- Thaçi: France can play crucial role in Kosovo-Serbia agreement (RTK)
- Haradinaj: With 100 percent tariff we showed our international friends that Kosovo doesn’t subdue to Serbia (Most monitored broadcasters, KTV)
- Abdixhiku: New mini-Yugoslavia is dead before it is born (Most monitored broadcasters, KTV & RTK)
- Rexhep Selimi summoned by Specialist Chambers as suspect (All monitored broadcasters, KTV)
- Duda Balje quits DSB, to work as MP in Six Plus caucus (KTV)
News
Thaçi: France can play crucial role in Kosovo-Serbia agreement
(RTK)
The Kosovo President Hashim Thaçi stated on Sunday that France could play a key role in the next process of the final peace solution and the mutual recognition between Kosovo and Serbia.
He made these comments on his Twitter account from Paris, where he travelled on Sunday to attend the Peace Forum, organised by the French President Emmanuel Macron.
“I am in Paris for the Peace Summit. I will have a meeting with President Emmanuel Macron to discuss latest developments in our region and continent. France can play a crucial role in the next final peace solution process of mutual recognition between Kosovo and Serbia,” Thaçi wrote.
In the second edition of the Peace Forum in Paris, President Thaçi, in a special panel, will speak about peacebuilding and peacekeeping challenges.
Haradinaj: With 100 percent tariff we showed our international friends that Kosovo doesn’t subdue to Serbia
(Most monitored broadcasters, KTV)
The incumbent Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj said that the 100 percent tariff on Serbian goods was imposed as a measure against the aggressive campaign of the Serbian state.
On a Facebook post he wrote that by imposing the tariff, Kosovo showed to Serbia that it cannot assign tasks to Kosovo, and to the international friends it showed that Kosovo does not subdue to Serbia.
Haradinaj says that this action delegitimised the project for partition of Kosovo, which was hidden under the border correction idea.
“One year ago, Government of the Republic of Kosovo took one of the most courageous decisions since the declaration of independence, by imposing the 100 percent tariff on Serbian goods, as a measure against the aggressive campaign of the Serbian state. With this important step, Kosovo showed that it cannot be given tasks by Serbia, and it showed to the international friends that we do not subdue to the Serbian state. Imposition of the tariff against Serbian goods since November last year, has also had a great impact on empowering local producers. In essence, this action has delegitimised the project for partition of Kosovo, which was hidden under the border correction idea. This measure has proven strategic, and it should remain until the recognition of the state of Kosovo,” Haradinaj wrote.
Abdixhiku: New Mini-Yugoslavia is dead before it is born
(Most monitored broadcasters, KTV & RTK)
For the second time within a month, the Western Balkans leaders, except Kosovo, on Sunday met in Ohrid, North Macedonia.
The meeting took place within the framework of the initiative for establishment of a Balkans mini-Schengen, which, according to the Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, does not imply partition of the Balkans.
Rama said that Kosovo had no reason to exclude itself from the initiative, and added that the direction for both countries is the West.
“I think and work for interests of Albania and Kosovo, let us remove the border. We are two small countries, we should do things with dialogue and wisdom. We should look at our interest as Albanians. By getting closed and by not promoting regional cooperation, we lose a lot. Kosovo is invited, all countries are invited. Earlier, Kosovo used to sit at roundtables. There is no deadlock in my cooperation with Kosovo, at least not for me,” Rama said.
The next meeting of this initiative will take place on 21st December in Durrës, Albania.
Participation in the Sunday’s meeting was refused by the Kosovo President Hashim Thaçi, who said that the regional initiative was meaningless, as long as Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina do not recognise Kosovo’s independence.
On the other hand, RTK reported that LDK official Lumir Abdixhiku has reacted to the statement of the Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, who in a disputation with the LDK leader Isa Mustafa, said that he had never worked for nor has he any relation with Yugoslavia (alluding that Mustafa worked for Yugoslavia).
The Prime Minister of Albania Edi Rama burst into allegations against Kosovo officials, following the refusal of President Hashim Thaçi to travel to Ohrid, where Rama, Vucic, and Zaev promoted the free movement initiative, called the Balkans Mini Schengen.
“Edi Rama has not lived in Yugoslavia, but we all have; therefore, it would be good for him to keep clear of it, because he does not understand, does not know. It does not matter whether from naivety or from his appetite for protagonism, he keeps damaging subjectivity of Kosovo in all his regional initiatives,” Abdixhiku said.
He went on mentioning what he calls overlooking of Kosovo by Rama in different time periods.
“When he signed the agreement on the Nis-Durrës highway with Aleksandar (Vucic), his friend, they both completely neglected Kosovo, as if this highway would not cross here at all. When Albanian-Serbian border delimitation was discussed, which implied abolishment of (Kosovo’s) statehood, he promoted this idea as a good option. Now, again, they both design agreements for creation of mini-Yugoslavia; again, but not by accident, without taking into consideration the opinion of Kosovo as a state in this initiative,” he added.
“Every naïve participant on this journey should realise that absence of Kosovo in any initiative is exactly what Serbia has been claiming for a long time – our inexistence. We are inexistent to them, but to Albania we must be existent as an opinion and as a decision without any difference. Albania’s relations with Serbia pass through Kosovo. The Balkans Customs Union and the new mini-Yugoslavia are dead without being born,” Abdixhiku concluded.
In his reaction to Rama’s statement, the LDK leader Isa Mustafa said he would not wish anyone to experience Yugoslavia any more.
“Those of us that have experienced Yugoslavia, would not like to experience it again. We do not wish it even to those who have not experienced it,” Mustafa stated in a response to Express.
Mustafa said that they do not support the mini-Schengen, as same as they did not support border changing with Serbia.
Rexhep Selimi summoned by Specialist Chambers as suspect
(All monitored broadcasters, KTV)
Former member of the KLA General Staff Rexhep Selimi has been summoned by the Specialist Chambers.
Selimi announced this in a post on social networks. He added that he has been summoned by the Specialist Chambers in the capacity of a suspect, and that the interview will take place next week.
Duda Balje quits DSB, to work as MP in Six Plus caucus
(KTV)
Former Kosovo Assembly member Duda Balje of Bosniak community, has tendered irrevocable resignation from Democratic Party of Bosniaks (DSB).
The decision, as Balje wrote, was a consequence of a long period of disharmony in the party, which culminated with what she called “the aggression addressed also in the latest pre-election campaign.”
“My decision is both a personal and a moral response, because I do not want by any means to be a legitimiser of the activities related to the work of DSB and of political and interest actions emerging from a close circle of a certain group of people mostly for personal goals and ambitions, hardly taking into consideration the community and consequences to it,” Balje said, Koha.net reported.
She says that other reasons for her resignation were ignoble insults concerning her origin, disrespect, and spreading false statements about her work. She added that inside her party she was qualified as a party enemy and as a danger for the party. She said she received those as a moral stroke against her work for the party and for Bosniak community.
In addition, Balje says that older members of the party are non-transparent in terms of making decisions and expenditures.
“As far as my further engagement is concerned, I will act in the new legislature of the Parliament of the Republic of Kosovo as a representative of Bosniaks through ‘6+’ caucus (where I have belonged since the beginning of my political involvement), through which I will continue struggling for interests of Bosniaks,” Balje highlighted.
With regard to a function in the next government of Kosovo, Balje says that following her meetings with representatives of LDK and VV, they have agreed for appointment of one minister from national minorities, and the candidate who brings six supporting signatures from ten MPs of minorities, will be appointed at this ministerial post.
“So far, I have not given my support, namely my signature, to anyone. Activities about the ministerial post will begin as of next Monday, and I wish good luck to all those interested,” Balje stated.
