PRISTINA, March 20 (Hina) - Kosovo's government, which held an extraordinary session on Saturday, assessed that the situation in the province was going slowly back to normal.
PRISTINA, March 20 (Hina) - Kosovo's government, which held an
extraordinary session on Saturday, assessed that the situation in the
province was going slowly back to normal.#L#
The government reiterated its regret over the great number of victims
of riots which erupted earlier this week, and most severely condemned
the demolition of religious and cultural buildings and homes. It also
decided to set up a special fund to finance the reconstruction of the
buildings demolished in the riots.
Kosovo Premier Bajram Rexhepi thanked all who responded to appeals for
the discontinuation of violence and who gave their contributions to
the defusing of the situation. He again called in citizens to restrain
from violence and resume their everyday activities.
A spokesman for the NATO-led Kosovo Force (KFOR), James Moran,
announced that the Alliance's Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer
would arrive in Pristina on Monday to become acquainted with the
latest developments.
Scheffer will hold talks with the KFOR Chief Commander, General Holger
Kammehoff, the UN Civil Administrator, Harri Holkeri, and local
officials.
This week's riots in the province claimed the lives of 28 persons, and
some 600 were injured, including 61 KFOR members.
Upon the end of the war in Kosovo in 1999, NATO deployed almost 50,000
troops in the area. With the improvement of safety and security in the
area, the Alliance reduced its forces to 17,000. Following the latest
cases of inter-ethnic violence, it again sent more troops in.
(Hina) ms