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Pristina (Fides Service) - “Steps must be taken to promote education and cultural growth of the people and to build up Kosovo’s economy in view of economic and social development to reduce unemployment and poverty. This request we direct to the local United Nations Administration”: Gabriele Bertani, AVSI Kosovo humanitarian project leader told Fides, commenting outbreaks of ethnic clashes between Serbs and Albanians in Kosovo. AVSI stands for Association of Volunteers for International Service.
Illustrating the situation, Bertani said “the NATO forces appear to have control and the state of security is acceptable. Certainly in the last month in Kosovo there have been signs of precariousness: a bomb explosion outside the home of President Rugova, a bomb discovered at the UN headquarters in Pristina, a car bomb attack on the environment Minister, were signals of tension which degenerated with the recent incidents”.
According to Bertani, it was Albanian extremists who orchestrated the violence: “The violence which spread rapidly all over Kosovo, following the alleged death (still to be confirmed) of three Albanian boys, left in its wake hundreds of homeless people, at least 300 homes torched and about 30 Orthodox churches destroyed. The violence would appear to be ordered and executed by extremists groups rather than a popular uprising. We are engaged in inter-ethnic and inter-cultural activities and we can honestly deny the existence of elements to justify violence of this kind”.
“To give Kosovo a future -Bertani told Fides - efforts must concentrate on economic development and education, especially for the younger generations. Kosovo cannot go on relying on international aid: it must become economically independent, and in view of this AVSI aid is concentrating on the area of agriculture ”.
AVSI, an Italian NGO started in 1972, co-operates in development programmes in more than 35 poor countries in Latin America, Africa, Middle East, Eastern Europe with 86 projects in health care, infant care, education, professional training, development of poor urban areas, agriculture and emergency aid. In Kosovo AVSI has various programmes for war orphans, education, health care, but also for economic development through agriculture. AVSI also provides support at a distance for 160 children in Kosovo.
(PA) (Agenzia Fides 22/3/2004 lines 41 words 419)
