Albanian Telegraphic Agency
[04] U.S. PRESENCE IN KOSOVA INSTITUTIONALISED
TIRANA, JUNE 5 (ATA)-The USIS Office in Pristina on Wednesday afternoon. The opening of this offices institutionalises the U.S. presence in Kosova, the ATA correspondent in Pristina reports.The report underlines that the U.S.interest and support for the Albanian cause date back to early times and that Albanians recall with respect the interference in favour of Albanians of the U.S. President Wilson against Albania’s division in 1920.
The U.S. interest in the Kosova Albanians’ issue has been increasing in the last years, the report of the ATA correspondent says. It also also provides the following chronology of the increasing U.S. ties with representatives of the Albanian people of Kosova.
“In June 1990, the first delegation of the Kosova Albanians led by Ibrahim Rugova visited Washington upon invitation to provide for the first time testimony in the U.S. Congress. In the same year, in August, a delegation of seven senators headed by Bob Dole visited Pristine. The delegation was welcomed by thousands of Albanians who expressed trust in America against the terror exerted by the Serbs to break them up.
Rugova’s frequent contacts with the U.S. ambassador Zimmerman in the years 1988-1990 were followed by higher level contacts in the U.S. administration and Congress.
In the spring of 1991, the U.S. secretary of State, James Baker, at a meeting in Belgrade with the delegation of the Kosova Albanians headed by Ibrahim Rugova, expressed the U.S. position that Albanians and Kosova will have their own place at the negotiation table about the solution to the Yugoslav crisis.
During these years the U.S. interest in Kosova has been constant.
In 1992, George Bush, pressuring the Belgrade regime, said that they would be responsible in case they provoked a conflict in Kosova and if so the Americans would intervene against Serbia. The reconfirmation of this “red line of danger” by the administration of President Clinton testified to the long-term and constant U.S. policy in the Balkans and in Kosova”.
In 1994 President Rugova met with President Clinton and Vice President Al Gore and last year had two meetings with the U.S. secretary of State Warren Christopher.
The same year, President Rugova asked in Washington the U.S. leading role for the solution of the Kosova question. On this occasion, Washington issued the decision of the opening of the Kosova office in Washington and expressed the possibility of the opening of the U.S. Office in Pristina.
The U.S. Secretary of State, Warren Christopher, during a visit to Belgrade several months ago discussed the Kosova issue with Serb officials and proclaimed the decision of the opening of the U.S. Information Office.
The U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State, Rudolf Perina, in a visit to Pristina last month said that the opening of this office would be followed by other steps of U.S. engagement in Pristina”. b.j/a.ca/lm/Z/
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[05] Holbrooke meets with Rugova, leaders of political parties
PRISHTINA, July 4 – ATA correspondent Behlul Jashari reported that Richard Holbrooke, the special envoy of the U.S. president Bill Clinton for Kosova, arrived early on Saturday in Prishtina from Belgrade and started close-door talks with president of Kosova Ibrahim Rugova.
The U.S. senior diplomat was expected to meet with leaders of the political parties of Albanians in Kosova, who have informed that will join a round table for the second time within the week to discuss the most important issues that is the organisation of political parties and associations in conditions of war in Kosova.
Holbrooke was also expected to hold a news conference. pta/mima/ak/
[14] Holbrooke holds meetings in Kosove
PRISHTINE, july 4 (ata) – ATA correspondent Behlul Jashari reports: At a time when fighting in Kosove is going on, the U.S. and the European diplomacies are committed to an armistice in Kosove and to finding a political solution for it through negotiations.
The special envoy of U.S. President Clinton, U.S. Ambassador in the U.N. Richard Holbrooke, had today meetings and intensive talks with Dr Ibrahim Rugova, President of the Republic of Kosove, with the Negotiating Group of Kosove, with Adem Demaci, chairman of the Parliamentary party of Kosove, the academician Rexhep Qosja, chairman of the Albanian Democratic Movement, while in the afternoon he attended the meeting of all Albanian political parties of Kosove, held for the second time this week, and which is discussing important questions of the coordination of the political stances in the conditions of the war in Kosove.
The talks have been confidential. So far, neither Holbrooke, nor the diplomats accompanying him and the Albanian participants in the meetings and the talks have made any statement for the press, although Holbrooke’s visit to Kosove is being covered by a great number of local and foreign reporters. Holbrooke will reportedly go from Prishtine to Belgrade to return again to Prishtine on Sunday for other talks. /fh/das/xh/