Rücker Extends Mandate to Serb Leaders in the North (Dailies)

Main Stories 06 December 2007

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·  Rücker extends mandate to Serb leaders in the north (Dailies)

·  We don’t accept Rücker’s decision (Koha Ditore)

·  Ban Ki-moon to address UN Security Council (Express)

·  Wisner: The plan for the independence of Kosovo doesn’t have alternative (Dailies)

·  Unity Team asks for the Spanish support for Independence of Kosovo (Zëri)

·  NATO ready for any scenario after December 10 (Koha Ditore)

·  Lavrov : the West is blocking Kosovo talks (Koha Ditore)

·  D’Alema: Independence has no alternative (Express)

·  Mesic: Croatia has its position on Kosovo status (Koha Ditore)

·  Krasniqi head of Kosovo Assembly? (Express)

·  War is a legal means in defending Kosovo threatens Simic (Zëri)

Kosovo Media Highlights

Rücker extends mandate to Serb leaders in the north (dailies)

In a press conference on Wednesday, UNMIK head Joachim Rücker announced that based on an executive decision he will temporarily appoint the current members of assemblies in five municipalities where the Serb community is a majority. “This appointment is temporary for a six-month period and will reflect the ethnic composition in the municipalities,” Rücker said. The municipalities include Leposavic, Zubin Potok, Zvecan and Shtrpce.

Rücker has decided that the municipality of Novobërdë will be led by an Albanian mayor who has won the elections but that the majority of the municipal assembly members will be from the Serb community.

Koha Ditore writes that even though the absolute majority of Kosovo Serbs boycotted the November 17 poll, the international administration in Kosovo has decided to resolve this issue by using the reserved rights that an SRSG has based on the UN SC resolution 1244.

Zëri highlights that SRSG Rücker also certified the results of general elections and has reminded political party leaders that they have a month to constitute the new Assembly of Kosovo and form the new government. He, however, expressed hope that this will be done much earlier than defined by law.

Bota Sot reports that even though Rücker refrained from speculating on the future ruling coalition formula, he did said that he would prefer a broad-based coalition. Epoka e Re also writes that Rücker encourages a broad governing coalition.

We don’t accept Rücker’s decision (Koha Ditore)

Based on reports from Serbian news agency FoNet, the current mayor of Novobërdë Petar Vasic said the Serbs there will not accept the decision of UNMIK head Joachim Rücker which would see the town run by a Kosovo Albanian mayor. “How can the mayor of the municipality be Albanian while the majority of municipal advisors are Serb? That mayor may block the work of the assembly,” said Vasic, adding that all this is a political game.

Meanwhile, Zubin Potok Mayor Slavisa Ristic is quoted as saying that even though he did not yet receive Rücker’s decision, the Serb community will continue to hold the majority in five municipalities in Kosovo. “We are not very interested in Rücker’s decision,” Ristic reportedly said..

Ban Ki-moon addresses UN Security Council (Express)

UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon is expected to address to the UN Security Council on the 19 of December in a session on Kosovo.

Papers quote UN spokesperson Brendon Varma saying that the SG is expected to take part in the session but that this might eventually change. According to Varma, Serbia’s Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica is also expected to participate in the session.

Meanwhile, Serbia’s Ambassador to the UN, Pavle Jeremic, has reportedly sent a letter to Italy (who holds the SC presidency this month) requesting that Kosovo representatives be excluded from formally addressing the Council, Express reports.

According to Varma, the SG will receive the report prepared by the Troika by 10 December. The report is expected to be handed over by the representatives of the Contact Group, possibly by one of the ambassadors in New York, and not by the envoys, the paper says.

Wisner: The plan for the independence of Kosovo doesn’t have alternative (dailies)

The proposal for the ‘supervised independence’ of Kosovo should be implemented since additional talks have failed, the paper cite news agencies quoting U.S. representative of Troika, Frank Wisner.

“Since the negotiation process is drained, the proposal offered by the former UN Special Envoy, Martti Ahtisaari, is on the table and it deserves to be implemented,” said Wisner during his meeting with the Foreign Minister of Bulgaria, Ivajlo Kalafin, adding that during the 120 days of additional talks all possibilities were explored, but no common ground was found regarding the status of Kosovo.

Kalafin however remarked that even after the 10 December the international community should work closely with Belgrade and Pristina, to find mechanisms to prevent the region from slipping into violence.

Unity Team asks for Spanish support for independence of Kosovo (Zëri)

The newspaper reports on the visit of the Unity Team (UT) to Spain, where they met with Spanish Foreign Minister, Miguel Angel Morantinos.

The UT spoke about their efforts to find common ground between Pristina and Belgrade during the Troika process, which they said aimed to normalise relations.

Kosovo leaders asked for Spain’s support during while a decision is being made about the future EU civilian mission.

NATO ready for any scenario, after December 10 (Koha Ditore)

Just days before the 10 December deadline, NATO has reportedly said that it does

“not chance anything”, and have therefore undertaken preparations to continue securing the environment, even after a declaration of independence, report Koha Ditore.

In their annual meeting on Thursday in Brussels NATO Foreign Ministers are expected reconfirm their commitment to Kosovo by highlighting that that there will not be a reduction of KFOR troops in Kosovo.

Diplomatic sources told Koha Ditore that NATO has two reserved operational forces that would engage under the command of the KFOR commander, while the second are the strategic forces, for which NATO council has to decide.

The Foreign Ministers are also expected to discuss the legal aspect of NATO’s presence in Kosovo after independence.

Lavrov : the West is blocking Kosovo talks (Koha Ditore)

Western backing for the independence of Kosovo is blocking further talks on the issue of Kosovo’s future status, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told Reuters, reports Koha Ditore.

Lavrov assessed as “positive; the fact that Serbia, which opposes Kosovo’s independence has presented compromise proposals in the negotiations with Albanians over the last months.

‘We would only want to see that Pristina is moving towards the same direction,” Lavrov is quoted as saying.

In addition the Russian foreign Minister said that “unfortunately, the chance for such move is being blocked by Western partners, who say that Kosovo’s independence is inevitable”.

Lavrov also stated that Russia will decide on the next step regarding Kosovo in the Security Council, after the Troika presents its report on 10 December.

D’Alema: Independence has no alternative (Express)

Italian Foreign Minister Massimo D’Alema said in an interview with an Italian newspaper that he sees no alternative to Kosovo’s independence. “In the future, I see no alternative to the independence of Kosovo. But responsibilities should be sought from Kosovo because Serbia should not come out of this process as a loser and humiliated,” D’Alema said.

Mesic: Croatia has its position on Kosovo status (Koha Ditore)

After a meeting in Brussels with Croatian President Stipe Mesic on Wednesday, EU High Representative for Foreign Policy and Security Javier Solana and EU Enlargement Commissioner, Olli Rehn, said they profited from the discussion with Mesic regarding the situation in the Balkans.

“Kosovo status will be solved very soon with the help of the international community, and then the integration process into the Euro Atlantic structures could speed up,” Mesic is quoted as saying.

Krasniqi head of Kosovo Assembly? (Express)

The paper reports that before beginning consultations for the creation of the new government, PDK leader Hashim Thaçi will have to come up with a candidate for the post of Kosovo Assembly president. The paper reports that the most talked-about person for the job is PDK’s Secretary General Jakup Krasniqi. However there is also talk that the potential candidates for the job could be PDK officials, Xhavit Haliti or Hajredin Kuçi.

The paper quotes sources saying that Thaçi will announce the name of the candidate upon his return from Spain. “It seems his proposal will not come as a surprise to anyone,” adds the paper.

War is a legal means in defending Kosovo, threatens Simic (Zëri)

Recent comments by Serbia’s Prime Ministerial Adviser Aleksander Simic that war could be considered a legal means with regard to the issue of Kosovo has sparked harsh reactions and divisions within the governing coalition.

“Serbia had some negative experiences from some armed conflicts of civilian wars in the former Yugoslavia and this is a reason for more wisdom and more readiness, but anyway state interests have to be protected also with war,” Simic is quoted as saying.

Tadic’s party labelled the statement as irresponsible. “At the moment when Serbia is committed to being part of a peaceful process, Simic, in his position as Prime Ministerial adviser comes out with a threatening and risky position, which risks Serbia’s position right before the meeting in the Security Council.”

Chief of Parliamentary group from Kostunica’s party, Milos Aligrudic stated that he did not interpret Simic’s statement as a call for conflict.

“This statement was an answer to a concrete question in a debate, whether war is a legal and political option, and of course the answer was affirmative, but this does not mean that someone is looking for this,” Aligrudic is quoted as saying.

Kosovo Press Headlines

Koha Ditore

Front page

·  NATO, ready for every scenario, after 10 December

·  The West hopes of ‘managed’ declaration of independence

·  Wisner: The plan for Kosovo independence has no alternative

·  The West is blocking talks on Kosovo

·  UN extends the mandate of Serb municipal officers in the north

·  PDK partners are waiting for Thaçi’s menu

·  Every threat will have consequences for its causers

Other headlines

·  Olli Rehn: Kosovo status will not destabilize the region (2)

·  Serbia wants Kosovo Albanians not to be heard in the UN (2)

·  Roberts: Partition, the best solution (2)

·  Kacin: Kosovo needs status (2)

·  Manter: USA await developments in the UN (2)

·  Mesic: Croatia has its stance formed on Kosovo status (3)

·  D’Alema asks Kosovo for coordination with the EU and the UN (5)

·  Turkey supports every decision that ‘satisfies the people of Kosovo’ (6)

·  Belgrade: We shall fight – we shall not fight (7)

·  Serbs should not be afraid, there will be no violence on 10 December (7)

·  One billion and one agreement (10)

Zëri

Front page

·  Frank Wisner: Diplomacy is expended, additional talks unnecessary

·  Editorial: Refusal that helps EU’s homogenization

·  How will the main parties be prepared for talks on the establishment of the new Kosovo Government?

·  Lavrov: The West is hindering additional talks on Kosovo

·  Unity Team demands Spanish support for Kosovo’s independence

·  LDK between two options

·  State constitution, symbols and laws may be approved without declaration of independence

·  Murphy: There is strong determination in EU to recognise Kosovo’s independence

Other headlines

·  Rücker certifies election results and prefers a broad coalition (3)

·  OSCE: Everything will be ready for 8 December run-off voting (3)

·  Belgrade demands Pristina’s word not to be heard in UN Security Council (3)

·  General Craddock: NATO is ready to avoid violence in Kosovo (4)

·  Kosovo supporters demand strong security guarantees from NATO (4)

·  D’Alema: Kosovo’s independence has no other alternative (4)

·  Coordinated independence for Kosovo (4)

·  USA makes the decision for Kosovo’s independence, says Djuric (4)

·  Djelic: It’s never late to find the solution (4)

·  War is a legal means in defending Kosovo, threatens Simic (5)

·  Turkey cooperates with NATO and EU on Kosovo (5)

Kosova Sot

Front page

·  Serbia demands the prohibition of Kosovo’s’ speech in the UN

·  Electoral partners get ready for their share

·  Editorial: Declare it [independence]!

·  Assembly to convene next week

·  Elections leave 127 civil servants jobless

Other headlines

·  Rücker prefers a broad governance (2)

·  Reinforcements for KFOR (3)

·  Belgrade threatens with violence against Kosovo (4)

·  Minister Kuçi: We are careful (4)

·  Kosovo’s partition, the best solution (4)

·  Analysts: Accordance with the internationals (5)

Epoka e Re

Front page

·  Thaçi is master of the house, he knows what I deserve

·  ICG: Declaration of Kosovo’s independence, in May 2008

·  Casey: If no agreement is reached, Kosovo will have independence

·  Rücker encourages a broad governing coalition

·  Prime Minister Çeku, explain whose game you are playing!

Other headlines

·  Terral: EC meeting on Kosovo on 14 December (2)

·  Newland: NATO and KFOR will react decisively (2)

·  Simic: State interests are defended through war as well (2)

·  Serbia demands from Security Council not to allow Kosovo representatives to speak on 19 December (2)

·  Spatafora: Security Council to review the report on 19 December (2)

·  Judah: Russia has consolidated EU unity over Kosovo (2)

·  Murphy: Britain will support Kosovo’s independence (2)

·  Wisner: It is time to make a decision on Kosovo (3)

·  D’Alema: There’s no alternative for Kosovo’s independence (3)

·  Lavrov: Kosovo status can be decided only by the Security Council (3)

Express

Front page

·  Krasniqi head of Kosovo Assembly?

·  Again with fight

·  We lost two Vetons

·  Serbs get back municipalities

Other headlines

·  The west is blocking negotiations (3)

·  Independence has no alternative (6)

·  Slovenia will work with the USA on Kosovo (7)

·  Ki-moon to address to the Security Council (7)

Lajm

Front page

·  Rücker prefers a broad coalition

·  Kosovo will be a sovereign state