Mustafa: I am ready for dialogue without conditions (Epoka e Re)
Kosovo’s Prime Minister, Isa Mustafa, told the paper on Thursday that he is ready to meet the leaders of the opposition. According to Mustafa, the dialogue with the opposition can take place only inside the Assembly of Kosovo and without conditions. He said that the Agreement for the Association/Community of Serb-majority municipalities and the border demarcation agreement with Montenegro cannot be negotiated. He argued that actions of the opposition may harm the visa liberalization process for Kosovo and that they could scare away potential foreign investors. Commenting on the recent visit by the U.S. Secretary of State, Mustafa said Kerry’s messages for Kosovo were very clear.
Opposition parties: We are serious (Kosova Sot)
In a press conference yesterday, representatives of the three opposition parties – Vetevendosje, Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK), Initiative for Kosovo (NISMA) – confirmed they are to stage a rally in Gjakova/Djakovica on Saturday demanding the revocation of the agreements on the Association/Community of Serb-majority municipalities and the border demarcation with Montenegro. “We were not joking when we said that the agreements shall not pass,” said NISMA’s Bilall Sherifi. AAK leader Ramush Haradinaj said there can be no dialogue when the “majority of opposition MPs remain in prison.” Commenting on the messages of the US Secretary of State John Kerry during his visit to Pristina, Vetevendosje leader Visar Ymeri said “no foreign diplomat, regardless of how close with Kosovo, can think better about our country than we.” He said if the Government insists it cannot cancel the agreements, it can either call early elections or a referendum.
Opposition welcomes Tirana’s mediation (Epoka e Re)
Ramush Haradinaj, leader of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK), said on Thursday he welcomes any effort by Albanian politicians that can contribute to the resolution of the political crisis in Kosovo. Haradinaj welcomed an eventual visit by the President of the Albanian Parliament, Ilir Meta, as mediator between the government and opposition. “Any visit by officials from Tirana is welcomed, but I do not know if they could help. However, it is surprising that Isa Mustafa reacts harshly after each reaction for mediation from Tirana, and on the other hand he spends time with Vucic in Brussels. It does not make sense to have such an aversion toward Tirana,” Haradinaj said. Bilall Sherifi from the Initiative for Kosovo (NISMA) echoed Haradinaj’s remarks saying that Kosovo government officials should direct this aversion toward Serbia and not Albania.
Vetevendosje demands Abrashi’s resignation (Koha)
The Vetevendosje Movement called for the resignation of Kosovo Government spokesperson and Minister of Labour and Social Welfare Arban Abrashi, after the latter compared Vetevendosje’s actions with those of the terrorist group ISIS. Abrashi was unavailable for comment but Petrit Zogaj from the Kosovo-based think tank FOL said that the Government should clarify whether Abrashi’s statement represents the view of the Government of Kosovo. “The least Abrashi could do after this statement is apologize,” Zogaj said.
Bushati calls for Kosovo to become a member of OSCE (Zeri)
Albanian Foreign Minister Ditmir Bushati during his speech in Belgrade has called for Kosovo to become a member of the OSCE. During the OSCE ministerial council meeting, Bushati hailed the Serbian initiative for regional cooperation, and expressed confidence that Kosovo should be a member of international organizations. “Kosovo is an irreversible reality and tendency to be called otherwise it is not in accordance with the principles of the organization,” Bushati said.
“Kosovo accepted Ahtisaari Plan, government should implement it” (Zeri)
Daniel Serwer, a former U.S. diplomat and expert on the Balkans, told the paper on Thursday that Kosovo has many challenges ahead in its road towards the European Union, such as the special court, the fight against corruption and the disturbing fact that many Kosovars are joining the Islamic State. Serwer argued that the opposition is entitled to object to the recent agreements with Serbia and Montenegro “but they don’t have the right to block the functioning of Kosovo institutions”. Serwer said since Kosovo accepted the Ahtisaari Plan, now the government has to implement it. He also said that the EU should grant visa liberalization for Kosovo.
Shterpce/Strpce Mayor accused of misuse of duty (Koha)
Bratislav Nikolic, mayor of the Shterpce/Strpce municipality, and Agim Rexhepi, a procurement officer in this municipality, are accused of misuse of official duty. The paper claims to have seen a copy of the indictment that charges Nikolic and Rexhepi of damaging the state budget to the amount of €200,000. Nikolic is scheduled to appear in court this month.
War criminal given a hero’s welcome in Serbia (Koha)
In one of its front-page stories, the paper reports that Serbian General Vladimir Lazarevic, who was sentenced by the ICTY to 14 years in prison for war crimes committed against Kosovo Albanians in 1998-1999, was released after serving two thirds of his sentence. Under the headline War criminal given a hero’s welcome in Serbia, the paper notes that the Serbian Government referred to Lazarevic as a shining example for all Serbs.
