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July 17 - 30, 2009 Issue No. 20 FREE COPY FEATURE Kosovars Swoon at ‘Albanian’ Crime on the Rise in Kosovo, Star in Turkish Soap Opera Warns ProCredit Bank Chief Head of Kosovo’s Biggest Bank Reveals New Security Measures Following Latest Armed Heist in Prishtina By Petrit Qollaku and Vjosa Musliu he General Manager of page 7 Kosovo’s biggest bank has T warned of a ‘radical rise’ in bank robberies following the NEWS latest in a series of armed heists. Philip Sigwart, of ProCredit Power Plant Announced as Bank, told Prishtina Insight that Bidder RWE Pulls Out financial institutions were being targeted as part of a ‘general increase in criminality’ in the country. Kosovo Police confirmed that, despite a lack of accurate statis- tics, the number of burglaries and robberies were rising. A ProCredit Bank in Pristina was robbed of 19,000 euro on Friday, 10 July – the third attack page 4 against the bank in Kosovo’s cap- ital in two months. Mr Sigwart told Prishtina BUSINESS Insight: “We believe that this is a Kosovo Economists Query Use reflection of the general increase of ‘Frozen’ Billion of criminality in Kosovo. “During our first eight years of operations in Kosovo, ProCredit byPhoto Insight Prishtina Blerim Berisha for ProCredit Bank has been targeted by armed bank robbers three times in the past two months Bank did not have a single rob- bery. new technology such as dye- spokesperson, told Prishtina tion with Macedonian authori- “This year we had three rob- packs. These are devices that Insight: “The 8,000 police of ties, but could not say whether beries in a row. Other financial explode in a shower of coloured Kosovo’s police service cannot the crimes in Prishtina and institutions are targeted as well, ink and permanently stain the ensure the safety of all the busi- Skopje were connected. such as the Western Union stolen banknotes. nesses in Kosovo. Shemsi Krasniqi, head of the- offices, so this is not limited to “We will be the first bank in “The banks should look at sociology department at the ProCredit Bank. the whole Balkan region to their internal security issues.” University of Prishtina, said that page 5 “We invest a lot in security, but implement this latest technolo- But he added that crime is on the financial crisis should not be when you are confronted with gy.” the rise in Kosovo. He said: “We blamed for the increase in crime. people who are willing to risk Agron Borovci, Kosovo Police don’t have accurate statistics yet. He said: “Certain people com- CITY everything to steal others peo- spokesperson for the Prishtina But, by and large, there is an mit crimes, robberies and the ple’s money it is difficult to have region, said police were linking increase in burglaries and rob- like in the name of [the finan- “Stuffy” Clinton Poster Angers 100 per cent protection.” the three robberies, but no beries in general.” cial] crisis and turmoil, but the Prishtiners Mr Sigwart said that his bank arrests have been made. Three Pro-Credit Banks in real source of this situation is was now investing significant He said: “We suspect that we Prishtina and one in Skopje have the degeneration of values. sums in new security technology are dealing with the same group been robbed since April. “Kosovo has seen a dramatic not currently used in the of persons, taking into consider- Two policemen and three system change, felt in the econo- Balkans. ation the elements of the rob- passers-by were injured during my, society and politics. He said: “As there has been a beries. the armed heist in Macedonia. “Because of this dramatic radical increase in the number of “There are always two persons, Local reports suggested the change, our society has not yet bank robberies, it has become a masked and carrying weapons, robbers stole about 50,000 euro established a new system of val- necessity to upgrade some of our and they attack the banks early before fleeing to Kosovo. ues, and until we manage to do security installations to the lat- in the morning.” Kosovo Police confirmed they that, certain people will profit page 6 est standards and to purchase Besim Hoti, Kosovo Police were working in close coopera- from the chaos.” ARTE News News Exit: 4 Days, 500 Performers Row Escalates over Kosovo’s Exclusion Albanian Take on Battle of Kosovo and 200,000 Revellers from Visa Free Travel Draws Hate Mail In a long-awaited decision, that has A controversial book on the Battle of sparked enthusiastic reactions in some Kosovo has brought its Italian author parts of the region and disillusionment hate mail from Serbia, but also a promis- in others, the European Commission has ing offer from a Belgrade publisher. adopted a proposal for granting visa-free Anna Di Lellio’s The Battle of Kosovo travel to the citizens of Macedonia, 1389: An Albanian Epic, published earli- Montenegro and Serbia... er this month... page 2 page 3 page 10 is supported by: 2 • july 17 - 30, 2009 news Balkan Ghetto? The Row Escalates over Kosovo’s Exclusion from Visa Free Travel Serbia, Macedonia and Montenegro given green light for Schengen visas, while Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina are told more progress is needed n a long-awaited decision, that year, so that citizens of the three has sparked enthusiastic reac- countries can freely travel in the Itions in some parts of the region Schengen states as from January and disillusionment in others, the 2010. European Commission has adopted a proposal for granting visa-free travel Bosnia and Herzegovina to the citizens of Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia. and Albania ‘Lament’ Enlargement Commissioner Olli Decision Rehn and his counterpart from jus- tice and home affairs, Jacques Albania and Bosnia have been Barrot, presented the visa-liberalisa- ranked at the end of the list and tion proposal for the western therefore will not be included in the Balkans in Brussels on Wednesday. first round of visa liberalisation. “Today’s proposal is very impor- According to EC sources, they will tant and is the result of intensive have to wait until mid-2010. and hard work for the authorities Citizens of Bosnia and and the people of these countries in Herzegovina and Albania are meeting the conditions [for visa lib- lamenting the fact that they have eralisation],” Barrot said. been left out of the process. Dialogue on visas started with the Regarding Bosnia, Barrot said: western Balkans countries in 2006, “Bosnia and Herzegovina does not while the visa liberalisation process yet have any biometric passports. If was launched in 2008. Bosnia and we had proposed to have BiH enter Herzegovina and Albania are also in now into the system of lifting visas, the process, but are deemed to have then I wouldn’t have gotten approval not fulfilled the necessary condi- from the council. We have to move in tions. [a] step-by-step process, and since One of the thorniest issues of the byPhoto FoNet The European Commission revealed its visa liberalisation programme for the western Balkans on Wednesday BiH have not been able to distribute negotiations has been how Serbia these passports, that is the prob- will deal with residents of Kosovo, But the Assembly of Kosovo Serb states with EU presence are not for the others who just want to trav- lem.” which it still considers to be a Municipalities called the decision to “controlled by the EU”. el, it would have been a great thing,” Rehn said he hoped that Bosnia province despite its declaration of exclude Kosovo Serbs from the visa- Kosovo senior leaders reasserted he added. and Herzegovina and Albania would independence. free zone “humiliating” and said that that Kosovo’s future is in the Former Serbian PM Vojislav soon catch up with their neighbours. Rehn said: “It is indeed the case Belgrade’s acceptance of the EU deal European family and that its insti- Kostunica said in an interview for “If all conditions are fulfilled the that Kosovo, under [UN Resolution] showed it was “giving up Kosovo”. tutions will work to precipitate the Belgrade daily Danas that accepting commission could envisage making 1244, is not part of the present dia- “If, to that, one adds the condition process of integration. the visa-free regime, which does not a new proposal, which would include logue on visa liberalisation. It is [an] that Serbia, together with EULEX “We informed Solana that apply to the residents of Kosovo, them by mid 2010,” Rehn said. objective fact that Kosovo doesn’t and the Kosovo Police Service, Kosovo’s vision is to become part of represents illegal discrimination. In Bosnia, the mood is one of dis- meet conditions because of security installs Albanian customs, judiciary the EU and NATO,” said Kosovo’s He added it represented the biggest appointment and disillusionment, concerns. Cooperation between and police in northern Kosovo, then President, Fatmir Sejdiu. step in a process of accepting with many viewing the decision as EULEX and Serbia is important.” that is not conditioning, but humilia- According to Kosovo’s Prime Kosovo’s independence. an act, however indirect, of discrim- tion,” the statement issued by the Minister, Hashim Thaci, Kosovo has Serbian Interior Minister Ivica ination against Bosniaks (Bosnian “It is indeed the case that Assembly reads. achieved spectacular achievements Dacic said on Wednesday that it is Muslims), as Bosnian Croats and The letter complains that the EU is in the first year after its declaration clear that the European Bosnian Serbs have the opportunity Kosovo, under [UN jeopardising Serbia’s territorial of independence from Serbia.

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