Kosovo
Minister
Tells Other Secessionists, You're On Your Own, Solidarity is Only
Emotional, Is Talking with Spain
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
July 29 -- Kosovo's Foreign Affairs Minister Skender Hyseni,
at the UN on Thursday, was asked if he saw Kosovo's unilateral
declaration of independence, and its upholding by the International
Court of Justice, as a precedent for others seeking independence.
“No one should
tie this to any other situation in the world,” Hyseni replied. He
is in New York lobbying non-recognizing states, including five in the
European Union, to now recognize Kosovo.
Inner
City Press
asked Hyseni, given his arguments about what Kosovars suffered from
Serbia, if Kosovo is in solidarity with other peoples which feel they
have a historical right to their own state.
“I'm getting
your
point,” Hyseni cut in. “I'm not going to mix my actions as
Foreign Affairs Minister with my feelings and emotions.”
If
the response
means that Hyseni personally feels such solidarity for other
suffering peoples, but the Kosovo's foreign policy includes no such
solidarity, it is problematic.
Hyseni (previously) at UN, solidarity not shown
Inner
City Press
asked Hyseni about Ukraine and Spain, which have said post-ICJ that
they will not recognize Kosovo, and beyond Spain about four other EU
members: the Slovak Republic, Romania, Greece and Cyprus.
Hyseni
said “I am
not aware of Spain saying it will not recognize... I am not aware of
the statement on the part of Ukraine.” Both statements are on the
record, as a Spanish journalist later pointed out.
Hyseni
said he
“discusses recognition” with his Spanish counterpart Miguel Angel
Moratinos, but not in
Spain, and as to the other four EU non - recognizers that “we do
get encouraging signals from those countries.” He said he did not
want to say more, to make Serbia's foreign minister Vuk Jeremic's
lobbying job easier.
Footnote:
Inner
City Press asked for an update on the violence in Mitrovica in
early July, which Hyseni previously blamed on ethnic Serbs. Nearly a
month later, does he have the evidence? “The investigation is going
in precisely that direction,” Hyseni said. We'll see.
* * *
At
UN,
Of Serbian Cell Phones in Kosovo and Transport Corruption,
Jeremic Runs
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
May 17 -- "Kosovo cannot tolerate any longer so much
lawlessness, " Skender Hyseni, Foreign Minister of Kosovo, told
the Press on Monday. Inner City Press has asked Hyseni about this
government's move last month to disable the repeaters of Telekom and
Telenor, two Serbia-based cell phone companies, from providing
service south of the Ibar River.
"Any
company
which
seeks a license will be duly considered and eventually
honored," Hyseni said. Video here,
from
Minute 2:50.
Who provides
cell service is a
politically charged issue. Currently, according to Hyseni, 68
countries recognize the unilateral declaration of independence of
Kosovo. He predicted the number will grow after the International
Court of Justice rules on Serbia's case, which he said will be soon.
The
Serbs argue
that regulating telecommunications should still be the responsibility
of the UN, under Resolution 1244. After a Security Council meeting
Monday about Kosovo, Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin came out
smiling. "Resolution 1244," he told the Press as he passed.
Inner
City
Press
asked Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic to, like Hyseni, take
questions at the stakeout. Jeremic shook his head. "It was a
good session," he said, gesturing back at the Council. Last Kosovo
debate in January, Boris Tadic similarly declined to take questions.
Hyseni on May 17, Zennier in background, cell phone
regulation not seen
Jeremic
on
Monday might have been
asked about the mass grave recently found in Southern Serbia, or
whether Kovoso's participation in the upcoming EU - Wester Balkan
conference in Sarajevo connotes increased recognition of the UDI.
Perhaps he
would have wanted to call for the ouster of Kosovo
transportation minister Fatmir Limoj, whose office was recently
raided by EULEX. Hyseni when asked by Inner City Press declined to
speak on this, saying that the judiciary in Kosovo is independent,
and that questions of corruption should be kept separate from
"projects." Video here,
from
Minute 4:16.
But if the
alleged corruption was in the
procurement for the project, how can they be separate? Watch this
site.
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