[ALBSA-Info] Balkan Information Exchange

[Alma Capa]

Balkan Information Exchange
Full text available http://www.balkan-info.com


New features:


€  Former Fighters Train for a Productive Future
(Source: BIE Staff)

FERIZAJ, Kosovo -- One year ago, 19-year-old Fapon Bislimi was a KLA combatant in pursuit of enemies in a conflict fueled by ethnic hatred.  Today, he walks the halls of the Urosevac/Ferizaj Technical Middle School in pursuit of a future.

€  Isolation, Discontent Cut Milosevic¹s Hold On Power
(Source: Associated Press (AP))

Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic¹s hold on power is showing signs of cracking because of continued isolation and discontent within Serbia, according to an American diplomat who met with Serb opposition parties in Athens in mid-April, AP reported.



Recent features


€ Serbs, Albanians Unite in Call to End Violence

(Sources:  Agence France Presse (AFP), Associated Press (AP))

Representatives of Kosovo¹s Serb and ethnic Albanian populations, as well as United Nations and European Union officials, issued a joint statement on 19 April calling for an end to the ethnic violence that had been plaguing the war-torn province, wire services reported.  


€ Yugoslav Officials Demand Release of Serb Prisoners
(Source:  British Broadcasting Corporation citing Tanjug news agency)

Yugoslav officials demanded the release of 43 Serbs who have been imprisoned in Mitrovica for the past 10 months, and urged immediate action because the majority of the prisoners have been on a hunger strike, Tanjug reported.

€ Yugoslav Army Chief Sees No Imminent Return to Kosovo
(Sources:  M2 Presswire citing KFOR press update and BBC Summary of World Broadcasts citing Radio B2-92 (Belgrade), SRNA news agency (Bijeljina) and A1 TV (Skopje))

The Chief of the General Staff of the Yugoslav Army said the time is not right for a Yugoslav military presence in Kosovo, Radio B2-92 reported. The comments came amid reports and denials of talks between Yugoslavia and NATO-led KFOR peacekeepers on the return of Yugoslav troops to the province, the radio station said.

€ Serbs Hesitant to Register in Kosovo
(Sources: Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and Reuters)

The minority Serb population in Kosovo has so far been reluctant to participate in the province¹s civil and voter registration process, Reuters reported.  Registration is a prelude to elections later in the year and is being conducted under the auspices of OSCE and the U.N. Interim Administration in Kosovo (UNMIK), according to OSCE.

€ Czech Contingent to Remain in Kosovo
(Sources:  Czech New Agency (CTK) and CTK citing Lidove Noviny)

The Czech Senate on 13 April recommended that the country¹s KFOR unit continue its service in Kosovo, Jan Kramek, Deputy Chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Security and member of the Civic Democratic Party (ODS), told CTK.  Kramek spoke with the news agency after a closed Senate meeting.


€ Germany Supports Bulgarian Bid for EU Membership
(Sources:  Deutsche Presse Agentur (DPA), Agence France Presse (AFP) and BBC Worldwide Monitoring citing Bulgarian Radio web site (Sofia))

German President Johannes Rau on 19 April said he supports Bulgaria¹s bid to join the 15-nation European Union, according to DPA. Rau announcement came at a meeting in Berlin with Bulgarian President Petar Stoyanov, the report said.

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