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Post by Fender on Jul 3, 2009 5:50:47 GMT -5
"Montenegro could reconsider Kosovo decision" 3 July 2009 | 10:41 | Source: FoNet, Blic BELGRADE -- Montenegrin PM Milo Ðukanoviæ says his country is ready to reexamine its recognition of Kosovo independence should the ICJ qualify Pristina's act as illegal.
Milo Ðukanoviæ (Tanjug, archive)
Ðukanoviæ underlined that the Montenegrin political scene was absolutely aware of the responsibility it had for fostering the best possible inter-state relations with Serbia.
"In talks with our colleagues from Serbia and Europe, we strenuously promote the significance of Serbia’s dynamic pro-European development for the whole region,” he stressed.
“Serbia’s the biggest country in the region. For all of us in that composition who want to reach that goal, it’s important that Serbia should be either the engine or in the front line, and not be in some other part, because then, as the biggest, it would effectively hold the whole composition back,” the prime minister explained.
Asked whether he was afraid that Serbia would falter on its EU path, he replied:
“If you say you’re all going to the EU together, we get the feeling the tempo will be set by the slowest, whereas it’s better for us all for the tempo to be set by the quickest of us, who will pull and spur the others along.”
“I wasn’t just thinking of Serbia. You see what’s going on in Bosnia. It’s going to take some time there to reach a structure, through constitutional change or otherwise, that the EU will recognize as partnerial,” said Ðukanoviæ.
“Our fear is that by proclaiming a new approach—you all go in a package—sluggishness could set in in the region, which could play into the hands of those voices in the EU that Europe is tired of enlargement. Europe’s strategic goal is unification,” said the prime minister.
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Post by Fender on Jun 24, 2009 22:08:31 GMT -5
America has sent millions of it's own citizens to Guantanamo Bay in order to starve them to death? Whether its their citizens or not is not the point. What matters is that they sent thousands there without cause and performed torture where in some cases it resulted in death. So now tell me, whats the difference?
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Post by Fender on Jun 24, 2009 20:20:42 GMT -5
Serbia plays games with the interpol. Imagine if Albania stepped at the same level. And put an international arrest warrant for Tadic. On what basis?
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Post by Fender on Jun 24, 2009 20:16:29 GMT -5
I'm sure that the millions who were starved and tortured in Gulags across the Comintern would disagree with both of you. Guantanamo Bay. Ring a bell.
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Post by Fender on Jun 24, 2009 20:01:37 GMT -5
Serbia, Croatia to sign cooperation deal 24 June 2009 | 19:59 | FOCUS News Agency Zagreb. Serbia and Croatia’s Economy Ministers Mlaðan Dinkiæ and Damir Polanèec will sign an agreement on economic cooperation in Zagreb today B92 informed. That agreement will, it has been reported, enable the development and improvement of economic cooperation between the two countries, as well as achieve harmonization of contracts pertaining to EU regulations to facilitate future EU integration. The agreement between the two countries will also define priority areas of cooperation like tourism, shipbuilding, machine building, the energy and electro-technical industries, infrastructure, agriculture and the food, pharmaceutical, tobacco, chemical and wood industries.
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Post by Fender on Jun 24, 2009 19:51:28 GMT -5
Former Kosovo PM Remains in Bulgarian Custody Sofia | 24 June 2009 |
Agim CekuFormer Kosovo prime minister Agim Ceku will remain in Bulgarian custody until Saturday, after being arrested on an international warrant for alleged war crimes, reports say.
Bulgarian police arrested Ceku, who is wanted by Serbia for war crimes charges, on the Bulgarian-Macedonian border on Tuesday evening following an Interpol red notice . On Wednesday, prosecutors in Bulgaria said Ceku would be held for a further 72 hours, until Saturday.
"Agim Ceku will be detained for a further 72 hours from Wednesday," when the original 24-hour detention order expires, Sofia prosecutor Nikolai Kokinov told Bulgarian national radio. A prosecutor spokesman Nikolai Markov said that a court in Kustendil would decide by Saturday whether Ceku should be released or held until he is extradited to Serbia, AFP reported.
As a former commander of the Kosovo Liberation Army, KLA, Ceku is accused by Serbia of command responsibility for the deaths of 669 Serbs and 18 other non-Albanians. A court in Serbia has sentenced him to 20 years in prison in absentia.
Gezim Kasapolli, spokesman for Ceku's Social Democratic Party of Kosovo, told Balkan Insight yesterday that the Serbian charges against Ceku were at "attempt to discredit him and to create destabilisation in Kosovo".
Its looking obvious that Bulgaria are giving Serbia every opportunity to exradite Ceku. They could have released him after 24 hours, but they didn't. What does this say? Time will tell.
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Post by Fender on Jun 24, 2009 19:38:15 GMT -5
Bulgaria will not hand him over to Serbia. (they know better) Better than what?
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Post by Fender on Jun 24, 2009 10:08:46 GMT -5
Andyet Mass still fails to explain how this independance is legal.
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Post by Fender on Jun 24, 2009 10:01:16 GMT -5
The Balkan Mess Redux
WILLIAM MONTGOMERY Published: June 4, 2009 President Obama recently said of Iraq, “What we will not do is permit the pursuit of the perfect stand in the way of achievable goals.” It would be a major step forward if this same approach was applied to Bosnia and Kosovo.
In both those countries, we have become trapped in policy “boxes” that make it impossible to achieve stability or long-term solutions, despite enormous investments of personnel and resources for almost two decades.
This is because we continue to insist that it is possible, with enough pressure and encouragement, to establish fully functioning multiethnic societies in Bosnia and Kosovo with no change in borders. And we have consistently ignored all evidence to the contrary and branded as obstructionist anyone who speaks openly about alternative approaches.
The reality is that no amount of threats or inducements, including fast membership in the European Union or NATO, will persuade the Bosnian Serbs to cede a significant portion of the rights and privileges given them under the Dayton Agreement to the central government, as the Bosnian Muslims (Bosniaks) and the international community are determined to bring about. The Bosnian Serbs are determined to have full control over their own destiny, and fear that if they continue to transfer authority to a central government, the more numerous Bosniaks will end up in control.
The end result is continued tension between the two Bosnian entities, a dysfunctional country, and the prospect of many more years of efforts by Western politicians — like Vice President Joe Biden on his recent visit — to pound a square peg into a round hole.
I know of what I speak: For more than 15 years, I was one of these pounders. I finally came to understand that the historical experiences in this region have implanted a mind-set very different from our own. We keep expecting the people in the Balkans to think and react as we do: It is not going to happen.
In Kosovo, the reality is that most of the Serbs have already left and will not be coming back. Many of those still remaining do so only because they hope or believe that they can ignore the central government of independent Kosovo and continue to look to Serbia for political and financial support.
Those Serbs living north of the Ibar River in particular act as if they are in fact living in Serbia. President Boris Tadic and his moderate government are trapped into supporting the Kosovo Serbs to prevent a nationalist backlash while trying to move toward the E.U.
These contradictions are becoming ever more obvious. But that is not the major danger.
Up to now, Kosovo Albanians have been patient with the refusal of Kosovo Serbs to recognize the independence of the former Serbian province, deferring to the international community to sort this problem out. But already opposition Kosovo Albanian politicians are starting to criticize the Kosovo government for its passivity on the matter.
This frustration will grow, leading to further deterioration of relations among Kosovo, Serbia and the international community, and an increase in violence against Kosovo Serbs.
In both Kosovo and Bosnia, we need to consider different solutions — ones which we may not like and which will have complications of their own, but which will be really...achievable. This is the only way the international community can bring its involvement in the Balkans to an end.
In Kosovo, this probably means some form of partition between the Albanians and the Serbs combined with joint recognition, pledges of full rights for minorities and a variety of sweeteners from the EU.
Bosnia is more complicated. There, a solution probably involves shaping a different relationship within Bosnia and permitting the Republika Srpska, the Serbian portion of the divided country, to hold a referendum on independence. This would have to include a lot of guarantees about future relationships, and be done as a complete package led and implemented by the international community.
In both cases, there would need to be a demonstrated will and readiness to use military force to prevent violence along the way.
There is another reason to broaden our thinking. We in the West act as if we control what happens in the region. This is not the case, as the outbreak of violence in 1990-91 in the former Yugoslavia and the growth of the Kosovo Liberation Army in 1997-99 demonstrated.
The fact is that both in Bosnia and in Kosovo, independent local forces can take matters into their own hands and in a very short time bring about renewed violence that we will be hard-pressed to contain. And we simply cannot afford to become even more entangled in the Balkans.
Like an alcoholic whose first step is to recognize he has a problem, we need to accept that the current policies are not tenable. Only then can we start thinking constructively about solutions which can bring lasting stability to the region.
William Montgomery is a former U.S. ambassador to Bulgaria, Croatia and Serbia/Montenegro and a former special adviser to the president on Bosnia.
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Post by Fender on Jun 24, 2009 9:22:22 GMT -5
Serbia submits extradition request for Ceku 24 June 2009 Agim Ceku (FoNet, archive)
JM Snežana Maloviæ says an official application for Agim Ceku's extradition has been sent, and she expects a positive reply from the Bulgarian authorities soon.
The Justice Ministry wants Ceku to stand trial for command responsibility for genocide and the murders of 669 Serbs and 18 other non-Albanians in Kosovo in 1999, she said.
Maloviæ expects the Bulgarian authorities to take a decision on the former Kosovo Liberation Army commander’s extradition, adding that the procedure could be carried out in line with the European Convention on Extradition.
Serbia and Bulgaria also have an agreement on international legal aid in criminal matters, signed in 1960.
Ministry State Secretary Slobodan Homen explained that the extradition application had been sent to the Bulgarian Justice Ministry under urgent procedure, and that a decision was expected any time.
“The Justice Ministry is, as ever, acting under urgent procedure when it comes to the perpetrators of the gravest crimes: it has taken a decision, signed and sent an extradition application for Agim Ceku to the Bulgarian Justice Ministry,“ said Homen.
Ceku, he said, had been arrested on a red Interpol warrant issued by Serbian Interpol.
“We expect the Bulgarian judicial authorities to take a decision on his extradition to Serbia as he is accused of the murder of 669 Serbs and 18 other non-Albanians,“ said Homen.
The state secretary recalled that this was the fourth time that the former KLA commander had been detained on a Serbian warrant.
“The decision always rests with the judicial authorities, so it’s very hard to give an exact estimate of when they’ll take a decision on extradition. We expect them to decide as soon as possible,“ said Homen, adding that in issues like extradition and the procedure, this could take anything up to a year.
The first time, Ceku was arrested in October 2003, at Ljubljana Airport, and the second time at Budapest Airport, in February 2004, though he was released on both occasions. He was also deported from Colombia in May 2009 on the basis of an Interpol warrant.
Kosovo officials have called for Interpol warrants issued for Kosovo Albanians to be dropped on a number of occasions.
Bulgaria weighing up decision
Ceku was arrested last night in Gushevo, at the Bulgarian-Macedonian border, on a red arrest warrant issued by Interpol.
The Bulgarian BTA agency states that, after reveiwing the documentation, the Bulgarian prosecution will take a decision on whether to hand Ceku over to the Serbian authorities to stand trial for war crimes, or to release him.
A spokesman for Ceku’s Social Democratic Party of Kosovo, Gezim Kasapoli, said that he had traveled to Sofia for talks with Bulgaria’s deputy interior minister and other senior officials.
“Ceku traveled to Sofia where he had been invited to an official meeting with the Bulgarian deputy interior minister,“ said Kasapoli, adding that talks were under way to secure his release.
However, the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry stated that the former Kosovo leader had not received an official invitation to visit Bulgaria.
“Ceku did not have an official invite, nor was the ministry advised that the former Kosovo prime minister had such an invitation,“ Bulgarian Foreign Minister Milen Keremechiev told the Kokus agency.
Keremechiev added that the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry was in permanent contact with the Kosovo authorities, who had been informed of Ceku’s arrest.
Former Foreign Minister Solomon Pasi said that he had invited Ceku to visit Bulgaria. Pasi said that he was in permanent working contact with the fomer Kosovo leader, with whom he had exchanged visits.
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Post by Fender on Jun 24, 2009 9:07:27 GMT -5
Macedonia would be out of their mind to derecognize Kosova. As if they need another international problem on their hands or another reason to upset the Albanian minority. That problem that you bring up has never been resolved but left to fester as per the requirements of the West to ensure a weak and divided Balkans.
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Post by Fender on Jun 24, 2009 9:01:32 GMT -5
I get the distinct feeling that the EU and the US are slowly turning their backs on Kosovo. All they seem to offer these days is only lip service.
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Post by Fender on Jun 21, 2009 21:14:19 GMT -5
FM Jeremiæ addresses UN SC 17 June 2009
Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremiæ on June 17 demanded from the United Nations Security Council to insist that all must abide by the obligations stemming from UNSC Resolution 1244, and urged that recognitions of the unilaterally proclaimed independence of Kosovo not be encouraged.
The minister addressed the Security Council which gathered to consider the latest report on the UN mission in the province, UNMIK, submitted by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.
A file photo of UN SC in session (Beta/AP)
Excerpts from Jeremiæ's address follow:
The United Nations remains the overall authority in Kosovo, as mandated by this Council in Resolution 1244 (1999). It must continue to play a vital role in coordinating all the international organizations that operate under its umbrella. UNMIK's capacity to cooperate effectively with EULEX in particular, must not be constrained. Our amendments to the UNMIK budget for the next fiscal year have sought to reinforce this essential element of its mandate.
At the very beginning of my remarks, I would like to express my country's deep gratitude to the substantial majority of UN member States that respect Serbia's sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The solidarity we have received from all over the globe encourages us to persevere in our efforts to resolve the future status of Kosovo in a way that is acceptable to all responsible stakeholders.
It is my sincere hope that we will continue to work together in defense of the basic principles of international law, thus strengthening the universal case for the consensual resolution of disputes in the world.
At the same time, we note with deep regret the dismissal of Resolution 1244 (1999) by Priština. As the Secretary-General's report makes plain, the ethnic-Albanian authorities in Kosovo assert that-here I quote – "they have no legal obligation to abide by it".
No one should be permitted to ignore the decisions of the Security Council.
We therefore urge the Council to insist that all parties uphold commitments that arise from Resolution 1244 (1999). It was passed under Chapter VII of the UN Charter, which binds all to respect its provisions in full. This is our common legal imperative, and our moral obligation.
Serbia will never, under any circumstances, implicitly or explicitly, recognize the unilateral declaration of independence of the ethnic-Albanian authorities of our southern province.
On this issue, we shall not yield - come what may. We will continue to vigorously defend our integrity in a non-confrontational manner - using all peaceful means at our disposal.
As a result of our measured response to UDI (unilateral declaration of independence, or UDI, by the ethnic-Albanian authorities of Serbia's southern province of Kosovo and Metohija), the unstable equilibrium on the ground has largely been kept in check. We have sought to contain flash-points despite numerous provocations – such as targeted power cuts, pressure to sign loyalty oaths, and the construction of new, unauthorized housing settlements.
Kosovo should not stand beyond the rules of the international system. It is no exception, no unique case, no sui generis. As a result of UDI, this has become a test case of global significance. Should it be allowed to stand, a door would open for challenging the territorial integrity of any UN member State.
On October 8th, 2008, the General Assembly approved - by an overwhelming margin – a resolution to refer the UDI issue to the International Court of Justice.
The judicial proceeding has begun. It marks the first time ever that the ICJ has been asked to consider the legality of a unilateral attempt by an ethnic minority to secede from a UN member State, in defiance of its democratic Constitution and the will of the Security Council.
This case has attracted attention across the globe - as the active participation before the Court of countries from all continents in the UDI hearings make clear.
The ICJ's conclusions will have far-reaching consequences for the international system as a whole. It is therefore vitally important that the legal process be allowed to run its course, free of political interference.
We should all respect the fact that the Court is deliberating on the issue. Therefore, new UDI recognitions should not be encouraged. And multilateral bodies should refrain from extending membership to the secessionist authorities in Priština.
Once the ICJ hands down its opinion, we will have cause to look again into the issue, informed by the findings of the Court.
In the meantime, we should find strength to put our differences on status to one side, for the sake of peace and stability, and the residents of the province.
I propose that we begin with the central humanitarian issue of internally displaced persons. According to the UNHCR, more than 200,000 Kosovo Serb IDPs have not returned to the province. Last year, only around five-hundred did – during the latest reporting period, no more than thirty. This is a failure of monumental proportions.
Kosovo Serb IDPs want to exercise their right of return, and we must do everything to bring them back home. That means improving conditions on the ground for them to feel safe. Few destroyed houses have been rebuilt, and most remain empty. This is not, however, where the biggest problem lies. More than 40,000 claims have been filed by Kosovo Serb IDPs for the return of illegally-seized private property. And they have not heard back.
The first step, therefore, is making sure these are delivered. Right now, that's impossible. Sadly, the UNMIK-administered Kosovo Property Agency has ceased to exist.
We urge the international community to embrace the SRSG's initiative with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to enable the UNHCR to take over the functions previously performed by the KPA. Through its Office in Belgrade and others in Serbia, this UN agency can serve as a focal point of our engagement.
On April 6th, the European Union announced that EULEX has reached full operational capacity, following the visit to Belgrade by the Head of EULEX, Mr. Yves de Kermabon.
While the United Nations has not transferred all rule of law functions to the European Law and Order Mission in Kosovo, it has adhered to the assumption of EULEX's operational responsibility within the parameters set out in the Secretary-General's November 24th, 2008, report. That report affirms that "EULEX will fully respect Resolution 1244 (1999) and operate under the overall authority and within the status-neutral framework of the United Nations".
Since that time, the Republic of Serbia has engaged with EULEX and UNMIK on a whole host of practical issues of common concern, within the parameters welcomed by the Security Council. The Secretary-General's Six Points Agreement must be applied in full. Some progress in that direction has been achieved, although 'comprehensive or long-term solutions have not yet been agreed' - to quote the language of the report.
We deeply regret that more has not been accomplished to date. This is due in part to the reluctance of Priština to accept that the infamous "Ahtisaari Plan" was not endorsed by the Security Council – thanks in large part to the principled position of the Russian Federation.
We hope that in the months ahead, we will be able to arrive at a set of practical arrangements acceptable to responsible stakeholders. It is clear that a more active role by EULEX, consistent with its mandate, will be required-as will closer coordination with UNMIK.
I would like to draw the attention of the Security Council to a critically important issue – namely, facilitating the entry of Serbian officials into the province. This question has unfortunately been accumulating ill-will for several months, and threatens to derail constructive efforts on all other fronts.
It is difficult to imagine how we can positively contribute to developments on the ground, if our ability to work closely with the Kosovo Serb community throughout the province is hindered.
Serbian officials must be able to visit churches and monasteries, assist in the return of IDPs to reconstructed homes, provide food and medical aid, help maintain educational standards, and engage on a whole host of other, similar activities.
Operational responsibility to EULEX was welcomed on the presupposition that it would make use of its executive functions when required. Now is such a time. We demand that all necessary measures are taken to swiftly resolve this issue of paramount importance.
Before coming to the end of my remarks, I would like to acknowledge the useful role played by KFOR in Kosovo. It has the responsibility to protect our enclaves and holy sites - including those placed on UNESCO's List of World Heritage in Danger - from potential threats, incursions and attacks.
KFOR's status-neutral presence in the province is still required in order to satisfy the legitimate security needs of the local population, irrespective of ethnicity. We believe that under the present circumstances, a troop reduction would be counter-productive.
We will continue to be a reliable partner of KFOR, in accordance with Resolution 1244 (1999) and the Kumanovo Military-Technical Agreement.
The so-called Kosovo Security Force is an illegal paramilitary organization. Its existence and activities, present and future, constitute a direct danger to the consolidation of peace and stability in the Western Balkans. It must be disbanded immediately.
The Security Council must continue to play a key role in the Kosovo dispute.
We believe it would be beneficial for the Council to visit Serbia-Belgrade, Priština, North Kosovo, and the enclaves-in order to see firsthand how much work still needs to be done on the ground, within the framework of Resolution 1244 (1999).
The only conclusion I believe could be drawn is that coming to an agreement is the way forward. Regretfully, this has not yet been attempted.
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Post by Fender on Jun 19, 2009 21:55:11 GMT -5
Off topic posts will be deleted.
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Post by Fender on Jun 16, 2009 20:45:09 GMT -5
Surroi Snubs Kosovo President in Protest Pristina | 16 June 2009 |
Veton Surroi, head of the Club for Foreign PolicyVeton Surroi, former newspaper editor and ex-party leader, has snubbed Kosovo President’s invitation to mark the anniversary of the constitution because of his failure to react to threats against journalists.
"There has been an increase in threats to the freedom speech of the media," wrote Surroi, leader of the Club for Foreign Policy, in a letter sent to President Sejdiu. Surroi added that international organisations had asked Sejdiu to back the right to freedom of speech.
Referring to the latest attacks launched against BIRN Kosovo and its Life in Kosovo show, Surroi said the President 'should have raised his voice to protect a long list of people in the media who are facing direct physical and economic threats'.
The former leader of Reformist Party ORA chose to ignore the special lunch organised on Monday, marking the first anniversary of Kosovo’s constitution, saying that he had moral qualms about attending.
"During the first 12 months of the existence of the constitution, you (Sejdiu) have been the first to breach the Constitution of the Republic of Kosovo, as you didn’t respect the very explicit request not to hold two public functions,” Surroi wrote, referring to Sejdiu’s post as country’s President and leader of Kosovo’s Democratic League, LDK.
According to Surroi, anniversaries of the constitution and Kosovo’s independence should not merely be days for festivities, but also used to look at obligations.
Officials from President’s office refused to comment on the letter.
A Life in Kosovo report, in which BIRN Kosovo’s news team was shown being expelled from the Skenderaj municipality's Office for Public Information and forced to leave town by an armed man, sparked a press campaign, led by the Infopress newspaper, against its presenter Jeta Xharra and staff. Read more: BIRN Show Triggers Row on Freedom of Speech in Kosovo
Journalists, foreign embassies and non-governmental organisations have defended the show’s right to examine controversial topics in Kosovo. They have also called on the government to distance itself from the accusations.
In a statement, the government said: "All isolated occasions when the freedom of expression is threatened are punishable by the government." When its spokesman was asked whether the statement referred to articles published in Infopress, which included accusations that Xharra was a Serbian spy, he said that the statement was general and was not directed at any particular incident.
(Reporting by Vjosa Musliu)
And the implosion of the KLA begins.
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Post by Fender on Jun 15, 2009 21:11:42 GMT -5
EU tacitly accepts Kosovo residents are Serbian citizens" 15 June 2009 An Albanian language daily today looks at the circumstances that Kosovo residents find themselves in as Belgrade negotiates a visa-free regime with the EU.
Priština-based Koha Ditore reported on Monday that Kosovo would be exempted from the visa liberalization debate of the European Union foreign ministers, noting that the EU "tacitly accepted that the inhabitants of Kosovo were Serbian citizens and that as such, they had the right to hold Serbian passports".
The daily reports that Swedish Ambassador to the EU Christian Danielsson has admitted that due to the divisions that exist between the EU member countries, there are certain limitation as to what the union can do for Kosovo.
At the same time, the European Stability Initiative (ESI) NGO has called on the EU not to make pressure on Serbia to stop issuing passports for the residents of Kosovo.
Kosovo would be part of the debate only in a segment dealing with ways to prevent Serbia from issuing biometric passports to the people of Kosovo, the daily noted, claiming that a number of diplomatic sources in the EU said that Belgrade had been asked "not to encourage Kosovo Albanians to seek Serbian passports".
The sources said that because of its five members that had not recognized Kosovo Albanians' unilateral independence declaration, the EU had not been able to put a clear condition before Serbia not to issue passports for the Kosovo residents, and at the same time, to demand from the country not to discriminate against its own citizens.
However, several technical demands have been put before Serbia which refer to the safety of the documents and which will make it more difficult for the Kosovo Albanians to obtain Serbian passports, Tanjug reports.
"We are very close to a solution of this problem," an unnamed EU diplomat told Koha Ditore, explaining that the solution implied that the people living in Kosovo would have to go to Belgrade to require and obtain new passports for which they would need original documents – something that is "not easy for them to do", the article says.
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Post by Fender on Jun 9, 2009 21:45:54 GMT -5
So Serbia had no faults for the starting and during the war? I remember buildings with civilians inside being bombed in Croatia; not in Serbia. Something is not right with the picture you are trying to paint. After reading your posts, you are proof positive that all your information has come from tainted western media. You truly have no idea, do you.
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Post by Fender on Jun 7, 2009 7:13:58 GMT -5
You really should. Just to make sure were on the same page, are you reading the Albanian version of the Jugoslav constitution or the real copy that came out of Jugoslavija?
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Post by Fender on Jun 5, 2009 22:51:20 GMT -5
^ Not going to happen. Sorry fellas. Its already happening.
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Post by Fender on Jun 5, 2009 8:30:11 GMT -5
Vujanoviæ explains Kosovo snub 4 June 2009 Filip Vujanoviæ (FoNet, archive)
Kosovo Pres. Fatmir Sejdiu was not invited to today’s summit of South-East European leaders in Cetinje because Kosovo is not a UN member, says Filip Vujanoviæ.
After talks with UNESCO Director General Koichiro Matsuura on Wednesday evening, the Montenegrin president pointed out that the summit in Cetinje was being held in cooperation with UNESCO and the Council of Europe, which had their own rules.
Reiterating that Sejdiu had not been invited to the summit last year when it was held in Athens, Vujanoviæ said that UNESCO wa a specialized UN organization, of which Kosovo was not a member.
“We care about fostering good relations with Kosovo, but we have followed UNESCO's rules. Therefore, the summit will be held with the attendance of the participants already announced,“ he said, Montenegrin media reported.
The summit will be attended by Albanian President Bamir Topi, Bulgarian President Georgi Parvanov, Stjepan Mesiæ of Croatia, Macedonian President Gjorgje Ivanov, Slovenian President Danilo Turk, Bosnia-Herzegovina presidency member Nebojša Radmanoviæ, Vujanoviæ and Tadiæ.
Two Albanian parties in Montenegro have condemned Vujanoviæ’s decision not to invite Sejdiu, stating that his decision was not in the spirit of the government’s earlier decision to recognize Kosovo’s independence.
Vujanoviæ, who met last night with Mesiæ, Ivanov, Radmanoviæ and Topi, said that those talks had been an opportunity to repeat that Montenegro had no open issues with any of its neighbors in the region.
“During those talks, we encouraged communication and cooperation between governments and citizens in the region,“ he said.
UNESCO Director General Koichiro Matsuura and Council of Europe Secretary General Terry Davis will also be attending today's summit.
Kosovo press miffed at perceived snub
Montenegro has joined the trend of snubbing Kosovo's top officials, started by Macedonia, Priština daily Koha Ditore writes on Thursday.
Montenegrin President Filip Vujanoviæ ignored his Kosovo counterpart Fatmir Sejdiu and failed to invite him to the summit of South-Eastern European heads of state, which is being held in Cetinje, says the daily.
The Kosovo daily states that the Montenegrin president’s decision was driven by the fact that Serbian President Boris Tadiæ refused to attend the meeting if Sejdiu was going to be present too.
The official line in Priština is that the meeting was organized by UNESCO, and that Kosovo is not a member of the United Nations.
Presidential spokesman Dxavit Beqiri told the daily that “UNESCO is a UN organization that is status-neutral on Kosovo.”
Likewise, the Kosovo government denies that there has been any snub.
Government spokesman Memli Krasniqi said that the organization of various conferences and rallies could not be used to generalize matters and relations between countries at an official level.
Meanwhile, opposition MPs blame the Kosovo institutions for their neighbors’ conduct.
In late May, Sejdiu refused to travel to Skopje to attend the inauguration of new Macedonian President Gjorgje Ivanov after the nature of his visit was altered.
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