Kurti: I do not guarantee calm protest, but it will be peaceful

(Most monitored broadcasters, KTV)

Vetëvendosje Movement announced that Thursday’s protest will be massive. However, its MP Albin Kurti did not guarantee that the protest will be calm, but he said that it will be peaceful, KTV reported.

For this opposition party, demarcation is a personal agreement of Hashim Thaçi, Murat Meha, Skender Hyseni and Isa Mustafa, but not also of citizens and Albanian nation.

Movement’s Secretary for Foreign Relations, Boiken Abazi, deported to Albania months earlier, also addressed the press conference. Vetëvendosje said he returned because the Court did not take any decision about him. Abazi explained that he entered Kosovo in one of the border points and that Police helped him enter the country.

Thursday’s protest starts at 11:00hrs at ‘Skënderbeu’ square, while the Assembly session will start half an hour later.

Haradinaj: State leaders, sold souls

(Most monitored broadcasters, RTK1&KTV)

The closer the day for voting on demarcation with Montenegro, the greater is Ramush Haradinaj’s anger against Kosovo leaders.

According to KTV reporting, at a joint press conference held with Nisma për Kosovën chairperson Fatmir Limaj, Haradinaj called state leaders as sold souls. To AAK and Nisma, secret voting of demarcation is smuggling.

Otherwise, AAK and Nisma për Kosovën said they will express their objection to demarcation in the Assembly, but not also in the protest organised by Vetëvendosje Movement.

KLA War Veterans Association also called on MPs not to vote in favour of demarcation agreement, RTK1 reported.

Delawie: Assembly should vote in favour of Demarcation Agreement

(Most monitored broadcasters, TV21)

A day prior to voting of the Agreement on Demarcation with Montenegro at the Assembly of Kosovo, the US Ambassador in Prishtinë/Pristina, Greg Delawie, reconfirmed US stance in favour of demarcation.

“The Assembly should vote in favour of the Agreement. Agreement on Border Demarcation agreed by the Commission is the same border that has existed since 1974, the border that is on Kosovo’s flag, and it is a border with a friendly state,” Delawie said in an interview with Gazeta Express.

He criticized political parties that are threatening with killing of political opponents, emphasising that all this that is happening is a struggle for political power.

O’Connell: MPs should decide whether to ratify demarcation agreement or not

(Most monitored broadcasters, TV21)

Through a post in Facebook, the United Kingdom Ambassador to Kosovo, Ruairí O’Connell, emphasised that the issue of border demarcation is a completely bilateral issue between Kosovo and Montenegro for which MPs of the Kosovo Assembly should solely decide whether they will ratify it or not.

“The agreement confirms the current border; demarcation is about setting out where the border is, not where it ‘should be’. But Kosovo is a sovereign, independent state, and it is right that the Kosovo Assembly will decide whether to ratify the agreement. It is your responsibility,” O’Connell said.

German Embassy calls for peaceful and constructive debate

(Most monitored broadcasters, TV21)

German Embassy in Prishtinë/Pristina also made its stance public regarding Thursday’s session of Kosovo Assembly. This Embassy called for a peaceful, democratic and constructive debate, stressing that all political views have the right to be heard and peaceful protests are the right of every citizen in a democracy. However, according to this Embassy, the threat or use of violence to intimidate political opponents and to influence the debate is unacceptable.

German Embassy encourages all sides to take into account the findings of the international Ad hoc commission invited by President Jahjaga in March of this year which came to the conclusion that the delineation process “clearly satisfied international norms”.

Serbia’s Office for Kosovo considers Tahiri’s visit to north a provocation

(KTV)

After many negotiations on revitalisation of the main bridge over Iber River, chief negotiator for Kosovo in talks with Serbia, Edita Tahiri, on Tuesday closely inspected works being done at this bridge.

However, this visit of Tahiri to the north provoked a severe reaction among Serbs. Office for Kosovo the Serbian Government qualified Tahiri’s visit to the north as a provocation and triggering of riots. This Office, through a press statement issued, once again referred to Kosovo north as part of Serbia.

Minister for Dialogue, Edita Tahiri, says that Serbia should stop such intrusions in Kosovo, as this does not impact positively on normalisation of relations between the two countries.

Café in the north, where minister Tahiri stayed, was caught by fire late on Tuesday. Although the authors or the motives are not known, there is suspicion that incident is related to Minister Tahiri’s visit.

Most monitored broadcasters also reported that Kosovo President Hashim Thaçi, accompanied by Director of Kosovo Customs, Lulzim Rafuna, and the Kosovo Police Director General, Shpend Maxhuni, visited Jarinje border crossing in Kosovo north.

Inter-religious relations in Kosovo discussed

(RTK2 & Klan Kosova)

Religious clerics and international diplomats gathered on Wednesday in Mitrovicë/Mitrovica to discuss the inter-religious relations, Klan Kosova reported.  According to the participants of this debate, which was organized by the professor of Political Sciences, Nexhmedin Spahiu, the inter-religious situation in Kosovo turns out to be quite good.

Participants concluded that the main problems occur because of ethnicity and not because of religion.

Moreover, the Secretary of the Islamic Community in Kosovo (ICK), Resul Rexhepi, said that Muslim and Catholic believers have very good relations.

“We never had any problems with the Orthodox Community, and we have excellent relations. We would like to have the same relation with the Serbian Orthodox Church too, since these relations were shaken by the recent conflict,” said Imam Rexhepi.

Orthodox clerics also expressed their wish to have good relations with the Islamic community. Serbian Orthodox Church representative, Stanisa Arsic, considers reconciliation process and building of a social coexistence to be a long and difficult commitment.

“I am happy to respond to the invitation of the Islamic Community to cooperate not only in the level of technical issues, but also in other issues,” Arsic said.

International Ambassadors in Kosovo concluded that religious communities have worked in the right direction to improve the relations between them.  However, the internationals requested from the religious community more work in the future.