US Assistant Secretary of State to visit Kosovo this weekend (Koha)
Citing diplomatic sources, the paper reports that the US Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs, Victoria Nuland, will visit Kosovo this weekend. Nuland is scheduled to meet institutional and political representatives in Pristina. The paper also notes that Nuland is the most senior US official to visit Kosovo lately.
Zbogar: No dates for EU integration (dailies)
Samuel Zbogar, Special Representative of the European Union in Kosovo, stated that Europe is united when it comes to Kosovo’s path towards the European Union. “The vision and will of the citizens are here. However, their expectations have become more realistic. They know that this is a process based on merit and that there is a lot of work still to be done. We cannot give precise dates, but we can, together with Kosovo, work on the guidelines,” said Zbogar. He added that all obstacles should be removed one by one.
Gashi: We won’t permit construction of “Tsar Lazar” square (Tribuna)
Kosovo’s Minister of Environment and Spatial Planning, Dardan Gashi, said that his ministry has closely followed the start of construction of the “Tsar Lazar” square on the northern bank of the River Iber/Ibar. He added that the move is illegal as it hinders the free movement of citizens and also contradicts Kosovo legislation and the Brussels Agreement. “We as a ministry were present there to intervene in case illegal construction was attempted. Today, this was not the case”, said Gashi. He added that the head of the Serbian Government’s Office for Kosovo, Marko Djuric, should not be granted permission to enter Kosovo. “We will make an official request on that”, warned Gashi.
Tahiri: Removal of barricades through diplomatic means (Tribuna)
In a statement to the press, Kosovo Deputy Prime Minister Edita Tahiri said that the removal of one of the barricades on the River Iber/Ibar is a positive step towards creating the conditions for free movement based on Kosovo laws and European standards. “On this occasion, I would like to thank the European Union and other international partners for their utmost efforts to resolve the problem of the new barricades recently placed on the Iber Bridge, through diplomatic means”, Tahiri said.
Macaes: Progress with non-recognizing EU member states (Koha)
Bruno Macaes, the Portuguese Secretary of State for Europe, told the paper in an interview that dialogue with Belgrade, economic reforms, and the rule of law, should be the three top priorities of the next government in Pristina. Macaes, the most senior Portuguese official to visit Kosovo so far, said Portugal was trying to secure more recognitions for Kosovo. He also said that progress is being made with five member states of the European Union that have yet to recognize Kosovo’s independence. “There are concrete engagements for Kosovo to get closer to Spain and countries in Latin America and Africa,” Macaes was quoted as saying.
Assembly Speaker can be elected by precedent (Epoka e Re)
The paper quotes political analyst Krenar Gashi as saying that nominating the Speaker of the Assembly is not going to be a problem. “The issue can become problematic only if voting at the Assembly fails, as a revote for the post of Speaker is not foreseen. I believe this issue can be solved through a precedent, in which case members of the post-election coalition will have to decide who is going to be elected to the post,” Gashi said. He added that the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) could challenge such an option by seeking an interpretation from the Constitutional Court.
Chief prosecutor tries to hide Enver Hasani’s files (Koha)
The paper reports on the front page that outgoing State Chief Prosecutor Ismet Kabashi has tried to hide investigations from the public on several cases that involve Enver Hasani, Chairman of the Constitutional Court of Kosovo. According to the paper, Hasani and Kabashi agreed on Tuesday that, if Koha Ditore reports about investigations against Hasani by the prosecution and an eventual conflict of interest, the state prosecution would issue a statement denying such investigations. The paper further notes that in addition to official investigations, there are also four penal indictments against Hasani that the prosecution has not addressed.
Citaku leaves PDK (Kosova Sot)
The deputy leader of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK), Vlora Citaku, is reported to have not only resigned her ministerial and MP post but also membership in PDK. Citaku has refused to comment on the reasons behind her resignation but there are reports that she has been appointed to the Kosovo consular office in New York.
