• Macron: We have to jointly build peace between Kosovo and Serbia (Zeri)
• Veseli: No agreement that undermines Kosovo’s sovereignty and territorial integrity (VOA)
• Kosovo PM fears Serbia’s purchasing of new weapons (Koha)
• Hoxhaj: Serbia’s militarisation, threat to the region (Bota Sot)
• Haradinaj: None of us can touch Kosovo, borders are no one’s property (Klan)
• Veseli calls on countries which have not recognized Kosovo, to do so (Epoka)
• Kosovo leaders welcome von der Leyen’s election as EC president (media)
• Kosnett condemns desecration of Orthodox graves (RTK)
• Defence Ministry to use Gjakova Airport (Epoka)
• MPs Haliti and Dreshaj indicted for threatening fellow lawmaker (media)
• LDK to hold general convention on August 3 (Koha)

Macron: We have to jointly build peace between Kosovo and Serbia (Zeri)

At the end of a two-day visit to Serbia, the French President Emmanuel Macron had a message for Kosovo and Serbia, the paper reports. Macron said on Twitter: “My message from Belgrade: We have to jointly build peace between Serbia and Kosovo,” Macron said.

Veseli: No agreement that undermines Kosovo’s sovereignty and territorial integrity (VOA)

In an interview with Voice of America in Albanian during a visit to the U.S., Kosovo Assembly Speaker Kadri Veseli said that there will be no agreement with Serbia that undermines Kosovo’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

“The solution is: Serbia should recognise the independent and sovereign state of Kosovo on the existing territory. At the same time, we will recognise the state of Serbia. We support the opening of a new era, an era of cooperation and communication,” Veseli said. He added that Serbia knows it has lost Kosovo and the international community should help it acknowledge this.

Asked on the tariff on Serbian goods, Veseli said that the decision to impose it is a response to Serbia’s ‘destructive’ approach to Kosovo over a two-decade period. “We also have to keep in mind one thing regarding the tariff: it is not for the European Union and United States encouraging Serbia by putting unilateral pressure only on Kosovo on the issue while Serbia has been the one that has tariffed us for 20 years,” Veseli said. He said however that as a sign of good will “I have proposed the provisional suspension of the tariff.”

Asked to comment on Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj’s remarks that President Thaci and him contradicted Haradinaj in front of international officials regarding the tariff decision, Veseli said: “We are a coalition, but we also have our conceptual differences on how I see the issue of tariff and dialogue. And there is a pragmatism when I defend my interest by never allowing the communication with Serbia, the way I communicate with Serbia is equally transferred with the United States and European Union. This is the difference between me and Prime Minister Haradinaj, who should make such a distinction. When I speak about Serbia, I will impose a 100-percent tax, but when we speak about the United States and the European Union, we need to be more pragmatic, we need to be wiser.”

Kosovo PM fears Serbia’s purchasing of new weapons (Koha)

The paper reports on its front page that Kosovo Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj indicated on Tuesday that he fears a new war with Serbia. He said that the approach of one part of the international community vis-à-vis dialogue with Serbia raises the need for Kosovo to buy armament. Haradinaj said: “we have asked for a framework agreement for mutual recognition in the existing borders with following elements. This framework agreement should be the document that we would negotiate. There is hesitation from Serbia and one part of the international community which says: we cannot call it ‘mutual recognition in the existing borders’. This means that they are advising us too to buy ‘mistrals’ [defence systems] because they are supplying Serbia with ‘mistrals’ … Serbia is purchasing weapons in Russia. France too reached a contract with Serbia for a missile system. Meanwhile they are telling us that we cannot call the agreement ‘an agreement on mutual recognition in the existing borders’. What should we do then? We are an independent state. We are not asking for anything else from dialogue except for mutual recognition. If you are not ready for this, is this then a message for us that we should buy weapons too?”

Hoxhaj: Serbia’s militarisation, threat to the region (Bota Sot)

Kosovo’s Deputy Prime Minister Enver Hoxhaj wrote on Twitter that although Serbia proclaims itself to be militarily neutral, it is showing the opposite. “Who is threatening Serbia so much that it needs to purchase new weapons from France and others and increase its air defence system? Militarisation of Serbia is a new threat for the region,” Hoxhaj wrote.

Haradinaj: None of us can touch Kosovo, borders are no one’s property (Klan)

Kosovo Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj said on Tuesday that Kosovo’s territory is inviolable. “Kosovo’s inviolability is guaranteed. Kosovo exists because it has people and there is no one mandated to touch Kosovo … Kosovo is multiethnic, multilingual, multireligious but its territory is untouchable, and it has its borders. These borders are not anyone’s property, be it in Kosovo, in the region or further”. “The population of Kosovo is the owner of this territory, Constitution and the state. It is not me, nor President, or Assembly President – not the currently elected, there are entire generations that created Kosovo. None of us can touch Kosovo. Kosovo’s inviolability is guaranteed, and that guarantee comes from the sovereign, population,” he said. They were wrong, they are wrong today and they will be wrong any time they believe that Kosovo can be touched,” he added. Haradinaj expressed readiness to resume with the dialogue with Serbia in condition that discussions would focus on an agreement in the existing borders.

Veseli calls on countries which have not recognized Kosovo, to do so (Epoka)

Kosovo’s Parliament Speaker Kadri Veseli is participating at the forum of parliamentary leaders organized by the U.S. Congress in Washington, the paper reports. He called at the opening of this forum from the countries that have not recognized Kosovo’s independence to do so. “Kosovo is a new country which is moving forward. I request from you to recognize the Kosovo independent and sovereign state. This serves to peace and stability of the South East Europe. It serves to the friendship and development of our connections in all possible fields of cooperation,” Veseli said. During this visit to the U.S., Veseli met with U.S. Senator Gary Peters and U.S. Congressman Vern Buchanan. They discussed political developments in Kosovo and the region as well as further cooperation between Kosovo and the U.S.

Kosovo leaders welcome von der Leyen’s election as EC president (media)

Prime Minister of Kosovo Ramush Haradinaj has welcomed the election of Ursula von der Leyen from Germany as the first female President of European Commission. “Dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia needs to resume without conditions until an agreement on mutual recognition in existing borders is reached and I believe the European Commission will step up efforts as part of the enlargement policy. We are convinced Ursula von der Leyen will stay true to the position for a unified and stronger Europe,” Haradinaj wrote.

Foreign Minister Behgjet Pacolli also congratulated von der Leyen on her election saying it is good news for Kosovo and the region. “We look forward to working with her on the European perspective of Kosovo and visa liberalisation for our citizens as an important element in our country’s European perspective,” Pacolli wrote on Facebook.

Kosnett condemns desecration of Orthodox graves (RTK)

The U.S. Ambassador to Kosovo Philip Kosnett reacted on Tuesday to the desecration of Orthodox graves in Lipjan, requesting swift reaction of justice. “At IRFMinisterial nearly 1,000 leaders, including from Kosovo, meet in D.C. to discuss religious freedom—how does Kosovo respond to shameful desecration of Lipjan/Lipljan graves? Safe religious expression requires inter-community respect & swift justice,” Kosnett wrote.

Defence Ministry to use Gjakova Airport (Epoka)

Kosovo’s Ministry of Defence held on Tuesday a ceremony for the handover of the Gjakova Airport for the needs of the Kosovo Security Force. Representatives of the Committees of the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Economic Development attended the ceremony. The Kosovo Government had earlier approved the request of the Ministry of Defence to use the Gjakova Airport for an indefinite period of time.

MPs Haliti and Dreshaj indicted for threatening fellow lawmaker (media)

Basic Prosecution in Pristina has issued an indictment against two members of the Kosovo Assembly, Xhavit Haliti from the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) and Gani Dreshaj from the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) on allegations of threatening their fellow MP from the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) Arben Gashi.

Haliti is accused of assaulting Gashi while Dreshaj of threatening him during a heated argument at the Assembly debate in 2018. The prosecution has recommended the two MPs be fined for their actions.

LDK to hold general convention on August 3 (Koha)

The Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) will hold its general convention on August 3 “where a new leader” will be elected, the paper reports on page three.