Zbogar hopes Kosovo-Serbia agreement reached on 2 April (dailies)
EU Special Representative in Kosovo Samuel Zbogar said on Thursday that he hopes an agreement between Kosovo and Serbia will be reached on 2 April. “Yes, we hope for an agreement. I have not been to Brussels yesterday. I will go this afternoon, and I hope I will find out more. But what I have understood is that on 2 April, the EU High Representative for Foreign Policy and Security is expecting both prime ministers to return again with the hope that they reach an agreement,” Zbogar told reporters. He stated that the expected agreement will be a victory for both parties in the dialogue.
US wants more progress in Kosovo-Serbia dialogue (dailies)
The US Ambassador to Serbia Michael Kirby said more progress is needed in the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia, and the opportunity to achieve this will be the next meeting between the prime ministers on 2 April. “We are not saying it is necessary for Serbia to recognize Kosovo. We insist on the normalization of relations”, Kirby told Radio Free Europe.
Thaçi keeps Pacolli away from dialogue (Koha Ditore)
Kosovo Prime Minister Hashim Thaçi blocked the government coalition partners from accessing information on the dialogue process between Kosovo and Serbia. Partners were left outside the team and only given selective information on the dialogue process. Thaçi acted similarly with opposition parties, except the Ramush Haradinaj’s AAK, who received authorization to enter in the dialogue with Serbia.
“It is because of trust. Except PDK, the leadership of other political parties in the coalition does not have the experience in negotiation processes and cannot understand the sensitivity of the process or the importance of withholding information. For example, publishing information before it is presented in Brussels would have consequences for the Kosovar side. Only few people understand this,” a government official said.
What can the UNSC meeting on Kosovo bring? (Bota Sot)
Today’s UN Security Council session on Kosovo will address and debate on developments over the last three months. This meeting will be more important because it will focus on the dialogue between the prime ministers of Kosovo and Serbia, which is a topic of interest for members of the Council.
Only one company interested in buying PTK (Koha Ditore)
The tender to privatise Kosovo Post and Telecom (PTK) failed once again because only one bid was submitted. The Government commission for privatisation decided to extend the application deadline for interested companies without revealing why. “The lack of bids forced the Government’s commission to extend the process,” the source said, adding that Turkish “Turkcell” applied in the tender.
Kosovo with 383 prefix? (Epoka e Re)
Diplomatic sources in Brussels said Kosovo Prime Minister Hashim Thaçi and Serbian Prime Minister Ivica Dacic’s joint statement after the seventh round of discussions brought them “neither close nor far” from the agreement. They are hiding the fact that they agreed on the Association of Serb Municipalities, which will be based on Ahtisaari’s Plan.
The Association of Serb municipalities will have ten municipalities with a Serb majority in Kosovo: six of them are already in the system of local governing, plus four in the north. Serb municipalities will be carrying some of the competencies within the association. The solution would not violate Kosovo’s Constitution, while in the next meeting, on 2 April, the parties will discuss the issue of northern municipalities passing from the Serbian system to the Kosovo system.
The same sources claimed that parties are close to an agreement on telecommunication, where Kosovo would take a special prefix, +383, while Serbs would have their own provider, licensed by Kosovo.
Government: no compensation for victims of sexual violence (Koha Ditore)
Compensation to war hostages and political prisoners will begin this year, but this is not expected to include victims of sexual violence during the war. Vetëvendosje requested that a monthly fund of €300,000 be allocated for these victims but the Government’s commission for budget and finances doubt that the compensation can start before the 2015, which needs an additional €72 million.
Vetëvendosje member Balaj threatened (dailies)
Member of the Vetëvendosje Movement active on women’s rights, Nazlie Balaj, received a threatening letter in her apartment warning her not to “defend shame” as she will meet her end. The threats came days after Balaj, in a TV debate, argued in favour of women who were victims of sexual violence during the war to receive legal status and due compensation.
Vetëvendosje reacted in a statement deploring the move and saying it will not make them give up the fight for continuing to make efforts to push the issue forward “until this sensitive category is treated institutionally and gains all rights and benefits from the law”.
Nothing personal (Express)
Former Secretary of PDK, Jakup Krasniqi said the conflict with Hashim Thaçi is nothing personal. “Democracy is not conducted without ideas and differing opinions. We have principled conflicts and not personal conflicts with Thaçi,” said Krasniqi. “I have made public my objections and what I think on the political phenomenon in Kosovo. And in particular, how PDK and I requested internal democratization,” added Krasniqi in an interview for News 24. Asked whether he is going to leave PDK, he said that this depends on developments within the party.
This is the beginning (Express)
Express announced it is pulling its print edition and will only be available electronically from now on. The decision was made from a financial standpoint and because technological development makes print increasingly “primitive”.
