Kosovo's president urges public to avoid weekend protest
02/03/2007
PRISTINA, Kosovo, Serbia -- Kosovo President Fatmir Sejdiu made a
televised address Thursday (March 1st), urging the public not to
participate in Saturday's planned protest against UN envoy Martti
Ahtisaari's status proposal. Sejdiu warned of the potential for
violence, as happened in the February 10th demonstration. Two
protesters died after being shot in the head with rubber bullets
fired by police. The youth movement Self-Determination, which seeks
Kosovo's immediate independence from Serbia, is organising the
protests.
In other news Thursday, Russian Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs
Vladimir Titov met with officials in Belgrade. After the meeting,
officials told reporters that both Serbia and Russia consider UN
envoy Martti Ahtisaari's blueprint for Kosovo not ready for
presentation to the UN Security Council, as the plan is not
acceptable to Serbia. They insist that negotiations on the blueprint
-- expected to wrap up Friday in Vienna -- instead continue, though
no compromises have been struck between delegations representing
Belgrade and Pristina. (Danas, Blic - 02/03/07; Reuters, Kosovalive,
Tanjug, Beta - 01/03/07)
02/03/2007
PRISTINA, Kosovo, Serbia -- Kosovo President Fatmir Sejdiu made a
televised address Thursday (March 1st), urging the public not to
participate in Saturday's planned protest against UN envoy Martti
Ahtisaari's status proposal. Sejdiu warned of the potential for
violence, as happened in the February 10th demonstration. Two
protesters died after being shot in the head with rubber bullets
fired by police. The youth movement Self-Determination, which seeks
Kosovo's immediate independence from Serbia, is organising the
protests.
In other news Thursday, Russian Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs
Vladimir Titov met with officials in Belgrade. After the meeting,
officials told reporters that both Serbia and Russia consider UN
envoy Martti Ahtisaari's blueprint for Kosovo not ready for
presentation to the UN Security Council, as the plan is not
acceptable to Serbia. They insist that negotiations on the blueprint
-- expected to wrap up Friday in Vienna -- instead continue, though
no compromises have been struck between delegations representing
Belgrade and Pristina. (Danas, Blic - 02/03/07; Reuters, Kosovalive,
Tanjug, Beta - 01/03/07)