No agreement in Mustafa-Vucic second meeting (dailies)
The second meeting between Kosovo’s Prime Minister, Isa Mustafa, and Serbia’s Prime Minister, Aleksandar Vucic, has ended without a concrete agreement. The European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Federica Mogherini, said that the two sides took stock of the progress in the implementation of the agreements reached in the dialogue, in particular the implementation of the justice agreement and the start of the implementation of the Civil Protection arrangements. “The two sides also exchanged views on the main outstanding implementation issues: energy, telecoms and the establishment of the Association/Community. In this regard they agreed on concrete steps to be taken in the period until the next meeting of the dialogue, Mogherini said. Vucic said that the condition for the return of Serb representatives to the Kosovo institutions is a waiver of privatization in Serb-majority municipalities. Mustafa said that “Serbian representatives claimed that the Serbian List will soon return to Parliament but that they did not discuss the conditions.”
Western Balkans leaders agree on infrastructure projects (Koha Ditore)
Western Balkans prime ministers agreed yesterday in Brussels on the main corridors of the transport network and expressed readiness to continue cooperation on other projects in the future. The prime ministers adopted a joint statement at the end of the Western Balkans 6 summit reaffirming commitment to connectivity, good neighbourly relations, regional cooperation and European integration, while the European Commission, which hosted the meeting, pledged to continue co-funding projects that foster regional cooperation and integration.
President Jahjaga decrees Lumezi as Chief State Prosecutor (dailies)
Kosovo’s President, Atifete Jahjaga, on Tuesday decreed Aleksander Lumezi as Kosovo’s Chief State Prosecutor. “I decreed Aleksander Lumezi as Kosovo’s Chief State Prosecutor. We have lots of work to consolidate the rule of law on which the future of our country depends,” Jahjaga wrote on her Facebook profile. Lumezi will be the Chief State Prosecutor for a period of seven years.
Skopje authorities accuse persons from Kosovo of terrorist attack (Koha)
Authorities in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) alleged that people from Kosovo are behind the recent armed attack on a police station in Likova, Kumanovo municipality. Authorities said around 40 gunmen bearing Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) insignia stormed a police station and took four police officers hostage. The gunmen then left the hostage officers tied up and fled the site. Kosovo Police said that they did not witness any suspicious movement of individuals or criminal groups at the border between Kosovo and FYROM.
Special court or UN court (Zeri)
The paper on its front page writes that the United States Ambassador-at-Large for War Crimes Issues, Stephan Rapp, made clear to Kosovo leaders the US position on the special court. The paper reports that Rapp said that the special court will be established, even without the Kosovo Assembly’s approval. “The message of Americans is very clear. Kosovo cannot escape the establishment of the special court, be it by locals or by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC),” said a senior official, citing the message of Rapp. Furthermore, the US ambassador to Kosovo, Tracey Ann Jacobson and EU Special Representative Samuel Zbogar recently said that if Kosovo fails to establish the special court, then there will be no obstacles for such a court to be created by the UNSC. Meanwhile, political analysts say that as long as there is a “threat” from Kosovo’s main partner, the US, Kosovo does not have the luxury to ignore such messages.
Lunacek: We will lift visas if people of Kosovo stop migrating (Zeri)
The Vice-President of the European Parliament and Rapporteur for Kosovo, Ulrike Lunacek, said on Tuesday that Kosovo has made progress in the visa liberalization process, but according to her, Kosovo must meet several more criteria. Also, she said that Kosovo must convince the interior ministers of European Union countries that after visa liberalization, the people of Kosovo will not migrate as they have done in the recent months. Regarding the special court which will address war crimes allegations, Lunacek said that this court will deal with individual cases and urged Kosovo institutions to establish the court as soon as possible.
