All dailies report on the front page on the US strategy for determining Kosovo’s status, which was unfolded yesterday by Under

UNMIK ON AIR

WEEK IN REVIEW

By Zoran CULAFIC

Hello and welcome ... this is Week in review on UNMIK ON AIR ...

Nicholas Burns, the US Under-secretary of State, made public last Wednesday the US strategy on Kosovo and the Balkans.

Pristina press covered extensively the topic quoting Burns as saying that President Bush and Secretary Rice place a high priority in having the U.S. help to lead international efforts to stabilize the Balkans.

Kosovo is the most difficult issue to be solved in the Balkans, Burns said, and the US stance is that the status quo is unacceptable.

“All know that we have to finish our job in Kosovo in 2005”, Burns was quoted in Pristina press.

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US Under-Secretary pointed out that US and its Allies are entering a new stage in the policy toward the Balkans, the one, as he said, that will accelerate the region’s integration into the European family and Euro-Atlantic institutions.

Burns added that Belgrade has set forth a position of “more than autonomy, but less than independence” for Kosovo. Kosovo’s Albanian population insists on immediate and unconditional independence. Finding a common ground between these positions will be a major challenge.

“Kosovo status should be solved soon, but we do not know what would be that solution”, Burns was quoted.

Most of the comments in Pristina press read that both the ruling and opposition parties in Kosovo welcomed the new US initiative.

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NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer visited last Friday Pristina, appealing to all actors involved to support implementation of the standards, as a precondition for status talks to start.

If Kosovo does not manage to meet standards set forth by international community, the processes in Kosovo may be delayed, warned NATO Secretary General.

‘I hope this will not happen but the whole thing depends on the future progress that relevant and responsible people in Kosovo make. Kosovo should demonstrate political maturity’, stressed top NATO official in a press conference in Prishtina.

He also said that political dialogue between Prishtina and Belgrade should start right away.

Express carries the heading ‘Strict Secretary’ and writes that Jaap De Hoop Scheffer is known for his criticism and high tone he uses to address especially Kosovo leaders and ‘this time was no exception’.

Local press in Pristina continue last week extensive coverage on exchange of invitations for talks between senior Belgrade and Pristina officials.

Dailies report that Kosovo Prime Minister Bajram Kosumi has received the official invitation from his Serbian counterpart Vojislav Kostunica to meet on 25 May in Prizren.

Kosumi accepted to meet Kostunica, but the date and place of that meeting are still going to be discussed.

Kosovo President Ibrahim Rugova refused invitation of President of Serbia Boris Tadic to meet in Belgrade or Pristina, and suggested that a meeting is possible only at an international conference.

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During the week that is behind us Pristina press quoted senior European diplomats in Brussels as saying that if there would be any negative tone in the assessment of standards fulfilment, and eventual postponement of status talks, then it would be because of the lack of progress on decentralization issue and dialogue with Belgrade.

EU diplomats said, according to Pristina press, that when the time for talks on the status is getting closer, it is clear that the main Kosovo leaders have not taken decentralization and dialogue seriously and have not prioritized them duly.

“It is clear to us that Rugova’s refusal to meet with Tadic and dialogue with Belgrade means non-fulfilment of one of the standards,” said one of the diplomats, quoted in Pristina pres.

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Last week the international donors’ conference was held in Paris for the protection of cultural heritage in Kosovo. The conference has been organised by UNESCO, Council of Europe and European Commission.

The conference managed to raise around €10 million for the protection and restoration of cultural sites of all ethnic communities living in Kosovo, which is one-fourth of the estimated amount needed for the aim.

Kosovo delegation in the conference was led by UNMIK Chief Søren Jessen-Petersen and included Minister of Culture, Astrit Haraçia and Minister for Returns Slavisa Petkovic.

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