• Egyptian Day marked in Kosovo (RTK)
• Thaçi and Ahmeti argue over secret meetings in Brussels (KTV)
• Thaçi to Norwegian MFA: Dialogue to resume without conditions (KTV)
• Bahtiri: We will not allow humanitarian crisis in north (RTK)
• Labinot Tahiri quits AKR (Klan Kosova)
• Pristina: Serbia continues colonisation in Kosovo’s north (N1)
• Hague prosecutors summon a former Kosovo Liberation Army member as ‘suspect’ (GazetaExpress)

News

Egyptian Day marked in Kosovo

(RTK)

Kosovo is a leader in the region regarding respect for the rights of communities. This was stated on Monday, on the occasion of 24th of June – the National Day of the Egyptian Community. At the reception organised on this occasion, Prime Minister of Kosovo Ramush Haradinaj said that irrespective of the integration of the Egyptian community into Kosovo institutions, a lot remains to be done for the rights of Egyptian community, such as the right to housing, employment, and other similar rights.

“There are two Egyptian advisors in the Government. One of them is a permanent political advisor and the other is for the dialogue topics and rights of communities. We have two deputy-Ministers, but this is not enough, as they are facing with employment issues,” Haradinaj said.

“The OSCE is working with all the communities in Kosovo, including the Egyptian community. We are working on implementation of Kosovo’s Constitution and legislation. Both of them provide the best for protection of communities’ rights. Sometimes their implementation may be challenging, but there are laws and they are excellent. We should also make sure that they are implemented. A progress is made over the last years regarding the respect for these rights and competencies,” OSCE Head of Mission, Ambassador Jan Braathu said.

In the meantime, Veton Berisha, an MP from the Egyptian community, said that he feels happy that this community is enjoying the respect they have missed for a long time.

Thaçi and Ahmeti argue over secret meetings in Brussels

(KTV)

Failure of the Paris meeting has further divided the state leaders, concerning the approach of Kosovo in regard to the dialogue with Serbia.

While calling for political unity in this process, President Hashim Thaçi accused Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj of having secret meetings with Serbian Government officials, through his subordinates.

The President’s statement triggered accusations and polemics with co-chair of the Negotiation Team, Shpend Ahmeti.

At a roundtable on dialogue with Serbia, Thaçi said that if no agreement with Serbia is reached within this year, the Balkans might be destabilised.

On the other hand, the Vetëvendosje leader Albin Kurti said that the project on Kosovo’s partition has failed.

Kurti accused Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj of seriously damaging Kosovo by not taking responsibility for the dialogue.

Last week it was reported that Avni Arifi and Selim Selimi of Prime Minister’s Office, met secretly with Marko Djuric in Berlin.

Meanwhile, opposition in Kosovo has accused President Hashim Thaçi of having secret meetings with the Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic.

Thaçi to Norwegian MFA: Dialogue to resume without conditions

(KTV)

Office of the Kosovo President announced that President Hashim Thaçi on Monday evening had a working dinner with Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ine Marie Eriksen Søreide.

Reportedly, President Thaçi and the Norwegian MFA discussed bilateral co-operation, Norway’s support for Kosovo, as well as peace and stability in the region.

“Kosovo is committed to strengthening peace and stability in our region. Continuation of dialogue is very important, but the dialogue should resume without conditions,” said Thaçi.

On the other hand, Ine Marie Eriksen Søreide emphasized that Norway supports efforts for peace and stability in the region.

“Norway supports dialogue and efforts to normalize relations between Kosovo and Serbia,” Office of the President quotes Norwegian MFA to have said.

Bahtiri: We will not allow humanitarian crisis in north

(RTK)

The mayor of Mitrovicë/Mitrovica south Agim Bahtiri said he would not allow implementation of any Serbian plan, which would cause humanitarian crisis in the north.

Bahtiri stated that the south municipality, along with the Kosovo institutions, would prevent Serbia’s plan to create an artificial humanitarian crisis in northern Kosovo, by emptying shops and pharmacies from essential groceries and medications.

“It is Serbia’s plan to have a humanitarian crisis in Kosovo, but this is not about a humanitarian crisis, because Kosovo institutions are there in order for humanitarian crises not to happen. However, if they want to create something like that, we will not allow it to happen, because the Government bodies and the South municipality will contribute in order for it not to happen, as it is politics only, and it is not about any humanitarian crisis,” Bahtiri stated to Telegrafi.

Bahtiri highlighted that he would serve all citizens without any difference, and he will meet all demands of citizens in four northern municipalities in the Republic of Kosovo, so that no humanitarian crisis can happen.

A reaction to Belgrade’s plan was also made by the Kosovo Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj, who said he would not sit back to the attempts for destabilisation.

“The attempts by various stakeholders, Serb officials and businessmen in Mitrovica/Mitrovicë north, coordinated with Belgrade authorities, to present a humanitarian disaster in this part of Kosovo, are unacceptable and punishable. Emptying shops, where even basic food items of Serbian origin are not available, is the plan that is prepared by certain persons in the north, the plan which has been reported to the Kosovo Government. According to the reports, some of the plan organisers are Rados Petrovic, Goran Vlaskovic, Bojan Jaksic – Cojo, Sllavisa Stanic, and Radule Stevic. According to sources of the Kosovo security mechanisms, the plan will be assisted logistically and otherwise by the so-called Civilna Zastita organisation in the north, which is led by Stevo Pavicevic. We will not stand idly to those attempts for destabilisation, and we call upon mayors in the north and citizens not to fall prey to those provocations,” Prime Minister Haradinaj stated a few days ago.

The Belgrade’s plan is to empty all shops, in order to prove that because of the  100 percent tariff on imported Serbian products, supply has become impossible.

Labinot Tahiri quits AKR

(Klan Kosova)

Labinot Tahiri is no longer part of AKR. MP Tahiri, who about four months ago had joined the AAK caucus, has completely quit Behgjet Pacolli’s party.

Tahiri says that only in case the AKR leader Pacolli excludes some harmful militants from the party, he might consider returning to AKR.

Until then, Tahiri will operate as an independent MP, despite the fact that he feels closer to AAK and Vetëvendosje.

However, the AKR secretary Vesel Makolli told Klan Kosova by telephone that they have not been officially informed about Tahiri’s decision.

Pristina: Serbia continues colonisation in Kosovo’s north

(N1)

Commenting on the continuation of building houses in the returnees’ settlement “Sunny Valley,” Kosovo’s Deputy Prime Minister Enver Hoxhaj said on Monday that the projects of colonisation are dangerous and aim at changing the ethnic structure in the north, the Pristina Zeri daily reported.

The works in the settlement started in mid-2016, with 300 residential units plus 100 objects including the post office, school, kindergarten and church planned to be built.

“Serbia continues with the colonisation projects which change the ethnic breakdown in Kosovo’s north. Those dangerous activities create tension, instability and ethnic conflict. The European Union must punish and stop them,” Hoxhaj said.

The project near the northern town of Zvecan is worth 14 million Euros, and Serbia’s President Aleksandar Vucic has said that people will be able to move in into more than a half of the housing space on June 28.

Hague prosecutors summon a former Kosovo Liberation Army member as ‘suspect’

(GazetaExpress)

 The Specialist Prosecutor’s Office has summoned a former member of Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) for questioning at the Hague for his role during the war in Kosovo.

Head of the KLA War Veterans’ Association, Nasim Haradinaj, during a press conference on Monday said that the next ex-KLA member to be summoned by the Hague prosecutors is Muhamet Krasniqi from Prizren.

“Muhamet Krasniqi born in Prizren has been summoned by the Specialist Prosecutor’s Office to be questioned as a suspect,” Haradinaj said.

Haradinaj also called on media not to contact Krasniqi adding that everything he has to say about the KLA war he will testify before the Hague prosecutors. The Specialist Prosecutor’s Office established to investigate and prosecute alleged war crimes committed during and after the war in Kosovo has summoned dozens of KLA members for questioning. No indictments have been filed yet.