PRESS CONFERENCE SPONSORED BY PERMANENT MISSION OF ALBANIA

Press Briefing

PRESS CONFERENCE SPONSORED BY PERMANENT MISSION OF ALBANIA

At a press conference sponsored by the Permanent Mission of Albania to the United Nations, Hashim Thaci told correspondents at Headquarters this morning that the division of the northern city of Mitrowica implied that a partition of Kosovo was taking place contrary to Security Council resolution 1244 (1999).

Mr. Thaci said that the Serbian authorities had failed to respect one of the resolution’s main provisions –- that Serbian forces must remain at least five kilometres from the borders of Kosovo. Serbian forces were working intensively to destabilize the situation in the province. No attention had been paid to the forcible expulsion of tens of thousands of ethnic Albanians living in southern Serbia.

He said that many of those negative phenomena had been caused by the fact that the indigenous Kosovar factor had been disregarded and ignored by the international presence, by the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) and by Bernard Kouchner, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Kosovo. Because the Albanian political factor had not been taken into proper consideration, they had not been allowed to make a contribution to the resolution of the many problems facing Kosovo.

Mr. Thaci said that following the demilitarization and transformation of the KLA, Kosovo would have its own corps, which would guarantee stabilization as well as the establishment of a democratic system and a more democratic future. Kosovo would become an open and democratic society, respecting fundamental human rights as well as free and independent media. Free and democratic elections would be held as soon as possible.

A correspondent asked whether Serb paramilitary groups reportedly returning to Kosovo would change the planned deadline for the KLA’s demilitarization.

Mr. Thaci replied that the provisional government had repeatedly denounced the entry into Kosovo of Serbian paramilitary groups, police and military forces, which had contributed to the destabilization of the situation in Kosovo. Regardless of whether the paramilitaries would continue to enter Kosovo in violation of international agreements, the KLA was committed to all the agreements and undertakings it had signed and the demilitarization would be concluded successfully.

Asked about charges that the KLA was turning in antiquated weapons while stockpiling modern ones in Albania, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and in Kosovo, he said the KLA did not need to

Thaci Briefing - 2 - 17 September 1999

stockpile weapons. It was committed to all the agreements it had undertaken. Secondly, a Kosovo corps would come into being which would be a guarantee for the people of Kosovo. The future of Kosovo would be determined in Kosovo, not in Belgrade.

Asked about KLA factions opposing demilitarization, Mr. Thaci said that all the organizations within the KLA obeyed the general staff and the provisional government of Kosovo. Some individuals and elements were dissatisfied with the demilitarization process and Kosovo was awash with weapons that were not under KLA control.

Was it true that Mr. Thaci had personally taken part in summary executions of KLA members? another journalist asked.

He replied that while The New York Times had the right to print what it wished, many of the articles it had published on that subject had originally been published in the Belgrade newspapers.

What did Mr. Thaci hope to accomplish on this visit? another correspondent asked. What was he doing politically to prevent a partition of Kosovo?

He said that following his meetings with Secretary-General Kofi Annan and with Richard Holbrooke, Permanent Representative of the United States to the United Nations, he would have a clear idea about the direction of the KLA’s transformation. The terms of that transformation should be properly defined and the Serbs were expected to understand it properly. It was hoped that the meetings would open the door for the presence of Kosovo representatives to the United Nations.

Regarding the partition of Kosovo as proposed by the Serbs, he said the matter was not open for discussion, either by the Kosovars or by the international community. Discussions would include the Serb hold on the northern part of Mitrowica and the Serbian authorities’ failure to respect the five-kilometre demilitarized zone.

Would the reference in Security Council resolution 1244 (1999) to the territorial integrity of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia not prevent United Nations representation for Kosovo? another journalist asked.

Mr. Thaci responded that the provisional government respected the resolution for the interim period. If the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia’s territorial integrity were to be respected, then Kosovo would never have a democratic future and would never become the entity desired by all Kosovars. There could be no democracy if Kosovo was left under the Serbian Government. Kosovo would seek mechanisms to achieve recognition of its independence in cooperation with the international community.

Thaci Briefing - 3 - 17 September 1999

What in particular were the problems with Mr. Kouchner? another correspondent asked.

Bajram Kosumi, who was also present at the press conference, said that one of the problems was that members of UNMIK had to accept a closer collaboration with the indigenous population because there could be no peace, prosperity or democracy without close cooperation with the people of Kosovo. Mr. Kouchner and UNMIK had behaved as if the people were there to serve them instead of the other way around; however, many people within UNMIK wished to work closely with the indigenous institutions and political authorities.

Did Mr. Thaci plan to ask the Secretary-General to remove Mr. Kouchner? another journalist asked. Would he seek Ambassador Holbrooke’s support for that?

Mr. Thaci replied that he was not here to request Mr. Kouchner’s dismissal. The negative positions taken by Mr. Kouchner could be improved. The people of Kosovo were asking for cooperation, not for a king.

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