Nuland urges Kosovo to ratify demarcation with Montenegro

(All monitored broadcasters, RTK1 & KTV)

The Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs at the United States Department, Victoria Nuland, paid an official visit to Kosovo on Sunday. She requested from Kosovo leaders to prioritize two issues:  to finalise the agreement on border demarcation with Montenegro and to intensify the fight against corruption.

On her first meeting in Kosovo on Sunday, Assistant Secretary Nuland received assurances from Kosovo President Hashim Thaçi, that Kosovo will soon settle the agreement on border demarcation with Montenegro

“Assembly should ratify the demarcation with Montenegro at the earliest time possible. This matter has been unjustly turned into a political issue which is unfairly penalizing Kosovo citizens by delaying the visa liberalization process,” said President Thaçi, through a press release issued by the Office of the President on Sunday.

On the other hand, Assistant Secretary Nuland said that fight against corruption and organized crime remains a priority of the U.S, emphasizing that it is of crucial importance for Kosovo to undertake the necessary steps in the next months.

“It’s important for Kosovo to make the necessary steps before the autumn in order to keep the momentum of positive developments,” said Nuland, after meeting Kosovo Prime Minister Isa Mustafa.

According to a press release issued by the Office of Prime Minister,  PM Mustafa and Assistant Secretary Nuland discussed about the importance of addressing the demarcation issue as soon as possible in order to open the way for free movement of Kosovo citizens to the EU countries.

PM Mustafa, among other topics, discussed with Nuland the need to reshuffle the Government, bydecreasing the cabinet of the Government and increasing its efficiency.

Kosovo Assembly Speaker Kadri Veseli also received Secretary Nuland. According to a press release issued by the Assembly, Nuland stressed that the U.S Government will continue to strongly support Kosovo on its progress, adding that the strengthening the rule of law and justice system are crucial for the progress.

On the other hand, Veseli said that Kosovo institutions remain committed to strengthen the rule of law and to make the necessary reforms related to euro-Atlantic integrations.

Speaker Veseli and Secretary Nuland also discussed about the transformation of Kosovo Security Force (KSF) to an Army, as a necessary process for strengthening Kosovo.

Accompanied by the U.S Ambassador to Kosovo, Greg Delawie, Assistant Secretary Nuland had a separate meeting with Kosovo Deputy PM, Branimir Stojanovic, which same as the other meetings was closed to the media.

In the afternoon hours, before departing to Tirana, Secretary Nuland met with representatives of Kosovo civil society, while she did not met with any leader or representative of opposition parties.

Nuland: Demarcation an artificial and fabricated issue

(RTK1)

“Assembly of Kosovo should find a solution regarding the demarcation issue with Montenegro during this summer,” said the Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs at the United States Department of State, Victoria Nuland in an exclusive interview for RTK.

According to her, the debate about this issue in the Assembly is relatively artificial and, as she said, the issue is fabricated.

“Kosovo needs a functional Assembly, where politicians’ debate about finding solutions to issues and not a place to fire teargas,” said Nuland.

“The United States of America support the agreement with Montenegro, because this is a matter of sovereignty for Kosovo”, emphasized Assistant Secretary Nuland, adding that the U.S has invested in Kosovo’s sovereignty for the last 20 years.

Nuland requested from Kosovo institutions to address the issues which Kosovo citizens expect to be solved, such as justice system, fight against organized crime and corruption.

Haradinaj calls upon MPs to vote against demarcation

(Most monitored broadcasters, RTK1)

AAK chairperson, Ramush Haradinaj, through a video-message posted in his personal Facebook account, called upon Kosovo Assembly MPs to vote against the ratification of the demarcation with Montenegro.

He said that Kosovo has a firm Euro-Atlantic path, and according to him, the vote against demarcation with Montenegro would only reconfirm this path and would yield the respect of Kosovo neighbours and partners.

Journalists complain about Government’s lack of transparency

(KTV)

Journalists complain that by making difficult the access to information, the Government of Kosovo is disrespecting Law on Access to Official Documents.

As of January, Besnik Krasniqi, a journalist of Koha Ditore, addressed100 requests with 500 questions to the institutions of the Government, but, according to him, over 75 per cent of these requests have not been responded.

According to journalist Krasniqi, the tendency of the current Government to keep the information away from the media and citizens, makes the current Government to be the most totalitarian Government so far, KTV reported.

President of Kosovo Association of Journalists, Shkëlqim Hysenaj, said that the non-readiness of institutions to implement this law and the lack of transparency, negatively impacts the work of journalists. However, Hysenaj encouraged journalists not to give up but to continue to report about the non-transparency and to strive for the information, by pursing the legal procedures stipulated by the law.

As to reconfirm this fact, KTVcould not get a statement from the Legal Office of the Prime Minister, which is responsible for monitoring the implementation of the Law on Access to Official Documents.  However, through an electronic correspondence, they stated that the results in fulfilment of requests for access to official documents are satisfactory.

“The comprehensive report of the right for access to public documents shows that Kosovo wide the implementation of the right to access to public documents is at a high level.  It is true that there were certain problems, deriving as a consequence of some uncertainties in the current Law.  For this reason and with the aim to improve the current situation, the Office of the Prime Minister in close cooperation with all the Institutions of Kosovo, civil society, media, the OSCE and other donors, is in the final phase of drafting the Concept Document for Access to Public Documents, which would address these aspects” reads the statement of the Government.

U.S support for transformation of KSF reconfirmed

(Most monitored broadcasters, KTV)

The United States of America support the transformation of Kosovo Security Force into Kosovo Armed Forces (KAF), but this transformation needs to progress through safe steps,  in compliance with the Constitution and by amending the legislation. This was stated by the U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defence, Michael Carpenter, during a meeting he had with KSF representatives in Prishtinë/Pristina on Sunday.

Carpenter expressed pleased for the progress that KSF has achieved so far.