http://www.regnum.ru/english/736189.html
Regnum (Russia)
November 11, 2006
Kosovo: Bulgaria, Macedonia and Montenegro have
betrayed Serbia
-Some people believe that the Montenegrin authorities
invited Ceku to Montenegro with a view to improve
their relations with the local Albanian minority after
the Sept 2006 arrest of Albanian extremists from the
Movement for the Rights of Albanians in Montenegro. On
Nov 6, Montenegrin Public Prosecutor Vesna Medenica
said that this group, together with the fighters from
the so-called Kosovo Liberation Army, were plotting
terrorist acts in the territory of Montenegro.
-"The visit of Ceku, who is suspected of having
committed military crimes against Serbs, Montenegrins
and other non-Albanians in Kosovo and Metohija, looked
especially provocative as it took place right after
the adoption of the Constitution of Serbia and exactly
at the moment when the world community is trying to
solve the problem of Kosovo and Metohija in line with
the UN Charter and UN SC Resolution 1244."
-"Montenegro's independence gained with the decisive
support of Albanians was just the first step towards
the possible secession of Kosovo and Metohija from
Serbia."
In the last few months, the head of the interim
government of Kosovo Agim Ceku has visited a number of
countries to enlist their support for Kosovo's
independence.
He visited the US and the UK, Bulgaria and FYR
Macedonia.
Ceku's visits have not gone unnoticed: the world
community is very much interested in what status
Kosovo will get and in what stance the UN Security
Council and Contact Group members and Balkan states
have on the matter.
Special attention was given to Ceku's Nov 3 visit to
Montenegro, which quite recently voted to secede from
Serbia.
In Montenegro Ceku met with the prime minister, the
speaker of the parliament, the FM, and all of them
treated him as the head of the government of a state.
Montenegrin Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic said that
the key topic of his talk with Ceku was not the status
of Kosovo but the future of the region and good
neighborly relations between Montenegro and Kosovo.
Ignoring the fact that Kosovo is an integral part of
Serbia, Djukanovic stressed that, despite its status,
Kosovo is Montenegro's neighbor and so the sides
should be interested in being good neighbors.
Djukanovic and Ceku exchanged their views of how to
eliminate structural restrictions to the
liberalization of the energy and other markets in the
Balkans and how to attract big investors in the
region.
They also stressed the need to open new border
crossings for bringing closer the business interests
of Montenegro and Kosovo and discussed ways to
strengthen border control and to jointly fight
organized crime. Djukanovic said that the Montenegrin
and Kosovan government delegations would meet to
discuss the return of Kosovan refugees in Montenegro.
Concerning the status of Kosovo, Djukanovic said that
Montenegro is interested in the urgent resolution of
this problem – under the agreement between Belgrade
and Pristina and with the consent of the world
community – and is ready to support any decision to be
passed by the world community.
Ceku used his visit to state once again that the
provision of Kosovo with independence is the only
permanent decision. He once more expressed his
conviction that this decision will be made by the end
of this year.
During his visit to Montenegro, Ceku also met with the
leaders of the Albanian parties in Montenegro and with
the heads of the Albanian community of Ulcinj, a
municipality where Albanians constitute over 70% of
the population.
Ceku said that the Albanian community in Montenegro
has always been constructive: it has never posed a
threat to the country's interests but, on the
contrary, has actively protected them.
Ceku commended the Albanian community for their active
role in the current processes in Montenegro and
expressed hope that "the Montenegrin Government will
respond positively by guaranteeing the exercise of the
rights of Albanians in Montenegro."
It is not clear what rights Ceku meant, but it is
known well that the Montenegrin Albanians want
autonomy and hope that Kosovo's independence will help
them in the matter.
Some people believe that the Montenegrin authorities
invited Ceku to Montenegro with a view to improve
their relations with the local Albanian minority after
the Sept 2006 arrest of Albanian extremists from the
Movement for the Rights of Albanians in Montenegro. On
Nov 6, Montenegrin Public Prosecutor Vesna Medenica
said that this group, together with the fighters from
the so-called Kosovo Liberation Army, were plotting
terrorist acts in the territory of Montenegro.
The visit of Ceku has received a very negative
response from the opposition parties of Montenegro,
who said that it was "a scandal that will cause grave
political consequences" and "an attempt to stab in the
back the Serbian leaders and all Serbs in the
Balkans."
The Socialist People's Party of Montenegro said that
the invitation of Ceku, "the well-known representative
of the Kosovan extremists," was an act of open support
for those forces who want to separate Kosovo and
Metohija from Serbia.
"The visit of Ceku, who is suspected of having
committed military crimes against Serbs, Montenegrins
and other non-Albanians in Kosovo and Metohija, looked
especially provocative as it took place right after
the adoption of the Constitution of Serbia and exactly
at the moment when the world community is trying to
solve the problem of Kosovo and Metohija in line with
the UN Charter and UN SC Resolution 1244."
The Democratic Serbian Party said that "now that
Serbia is taking active diplomatic steps to keep
Kosovo from secession and the problem of the status of
this southern Serbian region is entering the final
stage, the invitation of Ceku to visit Montenegro was
a non-diplomatic act" and can be interpreted as an
interference in the internal affairs of another state.
The Socialist People's Party of Montenegro said that
"by inviting Ceku, Djukanovic and his regime have
openly taken the side of the Albanian extremists in
Kosovo and Metohija," while the People's Party of
Montenegro said that "by so doing they have shown
support for the Ceku separatist regime" and that
"Montenegro's independence gained with the decisive
support of Albanians was just the first step towards
the possible secession of Kosovo and Metohija from
Serbia."
The party urged all opposition parties to initiate a
special parliamentary session for considering "the
Montenegrin authorities' open support for the Albanian
separatists in Kosovo."
Those in Serbia have strongly criticized the
invitation of Ceku to Montenegro.
Serbian President Boris Tadic said that it was "an
unacceptable and unnecessary gesture" by Djukanovic
now that the sides are negotiating the future status
of Kosovo.
Those in the Serbian Government said that Kosovo is an
inalienable part of Serbia rather than "a neighboring
state for Montenegro" as the Montenegrin officials
said.
Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica warned the
Montenegrin Government that they "should respect the
sovereignty and territorial integrity of Serbia in
line with the UN Charter and international law.
Otherwise, they will be responsible for possible
serious consequences in Serbian-Montenegrin
relations."
The G-17+ party said that the position of the
Montenegrin authorities does not contribute to the
development of good neighborly relations between
Serbia and Montenegro and must be condemned, while the
secretary general of the Serbian Radical Party
Aleksandar Vucic said that it was "the most shameful
act in the history of Montenegro" and "the Montenegrin
authorities just returned the favor done to them
during the referendum [on Montenegro's independence]."
The Socialist Party of Serbia demanded that the
Serbian authorities show tough reaction to this
"anti-Serbian gesture" of the Montenegrin leadership.
The Blic daily (Belgrade) said that "Djukanovic may go
into history as the person who restored Montenegro's
independence but he is also the person who spoiled
Montenegro's relations with Serbia — the first and
most natural ally."
Djukanovic and Montenegrin Foreign Minister Vlahovic
denied the charges and said that the talks with Ceku
have not spoiled Montenegro's relations with Serbia,
who remains the country's key partner, and were not
aimed at influencing the talks for Kosovo's future
status.
In their turn, the Kosovan authorities have blamed
Serbia for interfering in the policies of its
neighbors. The spokeswoman of the Kosovan Government
Ujlpijana Ljama said that Serbia should accept the new
reality in the Balkans.
However, some forces in Kosovo think otherwise. The
Serbian Vece believes that the decision of the
Montenegrin authorities to officially receive Ceku has
deeply hurt the Serbs and the Montenegrins in Kosovo.
However, this step was not unexpected as Djukanovic is
deeply in debt to the Albanian community for his stay
in power all these years.
After his visit to Montenegro, Ceku continued his
tour: he visited Albania, on Nov 6 he went to
Slovakia, where local officials told him that the
decision on Kosovo's status requires absolute
consensus and that the Kosovan authorities should
refrain from one-sided steps. And now Ceku is planning
to go to Moscow and is waiting for the Russians'
response to his wish to visit Russia for explaining
the stance of the Kosovan leadership.
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