Thaçi: No reconciliation without recognition by Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina (All monitored broadcasters, RTK1)

Thaçi: Internationals were misinformed that we wanted border changing (Klan Kosova)

Haradinaj in Berlin: We need to open borders, not to create new ones (Most monitored broadcasters, Klan Kosova)

New summit on Kosovo in Paris this summer (N1)

Vetëvendosje activists protest in Berlin (KTV)

Political entity lottery for elections in north to be drawn on Tuesday (KTV)

News

Thaçi: No reconciliation without recognition by Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina

(All monitored broadcasters, RTK1)

Kosovo President Hashim Thaçi said that regional cooperation and reconciliation was discussed at the beginning of the Berlin summit.

On a Facebook post, Thaçi said that the situation and relations were at a low level; therefore, many good initiatives from the Berlin process have not been accomplished.

“This bad situation cannot be overcome only with statements and abstract promises. It takes courageous decisions by regional states, and they will not happen as long as there are no courageous and strategic decisions by the European Union and its Member States. Reconciliation also will be impossible, as long as Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina do not recognise independence of Kosovo,” Thaçi wrote.

According to President Thaçi, Germany and France can take the lead for those courageous decisions.

“But one of the first decisions that the EU should take is visa liberalisation for our citizens,” President Thaçi stated, reiterating that Kosovo unjustly has remained the most isolated country in Europe, adding that Kosovo citizens are the most pro-European people in the region, and it is unfair if they continue to be discriminated against.

Thaçi: Internationals were misinformed that we wanted border changing

(Klan Kosova)

Kosovo President Hashim Thaçi stated that his idea has not been to change borders along ethnic lines.

Following the Berlin summit, he said that the Kosovo-Serbia agreement cannot be reached without international unity. According to him, there have been objections “by misinforming and by increasing the fear that allegedly we are trying to change borders in the Balkans, and that we want them along ethnic lines.”

Thaçi emphasised that Kosovo legitimately supports aspirations of Albanians in Presevo Valley.

He added that suspension of the dialogue by Serbia until the 100 percent tariff is revoked was unacceptable.

“At our joint dinner with Chancellor Merkel, President Macron, and with the Western Balkans leaders, we continued to discuss the present and the future of our region, the deadlock of the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia. I pointed out several factors that have caused this hopeless situation. First of all, Serbia has unilaterally conditioned resumption of the dialogue with revocation of the tariff on Serbian products. This action is unacceptable and in contradiction with the key leading principle of the dialogue, which we have complied with since its starting point. Secondly, the international community, specifically Quint states, have not proved unity and support to our efforts for a comprehensive agreement. We cannot reach the agreement, if Quint states are not united and do not speak with one voice. In addition, both Quint states and we are aware that the agreement is impossible to be reached without the crucial role of the United States. The objections mostly happened by misinforming and by increasing the fear that allegedly we are trying to change borders in the Balkans, and that we want them along ethnic lines. However, those claims were and still are completely untrue! Whenever an agreement between Kosovo and Serbia is reached, border demarcation between the two states is inevitable. Kosovo’s state sovereignty is and will remain intact. Serbia should recognise Kosovo’s independence, and give up violating our sovereignty. Anybody’s claims or dreams that an association with executive powers according to the Republika Srpska model can be established in Kosovo north will never come true. A German-German model or a dual sovereignty is not a solution either. Kosovo responsibly and legitimately is interested in and supports aspirations of Albanians living in Presevo Valley. Kosovo is willing for a final, comprehensive agreement for normalisation of inter-state relations with Serbia,” Thaçi wrote on Facebook.

Haradinaj in Berlin: We need to open borders, not to create new ones

(Most monitored broadcasters, Klan Kosova)

Kosovo Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj said at the Berlin summit that Kosovo and Serbia need to open the borders, rather than to create new ones.

He highlighted that one cannot expect any progress, without mutual recognition between Kosovo and Serbia.

“Recognition implies permanent respect of the existing borders. Revised borders would allow occurrence of a new wave of ethnic division, and perhaps occurrence of violence also,” Haradinaj said.

“We need unity, not division. We need to open our borders, not to create new ones,” he added.

New summit on Kosovo in Paris this summer

(N1)

Leading officials of Serbia and Kosovo will meet in Paris early in July to continue efforts to find a way to get the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue moving forward, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic told reporters after the Berlin Summit on Monday night.

“We had a series of difficult meeting and as a delegation we should thank German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron. They were rational and tried to find a solution to stabilize the dialogue,” Vucic said.

He said that official Belgrade’s only condition to continue the dialogue was the revoking of the 100 percent tariffs on Serbian goods. “Some people thought the dialogue is more important than the tariffs,” he said and added that Merkel and Macron wanted the tariffs revoked.

The Serbian president said he was surprised by the fierce attacks against the Republika Srpska entity in Bosnia-Herzegovina by the Kosovo Albanians and Bosnia-Herzegovina Council of Ministers Chairman Denis Zvizdic. “The Albanians said that we have to recognize Kosovo, that there is no autonomy for the Serbs, that there can be no Republika Srpska in Kosovo, no executive powers for the Community of Serb Municipalities,” Vucic said.

Vucic said the summit ended with the conclusion that talks should continue with the mediation of the European Union, Germany and France.

Vetëvendosje activists protest in Berlin

(KTV)

Several activists of Vetëvendosje Movement in Germany gathered to protest before the meeting of Kosovo leaders with Angela Merkel and Emmanuel Macron in Berlin.

They held up slogans such as ‘Stop bosnisation of Kosovo’, ‘The danger from the Association (of Serb Majority Municipalities)’ , ‘Stop injustice against Albanians since 1878’, ‘Stop experiments with the Republic of Kosovo’, etc.

Salih Abazi, a Vetëvendosje activist in Germany, stated to KTV that the aim of the protest was not to allow decisions for Kosovo to be made by a president who worked for Milosevic (referring to the Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic), and by a president who was elected by force (referring to Thaçi).

Political entity lottery for north elections to be drawn on Tuesday

(KTV)

On Tuesday, Central Election Commission (CEC) will draw lottery to list political entities for extraordinary elections in four municipalities in Kosovo north.

According to the announcement, the lottery for listing political entities and candidates on ballots of the extraordinary mayoral elections in Mitrovica/Mitrovicë north, Zvecan/Zveçan, Leposavic/Leposaviq, and Zubin Potok, will be drawn at 11:00 hrs, On Tuesday, on 30th April.

The elections in north will be held on 19th May.