Thaci: Belgrade must change (Express)
Kosovo’s Prime Minister Hashim Thaci said Serbia should give up on its idea to create a Republika Srpska in Kosovo if it wants to reach an agreement with Pristina. In a telephone interview from Norway, Thaci told the paper that Serbia’s requests are absurd. “Serbia’s request to create another Republika Srpska is absurd and it cannot be implemented in Kosovo. The moment that Serbia gives up on this request, which has been turned down by Kosovo and the international community, then a real opportunity will arise to reach an agreement for normalizing relations between Kosovo and Serbia. The sooner this happens, the better it will be for all parties involved in the process. I expect a radical change in Serbia’s position in order to reach an agreement,” Thaci said.
Kosovo expects a solution for the north in April (Koha Ditore)
Kosovo authorities said on Friday that the latest by end of April the two parties involved in political dialogue need to find a solution for the northern part of Kosovo, which is inhabited mainly by Serbs, and to prove their readiness to implement the agreement.
Depending on results of dialogue, Baroness Catherine Ashton on April 16 will recommend to the Council of Ministers if negotiations on the Stabilization/Association Agreement should be launched with Kosovo, and if Serbia should get the date for the start of membership talks.
Kosovo’s Deputy Prime Minister Hajredin Kuci said by mid-April Serbia should prove it is ready to implement the agreements. “Agreements on other open issues with Serbia will certainly require more time but agreements related to the north need to be defined before June. By June, we need to show concrete signs on the ground,” Kuci told the paper.
Tahiri: EU and US will not allow Kosovo’s partition (Tribuna)
In an interview for the paper, Ramush Tahiri, political advisor to Kosovo President Atifete Jahjaga, said dialogue between Pristina and Belgrade is at its final stage and that an agreement is expected soon. Tahiri said dialogue has ruled out every possibility for Kosovo’s partition, the exchange of territories or the creation of a Serb entity in Kosovo.
“I think even if Kosovo and Serbia were to agree on partition today, the European Union and the United States of America would not allow this to happen, the same way they would oppose division along ethnic lines. Such a solution would destabilize the Balkans. It is not allowed,” Tahiri was quoted as saying.
Five non-recognizing EU member states not expected to change position (Express)
Five EU member states that do not recognize the independence of Kosovo are not expected to change their position soon. Meanwhile, Kosovo’s Foreign Affairs Minister Enver Hoxhaj said dialogue with Serbia is being used an argument to encourage Greece, Romania, Spain, Slovakia and Cyprus to recognize Kosovo’s independence. During a visit to Tirana, Kosovo’s top diplomat said within a couple of days another two countries will recognize Kosovo’s statehood.
Serbs with reserved seats in parliament for another two mandates (Tribuna)
Slobodan Petrovic, Deputy Prime Minister in the Kosovo Government and leader of the Serb Liberal Party, said minorities have received promises from Kosovo’s political representatives and ambassadors of Quint countries that they will have 20 reserved seats in parliament for another two mandates. “It is an encouraging fact that all political representatives in Kosovo promised us we will have the reserved seats for another two mandates,” Petrovic said. “Recently we also received support on this matter from Quint ambassadors in Kosovo.”
Government for Gjukaj’s dismissal, opposition for Beqaj’s resignation (Koha Ditore)
Inflated electricity bills for the month of January have resulted in clashes in Kosovo’s Parliament. Economic Development Minister Besim Beqaj told MPs on Friday that the Government has suggested to the board of the Kosovo Power Corporation (KEK) to suspend managing director Arben Gjukaj after inflated bills were confirmed. Opposition MPs meanwhile are also calling for the resignation of Minister Beqaj, accusing him of mismanagement of energy policies and for ridiculing the citizens who expressed concern over inflated bills.
In a different article related to the same issue, the Kosovar Consortium of Civil Society for Sustainable Development (KOSID) called on Parliament and the Government to dismiss Minister Beqaj citing wrong and damaging government policies that have resulted in an energy collapse. “The call to dismiss Arben Gjukaj from the post of KEK managing director is another attempt by the government to camouflage real problems in the energy sector. Inflated electricity bills are a result of wrong government policies in the energy sector. The key person responsible for this is Minister Besim Beqaj, therefore, he should be immediately dismissed and face legal responsibility for activities in this sector,” a KOSID press release said.
