Kosovo News and Views

Belgrade demands increased jurisdiction for Serb municipalities in Kosovo-Metohija

2007-09-19T15:46:00.000-07:00

RELIEF WEB (SWITZERLAND)Source: Government of SerbiaDate: 27 Feb 2007Vienna, Feb 27, 2008 - Coordinator of the Serbian state team for talks on Kosovo-Metohija's future status Slobodan Samardzic stated that today, just as many times before, Belgrade has put forth a plethora of objections to UN Special Envoy Martti Ahtisaari's proposal regarding the province's decentralisation.Following the

More witnesses withdraw from testifying against ex-Kosovo PM in Hague trial

2007-09-19T15:44:00.000-07:00

BBC Monitoring Europe (Political) - February 24, 2007, SaturdayText of report in English by Belgrade-based Radio B92 text website on 24 FebruaryPristina, The Hague, 24 February: Two more witnesses decided not to testify at the [Ramush] Haradinaj trial citing fear for personal safety, the Hague tribunal has said.The trial of Ramush Haradinaj, former KLA [Kosovo Liberation Army - UCK in

Ramush Haradinaj has eliminated the majority of witnesses

2007-09-19T15:43:00.000-07:00

Radio KIM, Caglavica, February 25, 2007The majority of witnesses in the court case against Ramush Haradinaj being conducted before the Hague tribunal have changed their mind or decided not to give testimony, Radio KIM and Glas Juga have learned.The Tribunal's prosecutor's office had a relevant number of witnesses at its disposal until the moment when it became clear that Ramush Haradinaj

Kosovo blast KLA's attempt to put pressure on Vienna talks - Serbian paper

2007-09-19T15:41:00.000-07:00

BBC Monitoring Europe (Political) - February 23, 2007, Friday Text of report by B. Mitrinovic: "The return to KLA terrorism" by Serbian newspaper Politika on 21 February The negotiating teams from Belgrade and Pristina will begin their talks in Vienna today on the proposed solutions offered by UN Kosovo Status

KLA letter admitting attack on UNMIK cars sent from Tirana - Kosovo paper

2007-09-19T15:40:00.000-07:00

BBC Monitoring Europe (Political) - February 23, 2007, FridayExcerpt from report by Nebih Maxhuni and Jeton Musliu: "UCK letter 'made in Tirana'" by Kosovo Albanian newspaper Express on 22 FebruaryPrishtina [Pristina], 21 February: A letter through which the organization calling itself the Kosova [Kosovo] Liberation Army [KLA] claimed responsibility for damaging UN vehicles in Kosova two

15,000 Serbs protest U.S. policies on Kosovo; leaders warn of instability

2007-07-13T11:11:00.001-07:00

Associated Press, Tuesday, February 27, 2007 12:16 PM BELGRADE, Serbia-Thousands of Serbs rallied against the U.S. policies on Kosovo on Tuesday, as the Balkan country's leaders warned that secession by the province could lead to regional instability. About 15,000 people chanted slogans outside the U.S. embassy

Serbs protest against Kosovo independence

2007-07-13T11:10:00.000-07:00

UPI, Feb. 27, 2007 BELGRADE, Serbia, Feb. 27 (UPI) -- Thousands of Serbs rallied Tuesday in Belgrade in protest of a U.N. plan on the future status of Serbia's mainly ethnic-Albanian Kosovo province. Protesters staged a rally outside the U.S. Embassy in downtown Belgrade and a group of Kosovo Serbs had a 45-

Kosovo Serbs to protest in Belgrade against Martti Ahtisaari's plan on Kosovo

2007-07-13T11:09:00.000-07:00

FOCUS ENGLISH NEWS (BULGARIA), 27 February 2007 09:19Belgrade. Kosovo's Serbs are staging Tuesday a protest outside U.S. embassy in Belgrade, the Serbian TANJUG agency reports.Kosovo Serbs will voice their dissatisfaction with "UN special envoy Martti Ahtisaari's plan that leads to an independent Kosovo". Thousands of Kosovo and central Serbian residents will oppose Kosovo's separation from

OSCE vehicles damaged in Pec explosion

2007-07-13T11:08:00.000-07:00

Radio Television Serbia, Belgrade, Monday, February 26, 2007 19:46 The regional center of the Organisation for European Security and Co-operation has advised that there are no indications that OSCE was the target of an attack in where an explosion damaged seven vehicles belonging to the center, one vehicle

Kosovo Serbs concerned by security situation

2007-07-13T11:07:00.000-07:00

Radio Television Serbia, Belgrade, Monday, February 26, 2007 19:46 Representatives of Kosovo Serbs have expressed their concern following the incident in Pec. Serb List for Kosovo and Metohija president Oliver Ivanovic stated that this was not a random event. "I am convinced that it prepares the field for

Belgrade team submits new amendments to Ahtisaari's proposal

2007-07-13T11:06:00.000-07:00

RELIEF WEB (SWITZERLAND) Source: Government of Serbia Date: 24 Feb 2007 Belgrade, Feb 24, 2007 - At the talks on Kosovo-Metohija status in Vienna, the Serbian state negotiating team demands that Kosovo-Metohija becomes an autonomous province within Serbia, governed in a democratic way with a full respect of the

NATO will not tolerate violence in Kosovo

2007-07-13T11:05:00.000-07:00

FOCUS ENGLISH NEWS (BULGARIA), 25 February 2007 15:09 Pristina. Admiral Harry Ulrich, Commander of the U.S. Naval Forces in Europe and of NATO's Joint Force Command based in Naples, Italy, said Saturday in Pristina NATO would not tolerate any violence in Kosovo, the Serbian Politika newspaper writes. "NATO's peacekeeping forces in the province will react promptly and firmly in case of any

New Bomb Attack On International Organizations In Kosovo

2007-07-13T11:04:00.000-07:00

DPA, 11:42 AM, February 26th 2007 Several vehicles were damaged Monday in western Kosovo when a hand grenade was thrown in a car park of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). The attack was the second on international organizations within a week, a police spokesman said. Nobody was

Albania thanks U.S. for supporting Kosovo plan

2007-07-13T11:03:00.000-07:00

XINHUA (CHINA), 2007-02-25 05:35:17 TIRANA, Feb. 7 (Xinhua) -- Albanian Prime Minister Sali Berishaon Wednesday expressed his full gratitude to the United States for its support of the UN special envoy's plan on the solution of Kosovo's final status. Berisha told visiting U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of

NATO commander for southeast Europe expresses concern over security in Kosovo

2007-07-13T11:02:00.000-07:00

Associated Press, Saturday, February 24, 2007 9:08 AM PRISTINA, Serbia-NATO's commander for southeastern Europe said Saturday the alliance was concerned about recent violence in Kosovo in which two protesters were killed and three U.N. vehicles were bombed. Adm. Harry Ulrich, commander of NATO's Joint Force

Kosovo: Ethnic Albanian rebels claim Pristina bombing

2007-07-13T11:00:00.000-07:00

ADN KRONOS INTERNATIONAL (ITALY), Feb-21-07 14:00 Pristina, 21 Feb. (AKI) - The Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA), which in 1999 started a rebellion against Serbian rule in the southern breakaway province, has taken credit for Monday night's bombings in Pristina in which three United Nations vehicles were damaged,

KFOR: No evidence of KLA activities

2007-07-13T10:59:00.000-07:00

B92, 21 February 2007 18:15 NIS -- There's no evidence that the Kosovo Liberation Army is still operative, KFOR commander says. KFOR Commander Roland Cather said the KFOR was ready to respond to any violent action in Kosovo. Kather met with Zdravko Ponos, Chief of General Staff of Serbian Armed Forces, today

Serbian team rejects all provisions of Ahtisaari's proposal contradicting Serbia's integrity, sovereignty

2007-07-13T10:58:00.000-07:00

RELIEF WEB (SWITZERLAND) Source: Government of Serbia Date: 21 Feb 2007 Belgrade/Vienna, Feb 21, 2007 - At the onset of a new round of talks on Kosovo-Metohija's future status taking place in Vienna, the Serbian state negotiating team rejected today all provisions of UN Special Envoy Martti Ahtisaari's proposal

Russian FM says no deadline for Kosovo status talks

2007-07-13T10:57:00.000-07:00

RUSSIAN INFORMATION AGENCY NOVOSTI, 22/02/2007 16:11 BERLIN, February 22 (RIA Novosti) - Russia's foreign minister said Thursday a UN envoy for talks on Kosovo should not set a deadline for a final decision on the status for Serbia's Albanian-populated region. Marti Ahtisaari, who has proposed that the Balkan

Lavrov reaffirms need for compromise on Kosovo

2007-07-13T10:56:00.000-07:00

INTERFAX (RUSSIAN FEDERATION), Feb 21 2007 4:00PMMOSCOW. Feb 21 (Interfax) - Russia once again reiterates the need for the authorities in Belgrade and Pristina to strike a compromise on the Kosovo problem, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told a news conference in Moscow on Wednesday."I can confirm our position that a solution to the Kosovo issue must be found through negotiations and

Belgrade, Pristina consent vital for Kosovo settlement - Lavrov

2007-07-12T13:59:00.001-07:00

INTERFAX (RUSSIAN FEDERATION), Feb 22 2007 2:15PMBERLIN. Feb 22 (Interfax) - Any solutions detailing the final status of Kosovo which do not receive the consent of both Belgrade and Pristina are impermissible, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told a Thursday press conference in Berlin following negotiations with his German counterpart Frank-Walter Steinmeier."This is a major problem,

New round of Vienna talks on Kosovo

2007-07-12T13:59:00.000-07:00

RELIEF WEB (SWITZERLAND) Source: Government of Serbia Date: 21 Feb 2007 Vienna, Feb 21, 2007 - Negotiating delegations from Belgrade and Pristina will begin a new round of talks today in Vienna in the course of which they will discuss the "Comprehensive Proposal for the Kosovo Status Settlement", presented to

Slovak, U.S. positions on Kosovo differ - Kubis

2007-07-12T13:57:00.000-07:00

CZECH NEWS AGENCY, Wednesday, February 21, 2007 9:01 PM New York, Feb 21 (CTK) - Slovakia prefers consultations that would bring Kosovo Albanians and Belgrade to the support of the international plan drafted by U.N. envoy Martti Ahtisaari, but the USA insists on the adoption of the plan despite the disagreement of

Serbians, Kosovo Albanians meet for final round of Kosovo talks

2007-07-12T13:56:00.000-07:00

Agence France Presse, 21 février 2007 12:54 VIENNA, Feb 21, 2007 (AFP) Serbians and Kosovo Albanians met Wednesday in Vienna for a final round of talks with UN envoy Martti Ahtisaari over his plan for Kosovo's future, although hopes for a compromise solution were almost nil. The talks are expected to continue

Any resolution on Kosovo should be agreed by two sides - Lavrov

2007-07-12T13:46:00.000-07:00

ITAR-TASS (RUSSIAN FEDERATION), 21.02.2007, 14.42MOSCOW, February 21 (Itar-Tass) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said any resolution on Kosovo should be agreed by the two sides.Commenting on Moscow's position to veto a U.N. Security Council draft resolution on Kosovo, the Russian minister said on Wednesday any resolution on Kosovo should be "agreed by the two sides. Now there is no

Kosovo Liberation Army claims responsibility for bomb attack

2007-07-12T13:44:00.001-07:00

BBC Monitoring Europe (Political) - February 20, 2007 TuesdayText of report in English by Croatian news agency HINAPristina, 20 February: The Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) has claimed responsibility for a bomb attack in which three UN vehicles were damaged on Monday, saying that the attack was an act of revenge for the death of two Albanians killed in recent clashes over the UN plan on the

Russia expresses concern over Kosovo bombing

2007-07-12T13:42:00.000-07:00

RUSSIAN INFORMATION AGENCY NOVOSTI, 21/02/2007 12:42MOSCOW, February 21 (RIA Novosti) - Russia's Foreign Ministry expressed its concern Wednesday over a bomb attack that damaged three UN vehicles in Kosovo.The bomb attack was carried out February 19 in the center of the capital Pristina, near the UN mission, but caused no injuries."Moscow is concerned over this terrorist act. We see it as

Primakov: Three Arguments Agains Kosovo Independence

2007-07-12T13:41:00.000-07:00

MOSKOVSKIE NOVOSTI (RUSSIAN FEDERATION), Feb. 16, 2007 By Yevgeny Primakov, member of the Russian Academy of SciencesA story published in MN # 5 offered an in-depth analysis of a plan for Kosovo presented by Martti Ahtisaari, special envoy of the U.N. secretary general and former president of Finland.The document, drawn up on the basis of Ahtisaari's numerous trips to Belgrade and Pristina,

Witness in Hague trial of ex-Kosovo PM murdered - Serbian TV

2007-07-12T13:35:00.000-07:00

BBC Monitoring Europe (Political) - February 16, 2007 FridayText of report by Belgrade-based B-92 TV on 16 February[Presenter] News just in. As we have learnt unofficially, one of the few witnesses in the trial of former Kosovo Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj at the Hague tribunal has been murdered. We were unable to get a confirmation for this news from the Hague prosecution where we told

Ambulance stoned in village of Kosutovo in Kosovo

2007-07-12T13:34:00.000-07:00

Radio Television Serbia, Belgrade, Tuesday, February 20, 2007 20:39An ambulance transporting a seriously ill patient, 55 year-old Gordana Bascarevic, from Zubin Potok to the health center in Kosovska Mitrovica was stoned on the road from Zubin Potok to Kosovska Mitrovica near the village of Kosutovo, which is inhabited exclusively by Albanians.The patient was admitted to the internal

First real negotiations on Kosovo status

2007-07-12T13:32:00.001-07:00

RELIEF WEB (SWITZERLAND)Source: Government of SerbiaDate: 20 Feb 2007Vienna, Feb 20, 2007 - Coordinator of the state team for negotiations on the future status of Kosovo-Metohija Slobodan Samardzic said today that during the new round of negotiations with Pristina, Belgrade will forward completely alternative proposals to the provisions of Martti Ahtisaari's plan that violate Serbia's

Warning of war if Kosovo self-rule denied

2007-07-12T13:31:00.000-07:00

WASHINGTON TIMES (USA), Feb. 20, 2007 By John PhillipsROME -- Any attempt by the international community to deny Kosovo independence will set off "a new Balkan war," a senior Kosovar negotiator cautioned yesterday.Speaking as he prepared to take part in final talks between delegations from Kosovo and Serbia scheduled for today in Vienna, Austria, negotiator Ylber Hasa said Kosovars believe

Kosovo 'guerilla group' claims attack on UN vehicles

2007-07-12T13:27:00.000-07:00

Agence France Presse, 20 février 2007 17:06PRISTINA, Serbia, Feb 20, 2007 (AFP)== ATTENTION -with new protest, US statement ///A group named after the ethnic Albanian guerilla force that fought Serb troops in Kosovo's 1998-1999 war claimed responsibility Tuesday for a bomb attack on United Nations vehicles.In an email message sent to Kosovo media, the group calling itself the "Kosovo

Explosion rocks Pristina on eve of status talks

2007-07-12T13:26:00.000-07:00

ADN KRONOS INTERNATIONAL (ITALY), Feb-20-07 11:05Pristina, 20 Feb. (AKI) - An explosion rocked the center of Pristina, capital of Serbia's breakaway Kosovo province late on Monday, damaging four automobiles, but there were no casualties, police said. "The explosion damaged three UN automobiles and a private car," said Kosovo police spokesman Veton Elsani. "Apart from material damage, there

Radical activists call more pro-independence protests in Kosovo

2007-07-12T13:24:00.000-07:00

DPA, Feb 20, 2007, 13:55 GMTPristina, Kosovo - The radically pro-independence Kosovo Albanian movement Vetevendosja, which in the past organized violent protests that ended in fatalities, on Tuesday announced more demonstrations for early March.Two demonstrators were killed and dozens injured when police fired rubber bullets into a crowd of several thousand Vetevendosja (Self- determination

Group claiming to be KLA says it was behind bombing that damaged 3 U.N. vehicles in Kosovo

2007-07-12T13:22:00.000-07:00

Associated Press, Tuesday, February 20, 2007 8:31 AMPRISTINA, Serbia-A group claimed responsibility Tuesday for a bomb attack that damaged three U.N. vehicles, saying it was in retaliation for the deaths of two ethnic Albanian protesters killed in clashes over a U.N. proposal on the future of the disputed province.The group, which distributed a statement by e-mail, claimed to be the Kosovo

Armed men attack Serb father and son in Kuzmin near Kosovo Polje

2007-07-12T13:21:00.000-07:00

Radio Television Serbia, Belgrade, Monday, February 19, 2007 21:01Unknown armed men attacked father and son Vojislav and Srdjan Filipovic in Kuzmin near Kosovo Polje and stole their automobile while shooting in the air.Filipovic said that the bandits pointed a pistol at his head, then hit him and ejected him from the automobile before driving off in the direction of the village of Belacevac

Explosion damages three U.N. vehicles in Kosovo

2007-07-12T13:20:00.000-07:00

Associated Press, Monday, February 19, 2007 4:58 PMPRISTINA, Serbia-An explosion late Monday damaged three U.N. vehicles in Kosovo's capital, police said, causing no injuries but raising tensions amid ongoing negotiations on the disputed province's future.NATO-led peacekeepers sealed the blast area in downtown Pristina, and were investigating the 9:15 p.m. (2015GMT) explosion, which also

Serb official: U.N. plan for Kosovo stands no chance at Security Council

2007-07-12T13:18:00.000-07:00

Associated Press, Saturday, February 17, 2007 1:24 PMBELGRADE, Serbia-Serbia is convinced that a U.N. plan granting supervised statehood for the contested Kosovo province stands no chance of approval at the Security Council, a government minister said Saturday.Zoran Loncar also criticized the key architect of the plan, chief U.N. envoy Martti Ahtisaari, as "biased and working in the

In Memoriam - Nis Express Massacre, Feb 16 2001

2007-07-12T13:17:00.000-07:00

KiM Info Newsletter 17-02-07 In Memoriam - six years after the Nis Express MassacreKIM Info-service, 17. February 2007 Today's edition of our KIM-info Newsletter we devote to the victims of the "Nis Express Massacre" which happened five years ago, on February 16, 2001, near Podujevo. This heinous crime, one of the worst of its kind in post-war Kosovo has never been fully investigated by

We were forced to shoot: Chief of Kosovo Polish contingent

2007-07-10T11:49:00.001-07:00

FOCUS ENGLISH NEWS (BULGARIA), 16 February 2007 15:51Pristina. We do not feel responsible for the death of the two protestors, the Chief of the Polish police contingent in Kosovo, Robert Zolkiewski said, cited by the local Koha Ditore daily.The incident occurred in clashes between members of the radical Self-Determination movement and police authorities on February 10.Polish police were

Drugs haul in Kosovo

2007-07-10T11:49:00.000-07:00

Beta news agency, 16 February 2007 18:12PRISTINA -- Kosovo Police Service (KPS) have confiscated seven kilos of narcotics believed to be cocaine and heroin.According to the police statement, the drugs were seized last night in three separate raids. Police have also placed four persons under arrest."Based on information obtained as well as previous investigations, the KPS organized

Blast at Pristina hotel

2007-07-10T11:47:00.000-07:00

Beta news agency, 16 February 2007 14:06PRISTINA -- An explosive device was activated at Hotel Baci in Pristina this morning, KPS spokeswoman Sabia Kamberi said.According to her, the bomb detonated in the hotel's parking lot. The blast caused some damage but there were no casualties.Police immediately secured the parameter around the site of the explosion, while KFOR specialized units

In Defence of Kosovo's Serbs

2007-07-10T11:46:00.000-07:00

TIMES (UK), February 17, 2007 LEADER There must be no return to ethnic cleansing in the Balkans It is eight years since Nato halted Slobodan Milosevic's persecution of Kosovo's ethnic Albanians, in an onslaught that emptied and torched villages, killed about 100,000 and forced almost a million to flee.

Rice says U.S. eager to support Kosovo and avoid "blow up"

2007-07-10T11:45:00.000-07:00

Associated Press, Friday, February 16, 2007 12:19 PMWASHINGTON-Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Friday that the United States is eager to support Kosovo as the contested Serbian province's future is determined.But she said negotiators face a difficult task as they work to avoid a "blow up."Kosovo's ethnic Albanian majority is demanding full independence, while Serbia insists that

Greek president: Solution for Kosovo must be accepted by both sides

2007-07-10T10:14:00.001-07:00

XINHUA (CHINA), 2007-02-16 11:21:03 BUCHAREST, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- A solution needs to be found for the status of Kosovo, no matter how long it will take the Europeans to work it out, visiting Greek President Karolos Papoulias said on Thursday. The solution must comply with human rights and the United Nations

Serbia: Parliament adopts resolution occasioned by "Comprehensive Proposal for the Kosovo Status Settlement"

2007-07-10T10:13:00.000-07:00

RELIEF WEB (SWITZERLAND) Source: Government of Serbia Date: 14 Feb 2007 Belgrade, Feb 14, 2007 - The new convocation of the Serbian parliament adopted tonight by majority vote the Resolution occasioned by the UN Secretary General's Special Envoy Martti Ahtisaari's "Comprehensive Proposal for the Kosovo Status

Kosovo in a Bind: Serbian Parliament Rejects UN Plan

2007-07-10T10:12:00.000-07:00

KOMMERSANT (RUSSIAN FEDERATION), Feb. 16, 2007 by Gennady Sysoyev The Serbian parliament has rejected the plan for Kosovo drawn up by UN special envoy Martti Ahtisaari. The parliament's decision renders the Serbian-Albanian talks scheduled take place in Vienna next week pointless and means that Kosovo's fate now

Future of Kosovo: How High Is the Price for Peace?

2007-07-10T10:11:00.000-07:00

SPIEGEL (GERMANY), February 5, 2007, 05:58 PM By Renate Flottau and Walter Mayr As the decision over the future of Kosovo approaches, tensions are growing in the western portion of the province. A return to violence is a distinct possibility. Meanwhile, a presumed war criminal remains in power with the blessing

Serb Students in North Kosovo Fearful of Future

2007-07-10T10:09:00.000-07:00

VOICE OF AMERICA (USA), 15 February 2007 By Barry Wood, Mitrovica, Kosovo On February 2nd the United Nations envoy for Kosovo, Martti Ahtisaari, delivered his plan for the future of the breakaway province in southern Serbia. If implemented it could lead to independence for the territory's ethnic Albanian majority,

Serbia PM warns of independent Kosovo

2007-07-10T10:02:00.001-07:00

UPI, February 15, 2007 BELGRADE, Feb. 15 (UPI) -- Serbia's prime minister warned of dangerous effects if a U.N. plan grants the mainly ethnic-Albanian Kosovo province independence from his country.Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica Thursday said Belgrade has to warn of far-reaching and dangerous consequences in case Serbia is cut into pieces, the Serbian news agency Beta

Kosovo extremists won't be tolerated, says NATO chief

2007-07-10T10:01:00.000-07:00

Agence France Presse, 15 février 2007 18:36 PRISTINA, Serbia, Feb 15, 2007 (AFP) == ATTENTION -Serbian PM quotes, details /// NATO will come down hard on any extremists who try to spark violence in Kosovo, its chief warned on a visit to the breakaway Serbian province Thursday, just days after a deadly protest.

Islamic Terror In Kosovo

2007-07-10T10:00:00.000-07:00

CHRISTIAN BROADCASTING NETWORK (USA), February 14, 2007 An Albanian Muslim extremist from Kosovo was recently arrested after allegedly plotting to blow up the parliament building in Montenegro. 55-year-old Dodu L. was arrested by Austrian authorities last month while trying to board a flight in Vienna. 12 other

NATO's secretary-general warns against violence in Kosovo after clashes kill two

2007-07-10T09:59:00.000-07:00

Associated Press, Thursday, February 15, 2007 7:51 AM PRISTINA, Serbia-NATO's secretary-general warned Thursday the alliance will not tolerate violence in Kosovo after clashes between police and ethnic Albanians protesting a U.N. plan for the province left two dead. NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer

Kosovo: A Serbian Question

2007-07-10T09:58:00.000-07:00

PRAVDA (RUSSIAN FEDERATION), 28.01.2007 OPINION by Timothy BANCROFT-HINCHEY, PRAVDA.Ru Facts: Kosovo is Serbian. The Serbian nation has always included Kosovo. Kosovo is the heart that beats at the centre of the Serb psyche. The recent meddling by Martti Ahtissaari with his absurd plan for independence not only

Top Russian diplomat criticizes proposed U.N. plan for Kosovo

2007-07-10T09:56:00.000-07:00

Associated Press, Thursday, February 15, 2007 7:58 AM MOSCOW-A top Russian diplomat on Thursday criticized a United Nations plan for Kosovo, saying it fails to protect Serbs' interests, Russian news agencies reported. Alexander Botsan-Kharchenko, Russia's special envoy for Kosovo, said that U.N. envoy Martti

Serbia's PM warns of 'dangerous' consequences of Kosovo independence

2007-07-10T09:55:00.000-07:00

Associated Press, Thursday, February 15, 2007 7:29 AM BELGRADE, Serbia-Serbia's prime minister on Thursday warned of "dangerous" consequences if the breakaway province of Kosovo gets independence. Vojislav Kostunica told a rally on the occasion of Serbia's National Day that Kosovo's independence would represent

Serbia's new parliament condemns Kosovo plan

2007-07-10T09:54:00.000-07:00

Agence France Presse, 14 février 2007 21:25 BELGRADE, Feb 14, 2007 (AFP) == ATTENTION -, UPDATES with vote, details /// Serbia's newly elected parliament overwhelmingly voted on Wednesday to condemn a UN plan on the future of its breakaway province of Kosovo as a violation of the country's territorial

Ethnic Albanian 'revolutionary' stirs up new wave of dissent in Kosovo

2007-07-10T09:50:00.000-07:00

Associated Press, Wednesday, February 14, 2007 6:49 AM PRISTINA, Serbia-It began as a ragtag band of youngsters who slashed tires and walked a donkey in front of U.N. offices. Now Self-Determination, the group behind the latest violence wracking Kosovo, is raising the stakes in the province's quest for

Last chance for Kosovo

2007-07-10T09:49:00.000-07:00

GUARDIAN (UK), February 13, 2007 4:30 PM COMMENT IS FREE by Clive Baldwin Seven years ago I joined the throng of international administrators sent out to put Kosovo to rights. America, the UN and Europe were united in pouring money and people into the province. Kosovo became the greatest experiment of

Kosovo Serbs say Serb municipalities are "Indian reservations"

2007-07-09T17:11:00.000-07:00

BBC Monitoring International Reports - February 9, 2007 Friday Text of report by Serbian radio on 9 February [Presenter] Several thousand Serbs held a rally in the central town square of Sumadija in the northern part of Kosovska Mitrovica to express their protest and disagreement with Martti Ahtisaari's proposal

Kosovo Serb protesters reject Ahtisaari plan

2007-07-09T17:10:00.000-07:00

BBC Monitoring International Reports - February 9, 2007 Friday Text of report by Serbian TV satellite service on 9 February [Presenter] At the largest protest rally held to date, more than 10,000 Serbs in Sumadija Square in northern Kosovska Mitrovica have completely rejected [UN envoy] Martti Ahtisaari's

Serb parties close ranks against Kosovo breakaway

2007-07-09T17:09:00.000-07:00

Reuters, 14 Feb 2007 11:03:09 GMT By Beti Bilandzic (Adds details, quotes, edits throughout) BELGRADE, Feb 14 (Reuters) - Serbian political parties meet on Wednesday to close ranks against a United Nations envoy's proposal that would propel the breakaway province of Kosovo towards independence this year. The

Serbia's new parliament expected to reject U.N. plan for Kosovo

2007-07-09T17:08:00.001-07:00

Associated Press, Wednesday, February 14, 2007 5:03 AM BELGRADE, Serbia-Serbia's new parliament convenes Wednesday for a vote expected to overwhelmingly reject a U.N. plan that would give Kosovo virtual independence. The parliament's rejection, a powerful symbolic blow to the U.N. proposal, would be a further

Serbia: Draft Resolution Following Ahtisaari's Proposal on Kosovo and Metohija and Continuation of Negotiations

2007-07-09T17:08:00.000-07:00

RELIEF WEB (SWITZERLAND) Source: Government of Serbia Date: 13 Feb 2007 Serbia: "Draft Resolution following UN Special Envoy Martti Ahtisaari's "Comprehensive Proposal for the Kosovo Status Settlement" and continuation of negotiations on the future status of Kosovo-Metohija Reaffirming the Constitution of the

Kosovo Serbs, clerics urge government to dismiss U.N. Kosovo plan, Cabinet convenes

2007-07-09T17:02:00.001-07:00

Associated Press, Tuesday, February 13, 2007 2:16 PM BELGRADE, Serbia-Serbia's government on Tuesday denounced a U.N. plan for Kosovo after Serbs living in the disputed southern province and the influential Serbian Orthodox Church called for its rejection. The government of Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica

One person killed in Djakovica

2007-07-09T17:01:00.000-07:00

Radio Television Serbia, Belgrade, Tuesday, February 13, 2007 09:06The Kosovo Police Service advised that one person aged 42 years was killed yesterday. The written statement of regional police in Pec states that the motive for the murder is not known at this time but that a suspect has been arrested."On Monday at about noon in Tirana Street in Djakovica a 42 year-old person [A.B.] was

Serbs from Kosovo visit graves escorted by Kosovo police

2007-07-09T17:00:00.000-07:00

Radio Television Serbia, Belgrade, Saturday, February 10, 2007 18:02 On the occasion of Memorial Saturday hundreds of Serbs visited Orthodox cemeteries in Pristina, the southern part of Kosovska Mitrovica, Obilic, Suva Reka, Kosovo Polje and Pec. With the exception of Pristina, Serbs once again traveled to the

Serbs in Strpce protest against Ahtisaari's proposal for Kosovo's status

2007-07-09T16:59:00.000-07:00

Radio Television Serbia, Belgrade, Tuesday, February 13, 2007 15:07A large number of Serbs from Sirinicka Zupa gathered in the center of Strpce to express their disagreement with Ahtisaari's proposal for the future status of Kosovo and Metohija. Inconceivably, this proposal foresees taking away 15 percent of Serbia's territory and giving it to the Albanians, while the Kosovo and Metohija

The Serbs from Banjska

2007-07-09T16:58:00.000-07:00

BBC News Serbian, Wednesday, February 7, 2007 - Published at 23:41 GMTIn the village of Banjska in the municipality of Vucitrn there are twenty Serb households with a total of about 120 members.By Tanja Vujisic, BBC correspondent in Kosovska Mitrovica120 Serbs from Banjska live mostly from UNMIK social assistanceThere isn't a single food store in the village today and 60 year-old local

Police search Kosovo extremist offices

2007-07-09T16:55:00.000-07:00

UPI, Feb. 12, 2007 PRISTINA, Feb. 12 (UPI) -- Kosovo police searched offices of ethnic-Albanian extremists after clashes with police that left two men killed and 80 injured, media said Monday.The police statement said they searched offices of the pro-independence Vetvendosja movement Sunday evening in five major towns in Serbia's predominantly ethnic-Albanian Kosovo province, Belgrade's

Kosovo: Government condemns deadly weekend violence

2007-07-09T16:54:00.000-07:00

ADN KRONOS INTERNATIONAL (ITALY), Feb-12-07 11:24Pristina, 12 Feb. (AKI) - The Kosovan government has condemned the violent demonstrations by militant ethnic Albanians in which two people lost their lives on Saturday. "Violence is most harmful to Kosovo," the government said in a statement after an emergency session Sunday night. Kosovo's prime minister Agim Ceku, who visited the families

Christians Will 'Disappear' in an Independent Kosovo, Bishop Warns

2007-07-09T16:52:00.000-07:00

CYBERCAST NEWS SERVICE (USA), February 12, 2007, By Nathan Burchfiel, CNSNews.com Staff Writer (CNSNews.com) - A United Nations push for Kosovo statehood will lead to the destruction of the minority Kosovar Serbs in the region, a Serbian Orthodox bishop warned here, urging the international community to reject

Independence: Kosovo Albanian Criminal Enterprise

2007-07-09T16:51:00.000-07:00

SERBIANNA (USA), February 11, 2007 By M. Bozinovich On June 23, 1999, Iowa Senator Charles Grassley introduced a Senate bill, S. 1271, frustratingly named Most Favored Rogue States Act of 1999 in which the distinguished Senator demanded, among other things, that "Not later than 60 days after the date of the

Serbian government to propose resolution on Kosovo-Metohija

2007-07-09T16:50:00.000-07:00

RELIEF WEB (SWITZERLAND) Source: Government of Serbia Date: 08 Feb 2007 Belgrade, Feb 8, 2007 - Coordinator of the Serbian state team for negotiations on the future status of Kosovo-Metohija Slobodan Samardzic said today that the Serbian government will propose a resolution on Kosovo-Metohija on the occasion of

Police raid offices of protest group after clashes leave two dead in Kosovo

2007-07-09T16:46:00.000-07:00

Associated Press, Monday, February 12, 2007 6:25 AM PRISTINA, Serbia-Police have raided the offices of a protest group after two people were killed and two were seriously injured in weekend clashes during a demonstration against a U.N. plan on the province's future, the force said Monday. Officers searched

2 die of injuries day after violent protest in Kosovo

2007-07-09T16:45:00.000-07:00

Associated Press, Sunday, February 11, 2007 2:08 PM PRISTINA, Serbia-Two protesters injured in a violent weekend clash with police in Kosovo died of their wounds, as ethnic Albanian leaders called for calm Sunday in the troubled province. A protest against the U.N. plan for Kosovo turned violent Saturday, and

Montenegro should fear independent Kosovo - Serb leader

2007-07-09T16:44:00.000-07:00

BBC Monitoring International Reports - February 6, 2007 Tuesday Text of report by M.B. entitled "Ivanovic: Montenegro a part of Greater Albania" published by the Montenegrin newspaper Dan on 6 February Milan Ivanovic, chairman of the Serbian National Council (SNV), criticized the Montenegrin government for

Commentary proposes Belgrade, Washington talks on Kosovo

2007-07-09T16:43:00.000-07:00

BBC Monitoring Europe (Political) - February 9, 2007, Friday Text of commentary by Vladislav Jovanovic: "Grasp the nettle, face the United States" by Serbian newspaper Glas javnosti on 8 February Ahtisaari's proposal on Kosmet [Kosovo-Metohija] was known before it was drawn up. It was made on instructions from

US fear of Russian veto stands between Kosovo, independence - Serbian commentary

2007-07-09T16:42:00.000-07:00

BBC Monitoring Europe (Political) - February 8, 2007 Thursday Text of commentary by editor-in-chief Ljiljana Smajlovic: "Theft of Kosovo" by Serbian newspaper Politika on 6 February There is only one sole reason why the paper that Martti Ahtisaari brought to Belgrade and presented to Boris Tadic last Friday [2

Ahtisaari: It is very difficult to imagine a negotiated solution for Kosovo

2007-07-09T16:41:00.000-07:00

moderator's note: the english version is an automatic translation of the interview in french posted below. ----- LE MONDE (FRANCE) Martti Ahtisaari, mediator of UNO for Kosovo "It is very difficult to imagine a solution negotiated" on the statute of Kosovo THE WORLD | 09.02.07 | Updated 14h39 09.02.07 |

Thomas Fleiner: Better 10 years of negotiations than one day of civil war in Kosovo

2007-07-09T16:40:00.000-07:00

moderator's note: the english version is an automatic translation of the interview in french posted below. ----- LE TEMPS (SWITZERLAND) "Better is worth ten years of negotiations than one day of civil war in Kosovo!" CONFLICT. For Thomas Fleiner, director of the Institute of the federalism of Freiburg and

Riot police break up protest in Kosovo by ethnic Albanians

2007-07-09T16:38:00.000-07:00

Associated Press, Saturday, February 10, 2007 1:58 PM PRISTINA, Serbia-Riot police fired rubber bullets and tear gas at thousands of ethnic Albanians who demonstrated in Pristina on Saturday against a U.N. proposal for Kosovo they say does not go far enough in granting the province independence. Some 70

More Than 50 Injured During Demonstration In Kosovo

2007-07-09T16:37:00.000-07:00

DPA, 08:23 PM, February 10th 2007 More than 50 people, including police, have been injured Saturday during a demonstration in Kosovo's capital of Pristina, some of them critically, sources at the hospital said. Kosovan police had used tear gas and rubber bullets in central Pristina to disperse protests against

Two dead following Kosovo clashes - police

2007-07-09T16:35:00.000-07:00

Reuters, 11 Feb 2007 11:17:14 GMT (Adds details) PRISTINA, Serbia, Feb 11 (Reuters) - Two people died overnight of injuries sustained in clashes in Kosovo on Saturday between police and ethnic Albanian protesters, U.N. police said. They were among four people seriously wounded when United Nations and Kosovo

UN police clash with Kosovo Albanian protesters

2007-06-10T16:11:00.000-07:00

Reuters, Sun Feb 11, 2007 12:16 AM ET By Shaban Buza and Fatos Bytyci PRISTINA, Serbia (Reuters) - UN police in Kosovo fired teargas and rubber bullets during clashes on Saturday with ethnic Albanians protesting against a UN plan they say falls short of full independence from Serbia. Hospital officials said they

Albanian protests against negotiations and protection of Serbian holy sites

2007-06-10T16:10:00.000-07:00

KiM Info Newsletter 11-02-07 Albanian demonstrators in Pristina chant slogans against Serbian Orthodox Church, demand destruction of churches An already known style - violence and hatred toward Serbs and SOC holy shrines, demonstrations organized by Albin Kurti with KLA supporters in Pristina, Feb. 10, 2007 KIM Info Service, Pristina, February 10, 2007 Commentary by Fr. Sava Janjic,

Police use tear gas to disperse Kosovo protest

2007-06-10T16:00:00.000-07:00

Agence France Presse, 10 février 2007 16:21 PRISTINA, Serbia, Feb 10, 2007 (AFP) ATTENTION -reports on injured, details /// Anti-riot police units used tear gas Saturday to disperse some 2,000 protestors from the radical pro-independence youth movement in the Kosovo capital. The ethnic Albanian "

Russia can only back mutually acceptable solution on Kosovo-Putin

2007-06-10T15:58:00.000-07:00

RUSSIAN INFORMATION AGENCY NOVOSTI, 10/02/2007 17:15 MUNICH, February 10 (RIA Novosti) - Russia will only support a solution to the Kosovo problem that is suitable to all parties involved, the Russian president said Saturday. "Only the Kosovars and Serbs themselves may know what will happen in Kosovo," Vladimir

Kosovo Police Uses Tear Gas, Rubber Bullets On Protestors

2007-06-10T15:57:00.000-07:00

Deutsche Presse Agentur, 06:08 PM, February 10th 2007 Kosovan police used tear gas and rubber bullets in central Pristina Saturday to disperse protests against the United Nations-backed plan envisaging a gradual move to independence for the breakaway Serbian province, demanding instead an immediate proclamation of

Kosovo decision should secure stability, says Hungarian PM

2007-06-05T09:43:00.001-07:00

HUNGARIAN NEWS AGENCY, Friday, February 09, 2007 7:33 PM Budapest, February 9 (MTI) - It is in Hungary's best interest that the decision to be made on Kosovo should guarantee sustained stability in the region and that all parties involved be allowed to expound their position within reasonable time limits, in a

Romania's PM advises flexibility in Sebia-Kosovo negotiations

2007-06-05T09:41:00.000-07:00

XINHUA (CHINA), Friday, February 09, 2007 3:29 PM BUCHAREST, Feb 9, 2007 (Xinhua via COMTEX) -- Romanian Prime Minister Calin Popescu-Tariceanu on Friday urged Serbia and Kosovo to be flexible in their negotiations over the future status of the latter. "My message is to advise flexibility in negotiations to

Kosovo Serbs stage protest rally

2007-06-05T09:40:00.000-07:00

BBC (UK), Friday, 9 February 2007, 15:24 GMT By Nick Hawton, Mitrovica More than 3,000 Serbs have held a protest in Kosovo against UN plans for the future of the province. It took place in the divided town of Mitrovica, which has witnessed violence in the past between its ethnic Albanian and Serb communities.

Moves toward sovereignty for Kosovo extremely dangerous - Ivanov

2007-06-05T09:38:00.002-07:00

INTERFAX (RUSSIAN FEDERATION), Feb 9 2007 2:49PMSEVILLE. Feb 9 (Interfax) - If independence is granted to Kosovo, it will entail serious negative consequences, Russian Deputy Prime Minister, Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov said."Moves toward sovereignty for Kosovo in the absence of a decision acceptable to all parties, including Serbia, is extremely dangerous," Ivanov said at an informal

Solution to Kosovo problem should suit all - Ivanov

2007-06-05T09:38:00.001-07:00

ITAR-TASS (RUSSIAN FEDERATION), 09.02.2007, 16.38SEVILLE (Spain), February 9 (Itar-Tass) - Russian Deputy Prime Minister, Defence Minister Sergei Ivanov has called for solving the problem of the Kosovo province on the principle of territorial integrity."If we take a conjuncture path in regard of Kosovo, we can open Pandora's box. The talk is about our attitude to the principle of

'Occupied' Serbs would resist

2007-06-05T09:37:00.001-07:00

WASHINGTON TIMES (USA) By David R. Sands, February 9, 2007 Kosovo's Serb minority will "resist as any occupied people would do" if a U.N. mediator's plan to give the province de facto independence from Serbia is approved, Bishop Artemije, head of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Kosovo, warned yesterday. The plan,

Ivanov rejects Kosovo independence, warns of chain reaction

2007-06-05T09:35:00.000-07:00

Deutsche Presse Agentur, Feb 9, 2007, 8:11 GMT Seville, Spain - Russian Defence Minister Sergei Ivanov on Friday warned that granting full independence to Kosovo would open a Pandora's box of similar demands for autonomy across the post-Soviet region. At a meeting with German Defence Minister Franz Josef Jung

Slovak president rejects Ahtisaari's plan for Kosovo

2007-06-05T09:34:00.000-07:00

CZECH NEWS AGENCY, Thursday, February 08, 2007 10:01 PMNitra, West Slovakia, Feb 8 (CTK) - Slovak President Ivan Gasparovic today described U.N. envoy Martti Ahtisaari's plan for the future of the Serbian province of Kosovo as disadvantageous for Serbia. The final solution to the international position of Kosovo should be postponed, Gasparovic said. He said that the province of Kosovo

Ahtisaari can't win as 'Kosovars' protest his plan

2007-06-05T09:31:00.001-07:00

Reuters, 08 Feb 2007 09:46:10 GMT By Matt Robinson PRISTINA, Serbia, Feb 8 (Reuters) - The United States calls it a "historic document" and an "excellent proposal". The European Union says it's the first page of a "new beginning". Those it is written for do not share that enthusiasm. This week in Kosovo, Serbs

Serbia insists on respect of UN Charter and international law

2007-06-05T09:30:00.001-07:00

RELIEF WEB (SWITZERLAND) Source: Government of Serbia Date: 07 Feb 2007 Belgrade, Feb 7, 2007 - Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica said today that Serbia will continue to be constructive when it comes to negotiations on the future status of Kosovo-Metohija, but also intransigent in its position that the