KSF Banned from KLA Festivals in Arms Row

News: Balkan Economies Brace for Fallout from Greece Crisis March 26 - April 8, 2010 Issue No. 36 www.prishtinainsight.com Now on sale for € 1 GUIDE Prishtina Insight’s Guide to Live Music > page 8 BUSINESS Kosovo’s New Power Plant – Does Size Matter? > page 5 CULTURE Reviving Glory of National Theatre > page 9 KSF Banned From KLA CITY Illegal Builidings to be Mapped From Air Festivals in Arms Row > page 6 Following a spat with NATO over unit’s appearance with weapons, the KSF will not be allowed to take part in future commemorations of the Kosovo Liberation Army. memoration. KFOR’s commander, General disasters. By Lawrence Marzouk The so-called “epopee”, or epic Markus Bentler, said that the KSF Although intended as a multi- NGO FOCUS poem, commemorating the death would not be able to take part in ethnic force, it is comprised almost he Kosovo Security Force, Don Bosko: A of the popular hero Adam Jashari, such events as the Epopee. entirely of ethnic Albanians, some KSF, has been banned from a key personality in the develop- “There will be appearances of of whom fought in the KLA and, in Ttaking part in future com- History of ment of the KLA, took place on the ceremonial unit, probably not spite of NATO attempts to play memorations of the Kosovo March 5. on March 5 [next year] but proba- down such views, is widely seen as Education Liberation Army, KLA, following a NATO resumed cooperation bly at other events,” he said. Kosovo’s future army. row with NATO over bearing with the KSF a few days later. A The KSF took over from the General Bentler said the KSF > page 14 arms. press release issued by the Kosovo Protection Corps, made up guard would not be allowed to take The NATO force in Kosovo, President’s Office clarified that of former KLA fighters, in part in “events connected [only] to KFOR, froze its relationship with the KSF’s ceremonial unit would January 2009. Its mandate is to one part of the community”, as its the KSF after members of the be allowed to use “demilitarised conduct crisis response operations activities needed to underline the TIMEOUT force, which does not have mili- weapons” for certain events. in Kosovo and abroad, civil protec- multiethnic nature of the force. tary status, appeared carrying But in an interview with tion operations within Kosovo and Dam Festival 2010 weapons at a recent KLA com- Prishtina Insight yesterday, to assist in dealing with natural continues on page 2 Programme Kosovo’s Exports Serbia Boycott > page 15 Stuck in Doldrums Angers Pro-Europeans The refusal of Serbia’s President, Boris The European Commission announced Tadic, to attend a regional summit on in February that it planned to extend its March 20 in Slovenia, protesting over the tariff-free trade agreement with Kosovo invitation given to Kosovo, has drawn crit- and the rest of the Western Balkans to icism from pro-European experts in Serbia 2015. But Muhamet Imeri, owner of the itself. They fear the gesture is likely to lead Galanteria factory... business page 7 news to Serbia’s... page 4 Y M is supported by: C K 2 March 27 - April 8, 2010 news Balkan Economies Brace for February 2008, its trading relation- United Bulgarian Bank belongs ships with all the non-recognizing to the National Bank of Greece, countries were badly affected. Postbank is owned by Eurobank By BIRN staff Currently there is little Greek EFG Group, while Piraeus Bank investment in Kosovo, although one Group, Alpha Bank Group and Greek company, Public Power Emporiki Bank also have their Corporation, is part of a consor- local affiliates. reece has been the economic tium bidding to build Kosovo’s new But Ganev thinks that Bulgarian motor of the region in recent power plant. bank assets will be hit only if Gyears. As a result, its severe The main problem facing Kosovo Greek bank system collapses com- financial troubles hold consequences for in terms of Greece’s economic pletely. “Local branches are stable several countries beyond its borders. decline is to do with the large ethnic [though] any severe problems in If the European Union fails to Albanian diaspora in Greece, from their parent Greek banks might avert the collapse of the Greek econ- Kosovo and Albania proper. As they hurt their work in Bulgaria,” omy, it will have repercussions lose jobs, this is bound to affect the Ganev said. across the Balkans and especially economy of Albania, which will Two weeks ago, the Finance among Greece’s immediate neigh- have a knock-on effect on its eco- Minister, Simeon Dyankov, bours – Albania, Bulgaria and nomically-close neighbour, Kosovo. expressed concerns about a possi- Macedonia. ble liquidity drain from local bank Greek businesses, especially BULGARIA: Short-term branches to their headquarters in banks, have been important new balance of economic power in beyond focusing on long-term fun- Greece. However, Ivan Iskrov, gov- investors throughout the region and the Balkans and regional relation- damental economic reform. pain, long-term gain: ernor of the Bulgarian National observers predict that as Greece’s ships are likely to be transformed as Albania “should step-up structural Bank, BNB, said the local partners financial troubles worsen, such a result. reforms, get closer to the EU and The immediate consequences of of Greek banks appeared stable. investments are bound to dry up. apply competitive policies to devel- the downturn in Greece may be “There’s no reason to worry,” said Inevitable big cuts in public ALBANIA: The worst op the potential of its own econo- damage to Bulgaria’s economy and Iskrov, adding that BNB was moni- spending in Greece “will affect the my,” Sanfey said. delay to its recovery. But in the affected neighbour toring all the banks. whole of the Balkans because long term, some believe Sofia may Meanwhile, some experts Greece has been the gravitational KOSOVO: Not much of a benefit from its neighbour’s eco- The roughly 664,000 Albanians believe the long-term effects of the centre of financial, economic and nomic instability. currently living in Greece make up relationship Greek crisis may be beneficial. social stability in the region,” Greece has been a key investor to 10 per cent of Greece’s total work- Ganev says that while the Greek Pajtim Melani, head of market in Bulgaria since the 1990s. From force. An important migrant popu- Safet Gerxhaliu, deputy chair of downturn could lead to a more research at the Albanian 1996 to 2008 it was the third biggest lation with strong ties to Albania, Kosovo’s Chamber of Commerce, restrictive EU policy towards new Competition Authority, a govern- investor in the country, responsi- they send home hundreds of mil- says that the “one-sided” nature of entrants in the euro-zone, delaying ment watchdog, explains. ble for 9 per cent of direct foreign lions of euros in remittances every the economic relationship between Bulgaria’s ambitions to join, the Apart from the danger of Greek investments, FDI, in Bulgaria, data year. Greece and Kosovo means Kosovo crisis might also have the contrary investment falling, or even disap- from the government’s Invest After a meeting of the directors of will not be affected greatly by effect of speeding up euro-zone pearing, from parts of the region, Bulgaria Agency shows. Albania’s central bank on February Greece’s economic turmoil. acceptance of countries like trade with Greece – an important Last year, however, Greek for- 24, governor Ardian Fullani warned “If you look at the trade balance, Bulgaria, which have done much to component of several regional eign investment plummeted from that the Greek debt crisis would we are mostly importing from meet the necessary requirements. economies – is declining as Greek 2.7 billion euro in 2008 to a mere have a negative impact on Albania, Greece,” he said, “and we also used Bogdanov said that countries consumers tighten belts and cut 37.7 million euro, according to the and the bank was keeping a close it as a transit point [for imports] like Bulgaria, Romania and Serbia, consumption. National Bank. watch. from Asia.” which are economically stable, and The impact of the Greek crisis is Lachezar Bogdanov, of Industry “The economic slowdown of the Greece is one of the largest have lower taxes and a better busi- also likely to be felt by emigrant Watch, an economic think tank in Greek economy will also affect sources of imports for Kosovo and ness environment, could benefit workers in the country. As borders Sofia, said the short-term conse- Albania’s economy,” Fullani said, the port of Thessalonica is a key from the downturn in Greece. “If in the region have opened up, and as quences of the Greek downturn adding that the impact would be felt transit zone for products destined Greece starts to be seen as a risky Greece has become more prosper- would be felt immediately by local in terms of remittances, foreign for Kosovo and coming from Asia country, other countries in the ous since joining the EU, its econo- businesses dependent on Greek trade and in Greek banks present in and Brazil. Lignite for one of region have a better chance to my has sucked in large numbers of custom. Fewer Greek tourists Albania. Kosovo’s biggest exporters, attract investments that otherwise seasonal and permanent workers. would visit Bulgarian ski resorts, Greek-owned banks in Albania Ferronikeli, passes through the port would go to Greece,” Bogdanov Ethnic Albanians alone make up and fewer people would come to comprise 25 per cent of the coun- as well as almost all chickens, which said.

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