Memorandum by the Foreign and Commonwealth
Office on Operation Trojan
1. Operation TROJAN was launched in March
2000 to improve the quality of life and conditions of safety of
Serbs living in central Kosovo. It was originally conceived and
executed by the British-led sector of KFOR. It has been carried
out with the increasing support of the UN Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK),
and international organisations and non-Governmental organisations.
Operation TROJAN 2, launched in October 2000, provided basic services
for the Serb community, focusing on communications, healthcare,
education and employment opportunities. Operation TROJAN 3, addressing
economic regeneration, was launched on 8 February 2001.
2. Operation TROJAN has been welcomed by
Kosovo Serbs as an effort to meet their concerns. Operation TROJAN
1 3. Increased security and reassurance: Measures carried out
or continuing include: fixed vehicle check points supplemented
by random stopping and examination of vehicles, watchtowers overseeing
farmland and villages, protection of religious sites and monuments,
search operations (hundreds of weapons have been confiscated during
the last six months), assistance to mine clearing operations and
the arrest of several people suspected of being involved in intimidation.
Operation TROJAN 2
4. Improved Communications: new roads between
previously isolated Serb villages, security escorts for Serb journalists,
improved train and bus services, additional troops allocated to
areas chosen for initial returnee schemes, delivery of winterisation
packs (stoves, hygiene equipment, food, electricity and mobile
telephone coverage), independent radio station, increased Serb-language
television coverage, creation of a Serb-language newspaper, regular
security briefings by KFOR through its own newspaper in English
and Serbian, Serb minority workers recruited for all UNMIK offices
and legislation to enable for the Housing and Property Directorate
to resolve the issue of illegally occupied property. Health: provision
of medical aid to Serb community in Kosovo Polje one day a week
by Russian field hospital, veterinary support and introduction
of modern management techniques and equipment to public refuse
sites. Education: repairs to many schools in Serb minority areas.
Operation TROJAN 3
5. Encouraging economic regeneration: Assistance
includes: small business networking seminars and training events,
start-up grants and micro-lending, improvements to transport and
distribution networks, wholesale warehousing, additional security
for Serb workers in factories, funding to improve market places
in rural villages, ring-fencing of UNMIK housing rehabilitation
funds to minority housing, support to bakeries from UN and KFOR
contracts, access to petrol stations, free distribution of livestock
to re-stock farms, KFOR assistance to maintain farm vehicles,
rural transport schemes and reconnection of telephone lines. Unemployment:
In the short term, the focus will be on employment in community
projects or "not for profit" enterprises. In the medium
term, projects will concentrate on small business assistance and
increased minority employment in service industries including
the public utility companies.
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
20 February 2001
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