The majority of Kosovars will be content with final status

The majority of Kosovars will be content with final status

B92: How far away is the Kosovo status solution?

Ivanko: We are recommending that these discussions be wrapped up as soon as possible, I am talking, of course, about the negotiation process which is taking place in Vienna under the presidency of Martti Ahtisaari. Unfortunately, this week’s discussions were not successful and it is a shame that the Kosovo Serbs from the Belgrade delegation did not participate in the second part of the discussions, which was related to minority rights. How can you discuss the situation of a community, especially the Serbs, if the Kosovo Serb leaders do not want to participate in the process? We are now waiting on the results of these discussions and awaiting Martti Ahtisaari’s report, which will be presented to the Security Council. The Council will then pass a new resolution, and in the meanwhile, Resolution 1244 will be in effect until then.

B92: Serbs are afraid that if they are treated as minorities, this will prejudge an independent Kosovo.

Ivanko: I do not agree with that. Serbs will have all of the rights that the rest of Kosovo’s citizens will have, they will have the protection of their religious buildings and rights, the rights which belong to them according to the decentralization plan and, essentially, an international presence which will enable their rights to be respected. KFOR will also remain in Kosovo for several more years. I think that the fears of the Serbs are the results of politicization, more than they are a realistic view of the situation in Kosovo.

B92: In your opinion, being familiar with the situation on the field and the situation in diplomatic circles, will the final status solution for Kosovo please the Albanian majority after January 1, 2007?

Ivanko: Let me say it this way: after the Security Council adopts the new Kosovo resolution, I think that the Kosovo majority will be content with the results.

B92: Have the standards which the international community has set been implemented?

Ivanko: It depends on what standards you are referring to.

B92: I am referring to minority rights.

Ivanko: There is still a lot of work to do as far as that is concerned. I think that the new government, which is being led by Prime Minister Agim Čeku, is doing a lot for the minorities. For example, a so-called media fund has been founded, which will finance media in the languages of the minorities, and there are many other projects that are improving on the rights of minorities. Also, there have been several donator conferences organised by UNMIK and the US has already donated a million dollars. A lot has been done for the minorities, but there is still much work ahead. 

B92: When you say that there is still much work ahead, what do you mean?

Ivanko: I think that, for example, in several parts of Kosovo there are locations where it is not safe to travel if you are a Serb.

B92: Is this a matter of perception or a realistic situation?

Ivanko: In some parts of Kosovo it is a reality, and in others it is a twisted perception. But, even if the wrong image is the case, it is our job to deal with that. It is important that every Kosovo citizens has the ability to move freely around Kosovo. Many Serbs today can travel freely, but in some areas the situation is bad. What is interesting is that I was in northern Mitrovica recently and I spoke with regular people. No one mentioned any security problems. Their main problem was a lack of employment.

B92: But the situation in northern Mitrovica is different. Serbs feel a lot safer there than in some enclaves.

Ivanko: Alright, I was in Istok as well. A tenth of Serbs have returned there. Their main worry is unemployment, health insurance and when I asked them about free movement, they said that they are not worried about that.

B92: Maybe it would be good to talk about the messages being sent by the UN, when the media uncovered a plan by the UNHCR for the relocation of about 70,000 Serbs in case of Kosovo independence. What kind of a message is that?

Ivanko: You see, the UNHCR works in a very specific way. They make plans while taking into consideration all possibilities: earthquakes, floods, etc. They are obligated to deal with that, including the worst case scenarios. That does not mean that this is the stance of the UNHCR or the UN. That is a part of the normal planning with the UNHCR implements all around the world. I do not see why the media is giving so much attention to this. They do this in Africa, Asia, the former USSR, anywhere.

B92: Maybe the media is focusing on this because the relocation of Serbs is the most likely option if Kosovo becomes independent?

Ivanko: I hope that this will not be the case. I was in Sarajevo in 1996, when thousands of Serbs left its suburbs. Believe me, I would not want to see that happen in Kosovo. That is why we will do everything possible, we will work with the Kosovo government to provide security for the Kosovo Serbs, and all other minorities, so that they can remain in Kosovo once it receives its status.

B92:  UNMIK criticized the Serbian Government for its role in Kosovo from 1999 to 2004. Also, you have been criticized by the extremist powers in Kosovo. Has UNMIK completed its goals seven years after starting its mission?

Ivanko: Some have been completed, some have not. There were mistakes made as well. It is not easy to run an administration in a region after a brutal conflict. Of course, we made many mistakes. Now, I think that UNMIK is on the right course. We have implemented structures which are administering in Kosovo and we have passed over the jurisdiction in many fields, including the judicial system and the police. I can tell you that the Kosovo Police Service, which we practically developed from scratch, is one of the best police units in the region. This alone is a great  success, because it is a multi-ethnic police, 10 percent of it is made up of Serbs, and it is very professional.

B92: Let us stay on the same topic. Do you think that it is too early or perhaps wrong to turn the Kosovo Protection Corps into the Kosovo military? This is directly tied to status. Looking at, firstly, the fact that KLA members have been indicted and convicted of war crimes against Serbs and that they warred against Serbian Security Forces in 1998 and 1999. Is this a wise move?

Ivanko: This is not up to us, this is being discussed and it will be part of the solution which will be included with the status solution. I can tell you that the Kosovo Protection Corps is a very professional civil protection unit. It is well trained, and I hope that minorities will enter the corps, it is now made up of about six percent of Serbs. They are involved in the restoration of the homes of minorities, for example.

B92: It has been said that Serbs would be a lot safer if they let go of their parallel structures and joined the Kosovo institutions. How are these two things linked?

Ivanko:  This is a good point. Serbs, at this moment cannot say what is going on in Kosovo, because they are not participating in the institutions, they have left them. We have told them many times: “If you want to participate in the development of Kosovo, you must enter the institutions. You cannot sit in northern Mitrovica forever complaining. And when we call on you to enter the institutions and solve your problems there, and you say that you will not join.” Things cannot function this way.

B92: I myself have heard many times that UN officials in Kosovo are claiming that the greatest security problem is in fact in North Mitrovica, where armed Serbian civilians are walking around the city and practically running it. Is this really the biggest problem in Kosovo?

Ivanko: Perception is a big problem in Kosovo. Many people in northern Kosovo believe that their security is in jeopardy. Alright, we have decided to deal with their perception and we have flooded the region with 500 police officers, which is about a fourth of the total number of officers in all of Kosovo. We have increased the level of security threefold in he region. Look at the number of incidents, there are practically no incidents in North Kosovo.

B92: After the final status is determined, what will the role of the international community be? Who will protect the minorities and deal with their rights, and who will observe what is going on in Kosovo?

Ivanko: As we speak, in Brussels, New York and other places this question is being discussed. I am sure that the international community will remain with a civil mission in Kosovo, including police, and KFOR will remain, and now a solution for northern Kosovo is being sought. According to some, it will take three to five years for the north to integrate with the rest of Kosovo.

B92: So there will in fact be a difference between the northern part of Kosovo and the rest of the province?

Ivanko: Once again, this is not certain. This is up to the Contact Group and the Security Council. We can only give advice, and our advice is to strengthen the international presence in the North in order to help it integrate into the region.