Kosovo: Protests announced for Tuesday

Several Kosovo Albanian NGOs have announced protests in Pristina for tomorrow, against the deployment of EULEX under a UN plan. The plan, known as the six-point document, was adopted by the UN Security Council last week, but was rejected by the Kosovo Albanian leaders. Kosovo: Protests announced for Tuesday The motto of the protest, the NGOs said, will be, "Against six points – for Kosovo's sovereignty". Dec. 2 was previously announced as the date when the EU mission, EULEX, will formally start deployment in the entire territory of Kosovo. "The demonstrations are against the six points, and against EULEX, especially against the way in which this mission is being deployed, based on Resolution 1244," said Alban Boksi, one of the organizers. Before the plan was adopted at the UN, Kosovo Albanians also demonstrated against it, in a protest that ended peacefully. Also in Pristina on Monday, Kosovo Prime Minister Hashim Thaci stated that the government and institutions will cooperate closely with EULEX in order to provide for the rule of law in the whole of the Kosovo territory. "Kosovo's state institutions, the broad political spectrum and civil society have said 'no' to the efforts to legalize the illegal situation and to weaken the functioning of our state," he told a news conference, speaking about "a strategy to fight corruption and organized crime". Thaci underscored that the strategic goal of Kosovo - accession in Euro-Atlantic integrations – "may not be achieved if corruption and organized crime are allowed to be established". “It is clear that such a state will not be accepted in Europe. It would also be unacceptable to Kosovo's citizens,” said Thaci. He once again described the six-point plan and the proposed revision of the Kumanovo agreement as "Belgrade's ugly and dead dream". Yesterday, Kosovo Serb National Council president Radmila Trajkovic said that Kosovo Albanians "will not dare" to cause problems in the deployment of EULEX. “I do not think they will do anything to drag the Albanian people in Kosovo into conflict with the international community,” she said. “The Albanians in Kosovo proclaimed independence with the help of the international community, NATO is keeping them secure. The European Union fills their budget, and I do not think that they will strike at people and countries of the EU,” Trajkovic said. She went on to say that “UNMIK came to Kosovo with an identified victim, which were the Albanians, and everything that was done these nine years was done for the Albanian community, and for the Serb community, the only things done were those that UNMIK and Albanians agreed on,” Trajkovic said. “I am sorry to say this, but nothing has been done for the Serbs and we are currently in a position where the question of Serbs in Kosovo is not solved—Kosovo is at the lowest levels of being multi-ethnic, with a 92 percent Albanian population and eight percent of everyone else,” she told Jagodina's Palma Plus channel. Stating that UN administrators in the Serb parts of Kosovo came "from Asian and African countries" not the EU or America", Trajkovic said that the EU office ran by Pieter Feith "will have support from the very strong and relevant countries". "In that office, there are people from America and the strongest EU countries who are currently working on personnel solutions, and will completely control the Kosovo institutions, determine board members, replace people who have obtained their positions illegally,” Trajkovic said. She said that EULEX will deploy on the entire territory of Kosovo, but “in the north, a little less in the beginning.” “The security forces forming in Kosovo are not dangerous for the rest of Serbia, but they are dangerous for the unarmed Serb people [in Kosovo] and something similar should be formed in the Serb communities,” Trajkovic said. Also in Kosovo on Sunday, Former Kosovo Premier Agim Ceku said that the Belgrade’s proposal for revising the Kumanovo agreement is an attempt by Serbia to impose its own agenda on NATO. “The Kumanovo agreement meant the capitulation of then Yugoslavia and Serbia. Any attempt to revise it is part of a diplomatic campaign by Serbia to impose its stances and agenda on NATO,” Ceku said. He told at a press conference that revisions to the agreement are "unacceptable", adding that the Kosovo institutions, even though they did not sign the document, "have an interest in it, and should insist that the Ground Safety Zone be expanded, not made smaller".

Kosovo: Protests announced for Tuesday

The motto of the protest, the NGOs said, will be, "Against six points – for Kosovo's sovereignty".

Dec. 2 was previously announced as the date when the EU mission, EULEX, will formally start deployment in the entire territory of Kosovo.

"The demonstrations are against the six points, and against EULEX, especially against the way in which this mission is being deployed, based on Resolution 1244," said Alban Boksi, one of the organizers.

Before the plan was adopted at the UN, Kosovo Albanians also demonstrated against it, in a protest that ended peacefully.

Also in Priština on Monday, Kosovo Prime Minister Hashim Thaci stated that the government and institutions will cooperate closely with EULEX in order to provide for the rule of law in the whole of the Kosovo territory.

"Kosovo's state institutions, the broad political spectrum and civil society have said 'no' to the efforts to legalize the illegal situation and to weaken the functioning of our state," he told a news conference, speaking about "a strategy to fight corruption and organized crime".

Thaci underscored that the strategic goal of Kosovo - accession in Euro-Atlantic integrations – "may not be achieved if corruption and organized crime are allowed to be established".

“It is clear that such a state will not be accepted in Europe. It would also be unacceptable to Kosovo's citizens,” said Thaci.

He once again described the six-point plan and the proposed revision of the Kumanovo agreement as "Belgrade's ugly and dead dream".

Yesterday, Kosovo Serb National Council president Radmila Trajković said that Kosovo Albanians "will not dare" to cause problems in the deployment of EULEX.

“I do not think they will do anything to drag the Albanian people in Kosovo into conflict with the international community,” she said.

“The Albanians in Kosovo proclaimed independence with the help of the international community, NATO is keeping them secure. The European Union fills their budget, and I do not think that they will strike at people and countries of the EU,” Trajković said.

She went on to say that “UNMIK came to Kosovo with an identified victim, which were the Albanians, and everything that was done these nine years was done for the Albanian community, and for the Serb community, the only things done were those that UNMIK and Albanians agreed on,” Trajković said.

“I am sorry to say this, but nothing has been done for the Serbs and we are currently in a position where the question of Serbs in Kosovo is not solved—Kosovo is at the lowest levels of being multi-ethnic, with a 92 percent Albanian population and eight percent of everyone else,” she told Jagodina's Palma Plus channel.

Stating that UN administrators in the Serb parts of Kosovo came "from Asian and African countries" not the EU or America", Trajković said that the EU office ran by Pieter Feith "will have support from the very strong and relevant countries".

"In that office, there are people from America and the strongest EU countries who are currently working on personnel solutions, and will completely control the Kosovo institutions, determine board members, replace people who have obtained their positions illegally,” Trajković said.

She said that EULEX will deploy on the entire territory of Kosovo, but “in the north, a little less in the beginning.”

“The security forces forming in Kosovo are not dangerous for the rest of Serbia, but they are dangerous for the unarmed Serb people [in Kosovo] and something similar should be formed in the Serb communities,” Trajković said.

Also in Kosovo on Sunday, Former Kosovo Premier Agim Ceku said that the Belgrade’s proposal for revising the Kumanovo agreement is an attempt by Serbia to impose its own agenda on NATO.

“The Kumanovo agreement meant the capitulation of then Yugoslavia and Serbia. Any attempt to revise it is part of a diplomatic campaign by Serbia to impose its stances and agenda on NATO,” Ceku said.

He told at a press conference that revisions to the agreement are "unacceptable", adding that the Kosovo institutions, even though they did not sign the document, "have an interest in it, and should insist that the Ground Safety Zone be expanded, not made smaller".