Post-UNMIK Era Has Already Begun

Well finally preparations are under way and Albanians are getting ready to party like it's 1999. It's late afternoon and I am in the UNMIK building writing this.

When I came in, at the reception they tried to prevent me saying there were loads of foreign journalists here already. Well, now I am here I can't see a soul. I mean where I am there are not only no journalists there is absolutely nobody at all. I mean it slike the post-UNMIK era has already begun round here.

Actually that is quite a relief. People have been calling me all day, I have been invited to three independence dinners tonight and I really don't want to offend anyone. Still now I think is a moment for a little plain speaking. There do seem to be a lot of people who have not quite grasped what is, or is not, happening here or at are least speaking at cross purposes.

Let me give you an example. Yesterday I went to the press conference of Hashim Thaci, the prime minister who waxed eloquent about protecting the rights of minorities and the Kosovo Serbs. This, clearly had three audiences. Albanians (ok) the world (it made headlines,) and Kosovo's Serbs.

Then, one of them Zivojin Rakocevic of KiM Radio in Caglavica, which is part of one of the big Serbian enclaves got up to point out that none of the Serbian journalists present had understood a word since it had not occurred to anyone to provide translation in Serbian. If that is not a symbolic of something – people talking at each other, not to each other, then I don't know what is.

The next thing, apropos of the UN, is that people keep calling me to say that the UNMIK apparently has no idea what it will do after the declaration, as it is still waiting instructions from Ban Ki-moon. Good grief! How naïve can people be? Of course the UN are saying that, but you are not supposed to believe it! The UN policy is to wake up on Monday morning and say: "Oh! How amazing the situation on the ground has completely changed and there is not much for us to do. Sorry Russia, we might as well phase out, and actually everyone is leaving UNMIK anyway so we can't even work."

Finally. Yes it is about "finally". Will everyone just get it into their thick heads that this is not "final status". It is just "new status". Since Kosovo wont be a member of the UN, won't be recognized by many countries including of course Serbia and the EU is sending a major mission here, Kosovo is going to become something new, an EU protectorate in all but name. That is not "final status". It is just a new chapter.

I have put some pictures here. I like "Albanians in Space". Nothing like a bit of ambition for the new Kosovo?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/timjudah/