Official response from Serbia: Thaci would be arrested in Belgrade (Bota Sot)
Serbian authorities have officially informed Kosovo’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Hashim Thaci that if he visits Belgrade he will be arrested, reports Serbian news agency, BETA. Thaci has received an invitation from a Serbian non-governmental organization to participate in a conference on European integration.
Invitation for Thaci’s visit to Belgrade, annulled (Epoka e Re)
The non-governmental Organization in Serbia, Youth Council for Education, has annulled the invitation for Kosovo’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hashim Thaci, who was earlier invited to participate at the conference for European integration of Western Balkans on 24 April in Belgrade. The organization posted on Twitter that it has withdrawn the invitations also for the Foreign Ministers of Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Macedonia. Members of this organization claimed that they have decided to annul the invitation due to the major risk that Thaci would be arrested and due to the lack of the willingness of Serbia to provide security for him in Belgrade.
Rapp: Special court needs to be established (Koha Ditore)
In a front-page interview with the paper, the US Ambassador-at-Large for War Crimes Issues Stephen Rapp said Kosovo does not need a UN tribunal but rather a credible special court that would “clean the air in Kosovo and ensure a better future.” However, Rapp pointed out that if the Kosovo Assembly fails to establish such a legal mechanism, the US would not oppose the idea of the UN doing so. The US official said that in the meeting with Kosovo leaders he was assured that Kosovo would establish the court and prove through such a courageous act that it is capable of clarifying the allegations from the Council of Europe report.
Busek: Special court should not be established (Zeri)
The former Special Coordinator of the Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe, Erhard Busek, told the paper that Kosovo needs more assistance to improve the administration and the rule of law and doesn’t need another special court. “While it is not very clear as to what will exactly the special court do, I think it should not be established,” Busek said. In regards to visa liberalization, Busek said that lifting of the visa restrictions would not help Kosovo solve its problems. He said that the Kosovo institutions were failing to combat high-level corruption, but that he considers this also a failure of the international institutions in Kosovo.
Movement “FOL” invites Vucic to Pristina (Epoka e Re)
Movement FOL has invited Serbia’s Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic to participate at forum Speak Openly which will be held by the end of May. The invitation stresses that he is being invited in the service of the development of regional cooperation in the spirit of the EU integration. The invitation to Serbia’s Prime Minister reads: “Also, in the service of the reflection on implementation of the 19 April Agreement, movement FOL invites you to speak at the forum Speak Openly that we initiated last year. Kosovo and Serbia, as two neighboring countries pledged internationally to normalize the relations between the two countries and societies. Therefore, we believe that it is crucial and necessary to have cooperation in different fields, not only at the political and institutional level as it was the case so far”.
Mustafa to participate in “Western Balkans’ 6” conference (Bota Sot)
The Prime Minister of Kosovo, Isa Mustafa, traveled on Monday to Brussels where he will participate in the next regional Western Balkans 6 conference. The conference will focus on the regional network of highways and rail lines. Prime Minister Mustafa noted that infrastructure is a prerequisite for a sustainable economic growth. After the conference, Mustafa is expected to meet with the Prime Minister of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic in the process of dialogue for the normalization of relations between Kosovo and Serbia.
Implementation of agreement on Civil Protection fails at outset (Koha Ditore)
The agreement between Pristina and Belgrade stipulating that members of the illegal formation Civil Protection can no longer monitor points at the Mitrovica-Jarinje road beyond 20 April has not been implemented. According to the agreement, the Civil Protection’s withdrawal will be verified by the Kosovo Police and EULEX but neither commented on the non-implementation of this specific part of the agreement.
Suspects in Enver Zymberi’s murder, acquitted (dailies)
Radovan Radic and Milovan Vlaskovic, accused of participating in the murder of Kosovo Police officer Enver Zymberi in July 2011, were acquitted of all charges by the Mitrovica Basic Court on Monday. Two other suspects, Slobodan Sovrlic and Radomir Kasalovic, are accused in another trial related to the murder of Enver Zymberi, while another two suspects remain at large. Muharrem Zymberi, the father of Enver Zymberi, said he was disappointed with the decision, while the prosecution has described it as a shocking decision, but also a biased decision.
Hyseni complains in Brussels (Kosova Sot)
Kosovo’s Minister of Internal Affairs, Skender Hyseni, started a two-day visit to Brussels, where he will meet with officials from the European Commission and European Parliament. The main topic of these meetings was the visa liberalization process for Kosovo. Hyseni said that it is unfair that Kosovo is being isolated.
Lunacek values progress in Kosovo (Epoka e Re)
Prime Minister Isa Mustafa hosted a meeting with the member of the European Parliament Ulrike Lunacek. The Prime Minister underlined the importance of signing the Stabilization Association Agreement and the need for visa liberalization for Kosovo citizens. Member of European Parliament Ulrike Lunacek praised the progress in Kosovo, ensuring further support for Kosovo. Prime Minister Mustafa and Member of European Parliament Lunacek also discussed the processes regarding the recognition of Kosovo by 5 remaining countries of the EU, Kosovo approximation of the laws and standards of the EU, and other important topics.
