UNMIK/PR/455
PRESS RELEASE - 20 December 2000

SRSG Warns Violence Against UNMIK and KFOR Will Not be Tolerated

PRISTINA-SRSG Dr. Bernard Kouchner today deplored the violence against KFOR, UNMIK Police and KPS officers in Leposavic and the violence again on Tuesday night in Zubin Potok and said it was unacceptable and will not be tolerated.

Briefing KTC members and later speaking to the press, Dr. Kouchner said that any attack on UNMIK or KFOR will result in a strong reaction and the attackers will do so only at their own risk. He urged the Serbian community to refrain from violence, adding that it's the extremists on both sides, the Albanian and Serbian, who want to undermine the path to peace in Kosovo. 

SRSG expressed appreciation of the Serb members of the KTC who suggested that a statement be issued deploring the violence against members of the international community in northern Kosovo.  He said the statement also appealed to the French EU Presidency and the UN Security Council to do its utmost to secure the release of all Kosovo detainees in Serbia. It also appealed to President Vojislav Kostunica to act immediately to release all Kosovo prisoners.  

SRSG also briefed the KTC about his visit to Paris, Strasbourg and Brussels. He said it was following this visit that the European Parliament decided to pass a resolution appealing to President Kostunica to release all Albanian prisoners. He said the amnesty law is with the Serb authorities and he hoped that all Albanian prisoners would be released soon. "I can understand that people here do not want to wait too long for their release".

SRSG also spoke of the enlargement of the KTC, which he said would be effected in the next meeting to broaden religious and ethnic representation in the KTC.

Responding to a KTC member who drew his attention to the strike by teachers for higher salaries, Dr. Kocuhner said this was not possible since there was no money to pay enhanced salaries and it was difficult to get money from donors.

The co-heads of the JIAS Department of Transport and Infrastructure, Mr. Nait Babuna and Mr. Patrick Auffret, briefed the KTC about the work of their department. They spoke of the work done by the department in repairing roads in Kosovo this year, including roads connecting Pistina to the main towns in Kosovo and to Skopje. The snow and ice clearance work had also been reorganized this year.

On civil aviation, they said that a master plan to develop the airport infrastructure has been issued. In 2001, the airport terminal will be extended, cargo facilities developed and air traffic controllers receive training. Railways they said was still a problem because of its poor infrastructure. He said KFOR is presently running the railway. The hand over to UNMIK Railways will become possible only after an agreement is signed between UNMIK Railways and Macedonian Railways to handle international traffic. To facilitate this agreement, UNMIK Railways is seeking a temporary international recognition from international rail organizations.

Mr. Bexhet Brajshori and Mr. Peter Schumann, co-heads, JIAS Department of Public Services, briefed the KTC about ID card distribution and travel documents.

The KTC will hold its next meeting on 10 January 2000.