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06 12 2007 This Thursday Life in Kosovo discussed and analysed what Kosovo needed to do to prepare for the period after December 10 – the official end to the failed negotiations between Belgrade and Pristina.
During the show the panel answered questions, such as: How
dependent will Kosovo remain once it becomes independent? How prepared
is Kosovo for that day? Serbia has threatened Kosovo with an embargo on
food and energy supplies: how likely is this? What is the real damage
Serbia can cause Kosovo? Is Kosovo equipped with security structures
that can plan for and cope with any emergency, and are there
institutions that have the required reserves?
These issues were discussed by panel members:
Astrit Istrefi – head of “Saferworld” NGO in Kosovo
Naim Maloku – Alliance for the Future of Kosovo
Adem Demaci – political and human rights activist
Shpend Ahmeti – Group for Policy Analysis, GAP
Xhavit Haliti – Democratic Party of Kosovo
Agron Dida – Expert on Energy and Telecommunication
Demaci, said that Kosovo had to create all the required conditions in
order to declare independence. According to him, Kosovo has to make
sure that after the independence declaration, Serbia will not have a
chance to destabilize Kosovo.
“We have to be politically prepared” he said and emphasised that Kosovo
needed also to be economically prepared for the period after
independence.
Demaci argued Kosovo was not yet ready to declare independence. “Let’s solve our problems first”, he said.
Ahmeti said that Kosovo needed to face the future.
“We have the potential”, he said, and stressed that now was the time to work hard.
Regarding Serbia’s threat to impose an embargo, Ahmeti said that it would not cause great harm to Kosovo.
“Our analyses say that Kosovo is importing 10-25% of its goods [from
Serbia], this is how they [Serbia] benefit from us and not vice versa”,
Ahmeti said, and emphasised that an embargo would only cause some
short-term problems until Kosovo found another way to import goods from
other neighbouring states.
Dida talked about the possible energy problems that Kosovo would have
to face if Serbia cut off energy supplies to Kosovo’s plants.
“Once we are independent”, he said “we would be able to complain to the European Commission and the European Council.”
According to Dida, Serbia is not allowed to take such actions, because
there are some international laws and regulations in force, and these
cannot be broken without sanctions.
Haliti admitted that there were some civilians in Kosovo, who might cause trouble.
“We have to stay calm and do nothing”, he said calmly, and added that he was not convinced that Serbia would attack Kosovo.
Haliti also emphasised that the KFOR peacekeepers have sent troop reinforcements to the north of Kosovo.
Demaci said that Kosovo needed to have its own forces to resolve internal matters.
“NATO should protect us from Serbia, while we have to protect our own citizens within Kosovo’s borders”, he said.
Maloku explained that Kosovo had enough forces and that the whole territory was ready to face any threat.
“There are 16–17,000 [KFOR] soldiers, 8,000 Kosovo Police Service
officers, 3,200 Kosovo Protection Corps, KPS, personnel and another
2,000 KPC reservists”, Maloku said.
Meanwhile Maloku admitted that Kosovo did not have reserves of flour
and bread, because of technical matters. Haliti criticised him and the
government for not having done anything until now.
Istrefi pointed out that, if the government took decisions regarding
the actions before and after the independence declaration, it had to
approach the citizens and to inform them about every move and decision.
Maloku stressed that there was no need to panic.
Haliti agreed with him, but urged no one to fall into a trap or become hot-empered.
“People should stay calm and should not allow to be provoked by any propaganda.”
Demaci pointed out that Serbia had some secret plans.
“They will kill their own people in the enclaves in Kosovo, place bombs
in order to make us look guilty”, he said “we have to protect our Serb
citizens.”
Ahmeti said that Kosovans had to be more careful and that there was no
need to panic now. “It is difficult to build a state, we have to be
prepared for everything and to be patient”, Ahmeti stressed.
Click here to watch this debate:
Life in Kosovo Debates Kosovo’s Preparations for Independence
“Life in Kosovo” is a co-production between Kosovo Public Television,
RTK and the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network, BIRN. The show is
broadcast every Thursday, starting from 20:15.
At the beginning of 2010 BIRN network published Digging Deeper - A Guide for Investigative Journalists in the Balkans, written in cooperation with Sheila Coronel, Director of the Stabile Center for Investigative Journalism and professor of professional practice at Columbia University, New York.
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