Kosovo, Serbia Prepare for Post-ICJ Battle
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Culture: Freedom Festival Challenges Kosovo’s Bleak Image Now 24 pages July 16 - 29, 2010 Issue No. 44 www.prishtinainsight.com Price € 1 NEWS Morcheeba One in Five Infected Plays While in Hospital Prishtina > page 3 One of Britain’s coolest bands is coming to town in August as part of a new summer festival dedicat- ed to urban culture. Prishtina Insight is offer- ing VIP tickets to ten lucky NEWS readers for what will cer- Auditors Drop tainly be one of the Public Procurement hippest, hottest nights this summer. Test for Ministry LIVEPICT.COM See Page 17 > page 3 NEWS Kosovo, Serbia Prepare PDK Municipalities Financially Favoured For Post-ICJ Battle > page 4 CITY As the International Court of Justice gets ready to pronounce on the legality of Kosovo’s independence, both sides are pondering their next move, which could range from pushing for land exchanges to fresh talks on status. Parks, Parking and By Petrit Collaku, Bojana ning very little support in any On the day the ICJ gives its Kosovo’s final status. They Pavements are Barlovac and Gjeraqina Tuhina quarter, a more nuanced option – non-binding opinion, EU sources regard this as settled. special status for Serb-held north- have told Prishtina Insight that However, their success will Prishtina’s Priority ver since Serbian forces ern Kosovo – looks a more likely they expect Catherine Ashton, depend also on Serbia, as pulled out from Kosovo compromise. EU High Representative for Belgrade will propose the UN res- > page 8 Ein 1999, an exchange of Observers expect a diplomatic Foreign Affairs, will issue a state- olution, just as it proposed the territory between Kosovo and push to follow the ICJ ruling, ment welcoming the court’s opin- UN resolution that initiated the GUIDE Serbia has been presented as when both sides will claim victo- ion and calling for dialogue ICJ case. one option for resolving the ry. This will be followed by new between Prishtina and Belgrade A territorial exchange would Hiking Dragash, Belgrade-Prishtina dispute. negotiations between Belgrade on practical issues. involve Kosovo ceding to Serbia With the International Court of and Prishtina, although the In September, at the UN northern Mitrovica and areas Kosovo: Brod to Justice, ICJ, expected to terms of these talks have yet to be General Assembly, the UN will north of the town, which have a announce its opinion on the set. most probably adopt a resolution Serbian majority and refuse to Mount Cule legality of Kosovo’s declaration Supporters of Kosovo’s inde- on Kosovo also calling for dia- accept rule from Prishtina. In of independence on Thursday, pendence are pushing for discus- logue. return, Serbia would cede to > page 12 July 22, the issue is again being sions to centre on an acceptable Several EU countries and the Kosovo the mainly Albanian nudged into the spotlight as a modus vivendi, while Serbia’s US are working to ensure that the Presevo Valley, on the Kosovo bor- potential compromise. backers want to see status negoti- text of the UN resolution does not der. However, with land swaps win- ations back on the table. include any call for talks on continues page 2 Kosovo Depends on Serbia Shame Shields Srebrenica for Bread Rapists from Justice Kosovo’s wheat harvest this July will Among the more than 3,500 body parts yield 250,000 tonnes of the cereal, or three buried so far in Potocari, near Srebrenica - FEATURE quarters of what is required to meet the victims of the 1995 genocide in the eastern country’s demand for bread. Bosnian town - 30 belong to women. Tough Times for The deficit is mostly made up from Some of these women were killed by Serbian imports, despite thousands of members of army and police of Republika Albanian Culture hectares of agricultural... Srpska after they... business page 6 news page 10-11 > page 14 Y M is supported by: C K 2 July 16 - 29, 2010 news Kosovo, Serbia Prepare For Post-ICJ Battle from page 1 the so-called Ahtisaari plan for opinion because the club Kosovo’s independence, which remained divided about Kosovo’s The international community already contains provisions for independence, five of the 22 mem- does not favour talk of land swaps, Serb-majority districts to run ber states having withheld recog- however, fearing it will open a many of their own affairs. nition. Pandora’s Box. An ethnic-based On Tuesday, Prime Minister, “Brussels should use the ICJ land exchange between Serbia and Hashim Thaci dismissed territori- opinion to secure the other five Kosovo would raise fresh ques- al exchanges as a Serbian idea, recognitions so that it can have a tions about the future status of maintaining any such exchange clear perspective on Kosovo’s and mainly Albanian parts of would be “dangerous for the whole Serbia’s EU integration,” Hoti Macedonia, for example. region”. said. EU diplomats have told “The idea is unacceptable [also] Prishtina Insight that they would to Brussels and Washington,” he An Opinion Is Not a Verdict prefer to encourage talk of extra added. “For Prishtina, such an autonomy for northern Kosovo idea is unthinkable now and forev- Vojin Dimitrijevic, director of within Kosovo. er. Kosovo is a sovereign state and the Belgrade Centre for Human While officials in both Prishtina its territorial integrity would not Rights, an expert on international and Belgrade reject this idea, too, be compromised,” he continued. law, also cautions against unrealis- there are some signs that both Analysts in Kosovo also dismiss tic expectations of the ICJ opin- sides might eventually accept this talk of territorial exchanges. ion. “An advisory opinion is not a as part of a compromise. Political commentator Mufail verdict,” he told Prishtina Insight. “We would be ready to discuss Limani said it was unacceptable, “Therefore, there can be no win- special status for the northern because it would revive specula- ner and no loser in the case.” part [of Kosovo] if we had guaran- tion about the position of the The UN General Assembly will tees that Serbia would be construc- Albanian community in neigh- take the advisory opinion as an aid tive about Kosovo’s participation bouring Macedonia. “Such an before further deciding on the in regional initiatives and its pos- exchange would bring the ‘nation- issue, “but it has no obligation to sible membership of various al issue’ to the fore for all obey it,” he added. international organisations,” one Albanians,” he said. “Of course, due to the authority EU diplomat said. Limani said there was no need of the court, it [the advisory opin- “The north would get a certain for special status for the north, ion] will have an influence, espe- degree of autonomy, which would either. “Kosovo already has the cially if it gets adopted by a signif- be sufficient for Belgrade not to Ahtisaari plan, which foresees all icant majority,” he continued. try and destabilise Kosovo in minority rights, including for the But decisions on whether to future, because it would have to north,” he said. It was high time recognise Kosovo would ultimate- guarantee this autonomy,” the Serbia stopped playing a “destruc- ly remain a bilateral issue for the diplomat added. tive role in Kosovo”, he continued. countries concerned. “The court However, an official from the Afrim Hoti, an expert in inter- cannot punish a country for recog- Anti-Italian slogan in South Tyrol, Northern Italy EU’s Council of Ministers cau- national law in Prishtina, agreed. nising Kosovo independence,” he formed based on the majority of tion. tioned that such an idea was only a If Kosovo agreed to exchange assessed. their votes. “The Serbian media cite the par- proposal, not an agreed EU strate- land, “the arguments would not Dusan Janjic, director for the Oliver Ivanovic, State Secretary tition of Kosovo as one of the gy. “I would call this an idea of stop and Albanians in Macedonia Forum for Ethnic Relations, of Serbia’s ministry for Kosovo options from time to time and say some individual EU member would ask for [a land swap to believes the ICJ opinion on and Metohija, said Belgrade was the EU would support such a solu- states,” the official said. include] western Macedonia,” he Kosovo’s independence will bring ready for any outcome, though he tion, but it’s simply not true,” “I would call this ‘an old idea said. the question “back to the field declined to reveal what its strategy Kacin said. with new packaging’,” he added, Offering northern Kosovo more where it belongs – the field of poli- would be. Kacin explained that a strict referring to the fact that majority- autonomy was unnecessary. “I tics and international law. “I can only confirm that the division of territory between Serb areas of Kosovo are already don’t know anywhere in the region “I don’t expect the opinion to country’s stance on the issue Serbia and Kosovo on ethnic lines entitled to significant autonomy. or abroad where minorities have bring anything compelling; the remains the same – to keep its ter- had never been an option because Ulrike Lunacek, EU Rapporteur more rights than they do in ICJ judges will only present opin- ritorial integrity,” he told it would undermine all the efforts for Kosovo in the European Kosovo,” Hoti said. ions and arguments and will Prishtina Insight. made to preserve and restore the Parliament, said everyone needed Together with the EU rule-of- refrain from recommendations,” Ivanovic said there was a good multi-ethnic and multi-religious first to see what the ICJ said before law mission, EULEX, the Kosovo Janjic told Prishtina Insight.