Mustafa: Association/Community, a difficult topic (dailies)
Kosovo’s Prime Minister, Isa Mustafa, said on Sunday that the establishment of the Association/Community of Serb-majority Municipalities is one of the most difficult topics in the Pristina-Belgrade dialogue. “The Association/Community has proved to be among the most difficult topics. The Kosovo delegation was fair and constructive so as to find solutions within the legal system of Kosovo,” Mustafa said. According to him, the Association/Community should be in harmony with the laws of Kosovo, otherwise “it would be dysfunctional and harmful.” He added that the rapid normalization of relations with Serbia is an important factor for Kosovo’s European future. According to him, the process is still in the phase where many topics remain to be discussed.
Ymeri: Mustafa compromising on Association/Community (Zeri)
Commenting on Prime Minister Mustafa’s statement about the Association/Community of Serb-majority Municipalities being one of the most difficult topics in the Pristina-Belgrade dialogue, the leader of the Vetevendosje Movement, Visar Ymeri, said that Mustafa is trying to prepare the people of Kosovo for the next compromise regarding the Association/Community. Ymeri said that even six months after the formation of the government, its entire energy is going into negotiations with Serbia and the special court.
UN can(not) establish special court (Koha Ditore)
The paper carries on the front page views of international and local legal experts on whether the UN will be able to establish specialist chambers if the Kosovo Assembly fails to do so. According to the former head of UNMIK legal office Alexander Borg Olivier, it is not likely for the UN to set up such a court because Russia and China, both permanent members of the Security Council, would not agree to create a precedent that could be used against them in the future. “This is only a farce, a joke with no ounce of truth in it”, said Borg Olivier, adding that Russia is already facing problems with Chechnya and Ukraine and voting for a special court for Kosovo could be used in the future against Russia. However, Fisnik Korenica from the Kosovo-based think tank Group for Legal and Political Studies thinks Russia and China would be glad to vote in favour of the specialist chambers and as for a similar mechanism being used against them, Korenica reemphasizes that these two countries have veto rights at the Security Council and could block any such initiative in the future.
Jablanovic: UN to establish special court (dailies)
The leader of the Serbian List, Aleksandar Jablanovic, stated yesterday that Kosovo should not be given a second chance to establish the special court, and that this court should be established by the United Nations Security Council. Jablanovic told Serbian news agency Tanjug that Serbs were never given a second chance and that he thinks it would be wrong if the international community gives Kosovo another opportunity to establish the special court. According to him, the main responsibility for Kosovo failing to establish the special court lies with Hashim Thaci’s party, as “his MPs blocked the voting.”
Krasniqi: Special court cannot return at the Assembly (Epoka e Re)
Former Assembly Speaker and current head of the National Council at the Initiative for Kosovo (NISMA) Jakup Krasniqi assessed that the constitutional amendment that would open way to the establishment of the special court cannot return at the Assembly. He said that prior to reaching the current point, Kosovo politicians should have had a wide debate and a consensus about which no one at the Assembly thought while speaking at the session. He added that the decision of the Assembly on this issue created space for a transparent debate in the political scene in order to find a way out. He considered that the option of the opposition to establish a local court would be realistic and possible.
Merkel: Serbia’s integration depends on dialogue with Kosovo (Epoka e Re)
The German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, stated that opening of the first chapters of negotiations between Serbia and the European Union depends a lot on the progress in relations between Belgrade and Pristina. “The EU requests that Kosovo and Serbia discuss. There is a lot to be done, however, there are certainly signs of progress and we are trying to accelerate the process,” said Merkel. Asked about her opinion on the relations between Serbia and Albania, Merkel said that the visit of the Albanian Prime Minister to Serbia, after a long period of time, is a sign of hope. She also stressed the hard work of these two countries to fulfill the goals of the Conference of the Western Balkans States, held in August of last year. She also stated that Western Balkans states have given clear signs that their perspective is in the EU.
