, various countries are scared of being left aside, or not being able to go after their targets. Kosovo is an example. Kosovar politicians are always supporting their idea of more autonomy until sovereignty is reached. But, I must say that I’m a little disappointed of not being able to sit down the Kosovar politicians with the Serb opposition. I have told both Thaçi and Rugova that it would be better if they recognize the political changes in Serbia and to continue their dialogue of finding a solution together. I’m very sorry I haven’t been able to turn this into reality. The setting of dialogue under sound base would be very useful.
I know that the new Serb president wants to reach his intentions in a peaceful dialogue with the neighbors.”
*****
Annex: Transcript of a commentary by paper's publisher Blerim
Shala, Zëri, p.3
POWER AND RESPONSIBILITY
Why were there elections held in Kosovo?
A really inappropriate question, you would say. The question is in everyone's tip of tongue: They were held for the freedom, democracy, and independence of Kosovo.
If we forget about poetry for a minute and return to the first question, then the true political answer, which we all should know is: Elections were held is to provide democratic authority in Kosovo, in the local level. The authorities, elected through the vote of citizens, have been given the privilege and responsibility of power.
Power is the most difficult job for every politician. Leading a municipality implies challenges for authorities, the solution of which shows their capabilities.
In Kosovo's case, we said it several times, 28 October local elections were the first free and democratic elections. In fact, until 28 October, for ten years in a row, Kosovars exercised a kind of pre-policy, or it is better to say that their politics for a decade could not be oriented towards doing and taking over Kosovar authority, but rather towards eliminating Serb authority in Kosovo.
Therefore, all entities, both political and military in Kosovo, formed a political and fighting front of resistance against the conquering of Kosovo. In this war against Serbia, as it was seen, it was impossible to create a unique center that would lead the resistance. This is not the time to deal with the past. Now things are completely different in Kosovo and the old political and pre-political approaches become anti-political methods which are too damaging for the future of Kosovo.
This is where another question derives from the events of recent days in Kosovo: Who really controls the situation in Kosovo now after 28 October local elections? In the period before elections, the number of votes and the percentage of parties should according to our opinion prove the influence of a certain political party. All of you now know by heart the percentage of LDK, PDK, and AAK. But all of us are witnessing the fact that the situation in Kosovo during the last three-four days is completely out of control.
It was thought that after 28 October, legitimate decision-making centers would be established initially in the local level. In the Kosovo level, this center should be the Interim Administrative Council, which includes the leaders of two main Kosovar parties. These decision-making centers should take over the responsibility for all political issues of Kosovo, including the issue of prisoners and missing. We all agree that everything should be done for the release of hundreds of Kosovar hostages held in Serbia and for shedding light upon the fate of thousands of missing persons.
It is an obligation of main Kosovar political entities, an obligation deriving from the vote of 28 October, to initiate the solution of all problematic issues of Kosovo. The most immediate, the most emotional, the most touching, the most urgent one is the issue of prisoners and missing.
However, during the recent days there were some other issues which caught by surprise the main Kosovar political factors. FRY was admitted in the UN and OSCE, and except for some poetic-patriotic statements by our politicians, nothing was done in order to show that the Kosovar people through its representatives cannot agree that the decision to recognize FRY should have legal and political consequences for Kosovo's status. We all know there are limits. But, if nothing else, there could have been a huge demonstration in the center of Prishtina, with hundreds of thousands of protesters, in which our leaders would react against FRY's admittance.
We repeat once again: It is good and quite necessary to react for saving 800 Albanian prisoners in Serbia. But, the admittance of FRY can seal and sink the fate of all of us, two million residents of Kosovo. At long last, such a demonstration would prove the care for both the Albanian prisoners and all Kosovars.
The ongoing protest in Prishtina and in all of Kosovo, is showing the utmost importance of the issue of prisoners. But, unfortunately, it is also proving that at least for the time being Kosovo does not have a landlord.
Annex 2: Transcript of a commentary by Beqë Cufaj, Koha Ditore, p.3
WHEN KOSTUNICA SPEAKS AND RUGOVA IS SILENT
After every great change in the states of former Yugoslavia, for some time, be it weeks or months, the main actors of the changes go through the same procedure: those of permanent presence in media. This was the case in Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia, Kosovo and now in Serbia.
Therefore, the panic that Serbs, especially the main actors of the recent political movements there are present in the media is quite unnecessary. Or it would be better to say that they were present because Belgrade is going through the same procedures as the other main centers of the former Yugoslavia. Each day there are less news from Belgrade and the internal events there. Of course this does not mean that everything is about to stop, because over 20 war criminals spend the night in Belgrade and because over 1000 Albanians are held in Serbia. Both of these issues are very little present in the agenda of decision-making centers.
And this has to do with the fact that the initial interest of media and decision-making centers regarding the recent changes in Belgrade is still not over. The visit of German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer to Belgrade last week and the interview of the German weekly paper "Der Spiegel" with the Yugoslav president Kostunica should be looked at within this context.
In fact, this interview with Kostunica does not come at a bad time, because the new Serb leader speaks for the first time after local elections in Kosovo and the removal of the Dinar from the Montenegrin market.
It is by now known that Kosovars had a bad luck that the German weekly had and still has tendentious positions whenever it writes on Albanians. The reason to this is unknown, but what is of utmost importance is the fact that such a thing is very-well known and one should be careful when interviewed by "Der Spiegel".
The questions asked to Kostunica by the correspondent of the paper should also be looked at within this context. There were no questions for Serb crimes in Kosovo, and none for Kosovar prisoners in Serbia. On the other hand, there were several questions on the moderated Rugova, "who even as such keeps on talking about an independent Kosovo" ("Der Spiegel"). Kostunica's answer emphasizes what was mentioned above (regarding the post-election situation in Kosovo) when he says that "it is good that Rugova won the elections because in that way Thaçi's extremists have been removed". Therefore, nothing new. What would be considered new is the next question of the correspondent. "When will you meet Rugova?" ("Spiegel"); "We have established indirect contacts with him, but for the time being there are no answers. I guess it is still too early" (Kostunica).
Question: Is it true that Rugova has accepted indirect contacts? If yes, why isn’t the Kosovar opinion informed on that? If what Kostunica says during the interview with "Spiegel" were not true, wouldn’t it be at least appropriate that Rugova's cabinet or a spokesperson of the LDK to present the official stance for these contacts? Therefore, question after question. And the Kosovar opinion knows nothing about these "indirect contacts".