Press Briefing Notes
01 February 2006
UNMIK Spokesperson Remi Dourlot KFOR Col. Pio Sabetta OSCE Spokesperson Edita Bucaj EU Pillar Spokesperson Mechthild Henneke UNMIK Police Spokesperson Kelly Collins Mcmurry
Announcements: UNMIK Spokesperson Remi Dourlot
Good morning ladies and gents Following departure of Major General Jamie Balfour, who was our special guest last week, the new KPC Coordinator has arrived. You may already know the new KPCC is British Major General Michael Steirn, CBE. A short biography of the KPCC is available at the door. The SRSG will be back this afternoon from London where he participated in the Contact Group meeting held there at the ministerial level yesterday (Tuesday). The SRSG will hold a press point at the airport when upon his arrival from the London flight, EAT 15.15. A media alert was issued yesterday afternoon. Later on, at 18.30, the SRSG will receive a German delegation led by Mr Volker Kauder, Chair of the Parliamentary Group CDU/CSU at Bundestag There will be a photo opp for camera persons and still photographer at the beginning of the meeting Next week, the SRSG will report to the Security Council. The report from the SG has been officially released under the number S/2006/45 dated 25 January. You can find it on the UN website. No more announcement for me.
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KFOR Col. Pio Sabetta
Good morning everyone: I have got two points to clarify the role of KFOR during the funeral of president Rugova. Having received some questions about our involvement in the ceremony, I want just to confirm that KFOR was responsible for the overall security, performing different activities that involved numerous assets, and in particular, just to give you some data: security of about 50 districts to allow KPS to provide security during the funerals in Pristina, transport of the KPS members to Pristina - about 1000 people; three helicopters were on call for Medivac; we used helicopters for VIP transportation and we contributed to the preparation of the Sporting hall; and finally, security of Pristina airport and all the area around Pristina.
OSCE Spokesperson Edita Bucaj
OSCE Ambassador Werner Wnendt will give a lecture tomorrow at the European Integration School on the role of the OSCE in the EU context. The School is a Sorosfunded project aimed at offering information regarding the European Union to government officials, NGOs, private sector, media and civil society. It will be held at the Art Centre (premises of the Faculty of Education) beginning at 1730. Media are welcome to attend.
UNMIK Police Spokesperson Kelly Collins Mcmurry
Police are announcing an arrest in the July 1, 2005, shooting in Orahovac/Rahovec Municipality, near Prizren, in which an armed male suspect ran up and shot at 6 KPS officers and two private citizens with an AK-47 rifle shortly after noon. The officers were injured in the attack. The suspect fled on foot into a nearby forest. During the course of their investigation, Police learned that the suspect had likely fled to Switzerland. In cooperation with Swiss authorities and InterPol, Police learned that the suspect was in custody in Switzerland for breaking and entering into a vehicle, possession of stolen property, and possession of a weapon. On 24th January, 2006, the suspect was flown back into Kosovo by Swiss authorities and turned over to Police. The suspect remains in the detention center in Prizren. He is charged with eight counts of attempted murder. As a matter of policy, Police do not release the names of arrested persons. Thank you.
EU Pillar Spokesperson Mechthild Henneke
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Pristina International Airport has a new Managing Director: It is the 64-year-old American James C. Johnson. He was appointed by the Board of Directors of Pristina International Airport Joint Stock Company. Mr. Johnson has worked during his long career in aiports in US and Saudia Arabia. We welcome him at his new post in Kosovo and wish him good luck! I would also like to briefly mention the total of what UNMIK Customs has collected in 2005. It is 435,738,464,35 Euros, mainly through VIP, Customs Duty and Excise. Last, I would like to communicate to you that the Macedonian officials have confirmed the starting date for the operation of Pristina-Skopje train: It is next Wednesday, 8 February.
Questions:
Beta: Question for Mechthild, what can you say about the reasons for the termination of the phone land lines and mobile lines to repeaters in Gracanica ? And, question for the Police: the Serbs have for tomorrow in Gracanica scheduled the blockade of the road Pristina-Gjilan. Will the Police intervene if there is a blockage? Mechthild Henneke: Well, I think you are aware of the fact that 063 has no licence for operating in Kosovo, so the Telephone Regulatory Authority has now taken action to take down antennas and not allow 063 to operate. Pillar IV is supporting actions by the TRA, which are grounded on a legal basis. Pillar IV and UNMIK of course, we are not separate. Kelly Collins McMurry, UNMIK Police: The second half of your question was directed at the Police regarding the blockage of the road. As you know it is very difficult to predict what will happen in a demonstration, but the Police have always supported, and will continue to support, people’s right to peacefully demonstrate. If the primary goal is to block the road, the police will try the very best to work with the citizens to make sure that they are allowed to express their freedom of expression, as well as to allow the citizens to move freely in Kosovo. That’s the best I can tell you right now. Follow up, Beta: Ms. Mechthild has most likely not understood me. This morning the landline and mobile line was disconnected. I have the statement of Mr. Andjel Nojkić, Chairman of the Telecom of Serbia, who claims that in 2002 the Telecom of Serbia has submitted a request for issuing a licence. But employees have come out this morning, without any warning or announcement, and just simply cut the cables. And one more question: do you plan to kill the pigeons, pigeon mail, because this is the only way the Serbs can communicate now ? Mechthild Henneke: Well, I am not aware of what is happening in Gracanica since this morning, and I would need to inform myself about that. In general, TRA is only acting against illegal equipment and illegal installations, so we have to see what is
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happening in Gracanica regarding the land lines. I am not sure if it’s newly installed land lines, which are maybe not allowed, or if it’s old equipment. I will have to look into that. And regarding a request or application from Mobtel for a licence, I also need to consult with TRA, because they are in charge of issuing licences Blic: No need for you to bother and to check in the field to collect information, I will offer you photographs which I have in my camera to see how the employees of the Kosovo Telecommunication Agency, with the help of the Security, help of the KPS this morning at 7:20 AM have ripped out all the cables on the transmitters in Gracanica. Remi Dourlot: Do you have a question? Blic, Follow up: I hoped that I will have. Mechthild Henneke: They (TRA) presumingly acted against illegal installations. But we have of course to look into the matter itself what exactly happened today in Gracanica. Blic, Follow up: Here is my question now. Do UNMIK and the Ministry in charge take any responsibility for the emergency services of the Health Centre in Gracanica, the Hospitals, who are not in situation to arrive timely to provide assistance to vulnerable citizens because all the land lines are disrupted in this part of Kosovo ? And here is a concrete question for Mr. Dourlot. How much time do you need personally, or your respective services, to get the information in the field so that you can provide us with an answer? How much time does it take to be informed about the disruptions of the telephone land lines in Gracanica? And when can we get your concrete answer to that? Remi Dourlot: I hope as soon as possible. The only thing I can tell you, we were not aware of this until you told us this morning, just right now. The first thing, if there is any emergency thing, we should clearly be informed and react as soon as possible if there is any disruption of the emergency health service. This is all I can tell you now. TV Most: Question for UNMIK and EU. Why the disconnection lines for Serbs in central Kosovo has been delayed for seven years? And why such important issues related to the survival of the Serbs in Kosovo …. (Incomprehensive translation) Mechthild Henneke: I didn’t fully understand your question and, please, don’t politicise the telephone connections. We have 044 – Vala 900 in Kosovo, which operates in 90% of the territory. Question: Since for the Serbs living in Kosovo everything is illegal starting from electricity, telephone, and TV, here is the question for UNMIK and OSCE. When will you terminate the living of the Serbs in Kosovo while it is obvious that they are living illegally here? And now I am interested concretely when you will forbid them to live in Kosovo?
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Remi Dourlot: This is not a type of question we can answer. You should not mix up everything. The emergency event that we are just learning concerning the land line in Gracanica/Gracanicë is something new. The situation of the mobile phone is not new, and we know for very long time that 063 has been working within Kosovo without any licence, nor authorization. So there is one authorised legal mobile operator in Kosovo, that’s 044, available everywhere. And those who don’t want to use it and want to rely to other operator which are not authorised, will expose themselves to some risk at some point. It has been decided, because they have the right to do that, to suspend the operation of someone who is not an authorised operator. This is all I can tell you concerning this situation. Question: Mr. Dourlot, we are not speaking only about the 063 network. The Serbs in Central Kosovo don’t have electricity, don’t 064 signal, they don’t have 063, they have no fix land line connections. The Serbs in Kosovo are completely disconnected from the world, they cannot call anybody and just let them know that are alive. They are just left with water, and for your information in Gracanica there is only water available from 5 until 12 in the morning. Now the concrete question: when you will disrupt the water supply to the Serbs in Gracanica ? because that’s the only thing they have left with, and you have done for them in Kosovo. Remi Dourlot: No, clearly there is no point to answer this kind of questions. Concerning the electricity, one thing, there is not just the Kosovo Serbs who have problems with electricity, there are other areas where other people, including Kosovo Albanians, are affected by some shortage of electricity, so don’t politicise this thing please. These are problems in all Kosovo affecting all people. Blic: I hope that you will understand me now, as a man engaged in information business like you. Will you support us as a Belgrade media, provide any possible line, or humanitarian program for KEK? Will you provide us with the telephone line to send our report from your Press Conference, a place from where to send it. Please, 044 doesn’t function in Gracanica, 064 doesn’t function, 063 doesn’t function, the land lines as of 7: 30, Mr. Dourlot I have the photograph here. Please give us a number or a link from which we can send our reports and photos, and give us a number please and the location from where to send it. And since Mechthild is most informed on these topics, I would like to ask you one thing: does the KEK, does the Kosovo’s Telecommunications Agency, did this Agency have any executive order to ask KPS to provide assistance while they have been cutting the cables near the Sveti Sava school in Susica, did they have this executive order? No. They didn’t have, because people have asked to see this document but the officials did not provided any. Mechthild Henneke: The Telecommunication Regulatory acts upon the law on Telecommunication, which provides for them to take action against illegal equipments and installation. If the TRA and its engineers -and I please ask you to differentiate between them, because the Telephone Regulatory and the PTK are completely separate institutions - considers that an equipment is illegal and feels they need police support to disconnect this equipment they will certainly get that and the Police would have not written documents on them, why their support has been requested.
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Blic, Follow up: Till when do I have to offer you the photos ? I don’t mix the PTK and the Kosovo Telecommunication Authority, you have the photographs here. And Mr. Dourlot, I ask you: From which place can I send my report to Blic Newspaper in Belgrade, and I’ll quote you and Ms. Mechthild for the reasons of the disruptions of land lines, but please from which telephone land line I can send my reports? Mechthild Henneke: Nedeljko, please calm down a little bit. I mean we have to look into the matter. You say this equipment was not illegal, I suggest it was illegal, so suggesting it is illegal, does TRA according to you have the right to disconnect it? Blic: I am asking you. Mechthild Henneke: I suggest it was illegal, but I will check it. Blic: I asked Mr. Dourlot from what place I could send my report. Remi Dourlot: You ask me if I am ready to give you my space to send your report? Yes, you can do it from here just after the Press Briefing. Beta: I have to emphasize that I have recorded the report of Mr. Nojkić, who said the Telecom in 2002 has submitted the request for issuing a license, and then they have received no answer. I don’t know what is illegal or what is legal, the issue is that there has been no reply to this request and this problem could have been solved. And my next question is: who claim for responsibility if one Serb in Kosovo dies due to not have the possibility to call the first aid assistance? Only the mail pigeons can function in Kosovo today, if not attacked by Bird flu. Mechthild Henneke: Regarding the licence that you say Mr. Nojkić have asked, we will have to check with our respective offices, what has happened in 2002, it’s four years ago, I can not answer that from the top of my head. Blic: Question for Mechthild. Will you in the future first consult your legal officers then go to the field to exercise some decision, or first go to the field and then consult your lawyers? And a concrete question: If you could tell me when number 028 postal code for Mitrovica will be disrupted, since it is also an illegally operating line? Mechthild Henneke: I consider that’s a polemic question, that doesn’t need to be answered. 028 is not illegal and you know that very well. TV Most. To Mechthild: This is silly what you have said, if 038 is illegal and 028 is not, what are we talking about? You are mentioning all the time some laws applicable to the entire territory of Kosovo. Have you already done the separation of Kosovo since according to this the north is not a part of Kosovo anymore? Can you make a decisive statement that we could quote you saying that we have divided Kosovo and 028 is not illegal? And we will disregard the telephones, this is the first news that we will send from this Conference: you already conducted the division of Kosovo then.
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Mechthild Henneke: Please, do understand me correctly. Land lines in Kosovo are legal, full stop. But in Kosovo exist illegal installations. Can you please listen at least when you put a question…. Question: What are you talking about Mechthild? Mechthild Henneke: …. Because I think for the rest of the group it’s already boring …. Yes if it’s an illegal installation it is possible for the TRA to act against. Blic: Mr. Dourlot, do you think that a group of Serbs journalists are idiots, can you understand, please look, 028 is legal, and 038 is illegal, this is a same network, 038 is disrupted since this morning, the land lines. Remi Dourlot: I’m not going to answer these questions concerning this, not now, there is too much polemic. Any other question? I can see none, thank you.
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