Daily publishes text of "functional separation" offer

Oh I see Simple Mind.
Only Albanians have right to separate along ethnic lines and form their own state.
God forbid that Serbs should be granted that same right.

Simple Mind, you have lived up to your name once again. No where in the document does it call for discrimanatory rule over another ethnic group like in apartheid system, you spread to try and keep max control over things. Slandering and lieing about whatever comes out of Beograd is pretty lame and flat out will fail.

Simple Mind and others curious,

I read the article. No where does it even mention Albanians, nor any discriminatory measures against them. Where you came up with "apartheid" is beyond me, but since you didn't read the article, I'm not really concerned with your misinterpretation.

This is the closest Belgrade, and DSS in particular, has gotten to realizing the administrative separation of Kosovo Province. They are simply interested in setting up RS-like status in the Serbian enclaves, within the strict cooperation with UNMIK. This includes economic and judicial matters, protection of Serbian cultural and relgious sites, and the setting up of autonomous political institutions in Serb regions. All of this can be intrepreted as being in line with the provisions guaranteed by AP as well as accepting the reality on the ground that Kosovo Province is already politically and administratively partitioned. Nowhere does it mention any regulation over Albanian sectors. In fact, the Albanian parts of Kosovo will not be affected in any way at all.

What this means in the end is an effective split of Kosovo's responsibilities: Albanians go one way, Serbs go another. Serbs don't both Albanians and Albanians don't bother Serbs. This is really a golden opportunity for a definitive negotiation as it could lead to the effective "solving" of the Kosovo problem.

If we have to accept that Kosovo is a separate entity, we can at the very least implement these provision within such entity. I don't think he's calling for territorial secession, but joint rule.

From my vantage point, this should be taken as a major concession from Belgrade.

There is something that has been bothering me for a while and if I am allowed I will use this thread to articulate it.

From the beginning I have used my real and full name on all posts that I have submitted to this site. I fully understand and accept that most of the Serb and Albanian posters choose not to do this. That is fine with me and probably a wise thing in the circumstances. Likewise I have no problem with foreigners who are living in the region not supplying their real or full names.

However, I do have a problem with Irish people who admit to living in Ireland not revealing their full names in their posts. This is especially true when the posts in question are personal attacks. Either these people do not have the guts to reveal who they are or they have something to hide.

I will do the only thing I can: totally ignore any post from Ireland in which the sender does not give his or her full name. OK?

This is just a personal thing - it has to do with integrity. OK?

To - Simple Mind

Why do you object to this proposal when none of us know what it is about?

Slobodan Samardžić would like to introduce the „functional separation“ (the South Africa like apartheid) at the heart of Europe in the 21st century. What a joke and this is coming a week too early (April 1). Serbia should be very proud of forward-thinking and visionary ministers like Mr Samardžić, don’t you think?!! Come May 11, 2008 and I hope we will not be hearing from you any more.

If anyone knows of an English language version of this leaked document, could they please post a link.

I am getting rather fed up with all this Milosevic talk every time news comes out of Kosovo.

Let the man rest in peace. He has been dead for a long time. How long are you going to use him to further your own agendas?

If you have nothing else to hold onto then build this man a statue. He is serving your cause today so much that he should be a hero there by now.

Everything seems to be his fault. If you run out of cornflakes in the morning it must be he fault. How is today's situation his fault?

Actually, the situation in Kosovo was bad way before he had anything to do with it. Ethnic cleansing by the Albanians has been going on for a very long time and just because the west refuses to acknowledge that doesn't mean it didn't happen.

Milosevic was accused of certain crimes but he was never found guilty and probably he wouldnt've been found guilty. We all know that.

It was a stroke of luck for the west that he died as the case was not air tight as they are portraying it to be.

So please enough of Milosevic for now and find someone else to blame for today's problems.

lili

Don't be disingenuous.
You know yourself that the Serbs were the only ones putting forward "plans" during the negotiations but you guys weren't listening. Now that you know you can never rule the Serbs in Kosovo you're going to have to listen.

cucumber - what belgrade has been trying to achieve all along - at least since the 90s has been ethnic separatism - Albanians may not "rule over" serbs - although Serbs may rule over albanians since Belgrade simply sees one as superior and one as inferior. All of the proposals from Belgrade have been steeped in ethnic separatism - keeping Serbs away from Albanians. Whereas the Ahtisaari plan and what the Kosovo authorities have agreed to is a normal demcracy - yes there is a majority in Kosovo which is Albanian - need we remind it is a 90% majority even if all the Serbs returned it would be more than an 80% majority - but a normal democracy based on citizens and protection of national minorities - not an ethnic based system which frankly is what Serbs have tried to get everywhere in the ex yugo where they lost out on power and found themselves in teh minority.

OK, Mr. Samaradzic. If the serbs of northern Kosovo want to seccede from the state of Kosovo. That is all fine and dandy. But by the same token, the Albanians of southern Serbia should be allowed to join Kosovo. Presevo, Medvedja, and Bujanovac ... have always been inhabited by Albanians who deserve the same rights as the serbs of north kosovo. I think this is another case of biting more than you can chew. If we go down that path, who knows where we will end up.

how does it come that serbs have plans only after the end of the negotiations?

"...accepting the reality on the ground that Kosovo Province is already politically and administratively partitioned."

The reality is that Kosova is an independent country. This is the first reality that has to be generally accepted in Serbia. If Belgrade wants partition, the least it can do, is to offer recognition and then start negotiations.
This is only my opinion and before telling me that my opinion doesn't matter, neither does yours.
No recognition, no partition!

By the way, every movement of Serbian government is scrutinized to the maximum. The reason being is that serbian diplomacy has always worked in the same way to this day, which is: Never compromise, get it by force or threats. This is the pattern since Milosevic times and it continues to be the same. As always, it has made our job easier.

Simple Mind, you have lived up to your name once again. No where in the document does it call for discrimanatory rule over another ethnic group like in apartheid system...
(CygnussX1, 24 March 2008 16:38)

CygnaussX1 - neither did the boer call apartheid discriminatory; in fact, it was simply portrayed as a segregation of one group from the other. As such, simple mind's comparison is rather legitimate. My personal opinion is if sending proposals to the UN on "functional separation" makes Samardzic sleep at night, then by all means - propose to your heart's contempt - I hate to break it to you... It ain't gonna happen. I think this guy is more worried about his job - which is clearly evident in the article - than the rights of Kosovo serbs... Keep on following the shepherd - we all know where that got the serbs in the 90's

"is part of the Action Plan for Kosovo adopted by the government" ... ohh, it just took one MONTH to find out what the Serbian government intended - BEFORE it has blown itself into interreign. could someone inform Mr. Samardzic, that noone in the world will negotiate with him seriously, until an new government is installed.

RE: Defamation of Slobodan Milosevic

The ICTY Kangaroo court could not convict him and Del Ponte publically admitted to it. There is no vindication needed, Thaci , Holbrooke and the rest who continue to defame Serbia as a nation.

Further, to CNN, BBC and the rest, the "Butcher of the Balkans" was Andrija Artukovic, the Ustashe Minister of the Nazi Indpendant State of Croatia who was responsible for killing over 750,000 Serbs, Croats, Jews , Ghypsies and other Yugoslavs in the most brutal fashion. He was living under United States protection in California for year's after escaping through the rat lines under the protection of the Vatican along with other Nazi and Croatian Ustasha Criminals.

It is not the first and last time the US has offered protection to Nazi , Croatian Ustasha and Albanian KLA terrorists.

"..Let the man rest in peace. He has been dead for a long time. How long are you going to use him to further your own agendas? "

In a very cynical way I would say;

For as long as we fancy and for as long a there are people like you that still protect Milosevic.

Slobodan Samardžić would like to introduce the „functional separation“ (the South Africa like apartheid) at the heart of Europe in the 21st century. What a joke and this is coming a week too early (April 1). Serbia should be very proud of forward-thinking and visionary ministers like Mr Samardžić, don’t you think?!! Come May 11, 2008 and I hope we will not be hearing from you any more.

cucumber - what belgrade has been trying to achieve all along - at least since the 90s has been ethnic separatism - Albanians may not "rule over" serbs - although Serbs may rule over albanians since Belgrade simply sees one as superior and one as inferior. All of the proposals from Belgrade have been steeped in ethnic separatism - keeping Serbs away from Albanians. Whereas the Ahtisaari plan and what the Kosovo authorities have agreed to is a normal demcracy - yes there is a majority in Kosovo which is Albanian - need we remind it is a 90% majority even if all the Serbs returned it would be more than an 80% majority - but a normal democracy based on citizens and protection of national minorities - not an ethnic based system which frankly is what Serbs have tried to get everywhere in the ex yugo where they lost out on power and found themselves in teh minority.

Simple Mind, you have lived up to your name once again. No where in the document does it call for discrimanatory rule over another ethnic group like in apartheid system...
(CygnussX1, 24 March 2008 16:38)

CygnaussX1 - neither did the boer call apartheid discriminatory; in fact, it was simply portrayed as a segregation of one group from the other. As such, simple mind's comparison is rather legitimate. My personal opinion is if sending proposals to the UN on "functional separation" makes Samardzic sleep at night, then by all means - propose to your heart's contempt - I hate to break it to you... It ain't gonna happen. I think this guy is more worried about his job - which is clearly evident in the article - than the rights of Kosovo serbs... Keep on following the shepherd - we all know where that got the serbs in the 90's

how does it come that serbs have plans only after the end of the negotiations?

"...accepting the reality on the ground that Kosovo Province is already politically and administratively partitioned."

The reality is that Kosova is an independent country. This is the first reality that has to be generally accepted in Serbia. If Belgrade wants partition, the least it can do, is to offer recognition and then start negotiations.
This is only my opinion and before telling me that my opinion doesn't matter, neither does yours.
No recognition, no partition!

By the way, every movement of Serbian government is scrutinized to the maximum. The reason being is that serbian diplomacy has always worked in the same way to this day, which is: Never compromise, get it by force or threats. This is the pattern since Milosevic times and it continues to be the same. As always, it has made our job easier.

I am getting rather fed up with all this Milosevic talk every time news comes out of Kosovo.

Let the man rest in peace. He has been dead for a long time. How long are you going to use him to further your own agendas?

If you have nothing else to hold onto then build this man a statue. He is serving your cause today so much that he should be a hero there by now.

Everything seems to be his fault. If you run out of cornflakes in the morning it must be he fault. How is today's situation his fault?

Actually, the situation in Kosovo was bad way before he had anything to do with it. Ethnic cleansing by the Albanians has been going on for a very long time and just because the west refuses to acknowledge that doesn't mean it didn't happen.

Milosevic was accused of certain crimes but he was never found guilty and probably he wouldnt've been found guilty. We all know that.

It was a stroke of luck for the west that he died as the case was not air tight as they are portraying it to be.

So please enough of Milosevic for now and find someone else to blame for today's problems.

OK, Mr. Samaradzic. If the serbs of northern Kosovo want to seccede from the state of Kosovo. That is all fine and dandy. But by the same token, the Albanians of southern Serbia should be allowed to join Kosovo. Presevo, Medvedja, and Bujanovac ... have always been inhabited by Albanians who deserve the same rights as the serbs of north kosovo. I think this is another case of biting more than you can chew. If we go down that path, who knows where we will end up.

RE: Defamation of Slobodan Milosevic

The ICTY Kangaroo court could not convict him and Del Ponte publically admitted to it. There is no vindication needed, Thaci , Holbrooke and the rest who continue to defame Serbia as a nation.

Further, to CNN, BBC and the rest, the "Butcher of the Balkans" was Andrija Artukovic, the Ustashe Minister of the Nazi Indpendant State of Croatia who was responsible for killing over 750,000 Serbs, Croats, Jews , Ghypsies and other Yugoslavs in the most brutal fashion. He was living under United States protection in California for year's after escaping through the rat lines under the protection of the Vatican along with other Nazi and Croatian Ustasha Criminals.

It is not the first and last time the US has offered protection to Nazi , Croatian Ustasha and Albanian KLA terrorists.

If anyone knows of an English language version of this leaked document, could they please post a link.

Simple Mind, you have lived up to your name once again. No where in the document does it call for discrimanatory rule over another ethnic group like in apartheid system, you spread to try and keep max control over things. Slandering and lieing about whatever comes out of Beograd is pretty lame and flat out will fail.

Oh I see Simple Mind.
Only Albanians have right to separate along ethnic lines and form their own state.
God forbid that Serbs should be granted that same right.

To - Simple Mind

Why do you object to this proposal when none of us know what it is about?

There is something that has been bothering me for a while and if I am allowed I will use this thread to articulate it.

From the beginning I have used my real and full name on all posts that I have submitted to this site. I fully understand and accept that most of the Serb and Albanian posters choose not to do this. That is fine with me and probably a wise thing in the circumstances. Likewise I have no problem with foreigners who are living in the region not supplying their real or full names.

However, I do have a problem with Irish people who admit to living in Ireland not revealing their full names in their posts. This is especially true when the posts in question are personal attacks. Either these people do not have the guts to reveal who they are or they have something to hide.

I will do the only thing I can: totally ignore any post from Ireland in which the sender does not give his or her full name. OK?

This is just a personal thing - it has to do with integrity. OK?

Simple Mind and others curious,

I read the article. No where does it even mention Albanians, nor any discriminatory measures against them. Where you came up with "apartheid" is beyond me, but since you didn't read the article, I'm not really concerned with your misinterpretation.

This is the closest Belgrade, and DSS in particular, has gotten to realizing the administrative separation of Kosovo Province. They are simply interested in setting up RS-like status in the Serbian enclaves, within the strict cooperation with UNMIK. This includes economic and judicial matters, protection of Serbian cultural and relgious sites, and the setting up of autonomous political institutions in Serb regions. All of this can be intrepreted as being in line with the provisions guaranteed by AP as well as accepting the reality on the ground that Kosovo Province is already politically and administratively partitioned. Nowhere does it mention any regulation over Albanian sectors. In fact, the Albanian parts of Kosovo will not be affected in any way at all.

What this means in the end is an effective split of Kosovo's responsibilities: Albanians go one way, Serbs go another. Serbs don't both Albanians and Albanians don't bother Serbs. This is really a golden opportunity for a definitive negotiation as it could lead to the effective "solving" of the Kosovo problem.

If we have to accept that Kosovo is a separate entity, we can at the very least implement these provision within such entity. I don't think he's calling for territorial secession, but joint rule.

From my vantage point, this should be taken as a major concession from Belgrade.

lili

Don't be disingenuous.
You know yourself that the Serbs were the only ones putting forward "plans" during the negotiations but you guys weren't listening. Now that you know you can never rule the Serbs in Kosovo you're going to have to listen.

"is part of the Action Plan for Kosovo adopted by the government" ... ohh, it just took one MONTH to find out what the Serbian government intended - BEFORE it has blown itself into interreign. could someone inform Mr. Samardzic, that noone in the world will negotiate with him seriously, until an new government is installed.

"..Let the man rest in peace. He has been dead for a long time. How long are you going to use him to further your own agendas? "

In a very cynical way I would say;

For as long as we fancy and for as long a there are people like you that still protect Milosevic.