HARADINAJ: We are prepared for political contacts with Belgrade, besides the dialog about technical issues that had been initiated before. Therefore, we want to continue with the dialogue on technical issues, but also to establish political contacts.
DANAS: The dialogue on technical issues is taking place between experts. The government of Serbia does not want to establish contacts with your government. Therefore, if I understood correctly, you see the continuation of the dialog with Belgrade in the continuation of the work of working groups?
Within my government, I am at the moment working on the continuation of the dialog with Belgrade at the level of working groups. They are supposed to sit down with officials from Belgrade and discuss problems facings Serbs in Kosovo. I would be very happy if the working groups met as soon as possible.
You have stated that you are ready to visit Belgrade. Is Belgrade ready for your visit?
As I have already said, I am open for political contact with legally elected officials in Belgrade.
Still, head of the Coordination Center for Kosovo and Metohija Nebojsa Covic has stated that you would be arrested if you came to Belgrade.
I believe that if would be favorable for me, as well as for Kosovo and Serbia and the rest of the region if we were to establish political contacts and links that would help all of the countries in the region to integrate with the European Union, NATO and other international institutions. We, as representatives of Kosovo are striving towards independence for Kosovo, but it would also be favorable for us if the implementation of our political were achieved in harmony with neighboring countries, with Belgrade and Serbia, as well. We are open to this type of contacts.
Is Nebojsa Covic's statement a threat directed at you or...?
No, not at all.
Therefore, you are not concerned that Serb officials may arrest you?
No.
In one of your first statements after being appointed Prime Minister, you talked about the pilot project for Gracanica. Can you tell us more about that project?
As I have explained, I personally supported the dialogue on technical issues with the first Kosovo government. As it did not go very well, we turned our energy to an internal dialogue in Kosovo. The results were presented on July 14 2004, in the form of an accord between the institutions of Kosovo - the prime minister, government, parliament speaker, chairmen of political parties (Thaci and myself), and institutional representatives of Serbs: Ivanovic, Krstovic, Todorovic and Gojkovic. Together we reached an agreement on reconstructing the buildings that were damaged and destroyed in the March violence, on the return of displaced persons and decentralization. As you know, the reconstruction is nearly finished, though there is still work to be done, but most of it is finished. We also agreed to establish two more ministries in the government to handle questions concerning return and decentralization. Speaking of decentralization, we will soon launch pilot projects for municipalities, as proposed for Gracanica.
What jurisdictions will the local authorities have in these pilot project municipalities?
The new municipalities will have the same powers as other municipalities in Kosovo. As you know, municipal courts already exist, so Gracanica will have its own court as a municipality. As for the role of the police, it will be done as part of the reforms in public order, throughout Kosovo. However, as you know, responsibility for police does not lie with the Kosovo government; it is one of the reserved competences.
You said you would not have been elected prime minister if Serbs had turned out at the polls. Could you explain that?
I said it to explain the logic of Serb politicians. I have identified two periods when Kosovo Serbs lost out in Kosovo. The first began towards the end of 1999, until around 2001, when Milosevic was in power in Belgrade and Kosovo Serbs boycotted the international community. The consequence of that is that they did not benefit from the international community. The same thing is happening now. The Kosovo Serbs are left to themselves. What the Kosovo government is doing, with myself as prime minister, is an attempt to reach out to them through projects that will help them considerably in health care, education, transport and self-administration.
But the crucial question for the Serbs is security and safety.
It is all interrelated and creates the necessary measures for safety. People living in small towns such as Gracanica will be reorganized into a new municipality, electing their own institutions and forming their own government. Naturally, this will directly impact on other aspects. Safety is a joint effort implemented with the international community, NATO and other security structures (Kosovo police service, and so on).
Is it true that you prevented an attack on Visoki Decani monastery during the violence in March?
I was doing my job as a political leader, with the goal of bringing an end to the violence, protecting cultural heritage and stopping further damage from being done to the progress we had previously achieved. The monastery of Decani is part of the heritage of Kosovo and we respect that.
You told me you wished Kosovo to join the EU. Javier Solana did not directly support your appointment. How will you achieve your goal?
I believe the international community assumed a very good position. They did not directly interfere in our political process, they did not take sides, and in the end they did not support this coalition. I think they would have preferred a broad-based coalition leading Kosovo. However, the outcome is the result of our decisions and our political process. We called the elections, we came to an agreement and called the first session of parliament. We asked for help from no one, and we began working. Either way, I understand their position and I know that all representatives of the international community are ready to work with us absolutely. I think that is reality and that we will keep going.
You said you wanted to reach out to the Kosovo Serbs. How? How do you mean to win their support?
Give us some time and you will see. Wait for the government's first 100 days and perhaps someone in Gracanica will prefer me to a Serb politician. We give them a choice, we work with them and we deal with their dayly problems.
What is the current position of your political party? Rumor has it that you are out of favor with Thaci's Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) because of the support you extended to Rugova.
Our coalition with Ibrahim Rugova's Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) is the consequence of discussions, conclusions and decisions we had made in the party previously. I talked with the LDK personally and those are the rules. We are a young nation and I do not look to the past, but ahead, to the future.
Yet the negotiations were in progress when the Hague tribunal summoned you for an interview.
No, the coalition would not have been formed if the talks had begun then. We had opened the negotiations with parties much earlier, last summer.
You were summoned to the office of the Hague tribunal after the elections.
Yes, that is true, but that was unexpected. We were in the middle of negotiations, but that did not affect the outcome.
Speaking hypothetically, which is all we can do now - what if an indictment were issued?
I prefer to suppose it will not be, but if it is, my position as a citizen of Kosovo and as prime minister is to fulfill every obligation towards international justice.
Are you not protected by political immunity?
No, we are under the United Nations. I am an ordinary citizen as far as justice is concerned and no one is above the law. Even if proceedings had been filed against me by a municipal court, I would respond as a citizen. I am glad we fought for such a system of values in this country.
With my work. Listen, the logic of war is to paint as black a picture as possible about the opposite side. We are working on changing our understanding. I visit my Serb neighbors and I talk to them. We will not depend on how Belgrade sees things. You have drawn a clear line between what you did as a member of the liberation movement and your political positions today?
Of course. If your country were in danger, you would do something to help.
Yeah, I would emigrate.
As many Kosovo Albanians would. I did the opposite. My family was in danger. I was elsewhere and living rather well, but I responded to the call of my country, which was in danger. It was a civic duty. You love your country, you love your people, and you stay with them. Today, my people are Kosovo Serbs as well. I will be here for them, too.
The Serbian Police in Djakovica has issued an arrest warrant for Ramush Haradinaj based on articles 551 and 554 of the Criminal Code, charging him with mass murders, terrorist activities, abductions, torture and brutal liquidation of citizens committed between early 1998 and the end of 1999 in Metohija [western part of the province]. In November 2004 he was questioned at the Hague Tribunal office in Pristina.
He joined PAVK after the local elections in 2000, when he founded the AAK. He speaks Albanian, English and French. Two books about him have been published, "Story of War and Freedom" and "Peace of Generals". His first marriage was with a Finish woman. He has a son from the first marriage, Shkelzen. Recently he married a Kosovo TV star and got a second child.