Kosovo a transit country for international traffic of narcotics

(Most monitored broadcasters, Klan Kosova & KTV)

Kosovo is located among the most important routes of international traffic of narcotic substances of type heroin, but also of marijuana and cocaine, KTV reported.

A report of Kosovo Police on Serious and Organized Crime Threat Assessment (SOCTA) done during 2014-2015 estimates that 1.6 per cent of population in Kosovo are drug users.

In the meantime, 0.33 % is estimated to be drug users in intravenous form. Drugs like marijuana, heroin, cocaine and ecstasy were dominant in the market during the two years, 2014-2015. Whereas, it’s main users were mainly young people of 18 years old.

The biggest amount of marijuana in Kosovo enters from Albania, while in smaller amounts also from Macedonia, Serbia and Montenegro.

A part of it is stopped in Kosovo for internal consumption, while the other part, which is considered to be several times bigger, passes as transit through the European market.

“There are about 15.000-30.000 drug users in Kosovo, or 0.8 up to 1.6% of the population, who use narcotics,” said Riza Shillova, Director of the Serious Crimes Department of Kosovo Police.

“Referring to the SOCTA report, we will invest our potential in development of Kosovo Police capacities,” Kosovo Police General Director Shpend Maxhuni said.

Director of the OSCE’s Security and Public Safety Department, Ake Roghe, said that organised crime and serious crimes are becoming more difficult each day on, Klan Kosova reported.

According to this report, human trafficking, radicalism, extremism and migrant smuggling remain a challenge to which Kosovo should pay more attention.

Mustafa says that only a condition remains for visa liberalization

(All monitored broadcasters, KTV)

To the Prime Minister Isa Mustafa there is only more conditioning remaining to be fulfilled in order for Kosovo to get visa liberalisation, KTV reported.

However, his guest, the European Union Representative in Kosovo, Nataliya Apostolova, has mentioned that aside from demarcation, fighting of corruption is also a condition in order for Kosovo to move forward in the European integration.

“On visa liberalisation, I stressed to the Prime Minister that the European Union is quite aware how important this is for Kosovo. But, Kosovo also has to deliver on border demarcation and also on the fight against corruption. I will be assisting the Prime Minister and the Government in this endeavour as well,” Apostolova stated.

In the introductory meeting with the new Head of EU Office in Kosovo, Mustafa requested more support from the European institutions.

Meanwhile, Apostolova said that Kosovo is high on the European agenda and that EU with its mechanisms is going to support Kosovo in the fight against crime, corruption and nepotism.

During the day, Apostolova also visited Vetëvendosje Movement, TV21 reported. According to the leader of this Movement, Visar Ymeri, the need for the change of political course and governance in Kosovo was discussed in the meeting.

Haradinaj: Agreement on Demarcation should be renamed

(KTV)

Revision and renaming of the Agreement on Demarcation as failed or unapproved would make the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) to accept to sit again and discuss over this issue.

In an interview with KTV Rubicon show, the AAK chairperson, Ramush Haradinaj, said that following the 01 September session of the Assembly, the status of the Agreement has changed and the Government and Kosovo institutions should reflect regarding this issue.

Assembly to set date of next session, demarcation not a topic

(TV21)

Assembly of Kosovo will start autumn session this week. The Assembly Presidency is expected to convene on Wednesday and decide when the next parliamentary session will be held.

According to TV21 sources, the draft law on ratification of the Agreement on Demarcation with Montenegro will not be a topic of this session’s agenda since the Government has not resubmitted the Agreement to the Assembly after its withdrawal from 01 September session.

AAK and Nisma return to Assembly Committees

(Most monitored broadcasters, KTV)

After seven months, the AAK caucus leader, Pal Lekaj, sat at the chair of the member of Assembly Committee for Economic Development. Together with his colleague from Nisma party, Enver Hoti, he joined this Committee after a long period of boycott.

With a lot of contradictions and vote against a number of Government’s decisions, Pal Lekaj and Enver Hoti said they will contribute to legislative’s work.

They said that their mission has been accomplished, namely annulment of harmful agreements for Kosovo.

Recent incident in Mushtisht considered as a step backwards

(RTK2)

The fourth meeting of Inter-Ministerial Commission for Return was held in Prishtinë/Pristina on Tuesday. Return in Mushtisht and the recent developments in this village of Suharekë/Suva Reka municipality were the main topics of this meeting.

Serb representatives at the Government of Kosovo agreed that the recent incident in Mushtisht, when over 150 displaced persons from central Serbia were not allowed to celebrate an Orthodox feast, is a step backwards, as they said, not only in the return process, but in all rule of law related processes.

Deputy Prime Minister of Kosovo, Branimir Stojanovic, Minister of Return and Communities, Dalibor Jevtic, and the Minister for Local Government Administration, Ljubomir Maric, pointed out a series of failures in providing freedom of movement to Kosovo Police representatives.

On the other hand, representatives of Suharekë/Suva Reka municipality reiterated their stance that they fully support return of the first Serb families to this village.

Stojanovic requests opening of Orthodox Church in Prishtinë/Pristina

(All monitored broadcasters, Klan Kosova)

Politicians and citizens joined clerics in cleaning the unfinished Orthodox Church located at the University campus in Prishtinë/Pristina.

But this action, which was started on Saturday after someone set fire within the church, now, it turns out to have as a goal the opening of the church, too.

Deputy Prime Minister of Kosovo, Branimir Stojanovic, who joined Bishop Teodosije in cleaning the church, requested opening of this religious site for Orthodox believers.

“This is a church, not a political institution, although some people try to politicize this issue. I do not see anything more legitimate than the existence of this church in the centre of Prishtinë/Pristina which would serve to all Serbs in Kosovo.  If the Catholic Church is here, and the big Mosque will be built soon, which are entirely legitimate, then why not to have also the Orthodox Church for all believers,” Stojanovic said.

Stojanovic said that the ownership issue of the parcel where the Church is located is clear now.

“This is a parcel of the Serbian Orthodox Church and there is nothing contradictory about this. People are trying to make this a political issue and play administrative games saying that no Serbian Orthodox Church should exist here. This issue is clear. This is a property of the church which has been verified by Court’s verdict,” Deputy PM Stojanovic underscored.

However, Prishtinë/Pristina Municipal Urbanism Director, Liburn Aliu, denied to have received any application for legalisation of this building, which is listed as an illegal building.

Government, Assembly, courts, prosecutions and municipalities most corrupt institutions

(Most monitored broadcasters, KTV)

The Government, Assembly, courts, prosecution and municipalities are among the most corrupt institutions in Kosovo. In 2014, about 23 per cent of Kosovo citizens were asked bribes for access to public services, while compared with this period in 2016; this has increased from 23 to 24 per cent. This was stated during the publication of the report by RIINVEST Institute on assessment of corruption in Kosovo.

According to this report, around 48 per cent of citizens in Kosovo are involved in corruption to get services in public administration.

Kosovo leads, after Albania, with corruption, while other countries of the region are ranked after Kosovo.

Director of this Institute, Lumir Abdixhiku, said that state authorities are responsible for the high level of corruption because, according to him, this phenomenon is threatening Kosovar society, country development and integrations.

Deputy State Prosecutor, Sevdije Morina, said that 56 corruption indictments have been filed during the first semester of this year.

On the other hand, the Special Representative for Rule of Law at the EU Office in Kosovo, Cezary Michalczuk, requested amendment of the Criminal Code, which favours further the fight against corruption.  He said that courts and prosecutions should be more efficient and strict in trying corruption cases.

Special Prosecution refuses Adem Grabovci’s request

(Most monitored broadcasters, TV21)

Special Prosecution of Kosovo refused the request of Adem Grabovci for postponement of his interview regarding investigations which are being carried out in relation to “Pronto II” case.

According to Prosecution, in case Adem Grabovci does not show up on Wednesday at 10:00hrs, then it will it will order his taking by force for interrogation at the capacity of the suspect.