WEEK IN REVIEW – December 10, 2004

Hello and Welcome to Week in Review for December 10, 2004 from the studios of UN Radio in Kosovo….

ü UN Head, SRSG Sorren Jessen-Petersen meets with British Foreign Secretary, Jack Straw

ü Kosovo has a New Prime Minister

ü And… the UN Chief of Missing Persons office criticizes international agencies on slow return of missing persons

1 Topping this week’s news…On Tuesday and Wednesday

Head of the UN Mission, SRSG Soren Jessen-Petersen visited the UK to address key government officials on the current situation in Kosovo. On Wednesday, Jessen-Petersen remarked that basic progress in the resolution of Kosovo’s final status was in the interest of everyone in the province. He also announced that a Working Group on decentralization would meet on Dec. 13 to discuss “pilot projects” for forming new municipalities in Kosovo – topics to be highlighted included the location and size of the municipalities, safety, and what the administration should look like.”

Jessen-Petersen said - in January and February, there should be between 3 to 5 tangible pilot projects started - illustrating that the interests of Kosovo Serbs would be taken into consideration through the local self-government. Jessen-Petersen said during a BBC interview that an indictment by the Hague against Kosovo Prime Minister, Ramush Haradinaj would lead to certain delays ‘at a time when Kosovo is aiming to implement democratic standards,” but he added the delay could be managed.

2 Kosovo’s exiting Prime Minister, Bajram Rexhepi, handed over his offices to his successor, Ramush Haradinaj on Monday.

Despite the vehement objections to his appointment coming from Belgrade, Haradinaj told Serbian media on Monday that he is ready for dialogue. He went so far as to say that we was ready to go to Belgrade whenever the invitation is extended.

Nebojsa Covic, Head of Belgrade’s Kosovo Coordination Center, said Haradinaj could expect to be arrested if he comes to Belgrade based on an arrest warrant for alleged crimes committed against Non-Albanians and Albanians in Kosovo in 1998-1999.

Haradinaj says he plans to cooperate with Kosovo Serb leaders in assuring them that their concerns for local self-government are met – suggesting that if Kosovo is given independence, he would assure Kosovo Serbs have dual citizenship with Serbia.

3 In other news…

The Kosovo Coordination Center sent nearly 18,000 lawsuits to UNMIK this week. The lawsuits were filed on behalf of displaced persons demanding compensation for property destroyed in the 1999 Conflict.

Hearings are expected to take place in the coming months.

4 Today in the Serb enclave of Gracanica

A Department of the Municipal Court of Pristina is opening. Neeraj Singh, UNMIK police and justice spokesperson, said that the court office would help “prevent problems of Kosovans who do not have the possibility for free movement.” The court is considered a temporary measure that will serve up to 20 thousand minority members.

Critics charge that the court will strengthen the idea of Serbian parallel structures. Pillar 1 spokesperson, Singh denied these claims.

5 Sara McIntosh officially started work this week.

McIntosh is the UN Missions Standards Coordinator, replacing Carne Ross. She will join Zenun Pajaziti, the Kosovo Government’s Standards Coordinator, in moving the 8 Democratic Benchmarks closer to implementation ahead of planned status talks in mid-2005. McIntosh will steward the Standards Implementation program towards a rapid “last” technical evaluation in late February or early March.

6 In Pristina on Thursday…

The Chief of the Office for Missing Persons, Jose Pable Baraybar, held a press conference at UNMIK Headquarters. Baraybar criticized several key institutions in what he termed a “failure to deal with the fate of missing persons.’

An estimated 5,600 missing persons have been reported. To date, 365 have been returned. Baraybar particular criticized the international commission for missing persons for what he said was a slow DNA identification process.

50 more bodies are expected from Serbia on December 16.

7 On Thursday in the Albanian capital, Tirana.

Presidents from Macedonia and Serbia-Montenegro met with 4 other southeastern European states for two days of talks on ethnic and religious tolerance.

The leaders came at the invitation of the Albanian President, Alfred Moisiu and Koichiro Matsuura, Director General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.

This concludes this edition of Week in Review. Stay tuned to this channel every week at this time for UN Radio’s weekly wrap-up of news in and around Kosovo.