by Zana P. BOZINOVSKA
"Unilateral revisions of the border by anyone, and without using the mechanism for mediation of disputes is a declaration of war that destroys the foundations of Europe," Casule emphasized.
He explained that yesterday Macedonia sent notes to five permanent members of the US security council and demanded an explanation of the statement of the Kosovo Prime Minister Bajram Rexhapi, especially due to the fact that all members of the UN Security Council had stated that the border agreement had to be respected by all.
"Rexhepi also must respect the agreement," Casule stressed.
Newly elected Kosovo Prime Minister Bajram Rexhepi, during a meeting with KFOR commander Marcel Valentin in Pristina stated that "Kosovo institutions reject the border agreement between Skopje and Belgrade, according to which Kosovo lost 2,500 hectares of land ceded to Macedonia". Rexhepi said that the Kosovo Parliament should also adopt an official declaration demanding revision of the border agreement, which would be sent to the UN Security Council.
For Minister Casule, such a statement by "the head of the executive authorities of the local autonomy in Kosovo" is "a dangerous view and even more dangerous assertion", since an entity of FR Yugoslavia is attempting to force a revision of the UN Resolution 1244, according to which Yugoslav sovereignty is undisputed and there is no mention of independence for Kosovo.
"If that resolution is violated, there will be chaos, and that is very dangerous," Casule stated.
Macedonia also sent a strong protest to UNMiK, which has the obligation to secure stability in the province and take steps to prevent such adventurism. Otherwise, according to Casule, the worst predictions that generation of crises in this part of the world is preparing ground for the resolution of the status of Kosovo will become true. Macedonia cannot accept such development of the situation and will oppose it with all available political means. However, if the local authorities in Kosovo "resort to radical actions and radical demands", the Macedonian government will respond with equal measure. "Reciprocity will always exist, interests of our citizens are our number one priority and we shall not pull back. If the inspiration is peace, we shall reciprocate with peace," Casule said. Despite denials by representatives of the international community, Casule did not exclude a possibility of the start of another border crisis. "Everything is possible and it is difficult to say in such a situation that all problems have been resoled," Casule said.
As far as Prime Minister Ljubco Georgievski was concerned, the statement by the Kosovo Prime Minister was yet another warning to the citizens about the complex situation in which Macedonia finds itself. "It turns out that we do not have a problem with arms, cigarette and drugs smugglers, but are facing a complex historical conflict in which we need to set the basic parameters of national interests," Georgievski said.
By the way, according to the UNMiK chief, Michael Steiner, the issue of the status of Kosovo is not a priority of the new authorities in the province. In connection with the status of Kosovo, yesterday Morton Abramowitz, a member of the board of the International Crisis Group (ICG) stated for Dnevnik that the independence for the province is the ultimate goal, since 99 percent of population wants independence.
"The status of Kosovo is a problem that needs to be resolved and that needs an international process," Abramowitz said. That process implies first talks, then establishment of democratic institutions that will respect human rights and will not meddle in the internal affairs of neighbors.
The most recent ICG report also recommended independence for Kosovo. According to Abramowitz, that report was prepared by the ICG team in Pristina.
On Sunday night, ethnic Albanians, armed with Kalashnikov machine guns, members of one of paramilitary units active in the Semsevo region, kidnapped reserve policeman Simovski while he was passing through the village. The kidnappers stopped the reserve policeman and demanded to see his documents. He tried to show them his personal identification card but, unfortunately for him, by mistake pulled out his police badge. Paramilitaries immediately pulled him out of the car, handcuffed and blindfolded him and took him to a stable nearby. There they beat him for two days demanding that he confess who sent him to Semsevo, with what task and tell them whom he was supposed to kill.
"They caught me yesterday and put me in a stable. The whole time they demanded that I admit that I had been sent to kill. I explained that I was only passing through the village, that I had no secret missions, but they kept asking who had sent me and whom I was supposed to kill. They kept me in the stable for two days, and then someone from OSCE came - someone must have told them what was going on - and they let me go. I don't know how many of them were there, because I was blindfolded all the time and I could not see them. They took me around in a car and I cannot tell where they took me, whether we went far or drove around the village all the time. They beat me badly with fists and kicked me and only luck saved me from worse injuries," Simoski said.
Maltreatment went on until the OSCE team showed up and liberated already seriously injured Dusko Simoski. He was taken to the Tetovo hospital and released after receiving medical assistance, with visible traces of beating, and sent home to continue treatment.
Kidnappers gave Simoski back his money, but kept his official gun and mobile phone.