Kosovo's Thaci refuses to negotiate UN proposals with Serbia

06/08/2008

PRISTINA, Kosovo -- Prime Minister Hashim Thaci says his government will not discuss with Belgrade several issues proposed recently by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. The proposals he sent to Kosovo and Serbia in mid-June reiterated the UN's commitment to dialogue regarding police, the judiciary, administrative borders, Serbian heritage, traffic, infrastructure and customs. But in an interview published in Wednesday's (August 6th) Koha Ditore, Thaci said Kosovo's constitution will be respected, not "ad hoc statements from whomever".

In other news, police arrested three young Kosovo Serbs in Mitrovica, following a brawl late Monday with Albanian teenagers. Four people suffered injuries, including a UNMIK police officer, and cars and shops in the area incurred significant damage. Mitrovica Mayor Bajram Rexhepi described the fight as a deliberate provocation in the divided town. (Koha Ditore, Kohavision, Express, Zeri - 06/08/08; AFP, BalkanWeb - 05/08/08)