Mafia expert: "Kosovo, Europe's Colombia"

The Albanian mafia in Kosovo is trying to produce genetically modified cocaine that would make it independent from its Colombian suppliers.

(KosovoCompromise Staff) Wednesday, February 18, 2009

This is according to Italian journalist Roberto Saviano, the author of the bestseller book "Gomorra" - a look at the Naples mafia, that has already been made into an award-winning movie.

Saviano said in an interview that the Albanian mafia in Kosovo chiefs "dream" about turning the province into "a European Colombia".

"In order to achieve this, they wish to genetically engineer a type of coca plant that would grow in Kosovo's climate. In this way, the Albanian mafia would have a monopoly over the cocaine trade. They need 20 years to achieve this," he said, and added that "then, Kosovo will without a doubt become the new Colombia".

Saviano has spent the past three years living under round-the-clock police protection, with the crime families sending out messages that he would be punished for writing the book, which he based on his own investigations.

Meanwhile, western newspapers write that a year after Kosovo's unilateral independence proclamation, the expectations of its leaders and people have not been met.

A year after Kosovo proclaimed independence, political stability is weak, even though more than 50 countries have recognized its independence, among them the U.S. and most of the EU, Reuters said.

The news agency adds that the government in Kosovo and the head of the International Civilian Office Pieter Feith expected the number of countries recognizing Kosovo independence to be a lot greater, and that Serbia, whose stance is that it will never recognize the province's Albanians' declaration, "is also joined by Russia and China".

Reuters states that Kosovo has gotten a new constitution, military, national anthem, flag, and 18 embassies, mostly in Western countries, but added that there are many things it has not received, commenting that it is strange that the euro is the official currency, consideration that EU membership is a far-away dream for Kosovo.

Kosovo expects to become a member of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund, but Serbia and Russia will block Kosovo's entrance into all international institutions, Reuters stated, reminding that the UN General Assembly approved Serbia's initiative to ask the International Court of Justice for its opinion on the legality of Kosovo's independence proclamation.

"The two million Albanians and 120,000 Serbs, supported by Belgrade", do not live next to one another, but separated with the protection of thousands of foreign soldiers and foreign help of many millions of euros, Reuters continued, stressing that the concern for Kosovo's stability is best shown through the 15,000 soldiers of the EU and NATO and the continuing presence of the UN administration.

Berliner Zeitung daily writes that nothing has changed in Kosovo or the region since the "extremely controversial" independence proclamation.

The German newspaper stated that Kosovo is poor and overpopulated, and despite its flag and anthem, will not become an equal European nation like Denmark or Bulgaria. What's more, the article published on Monday says, nobody has pretentions of that nature.

When Kosovo politicians try to go against something their tutors have said, which they dare do from time to time, they know in advance that nothing will come of it, the daily continued.

It adds that in the best case scenario, in ten years, Kosovo will become a European province with local government, but all decisions will be made by Brussels.

Austrian Vorarlberger Nachrichten writes that Kosovo depends on foreign help now more than ever and that the struggling economy is still waiting for foreign investments.

"Even though billions have been pumped into Kosovo, there are few shining examples. Several kilometers of highway towards Albania and the largest city to the west, Peć, have been finished. If there is any internal political progress, it is very slow," the daily writes.

Vienna newspaper Presse says that the international organizations in Kosovo are "stepping on their own toes"-the international officials, EULEX, the old UNMIK which wants to leave the province, but can't, and the OSCE in between.

The daily states that the economic situation is difficult and is getting worse because of the global crisis.

"The number of countries that recognized Kosovo is small," Albert Rohan, a former deputy UN envoy in the Kosovo status negotiations, told the daily.

"That is a sign that the influence of the U.S. is decreasing," he said, adding that the lack of unity within the EU is also "responsible" for this.

Vienna daily Kurier said that the euphoria of last year's independence proclamation has passed and that "independence has not brought about any progress".