Kosovo: SRSG’s meeting with the MAPs of Northern Municipalities on December 9, 2005

Memorandum of Conversation

Internal Memorandum

Subject: SRSG’s meeting with the MAPs of Northern Municipalities

Date: 9 December 2005

Venue: Zvecan Municipality

ISSUES REQUIRING FOLLOW UP:

.

• Establish further contacts on the Decentralisation Program.

Municipal Assembly Presidents:

Mr. Dragisa Milovic (DM) – Municipal Assembly President of Zvečan/Zvecan; Mr. Slavisa Ristic (SR) - Municipal Assembly President of Zubin Potok/Zubin Potok; Mr. Velimir Bojovic (VB) - Municipal Assembly President of Leposavic/Leposaviq

UNMIK participants:

Mr Søren Jessen-Petersen, Mr Gerard Gallucci, Mr Petr Ivantsov, Mr Henrik Villadsen, Mr Devender Singh (Note taker), Mr Jean-Luc Sintes, Mr Detlef Beisiegel, Mr Lameck Kawiche.

The SRSG briefed the participants on the beginning of the status process noting that UNMIK is not part of the status process but would support it within its mandate. While the Status process will focus on politics, he would like to focus on the people. He underlined that there will be many concerns and preoccupations in this crucial period. UNMIK will promote closer collaboration with Belgrade and Kosovo Serbs to focus on key issues so as to reassure Kosovo Serbs that any status outcome would focus on their future. He was not prepared to accept that people should be let down if there was an unfavourable outcome.

The SRSG determined that there were five key areas to reassure Kosovo Serbs in next few months: i) Standard Implementation process and how UNMIK can push it; ii) Decentralisation as a fundamental issue with the ongoing comprehensive reform focussing on minorities needs to be reassured that they can manage their own affairs; iii) Freedom of movement and focussing on Kosovo Albanians to do more in this area; iv) Belgrade getting involved focussing on Kosovo Serbs residing in Kosovo; v) Kosovo Serb representatives playing their role in key areas through involvement in institutions and on practical issues. The SRSG noted encouraging results from the recent meetings held on practical issues and felt there was scope for doing more in that area. He touched upon the modest support provided by the SRSG to the Municipalities given their enormous needs and hoped that it will lead to more.

The SRSG then stressed that security was basis of everything discussed in the meeting and said that he was aware of immense concern about it. He stated there had been deeply regrettable incidents over last weeks and he condemned them. While it was important to resolve these crimes, it could not be concluded if these were inter-ethnic or who was responsible for these incidents. Nevertheless, psychological fear was growing as a result of these incidents leading to diminished freedom of movement. He informed that, after the bus incident near Prizren, intensive additional steps are envisaged by Police and KFOR. The SRSG hoped that it will have the desired effect even though there were some senseless people on all sides and it was difficult to stop it altogether.

DM thanked the SRSG for providing a general overview on Kosovo. He agreed that while status talks are ongoing, they have to think of the people and address their problems. He concurred with the SRSG that security and freedom of movement are key problems. He claimed that the level of violence was increasing and KFOR, Police and the Municipality have to stop it. In this context, he referred to a bomb thrown in a house in Mali Rudare in Zvecan Municipality. Recalling recent release of Fatmir Limaj, DM averred that it would encourage extreme Albanians to continue with their designs. He affirmed that decentralisation was the key issue needing resolution and characterised it as “a precondition for all preconditions”. He favoured creation and establishment of Municipalities with Serb majorities or with Kosovo Serbs and Kosovo Albanians together with competencies about Health, Education, Culture, Police etc. He called for horizontal connection between the Municipalities and institutional linkages with Serbia. Referring to Romas in Zitkovac camp and IDPs from Svinjare and Obilic displaced in Zvecan, he asserted that it was time to provide possibility for IDPs to return to their homes. DM argued that it was difficult to get into the institutions while two thirds of the population is displaced elsewhere. Highlighting high unemployment rate (60%), he urged all concerned to provide new opportunities so that people can stay here. He mentioned that he was interested and sensitive to the problems of North Mitrovica because many of these impacted on Zvecan. DM underscored that status problem could be solved in Kosovo with compromise and respecting the interests of both sides. Finally, he thanked the SRSG for his support for the project, which he said was important for their municipality.

VB expressed agreement with DM and stated that they have to be prepared for a decision that they may not like. He expressed fear that status of Kosovo may be resolved as a future for Albanians but not for Serbs. He recalled the meeting of 13 Kosovo Serb representatives with the Status Envoy where all of them expressed their unanimous view that any decision other than independence could be accepted. He opined that relations between Kosovo Albanians and Serbs had been negative all their lives, not just last six years. Recalling that his municipality was connected to the then autonomous province of ‘Kosovo and Metohija’, he wondered how a Municipality with 99% Serb population could be called an ‘Albanik’ Municipality. VB said he could not accept that Kosovo Albanians were asking for independence only and nothing else. Referring to disrespect of human rights for last six years, he claimed that Kosovo Albanians would behave better as status talks progress but it was not in their hearts. Taking out a map, he reminisced how his father had to leave Suva Reka Municipality to settle in North Kosovo and now his grandson may have to do the same. He contended that any unsuitable decision from the international community would not create stability in the region. VB felt that if final status is independence, not a single Serb will remain in this area; hence a solution to somehow satisfy both sides should be found. Pleading for objectivity on both sides, he mentioned that there were many models which could be followed so that both communities could live a normal life.

SR mentioned that while burden of status talks had shifted to Mr Ahtisaari, UNMIK has obligation in non-status areas. He specifically referred to Standard Implementation, which he admitted was a process that can’t be accomplished overnight. He stressed that UNMIK will have to be very determined to make concrete progress on decentralisation and it was SRSG’s obligation. He felt that the Albanian’s wish for an independent state is really to have central power over the Serbs. The IC must prevent creation of that kind of central power. He elaborated decentralisation as transferring authority and power from central level to local levels and not only creating new Municipalities. He added that diminishing budgetary support every year does not augur well for good future. SR mentioned two villages (Banjë/Banja and Suvogërll/Suvo Grlo) in Skenderaj / Srbica Municipality, which want to be connected to Zubin Potok Municipality not only for security but other reasons as well. These were multi-ethnic villages and if a decision in the context of decentralisation allows this, he would have no objection. He also pointed out that there were many such villages, where Serbs no longer reside but will return if connected to Zubin Potok. He claimed that he had no territorial ambitions. Finally, he said they were ready for all solutions to status issue. SR also appealed to his colleague from Leposavic to not leave the rest of them alone in Kosovo.

The SRSG concluded the meeting by thanking all the participants for their contributions and responded that he had not come with any message about a decision that they may not like but that it was good to prepare for whatever may come. Appreciating their comments about decentralisation, he said he was convinced that it will be a key feature of any status outcome. Kosovo Albanians will have to realize a decentralisation program that leads to a Kosovo for all communities. If such decentralisation does not emerge, the Status Envoy will ensure that decentralisation is integrated with status process with a strong focus on what communities need. He welcomed all comments especially on multi-ethnic municipalities. The SRSG recognized that while regular progress could not be made on returns, UNMIK was making progress on Romas in lead affected camps. Camp Oesterode is being prepared as a transit facility for those Romas in the camps, who want to move there. It will be a step on way to their formal return to Roma Mahalla

12 December 2005