US requests agreement for establishment of Tribunal (Tribuna)
A front-page story reports that the US director of Central-South European Affairs, Jonathan Moore, met political leaders in Pristina yesterday and discussed the importance of the Kosovo Assembly agreeing to establish a special war crimes court, thus avoiding it being passed through the UN Security Council and resolution 1244. If the Assembly of Kosovo failed to approve the proposal to establish the Tribunal, the issue would automatically move to the UN Security Council and the court could then be established within 1244. The US made it clear it does not support such a scenario as it would damage Kosovo’s statehood. Apart from the US Ambassador, Tracey Ann Jacobson, the meeting was also attended by the EU Special Representative, Samuel Zbogar. As usual, representatives of Vetevendosje were not invited to the meeting.
EULEX to keep executive competencies (Koha Ditore)
The EU Rule of Law mission in Kosovo (EULEX) will keep its executive competencies at least for another two years and will not be an advisory mission, contrary to what the government in Pristina has been insisting on. Kosovo’s Deputy Prime Minister Hajredin Kuci confirmed on Thursday that local authorities and EU officials harmonized their positions on a number of issues related to the new mission, including its competencies. “We agreed that all rule of law institutions will be led by locals, the majority of members of the panel will be locals, EULEX judges and prosecutors will operate within our judicial system, and the new EULEX mandate will expire on 15 June, 2016,” Kuci said. “The mission will be called EULEX Kosovo and, as far as competencies are concerned, they will be equal with those of locals.”
Ashton praises Thaci and Dacic (Lajm)
EU High Representative for Foreign Policy and Security Catherine Ashton hopes that what the prime ministers of Kosovo and Serbia are doing will serve as an example to everyone in the region. In an address to the European Parliament, Ashton praised the efforts of the participants in the dialogue. “I sincerely hope that what was achieved in the dialogue will serve as an inspiration for others in the Western Balkans,” said Ashton. She admitted to having spent 230 hours in the dialogue process, but credited the main actors of the dialogue for its progress: the prime ministers of Pristina and Belgrade. “We had successful local elections in Kosovo and the integration of security and justice structures into the Kosovar judicial system,” said Ashton.
Disputed draft-law on KLA veterans approved (Lajm)
Kosovo Assembly approved the draft-law for KLA war veterans yesterday; PDK, AAK, and Vetevendosje MPs voted, although none supported the LDK initiative to include members of the former FARK and Ministry of Defence in the law. As a result, the law does not recognize FARK soldiers as a category, a LDK-led military formation during the conflict. The law received 73 votes in favour, none against and none withheld.
