Demarcation not a condition for KAF establishment

(RTK1)

Statements of Minister of Labour and Social Welfare, Arban Abrashi, who said that ratification of agreement for delineation of the border with Montenegro is a condition for establishment of the Kosovo Armed Forces (KAF), were refuted by coalition partners and opposition parties.

Member of the Assembly Committee for KAF and PDK MP, Ganimete Musliu, told public broadcaster that in case Government will bring Demarcation in the Assembly as a condition for KAF establishment then this Government will end.

“In case it eventually happens that Government of Republic of Kosovo will bring demarcation in the Assembly as a condition for KAF establishment then this Government should get ready to face vote of confidence, since no member of Kosovo Assembly is ready to accept such conditions” Musliu said.

Chairman of the Assembly Committee that oversees security and Kosovo Security Force, Daut Haradinaj, said that demarcation is a closed history. According to him, this is a new form of manipulation of power.

Vetëvendosje Movement MP, Rexhep Selimi, considers current government’s lack of readiness as the reason behind non-establishment of Armed Force.

“I have the feeling that establishment of Kosovo Army is not at their forefront, at the contrary they only have it as a tool to use materialize, what they in fact have at their forefront, such as implementation of “Zajednica” and ratification of demarcation with Montenegro,” Selimi said.

In the meantime, Minister of Labour and Social Welfare, Arban Abrashi, said he “had previous information that delineation of the border with Montenegro will be a condition for establishment of the Armed Force.”

Mustafa: Dialogue should be more dynamic

(Most monitored broadcasters, TV21)

Prime Minister of Kosovo, Isa Mustafa, said that dialogue process between Kosovo and Serbia has already entered its final phase, stressing that at this phase there is for Kosovo side to be more inclusive by having representatives of opposition or civil society.

PM Mustafa considers that at this phase the dialogue process should be way more dynamic with clear goals and deadlines.

Other TV broadcasters quoted Prime Minister Isa Mustafa as saying that members of Kosovo Assembly who are opposing ratification of agreement on demarcation with Montenegro are keeping visa liberalisation for Kosovars hostage.

According to him, Government he leads has fulfilled all the criteria requested by EU, such as fighting of corruption and organised crime.

US policy toward Balkans has not changed

(Most monitored broadcasters, KTV)

United States policy toward the Balkans countries is the same in the last 20 or 25 years and there is no reason to have any change in it, stated Matthew Palmer, Director of Office for Southeast Europe at US Department of State.

As far as relations between Kosovo and Serbia are concerned, he said that the United States treats the process of normalisation between Belgrade and Prishtinë/Pristina a separate process from recognition of Kosovo.

In an interview with the Belgrade daily Politika, Palmer was asked if it was possible for Serbia to be admitted in EU without recognizing Kosovo’s independence.

The US official said that United States support Serbia’s goal to become part of EU, stressing that normalisation of relations with Kosovo is an important part of this goal.

“It is necessary to reach progress in Brussels dialogue, in order to have progress in the path of Euro-integration,” Matthew Palmer said.

Djuric: Belgrade waiting to see first sign for ASMM establishment

(RTK2)

Director of Serbia’s Government Office for Kosovo, Marko Djuric, said that Belgrade is still waiting to see the first sincere sign of constructiveness and goodwill of Prishtinë/Pristina regarding the issue of Association of Serb Majority Municipalities (ASMM) establishment.

“As long as this does not happen, the impression is left that there is no willingness in Prishtinë/Pristina for the situation on the ground to improve and relations with Belgrade to be normalised,” Djuric stated.

Rakic: Drafting of Association’s statute cannot be brought to local level

(RTK2)

Mayor of Mitrovica/Mitrovicë North, Goran Rakic, said that Belgrade and Prishtinë/Pristina representatives should discuss the Association of Serb Majority Municipalities in Brussels.

He also said that statute drafting of the upcoming Association cannot be brought to local level because the process of Association’s establishment was started in Brussels. Therefore, he stressed that the topic of Association should once again be put on Brussels table of talks and be agreed in talks between Belgrade and Prishtinë/Pristina.

KFOR is monitoring suspicious activities of “Airsoft Club Vukovi”

(Klan Kosova)

Suspicious activity of sport club “Airsoft Club Vukovi”, within which former Serb military persons are acting, is being monitored by KFOR. This is the response that NATO Mission in Kosovo gave to Indeksonline portal, who were interested to know more about practical military exercises in Leposavic/Leposaviq mountains by this sport club.

“However, we will not comment investigation of any person or organisation,” states the written response from KFOR.

According to the latter, security situation in Kosovo is calm and sustainable and that there is no room for concern.

Investigations against public officials for non-declaration of property stopped

(KTV)

Last year alone 52 public officials were investigated by State Prosecution on the suspicion that they did not report their property, or they falsely declared their property, material benefits, gifts and financial obligations. 24 criminal reports transferred from 2015 were added to this figure.

Through a response via e-mail, this Prosecution confirmed that after looking into these criminal reports it has decided to stop investigations against 49 persons, while the criminal report against one person was dropped.

Nevertheless, the Prosecution has managed to file indictments against eight persons, whereas at the end of 2016, 16 criminal reports with 17 suspected persons have remained to State Prosecution as unsolved cases.

Even during this year, starting from March, over 4000 officials will declare their property in forms of Kosovo Anti-Corruption Agency. This Agency said it has already started preparations, starting from staff training.

However, at ÇOHU organisation, which has monitored the process of property declaration, say that Agency is continuously failing to investigate and provide convincing evidence to Prosecution.