• Haradinaj: Mogherini no longer leads dialogue, Merkel and Macron took it over (KTV)
• Thaçi: Serbian president is denying war crimes committed in Kosovo (GazetaExpress)
• Kosovo-Serbia presidents clash during Tirana meeting (GazetaExpress)
• Meta: We support Kosovo’s efforts for dialogue (RTK)
• Mustafa: LDK will not be involved in dialogue at this stage (RTK)
• Palmer: Instability in the Balkans suits Russia (RTK)
• EU’s representative gives no deadline on visa liberalisation for Kosovo (GazetaExpress)
• Exhibition with Serb crime photos launched (RTK)

News

Haradinaj: Mogherini no longer leads dialogue, Merkel and Macron took it over

(KTV)

Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj said that the danger for partition of Kosovo at the Berlin Summit has been eliminated, because, according to him, the dialogue will no longer be led by Federica Mogherini.

Haradinaj added that Mogherini had planned to propose partition of Kosovo.

According to Prime Minister Haradinaj, the dialogue with Serbia is under responsibility of the German Chancellor Merkel and the French President Macron.

Haradinaj considers that the EU High Representative Federica Mogherini is no longer facilitator of the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue.

According to him, the dialogue has been taken away from Mogherini’s hands, as she came up with a draft agreement that included partition of Kosovo.

Although Haradinaj said that the danger for partition of Kosovo has been eliminated, he emphasised that vigilance is required concerning this issue.

On Wednesday, Haradinaj said that Kosovo President Thaçi and the Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama discussed partition of Kosovo with the EU High Representative Federica Mogherini. However, that was denied by Mogherini and Rama.

 Thaçi: Serbian president is denying war crimes committed in Kosovo

(GazetaExpress)

 The Western Balkan leaders gathered Thursday in Tirana as part of the Brdo-Brijuni Process. The summit was attended also by the EU foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini, who held a meeting with presidents Hashim Thaci of Kosovo and Aleksandar Vucic of Serbia.

Addressing media after the meeting Thaci said that he asked the EU High Representative Mogherini to liberalise visas for Kosovo citizens. He also said that 100 percent tax on Serbian goods imposed by Kosovo Government last year was a just decision to counter Serbia’s aggressive campaign against Kosovo adding that the tariffs will not be revoked, Gazeta Express reports. Serbia is asking revocation of the tax in order to resume the EU-facilitated dialogue with Kosovo in Brussels.

“The tax was a just decision and Serbia’s conditioning of dialogue is unjust. I have discussed with Vucic during the Summit but nothing else. I have told him that there will be no association of Serb-majority municipalities with executive powers in Kosovo similar to the Republika Srpska. We have had disagreements after Vucic keeps denying Serbia’s war crimes in Kosovo and this is a crime,” Thaci said.

Commenting on potential final agreement with Serbia, Kosovo president Thaci said: “We support a comprehensive agreement on recognition of Kosovo, without threatening not even a millimetre of Kosovo, and unification of the Presheva Valley with Kosovo.”

Kosovo-Serbia presidents clash during Tirana meeting

(GazetaExpress)

Presidents Hashim Thaci of Kosovo and Aleksandar Vucic of Serbia met on Thursday in Tirana, Albania at the facilitation of the EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini. Thaci and Vucic attended the Brdo-Brijuni Summit hosted by Albanian president, Ilir Meta.

According to the Belgrade media Vucic said that he never spoke about any modality of solving Kosovo issue or reaching any agreement. When commenting on Kosovo’s president idea on unification of the Presheva Valley with Kosovo, Vucic said: “I’ve had enough of hearing what Hashim does and doesn’t want. You, Hashim, depend on us. Things won’t go that way. I’m pleading with you to talk, not to be saying what you want, and what you don’t want. Would you like me to tell you what I don’t want?,” Vucic is quoted as saying, and adding: “What America will squeeze you (Pristina) into international institutions? You tried with (Croatian president) Kolinda, with (Slovenian president) Borut… you didn’t succeed. Did you think of it yourself, or did somebody help you out?”

Vucic repeated that he never spoke about solutions, but about reaching an agreement: “If that can happen – super, if not, we’ll live.” He also advised Thaci not to bring up the Serb Republic (RS) – the Serb entity in Bosnia-Herzegovina – without “really needing to”: “I know why you’re saying that – because Americans don’t want the RS. I could tell you that I won’t let you form an RS inside Serbia, and that is Kosovo,” Vucic said. He added that he “pushed through” many difficult solutions, and was pleading with (Pristina) to come to its senses. “Imagine if I said what you and (Albanian PM) Rama said yesterday in Tirana? Or what Kolinda said today? About unification. Hang on a minute, I get it, but hang on. If we arrive to a solution – great, if not, hopefully we’ll be smart enough to preserve the peace,” Vucic said.

He also dismissed Thaci’s announcement that going forward, he would be “demanding from Serbia in all gatherings to recognize Kosovo, plus the three municipalities from southern Serbia.” “Let me tell you something right away – never mind that, people, no way. Neither are they that strong, nor is Serbia that weak,” the president told reporters. Asked what the EU foreign policy chief had to say about all this, Vucic replied, “They are very unhappy with that and cannot understand it.” “I never like to do too much chest-thumping. Our position is difficult and we should be thinking about our position, how to build peace and how to improve our economy,” Vucic added.

 Meta: We support Kosovo’s efforts for dialogue

(RTK)

The Albanian President Ilir Meta said that Albania would support efforts of the Kosovo institutions for recommitment in the dialogue with Serbia, which is facilitated by the European Union.

On a Facebook status, Meta said that the dialogue would contribute to improvement of relations between the two countries.

“Albania will support efforts of the Kosovo institutions for reengagement in the dialogue with Serbia, facilitated by the European Union. A constructive process has the potential to produce the legally binding, comprehensive, and applicable final agreement, which completely normalises relations between the two countries, and contributes to peace, stability, and EU perspective of the region,” Meta stated.

Mustafa: LDK will not be involved in dialogue at this stage

(RTK)

 The LDK leader Isa Mustafa says it was a big mistake by President Thaçi and all those who have opened the border correction topic, as it leads to territory exchange and it is an idea cooked by Serbs.

In an interview with RTK’s n’Shesh show Mustafa said that LDK will not be involved in the dialogue at this stage, because it believes that dialogue cannot be developed without solid institutions.

Regarding the situation in Telecom, Mustafa said that neither this Government, nor Haradinaj can take responsibility for what has happened, because those who signed the agreement with Z-Mobile are responsible.

 Palmer: Instability in the Balkans suits Russia

(RTK)

The US Deputy Assistant Secretary Matthew Palmer said this was the time for leaders in the Western Balkans to understand their role, and to lead their countries towards the European Union and NATO.

“The goal of the United States, the European Union, and of the region countries is the same – progress. But on the other hand, to the Russian influence it is more convenient to have corruption and instable situation in those countries,” Palmer said in an interview with Radio Free Europe.

EU’s representative gives no deadline on visa liberalisation for Kosovo

(GazetaExpress)

Head of the EU Office in Kosovo, Nataliya Apostolova, congratulated Kosovo for celebrating the Europe Day (9 May) saying that on this day are celebrated common values of the European Union.

Attending an activity marking the Europe Day in Pristina, Apostolova when asked whether Kosovo citizens will get visa liberalisation soon, said that this will happen one day but refused to give any deadline. According to Apostolova reforms bring Kosovo closer to the EU. “Today we celebrate EU’s common values and I am very happy that Kosovo is celebrating with us the Europe Day because Kosovo is Europe. Ongoing reforms are bringing Kosovo closer to the EU,” she said. “Today we are celebrating the European identity and it is important that also Kosovo is part of this celebration. The visa liberalisation will happen one day,” she said.

Kosovo minister of the European Integration, Dhurata Hoxha, who attended the celebrations jointly with the EU officials, said that Kosovo has fulfilled all the criteria on visa liberalisation. “It is very important to embrace and implement the EU values and also implement reforms in order to integrate into the European Union as soon as possible,” Hoxha said. “We have fulfilled all the criteria on visas and it is up to the EU member countries to decide,” Hoxha stated.

The Europe Day is an official holiday in Kosovo.

Exhibition with Serb crime photos launched

(RTK)

Students Democracy marked Europe Day in a special way, by launching a photo exhibition, proving Serb crimes and genocide committed during the last war in Kosovo.

According to Students Democracy, the purpose of the exhibition is to convey the message to the EU that the Kosovo people do not deserve to be isolated.

Mexhid Ramusa of Students Democracy said that the exhibition started in the compound of the Orthodox Church, which was violently built by the Butcher of the Balkans Slobodan Milosevic, and it will be shown in European cities such as Paris, Berlin, and Brussels, and it will be concluded in New York.

“Through this exhibition, we will tell the world what kind of genocide Serbia committed in Kosovo,” he said.