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Kosova Daily Report #1603, 98-11-04
Kosova Information Center
KOSOVA DAILY REPORT #1603
Prishtina, 4 November 1998
CONTENTS
[01] President Rugova Receives German Ambassador
[02] Kosova Government Says Interim Settlement Should Recognize the Right
to Self-Determination
[03] Kosova Negotiators Discuss Plan with European Diplomats
[04] Serb Forces Shell Albanian Villages with Artillery Fire in Central
Kosova
[05] Over 900 Albanian Burned Out and Shelled in Peja During Summer Serb
Crackdown
[06] Mutilated Body of Albanian Remains Uncollected in Suhareka
[07] Further Serb Forces Regrouping in Kamenica
[01] President Rugova Receives German Ambassador
PRISHTINA, Nov 4 (KIC) - The President of the Republic of Kosova Dr.
Ibrahim Rugova received Germany's ambassador to Belgrade, Mr. Wilfried
Gruber, on Tuesday evening.
The most recent situation in Kosova and the steps towards the creation of
an environment conducive to the establishment of a negotiating process
between Prishtina and Belgrade were discussed in the meeting.
The human tragedy and heavy destruction caused by the Serbian aggression
against Albanians in Kosova was all the more clear Tuesday, when he himself
toured central Kosova, the President underlined.
The OSCE and NATO verification regimes should be put in place as soon as
possible to create a sense of security for Albanian people to return to
their settlements in safety, Ibrahim Rugova said.
The Kosova President stressed that further and irreversible withdrawal of
Serbian forces from Kosova would calm down the situation and create the
conditions for the establishment of a fully-fledged negotiating process on
a political resolution to the Kosova issue.
[02] Kosova Government Says Interim Settlement Should Recognize the Right
to Self-Determination
U.S. envoy Chris Hill's plan cannot serve as a basis for further
discussions, Bukoshi's Government says
PRISHTINA, Nov 4 (KIC) - The Government of the Republic of Kosova said in a
statement Tuesday the draft plan for an interim settlement in Kosova
prepared by U.S. envoy Chris Hill is unacceptable. The plan cannot even
serve as a basis for further discussion, the Government said, after having
consulted legal experts.
Before any talks between Kosova and the 'FRY' can start, the 'FRY'/Serb
side should have met a number of demands, including the full withdrawal of
armed Serbian forces, and the safe return of displaced Albanian people back
to their homes, and full cooperation of 'FRY" with the Hague Tribunal, the
Kosova Government said.
The Republic's Government, chaired by Prime Minister Bujar Bukoshi, said it
proposed the formation of a neutral Implementation Commission, composed of
two representatives designated by the Kosova Government, two designated by
the 'FRY', and three individuals from abroad, designated by the UN
Secretary of General in cooperation with the EU Presidency.
The Commission would assess the level of compliance with the mandatory
demands of the Security Council over Kosova, the Government said. When
compliance has been established, negotiations on an interim settlement in
Kosova can start, it added. The negotiations should be conducted in Geneva.
Besides the delegations of the Republic of Kosova and the 'FRY", there
should be international involvement in the form of three guarantor states
as well as implementation organizations that will be determined, the
Kosova Government said.
"There will be no preconditions on the substantial outcome of such
negotiations. Instead, the parties will be free to formulate their views
about the interim arrangement that is desired, adopted at the level of
international law," the statement of the Government said.
The interim settlement should be sought on the basis of a number of
principles, the most important one being that the Republic of Kosova is a
self-determination entity, based both on its right to achieve independence
after the dissolution of the former Yugoslavia as well as in the light of
the repression its people have suffered from an unrepresentative regime.
The interim agreement does not have to expressly confirm and state that
Kosova is an independent state, but the agreement must not prejudice it
either, the Kosova Government said, stressing that the interim agreement
should recognize the right of Kosova to self- determination.
Kosova has its territory as well as its adopted constitution, and the
interim accord should be based on the legal personality of Kosova as a
whole, is the position of the Republic's Government.
The long statement of the Government elaborates on different aspects of a
hand-over of power from the 'FRY' to Kosova, such as arrangements to assure
the minority populations here, including joint police patrols with
international involvement in certain settlements.
The organs of the Republic of Kosova will implement all human and minority
rights, based on full equality, and all sides will cooperate with
international bodies to prosecute war criminals, regardless of their ethnic
background, the Government said.
At the termination of a temporary period, the future status of Kosova will
be determined or confirmed in accordance with the right of the people of
the Republic of Kosova to self-determination. A referendum with
international involvement will be held then, the Government of Kosova
concluded.
[03] Kosova Negotiators Discuss Plan with European Diplomats
The new version of the American draft agreement on Kosova has been enhanced
somewhat, but it is still far from meeting the demands of the Albanians,
Kosovar negotiators stressed
PRISHTINA, Nov 4 (KIC) - The Kosova negotiating team, headed by team
coordinator Fehmi Agani, had separate meetings Tuesday and Wednesday in
Prishtina with EU special envoy for Kosova, Wolfgang Petritsch, German
ambassador to Belgrade, Wilfried Gruber, and the First Secretary in the
Swedish Embassy in Belgrade, Julius Lilestrom.
The Kosova negotiators and the European diplomats discussed about the new
American draft for an interim agreement in Kosova and the possibilities
that it offers.
The Kosova negotiating team expressed the view that the new version of the
draft agreement had been enhanced somewhat, but added that it is still far
from meeting the demands of the Albanians. Remarks and suggestions on it
will be presented in a written form, and they will be discussed with the
American experts, the Kosova negotiators told the European diplomats, the
KIC has learned.
The European diplomats reiterated the continued engagement of their
respective countries and the European Union in favour of a rightful interim
solution for Kosova.
[04] Serb Forces Shell Albanian Villages with Artillery Fire in Central
Kosova
PRISHTINA, Nov 4 (KIC) - At around 12:50 hrs today (Wednesday), Serb forces
started shelling the village of Petrova, about 35 km south of Prishtina,
the LDK chapter in Shtime said.
A couple of other villages in the Gryka e Vitakut (Vitaku Gorge) area came
under Serb troops fire, too. Albanian communities were fired on from four
Serb vehicles, two of them tanks, that left the town of Shtime, drove along
main road of Re^ak village and proceeded for Petrova, after midday today
(Wednesday).
There was no immediate word about possible casualties.
The head of the LDK Information Commission in Shtime said part of the
internally displaced Albanians had trickled to Petrova and Re^ak over the
past days.
[05] Over 900 Albanian Burned Out and Shelled in Peja During Summer Serb
Crackdown
PRISHTINA, Nov 4 (KIC) - At least 941 houses of Albanians were burned down
and shelled in Peja municipality, western Kosova, during repeated Serb
offensives since 25 May, the LDK Information Commission in Peja said in a
report circulated today.
Albanian villages in Peja were not affected as much as other municipalities
in central, west and south-west of Kosova, such as Skenderaj, Gllogovc,
Klina, Vushtrri, Malisheva, Gjakova, De^an, Suhareka and Rahovec.
The municipalities of Shtime, Lipjan, Podujeva, Vushtrri, Istog, Obiliq and
Sht&rpc& suffered considerable damage.
The Commission said that 21 villages of the municipality and two suburbs of
the town of Peja were affected by Serb attacks during the summer months. 15
farmhouses were shelled and burned in Lybeniq village, 221 in Loxha, 8 in
Gorozhdec, 11 in Krstovc, 2 in Babiq, 3 in Dob&rdol, 3 in Zllopek, 186 in
Raushiq, 36 in Baran, 16 in Kosuriq, 68 in Vranoc, 1 in Rashiq, 33 in
Krushec, 63 in Kotradiq, 67 in Qallapek, 7 in Llugaxhi, 12 in Glloxhan, 36
in Nepole, 41 in Bu^an, 8 in Kamenic&, 25 in Broliq, 1 in Shtypeq and 77 in
the "Dardania II" and "Dardania III" suburbs of Peja.
[06] Mutilated Body of Albanian Remains Uncollected in Suhareka
PRISHTINA, Nov 4 (KIC) - The mutilated body of an Albanian, identified as
Abaz Ndrecaj from Mati^eva village of Suhareka, was found on Tuesday near
the Qafa e Duhl&s (Duhla mountain pass), near the Prishtina-Prizren
roadway.
The late Abaz Ndrecaj had gone missing on 26 July, the LDK chapter in
Suhareka said.
The Ndrecaj family could not collected the body of their beloved because of
the heavy Serb police presence near the area where his body was found, the
LDK said.
[07] Further Serb Forces Regrouping in Kamenica
PRISHTINA, Nov 4 (KIC) - Serb forces have continued regrouping near
Albanian communities in Kamenica, a municipality in eastern Kosova, local
sources said today (Wednesday).
Over the past three days, Serb troops and heavy armament were deployed in
several places in the municipality, including at locations called "Bunari i
Kopernic&s" (the Kopernica Well) and "Dheu i bardh&". Serb troops manning
these bases have been routinely harassing the local population and random
passers-by, the LDK Information Commission in Kamenica said.
There has been a stepped up presence and movement of Serb police forces in
the town of Kamenica lately, the report said.
Kosova Information Center
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