CONTENTS

THOUSANDS PROTEST IN PRISHTINA, WHILE BELGRADE DELEGATION REQUESTS A MEETING WITH ALBANIAN REPRESENTATIVES
KOSTUNICA WOULDN’T GIVE KOSOVO MORE THAN 1974 CONSTITUTION
KOSOVARS NOT TO ATTEND ZAGREB SUMMIT
JANJIC: SERB NATIONAL COUNCIL IS WORKING ON RELEASE OF PRISONERS

THOUSANDS PROTEST IN PRISHTINA, WHILE BELGRADE DELEGATION REQUESTS A MEETING WITH ALBANIAN REPRESENTATIVES

A delegation sent by Yugoslav president Vojislav Kostunica, and led by the Serbian Minister of Justice, was in Prishtina on Wednesday and requested a meeting with Albanian representatives in order to talk on the issues of Albanian prisoners held in Serbia and the fate of missing, reported Koha Ditore on page one.

However, sources close to the Kosovo Transitional Council (KTC) told the paper that the Council's group working on the issue of prisoners refused to meet the Serb delegation. "They have not offered anything concrete. We do not trust them. Gone is the time of meetings without content and without a clear agenda," said a participant of the meeting who preferred to remain anonymous.

It was learned that DSRSG Jock Covey carried out pressure upon the Albanian side to accept the meeting, he in fact even called them without telling them what it is about. This pressure lasted from morning until the late night hours, when the meeting between UNMIK officials and Serb representatives was over.

By nighttime, UNMIK issued a press release which informed that UNMIK officials met in Prishtina with the Head and one expert of the FRY Presidential Office for refugees, IDP's, and missing persons, accompanied by the Serbian co-minister of justice, to seek concrete steps toward resolution of issues concerning detainees and missing persons. "However, the press release did not mention the refusal of the Albanian side and the insistence of UNMIK to hold the Albanian-Serb meeting," added the paper.

According to the press release, the meeting between UNMIK officials and Serb representatives was very serious and constructive, and addressed the security and well-being of detainees from Kosovo, access to all prisons and prisoners, and the proposed Amnesty Law in FRY.

According to an anonymous Albanian source, the Albanian side put forward its requests for the issue of prisoners, such as concrete steps for the security of Albanian prisoners especially in the prison in Nis and Pozarevac, to organize visits by ICRC and family members, and the unconditioned release of prisoner and the creation of specific groups for prisoners and missing. These requests were passed on to the Serbian side by DSRSG Covey. "Covey gave us the statement of the Serb delegation in which it was said that they are seriously considering the issue of prisoners, but they have not mentioned any strategy on steps that they might undertake," added the source.

In UNMIK's press release, it was emphasized that the Serb delegation provided UNMIK with official lists of Kosovar prisoners currently held in all Serbian detention facilities. The Serb representatives also confirmed the compiling of the Amnesty Law, however they did not offer any certain date of endorsement.

Assessing the visit as a step toward solving the problem, a western official was quoted as saying, "given the fact that one week ago the lives of prisoners were in danger, now we are discussing on concrete issues such as the whereabouts of these people, whether visits are possible which is very important for their families".

Bernard Kouchner, who has been closely following the preparations for this meeting, said: "this is just a beginning, but if the promises are met, it will go a long way towards healing the wounds of all parties affected by this ongoing tragedy. When I brief the Security Council tomorrow on events in Kosovo, I will encourage the international community to push further for fast and concrete action, especially in the passing of the Amnesty Law".

Kouchner also stressed that he would once again be asking the international community to do their utmost to further the development of this process towards a definitive resolution of all the issues concerning the detainees and missing persons.

In addition, the paper said that the family members of Albanians being kept in Serbian prisons did not agree with the proposal of the Council of Protests to suspend the protest in order to evaluate their effect. Thousands of citizens from all Kosovo municipalities joined protesters in Prishtina with the request of releasing prisoners and shedding light upon the fate of missing persons.

From Wednesday's protest, the Council of Protest supported by eleven Kosovar political parties: LDK, PDK, AAK, PQLK, PSHDK, UNIKOMB, PLK, PPSH, PSDK, PRK and PGJK, sent a letter of protest to international entities such as the UN Security Council, UN SG Kofi Annan, European Parliament, OSCE, Dayton Meeting, Javier Solana and Bernard Kouchner.

Among other things, the letter noted: "please, honorable gentlemen, do your utmost so that the Belgrade regime releases Albanians from Serbian prisons. We inform you that patience of the Albanian people is reaching its end. This is proved by the past nine days, when family members of prisoners protested while endangering their health and their lives".

Gjakova mothers said they would still continue their protests in front of the steps of the National Theatre until their requests are met. Commenting on the issue, Berat Luzha, member of the Council of Protests, was quoted as saying, "we will try and convince the families to return home and not endanger their health".

Momcilo Grubac, Yugoslav Minister of Justice, said Wednesday that his ministry is compiling the draft-law on amnesty and that FRY Parliament might debate during its next session.

Grubac told the Belgrade-based Beta news agency that the regulation would include all penal acts foreseen by the federal penal law, but added that it is still too early to discuss the concrete acts which will be included in the amnesty. "Amnesty will be valid for FRY citizens. The law will be promulgated for everyone and it will not be based on the ethnic character and will refer to perpetrators regardless of their ethnic background," added Grubac.

Furthermore, it was noted that the Kosovo Transitional Council (KTC) appealed once again to Yugoslav president Kostunica to release all political prisoners in the interest of pushing forth the peace process. "KTC agrees with the SRSG (Kouchner) that the release of all Albanian political prisoners would be justice and the first big step towards meaningful dialogues and stable peace," it was said in a press release issued by the KTC on Wednesday. 

Zëri also carried a report on the event under the headline: "Amnesty Law - until the end of December?". 

A delegation composed of two FRY members and the Serbian Justice Ministry met yesterday in Prishtina with DSRSG Jock Covey. According to UNMIK officials, the meeting lased approximately ten hours and was evaluated as very serious.

Citing its source within UNMIK, the paper said that four problematic issues were discussed: the personal safety of the Albanian prisoners, especially in Nis and Pozarevac prisons, to allow ICRC and family members visit the prisoners, the release of prisoners and shedding light upon the fate of missing persons.

Noting that the Nis and Pozarevac prisons are not in full control of the Kostunica government, Serb officials however added that security is much better compared to that of last week.

Serb officials pre-announced that an amnesty law would be submitted to the FRY parliament very soon. This will most probably happen before the New Year. According to the Serb representatives, the amnesty law would include all political prisoners Albanians and Serbs. They said that would promulgate a federal amnesty law and it would be submitted very soon.

It is also foreseen that there will be other meetings between UNMIK and Yugoslav representatives and that UNMIK would organize visits to the prisons for family members. However, for UNMIK officials it is more important to find out who really is in prison.

According to the report, the Serb officials provided a list containing 700 names, and starting last night a verification of those that are in prison would start, to see if there are cases where prisoners were forgotten or maybe their names are in two prisons because of the transfers that happened last week.

According to both sides, the success of this meeting was that this list would be verified and visits would be organized for the prisoners that will be released very soon.

The visit of the Yugoslav delegation, was prepared earlier however, it was not made public because UNMIK did every thing possible to arrange a meeting with the Commission for Prisoners and the Missing Person which functions under the Kosovo Transitional Council.

Sources close to this commission said that even though DSRSG Jock Covey carried out pressure to its members, Shukrie Rexha, Sevdije Ahmeti and Pajazit Nushi to meet with the Yugoslav delegation, they did not accept because they said that they are not prepared for such meeting and they do not trust the Serbian side.

The source also said that the three Albanian members of the commission entered UNMIK building before 10 AM and instead of going to the Kosovo Transitional Council they were sent to an office where they kept as in a quarantine for more then eight hours, which was the duration of the meeting UNMIK had with Yugoslav delegation which arrived by a helicopter in Prishtina.

Until 2200 hours, no one from this "indirect meeting", mediated by Jock Covey, did not address the protestors in order to explain the content of the results of this meeting. Even though Council of Protests officially has suspended the protests, none of the protestors had moved from square in front of the National Theater, concluded the paper.

KOSTUNICA WOULDN'T GIVE KOSOVO MORE THAN 1974 CONSTITUTION

Koha Ditore carried on page three a report on Vojislav Kostunica's visit to the European Parliament.

EU parliamentarians greeted with a long applause on Wednesday in Strasburg FRY President Vojislav Kostunica's speech. Kostunica addressed the EU parliament and talked about many priorities that his government has from consolidating democracy, integrating Yugoslavia to the EU and reconstructing the federation with Montenegro, however he did not make a single remark about the fate of the Albanians imprisoned in Serb jails or those indicted by The Hague Tribunal for war crimes.

Nevertheless, these were no reasons for Head of the EU Parliament Nicole Fontaine to express  "Europe's admiration for heroism and bravery displayed by the Serb nation" and that "Europe and Serbia share the same values".

Vojislav Kostunica said that FRY wants to integrate as quickly as possible in the EU. "We are part of Europe, we are the heart of Europe. Allow me to be little biased and say that the Balkans is the cradle of European democracy," said Kostunica for the region that westerners call it mostly "barrel of powder". He said that in the past, there were mistakes on both sides and according to him "Serbs have amended their mistakes by making democratic changes", and EU "has made a revision of their position since France is presiding".

The speed that Europe has opened its doors and windows towards Serbia has surprised all of the neighbors in the region and the Serbs in Serbia.  "I have to confess that I was surprised by the way that Europe is accepting us," said Kostunica to the press in Strasburg, Head of the European Parliament Nicole Fontaine intervened and said, "she is surprised why Kostunica is surprised," when Europe considers the Serb nation as an European nation that shares the same values.

However, issues that Kostunica did not mention in his speech before the European Parliament journalists presented to him in his joint press briefing with Head of the European Parliament Nicole Fontaine.

Kostunica said that he is aware that a cooperation with The Hague Tribunal is essential however, his government has others priorities which have to be dealt with. "Milosevic is responsible for many things and he mostly responsible to the Serb nation," said Kostunica evading a direct question that does Milosevic has to be handed over to Hague. 

According to Kostunica, "Hague Tribunal is not capable of revealing the whole truth behind the ten year war in the region". Kostunica evaluated the Balkan wars, said that a shared responsibility is among the warring sides, and added, "there are people responsible for the war and victims of war in all sides and we all have to face these past responsibilities".

In a direct question by the members of the press regarding Kosovo final status Kostunica said, "we have to face reality, because in solving Kosovo's problem all neighbors have to be included especially Macedonia, Albania and Greece," he added that according to him, "Kosovo is part of Yugoslavia and that Badinter Commission did not foresee Kosovo's independence". What kind of substantial autonomy for Kosovo Kostunica offers is seen from his answer that the level of autonomy that Kosovo had with the 1974 constitution is unacceptable. "The 74 constitution is not the ideal solution, because that constitution opened the doors to Yugoslavia's disintegration".

When questioned about the release of Albanian prisoners Kostunica said that they are being released gradually and he supports this process. "There are many exaggerations on the number of imprisoned Albanians. There were about 2,000 and now they are about 800," said Kostunica and announced that an amnesty law that is being prepared for their release and added that he personally intervened in Flora Brovina's release. He talked about the "missing Serbs" and added, "family members do not have much hope that their loved ones are alive, however, they expect to bury them decently".
 
"Fortunately Flora Brovina is alive and well, however her colleague Andrija Tomanovic is missing and there is no news of him. I have talked to his wife and there still there is no news," said Kostunica. Since, Kostunica did not mention the prisoners in his speech and most of the parliamentarians applauded after it, as a sign of revolt, member of the Radical Transnational Party Olivier Dupuis started to shout "Freedom for Albanian prisoners". Parliamentary members of this party lead by Emma Bonino handed an open letter to Kostunica in which they demand the immediate and unconditional release of all Albanian political prisoners from Serb jails.      

KOSOVARS NOT TO ATTEND ZAGREB SUMMIT

UN administrator of Kosovo, Bernard Kouchner will not be accompanied by any Albanian representative at the Zagreb Summit, which is to be held on November 24th, reported Koha Ditore on page two.

Citing UNMIK officials, the paper added that Kouchner has decided he will be the sole Kosovo representative at the summit.

Asked on the issue, Claire Trevena spokeswoman for UNMIK, was quoted as saying, "it is not expected that Bernard Kouchner will take Albanian or Serb representatives at the Zagreb Summit to be held by the end of the month".

Earlier it was said that there were chances of Kouchner being accompanied by an Albanian representative, added the paper. However, referring to its sources in Zagreb the paper said that Kouchner would travel to Zagreb as a member of the EU delegation.
 
According to the report, neither Trevena nor other press officers were able to comment on Kouchner's decision for not inviting any of the Kosovar leaders at the summit.
 
JANJIC: SERB NATIONAL COUNCIL IS WORKING ON RELEASE OF PRISONERS

During a press briefing held Wednesday, bishop Sava Janjic spokesman for the Serb National Council (SNV) said that even though it is not in its hands, the Serb National Council is working to solve the issue of Albanian "political prisoners" in Serbia, reported Zëri on page four referring to a Kosovalive report.

"Since we have good relations with Kostunica, Bishop Artemije raises this issue every time they meet," said Sava adding that the bishop thinks that Kostunica really wants to solve this problem, and the only thing that needs to be done now is to find the way to do this in a legal way.

He also stressed that the rebellion in Serbian prisons postponed the entire process of releasing the prisoners and "Serbia is now facing a general problem for the amnesty of many other prisoners".