RADIO FREE EUROPE/RADIO LIBERTY, PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC
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RFE/RL NEWSLINE Vol. 10, No. 175, Part II, 21 September 2006

KOSOVAR PREMIER SAYS SERBIA WOULDN'T DARE INVADE... Agim Ceku said on
September 20 that Serbia would never dare invade the breakaway
province again, AP reported the same day. In an exclusive interview
with AP, Ceku said that after the bloodshed of the 1990s, Serbs know
enough "not to invade Kosova again." He added, "They have no
courage." Ceku also assailed Serbian nationalists for using
"primitive propaganda" to incite ethnic tensions as the United
Nations nears a decision on Kosova's final status. "War is past. I'm
sure there's no willingness to choose this way of realizing their
wishes," Ceku said. "That is all mythology. There's a huge lack of
reality in Serbia." BW

..CRITICIZES BELGRADE FOR CAMPAIGN AGAINST UN ENVOY. In the same AP
interview on September 20, Ceku accused the Serbian government of
waging a campaign to discredit UN envoy Martti Ahtisaari. Ceku said
Belgrade is seeking to delay the final-status process, divide the
international community, and destabilize Kosova. Ahtisaari sparked
fierce criticism from Serbia when he said the legacy of the Slobodan
Milosevic era is relevant in determining Kosova's future (see "RFE/RL
Newsline," August 28, 29, and 30, 2006). As a result of Belgrade's
actions, Ceku said, Kosova's Serbs "are very confused and very
worried. This feeling has been imposed by Belgrade." Ceku also urged
Serbs not to leave Kosova, as approximately 200,000 have done since
Serbian forces were driven out in 1999. "I have encouraged Kosova's
Serbs not to leave, not to be discouraged," Ceku said. "Independence
is the time to stay, not leave. Independence is the time to come
back." BW

UN WARNS KOSOVAR LEADERS TO WATCH THEIR LANGUAGE. The United Nations
on September 20 told Kosova's leaders to be more careful with their
statements after parliament speaker Kole Berisha warned of a revolt
if the province is denied independence, Reuters reported the same
day. "I hope the leaders of the government, unity [negotiating] team,
and local leaders are very careful with the phrases they use and the
messages they direct to public opinion and the people right now," UN
deputy administration head Schook told reporters after meeting
Berisha on September 20. Speaking in Slovenia on September 18,
Berisha warned: "If our aim of independence is not realized, then
citizens' revolts are expected in Kosova. We don't want revolts, but
we cannot exclude them if our aim is not realized." He repeated the
comments after returning to Kosova the next day. BW

COUNCIL OF EUROPE DRAFT RESOLUTION FAVORS KOSOVA INDEPENDENCE. The
Council of Europe has drafted a resolution calling independence the
best solution for Kosova, B92 and Beta reported on September 20. The
Political Committee of the Council of Europe's Parliamentary Assembly
adopted the resolution on September 18. "The assembly, while
respecting Serbia's interests and her right to preserve her
territorial integrity, believes that Kosovo's independence, with
certain conditions, would be a solution that not only corresponds
with the will of the majority of Kosovo citizens, but also provides a
best chance for a lasting, long-term peace and stability in the
region," the resolution said. It adds that Kosova's unresolved status
jeopardizes political stability in the western Balkans. It also says
that regardless of the final-status decision, the Council of Europe
is prepared to assist both Serbia and Kosova in the future. BW

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RADIO FREE EUROPE/RADIO LIBERTY, PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC
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RFE/RL NEWSLINE Vol. 10, No. 172, Part II, 18 September 2006

EU TELLS SERBIA THAT TIME IS RUNNING OUT FOR AGREEMENT. European
Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn has sent a letter to the Serbian
government warning that time is running out for Belgrade to capture
war crimes fugitive Ratko Mladic, Reuters reported on September 15,
citing an unidentified EU official. "The letter emphasizes the need
for action now because there is a risk of running out of time to
finalize negotiations by the end of the year if it doesn't happen
soon," the official said. Reuters quoted unidentified EU officials as
saying that Serbian politicians seem to be clinging to false hope
that negotiations for a Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA)
could be restarted without Mladic being captured. The EU suspended
talks on an SAA with Belgrade in May due to Serbia's failure to
capture Mladic (see "RFE/RL Newsline," May 4, 2006). BW

DEPUTY UN ENVOY SAYS KOSOVA TALKS IN JEOPARDY. The deputy UN envoy to
Kosova's final-status talks, Albert Rohan, said on September 15 that
the talks are in jeopardy and chances for success are increasingly
slim, AP and the BBC reported the same day. "We're approaching a
moment where by talking alone we won't accomplish the goal," he said.
"We could talk for another 10 years and not change anything. The
prospect of progress in these talks is increasingly slim." Serbian
and ethnic Albanian negotiators wrapped up the ninth round of talks
in Vienna on September 15. The session addressed issues of
decentralization aimed at giving minority Serbs greater autonomy and
voice. But like the previous eight rounds, the negotiations ended in
stalemate. BW