By Andrea Saula

Hello and welcome, from the studios of UN Radio in Kosovo…

According to a report issued last week by the Brussels-based International Crisis Group, Kosovo’s de jure sovereignty should be recognized by mid 2006. Referring to the ICG report on the floor of the European Parliament last week, special advisor to the SRSG, Kim Friedberg said that the international community was given a clear indication last March that the “status quo will not hold.”

The ICG report recommends a timeline for moving towards independence with success hinging on the ability of the Albanian majority to assure that minorities have a future in Kosovo.

Anderson

“It does require the commitments and genuine drive from Kosovo Albanians to show and to guaranty that it is going to provide safe future for its minorities, particularly the Kosovo Serb minority.”

Alex Anderson, Kosovo Project Coordinator for the ICG.

The ICG report makes clear that minority protections guaranteed in UN Security Council Resolution 1244 is the foundation for movement on the status issue. The Kosovo Constitutional Framework also guarantees minority rights in the province, and the international community has indicated that status talks already scheduled for mid-2005 will be delayed unless there are verifiable methods illustrating Kosovo’s minorities do indeed feel safe.

Arben Qerizi is the Kosovo government spokesperson

Qerizi

“The Government is active in the implementation of standards as it is the part of our political agenda. One of the Government’s priorities is the improvement of conditions for Kosovo’s minorities.

Government assurances aside, political analysts point out that minority issues in Kosovo are among the most politicized – especially where Kosovo Serbs are concerned.

Dusan Janjic, Head of the Forum for Ethnic Relations in Belgrade says that the Kosovo Government is burdened by what he describes as UNMIK’s unfinished work in the reconciliation process.

Janjic

“For the Prime Minister and the Government it would best to stop for a second and make a serious plan about how to face Kosovo Albanian extremism, and to prepare the public for a more open minority policy. The government should then create an even more democratic implementation strategy for the minority population and try to include Serbs in it.”

Slavisa Petkovic’s recent appointment to the head of Kosovo’s Ministry of Returns may be a step in the right direction, according to local analysts. Petkovic heads the Kosovo party, the Civic Initiative and predictably, his acceptance of the position is heavily contested in Belgrade. With his appointment, Kosovo’s provisional government can say that Kosovo Serbs are politically involved in Kosovo’s institutions.

Government spokesperson Arben Qirezi says that the first step in improving conditions for minorities will be through the implementation of pilot municipality projects for reforming local government.

Qirezi

“We do recognize that minorities have big problems in Kosovo, mostly the Serbian community. These are seen with the problems of freedom of movement, economic depression that is the consequence of lack of freedom of movement, there are many things to attend to.”

Qirezi said that launching a campaign on returns and minority protection is part of the government’s continuous commitment to implement the Standards. But, Qirezi emphasizes that nothing is possible if Kosovo’s minorities are not willing to cooperate in the process.

Meanwhile, the Kosovo status debate also featured prominently at the Council of Europe’s Parliamentary Assembly last week. The CoE adopted the Resolution on the protection of human rights in Kosovo. A controversial recommendation for UNMIK and KFOR was the need to establish a Human Rights Court in Kosovo. UNMIK has said that such a court is not an automatic thing in Kosovo.

UN Radio will keep you updated. With this we end today’s edition. Thanks for listening and stay tune.