• Haradinaj: Kosovo integral part of Berlin process (RTK)
• Dodik reacts following Kosovo’s cancellation to attend Sarajevo Summit (RTK)
• Vucic: We supplied goods to north, things can fall from sky (Klan Kosova)
• Political spectrum needs to define position and platform on dialogue (RTK, KTV)

News

Haradinaj: Kosovo integral part of Berlin process

(RTK)

The Kosovo Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj thanked Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov for his principled position to Kosovo and for supporting its right to be part of the European family.

Haradinaj said that the decision that the next summit will be hosted by Bulgaria and North Macedonia makes the Berlin process more significant for the Western Balkans.

On a Facebook post, Haradinaj said that Kosovo was an important part of this process, and it is aligned beside its allies as an added value of integration of the region into the EU.

“Mutual recognition with Serbia in the existing borders would open our perspective. I strongly support the vision of Prime Minister Borissov for an inclusive Europe that goes beyond mentalities of the last century, mentalities that caused tragedies and exclusions. Without including all countries of the Western Balkans as an integral part of the European family, the EU will not be complete. Thank you Boyko!” Haradinaj posted on Facebook.

Dodic reacts following Kosovo’s cancelation to attend Sarajevo Summit

(RTK)

The Kosovo President Hashim Thaçi announced on Saturday that he had rejected participation in the South East European Countries Cooperation Process (SEECP) in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

President Thaçi said that the denigrating invitation by the current President of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, made impossible participation and representation of Kosovo in the meeting.

Following Thaçi’s refusal, Serb member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina Millorad Dodik reacted.

He said that Kosovo was invited in accordance with the format provided for such meetings.

Dodik added that he did not care about the feelings of the Kosovo President Hashim Thaçi.

“I do not care at all about his dissatisfaction and feeling concerning this matter. On the format of previous meetings of this kind, Kosovo was provided with some type of footnote. Because he doesn’t like it, nobody is going to cry, and we will not feel any loss because he is not coming. He was invited on the format as provided for such meetings. I agree with his position that he will not come,” Dodik stated to ATV.

Following Kosovo’s cancellation to attend the Summit, Albania has also cancelled its attendance, in solidarity with Kosovo.

Vucic: We supplied goods to north, things can fall from sky

(Klan Kosova)

The Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said at a press conference on Sunday that Serbia has been able to thrust goods into northern Kosovo.

“Over the last days we have been able to thrust goods in Kosovo, and we hope that in the coming days we will be able to do so even in larger amounts, so that we can supply the shops,” Vucic said.

Moreover, Vucic in his statement indirectly mentioned air ways, as well.

“So, something came from the sky,” he said on one occasion.

“The sky is strange, everything may fall down from the sky,” he reiterated later on.

However, the possibility of bringing goods by air was denied by KFOR, the mission in control of low air space in the territory of Kosovo.

In a statement to klankosova.tv, KFOR spokesperson Vincenzo Grasso said that nothing can fly over that area without KFOR’s awareness.

“No flights can happen in northern Kosovo without KFOR’s authorisation, and KFOR is not aware of any flight to have happened in the last days. As far as KFOR is concerned, no unusual move has been reported in that part of Kosovo,” Grasso stated.

There has not been any increase of Serbian goods entering through border crossings either.

This possibility has been denied by the Kosovo Customs officials, who said that there has not been any change in the influx of goods entering Kosovo from Serbia.

Last week, shops in northern Kosovo were closed for two days, in an attempt to initiate a humanitarian crisis.

Political spectrum needs to redefine position and platform on dialogue

(RTK, KTV)

Political spectrum in Kosovo, both ruling and opposition parties, needs to clearly redefine its position and platform in the framework of the next negotiation process with Serbia, political analysts in Prishtinë/Pristina say.

According to them, the need for the political spectrum in Kosovo to restart the process, from internal consensus to definition of representation and dialogue oversight, is also a result of the Constitutional Court decision, which found the Law on the Kosovo Delegation for Talks with Serbia unconstitutional, thus also turning down the Platform that had been adopted in the Assembly.

Naim Rashiti, Director of the Balkans Policy Research Group in Kosovo, stated to Radio Free Europe that the dialogue process with Serbia and its conclusion should be a responsibility of the Kosovo Government.

He says that the Constitutional Court decision should be a stronger awareness to the Government on the agenda of negotiations with Serbia.

“The Constitutional Court’s decision has created a new situation, and the more the trust in this process is lost, the more difficult it becomes to seek consensus of the Government and the opposition in this process,” Rashiti said.

He said that the now dissolved Negotiation Team did not enjoy support by two thirds in the Kosovo Assembly, adding that the second issue was that the Team was co-chaired by a Deputy Prime Minister and an opposition representative, and their powers.

Shpend Ahmeti, chairman of PSD and mayor of Prishtinë/Pristina, was one of the co-chairs of the now dissolved Negotiation Team. He says it does not make sense that a crucial issue such as the dialogue with Serbia is led by one person, be it even the President or the Prime Minister.

\“We insisted to bring back decision-making to the Assembly. Unfortunately, some other entities decided or thought that it was not right, and now we again are in a vacuum in terms of how Kosovo will be represented, namely to have a representation that includes all political entities,” Ahmeti stated.

On the other hand, Imer Mushkolaj, political analyst, stated to Radio Free Europe that there should not have been a negotiation team for negotiations with Serbia, and there should not be such groups in the future either. He believes that the dialogue with Serbia should be led by the Government and by the Prime Minister of Kosovo.

“Kosovo has its relevant institutions, as concluded by the Constitutional Court, and they should take the responsibility. Any other attempt to transfer the dialogue to a body, be it even a negotiation team with other or similar members, is simply another avoidance from the dialogue, and it should not happen,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Kosovo Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj, one of those who had supported establishment of the Negotiation Team and drafting of the relevant Law, still believes that dialogue with Serbia is not a responsibility of the Government only, but of other mechanisms, as well.

“The dialogue issue is a greater and temporary project in this case, but it is a national issue, and goes beyond the common responsibilities of a government. It is logical, although there are institutions, to establish ad-hoc bodies, ad-hoc mechanisms for such a crucial national issue. For such issues, such mechanisms are established in other countries also,” Haradinaj said.

Officials of the Kosovo Democratic Institute (KDI) say that the Kosovo Assembly should hold the Government accountable regarding the dialogue process, by having a proactive and more efficient oversight role.

Jeta Krasniqi of KDI says that the Assembly committees and MPs should utilise all the oversight mechanisms available, including calls for reporting, interpellations, field visits and so on, in order to ensure a smooth process and implementation of agreements, which implies seeking accountability, too.

Until possible resumption of the dialogue, reaching an internal political agreement in Prishtinë/Pristina remains disputable, both in terms of representation and in terms of Kosovo’s position and platform in this process.