• Palmer: U.S. would like to see dialogue end in mutual recognition (Telegrafi/Klan)
• Kocijancic: Close cooperation with Palmer, dialogue facilitated by EU (media)
• Mustafa: It was known that in a coalition with VV, LDK should get PM post (Koha)
• Haradinaj and Mustafa to meet CDU MP, Peter Beyer, today (media)
• OSCE, EU to support early parliamentary elections in Kosovo (media)
• LDK accuses PDK of using public institutions for electoral purposes (Bota Sot)
• PDK and LB to run on joint ticket in upcoming elections (Epoka e Re)
• Kosovo with measures against Serbia’s interference in election process (RFE)
• “Political parties lack clear platform to combat corruption” (Koha)
• Pacolli “smuggles” his fellow party member in Foreign Service (Koha)
• Djuric: Trajkovic paid by Kosovo and Montenegro to slander Serbia (media)

Palmer: U.S. would like to see dialogue end in mutual recognition (Telegrafi/Klan)

Matthew Palmer, the recently appointed U.S. special representative for Western Balkans told Tanjug news agency that his goal is to bring Belgrade and Pristina back to the table of talks as quickly as possible and secure an agreement whose central part would be mutual recognition.

He said an agreement on normalisation of relations between Belgrade and Pristina would transform the entire Western Balkans as well as “open European path to Serbia and Kosovo.”

“The solution of the Kosovo issue is very high on my agenda. We have the opportunity and we want to seize it,” Palmer said adding: “We have elections in Kosovo on 6 October and in Serbia in spring. We will have the opportunity to continue negotiations between these two elections, which we have to use. We hope both sides seize this opportunity.”

Palmer further expressed hope that the future government of Kosovo will agree to suspend the tariff on Serbia thus enabling the dialogue to resume while Belgrade would have to stop lobbying with countries to revoke recognition of independence of Kosovo.

Kocijancic: Close cooperation with Palmer, dialogue facilitated by EU (media)

EU foreign policy spokesperson Maja Kocijancic said the EU expects to have close cooperation with Matthew Palmer, recently appointed U.S. special representative for the Western Balkans but also underlined that the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue is facilitated by the EU.

In a statement to the Serbian news agency Tanjug, Kocijancic said: “The U.S. has significantly contributed to our work in the Western Balkans, particularly when it comes to the success in the framework of the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina facilitated by the EU. EU and U.S. share a strong joint interest on the stability and prosperity of the Western Balkans and we expect continuation of close cooperation both with the U.S. and Matthew Palmer as special representative.” “We welcome any effort in support of the dialogue facilitated by the EU be it from member states, international community and especially the U.S.,” she added.

Mustafa: It was known that in a coalition with VV, LDK should get PM post (Koha)

Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) leader Isa Mustafa said on Monday that he always believed that in an eventual coalition with the Vetevendosje Movement, the LDK should have the candidate for the post of Prime Minister. In an interview to KTV, Mustafa said the LDK deserved the candidate because it is the biggest parliamentary group and it leads with the biggest number of municipalities. “We did not have major differences in terms of the government program, the size of the government, the number of ministers and deputy prime ministers. The problem emerged at the end regarding the candidacy for the post of Prime Minister. I always believed that we should have the candidate, being the biggest parliamentary group … Mr. Kurti’s candidacy for Prime Minister could be a request of Vetevendosje and it is legitimate, but I would never enter into a pre-election coalition ranked as number two,” Mustafa said.

Haradinaj and Mustafa to meet CDU MP, Peter Beyer, today (media)

German MP from the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) Peter Beyer is expected to meet separately today in Pristina the outgoing Prime Minister of Kosovo and leader of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo Ramush Haradinaj and leader of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) Isa Mustafa.

Beyer, who the media describe as a close associate of the German Chancellor Angela Merkel, met in Belgrade yesterday President of Serbia Aleksandar Vucic. The focus of the meeting is reported to have been dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia.

OSCE, EU to support early parliamentary elections in Kosovo (media)

Members of the Central Election Commission (CEC) voted in favour of the OSCE supporting early parliamentary elections in Kosovo. The European Union is also expected to deploy an observer mission for 6 October elections.

“The agreement with EU observer mission is expected to be signed tomorrow,” said yesterday head of CEC Valdete Daka adding: “We have also contacted the OSCE and have requested they provide adequate advisory support on election day at the same format as in previous elections.”

The CEC also announced that a total of 895 polling centres will be open on election day. According to CEC, the preliminary figure of persons entitled to vote is 1.9 million.

LDK accuses PDK of using public institutions for electoral purposes (Bota Sot)

The Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) has accused the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) of using public institutions to campaign for upcoming elections.

“PDK leader has no longer any state function, he is merely a caretaker, pending 6 October elections. Yet we have seen him in recent days, even after the Assembly of Kosovo was dissolved, using state assets to campaign personally and for his party,” LDK spokesperson Besian Mustafa said.

PDK and LB to run on joint ticket in upcoming elections (Epoka e Re)

The Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) and the Movement for Unification (LB) signed yesterday agreement to run under a joint ticket in upcoming elections. The agreement stipulates that LB candidates will be part of the PDK ballot.

Kosovo with measures against Serbia’s interference in election process (RFE)

Representatives of Kosovo’s outgoing government said on Monday that Kosovo’s institutions will not allow representatives of any other state to come and campaign during the time of the election process, the news agency reports. Reactions by officials in Pristina come after statements by Belgrade officials that they will visit Kosovo soon. Jetlir Zyberaj, advisor to Kosovo’s outgoing Foreign Minister, Behgjet Pacolli, told Radio Free Europe that they will not allow visits by representatives of other countries, especially Serbian officials, that aim to organise campaigns in Kosovo. “No representative of another country can come and campaign here. This is a very sensitive period. Statements by Serbian Government officials that they will come to Kosovo and campaign here, are meaningless. They always have the tendency to cause tensions here. But Kosovo’s institutions will never allow anyone to damage the election process,” he said.

“Political parties lack clear platform to combat corruption” (Koha)

Berat Rukiqi, head of the Kosovo Chamber of Commerce (OEK), told a press conference in Pristina on Monday that political parties are not offering clear platforms to combat corruption. He said OEK would not engage in any election activity nor sign any agreement or memorandum with the political parties now that the election campaign is underway. “Political parties often want to sign agreements at the peak of the election campaign. This will not happen,” he said.

Pacolli “smuggles” his fellow party member in Foreign Service (Koha)

The paper reports on its front page that “activists of the ruling parties are still being illegally accommodated in Kosovo’s foreign service”. The paper notes that outgoing Foreign Minister, Behgjet Pacolli, has “smuggled” a fellow party member in Kosovo’s foreign service. Ngadhnjim Makolli, head of a branch of Pacolli’s New Kosovo Alliance (AKR), has been appointed as consul in Kosovo’s diplomatic mission in Canberra/Australia. According to the paper, Makolli’s name was not even on the list of candidates selected by the commission.

Djuric: Trajkovic paid by Kosovo and Montenegro to slander Serbia (media)

Head of the Serbian Government’s Office for Kosovo, Marko Djuric, accused Rada Trajkovic, leader of the European Movement of Serbs, of being paid by Kosovo and Montenegro to slander Serbia, its President Aleksandar Vucic and the Serbian List. “Rada Trajkovic’s statements to international media are not only her fabrications but lies ordered by those that fear the strengthening of Serbia,” Djuric said as quoted by Tanjug.