Preparations ahead of expected declaration of independence

Описание: (15 Feb 2008) SHOTLIST
Lipjane, southern Kosovo
1. Wide shot of downtown Lipjane, street festooned with banner and European Union, US and Albanian flags
2. Close up of flags
3. Wide shot street, banner, flags
4. Car driving down road, Albanian flags flying from windows
5. Tilt down Kosovo Albanians decorating shop front with US and Albanian flags
6. Front of shops decorated with US and Albanian flags
7. SOUNDBITE: (English) Lumturije Bytyqi, Albanian resident of Lipjane
"Independence is a dream for all the people of Kosovo, of course, and I am very happy, like everybody."
8. Kosovo Albanian man wrapped in US and Albanian flags, he kisses Albanian flag
9. SOUNDBITE: (Albanian) Ahmet Jashari, Albanian resident of Lipjane:
"We are very, very happy, this is really happening. We have been waiting for this for a long time, for a century."
10. Taxi driving down the street, tooting on horn, Albanian flags flying from windows
11. Various of men putting up big banner saying (in Albanian) "Congratulations. Independence"
12. Armoured KFOR vehicle passing by, soldiers on top, Kosovo Albanians waving at them
Pristina
13. Man fixing Albanian flag on top of his car
14. Bus with Albanian flag on front passing
15. Medium shot of flags on apartment block, including EU, NATO and German flags
STORYLINE:
With Kosovo expected to declare independence within days, some Kosovo Albanians were celebrating early on Friday.
In the town of Lipjane in southern Kosovo, where both Serbs and Kosovo Albanians live alongside each other, villagers were putting up decorations to welcome independence.
Lumturije Bytyqi, a 20-year-old, Kosovo Albanian told AP Television independence was "a dream for all the people of Kosovo".
And Ahmet Jashari, a 59-year-old Kosovo Albanian said he was "very very happy this is really happening".
Freshly-printed posters appeared on the streets of Kosovo's capital Pristina appealing for calm during the celebrations expected to spread all across the province.
"Celebrate with dignity," read the posters, simply illustrated with a bright red heart.
More than 220-thousand Serbs have fled the province since the end of the Kosovo war in 1999 when NATO bombing ended a clampdown by Serb forces against separatist ethnic Albanian rebels.
Kosovo's break is backed by the main EU powers and the United States, while Serbia is strongly supported Russia in opposing the creation of a new state.
The European Union is due to send a 2-thousand strong force of police and legal experts to help the transition to independence.

Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork
Twitter:   / ap_archive  
Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​
Instagram:   / apnews  


You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...