Haradinaj: We will prevent the Dodik Russian Republic in Kosovo (KTV)
Vucic to internationals: You can kill me, but I won’t recognise Kosovo (Klan Kosova)
Thaçi refuses to attend EBRD Summit due to relations with Bosnia and Herzegovina (Klan Kosova)
Tribunal for Serb crimes legally impossible, lawyers say (KTV)
Bajrami: Discussion on borders and Association to be avoided (KTV)
More measures against Serbia considered (KTV)
KFOR replaces border line signs (RTK)
Twelve new prosecutors take oath in front of President (KTV)
Tahiri: Serbian-Russian idea of territory exchange got buried (KTV’s summary of Rubicon show)
News
Haradinaj: We will prevent the Dodik Russian Republic in Kosovo
(KTV)
The Kosovo Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj has called for unity and vigilance, saying that Russia is trying to increase its influence in the region through establishment of the Association of Serb Majority Municipalities.
He made these comments at a commemoration event dedicated to the Battle of Çabrat, where dozens of martyrs of the nation were sacrificed.
Haradinaj said that Kosovo remains committed to its Euro-Atlantic path, and that it makes expansion of the Russian influence and interests to the region impossible. He added that they are committed not to allow Serbia reach Ibër River through establishment of a Dodik Republic, referring to Republika Srpska in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
“Dodik is the biggest problem in the region, who thinks that with Putin he is going to resolve the issues in our Balkans. We will be determined as we were when we prevented partition of Kosovo, to prevent Russian influence through a Dodik Republic, as now there is an Association of municipalities with powers that allow further presence and interference in our internal life, not from Serbia, but from Russia,” Haradinaj said.
Vucic to internationals: You can kill me, but I won’t recognise Kosovo
(Klan Kosova)
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on Tuesday evening that he will never recognize Kosovo’s independence, Klan Kosova portal quoted Tanjug as reporting.
He stated this while addressing the international factor.
“You can kill me, but it will not happen,” Vucic was quoted as saying.
“I tell them, to the English and the Germans that I will not do it. Hit me, but I will not do it. I may be President for other 15 years, but Vucic will not recognize Kosovo,” he stressed.
He said he could not find a solution for Kosovo, because, as he said, “everyone went crazy”.
Thaçi refuses to attend EBRD Summit due to relations with Bosnia and Herzegovina
(Klan Kosova)
President Hashim Thaçi has ultimately given up participation from the Summit called in Sarajevo, in the framework of the annual meeting of the Board of Governors the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).
President Thaçi thanks the EBRD for the invitation and equal treatment of Kosovo in this meeting, and expresses his lament for his non-attendance.
Press announcement, as issued by Office of the President can be read at: https://www.president-ksgov.net/en/news/president-thaci-declines-to-attend-the-ebrd-summit-due-to-the-relations-with-bosnia-and-herzegovina
Tribunal for Serb crimes legally impossible, lawyers say
(KTV)
Lawyers consider establishment of an international tribunal for investigation of war crimes in Kosovo as legally impossible. The Kosovo Law Institute (KLI) says that all what this initiative is doing is that it is manipulating relatives of the war victims, as KLI officials doubt that it will be supported in the UN, explaining that tribunals are established by the UN.
However, officials of the Assembly Speaker’s Cabinet say that they will not give up despite the obstacles in this process.
Representatives of the Humanitarian Law Centre (HLC) in Kosovo are sceptical that the internationals would support establishment of a tribunal which would deal exclusively with trying Serbs.
They say that local institutions have not done enough in documenting and investigating war crimes.
Bajrami: Discussion on borders and Association to be avoided
(KTV)
Voices within the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) against discussion of the borders have increased. After the Berlin Summit, the topic of borders was qualified as “dead”; furthermore, many exponents, including those of PDK, also said they were against discussion of this topic in the Dialogue with Serbia.
Former Minister of Kosovo Government and PDK deputy chairman, Arsim Bajrami, said that Kosovo should not have dialogue with Serbia on issues of territories, and it should not accept the Association, as he said, beyond the current legislation.
“It is completely unfair to create additional conditions for Kosovo. Therefore, Kosovo should avoid debates on territory exchange, and Kosovo should avoid the Association beyond the current legislation. This is a step back and a dispute of statehood,” he told the public broadcaster, KTV portal reported.
According to him, the Berlin Summit will bring Dialogue back to the real background.
Bajrami stressed that Serbs in Kosovo enjoy many rights and are protected by the state of Kosovo.
More measures against Serbia considered
(KTV)
The Kosovo Government’s decision for 100 percent tariff on all imports from Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina might be followed by additional measures against Serbia.
The Kosovo Government still has not defined what those measures will be, but as such they would follow the decision of 21st November on imposing the 100 percent tariff.
On Saturday, Kosovo Minister of Foreign Affairs Behgjet Pacolli announced that he has decided to declare persona non-grata all those Serbian officials who make statements that deny war crimes in Kosovo.
In addition, Kosovo President Hashim Thaçi and Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj have recently announced that Kosovo might aggravate measures up to full reciprocity, depending on Serbia’s behaviour towards Kosovo.
Haki Shatri, advisor to Prime Minister Haradinaj, stated to Radio Free Europe that they still have not decided on any specific measure to be imposed, but the Government has been considering some reciprocity measures against Serbia.
“So far, nothing specific has been decided, but reciprocity measures such as prohibiting entry to Kosovo for vehicles with Serbian number plates or not recognising driving licenses and other measures, are being considered to be imposed if need be,” Shatri said.
KFOR replaces border line signs
(RTK)
In the next days, KFOR will continue replacing the existing signs along the Administrative Boundary Line (ABL).
As KFOR announces, this activity is necessary for all the signs that are in very poor condition, due to the exposure to weather damage.
“The signs placed along the ABL are references ONLY for KFOR and UNMIK personnel, and not for the citizens of Kosovo. The signs are a warning indicating the distance from the ABL, in order to avoid that KFOR and UNMIK personnel violate the agreements with Serbian Armed Forces by crossing inadvertently the ABL.
ABL is a reference line, established for military purpose and it has nothing to do with official current or future borders. The ABL and the signs do not affect the life and the activities of the citizens in Kosovo.
KFOR does not deal with border issues or any other issue related to the current political discussion,” the KFOR announcement reads.
Twelve new prosecutors take oath in front of President
(KTV)
Twelve new prosecutors with initial mandate took the oath today in front of the President of Kosovo Hashim Thaçi.
The new prosecutors swore that during the accomplishment of their duties they shall remain at all times faithful to the Constitution of the Republic of Kosovo, laws in force, and shall respect the rules of the professional ethics.
The new prosecutors will serve throughout all basic prosecution offices in Kosovo.
Tahiri: Serbian-Russian idea of territory exchange got buried
(KTV’s summary of Rubicon show)
The idea of exchange of territories between Kosovo and Serbia got buried. This is what the former Kosovo chief negotiator in dialogue with Serbia, Edita Tahiri, stated in an interview with KTV Rubicon show.
She reiterated that this was a Serbian-Russian idea.
She said that after the Berlin Summit, the EU also recovered. Tahiri accused Federica Mogherini of allowing the issue of border change to be opened, thus violating the principles of the European Union for the Western Balkans.
Edita Tahiri says that border changing was a topic even at the time when she was the dialogue leader, but it was discussed in the corridors only.
“Such tendencies were also there in the Brussels talks, in the 7 years that I led them, but I have not allowed it to be open as a topic. It happened that in the corridors, they tried to talk about it,” she said.
She says that she did not allow that topic to be addressed at the negotiation table.
Tahiri remembers that in a discussion, the Serbian dialogue team leader Borko Stefanovic mentioned border changing to her.
“I told him, do you really still think like this? Then get well prepared, because Albanian lands are up to Nis. I told him, if you open the topic of lands, we will ask for Nis and that although the Albanians who owned land there now live either in Kosovo or in Turkey, they still have the land-patents,” Tahiri said.
She says that she had to discuss this issue also with Robert Cooper, the EU mediator for Kosovo and Serbia, since he had discussed this topic.
Tahiri says she expected to be part of the current Government, but she remained outside because the border issue was opened.
Tahiri also said that there can be no agreement between Kosovo and Serbia over the course of this year.
She says that the Negotiating Team does not have the adequate legitimacy, since it is not inclusive.
Tahiri said that even a unity government could be a solution to this situation.
“They do not have the adequate legitimacy. We are talking about a process of reaching a peaceful agreement with the enemy. Kosovo should have a unity. I said that the opposition should be part, even with a unity government, why not. Without having a national strategic political unity, Kosovo will come out powerless,” she said.
