KOSOVO - THE UNRAVELLING OF THE TANGLE

The two till now confronted entities received with surprise the news of the Agreement on the return of the Albanian pupils, students and teachers to school facilities and faculties in Kosovo signed by the President of Serbia Slobodan Milosevic and Ibrahim Rugova, leader of the Kosovo Albanians, whom his compatriots consider the President of Kosovo, with the mediation of the Italian Catholic Community "Sant Egidio". The more so because indications on the establishment of more concrete relations between Pristina and Belgrade appeared only a few days before this "historic" act. Neither the Serbian nor the Albanian public suspected anything. During his last meeting with journalists Rugova did not deny the rumours about his contacts with the Serbian side, but self-confidently claimed that this school year too the instruction in the Albanian language would be carried out same as in the last six years - in private facilities. Thus, the only thing both contracting parties could do was to insist for this Agreement to leave aside the resolution of the political status of Kosovo, which did not pass smoothly, judging at least by the reactions of the majority of Serbian, primarily opposition circles.

In addition to voicing their formal support to, as the Albanians would call it, the "liberation" of schools for the Albanian students, the first reactions pointed to the fact that Rugova has recognized the Serbian state using as an argument either the act of signing or the fact that only a doctoral title preceded the name of the Kosovo leader, whom his fellow citizens have elected President of Kosovo.

On the other hand, the political circles of Kosovo positively assess this Agreement, except for individuals who see it as something completely different. Thus, Adem Demaci, Head of the Board for the Protection of Human Rights of Pristina, pointed out that this agreement meant a major victory for Milosevic as well as reducing the problem of Kosovo to a local autonomy problem which will draw the Albanians into endless negotiations with the Serbian regime in order to achieve the ultimate goal.

However, Jorgovanka Tabakovic from the Kosovo Board of the Serbian Radical Party, commended Ibrahim Rugova for his peaceful policy because, according to her, he has fulfilled the aspirations of the Albanians from Kosovo without bloodshed and gradually. Momcilo Trajkovic, one of the leaders of the Serbian Resistance Movement, is also disappointed: "I think that this Agreement has caused great anxiety and shock among the Serbian people. It was created behind its back and suggests in which way the problem of Kosovo and Metohija, including its status, will be solved. If they persist in resolving the problem of Kosovo and Metohija in this manner, by leaving out the Serbian side, then all these Agreements will not contribute to rapprochement nor joint life, but will rather increase the fear and exodus of Serbs from these territories", warns Trajkovic reminding that the Serbian President did not fulfill his promise of 100 thousand Serbs populating this area. He thinks that the Albanians have got much more and that the Serbian side has lost by this Agreement.

Still, analysts estimate that this is a first-rate political event, because the negotiators, Milosevic and Rugova have recognized legitimacy of the other respective party for the first time since the abolition of the autonomy in 1989 when the Serbian regime proclaimed this one of its greatest national and political interests, which today many see as the introduction to the disintegration of Yugoslavia.

It is beleived that both sides yielded under the pressure of the international community. The Serbian circles think that President Milosevic was forced to demonstrate his willingness to engage in dialogue with the Albanians because of the linking of the Kosovo problem with the lifting of the external wall of the sanctions which, as rumours has it, he was promised by the international community after the elections.

The instruction in Kosovo started same as in the previous years. About 400 thousand pupils and students of Albanian nationality attend the instruction in private facilities, while the Serbian students occupy the existing school buildings. The first are still financed from the funds of the Government of Kosovo in exile and individual voluntary contributions, the second from the state treasury. According to the signed Agreement the situation will remain unchanged for some time until a six-member working group determines the schedule for the return of the Albanian students to classrooms. In their statements to the press Ibrahim Rugova's representatives in negotiations for the normalization of education in Kosovo - Fehmi Agani (Vice-President of the DSK), Dzavit Ahmeti (Rugova's Educational Counsellor) and Abdyl Rama (President of the Parliamentary Board of Education) underlined the importance of the fact that the Agreement stipulates that no conditions shall be imposed for the return of pupils, students and teachers to schools and university facilities, as well as students' hostels...

It is pointed out that an agreement was also reached on vacating educational facilities, returning of property as well as allowing normal functioning of all pedagogic institutions. Mention is also made of the separation of working space, and the division of libraries, students' hostels and sports halls, and all that was once common.

The next meeting is scheduled for early next week in Rome, and it is pointed out that this time the third side will be also present. The first specific results of the Working Group are expected already in September.

Commentators in the local papers think that this is a step forward, because apart from the return to school facilities no mention was made of the controversial curriculum and plans, as some circles close to the Serbian regime would like to present it. The Serbian educational circles are visibly alarmed, especially the management. Cynics say that it is probably because not so long ago some of them demanded separate school facilities, abolishment of the instruction in the Albanian language (primarily those at the University), while many school principals "successfully" played the role of policemen in preventing the Albanian pupils to use the school premises. Luckily there are exceptions. Milka Radulovic, the Director of one time Technical and now Civil-Engineering and Transportation School, says: "In my opinion this is a wise move. We live together and we should continue to live together as neither we nor the Albanians have other homeland".

After this mild earthquake, many wonder: has the position of Ibrahim Rugova been shaken and will the Kosovo Albanians now go to the polls. Judging by the popular, but also political sentiments and reactions, in a way Rugova has fulfilled his promise that he will solve the Kosovo problem slowly, step by step, but now polling is out of the question. According to both sides that can be only linked to the political denouement of the Kosovo problem. And judging by the past experience, that might be a long-term process.

Violeta OROSI AIM Pristina