4 Media Report 10 October Ahtisaari does not believe in a

 Media Report 10 October  Ahtisaari does not believe in a negotiated solution (Dailies)  PM Çeku: Status quo difficult to maintain (Dailies)  Haziri: Status agenda has not changed (Dailies)  Kosovo leaders say postponement of status resolution is hypothetic  Assembly adopts draft law on cultural heritage (Dailies)  Russians showing their teeth (Epoka e Re)  The law on KLA war values remains in New York (Kosova Sot)  Belgrade organizes referendum on Serbia’s Constitution in Kosovo, Government against it (Zëri)  Thaçi accused of forging results in his party (Epoka e Re)  Fascist Nikolic can cry himself out in Serbia, Kosovo has NATO (Epoka) Ahtisaari does not believe in a negotiated solution (Dailies) A negotiated solution on Kosovo final status is almost impossible, Zëri quotes the UN Status Envoy as saying in a seminar at the Finnish Parliament on the topic „The future of Kosovo and the Balkan enigma‟. Talks between Pristina and Belgrade on the status of Kosovo can go on forever but Mr. Ahtisaari does not see a negotiated solution possible because the sides „are not moving from their positions on the status issue‟, newspapers write. Ahtisaari said according to Zëri that the proposal on the status of Kosovo is expected to be submitted by next month. During talks on technical issues over the last nine months, Pristina has been cooperative and has made concessions, he said. However, while Pristina accepted UNOSEK‟s guidelines after pressure from the international community, Belgrade has not shown willingness for compromise, Ahtisaari said according to Koha Ditore. Pristina has made more compromises than Belgrade, reads Epoka e Re headline. Ahtisaari also said according to the paper that without finding a sustainable solution to Kosovo issue there can be no sustainable solutions for the Balkans. Ahtisaari will look for the impossible, reports Kosova Sot. Although both sides have diametrically opposing stances, Ahtisaari said that he and his team will „keep pushing things forward until all the possibilities for compromise are exhausted‟. PM Çeku: Status quo difficult to maintain (Dailies) In his weekly address to Radio Kosova, PM Çeku said the status quo is difficult to maintain. Delaying status would pile up many social and economic problems, would delay reforms and limit political initiatives, he said. While prolonging the status quo could have negative consequences, “we cannot allow any signs of panic at this moment,” Çeku said. “We need to keep our pace and strengthen our unity.” “Maintaining a status quo for several years was, and is not an easy venture, nor a passive way of governing as the name may imply,” PM Çeku said. “Status quo may bring impatience and impatience may bring loss of nerves and loss of control,” warned Çeku adding, “We cannot allow any sign of panic at this moment.” Çeku also announced a visit to London where he said he will make clear the view of the people of Kosovo for “finalizing independence of Kosovo this year.” He said there are some forces in Serbia who are “playing a game” and these aim at discrediting the mandate of President Ahtisaari, of creating divisions within the international community and degrading the process of negotiations, and above all, destabilising Kosovo. “This strategy is dangerous and must be stopped,” Çeku stressed. Kosovo PM suggested that Belgrade should be more realistic and accept the fact that only independence of Kosovo helps democratisation of Serbia. “What we see is that truly democratic forces in Serbia have found the path of truth. Truly democratic forces are exercising their civic duty by saying „no‟ to the shameful game of constitution,” Çeku said further. Haziri: Status agenda has not changed (Dailies) “There is no change in the agenda. However a serious effort by Kosovo institutions is required to speed up the dynamic and increase the efforts of Kosovo institutions at the time when the main part of Ahtisaari‟s mission is being concluded,” Zëri quotes Haziri as saying in a press conference following his visit to the U.S. where he met U.S. Status Envoy Frank Wisner. “Fortunately, the US as a member of the Contact Group has realized that there is no reason to postpone the solution of the status at this stage,” Zëri quotes Haziri as saying. The agenda for solving Kosovo‟s status has not changed, reports Bota Sot on the front page. “The world‟s political centre in Washington has one more time strongly reconfirmed the position that the final status of Kosovo should be solved this year,” Iliria Post quotes Haziri. No doubts about independence, says the headline to the coverage. Kosovo leaders say postponement of status resolution is hypothetic (Express) If Kosovo‟s status is postponed, Kosovars will only wait for the other timeline for the resolution. According to officials of Kosovar political parties, the postponement of status is considered negative both for Kosovo and for Serbia, Express reports. However, Kosovars have no plan or position on what they will do after the possible postponement of status. The paper notes that statements made recently by the UN Status Envoy Martti Ahtisaari and the EU High Representative Javier Solana about the possible delay of status are considered „hypothetical‟ by Kosovar politicians that count on the Contact Group position taken on 20 September. Kosovo Deputy Prime Minister Lutfi Haziri, upon returning from the US, said that there is great mobilisation for the status process to end as soon as possible. This mobilisation of the international factor has caused nervousness among some countries that want to see Kosovo and the resolution of status in another path. “Kosovo doesn‟t negotiate its independence with anyone and we have no reason, and fortunately it has been understood by the US as the key actor of the Contact Group, that there is no reason for delay,” Haziri added. Fatmir Limaj, principle deputy leader of the biggest opposition party in Kosovo (PDK), said the process continues with the fact that Ahtisaari, the Security Council and the Contact Group have their agenda and the work hasn‟t stopped. Limaj said this shows the process is ongoing and that the conclusion of the process depends on many factors. “For me, it is important to conclude the process and that this conclusion is in full line with the will of the people of Kosovo – for Kosovo to be a state. The process of recognising the state of Kosovo can take some days more than what was planned but what is important is the process of recognition,” Limaj told the paper. He also added that the process was moving toward the concluding phase and that as such there should be no tensions. Arben Qirezi, member of the AAK chairmanship and advisor to Prime Minister Çeku, told the paper that he doesn‟t want to fall for the trap of statements and speculations for the postponement of the status resolution. “As long as we don‟t have an official statement from the Contact Group that the status is being postponed, we cannot rely on premises that we won‟t have a decision on status,” added Qirezi. Qirezi however indicated that one should not accept the final status resolution process to go as smoothly. “There are various circles, there are people that want to help one party or the other and in this case we have circles or officials that advocate for postponement, however, this doesn‟t mean that postponement will happen,” he added. Nazmi Jashari, member of the ORA chairmanship and member of the Kosovo Assembly, said he doesn‟t like to talk about something that hasn‟t happened yet. However, he did admit that the postponement of status would bring the Kosovar political spectrum in a very inconvenient situation before the citizens. Jashari also said he hopes that even if postponement happens the people of Kosovo will not have reactions of a nature that would damage both Kosovo and the process. “I think the postponement for one, two or three months should not be so problematic for anyone. What is important is the status to be resolved in line with the will of the people of Kosovo, this is essential,” Jashari concluded. Assembly adopts draft law on cultural heritage (Dailies) Zëri reports that the Kosovo Assembly has yesterday made another step toward standards implementation by amending and passing the law on cultural heritage with a majority of votes in favour. The law had been set as a priority by the international community and is part of the 13 additional points in standards implementation, the paper adds. The draft law was amended following remarks by UNOSEK whose officials were not happy with some of the content of the document, Zëri writes adding that there was a “minor” debate in the Assembly over the terminology of the draft regarding the area around the religious monuments but that this did not endanger adoption of the law. Another issue that was presented in yesterday‟s session of the Assembly was the one from political parties and associations of the municipalities of Gjilan and Vitia asking the Kosovo Assembly to declare independence through announcing a referendum. This initiative, Koha Ditore writes, received the support of 28 members of the Assembly. PDK deputy Xhevat Bislimi who presented the initiative, said the Assembly should say no to decentralisation and should also declare itself in favour of referendum. Bislimi insisted of adding these issues to the agenda of the assembly‟s session but the request did not get the approval of any of the parliamentary groups in the Assembly, Koha Ditore reports. Bislimi said that 4,000 signatures against decentralisation were gathered in four days in Vitia while in Gjilan around 20,000 signatures were gathered in somewhat longer period of time. He said he speaks at the Assembly not on the behalf of his party PDK but on behalf of the electorate in his region, Zëri reports. Russians showing their teeth (Epoka e Re) Citing information by BBC Radio, Epoka e Re reports that the Russian Federation is asking from the EU to make sure that the status of Kosovo is not in contradiction to the will of Kosovo Serbs. A message from Moscow sent to the EU says that a solution of the Kosovo issue cannot be imposed on Serbia against its will, and that Russia will not support it in the Contact Group or the Security Council. According to the paper the EU has confirmed having received from Russia a letter on Kosovo. Russia has also asked in the letter that the right of Serbia over the sovereignty of Kosovo should not be put in question. European officials consider that the letter is nothing new in terms of Russian position on regards to Kosovo. According to the same sources the letter does not even mean the final Russian stance on the issue, as in the past practices their decisions have been an enigma until the last moment when big decisions have been taken, reports Epoka e Re. The law on KLA war values remains in New York (Kosova Sot) Kosova Sot reports that the law on the KLA war values has been endorsed at the Kosovo Assembly, but later on this law underwent basic changes in terminology and content by the UNMIK Legal Office. After the opposition to the changes, the law „travelled‟ to New York to the UN Legal Office for further review, however, although months have passed the law still hasn‟t returned to Kosovo. The paper notes that the ones that were most seriously against the changes in the initial law on war values were the organisations that derived from the former KLA. Representatives of the War Associations said they don‟t believe at all in the changes, and that the law remains the way UNMIK has changed it. Xhavit Jashari, chairman of the Association of Families of KLA Martyrs, on behalf of all the war associations, said that the initial form of the law endorsed by the Assembly is only acceptable. “We will express our dissatisfactions by blocking the institutions and there is going to be a national protest,” Jashari added. Jashari said the UN Legal Office has made some changes in the terminology but that this is not enough. He added that regarding this issue he has the support of the Kosovo Assembly members and of Prime Minister Agim Çeku. “The Office in New York has made some changes by again introducing the word martyr, however that office still hasn‟t changed back the term war as it was endorsed by the Kosovo Assembly, and therefore we cannot accept it,” said Jashari, adding that no one can step on the blood of 2,500 martyrs and thousands of invalids and civilian victims. “Kosovo has waged war against Serbia, and this should be recognised as such, therefore we will never give ground as far as the terminology of this law is concerned.” At the same time, Ulpiana Lama, spokeswoman for Prime Minister Çeku, told the paper that the Government has no information on when the law will be returned from New York. On the other hand, PDK spokeswoman Vlora Çitaku said the PDK was extremely disappointed with the public cheating of Prime Minister Çeku who in a spectacular way signed the forging of history. “We as PDK consider the law with the changes as unacceptable, and we find it acceptable only in the form that was endorsed by the Kosovo Assembly,” said Çitaku, adding that the second biggest party in Kosovo will look into the most adequate ways to express its dissatisfaction and disagreement. LKÇK:Postponement or no postponement–Kosovo without sovereignty! (Dailies) Several dailies carry a communiqué issued by the National Movement for the Liberation of Kosovo (LKÇK) demanding responsibility from the Kosovo political leaders „for cheating the people of Kosovo‟. “Now when the time for ending the negotiations process between Pristina and Belgrade is near, the international community has started playing the game of alleged problems and disagreements between the institutions of the international community for the timeline of resolving Kosovo‟s status.” “One can clearly see that this is game of various factors to shift the attention of the Albanian opinion to whether the status of Kosovo will be resolved this year or the next, so that the local opinion will not focus on what will be the status of Kosovo… For the people of Kosovo it is not so important the timeline, far more important is to gain the natural right to be free and sovereign in our lands, because Kosovo needs this status, which recognises the right of self-determination for its people and any status that denies this right is in full contravention with the international charter of nations for self-determination.” “Unfortunately, Albanians have been deceived once again, but this time by their own elected leaders who said they were going to talk to reach the full independence of Kosovo, and having its integrity and sovereignty recognised by the international factor. This was also their excuse for negotiations with Belgrade. However, the opposite is happening,” said the LKÇK communiqué. “For all this cheating, this political class should answer before the people, because they will owe it to this and future generations for holding hostage their right to live free in their own lands,” concluded the communiqué. Belgrade organizes referendum on Serbia’s Constitution in Kosovo, Government against it (Zëri) Zëri reports that the Serbian National Council (SNC) and other structures are working on preparing polling stations in Kosovo for the referendum on the new Constitution of Serbia to be held on 28 and 29 October. The head of the SNC for the north of Kosovo, Milan Ivanovic, has called on all the people of Kosovo to turn out and vote. “We invite Albanians too, as the biggest minority in Serbia, to vote in the referendum and to use their democratic rights and prove that Kosovo is part of Serbia.” The Government of Kosovo considers that the holding of the referendum on Serbia‟s Constitution in Kosovo is not legitimate, and as such unaccepted, the paper quotes PM‟s advisor Arben Qirezi as saying. UNMIK administration has not come up with a statement saying they are waiting for official announcements before coming up with a position on organizing of this referendum in Kosovo‟s territory, says the paper. Thaçi accused of forging results in his party (Epoka e Re) Epoka e Re carries a letter by unnamed party members claiming that the voting in the PDK‟s presidency over “whether to suspend participation in the Negotiations Team” had no quorum. Party‟s leader Hashim Thaçi is accused “of forging the result of voting” which supported the participation in the Kosovo Negotiations Team. The letter says there were no more than 40 members present in the room when the voting took place because more than 60 of the members had left the meeting be it “for personal reasons” or for finding the meeting “futile” or even for observing Ramadan. “We were shocked to see that in this number of voters also included us that went out of the meeting,” the letter reads. Thaçi is also blamed of accusing PM Agim Çeku of striking a secret agreement for postponing status of Kosovo which is deemed by the authors of the letter as “unserious” approach “at a time when the responsibility is the same for members of the NT”. The rebuttal sent to the Kosovo daily Express by Thaçi‟s press office did not harm the paper as much as it “brought back to Thaçi the image of an unserious leader who invents enemies even when there are none,” the letter notes. The paper, in an additional note, writes that it did verify there indeed was no quorum in the meeting of the PDK‟s Steering Council. Fascist Nikolic can cry himself out in Serbia, Kosovo has NATO (Epoka e Re) Epoka e Re reports that the Kosovo political entities have ignored the statement of the Serbian hardliner Tomislav Nikolic who said that in case Kosovo is given independence Serbia will go to war to defend it. Prime Minister‟s spokeswoman Ulpiana Lama said that Nikolic‟s statement will not have any impact on Kosovo. “This statement does not have any impact on Kosovo. We have our allies, and NATO troops are in Kosovo. But, this is a signal for the international community about the profile of the various decision-making groups in Serbia, but for Kosovo it does not have any effect and is not relevant at all,” Lama said. For the LDK official Lulzim Zeneli the Nikolic‟s statement is rather made for political calculations in Serbia. PDK spokesperson, Vlora Çitaku said that it shows that Serbia has not changed its attitude towards Kosovo while ORA official Ylli Hoxha said that it shows a fascist spirit. Belgrade Media Update Ahtisaari Wishes to Submit his Report to the UNSC by the End of the Year The UN Special Envoy Martti Ahtisaari declared in Helsinki yesterday that he wishes to submit his report on the development of the negotiations, held in Vienna since February, to the UN Security Council by the end of the year, adding that the final analyses of the negotiations, as well as the further decisions, are under the competency of the UNSC, Austrian press agency APA reported. Announcing his intention to meet the Contact Group member-countries two more times in the course of this year, at the end of October and in November, he pointed out that there are different stands on Kosovo within the Contact Group. Further indicating that Russia made it clear to him not to rush with the final status of the Serbian province, for which it doesn‟t consider it necessary to find a final solution during the current Finnish, nor the future German presidency of the EU, which begins on 1 January, Ahtisaari commented: “Perhaps their government wants a solution under the Croatian presidency of the EU. Croatia still isn’t an EU member.” Addressing the Finnish Parliament at the occasion of the opening of the seminar entitled „Future of Kosovo and the Balkan Puzzle‟ the same day, Ahtisaari expressed the doubt that "it is possible to reach an agreement” between Belgrade and Pristina on the future status of Kosovo since he did not see that “the two sides have moved regarding the status,” and “they remain directly opposed." He assessed, nonetheless, that during his mandate it was possible to decrease the differences between Belgrade and Pristina with regard to the technical issues in the negotiations, RTS and Tanjug news agency reported. Solana: Ahtisaari to Submit Proposal by Year’s End “if Possible” The EU High Representative Javier Solana stated at the NATO headquarters in Brussels yesterday that the UN Special Envoy Martti Ahtisaari has the mandate to offer a solution for the status of Kosovo by the end of the year, “if possible.” Answering the question whether he believed it was really possible to find the solution for the status of the province by the end of this year, he stated that “nothing has changed there, and I hope that Ahtisaari will be able to realize what he has in mind,” Belgrade electronic media reported. Samardzic Anticipates Serious Revision of the Kosovo Status Negotiating Process The Coordinator of the Serbian negotiating team for the future status of Kosovo Slobodan Samardzic told Tanjug news agency yesterday that he expects from both the UN and the Contact Group a serious revision of the entire process of negotiations on the future status of the province, including a new special envoy who, instead of Martti Ahtisaari, could lead to a compromise solution. He indicated that such revision would include a “different methodology and management and it is expected to see another special envoy as well as the introduction of a serious process, likely to lead to a compromise solution aimed at both by Serbia and the Contact Group.” Serbia Allocates €150 million for Kosovo a Year (EVROPA) The Serbian politicians like to incorporate the Kosovo issue in all their public appearances, but are not willing to talk about the money Serbia is spending on the most expensive Serbian word. “It is assessed that Serbia’s direct and indirect expenditures on Kosovo amount to some €150 million a year. It is impossible to determine the exact amount, not because those figures do not exist but because they are not publicly accessible and verifiable,” says the coordinator of the Forum for ethnic Relations Dusan Janjic. This statement best illustrates the result of the persistent efforts exerted by EVROPA to determine the price of the most expensive Serbian word. Like the politicians, state clerks and local Kosovo officials are mostly not willing to speak about how much money from the state budget, i.e. through ministries and funds, Serbia has been allocating for the purpose of supporting the stay and survival of Serbs in Kosovo. Their excuses are that this is “a sensitive moment,” that the money earmarked for Kosovo is “a matter of the state” and that only Nenad Popovic, the head of the economic team for Kosovo and southern Serbia can answer such questions. Popovic is very busy at the moment, but this summer, in an interview with a Belgrade paper, he specified that the total annual allocations for salaries of Serbs who have remained in the Province and IDPs “could amount maybe to ten billion dinars.” “There is no reason whatsoever for those figures to be treated as state or official secret, since the international community and all the others besides the Serbian public are now quite certain that Serbia finances the Serbs in Kosovo, speculating about the figures which endorse the thesis on the alleged parallel institutions. They abuse the fact that there is no public data thus avoiding their obligations to the Serbs. This way, more money is given to the Kosovo budget, which inflicts a big political damage to the Serbian position in the negotiation process,” Janjic says, adding that “transparency and control can only reinforce the strength of the sacred Serbian word – Kosovo, while those living of corruption and illegal utilization of money can sustain damage.” As to Serbia‟s grants to Kosovo, the data on the money transferred through the Kosovo Coordinating Center (CCK) is mostly put forward. However, Serbia supports Kosovo by indirect grants from its budget as well. Through relevant ministries money intended for salaries or projects easing the life of the Kosovo Serbs is being transferred to Kosovo. Having waited nine days for the answer of the Serbian Ministry of Finance about the amount of direct and indirect grants of Serbia to Kosovo, EVROPA received the verbal answer stating: “From the Serbian budget for 2006, 2,747,024,000 dinars will be earmarked for Kosovo, mostly through the CCK,” while additional 357 million dinars will be granted to Kosovo through the Kosovo fund financed by donations. “Serbia earmarks through the CCK 190 million dinars a month for Kosovo, 135 million of which are intended for social allowances like child allowance, parent allowance, material security; while some 20 million are allocated for humanitarian and other kinds of assistance,” says the head of the CCK PI unit Slavko Zivanov. He specifies that the CCK does not have the data on the total allocations for Kosovo and that it is currently working on it. The Serbian Ministry of Education and Sports finances all the expenditures on education in Kosovo for the Serb community and all the others accepting the competences of this Ministry, Zivanov says, indicating that besides the Serbs, there are also Bosniaks, Moslems, Goranis and Romas. According to the data of the Ministry of Education, the financial plan for 2006 has allocated 2,045,000,000 dinars for the salaries of employees in the primary education; one billion and 188 million dinars have been earmarked for salaries of high schools professors, while one billion and 176 million have been allocated for salaries in higher and high education. The Ministry of Education has also provided for the money for enrolment, money transactions and the transportation of students and education employees from the Kosovo territory, as well as for board and lodging of students and pupils in the dormitories. The payment of salaries to the education employees in the Kosovo territory is carried out in accordance with the Government Conclusion dated 17 July 2003. The state secretary in the Ministry of Education Milos Jankovic explains that the education employees living and working in Kosovo are getting 200 per cent of their salaries directly from the treasury to their bank accounts. Regarding Kosovo, the Serbian Ministry of Science and Environment Protection finances projects and researchers involved in the elaboration of those projects within the institutes and faculties. According to the plans of this Ministry, Serbia‟s 2006 budget for science has earmarked for this purpose 32,817,559 dinars. In the course of 2006, the Ministry of Science will finance approximately 250 researchers in Kosovo. For the projects of the Institute for Serb culture in Leposavic, 12,327,901 dinars have been allocated. In the ecology sector, the Ministry has earmarked more than 15 million dinars for the Sarplanina National Park, while 636,101 dinars have been allocated for air quality control. 4.5 billion dinars have been allocated for the functioning of health care in Kosovo. According to the data of the Ministry of Health, i.e. the Republican Institute for Health Insurance, the biggest portion of money is spent on salaries – some 4.2 billion dinars. The rest is spent for transportation, utility media, medicines, medical material, fixed material, dialyses means, prescribed medicines, orthopedic aids and food. The Ministry of Health has earmarked 14 million dinars from the Serbian budget for the reconstruction of the Health Care Center in Kosovska Mitrovica. The money is intended for the reconstruction of the attic area of the Clinic for infective diseases, an addition to the ward for chemodialysis, the construction of a flat ramp at the entry to the hospital area and for the works at the entry gate, railing and video-monitoring of the hospital area. The clinical center that has been relocated from Pristina to Gracanica will receive ten million dinars, the health care center in Strpce seven, and the health care center Gnjilane-Silovo four million dinars – for the installation of central heating in the hospital outposts in Ranilug, Kusce and Koretiste. To the question as to how much budget money will be directed to Kosovo in 2006 through the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management, EVROPA received the answer that “at the moment, this ministry does not recognize territorial differences,” therefore all the financial means are distributed through loans, grants, bonuses and special allowances for the registered agricultural complexes which apply for that. In Kosovo, 521 registered agricultural complexes can apply for financial means from the agricultural budget of Serbia. Last year, more than 17 million dinars were earmarked for long-term loans to farmers in this area while this year applications are still being processed, according to the Ministry of Agriculture. And by the way, 11 inspectors work in Kosovo. According to the data of the Ministry of Justice, since this year‟s beginning till August, assets amounting to 595,764 dinars have been transferred to Kosovo for the purpose of enabling the functioning of the judiciary, while more than 65 million dinars have been transferred for employees‟ salaries. For the functioning of judicial bodies and the salaries of employees dislocated in Serbia proper, more than 100 million dinars have been transferred. The Serbian MUP, the Ministries for Capital Investments, Administration and Local Self-government, Culture and Informing, as well as the Ministry of Economy have not responded to the weekly‟s question on if and how much money they have earmarked for Kosovo in their financial plan for 2006. “The Kosovo Serbs are being supported by Serbia. The Serbian budget pays 200 per cent salaries to the employees in the spheres of education, health care and those belonging to the administration bodies. The economy workers receive minimum wages, while up to two years ago they had not received any salaries at all,” claims Momcilo Trajkovic, the president of the Serb Resistance Movement (SPOT). He reminds that up to a couple of years ago, he had proposed that Serbia pass a law on the state fund for Kosovo from which a Kosovo allowance of up to €500 would be paid to the families living and working in Kosovo. “Through this development fund Serbia would with €12 million a month, i.e. €144 million a year, stimulate development, business and economy; the stay in Kosovo, but the return as well. It would thus make its politics active. With its current politics, despite the big financial means it allocates for Kosovo, Serbia still has all the problems,” Trajkovic points out. He claims that the Fund for Kosovo, which has been founded two years ago, is not functioning, that it was intended to function based on a humanitarian principle, but has in fact served for political promotion. “Everyone is and no one is involved in Kosovo. Regardless of what will happen to it and where it is going to, a Ministry for Kosovo should be formed,” Trajkovic assesses. “Everything that has recently been done for Kosovo by the head of the economy team for Kosovo Nenad Popovic proves that Serbia has a chance in Kosovo owing to its well-thought economic strategy,” Trajkovic specifies, reminding that Serbia has not recognized the privatization process which is endorsed by the UN Security Council. “If Serbia had a strategy, it would have engaged Serbian businessmen to buy the Kosovo companies which are worth it. Whoever controls the capital is the boss in the house, not the one controlling the administration. The Serbs in Kosovo are now neither an economic nor a political actor. We have no use of municipalities if we do not have economic and political strength to compete with the Albanian businessmen and politicians,” Trajkovic assesses. Oliver Ivanovic, a leader of the Kosovo Serbs, says that he is far away from the government and therefore has no data on how much money flows into Kosovo from Serbia. A similar excuse came from Goran Bogdanovic, the head of the provincial Democrats. The former president of the CCK Nebojsa Covic says that Serbia should send to Kosovo “as much as possible to have the Serbs stay and return there.” He reminds that the CCK had, while he headed it, financed projects and that in 2003 2,178,876,142 dinars were spent on Kosovo through this institution, while in the past year, 1,995,750,384 dinars were spent for the same purpose. “The problem is not granting money for Kosovo, the problem is a collateral damage. We cannot use the mines. We are enduring losses because of smuggling. An additional problem is that there are no guarantees that anything will be given back,” Dusan Janjic warns. The head of the economic team for Kosovo once told the Belgrade media that the total assets of Serbia in Kosovo are between $12 and 20 billion, while since 2002 the citizens of Serbia repay every day $120,000 for the Kosovo foreign debt. Trajkovic claims that Kosovo cost Slobodan Milosevic one million Dollars a day. In the past years the media have published data on rich lignite deposits in Kosovo. Janjic opines that the Belgrade team must open the archives on the Kosovo mine resources. Billions are at stake and, judging by those figures, the money Serbia is now granting to Kosovo is just a low-fat food for national sentiment. “If we consider the potential value of Kosovo, then €150 million is little; however if we consider the policy led and the results yielded – this is much. Only the assets increasing the influence of Serbia in Kosovo are justified. From this standpoint, the so-far allocations can be assessed as too big,” states Janjic. Momcilo Trajkovic reminds that Serbia has not only granted financial assets to Kosovo – he reminds that, after the NATO bombing, 250,000 Serbs expelled from Kosovo arrived in Serbia proper. “Everyone keeps quiet about the financial injections Serbia received from Kosovo. Since the arrival of NATO, Serbs have sold in Kosovo their properties the value of which exceeds three billion Euros. The majority of this money has been brought to Serbia,” Momcilo Trajkovic explains. The assessments of the assets Kosovo Albanians are spending on lobbying differ very much. Dusan Janjic indicates that the Albanian Diaspora has collected ten million Dollars only for lobbying in Washington, while the entire negotiating process cost Serbia not more than one million Euro. “If we spend little for the negotiations, we have invested little in the future,” he concludes. Prior to the adoption of the budget rebalance, the deputy president of the Kosovo committee in the Serbian Parliament Aleksandar Vucic had submitted to the weekly a review of the financial assets allocated for Kosovo by Serbia‟s 2006 budget, specified by positions and classifications as follows: Government general secretariat Donations and transfers to other government levels For the service of the SCG and Republic of Serbia CCK 2,340,980,000 Fund for Kosovo 357,000,000 Ministry of Religions ec. Classification 511: buildings and construction facilities 150,000,000 The assets of this appropriation are intended for the reconstruction and adaptation of religious facilities in the territory of the republic of Serbia, including the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija Kosovo administrative district Pec administrative district Prizren administrative district Kosovska Mitrovica admin. district Kosovsko Pomoravlje adm. district 11,516,000 3,648,000 4,524,000 10,708,000 13,266,000 SCG President General secretariat of the Council of Ministers ec. Classification 463: current transfers to other government levels For the SCG and Republic of Serbia CCK 406,044,000 (At the time the 2006 budget was planned, Serbia was still a member of the SCG State Union). Disclaimer This media summary consists of selected local media articles for the information of UNMIK personnel. The public distribution of this media summary is a courtesy extended by UNMIK with the understanding that the choice of articles translated is exclusive, and the contents do not represent anything other than a selection of articles likely to be of interest to a United Nations readership. The inclusion of articles in this summary does not imply endorsement by UNMIK. All broadcast media reports are courtesy the OSCE Media Monitoring Unit.