Assembly presidency wants to be informed on Armed Forces process (Koha)
The paper reports on its front page that following a proposal by the opposition, the Presidency of the Kosovo Assembly will ask the government to inform it on the drafting of the legislation for the establishment of the Armed Forces. The Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) representatives said on Tuesday that the Assembly should vote on the Armed Forces bill during the next session. But the Kosovo Security Force Minister told the paper that the bill can be sent to the Assembly only after the adoption of the required constitutional amendments. The Vetevendosje Movement meanwhile said it fears that the government has entered into political deals, namely that it would have to establish the Special Court before proceeding with the establishment of the Armed Forces.
Serbs walk out of meeting with the Kosovo side in Brussels (Kosova Sot)
A source close to Edita Tahiri, Kosovo’s chief negotiator, said that the Serbian side was not at all cooperative during Brussels talks and did not accept any proposal from the Kosovo delegation. “They were so destructive that they walked out of the meeting at 16.30,” said the source. However, Tahiri said after the meeting that the two sides have approximated their stances and agreed on elements of the implementation plan. According to Tahiri, Kosovo will soon be issued with a telephone code while mobile operators from Kosovo and Serbia will cooperate in the field of roaming.
Kosovars involved in Kumanovo incident were under investigation (Koha)
The Special Prosecution of Kosovo had initiated investigations against a group of Kosovars who were involved in the recent clashes in Kumanovo, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM). The investigations, which began before the Kumanovo incident, were based on the suspicion that the group was planning to carry out several criminal acts in Kosovo. The prosecution said it could reveal no further details for the time being.
Families of arrested in Kumanovo to protest in Pristina today (KosovaPress)
The family members of the former Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) fighters, who participated in the armed incident in Kumanovo, will protest today demanding the Kosovo government to urgently take concrete actions to protect their relatives who are now in detention in Skopje. The protest is supported by the war veterans’ organizations.
EU ambassador: FYROM has serious problems (Zeri)
The European Union Ambassador to Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), Aivo Orav, stated on Tuesday that FYROM has serious problems, mainly in democratic values, freedoms and human rights which are promoted by the EU. Orav added that the only positive moment for FYROM were protests against the Government, and the willingness of political leaders to talk about the emergence of the crisis.
UNMIK offers support to Kosovo’s chief prosecutor (dailies)
Kosovo’s chief prosecutor, Aleksander Lumezi, met on Tuesday with the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General, Farid Zarif. Lumezi informed the UNMIK chief about the challenges of the chief prosecutor and the prosecutorial system, chief among which he said were the fight against corruption, organized crime and securing the best conditions for the functioning of the system. The SRSG congratulated Lumezi on his new position and encouraged him for mutual cooperation. Zarif also called on Lumezi to further cooperation in areas where he believes the UNMIK Office can help. Zarif and Lumezi also talked about the comprehensive integration of the minority communities in Kosovo’s prosecutorial system.
Rasic against executive powers for the Association/Community (Lajmi)
The Serbian MP at the Kosovo Assembly, Nenad Rasic, in an interview with Pristina-based Rrokum TV, said that the establishment of the Association/Community of Serb-majority municipalities had one purpose: to unite all the municipalities of this community in one, same as the Association of Municipalities of Kosovo and with the same rights. He said that he is against the idea that this Association/Community to have executive powers. However, Rasic said that an association of Serb-majority municipalities positively affects Kosovo’s economic transition.
Bushati calls for Kosovo’s membership of Council of Europe (Koha)
The Albanian Foreign Minister, Ditmir Bushati, during the 125th ministerial session of the Council of Europe (CoE) in Brussels on Tuesday, said that Kosovo should become a member of the Council of Europe as soon as possible, “because keeping it outside this organization deprives Kosovo and its citizens from the protection and democratic security provided by the CoE system of conventions”.
Messages that reveal the jihad of Kosovars in Syria (Koha)
In a front-page story, the paper publishes several text messages that three Kosovars, who went to fight for the Islamic State in Syria, sent to their relatives in Kosovo. The three suspects, who are now in detention in Pristina under terrorist charges, have denied that they travelled to Syria.
