Statement of Nebojsa Covic Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Serbia and
President of the Coordinating Centre
Brussels, Feb 26, 2003
I thank you for your time at a moment when you are dealing with the difficult and complex problem of Iraq.
I am completely aware that you would like me to present you with solutions, not problems. But, I shall stick to the problems of southern Serbia (Presevo, Bujanovac and Medvedja) and Kosovo.
SOUTHERN SERBIA (Presevo, Bujanovac and Medvedja)
The situation in the municipalities of Presevo, Bujanovac and Medvedja is not even close to what it was two years ago. Significant results have been achieved in establishing peace and multiethnic institutions.
During the past few weeks, the situation has become more complex; with attempts to bring back the situation to the state it was two years ago.
Certain criminal and radical elements of the ethnic Albanians are trying to destabilise the situation in the region by frightening citizens, the multiethnic police force and multiethnic representatives of the local authorities.
Since the beginning of 2003, in the municipality of Presevo and Bujanovac we have catalogued death threats, explosions in the private dwellings of multiethnic police officers and other citizens, physical assaults, the murder of an ethnic Albanian member of the Serbian Security and Intelligence Agency (BIA), the planting of landmines and explosives, the murder of a member of the Gendarmerie and the wounding of another two…
There are indications that other paramilitary troops are organising in the region, such as the self-proclaimed Albanian National Army (ANA). This creates additional concern, as extremist groups are based along the administrative border between Kosovo and southern Serbia.
Despite these problems, Belgrade is successfully working on restoring order to the situation in southern Serbia, which includes cooperation with KFOR, the OSCE, and the EUMM, which has been of great benefit. We are resolute in responding to all the extremist threats and terrorist actions of certain local ethnic Albanians in a measured and responsible manner, and with your help.
The basis for stability and development of the region is fighting organised crime. Organised crime is to blame for the violence in the everyday life of the region, and represents a threat to the safety and economy of the region, but also the EU. Organised crime includes, primarily, drugs and arms trafficking, sex trafficking and money laundering.
Organised crime in the countries of the region is interwoven with the state, politics, politicians and bureaucrats, which gives it a special significance.
We need your help and cooperation to resolve these problems through special projects of regional stability. With your help, we must, and can preserve the results we have achieved in southern Serbia, which should also serve as a model for the peaceful resolution of the crisis in the region.
As a rule, organised crime is connected with war crimes and war profiteers. We must not let criminals manipulate patriotic and national feelings, by hiding behind national flags.
Our goals in southern Serbia are:
Full respect of the Programme for peaceful resolution of the crisis and further building of multiethnic institutions,
Zero tolerance for violence, crime, extremism and terrorism,
Absolute cancellation of the Ground and Air Safety Zone.
We expect your support, assistance and full understanding in order to keep the peace in southern Serbia and to fully carry out the Programme for peaceful resolution of the crisis.
KOSOVO
As for Kosovo, certain Belgrade leaders are concerned that the position of Serbia in a possible process of the province's status could be jeopardised to the disadvantage of democratic support
Be sure that Belgrade will not undertake any action that would make the work of KFOR harder. On the contrary, we support a maximum of dialogue between the Army of Serbia and Montenegro and KFOR in order to resolve extremism and crime in Kosovo and southern Serbia.
In this sense, the arrest of Kosovo suspects is of great help, and for that we are thankful to KFOR.
What concerns us and makes harder our position as democratic authorities in the process of democratisation of the country:
After three and a half years, there is no return of internally displaced persons - Serb and other non-Albanian ethnic groups;
The level of safety and freedom of movement is not satisfactory for Serbs and non-Albanians and human rights are constantly violated;
The number of KFOR members has decreased;
Disharmony in the transfer of jurisdictions from KFOR to UNMIK, and from UNMIK to interim institutions;
The opening of border crossings between Kosovo and Albania, and the introduction of customs services between Kosovo and Serbia proper;
Repetitive provocations by ethnic Albanian politicians from Kosovo, aimed at prejudging the final status of Kosovo, in the form of independence for the province;
Excluding the Belgrade authorities from the process that is under way in Kosovo, and lack of partnership relations with UNMIK;
Failure to resolve the fate of missing and kidnapped persons in Kosovo;
Failure to resolve the problem of the usurped property of Serbs and other non-Albanians from Kosovo;
Failure to implement certain agreements and protocols signed between Belgrade and UNMIK, as well as the Belgrade Agreement signed on November 5, 2001;
We have opted for sincere partnership relations with KFOR and UNMIK, but with full respect for mutual agreements that have been reached.
It is certain that the army and police of Serbia and Montenegro are no longer enemies to KFOR; KFOR now has an internal enemy: extremists and separatists backed by organised crime structures in Kosovo.
The proclaimed standards have been supported by the Serbian authorities, but they need to be elaborated in order to enable a realistic evaluation and monitoring of results achieved in the process of creating a multiethnic Kosovo.
We are pleading to you to help the Serb community in Kosovo become a constitutional people, and thus be able to exercise their collective rights as envisaged by the Ohrid agreement.
Without the sustainable return and preservation of the Serb community in Kosovo, we will not achieve the declared goal of creating a multiethnic Kosovo.
Belgrade wishes to take advantage of 2003 to make up for lost time and to continue with its integration into the international community.
We know what is expected of us.
We intend to find ways to resolve these problems, but you could make the job easier for us, by sending us signals that difficult decisions yield rewards.
It is easier to "get away with" unpopular moves in Serbia, where we are building institutions that have been left destroyed for years and trying to restore democratic forces, if it is clear that we are facing some formal, concrete requests as part of an integration process.
A daunting task is ahead, one in which you can help. We count on your assistance, for the purpose of full stabilisation of our country as well as the entire region.
