October 3 - 16, 2008 Issue No. 1 €1.50 COMPLIMENTARY COPY POLITICS Minister Under Fire Over Kosovo Slams Belgrade's Serbian Offensive Partition Claims As Belgrade approaches General Assembly vote on Kosovo with confidence, opposition in Kosovo accuses foreign minister of presiding over a debacle. he Kosovo issue will again preoccupy minds at the UN page 4 Tnext week – not at the Security Council, as it did a year ago, but at the General Assembly. COMMENT On October 8, the 192 member states will vote on Serbia’s bid to Echoes of the Balkans seek the opinion of the in the Georgia Crisis International Court of Justice, ICJ, on the legality of Kosovo’s independence. Only 47 of these countries have recognised Kosovo’s independ- ence, and it appears that not all of them will vote against the Serbian resolution. Sources in Brussels told Prishtina Insight that EU coun- page 5 tries had decided to abstain from the vote in a bloc “due to the fact that not all EU member states REAL ESTATE have recognised the independ- ence of Kosovo,” as one Brussels- Dangers Abound in based diplomat put it. Kosovo Building Boom So far, 21 EU countries have recognised Kosovo. Five oppose granting recognition and a sixth, Portugal, has neither recognised Kosovo nor publicly opposed it. Under the General Assembly rules, countries abstaining from the vote on October 8 will be counted as not voting. This means that for the case to go to page 7 the ICJ, Serbia needs the support of only a simple majority of countries that actually vote. INVESTIGATION Serbia’s Foreign Minister, Vuk Cartoon by Mentor Llapashtica Jeremic, last week appeared con- Smugglers Find Heaven fident of victory. “Most UN mem- cy,” one official told Prishtina ministry had “utterly failed in indeed been tardy in deploying in Kosovo's North bers stand behind it [Serbia’s ini- Insight. the process of getting independ- diplomats, adding that many had tiative],” he said. Albana Beqiri, an adviser to ence recognised.” not yet obtained visas for the “Certain countries have openly Hyseni, countered that the min- At a special session of parlia- countries in which they would be told us that if the Court rules that istry was treating the Serbian ment on September 18, Ibrahim residing. it [recognition] was not in line drive with urgency.“Our strategy Gashi, from the opposition New President Fatmir Sejdiu has with international law, they will is to have more recognitions, to Kosova Alliance, said the min- accredited ambassadors to ten withdraw their recognition of which end we’ve been working istry was guilty of “nepotism and countries but none has yet set off. Kosovo,” Jeremic added. mostly with countries that lack of professionalism.” Adem They are still being trained in Kosovo’s government disputes haven’t yet recognised Kosovo,” Salihaj, of the Democratic Prishtina, awaiting deployment this prognosis but officials in she said. League of Dardania, called on to their respective countries. page 9 Pristina do not conceal their dis- Opposition parties in Kosovo Hyseni to resign. Beqiri insisted this phase would may with the efforts of Foreign have bitterly attacked the foreign Some deputies say a cardinal soon be completed. “The foreign Minister Skender Hyseni. “If ministry, claiming it lacked com- error was the delay setting up ministry is about to finish the NEIGHBOURHOOD Serbia manages to send this case mitment. Besnik Tahiri, of the Kosovo’s embassies abroad. technical issues around the open- to the ICJ, this would be a signifi- Alliance for Future of Kosovo, led Official sources told Prishtina ing of the embassies. This will be Trade in Degrees Stuns cant failure for Kosovo’s diploma- by Ramush Haradinaj, said the Insight the government had concluded very soon,” she said. Croatia Food & Drink Travel Guide Ronan Macnamara takes Asdren Rrahmani took his a look at what there is to eat camera to Prevalla to show us and drink in Prishtina this gorgeous national park page 11 page 12 page 18 Get Prishtina Insight delivered to your door! is supported by: 038 24 33 58 [email protected] 2 • October 3 - 16, 2008 promo JOIN OUR TEAM! The BIRN Kosovo team is looking for proactive, motivated candidates with a strong command of the English language to fill the following vacant positions: 1. Marketing manager 2. Sales agent 3. Contributors JOB SUMMARY: JOB SUMMARY: JOB SUMMARY: Responsible for day-to-day marketing operations as well as The Sales Agent is responsible for the sale of newspaper Writers needed to produce 300 - 1000 word articles on top- the overall, long term marketing strategy for Prishtina Insight. advertising targeting the English-speaking community of ics of interest to the English-speaking community of Kosovo Kosovo. ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS: ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS: ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS: • Develop newspaper-specific marketing campaigns • Use words and pictures to inspire and inform, to open dia- • Develop a complete prospect contact plan, from genera- • Build ad sales business working directly with clients logues, and to help people tackle everyday challenges tion of new prospects to conversion into customers • Promote Prishtina Insight as the top news source for the • Address situations and opportunities that are unique to • Generate leads for partnerships and develop relationships English-speaking community of Kosovo Kosovo with media and businesses • Work with Prishtina Insight management to ensure that • We are looking for those with a positive voice and an inter- • Supervise and maintain the outreach budget ensuring the all ads running in the paper are appropriate/approved est in Kosovo account is neither under nor overspent • Manage inventory and sales process for most effective • Supervise and assist in the record keeping of all marketing selling REQUIREMENTS: activities • Develop effective and inventive ways to promote brand REQUIREMENTS: • Must be willing to adhere to Prishtina Insight's guidelines, awareness in the territory deadlines and quality standards. • Extensive experience in sales • Experience in media is not mandatory but is an advantage REQUIREMENTS: • Excellent knowledge of English and Albanian languages • Photography skills a plus • Basic knowledge about work of the media a plus • Ability to write in English • Extensive experience in marketing • Energetic, hard working, self starter • Excellent knowledge of English and Albanian language • Must have excellent verbal communication and writing • Basic knowledge about the work of media skills • Proven management and leadership skills • A willingness to travel locally • Adaptability, resourcefulness and creative problem-solving skills • Superior written and oral communication skills, including public speaking • The ability to manage and balance a wide variety of Think you know Prishtina? responsibilities in a fast-paced environment under tight time constraints • Strong critical thinking, assessment, and analytical skill, and attention to detail Think again! • A willingness to travel locally news • October 3 - 16, 2008 3 Kosovo PM Vows New Partition Would Wipe Editor’s Word Spurt of Recognitions out Kosovo Serbs Prapë! BALKAN INSIGHT,PRISHTINA Gracanica, and the Pec (Peja) and osovo Serbs condemned the Decani Patriarchates,” claimed Serbian President’s claim Jaksic. Kthat Belgrade does not rule Gracanica, Peja and Decani are By Krenar Gashi out Kosovo’s partition, arguing the home to important Serbian move would wipe out Serb commu- Orthodox monasteries but they lie nities living in enclaves. in enclaves outside the overwhelm- Senior Kosovo Serb politicians ingly Serb-dominated regions of ere we go again. After a claimed President Boris Tadic’s northern Kosovo. few months of analysing declaration had sent a negative Meanwhile the Vice president of Hand enjoying the impact message to Serbs living in the the Serb National Council, moder- that the special edition of enclaves that are spread out across ate politician Rada Trajkovic Prishtina Insight had in June, Kosovo. claimed the partition of Kosovo we’re starting regular publica- Marko Jaksic, Vice President of would complete the ethnic cleans- tion of our newspaper, which the Parliament of Serb Munici- ing of Serbs from Kosovo. from now on will be in your palities in Kosovo, seen as illegal “Partition is against modern hands every second Friday. by Kosovo’s government, argued European values. Albanians may I must clear up one matter. We partition does not offer any alter- have such an option in exchanging have now intentionally correct- photo byphoto Insight Prishtina for Rrahmani Petrit native for local Serbs living in the northern Kosovo with the Presevo ed the spelling mistake that we BALKAN INSIGHT,PRISHTINA forwarded to the International other regions of the country. Valley,” added Trajkovic. made in the last edition. osovo’s Prime Minister Court of Justice for its opinion. “An opinion has been created The Presevo Valley is a small Prishtina will now be written as Hashim Thaci has dis- The United Nations’ 192 mem- that we are backing partition. region of Serbia proper where eth- it is supposed to be, and not as Kmissed the Serbian bers will vote on Serbia’s resolu- Nobody wants to leave out nic Albanians make up a majority. many international organisa- Foreign Minister’s claims that tion on October 8. If Belgrade tions, among them Kosovo’s own some countries may soon retract secures a simple majority, its res- government, write it. That their recognition of Kosovo’s olution will be forwarded to the Libya ‘Won’t Back means Prishtina being written independence. World Court. as it is pronounced – with a “sh”. “There will be new recogni- Jeremic said he expects some We will not try to change the tions for Kosovo that will sur- countries to retract their recogni- Serbia’s Kosovo Case’ constitution, where it is unfortu- prise Serbia,” Thaci said on tion of Kosovo if the World Court nately stated that “the capital of October 2. decides Prishtina’s independence BALKAN INSIGHT,PRISHTINA The vote will be held on October Kosovo is Pristina”, but we will His comments were a reply to was a breach of international he head of Kosovar diploma- 8.