Post by Bozur on Feb 17, 2005 13:52:24 GMT -5
‘Kosovo at risk of renewed violence as talks near’
By Susanna Loof - The Associated Press
VIENNA - The risk of violence aimed at hampering Kosovo’s progress toward negotiations about its future is increasing as the expected start of the talks approaches, the province’s top international official warned yesterday.
Kosovo faces a critical juncture since the outcome of discussions will affect the entire region, Soren Jessen-Petersen told the 55-nation Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. The talks are expected to focus on whether Kosovo remains part of Serbia-Montenegro or becomes independent.
“Kosovo remains one of the last pieces of the Balkan jigsaw that still confronts us with serious threats to stability,” he told a meeting of the group’s permanent council.
The talks are expected to start later this year if a review of Kosovo’s progress on security and minority protection is positive.
“The faster we are approaching the mid-year review, the greater the risks will become. We cannot exclude provocations and violence by those who do not want to see progress,” Jessen-Petersen said, adding that the UN mission in Kosovo and the NATO-led peacekeeping force were ”prepared to address these risks.”
Though security remains fragile in Kosovo, the situation has stabilized since ethnic riots in March 2004 killed 19 people, he said, adding that the number of ethnically motivated crimes has fallen.
Still, Kosovo’s Serb minority feel insecure, and the province has far to go in the field of minority protection, Jessen-Petersen said.
He did not indicate what status the talks might lead to beyond saying that any talk about dividing the province into Serb and Albanian areas was “an agenda for those who may be eager to reignite the divisions and flames of the past rather than designing the integrated path of an European future.
“Clearly, partition of Kosovo is not an option as we move forward,” he said.
A particular concern is the economy, he said. Reducing the unemployment rate of 60 percent and creating more opportunities for young Kosovo residents remain a priority.
“As long as we haven’t turned that around, Kosovo will never be stable,” he told reporters after the meeting. But the economy can’t recover until Kosovo’s future has been resolved, as its unclear status is scaring potential investors away, Jessen-Petersen said. Adding to the uncertainty is the possibility that Kosovo’s prime minister, former rebel leader Ramush Haradinaj, could be charged by the UN war crimes tribunal in The Hague, Netherlands.
Tribunal investigators have interviewed Haradinaj, and several Serbian officials have claimed that an indictment is imminent. Jessen-Petersen dismissed such claims as “absolutely ridiculous,” saying that only the tribunal’s prosecutors know who will be indicted.
Haradinaj “is leading a very dynamic process,” Jessen-Petersen said. “I believe it is important that he gets peace (and) space to carry out this important agenda. If an indictment were to come forward, I expect him to know exactly what he should do as a responsible, mature person who has been extremely important for moving Kosovo forward.”
www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/news/content.asp?aid=52841
By Susanna Loof - The Associated Press
VIENNA - The risk of violence aimed at hampering Kosovo’s progress toward negotiations about its future is increasing as the expected start of the talks approaches, the province’s top international official warned yesterday.
Kosovo faces a critical juncture since the outcome of discussions will affect the entire region, Soren Jessen-Petersen told the 55-nation Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. The talks are expected to focus on whether Kosovo remains part of Serbia-Montenegro or becomes independent.
“Kosovo remains one of the last pieces of the Balkan jigsaw that still confronts us with serious threats to stability,” he told a meeting of the group’s permanent council.
The talks are expected to start later this year if a review of Kosovo’s progress on security and minority protection is positive.
“The faster we are approaching the mid-year review, the greater the risks will become. We cannot exclude provocations and violence by those who do not want to see progress,” Jessen-Petersen said, adding that the UN mission in Kosovo and the NATO-led peacekeeping force were ”prepared to address these risks.”
Though security remains fragile in Kosovo, the situation has stabilized since ethnic riots in March 2004 killed 19 people, he said, adding that the number of ethnically motivated crimes has fallen.
Still, Kosovo’s Serb minority feel insecure, and the province has far to go in the field of minority protection, Jessen-Petersen said.
He did not indicate what status the talks might lead to beyond saying that any talk about dividing the province into Serb and Albanian areas was “an agenda for those who may be eager to reignite the divisions and flames of the past rather than designing the integrated path of an European future.
“Clearly, partition of Kosovo is not an option as we move forward,” he said.
A particular concern is the economy, he said. Reducing the unemployment rate of 60 percent and creating more opportunities for young Kosovo residents remain a priority.
“As long as we haven’t turned that around, Kosovo will never be stable,” he told reporters after the meeting. But the economy can’t recover until Kosovo’s future has been resolved, as its unclear status is scaring potential investors away, Jessen-Petersen said. Adding to the uncertainty is the possibility that Kosovo’s prime minister, former rebel leader Ramush Haradinaj, could be charged by the UN war crimes tribunal in The Hague, Netherlands.
Tribunal investigators have interviewed Haradinaj, and several Serbian officials have claimed that an indictment is imminent. Jessen-Petersen dismissed such claims as “absolutely ridiculous,” saying that only the tribunal’s prosecutors know who will be indicted.
Haradinaj “is leading a very dynamic process,” Jessen-Petersen said. “I believe it is important that he gets peace (and) space to carry out this important agenda. If an indictment were to come forward, I expect him to know exactly what he should do as a responsible, mature person who has been extremely important for moving Kosovo forward.”
www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/news/content.asp?aid=52841