UNMIK ON AIR
WEEK IN REVIEW
By Zoran CULAFIC
Hello and Welcome to UNMIK
on Air. These are this week’s headlines….
Three
synchronized explosions rocked the centre of Pristina last Saturday in front of
HQ’s of UNMIK, OSCE and Kosovo Assembly, but no casualties were reported.
‘Such actions, which I know are not supported by the people of Kosovo, will not be allowed to damage the democratic process in Kosovo’, the SRSG stated in a press release, adding that ‘violence will not divert us from our determination to support the PISG and the citizens of Kosovo in their strong efforts to build a peaceful, democratic and multi-ethnic Kosovo’.
Kosovo President
Ibrahim Rugova condemned the blast as an act against the freedom, independence,
and democracy in Kosovo, while PM Bajram Kosumi called it an attack against
Kosovo institutions and political process in Kosovo.
Pristina
dailies comment the Saturday explosions were “a first-hand provocation” for the
security in Kosovo that carry a political message for international organisation
concerned.
No suspects
were identified so far.
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Last week the SRSG Søren Jessen-Petersen addressed the Conference on peace building at the Centre for Security Policy in Geneva.
‘Solution of the Kosovo status should be an objective to normalize and stabilize Kosovo, but it should equally be a goal to normalize and stabilize the Western Balkans. Only the start of status talks should be considered as the real beginning and the end of the process of peace-building in Kosovo and the region’, Prisitna press quotes the SRSG as saying in the conference.
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The UN Legal Office has allowed UNMIK last week to transfer responsibilities in the area of justice and police to Kosovo provisional institutions. The SRSG Jessen-Petersen informed PM Bajram Kosumi on the decision last Friday, during their regular meeting.
‘We already have an agreement from New York and we have been given the right to start the transfer of competencies from UNMIK to PISG in the area of justice and police and we will try to do this as fast as possible’, the SRSG said.
Quoting sources within the international administration, Koha Ditore writes that if there is good coordination between UNMIK and the PISG, the new ministries of order and justice will be established by October this year.
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UN Special Envoy for the Comprehensive Review of the Standards implementation, Kai Eide arrived back to Priostina last week in order to continue assessment of progress in Kosovo.
‘What we will be
looking for is identification of concrete progress and assessment of what I
would call political maturity’, said Kai Eide upon arriving in Pristina.
Kai Eide met last week with Prime Minister Bajram Kosumi, KPC commander, Agim Çeku and representatives of the Serb community. Ambassador Eide visited Orthodox Decani Monastery.
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Former US
Secretary, Madeline Albright paid a three-days visit to Kosovo last week.
‘I hope to
see the changes and growth in Kosovo, also I hope to see how Kosovars work
together to allow all, regardless of their origin, to live in safety and freedom
in Kosovo’. It is very important for the democratic process to continue, for the
people to take part in this process, for minority rights to be respected. We
have a good opportunity for Kosovo to get the place it deserves,’ Madeline
Albright was cited as saying in Pristina press.
During her
stay in Kosovo Madeline Albright met with senior Kosovo officials and also
addressed Kosovo Assembly.
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And some more news that marked last week in Kosovo
Pristina daily Koha Ditore reports that a NATO official implied after the meeting of the NATO Council last week that they are concerned about some statements like the ones saying that ‘KPC will become an army in independent Kosovo’ and voices that call Presevo Valley as part of Kosovo.
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UNMIK, UNDP and the Ministry of Communities and Returns signed a Memorandum of Understanding in support to returns in Kosovo.
An UNMIK press
release noted that the memorandum provides the framework for the implementation
of the ‘Sustainable Partnerships for Assistance to Returns to Kosovo (SPARK)’
project amounting to €8,800,000 from the Kosovo Consolidated Budget.
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Pristina dailies
report that a letter by SRSG Jessen-Petersen made President Rugova reproach
Culture Minister, Astrit Haracia. ‘I am not aware of this letter, however, I
have mentioned my resignation and I am ready to resign’, the press quotes
minister Haracia as saying.
The press
comment that Kosovo Govrnemtn is shaking and that additional resignations will
continue, including a resignation by DPM, Adem Salihaj.
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Minister for communities and return Slavisa Petković accused last week another Serb leader from north Mitrovica/Mitrovicë Marko Jaksic to be responsible for a bomb attack at the office of Petkovic’s party in Zvečan/Zvecan.
‘According to private information that I have the Serb National Council in the north of Kosovo is behind the bomb attack, namely Marko Jaksic. I will ask the international police to declare the SNC as a terrorist organization’, Pristina papers quote Slavisa Petkovic, as saying.
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UNMIK and KFOR
have sanctioned last week the statements that KPC commander General Agim Çeku
has made on the future of the KPC, as an army of independent Kosovo.
Accordingly, the KPC Ceremonial Guard was suspended for a three-months period.
PM Kosumi has approved the fine against KPC.
Pristina press
report that KFOR is going to review the future of the Ceremonial Guard.
According to
dailies, General Çeku called the decision unfair, unreasonable, illogical,
unnecessary and useless. However, he said KPC is going to respect it.
And with this we
end this week in review … thanks for listening us and have a nice
time.