Agreement with Belgrade clashes government and opposition (Epoka e Re)
The Prime Minister of Kosovo, Isa Mustafa, stated on Thursday during his reporting at the Kosovo Assembly that the justice agreement between Pristina and Belgrade is in accordance with the Constitution of Kosovo. He added that the agreement would dissolve parallel courts functioning in the north. Opposition MPs harshly criticized Mustafa for signing the agreement, considering that it undermines constitutionality of Kosovo.
Mustafa believes Serbian List will rejoin Kosovo institutions (dailies)
Kosovo Prime Minister Isa Mustafa said on Thursday that he expects the return of Serbian List ministers and MPs in the Kosovo institutions. Mustafa said that in the next two days he will meet with Deputy Prime Minister Branimir Stojanovic and Minister of Local Government Administration Ljubomir Maric. He said he will also meet with the leader of the Serbian List, Aleksandar Jablanovic, in order to find a way for the Serbian MPs and ministers to continue their work at the Kosovo institutions. Mustafa said he also discussed this issue in his meeting with Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic.
Thaci meets Yee, calls for upholding dialogue dynamics (Epoka e Re)
The First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hashim Thaci, met the US Deputy Assistant Secretary for European and Eurasian Affairs, Hoyt Brian Yee, with whom he talked about Kosovo’s progress, priorities and the challenges of the new government. Thaci stressed that the full implementation of agreements reached so far with Belgrade is beneficial for the process of dialogue. Deputy Assistant Secretary Yee congratulated Thaci for the agreement reached in the latest round of talks with Belgrade and encouraged Kosovo institutions to continue the dialogue and remain constructive. Both officials agreed that the dynamics of the dialogue so far must be upheld.
Politics with war veterans (Zeri, Kosova Sot)
Zeri writes that the publication of the first lists of Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) war veterans has prompted dissatisfaction among the commanders of the former KLA who accuse the government Commission for Verification of the Status of Veterans of being influenced by politics. Leaders of the verification process said that there were no irregularities in the process but did not deny the possibility of minor errors. They said that everyone has a deadline of 30 days to make a complaint regarding the lists. Kosova Sot quotes the leader of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo and former KLA commander, Ramush Haradinaj, as saying that someone has to take responsibility for the mistakes made in the drafting of KLA members’ lists and that the process was politicized.
Austria to reject all asylum applications from Kosovo (Kosova Sot)
Kosovo Internal Affairs Minister Skender Hyseni met on Thursday in Vienna with Austria Interior Minister Johanna Mikl-Leitner. The ministers agreed that visa liberalization would prevent the irregular migration of the people from Kosovo. Minister Mikl-Leitner said that Austria is very concerned with the growing number of asylum-seekers from Kosovo. She reiterated that all asylum requests will be rejected and irregular migrants will be returned to Kosovo.
President Jahjaga meets IOM head of mission, Baca Vaughan (Bota Sot)
President of Kosovo Atifete Jahjaga met with head of International Organisation for Migration (IOM) Jorge Baca Vaughan. Jahjaga and Baca Vaughan discussed the latest developments and irregular migration of Kosovo people to the European Union countries. Jahjaga emphasized the necessity for the engagement of all local and international organisations in preventing this phenomenon and in preparing for their return. She also said that Kosovo institutions must work more to guarantee the rule of law, which will enable economic development that would create new jobs. IOM head of mission, Jorge Baca Vaughan, expressed IOM’s readiness to help Kosovo institutions through the process of return of asylum-seekers from the EU countries.
German police to patrol Serbia-Hungary border (Epoka e Re)
German authorities said on Thursday that they have sent 20 police officers at the border between Serbia and Hungary, in order to help prevention of the illegal crossing of the border by Kosovo people who are seeking asylum in the EU countries. They also announced that they will decide on the asylum requests for Kosovars in two weeks’ time and that they will increase efforts to show they cannot be granted asylum in Germany.
