KVM concerned about future of the daily newspaper "Bujku" in Kosovo

PRISTINA, 5 January 1999 - On 4 January 1999, Ambassador Gabriel Keller, Principal Deputy and acting Head of the OSCE - KVM Mission to Kosovo met with the editor-in-chief of the daily Bujku, Mr. Binak Kelmendi.

Both shared concern about the fact that there has been just a single edition of this paper published since 16 December 1998.

Amb. Keller noted that the attitude of the publishing house "Panorama" towards Bujku, coupled with the warning letter from the Minister of Information of the Republic of Serbia received by Bujku, held the potential to negatively influence the situation in Kosovo.

KVM media analysts have stated that the editorial policy of Bujku was within the framework of freedom of the media as commonly understood by European Standards.

Amb. Keller recalled that the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia had adopted these standards, including the Helsinki Act of 1975, which was signed by the late President Josip Broz Tito.

Amb. Keller confirmed the full support of OSCE for the freedom of flow of information and calls on "Panorama" to take a pragmatic attitude on the financial dispute with Bujku. He offers KVM mediation on that issue.