CONTENTS

ALBANIANS RESIST TO UNMIK'S PRESSURE TO MEET SERB DELEGATION
KOUCHNER ADDRESSES UN SECURITY COUNCIL

ALBANIANS RESIST TO UNMIK'S PRESSURE TO MEET SERB DELEGATION

While mothers and family members of prisoners and missing persons entered the second week of protest, only a hundred meters away a delegation from Belgrade was welcomed at UNMIK and was requesting to meet Albanian representatives of the Council of Protests, reported Zëri on page three.

While the protest crowd in front of the National Theatre had no intention of leaving, the three members of the commission for prisoners and missing prisoners - Shukrie Rexha, Sevdie Ahmeti and Pajazit Nushi - headed to attend the Kosovo Transitional Council meeting, but instead they were sent to another room at UNMIK's Government Building.

Citing its sources within the commission, the paper said that the three members were aware of the arrival of the Yugoslav delegation and that they were told that the Serb officials would arrive at approximately 0845 hours. They were then informed that the delegation would arrive at 1000 hours and that they would have to go to KFOR Main Headquarters to meet them.

"The 'Yugoslav' delegation was appointed by Kostunica and led by the co-minister of justice, Subasic. They came to Prishtina and expressed the wish to meet the Working Group of the Kosovo Transitional Council and UNMIK officials," said the source adding that the delegation was accompanied by the co-head of the Department of Justice, Sylvie Pantz.

Furthermore, it was noted that DSRSG Jock Covey met with the Albanian members of the commission and that he applied pressure upon them to meet the Yugoslav delegation. However, despite the pressure they refused to meet.

Explaining that the refusal by the Albanian side was immediate, the source was quoted as saying, "the wish of the Yugoslav delegation was to talk to us and visit Kosovo prisons. This was an unexpected request. We were also told that they wish to talk about the amnesty law and the issue of prisoners".

According to the report, the other reason for not accepting to meet with Serbian officials was the lack of trust in the delegation. A source, who participated in the meeting with Covey, emphasized that great pressure was applied upon the Albanian side with the justification that Kouchner would address the UN Security Council regarding Kosovo and the problem of prisoners and missing persons. However, the Albanians insisted that there was a lack of trust on the delegation. Said the source: "they are known for not keeping their word. Serbia is a little child of democracy and we do not trust it. This child must grow. The international community is spoiling it a lot and it is being recognized without any conditions. When important issues are at stake, Serbia is not able to solve them. It always leaves them for better times".

The Albanian members of the commission were held at UNMIK for over eight hours, without being able to contact anyone. Not even members of the Kosovo Transitional Council of them being in another room. They reportedly refused the plan of the Yugoslav delegation to visit Kosovo prisons, emphasizing that the situation of war hostages cannot be to that of war criminals. "There are war criminals in Kosovo prisons, whereas in Serbia there are war hostages, and these terms are completely opposite to one another," it was said.

It was learned that almost sole request of the Yugoslav delegation was to allow their visit to Kosovo prisons, in order to provide people in Serbia with information such as "the minister visits prisons in Kosovo", in that way implying the sovereignty of the minister upon the prisons and the territory as a whole, added the paper.

Commenting on the effects of the "indirect meeting" between Albanians and Serbs, the paper said that the decision to allow the Red Cross to visit prisoners is considered as a success of the meeting.

The odyssey, as the paper referred to it, continued until the late night hours. The Yugoslav delegation visited Prishtina prison and the prison at the U.S. military camp Bondsteel and then returned to Belgrade. Members of commission for prisoners and missing persons left the UNMIK building, but it was only a day after that a member of the commission briefly informed the protesters on the flow of events.

On the other hand, the protest continues now with another organizing council. "The odyssey of prisoners can soon be over in the favor of Albanian prisoners, but then the most important issue of missing persons will come forth. Until then, there will be 'meetings' and protest but not with pressure and without previous preparations," concluded the paper.

KOUCHNER ADDRESSES UN SECURITY COUNCIL

The Special Representative of the UN Secretary General for Kosovo, Bernard Kouchner told the United Nations Security Council that now is the time to move into the next phase for Kosovo. That means developing the institutions of self-government and defining substantial autonomy, reported Koha Ditore on page one referring to a press release issued Thursday by UNMIK's press office.

According to the press release, Kouchner gave a robust speech, in which he made it clear that he believes it is still too early to discuss Kosovo's final status. However, he said that there should be central, Kosovo-wide elections early next year. "This is in line with what Kosovars want. But unlike their calls for independence, the roadmap for the future would continue to be resolution 1244," had added Kouchner.

Expressing hope that Kosovar Albanians held in Serbian prisons would benefit from the amnesty law, Kouchner was also quoted as saying, "I am confident that relations will improve even though the concerns were amplified by the recent prison strike in Serbia which led to protest day and night in front of our offices".

Kouchner also pointed out the issue of 23 December elections in Serbia. He stressed that there has been no request from Belgrade about holding them. However, he did raise the concerns that the voters' lists in Kosovo would be incomplete and that it would be technically difficult to realize elections.

Commenting on recently-held local elections in Kosovo, Kouchner said that all parties have pledged to work together for a unified administration. "This is where genuine democracy should begin - at the local level," he said.

Kosovo Chief Administrator also repeated that there would be elections in predominately Serb municipalities of Leposavic, Zvecan and Zubin Potok. However, he urged the members not to be too quick to think that the municipal elections had brought with them instant changes. "We should acknowledge that the situation in Kosovo has not changed. The war is not over. Peacemaking is still necessary and difficult to implement. Notwithstanding the success of municipal elections, Kosovo remains a society in crisis," he said.