President Thaçi meets with OSCE Secretary General Lamberto Zannier

(TV21)

During the meeting with the OSCE Secretary General, Ambassador Lamberto Zannier, the President of Kosovo Hashim Thaçi highly appreciated the commitment of the OSCE Mission in Kosovo, TV21 reported on Friday, March 10, 2017.

Thaçi said that Kosovo is consolidated as a state in the region and is working to expand cooperation with all the international organizations.

On the other hand, the OSCE Secretary General, Ambassador Lamberto Zannier said the OSCE Mission remains committed to support processes that help strengthen peace and stability, democracy and human rights in Kosovo, and in the Western Balkans region.

Veseli meets with Zannier, discusses Demarcation and Association

(RTKLive)

Kosovo Assembly Speaker, Kadri Veseli, received on Friday the OSCE Secretary General Lamberto Zannier.

Veseli highly appreciated the support of OSCE Mission in Kosovo, in particular in building of democratic institutions.

He considered continuation of cooperation with this Mission necessary in the function of further strengthening of democracy and provision of assistance in many spheres.

Veseli informed Zannier with the current developments in our country, with special emphasis on the issue of Demarcation with Montenegro, considering ratification of this agreement important, RTKLive and many other online portals reported on Friday, March 10, 2017.

In relation to the Association of Serb Majority Municipalities, Speaker Veseli said that it will be established in compliance with the Constitution and the Constitutional Court’ judgment.

On the other hand, the OSCE Secretary General Lamberto Zannier confirmed the commitment of the OSCE Mission to continue support for Kosovo institutions in the future, too.

Mustafa received OSCE Secretary General Lamberto Zannier

(RTKLive)

Prime Minister of Kosovo, Isa Mustafa, received the OSCE Secretary General Lamberto Zannier to a meeting on Friday.

As the Office of Prime Minister reports, in this meeting, where the Head of the OSCE Mission in Kosovo, Ambassador Jan Braathu, was also present, the Prime Minister informed them on the current progress in Kosovo and future priorities of Kosovo Government.

During the meeting, PM Mustafa highlighted Kosovo’s commitment to advancement of Euro-integration processes and further economic development.

The OSCE Secretary General, Ambassador Lamberto Zannier, welcomed progress in Kosovo and Kosovo’s achievements to date.

Ambassador Zannier offered further OSCE support for democratic processes in Kosovo.

During the meeting it was also discussed about cultural heritage issues and other issues related to processes and current developments in Kosovo.

Zannier requests implementation of Brussels agreements

(RTKLive)

OSCE Secretary General Lamberto Zannier concluded on Friday a trip to Prishtinë/Pristina, where he visited the OSCE Mission in Kosovo and met heads of Kosovo institutions and representatives of political parties, communities, religious groups, civil society and the international community, online version of Radio and Television of Kosovo reported on March 10, 2017.

On this occasion he stressed that restoring a positive trend of normalization of relations is key to progress and stability.

Zannier said that developments in the region are particularly worrisome. “I met with the government and opposition leaders, and I encouraged them to maintain a constructive approach in order to avoid a spillover of tensions,” said Zannier.

He called for further dialogue between all parties represented in the Assembly to resolve outstanding political grievances for the benefit of all people in Kosovo.

“Dialogue between all political parties’ representatives should take place in the Assembly free of intimidation and violence. It is the responsibility of Assembly members as elected officials to represent the interests of their constituencies in the best possible way through active and democratic deliberations,” he added.

Recognizing the need to address issues of the past and build social cohesion, Zannier commended President Hashim Thaçi for his initiative to establish the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

Otherwise, Zannier also highlighted the work of the OSCE Mission in Kosovo in promoting the protection of community rights and underlined the Organization’s commitment to strengthening inter-faith dialogue and religious tolerance.

OSCE in Kosovo ready to organize voting, decision soon

(RTK2)

Head of the OSCE Mission in Kosovo, Ambassador Jan Braathu, said that it will soon be known whether citizens of Kosovo who have Serbian citizenship will be able to vote for the President of the Republic of Serbia in the elections scheduled for April 2.

Talking to “Slobodno Srpski” show, Braathu reminded that OSCE has assisted organization of Serbian elections in Kosovo several times on the technical aspect.

“We did it three times: In 2012, 2014 and 2016. This is something that is required from us. There is an expectation that we, as we did in the past, will facilitate the ballot collection process in the Serbian presidential elections, since Belgrade has once again requested it from us,” said Braathu.

As he says, the decision whether voting for the President of Serbia will also be enabled in 2017, shall be known quite soon.

“We are at the early stages of talks with the authorities in Prishtinë/Pristina, and on this subject we will discuss both in Prishtinë/Pristina, but also in Belgrade, until the issue is finally resolved. However, the Mission is ready, we have the technical capacity, we have the skills, and the expertise to do it. We are internally organized, and it is on our, so to say, the relevant actors in Prishtinë/Pristina and Belgrade to find a solution for this issue, together with us,” Braathu stated.

The OSCE Ambassador did not want to answer the question as when such a decision could be made.

“As you know, Prishtinë/Pristina institutions do not want Serbian Government to carry out official Serbian elections in Kosovo, so we have to find a way to enable Serbian citizens living in Kosovo to vote in these elections. It is exactly here that our role as a facilitator comes first. And, negotiations are underway at this moment. Ask me in three weeks and I will tell you what the possibilities are,” Braathu said.

In the same show, Braathu also spoke about the Association of Serb Majority Municipalities (ASMM) for which he said that it is very important for Serb community in Kosovo.

“It’s a difficult political issue, we see how complicated it is and contentious it is for the Kosovo Albanian side. And there are is lot of suspicion. I think that these suspicions also have to do with reconciliation and trust, trust among the communities, between the communities,” said Braathu and confirmed that the OSCE Mission in Kosovo was asked from Brussels to provide legal and technical advice, about writing the ASMM statute above all.

“I have 532 advisers in the Mission, we have legal experts in experts in other fields, and a team that is ready to start working on it,” said Braathu; however, as he underlined, nothing concretely has started to be done in this regard.

Braathu expects that the Managing Team for drafting the ASMM statute will soon be appointed.

“They will talk in team; they will draft the text, possibly with our help, and then they will talk to their political leaders. There will probably meetings in Brussels, where representatives of Belgrade and Prishtinë/Pristina will meet and they will agree,” said Braathu.

Asked to estimate how much Kosovo has slipped on its path to creation a democratic multi-ethnic society as it was promised by local officials, but also the international community, Head of the OSCE in Kosovo said that the situation is definitely not what the citizens, or the international community, would like to see.

Thaçi’s initiative on KFS transformation receives support of minorities

(Most monitored broadcasters, Klan Kosova&TV21)

Kosovo President, Hashim Thaçi, chose social networks Facebook and Twitter to inform that he has received additional support for the Kosovo Army.

According to him, he received support for transformation of Kosovo Security Force (KSF) into an Army by the political representatives of ethnic communities represented at the Assembly of Kosovo in the “6 Plus” caucus.

Among others, he wrote that there is full consent and that time has come for Kosovo to have its Army.

Kosovo Army is also being supported by the Montenegrin community, Klan Kosova TV reported. Head of the Association of Kosovo Montenegrins, Slobodan Vujicic, expressed this support on their behalf.

Through a press release issued, Vujicic said that Kosovo and its citizens should not be victims of views of one or two per cent of those who think differently and as such these policies and practices should be stopped.

Vujicic added that although Montenegrins are not a constitutional category, they want to make it clear that as Montenegrins they support establishment of Kosovo Army, which will serve to all its citizens and contribute to peace and stability in the region.

The AAK leader, Ramush Haradinaj, has also welcomed the initiative of President Thaçi to change the law that will enable transformation of KSF into an Army. In an interview with Blic daily Haradinaj said that Kosovo could have established it before in at least two occasions.

According to him, LDK refused an option offered by the Americans where Kosovars were offered the Army in exchange of reserved seats for minorities for another mandate. Haradinaj said that the second time when the Army could have been established was recently, when the Special Court was voted.

Vucic: Kosovo Army was not discussed in Brussels

(Most monitored broadcasters, KTV)

Serbian Prime Minister, Aleksandar Vucic, said that establishment of Kosovo Army was never discussed in Brussels dialogue.

Vucic further emphasised that Serbia will never support this initiative and, according to him, no one can impose this topic which is unquestionable to Belgrade.

On the other hand, Director of Serbia’s Office for Kosovo Marko Djuric considers that with the decision for suspension of talks with Belgrade, Prishtinë/Pristina returns to the past. According to him, this policy is wrong.

Family members of massacred seek changes to Law on Special Court

(KTV)

Requests of family members of massacred civilians by the Serbian regime in Kosovo have reached the Assembly, KTV reported. Family members of the murdered people are calling on MPs of Kosovo legislative to change the Law on Special Court, by enabling this Court to also deal with those responsible of Serbian crimes as well as to condition dialogue with Serbia.

Family members of victims of Serbian regime in Kosovo expressed their disappointment with UNMIK and EULEX and said their hopes that justice will be put in place for their killed and massacred family members by Serbian forces have faded.

Return of the Law on Special Court to the Assembly was also requested by the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) War Associations.

Majority of healthcare personnel in Serb enclaves work without licences

(KTV)

They perform doctor’s activity without having a licence of Kosovo institutions at all, while they receive salaries from these institutions.

Vast majority of healthcare personnel in Serb enclaves continue to challenge Kosovo’s health system for years, by not accepting to get licenced and work with Kosovo laws, KTV reported.

Latest inspections of Health Inspectorate made to several health centres in Gracanica/Graçanicë have brought out that the same situation is in this town, too.

Healthcare centre, located in the vicinity of Gracanica/Graçanicë Municipality, is also one of the centres that works out of Kosovo’s health system.

KTV requested a stance from the Director of this centre, but he did not accept to give explanations with justification that he was busy. Furthermore, KTV crew was not allowed to make video recordings in this centre.

Director of Health at the Municipality of Gracanica/Graçanicë, Aleksandar Popovic, did not accept to give explanations either, saying that he was out of office.

Besa Baftiu, member of Kosovo Assembly Health Committee, considers paradoxical the manner how these doctors are being paid by Kosovo and Serbia at the same time.