(25 Feb 2008) SHOTLIST
Pristina
1. Top UN official in Kosovo, Joachim Ruecker getting out of car and approaching media
2. Cutaway of media
3. SOUNDBITE: (English) Joachim Ruecker, top UN official in Kosovo
"You know that yesterday I have denied access to Minister Samardzic (Serbia's minister for Kosovo, Slobodan Samardzic) for his intended visit to Kosovo today. During the night he has called me and I received other phone calls and I was asked under which condition could he come to Kosovo today. I said there is two conditions: one that he makes a public statement making it very, very clear that he distances himself from violence and the visit is about ensuring peace and calm with the Kosovo Serbs which he will want to visit. The second condition was that he sees me here at Pristina in order that I can tell him what we think of some of his recent statements which he has made."
4. Cutaway of cameras
Ugljare, 30 kilometres (19 miles) south of Pristina
5. Exterior of school where Serbia's minister for Kosovo, Slobodan Samardzic, met with locals
6. Samardzic seated in classroom
7. Various of locals attending meeting in classroom
8. Pan from Samardzic to locals
9. Various of locals watching meeting through window of classroom
10. SOUNDBITE: (Serbian) Slobodan Samardzic, Serbia's minister for Kosovo:
"These are people who do not accept Kosovo's independence. These people do not accept this 100 percent. And in order to have a life in Kosovo, they should be able to have a life similar to people in Serbia. The government will do all in its power to make that happens in this chaotic time and the state will do it definitely."
11. Mid of children
12. SOUNDBITE: (Serbian) Slobodan Samardzic, Serbia's minister for Kosovo:
"I said to Rucker that we will do our utmost to keep order and peace in areas where we control, where Serbs live. We will support Serbs and we will tell them to cooporate with UNMIK (United Nation Mission in Kosovo)."
13. Mid of Kosovo villagers taking photo of Samardzic
14. Samardzic departing and getting into car
STORYLINE
The highest ranking UN official in Kosovo said Monday the UN had revised its decision against Serbian minister Slobodan Samardzic visiting Kosovo on condition that he issue a public statement "making it very, very clear that he distances himself from violence and the visit is about ensuring peace and calm with the Kosovo Serbs."
Joachim Ruecker told reporters in Pristina that he also insisted Samardzic meet with the UN official so "I can tell him what we think of some of his recent statements."
Samardzic, Serbia's minister for Kosovo, was making a one-day visit on Monday - eight days after Kosovo declared independence from Serbia - to meet with Kosovo's Serb minority as well as Ruecker.
Kosovo's ethnic Albanian deputy prime minister, Hajredin Kuqi, called Samardzic's visit a "provocation" by Serbia, which refuses to recognise Kosovo's independence.
Samardzic on Monday visited a construction site southeast of Pristina, before meeting Kosovo Serbs in Ugljare, 30 kilometres (19 miles) south of the capital.
Samardzic told reporters that those he talked to "do not accept Kosovo's independence".
"In order to have a life in Kosovo, they should be able to have a life similar to people in Serbia. The government will do all in its power to make that happen in this chaotic time," he added.
On Sunday, Prime Minister Hashim Thaci - marking Kosovo's first full week of independence - urged Serbs to integrate with Albanians and pledged that the new state's ethnic Albanian leadership would respect minority rights.
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