Çitaku: Serbia lacks the will for reconciliation
(RTK1)
In the meeting of the UN Security Council session on Kosovo, Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic, using the information from the last census in Kosovo, tried to convince the members of this Council that there is an ethnic cleansing of Serbs in Kosovo.
But Kosovo Ambassador to Washington, Vlora Çitaku recalled to Serbia its crimes in Kosovo, requesting from the state of Serbia accountability for the killing of 1.262 children and thousands of other civilians in Kosovo.
Ambassador Çitaku stated that Serbia lacks the will for reconciliation as it continues to honour war criminals, noting that Serbia plans to build a memorial dedicated to Slobodan Milosevic.
Çitaku reconfirmed Kosovo’s readiness for dialogue with Serbia but emphasized that Serbia should also stop its funds to the parallel structures and stop , as she said, construction of colonies in Kosovo.
On the other hand, Serbian FM Dacic accused the representative of Kosovo for presenting untrue facts in the Security Council.
Whereas, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and head of UNMIK, Zahir Tanin, said to the members of this Council that the situation in Kosovo over the past three months has been more stable following a long period of the parliamentary blockade. He condemned the attacks against institutions in Kosovo, including the attack against the public broadcaster- RTK.
Tanin said that during the past three months there have been no large-scale inter-ethnic incidents. Concerning reconciliation, Tanin commended the visit of Kosovo President Hashim Thaçi to two memorials commemorating Serbs civilians who were killed after the conflict.
U.S representative in Security Council also commended Thaçi’s initiative. She emphasized the need for a continuation of the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia and said that Kosovo should ratify the agreement on demarcation with Montenegro.
“International partners are working with Government to advance the economic development. It is concerning that there are people in Kosovo that use violence and misinformation to reroute the progress. Use of teargas in Assembly and the attack against the public broadcaster do not have any place in the democracy”, said the US representative to the Security Council.
While according to the Russian Ambassador the situation in Kosovo has only aggravated.
On the other hand, in the report presented by Tanin, several small incidents between Albanians and Serbs in Kosovo have been mentioned, the online version of KTV reported.
The report mentioned a case when an Albanian and a Serb clashed over a parking place. Kosovo Ambassador to Washington, Vlor Çitaku mentioned this case, saying that they should deal with more serious cases, if there is any. The same opinion was shared also by the representative of the United Kingdom in the Security Council.
“Minor cases, such as the case over a parking lot should not be included in the report. The report should contain more serious and important things than these ones,” said the UK representative.
Delawie and Zbogar urge Kosovo to ratify demarcation with Montenegro
(RTK1 &TV21)
The U.S Ambassador to Kosovo, Greg Delawie said that the Agreement on delineation of Kosovo’s borderline with Montenegro should be ratified on 01 September.
“I believe that the ratification of this Agreement in September is in the interest of Kosovo. The stance of the U.S on this issue is clear,” said Delawie in an interview for TV21.
He said that the independence of Kosovo has been declared based on the borderlines which defined by Kosovo’s State Commission for Demarcation.
“The Commission defined the same borderlines as in the Ahtisaari Package, based on which Kosovo has declared its independence,” Ambassador Delawie said.
The departing head of the EU Office in Kosovo/EUSR, Samuel Zbogar, also said that the EU expects from the Assembly of Kosovo to ratify the demarcation with Montenegro.
In an interview for RTK1, Zbogar said that protests and demonstrations are democratic as long as they are peaceful. However, he expressed against the violence in the Assembly, as, according to him, in the Assembly the majority of votes decides and there is no place for violence.
Among other topics, Zbogar also condemned the attack against the public broadcaster-RTK.
Thaçi: Ratification of demarcation opens the way for establishment of the Army
(KTV)
Kosovo President,Hashim Thaçi, again spoke about the demarcation issue, saying that the Agreement will pass.
“There are no more dilemmas. Everything is clear and high responsibility is expected from each and every MP, who should rise above the momentary political emotions or provincial mentality and vote in the interest of the state”, President Hashim Thaci said.
According to him, the Agreement on delineation of Kosovo’s borderline with Montenegro, aside from bringing visa liberalisation for Kosovars, also opens way to establishment of the Army.
Thaçi made these statements during a visit he paid to Rrance village of Shtime/Stimlje.
On the other hand, AAK leader, Ramush Haradinaj, through a press release issued on Thursday said that Kosovo institutional leaders are violating the Constitution of Kosovo by imposing the vote on demarcation.
Pejë/Pec citizens to protest against demarcation on Saturday
(Most monitored broadcasters, KTV)
Representatives of the Kosovo villages near the border with Montenegro will protest on Saturday in Pejë/Pec. Ali Lajçi, one of the organizers of the protests, called all Kosovo citizens to join the protest, emphasizing that they will strongly oppose the demarcation with Montenegro.
Political entities and civil society will support the protest, too, KTV reported.
Establishment of the Association remains a challenge
(KTV)
One year has passed since the Agreement which enables the establishment of the Association of Serb Majority Municipalities in Kosovo, has been signed in Brussels, KTV reported.
Institutional leaders have insisted that this agreement will not create a third level government, but the opposition insists that the Agreement signed on 25th of August has divided the state of Kosovo in two parts. However, in December of the last year, an opinion of the Constitutional Court Kosovo concluded that 23 articles of this Agreement contradict the Constitution. Nevertheless, the Court gave its approval for the establishment of this Association, noting that the contradictions should be corrected through a Governmental decree and in the Statute of the Association, which has not been finalized even a year after.
PDK MP Nit Hisami continues to strongly oppose this agreement, which, according to him, also will be the source for crisis in Kosovo in the future.
While Ylli Hoxha from Vetëvendosje Movement said that this agreement has divided Kosovo in two parts. He reiterated Vetëvendosje’s opposition to this agreement
On the other hand, political analyst, Driton Selmanaj believes that there are several reasons why this process has been prolonged.
“The opinion of the Constitutional Court in practical terms clarified many issues but in the political context created many problems,” Selmanaj noted.
While Prishtinë/Pristina stated that the status of this Association will be equal to an NGO, Belgrade insists that the Association of Serb Majority Municipalities will have executive competencies.
Two persons have been killed in Deçan/Decan shooting
(RTK1 23:00)
Two persons have been killed in village Shaptej of Deçan/Decan municipality, RTK1reported in their late news editions. Kosovo Police Commander in Deçan/Decan, Sejdë Dobraj confirmed the killings. The motive of the killings is believed to be a prior dispute between the victims and the killers.
Police has identified the suspected killers, a father and a son, and achieved to arrest one of the suspects while the second suspect is still at large.
