Hello and Welcome
to Week in Review for February 11, 2005 from the studios of UN Radio in
Kosovo….
ü
Kosovo’s top
administrator visits Greece and the Osce permanent council this week
ü
Kosovo Serb
leader is the target of a car bomb attack
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And…a Serbian
general pleads innocent at The Hague
1 topping this week’s news…
SRSG Søren
Jessen-Petersen was in Vienna yesterday for a presentation to the Permanent
Council of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. He stressed
to the council that Kosovo still represents a threat to Balkan stability, and
that 2005 will be the crucial year for addressing Kosovo’s status. In his
speech, Jessen-Petersen said that partitioning Kosovo is not an option. He also
said that the security situation could become tense in the near future if The
Hague indicts former KLA members for war crimes, as is expected. One of those
expected to be indicted is Kosovo Prime Minister, Ramush Haradinaj
2
Earlier in the week…
SRSG Jessen-Petersen
traveled to Greece to meet with Greek Foreign Minister, Petros Moliviatis on
Monday. As a European Union member state, Jessen-Petersen called on Greece to
help put Kosovo higher on the EU agenda. He also said Greece, as a
non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, will play an important role if
final status talks proceed in the second half of 2005.
3
A bomb exploded under the
car of Kosovo Serb leader, Oliver Ivanovic on Tuesday in North Mitrovica. The
attack occurred at approximately 9:30pm outside of Ivanovic’s home. No one was hurt in the blast, this according
to UN police sources. Ivanovic defied the Serbian government taking part in
Kosovo’s parliamentary elections last October as a member of the Serbian List
for Kosovo and Metohija. Although some suspect political motives, the attack is
still under investigation.
4
A top Serbian
general pleaded innocent of war crimes charges on Monday. General Vladimir
Lazarevic was extradited to The Hague on Saturday. Lazarevic was indicted in
October 2003 for what is said to be the murder of hundreds of Kosovo Albanians
during the 1998-1999 Conflict. If convicted he could face up to life in prison.
No trial date has been set.
5
U.S. President
George Bush unveiled his $2.5 billion dollar budget proposal this week. The
total amount of aid planned for South-Eastern Europe is expected to be around
$328 million dollars, of which $75 million in aid will go to Serbia-Montenegro.
No figures have been confirmed as how much is earmarked for Kosovo.
6 And Finally… in regional news…
Railway services
in Macedonia have been paralyzed for three days as unions and the government
failed to reach agreements on a compensation package for employees of the
state-run Macedonian Railways. A restructuring of the company would limit
benefits for those workers losing their jobs in a restructuring scheme that
would privatize the railway company. This is the fifth railway strike in a
year. The restructuring is expected to lay off 2,400 workers.
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.