• Haradinaj: Threat of partition gone but not of a Dodik Republic (media)
• Macron: I will get involved in dialogue after Kosovo elections (Telegrafi)
• Kuci: PDK and LDK coalition after the elections (media)
• Serbian List rivals complain of being intimidated by Belgrade authorities (Koha)
• Cakaj meets Palmer: Serbia should recognize Kosovo at the end (Epoka)
• Vucic: Permant solution for Kosovo required (RTK, RFE)
• Largest Albanian-Serbian and Serbian-Albanian Online Dictionary Launched in Kosovo (media)
• Specialist Chambers have interviewed around 100 people in Hague (RFE)
• KFF will not withdraw request not to allow Serbia’s matches in north (Koha/Klan)

Haradinaj: Threat of partition gone but not of a Dodik Republic (media)

Upon arrival from the U.S., acting Prime Minister of Kosovo Ramush Haradinaj told reporters that the threat of Kosovo’s partition is gone but warned there may be pressure for the creation of what he called a “Dodik Republic”.

He said such an arrangement would lose Kosovo’s functionality but he did say he supports the idea of a association of Serb municipalities “being established in line with Kosovo laws and within the framework of the recognition agreement,” Koha Ditore reports.

“Compromise for us is establishing bilateral relations with Serbia because it is painful to go through our sufferings. There is no other compromise.”

Haradinaj said he is not happy that Kosovo is being represented with different positions abroad, seemingly referring to President Hashim Thaci’s trip to the U.S. for the UN General Assembly.

“I cannot go and support ideas for my country’s partition. It is not good when someone gives wrong ideas, wrong formulas,” Haradinaj is quoted by Gazeta Express.

Haradinaj also commented on the recent statement made by the leader of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) Kadri Veseli who accused him of ‘leaving him in the mud’ when it came to heeding the request from the U.S. to rescind the tax on Serbian products. “I was alone, they say I left them in the mud. Yes, I did leave them in the mud regarding the idea to split Kosovo and surrender it. This is wrong and we must learn from it. We should not give up everything so easily anymore.”

He said that President of Serbia Aleksandar Vucic has taken a wrong approach on Kosovo. “He continues to mourn for the failure of Kosovo’s partition whereby we had to give up 950 hectares and maybe gain one or two in return as a way of joking with Kosovo. Now the idea that we have to get the recognition by giving something is still on the table and I have repeated several times,” Haradinaj said.

“We can return the market, remove the tax for recognition but Vucic’s mindset on Kosovo’s obstruction is wrong. In fact, to be honest, he is not obstructing Kosovo but Serbia. He will not be able to move towards the EU or some other development by obstructing Kosovo,” Haradinaj is quoted in Telegrafi.

Macron: I will get involved in dialogue after Kosovo elections (Telegrafi)

French President Emmanuel Macron was quoted by the Serbian news agency Tanjug as saying that he is waiting for elections in Kosovo to end so that he can get involved in resolving issues that have stalled the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina for normalisation of relations.

Macron is said to have made the comments in a brief meeting on Thursday with the Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic.

Kuci: PDK and LDK coalition after the elections (media)

Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) senior official and candidate for MP, Hajredin Kuci, said on Thursday that PDK and the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) will form a coalition after the October 6 parliamentary elections. According to Kuci, “any eventual agreement with Serbia cannot be reached without the PDK and LDK” and that this is why the coalition will be formed.

Kuci also argued that other political parties lack concrete ideas and that is the reason why they attack the PDK and Hashim Thaci during their campaigns. “Red lines from other parties are a result of the lack of political leaders. If you take out PDK and Hashim Thaci from their statements, they will have nothing to say,” he said.

Serbian List rivals complain of being intimidated by Belgrade authorities (Koha)

Kosovo Serb political parties running against the Serbian List in upcoming parliamentary elections said yesterday that despite all the pressure and intimidation, they will not become Belgrade’s puppets.

Nenad Rasic, candidate from the “Sloboda” coalition said their political activity is taking place in an atmosphere of threats and pressure. “Aggressivity has increased and become more brutal. The wife of one of our activists was searched in detail, questioned, and told her contract will expire in October,” he said at the Media Centre in Caglavica.

Leader of the Serb Liberal Party (SLS) Slobodan Petrovic meanwhile said that Serbs in Kosovo were never in a more difficult position. “We have never worked against Serbia or the Serb people. But we don’t want to be obedient to the regime,” Petrovic said.

Aleksandar Jablanovic from the Kosovo Serb Party said there is fear among the Serbian List. “Our duty is to fight crime and corruption amongst us. Serbian environments are enslaved by the formal criminality. We cannot deal with other problems unless we fight corruption amongst us first,” he said.

Cakaj meets Palmer: Serbia should recognize Kosovo at the end (Epoka)

Albania’s Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Gent Cakaj said during his meeting with Deputy Assistant Secretary of State and Special Representative for Western Balkans Matthew Palmer that Kosovo-Serbia agreement should conclude with recognition of Kosovo by Serbia.

“A special attention was also paid to the regional issues. After Prespa Agreement, the essential matter in the region is reach of final agreement for normalization of the relations between the Republic of Kosovo and Serbia. The agreement should conclude with recognition of the Republic of Kosovo by Serbia. Also, the U.S. consider that the process of EU enlargement in Western Balkans is the main instrument of stabilization, democratization and development of the region in general,” Cakaj informed.

Vucic: Permant solution for Kosovo required (RTK, RFE)

Serbia’s President Aleksandar Vucic said Kosovo’s problem requires a permanent solution which should be reached in a manner that neither of the parties gains everything but sufficiently.

Vucic addressed on Thursday the UN General Assembly in New York saying, “we have started to fight for sustainable solution and we expect the world to understand our positions and arguments and not support the opposite party, as it did from 1999 until 2008.” He added that reach of the agreement with Kosovo, for normalization of the relations, is important for stability of the Balkan region. He said Serbia has discussed with Kosovo with mediation of the European Union, “despite frequent tensions and incidents in Kosovo and Pristina’s biased actions.”

Vucic said that Serbia has lost € 350 million due to the imposed tariff by Pristina authorities last November. “The tariff which continues to be in power, has also endangered normal and dignitary life of Serbs in Kosovo,” Vucic said.

Vucic reiterated several times that the dialogue cannot resume without lifting the tariff.

Largest Albanian-Serbian and Serbian-Albanian Online Dictionary Launched in Kosovo (media)

The largest Albanian-Serbian and Serbian-Albanian online dictionary consisting of 20,000 words was launched in Pristina yesterday as part of a project jointly supported by UNMIK, IOM and the British Embassy in an effort to help Kosovo Albanians and Serbs to learn each other’s languages and help their communication.

The project also includes the development of the online language-learning platform VocUp and free language classes.

“Language barriers prevent communities from exercising their human rights and freedoms by creating a kind of mistrust,” Zahir Tanin, the head of the UN Mission in Kosovo, UNMIK, said at the launch.

Tanin added that language barriers also prevent communication between people of different communities in everyday life and can hinder their access to public services.

The British ambassador to Pristina, Nicholas Abbott, stressed the importance that language has in relations between the country’s ethnic communities.

“It is obvious that youth in Kosovo should speak and understand each other and work together for the benefit of Kosovo. Understanding each other is the only way to bringing progress,” Abbott said.

The Kosovo government’s Language Commissioner, Slavisa Mladenovic, said that two decades after the war it is difficult to find young people speaking a second local language.

Mladenovic suggested that both Kosovo’s official languages should be on the curriculum in all schools, where children currently learn Albanian or Serbian, depending on their ethnicity.

“Unfortunately, many things have not changed and for three decades we haven’t had any school in Kosovo in which young people understand each other’s language,” Mladenovic said.

The dictionary can be accessed here: https://fjalor-recnik.com

Specialist Chambers have interviewed around 100 people in Hague (RFE)

According to the KLA War Veterans Association, the Specialist Chambers for war crimes in Kosovo based in Hague has interviewed around 100 people since December 2018. Kosovo experts in this field say that the Specialist Prosecution is working with enhanced dynamics.  Hysni Gucati from the War Veterans Organisation said majority of the interviewed so far were civilians during the war, while number of former KLA members interviewed is smaller.

“Those who reported to us so far are approximately 100 people that were invited by the Specialist Chambers, from whom some are invited as witnesses but there are also those who are invited as suspects. So far, there are seven people that reported to us that participated in the war,” Gucati said.

Ismet Salihu, Professor of the International Criminal Law, told RFE that dynamics of the interviews has increased during the last nine months and it is already expected that the Specialist Chambers will raise the first charges soon.

KFF will not withdraw request not to allow Serbia’s matches in north (Koha/Klan)

Kosovo Football Federation has announced it does not plan to withdraw request to security institutions for preventing a football match for the Serbia’s cup taking place in Zvecan on 5 October.

After Serbian media published a copy of a letter they say the international football governing body FIFA sent to Kosovo Football Federation encouraging it to withdraw requests made to Kosovo security institutions to prevent the match from taking place, head of the federation, Agim Ademi said for Klan Kosova that such matches cannot be played in Kosovo. “We as a federation have made a request will law enforcement authorities. It is now up to the police and other security institutions to decide. We will not withdraw the request,” Ademi said.