DPI

CONTENTS:

KOSOVO FOR A LONG TIME UNDER INTERNATIONAL PROTECTORATE
THE QUICK SUMMIT PROMISED HASTILY
WILL KOSTUNICA ASK FOR FORGIVENESS FOR SERB CRIMES

KOSOVO FOR A LONG TIME UNDER INTERNATIONAL PROTECTORATE

The second part of yesterday's interview with Yugoslav president Vojislav Kostunica on pages five and six in Koha Ditore.

Let us return to today's events. We have more then 800 Albanians in Serbian prisons. You have mentioned many times the Amnesty Law, however Albanian mothers are still waiting in Pristina for you to sign the law.

I have to tell you right away. This a human catastrophe, human catastrophe you will agree with me. Human pains are human pains. Albanian mother's pains are the same as the Serb mother's pains. We have now less then 800 imprisoned Albanians and every day there are less and less. This is a process as you know, in the begining there were 2,000 prisoners. Albanians in Serbian jails know that they will leave them one day alive, however, when we talk about the missing Serbs in Kosovo we only want to know how they disappeared. I am taking care of the Albanians fate here. There should be someone taking care of the missing Serbs. Let us try to look at human pain in the same way and try to solve these issues gradually. There will come a moment when the issue of amnesty will open. However, this is under federal government's jurisdiction not mine. Federal government will solve this.

There are still Albanian mothers who think that 4,300 missing Albanians are alive and kept somewhere. How can we convince them that this issue should not be radicalized after the final lists of the missing and killed by the military and paramilitaries?

It is very hard to think ahead. Things can become more radical on both sides. The problem of the missing is present with Serbs too. There comes a moment when people have to trust a democratic formed government which is working hard in finding the Albanian and Serb missing.

You make a strange comparison between the missing Albanians and the missing Serbs. I think that Albanian retribution was a product of powerful police and military Serb repression and normally after so many killings between 1997 and 1999. I believe that retribution was caused by everything that happened the last years in Kosovo. How can you compare the missing Albanians with the missing Serbs?

Let us see how we stand with retribution. That was a thesis supported by KFOR, UNMIK and some NATO officials with their arrival in Kosovo. It has been said that there are crimes against Serbs and that they are the result of vengeful people. I cannot understand this retribution, I can understand if this retribution is against someone who has committed a crime. However, I cannot understand the retribution against someone that has not done anything. For example an old defenseless man. Unfortunately, there were cases like that. We have to face this. It is good that we talk. We have to listen to what the other side has to say and the other side has to listen to what we say. An open dialogue should be conducted in such manner. Only open talks can lead us to a solution.

Let us return to the Serb-Albanian dialogue. You have mentioned dozens of times Rugova as your partner for talks however, you have never mentioned Thaçi.

There are grave disagreements between what is the Serbian position represented by the democratic government and Hashim Thaçi's position, time will tell why I am such a great skeptic having such talks. I think that western politicians, I should say Washington and a part of the extremists from Kosovo, were especially wrong at the Rambouliet Conference. Things have come into place after local elections in Kosovo. Maybe that is the best reason I should not talk about what I think of Hashim Thaçi and his politics, if we can call it politics, for me the local elections have proved that a legitimate partner for talks with Albanian leaders have come from the October elections. They gave a weight to the more mature process among the Kosovar Albanians. I am a skeptic about the way elections were held and conducted. I said before that the situation was not still ready for elections, nevertheless, these elections showed who is the strongest partner on the Albanian side and I think that it is better that a moderate party will represent Kosovo.

Why do you think it is easier to talk with Rugova? Why do you think he is moderate, because the votes he won or something else?

For me the number of votes is important. Who supports whom? Of course, that legitimacy is very important. On the other, side the defeated party of the October elections, Mr. Thaçi's party which represents another war, which has nothing to do with political battle. That is my starting point; I think that dialogue should be the starting point. However, this is still only a framework from where we can develop a dialogue and find a solution.

To face Thaçi and Rugova means to face two people who are for Kosovo's independence. You think that one of them can be convinced to enter a federation or confederation with Montenegro and Serbia.

It easier to talk with a person whose aim is what you mentioned the same. We should not delude ourselves, the last 10-20 years human rights were a problem with Serb and Albanian side, which consequently used it as a mask for gaining independence. Here Rugova and Thaçi totally agree with each other, however they disagree in everything else. One has used democratic and legitimate means and the other used means, which cannot be looked upon as democratic. Therefore, talks held with a partner that used legitimate means--Rugova--are much easier no matter how apart our positions are.

It is not so. All peaceful means were tried. I have to say that I was present at talks in 1997 between Albanians and Serbs in a villa, talks were held with a high Serb delegation in finding a way to get out of this situation and not go towards war. I think that the Serb delegation decided the war option against Albanians. We were told then that Kosovo has more then 600 ethnically pure villages, which would be destroyed in two weeks. On 19 November Milosevic's delegation decided on the war option, we returned home and in a way we said that in 1998 there will be war and there was no possible way for us to restart any kind of dialogue with the Serb delegation. What you think of this? You mentioned 1998 and 1999. Albanians were ready to star a dialogue however the Serbs did not want one.

There were Albanians ready for dialogue and there were Serbs ready for dialogue. I have to return to something I said before. Our powers are limited, Serbs are limited, Albanians are limited. In some crucial moments, the international community imposed our fate. The world had a major role in disintegrating the former Yugoslavia. This process maybe could have been finished without the presence of war. This pressure was brought by the international community especially USA which later on held talks for other plans.

It is not so. Americans did everything possible to strengthen the dialogue. We did everything to establish contacts to prevent war. There were proposed six Albanians and six Serbs to start a dialogue for the future of Kosovo. The Serb delegation did not want this. it decided for war. We said this openly for the first time. Look at what happened on 19 November 1997.

I was not present at those talks and naturally was not member of the Serb delegation. If there were different members present then maybe the results would have been different. I have to return to what I said before, the instrumental role that brought the escalation into a war in Kosovo, responsibility lies with international community and the greatest responsibility lies with Washington. No, matter the responsibility of individual politicians in the small or big region. Greater responsibility lies with those that have greater power. The bigger the state the bigger the responsibility. There can be no amnesty for those that were present from the Serb side during the talks and there can be no amnesty for those that could have applied pressure.

The new confederacy you only mention Montenegro and Serbia. Where is Kosovo if you think that Kosovo should be present. You are showing once more that Kosovo has separated from this country and that you are not interested for it or…

I am talking about the situation as it is. I am hasty. I am not hasty because the constitutional situation within FRY is disproportional on the report between Montenegro and Serbia. I was not present when the 1992 constitution was formed and I criticized very sharply. Djukanovi's DPS and Milosevic's SPS formed this constitution in agreement with both parties. Meanwhile both of the parties are sorry, and both of the parties have their comments. Milosevic and Djukanovic both in their ways overstepped their constitutional rights. Changes were made and now no one respects this constitution. This means that a constitution that is adaptable to the current situation. Now there is a federacy between Montenegro and Serbia. There is no Kosovo as third federal partner, there are two existing parts and a territory of this state, now I am talking exclusively as a lawyer, a territory where neither Yugoslav nor Serb law exists, and there is only international law present. During the next, few months we will look at the issue of revising the constitution. This would be in the interest of Podgorica. We shall seek an adequate solution where for the time being a part of our country does not have Yugoslav, Serb, Albanian, and Kosovar law or however you would like to call it, it has only international community's law.

Then Taiwan will happen to Kosovo for a very long time.

There will be international protectorate. I personally think that the international community having in consideration the situation in the Balkans, the FRY will try and create conditions for a solution to the Kosovo problem. If it lasts, it is better then war it is better then destabilizing the region.

Concerning the name Yugoslavia, I know that Albanians will not accept at any price to enter a federacy or confederacy with Yugoslavia. Do you think that Yugoslavia as a sovereign state exists however the name has exceeded its use. What do you think of this because the international community position is that a new confederacy would have to have a new name?

I think that the international community has not taken our name in consideration. I mentioned this for the first time in 1993 that Yugoslavia was not an adequate name for our country. The name Serbia-Montenegro is much more adequate because Yugoslavia was formed by Slovenes, Croats and Serbs. These three nations are not anymore in a joint country.

In the end Mr. Kostunica a normal question. The Serb nation has voted four times for Milosevic. You have mentioned Milosevic as one of the main actors who created four wars. However, it is an essential question. Milosevic did not kill, did not burn every house in Kosovo, Bosnian and Croatia. Serbs did this in the name of greater Serbia. How do you comment on this for your nation?

Well, the Serbs voted several times for Milosevic in elections, which were not really elections. I think that this is a rude question. The party, which I am head of never collaborated with Milosevic and I have never met with him. I met him for the first time when he came down from power. There were people who cooperated with him and created those problems. Here we can talk about the international community and especially the USA. Milosevic had the USA's support and he was a factor of stability in the Balkans, then he was attacked and sanctions were imposed for FRY. A country cannot be democratized under sanctions, there can be no reforms inside the prison. the prison reforms have to come from outside. The Serb people have thing clear now, it has decided on different politics, to cooperate with the world, for democratic relations with the neighbors and for a normal life in a normal democratic state.

THE QUICK SUMMIT PROMISED HASTILY

Koha Ditore carried on page two a comment by publisher Veton Surroi on the Zagreb Summit.

1. "Westerners have been talking for years of condemning nationalistic parties in Bosnia and now they have cued up in a meeting with Kostunica who is considered even by Serbs as a nationalist," said Muhamet Shaqirbej, Bosnian Ambassador to the UN, expressing something that now is called an overall surprise tied to non-critical reactions towards the changes in Belgrade.
Vojislav Kostunica will be present at the Zagreb Southeast European Nations Summit organized by EU, which will be chaired by France. In Kosovo, there were reactions from the beginning for the quickness of admitting Belgrade. I think that over the days reaction will grow, after it is revealed that in Zagreb Kostunica will be present and there will be no Albanian representatives.
There were some speculations that a Kosovar could meet Kostunica at the Zagreb Summit. Maybe that is the reason why Dr. Rugova will not join the delegation led by the number one Kosovar, Kouchner. Even though they are not going to meet, the Kosovars and Kostunica, there is something else that ties them to Zagreb. Kosovars are not participating because they are forming a state. Kostunica is participating as the head of a state that is breaking apart. Or should I say better, head of the state that is alive as much as Tito's Yugoslavia.

2. The idea that a single demonstration in Belgrade has democratized Serbia, and that with the coming of the new FRY president, Serb fascism and with it most of the political problems that have pilled up for the last ten years have declined, which would call Serbia "as quickly and hastily promised". Serbia has to go through a process of denazification, not only in handing over of war criminals but also in creating a new state identity. The illusions that changes from one demonstration will come are not present even with Serbs. And they are not alone in the making of "as quickly and hastily promised". Let us not forget that the Zagreb Summit is a part of the quick images that Southeastern Europe will be integrated into the EU very soon. With two summits, one in Sarajevo this summer (Stability Pact) and now this one in Zagreb, we have already received our "ausweiss" (license) for the European Union.

3. When in September I asked a French diplomat what is going to be discussed at the Zagreb Summit, he replayed that this would a political summit mostly in service of French political figures, then with some great importance.
Maybe it is an exaggeration. Southeast Europe passed and is passing through an intensive phase ever before in its history. The breaking up of Yugoslavia has created a NATO security umbrella with their missions in Bosnia and Kosovo, which have a greater regional influence. After ten years, Croatia has stepped up towards Europe, only thanking the political changes within the state. Montenegro a Milosevic's marionette has almost achieved in becoming an independence state. The Deutsch Mark is here now, tomorrow the Euro, will become increasingly present in the region and the countries of the EU.
Great historic events are happening, the summit has definitely the actors of these dynamic events. Let us measure the summit by its actions. Will this summit foresee how many states will be in the future? What will Southeastern Europe's map look like in the coming years?
What will this summit offer economically that was not offered at the Stability Pact? A key question remains in the Balkans the mutual respect by the states (those that are in forming too) and structural changes in those states, depending how EU approaches them.

WILL KOSTUNICA ASK FOR FORGIVENESS FOR SERB CRIMES

Koha Ditore on page three carried a report concerning Croatian president Stipe Mesic and Prime Minister Ivica Racan saying that they and every normal citizen expects Kostunica to ask for forgiveness for the crimes Serbs committed, but more important is Serbia to change the politic that caused so much aggression to other nations.

The western diplomats in Brussels and the leaders of the Balkans, whose countries ten years after the war have finally given the Balkans a perspective, give great historical importance to the Zagreb Summit. Annalists evaluate that this Summit's fault was that no Albanian representative was invited, while Kouchner will be a European Union delegation member and will discuss Kosovo's situation, and also Albanian representatives will preannounce all interests of the Albanian nation. Other countries participating in this Summit expect EU to confirm their integration as much as possible, including the possibility of their full membership in the future.

What complicated this Summit the most was Kostunica's arrival, as the day of the Summit comes nearer, the number of those who oppose his arrival only rises. The Croatian Association of Veterans and Invalids and many political parties say that Kostunica's arrival should not be allowed and it should be conditioned with asking for forgiveness for the Serb crimes during the war. The Albanian Union has preannounced protests concerning Kosovo not being included in the Summit and to request a right solution for the issue of Kosovo's status.