Serbia conditions implementation of agreements (Koha Ditore)
According to the paper, the recent outrage of Serbia for its prime minister not being allowed to go to Kosovo during local elections campaign is more directed at the EU than Pristina. Certain EU officials even claimed that Belgrade’s anger has “very little” to do with Pristina and fear it may be just one of the stunts aimed at worsening relations with the EU in face of what Serbia perceives to be growing conditions for EU integration. These officials don’t rule out the possibility of Serbia going to early elections which are very likely to be won by the most influential politician in Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic.
Sources said that it is precisely Vucic who is intentionally blocking implementation of agreements with Kosovo because he believes Germany and the US are delaying the EU integration process for Serbia. Vucic is also reported to have conditioned implementation of agreements with a date for start of EU accession talks. “Without a date there will be no serious implementation,” a source close to Vucic is reported to have said.
Thaçi and Dacic will “agree” at Baroness Ashton’s (Tribuna)
Prime Minister of Kosovo Hashim Thaçi is expected to explain to his Serbian counterpart Ivica Dacic reasons for not allowing his visit to Kosovo on Monday in Brussels. Dacic is also expected to be given a new condition that will apply to all future visits of the Serbian officials during local elections campaign in Kosovo. This condition will entail Serbian officials not making any calls to Serb citizens to support a particular political entity but only to urge them to take part in elections as specified by the 19 April agreement.
Sources told the paper that the international community believed Belgrade has a role to play only in convincing Serbs to take part in elections but not to direct them who to vote for.
Thaçi: Autumn, decisive for visa liberalization (Zëri)
Prime Minister Hashim Thaçi said yesterday in the meeting of the steering committee for visa liberalization that election campaign should not deter the government cabinet from the visa liberalization and Stabilisation and Association Agreement processes. He called on his ministers to remain fully engaged on these two processes and not neglect them. “For you, visa liberalization and SAA should remain top priority,” he said. “Autumn will be decisive for these two processes and I demand outmost effort from all involved,” urged Thaçi.
CEC approves 8,383 voter applications (Zëri, Tribuna)
Central Election Commission announced that out of 41,168 voter applications submitted from outside Kosovo, 8,383 have been approved while the rest were rejected for a number of reasons the main being that applicants either failed to prove their identity or failed to certify living in Kosovo on 1 January 1998.
. CEC officials also reacted to the recent visit of an international delegation to the Center for counting of results without previously asking for permission from the CEC. Members of the CEC said the move was unacceptable and disrespectful and that it represents interference in the work of the counting center. The delegation was made of officials from the OSCE, EULEX, EU and other international organizations involved in the local elections process.
El Salvador recognizes independence of Kosovo (dailies)
Kosovo Foreign Minister Enver Hoxhaj took to his Twitter page to announce that the newest recognition of Kosovo’s independence comes from El Salvador. Kosovo’s consular office in New York received formal recognition from El Salvador raising the number of recognizing countries to 105.
