Daily Balkan News Summary
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NEWS SUMMARY FOR MARCH 14, 2000
Dateline: Pristina
Sources: Associated Press (AP), Agence France Presse (AFP)
13/03/00
U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN CALLS FOR END TO VIOLENCE IN KOSOVO
U.S. State Department Spokesman James Rubin sharply criticised Kosovar
Albanian leaders for failing to halt attacks on the province’s ethnic
minorities, wire services report. "Every time we hear another story
about ethnic minorities who are abused by Kosovar Albanians, our
determination to help Kosovo weakens," Rubin said, quoted by AP. "We’re
in this for the long term, but if the Kosovar Albanians want that
commitment to be upheld, they have to act responsibly," he continued.
Rubin is in Kosovo for talks with local Kosovar Albanian leaders and to
publicise the plight of ethnic Albanians still missing following
Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic’s crackdown on the Kosovo last
year. During his trip, Rubin also urged the provincial leadership to
make certain the upcoming elections in Kosovo are void of violence and
include all the province’s ethnic groups, according to AFP.
Dateline: Pristina
Source: Agence France Presse (AFP)
12/03/00
UNMIK EXPECTS POSTAL SERVICE IN KOSOVO BY MID-MAY
The U.N. Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) and Post et Telecommunications of
Kosovo, on 13 March, are expected to announce that Kosovo’s
international postal services will resume by mid-May, AFP reports.
Bernard Kouchner, head of UNMIK, will present a set of five UNMIK
postage stamps with a "Peace in Kosovo" theme. The stamps will have
denominations in German marks, according to AFP. Eighty post offices
located in Pristina and six regional centres are funded by the European
Agency for Reconstruction.
Dateline: Belgrade
Source: Associated Press (AP), Deutsche Presse-Agentur (DPA)
12/03/00
SERB POLICE TAKE OPPOSITION STATION OFF THE AIR
Serb police took an opposition-run radio and television station off the
air in western Serbia on 12 March, AP reports. Radio Television Pozega,
located approximately 180 kilometres Southwest of Belgrade, was taken
off the air when police dismantled its transmitter, AP reports, citing
the station’s chief editor, Branko Nikolic. The police had attempted to
close the station for allegedly failing to pay the Telecommunications
Ministry for the right to use its frequency, but were prevented by
hundreds of protestors. As the crowd diminished overnight, the police
were able to seize the transmitter. Some 2,000 people returned the next
night for a rally organised by the opposition city council, according to
DPA.
Dateline: Belgrade
Sources: Agence France Presse (AFP), Beta
11/03/00
U.N. HUMAN RIGHTS OFFICIAL VISITS SOUTHERN SERBIA
The U.N. special rapporteur for human rights in the Balkans, Jiri
Dienstbier, on 11 March visited the scene of recent violence in southern
Serbia, AFP reports. Dienstbier met with Presevo Mayor Riza Halimi and
officials from Bujanovac. "If in Bujanovac there are 60 percent
Albanians and 150 police, all of whom are Serbs, then there is a
political error," Dienstbier was quoted by AFP, as cited by Beta.
Dienstbier is on a 10-day Balkan mission that will also take him to
Kosovo, Montenegro and Belgrade.
Dateline: Moscow
Sources: Agence France Presse (AFP), Interfax
12/03/00
RUSSIA THREATENS TO WITHDRAW FROM KFOR
Russia on 12 March threatened to withdraw from KFOR, the international
peacekeeping force in Kosovo, AFP reports. "If the strategic policy
pursued in Kosovo is not changed, Russia will consider the expediency of
further co-operation with KFOR…if we see that our (diplomatic) efforts
are not bringing in results and the situation is leading to the division
of Yugoslavia under the banner of KFOR, we shall not be involved in
this," Russian deputy chief of staff General Valery Manilov was quoted
by AFP, as cited by Interfax.
Dateline: Brussels
Source: Agence France Presse (AFP), Associated Press (AP)
10/03/00
ALBRIGHT WARNS OF POTENTIAL INCREASE OF TENSION IN BALKANS
U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright cautioned the international
community that violence in the Balkans could increase this spring, AFP
reports. "Spring has not always been good for the Balkans," Albright
said at a news conference after meeting with European Commission
President Romano Prodi, quoted by AFP. She expressed to Prodi the need
for countries to provide KFOR with troops they have previously pledged
to the peacekeeping mission in Kosovo. Albright also called for greater
support to institutions within Kosovo that foster a move towards
self-government for the province, according to AP.
Dateline: Pristina
Source: Reuters, Associated Press (AP)
10/03/00
KFOR TO BOOST BORDER SECURITY: REINHARDT
NATO-led peacekeepers in Kosovo (KFOR) are to reinforce security near
provincial border areas to thwart the spread of unrest in Serbia from
reaching Kosovo, Reuters reports. "Any unrest, instability or
insurgency operations within the Presevo valley are clearly not in the
interests of the international community, KFOR military forces, the
people of Kosovo or the people of the Presevo valley," KFOR Commander
General Klaus Reinhardt said a news conference, quoted by Reuters.
Reinhardt also stated during a joint press conference with Kosovo
political leader Hashim Thaci that KFOR troops would not cross into
Serbia to aid ethnic Albanians living in the Presevo area.
Dateline: Brussels
Source: Reuters
10/03/00
NATO DENIES STEALTH DOWNED DUE TO ESPIONAGE
NATO officials on 10 March denied reports that a U.S. stealth bomber was
shot down over Yugoslavia during last year’s air campaign due to secrets
passed to the Serbs by a NATO spy, Reuters reports. "The U.S. Air Force
F-117A operations, the stealth bombers, were U.S.-only operations. So
were the B-2 (strategic) stealth bombers. Details of both were kept by
the United States, so there’s no way they could have leaked out through
NATO," Reuters quoted a NATO military source. Both the Guardian and the
BBC alleged that the F-117A was likely shot down due to espionage or
relaxed security at NATO, according to Reuters.
Dateline: Podgorica
Source: Reuters, Pobjeda
10/03/00
MONTENEGRO SCHEDULES EARLY ELECTIONS FOR TWO CITIES
Montenegrin President Milo Djukanovic on 10 March announced that early
elections will be held in June in two cities in the Yugoslav republic,
Reuters reports. Municipal elections are called for Podgorica and
Herceg Novi on 11 June. "These will…be a true test of the strategic
goals of Montenegro’s state policy and its commitment to peace and
democracy," Djukanovic was quoted in the daily Pobjeda, cited by
Reuters.
Dateline: Belgrade
Source: Reuters, Tanjug
10/03/00
YUGOSLAV ARMY PERFORMING EXERCISES NEAR MONTENEGRO: YUGOSLAV CHIEF OF
STAFF
According to Yugoslav army Chief of Staff General Nebojsa Pavkovic,
Yugoslav soldiers are performing exercises near the Montenegrin border,
but are not massing troops in the Presevo Valley region of southern
Serbia, Reuters reports. "The commander of the Second Army
Colonel-General Milorad Obradovic, as part of regular activities,
inspected some of the troops and commands of the Uzice corps, exercising
in training grounds in the Pester-Sjenica height," Tanjug reported
Pavkovic as saying, cited by Reuters.
Dateline: Podgorica
Source: Agence France Presse (AFP)
10/03/00
EU EARMARKS FIVE MILLION EUROS FOR MONTENEGRO
EU Commissioner Chris Patten on 10 March announced the organisation
would provide Montenegro with five million euros for infrastructure
projects, AFP reports. Patten stated that this funding illustrates the
European community’s effort to support Montenegro in its quest for
democratic reform. "We believe that your democratic approach is t
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