- Rafuna says that Budget for elections will be provided (RTK)
- Trajkovic: condition for coalition is to oppose Srpska Lista and Vucic (Most monitored broadcasters, KTV)
- Pacolli: New government will conclude Kosovo-Serbia recognition process (Most monitored broadcasters, Klan Kosova)
- MFA requests from Prosecution Office to issue arrest warrant for Cizelj (KTV, RTK)
- Kukan predicts that territory exchange will come back to Kosovo-Serbia dialogue (KTV)
- Kosnett: Women don’t have equal opportunities to contribute to economy (KTV, RTK)
News
Rafuna says that Budget for elections will be provided
(RTK)
Elections in Kosovo will be held on 6th October. Budget for this election process has not been allocated yet, but Lulzim Rafuna, advisor to the resigning Minister of Finance Bedri Hamza, confirmed to RTK that on Wednesday the Ministry discussed the request received from the Central Election Commission (CEC) and stated that the funds will be available to CEC in line with the legal proceedings.
Although he did not mention the day when the funds will be transferred to CEC’s budget, Rafuna said that the Ministry of Finance, for the sake of a smooth process and of the public interest, in line with legal procedures, will take actions so that the budget is made available to CEC.
Trajkovic: Condition for coalition is to oppose Srpska Lista and Vucic
(KTV)
The leader of the European Serb Movement Rada Trajkovic said on Wednesday that her only condition to enter a coalition with Kosovo Serb opposition parties was to oppose Srpska Lista and the policy of Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic.
Trajkovic, who is also a member of the Alliance for Kosovo, stated that none of the parties in Kosovo north has entered the pre-election coalition, which was signed on Wednesday in Gracanica/Graçanicë. However, she added that negotiations were going on, and she believes that the new coalition enjoys support by Serb citizens in north, KosovaPress reported.
Kosovo Serb political entities signed an agreement on Wednesday in Gracanica/Graçanicë for a joint participation in the early parliamentary elections on 6th October.
The coalition agreement has been signed by Nenad Rasic (PDS), Rada Trajkovic (EPS), Dragisa Miric (NPK), Slavisa Petkovic and Branislav Markovic. This has been reported by the Progressive Democratic Party (PDS) of Nenad Rasic.
Srpska Lista had announced earlier that regarding its participation in the October elections, it will coordinate its decisions with the Belgrade authorities.
Pacolli: New government will conclude Kosovo-Serbia recognition process
(Most monitored broadcasters, Klan Kosova)
The AKR leader Behgjet Pacolli said that the issue of mutual recognition between Kosovo and Serbia would be concluded immediately after establishment of the new government.
According to him, besides conclusion of the dialogue, the new government will be focussed on economic development and employment.
“Someone who has been prohibited by a court decision to slander against me should as soon as possible apologise and correct the article. Anyone who has difficulties to understand my interviews, let he/she ask for help someone else who is more clever and who is not frustrated. New elections will provide a government which will immediately conclude the mutual, Kosovo-Serbia recognition, and will turn the focus on economic development and employment,” Pacolli stated.
MFA requests from Prosecution Office to issue arrest warrant for Cizelj
(RTK)
The Kosovo Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) has requested from the Kosovo Prosecution office to issue an international arrest warrant for Vladimir Cizelj.
This has been announced by Jetlir Zyberaj, advisor to outgoing Minister Pacolli. According to him, Cizelj has committed criminal activity against Kosovo’s sovereignty.
“In the last days, a lot has been spoken about Vladimir Cizelj. This criminal, who is connected to the international networks of organised crime, and who is deeply involved in corruptive affairs worldwide on behalf of Ivica Dacic, has made efforts to cause damage to Kosovo.
We have been opposing him and his boss for years, and the world has understood the dirty actions of Dacic and Cizelj.
The Kosovo Prosecution Office should issue an international arrest warrant for this person, since through criminal activities and gangs he committed an attack against the sovereignty of Kosovo.
Criminal activity is the true face of the Serbian diplomacy, just as commitment of war crimes was the true face of Belgrade,” the request says.
Kukan predicts that territory exchange will come back to Kosovo-Serbia dialogue
(KTV)
Eduard Kukan, an expert of the Balkans and former Foreign Minister of Slovakia, expects that the land swap issue between Kosovo and Serbia will come back in the framework of the dialogue between the two countries.
In a statement to the Slovak Association for Foreign Policy, Kukan criticised the EU Foreign Policy Chief Federica Mogherini for failing to show sufficient leadership in the dialogue. Moreover, he expressed his doubt that it can be done by Mogherini’s successor, Josep Borrel.
“At the moment when Kosovo imposed tariffs on Serbia, Mogherini should have travelled there and hit the table,” he said.
Kukan is in favour of appointment of a special envoy for resolving the dialogue. Asked to comment on the territory exchange idea, Kukan said that this is not simply a campaign strategy, and that he personally is against it.
He said he expects that the issue of recognition of Kosovo through territory exchange with Serbia will be brought back, but he warned that it may destabilise Bosnia and Herzegovina, too.
Kosnett: Women don’t have equal opportunities to contribute to economy
(KTV, RTK)
Closing ceremony of WiSci Kosovo, the first summer camp for girls, was marked on Wednesday. The camp was focussed on learning science, technology, engineering, arts, design, and maths. The camp was attended by 100 girls from Kosovo, Albania, America, North Macedonia, Montenegro, and Serbia.
The ceremony was also attended by the US Ambassador to Kosovo Philip Kosnett, who said that this was a very special programme, so that young people can gain new experiences.
“One of the reasons why this programme is so special is that in Kosovo, like everywhere else in the region, women do not have equal opportunity to contribute to economy. Participation of women in the labour market is critical to fulfilling needs of the growing sectors, such as information technology and energy … The effort and creativity that these young women brought to WiSci and the further development through this programme, will bring you opportunities for yourselves, your communities, your states, and for the world,” Ambassador Kosnett said.
Director of Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) for Kosovo, Sarah Olmstead, stated that this experience would make the girls participants even stronger.
Executive Director of the Kosovo Millennium Challenge Foundation Petrit Selimi said that scientist women and girls are indispensable in Kosovo society.
At the closing ceremony, some of participants shared their experiences, and highlighted that during the two weeks at the camp they learned a great deal from technology which they had not known before. They also appreciated friendship that they made during the camp activities.
