UNMIK/PR/284
PRISTINA---SRSG Bernard Kouchner today once again sought to allay the fears of Kosovo Albanian members of the Kosovo Transitional Council about the Joint UNMIK-SNC Understanding by reiterating that the measures proposed in the understanding would not lead to cantonization of Kosovo.
Dr. Kouchner explained to the KTC members that the Understanding was necessary because of the lack of freedom of movement of the Serbs. “You have to understand that the Serb minority is more targeted”. He once again stressed that the local community offices proposed in it were an integral part of the municipal administration and were needed in areas where the Serbs do not have access to municipal services. He said the measures in the Understanding were temporary in nature.
SRSG said that he owed an explanation to the Kosovo Albanian members. The Kosovo population had still not emerged from the post-war psychological shock, which is why the Understanding was seen as a return to the past. “But it does not represent a return to the past”, he stressed.
Kosovo Albanian members of the KTC expressed their apprehensions about the measures in the Understanding, especially their fears of the specific structures proposed in it for the Serb minority, which they said could lead to cantonization and unequal treatment of different ethnic communities. Bosniak and Turkish members also expressed their concern over the Understanding.
The Austrian President, Mr. Thomas Klestil who addressed the KTC, said his visit underlines the significance Austria attaches to Kosovo and Southern Balkans, in general. He spoke of the impressive accomplishments of the international mission in Kosovo and areas where no progress had taken place in the last one year.
Mr. Klestil said the armed conflict had ended and the forces of repression had left the country, hundreds of thousands of refugees and displaced persons from the Kosovar Albanian community have returned, reconstruction efforts have been carried out at an impressive level, there is an international interim administration which is functioning in spite of the difficult conditions, international and local policing has enhanced its activities “although much more still needs to be done”, and the OSCE Police School for KPS trainees is operating successfully.
However, Mr. Klestil said there were areas where enough progress hadn’t been made. The security in Kosovo, President Klestil said is at a “totally unacceptable level, and that is in particular true for the Serb community” and conditions under which all groups in Kosovo can live in safety and peace are not yet established. He pointed out that the judiciary was not functioning to the extent necessary in Kosovo yet and the reconstruction of the economy was going very slowly.
In the end, Mr. Klestil told the Kosovo Albanian leaders that if the violence did not stop, Kosovars would loose the support and respect of the international community, which they were still enjoying as victims of Milosevic’s repression.
The Austrian President urged the Kosovar Serb community to fully participate in the JIAS, take part in the registration process and not to fall into the Belgrade trap.