9 October
Serb community leader
Milan Ivanovic handed himself in to an UNMIK court in North Mitrovica
and was charged with leading a violent demonstration. A charge of attempted
murder was dropped after it was determined that he had not thrown a
hand grenade at police during a riot in Mitrovica on 8 April. Michael
Steiner said that, "I welcome that Milan Ivanovic has indeed put
himself at the disposition of the legitimate UNMIK Court. I have always
said this was the only proper way open to him. The investigating judge
will now decide on further steps to be taken in this case."
11 October
UNMIK condemned a violent attack by a mob against pensioners
in Pec/Peja on 10 October 2002 as "deplorable, disgraceful and
disgusting". The SRSG said that "this incident is especially
unfortunate as it goes against the general trend of improved security
and declining violence. What could this mob possibly have been thinking
it would achieve by attacking a group of elderly people who were simply
coming to apply for their pensions?" Mr Steiner added: "I'll
tell you what it achieved: serious damage to Kosovo's image in the eyes
of the world."
The Energy Committee met for the fifth time at UNMIK HQ at a
meeting chaired by SRSG. Prime Minister Bajram Rexhepi, D/COMKFOR Major-General
Perruche, Josef Rieder (interim head of KEK) and Pillar 4 head Andy
Bearpark attended. Mr Rieder reported on the status of restructuring
and on the current situation in KEK. The Committee also heard a report
on the new "Get tough" disconnection policy, which has already
encouraged some big institutional non-payers to start paying outstanding
bills.
12 October
About 60 companies exhibited their goods and services at the
Agrokos International Fair held in the Boro and Ramizi youth centre
in Pristina. The exposition set out agricultural goods, animal feed
and food processing technology, and household technology. Most of the
exhibitors were from Kosovo, but others came from the wider region,
including Albania, Macedonia and Bulgaria. During a visit to the exposition
Michael Steiner talked to exhibitors and welcomed the initiative to
organise a fair focused on agricultural products, processing companies
and household goods. "Here is a market that has a future in Kosovo,
because you can find in Kosovo the basic materials, the know-how and
the customers for these goods," he said.
13 October
The SRSG visited
two successful factories, in the municipalities of Peja/Pec and Suva
Reka/Suhareka, to underline his commitment to a speedy economic recovery
in Kosovo. In Peja/Pec Mr Steiner toured the Birra e Pejes beer factory,
which is the largest single employer in the municipality. Mr Steiner
also met with the President of the Municipal Assembly, Ali Lajqi, and
the Chief Executive Officer Ramiz Zeka, and told them that the mob attack
on Serb pensioners on Thursday was bad for Peja/Pec and damaging for
the image of Kosovo as a whole. Mr Steiner then visited Osojane where
he met for more than an hour with many of the pensioners who were in
the bus when the incident happened. In Suva Reka/Suhareka, the SRSG
was given a tour of the IGK Ballkan factory, the main rubber producing
industry in Kosovo. The company, which produces rubber products and
conveyor belts, employs 750 workers, and exports to some neighbouring
and western European countries. One of its domestic markets is KEK.
"Paying bills to KEK means that companies like this can in return
get paid for the equipment they supply to KEK," he said. "Kosovo
works better when it works together."
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