- Haradinaj meets Pacolli regarding ban on visits to Serbian officials (Klan Kosova)
- Moscow concerned about foreign policy agreement between Kosovo and Albania (KTV)
- Vetëvendosje and LDK disagree about time for no confidence motion (KTV)
- Haradinaj forgets border with Montenegro (Klan Kosova & KTV)
- Dodik: I will not go to Kosovo for the next SEECP meeting (KTV)
- Resumption of Kosovo-Serbia discussions – solution for lowering tensions (KTV)
News
Haradinaj meets Pacolli regarding ban on visits to Serbian officials
(Klan Kosova)
It isn’t clear whether it will be a public meeting as the one of about one year ago, but Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj and Minister of Foreign Affairs Behgjet Pacolli are expected to meet again, but this time to discuss a burning political issue.
The first and the second person of the Kosovo Government have come across strong contradictions among them. Pacolli and several members of his cabinet on 04 June announced that Ministry of Foreign Affairs has taken a decision on general banning of Serbian officials’ entrance to Kosovo. Pacolli had also confirmed this to Klan Kosova from the Poznan Summit. However, at the same international event, Haradinaj refuted Pacolli while he responded to a reporter from Belgrade.
“If someone is banned entrance according to Kosovo’s laws then he cannot come, but there is no decision for collective or general ban as it is being stated,” Haradinaj said.
This situation has made the Assembly Foreign Affairs Committee to also include Minister Pacolli’s reporting on the agenda.
“The plan is that we invite him regarding this matter and several other issues related to regional initiatives. So, the plan is that he reports during July once again,” said Committee’s Chairwoman Vjosa Osmani.
In addition, Osmani said that Kosovo stands badly since internal crisis are being reflected at the international level.
Moscow concerned about foreign policy agreement between Kosovo and Albania
(KTV)
On Monday, Moscow addressed its concern about the recently signed agreement by Albania and Kosovo on a joint foreign policy.
“The provocative steps of Tirana and Prishtinë/Pristina that are in line with the concept of a Greater Albania have caused a serious concern,” the Russian Foreign Ministry stated, KTV portal quoted KosovaPress as reporting.
The Ministry states that the US and the EU have chosen not to react to such steps that, according to the Ministry, are harmful for the region.
The Russian Foreign Ministry adds that this action by Tirana and Prishtinë/Pristina was not accidental.
“They have made de-facto statements for unification for several years. Such a policy by the Albanian and Kosovo authorities is in contradiction with the UNSC Resolution, it impedes the dialogue between Belgrade and Prishtinë/Pristina under the EU auspices, and undermines stability in the Balkans,” the statement concludes.
Vetëvendosje and LDK disagree about time for no confidence motion
(KTV)
Although still unofficially, Kosovo MPs have been told that their recess will commence on 15th July, but that should not impede them in their motion of no confidence against the Government.
Vetëvendosje insists on proceeding the motion to the session before lawmakers take their summer recess, but they have not agreed with LDK about this issue.
According to Vetëvendosje, LDK has been more focussed on the internal party elections, giving them priority over the opposition agenda.
However, LDK officials deny that this is about the party elections. They say that they do not want to try, but rather to make sure that they will get 61 votes for overthrowing PAN coalition.
On the other hand, governing parties do not take seriously statements of the opposition parties.
They say that for two years, the opposition parties have traumatised their voters with the motion, but they have not done anything except words.
But both governing and opposition parties share the opinion when it comes to efficiency of the Assembly. They consider it as one of the poorest legislatures, yet both sides blame each other about the poor performance.
Governing parties admit that without Srpska Lista they do not have sufficient votes to pass draft laws, while opposition parties accuse the former of favouring Srpska Lista for the sake of the ambition of power.
According to opposition parties, this Government is scandalous and it enjoys no credibility, because it is leading the Assembly only with 52 votes.
Haradinaj forgets border with Montenegro
(Klan Kosova & KTV)
Good relations with Montenegro are making the Government of Kosovo to no longer deal with demarcation of the border.
The Border Marking and Maintenance Commission is continuing to work on this issue.
The chairperson of this Commission says it is up to the Prime Minister to establish the working group, which will meet with Montenegro to agree on the corrections that need to be made.
This commission has no cooperation with Montenegrins.
On the other hand, the Government spokeswoman, in a written response, said that the reason why it is not being dealt with the border with Montenegro is the other priorities that the executive has.
But, regarding the issue, according to analyst Imer Mushkolaj, Haradinaj is responsible and he must address it with priority.
Regarding the process, KTV has tried to get answers from the former chairman of the Border Marking Commission, Murat Meha.
However, Meha said he will not talk about this issue, as, according to him, his work has ended.
In the meantime, PM Haradinaj announced that inter-state commissions between Kosovo and Montenegro will soon review the demarcation in the direction of Kulla and Çakorr.
He said he has agreed about that with his Montenegrin counterpart Dusko Markovic, Klan Kosova reported late on Monday.
Haradinaj thanked Markovic for his willingness and cooperation between the two states.
Dodik: I will not go to Kosovo for the next SEECP meeting
(KTV)
Chairman of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Presidency Milorad Dodik said on Monday that he will not come to Kosovo when the next meeting of the South East European Countries Cooperation Process (SEECP) Summit will be held.
He made these comments after meeting with Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Sarajevo, where the SEECP summit is being held and where Kosovo is not taking part.
When it comes to holding of the forum in Kosovo, which is chaired by the SEECP, Dodik said there is no need for him to be part of it.
“This will be the unsuccessful Presidency of SEECP. As of July 20, I will not be presiding and let them decide, but in the format in which Bosnia and Herzegovina does not recognize Kosovo’s status. There is a modality for cooperation and surely someone will go on behalf of Bosnia,” Dodik said.
Kosovo President Hashim Thaçi did not attend the Summit in Sarajevo, as the invitation from Dodik was sent with a footnote.
Resumption of Kosovo-Serbia discussions – solution for lowering tensions
(KTV)
Naim Rashiti, Executive Director of the Balkans Research Policy Group, stated to Voice of America that the current situation is leading Kosovo to a long and hard status quo. He says that a continuous process of Kosovo-Serbia discussions could lower the high tensions between the two countries.
“An intensive process by itself lowers tensions and if the elites in Kosovo and Serbia manage to get coordinated, as this has been the key defect in the last two years, but as such it would make the process more practical and would prevent tension heightened,” he said.
Jeta Krasniqi of the Kosovo Democratic Institute (KDI) says that the discussion process has often been abused both by Prishtinë/Pristina and Belgrade, and that has also affected interethnic relations in the country.
“The Kosovo-Serbia dialogue has also affected interethnic relations in Kosovo, because communities have often been taken hostage by politics, be it of Prishtinë/Pristina or of Belgrade authorities. This indicates that politics in Kosovo should be more vigilant and should show a greater seriousness so that the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue must remain a top importance issue, but without neglecting other issues either,” she stressed.
Analysts say that coming months will be difficult for resumption of the Kosovo-Serbia discussions, since they believe that the international community is losing interest to resolve the issue between the two countries.
According to Rashiti, Kosovo would suffer the most by the decrease of the interest, from management of internal up to the international challenges.
“Kosovo should then think carefully and come up with solutions, is it politically and institutionally able to preserve internal stability, and to consolidate the state as much as other international circumstances allow it. But it will be a long and hard status quo, which, of course can be managed, but it takes a lot of political commitment, and we do not see that willingness in the leaders,” Rashiti added.
On the other hand, Jeta Krasniqi warns about lack of coordination by the Kosovo institutions regarding the dialogue with Serbia, which might bring a not favourable agreement for the country.
“But even if tariffs would be revoked and if the sides would get back to the dialogue, Kosovo is not prepared, given that the state of Kosovo still has no unified stance that would be supported by the institutional leaders, and that certainly harms the role of Kosovo as well as its future and position at the discussion roundtable,” Krasniqi said.
