Serbian Police arrested Kosovo Police Director for Mitrovica/Mitrovicë south

(All monitored broadcasters, RTK1&KTV)

The ban that was put to Marko Djuric from entering Kosovo has cost the Director of Kosovo Police for Mitrovicë/Mitrovica south region, Nehat Thaçi, the most. He was halted on Wednesday night by Serbian authorities and is being kept in detention.

Through a press release issued, Serbian Internal Ministry said that Nehat Thaçi, Director of Kosovo Police for Mitrovicë/Mitrovica south region, was arrested based on an arrest warrant for terrorism issued by a Court in Serbia.

According to this Ministry, based on the verdict issued by the High Court of Nis, Thaçi was arrested on Wednesday evening around 20:00hrs at the border crossing point in Koncul, and he was was sent to the detention centre.

At the Kosovo Police said that Nehat Thaçi was not on official duty, while they called on EULEX to help his release.

On the other hand, Minister for Dialogue at Kosovo Government, Edita Tahiri, who is in Brussels, could not tell if the agreement on free movement has been violated. She added that EU officials have been engaged in relation to Thaçi’s arrest.

“We are waiting for the official report from Kosovo Police and then we can tell if the agreement has been violated. We have raised this issue here in Brussels with EU officials, who are engaging about it,” Tahiri said.

Few days ago, Serbian authorities have also halted an official of Kosovo Competition Authority.

In the meantime, RTK1 reported that Nehat Thaçi was sent to Belgrade for interrogation.

Agreement on telephone code provokes debate at Assembly

(All monitored broadcasters, KTV)

Aside from the several-days discussions in Brussels between Kosovo and Serbia on the agreement on telecom, for which there is still no agreement, the same topic of discussion was also transferred to the Assembly of Kosovo. Furthermore, Vetëvendosje called Prime Minister Isa Mustafa to a motion regarding this issue.

Constantly defending the agreement on telephone code, Mustafa said that the code will be a property of Kosovo and it shall not belong to no one else.

He insisted that Kosovo was willing to take Albania’s prefix at use, but the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) did not allow this. Therefore, according to Prime Minister, EU suggested that in order to have an easier acquisition of the code, lacking membership in the United Nations, Kosovo was to take the code through the request filed by Austria.

However, Vetëvendosje MPs disagreed with these statements. VV chairperson Visar Ymeri called for putting a resolution to voting, through which it would be requested from the Assembly to quit talks on telecom issue.

On the other hand, Mustafa’s party called on VV not to make politics with this issue, because, according to them, Kosovo would have taken the telephone code if it had other options.

The other coalition partner, PDK, also supported the Government’s plan, while the other two opposition parties, AAK and Nisma, said that Government has legitimised Serbia’s presence in Kosovo with this agreement and they called for it not to enter into force until Serbia does not pay for the damages caused to Kosovo.

During Thursday, the European Union has requested from the two negotiating parties to conclude the talks on telecom.

In this session, responding to MPs interest regarding Trepça mining complex, PM Mustafa said that draft law on Trepça will be brought to the Assembly within ten days and that it will be adopted before 02 November.

No agreement reached on telecom issue

(Klan Kosova)

Even after three days of talks in Brussels, no agreement was achieved on Kosovo telephone code. Parties are not managing to agree the number, locations of telecom base stations of Serbia at the south of Iber River, and on frequencies.

Klan Kosova learned that Serbian side did not accept that Serb areas in Kosovo limit to use of 2G technology without internet, but only telephone calls, on which Prishtinë/Pristina has insisted on.

According to the Kosovar side, Serbs are seeking usurpation of telecom assets for which Prishtinë/Pristina is pledging it will not accept this.

Belgrade has offered provision of a code for a geographical territory in exchange for unimpeded functioning of Serbian telecom throughout the territory of Kosovo, but this was not accepted by the Kosovo side.

It is likely that parties will meet again on Friday.

Mustafa: North still remains a challenge

(All monitored broadcasters, KTV)

Prime Minister of Kosovo Isa Mustafa showed up at the second motion, the one on situation in Kosovo north, after 16:00hrs of Thursday. The interest of MPs, those of the parties in power in particular, was very little. At the beginning of the session there were 50 MPs and this number became smaller.

Nevertheless, the debate started and Vetëvendosje MP Ismail Kurteshi, initiator of this motion, said that situation in the north continues to be serious and out of control, while he reminded Prime Minister Mustafa that he does not have even his subordinates in Government under control.

In the meantime, Prime Minister admitted that the north continues to remain a challenge for Kosovo and called for the help of internationals.

PDK and LDK also say that north remain a challenge, however; according to them, progress was marked even there.

VV MP Glauk Konjufca called on Government to officially categorize the north as an occupied territory.

PM Isa Mustafa commended opposition for its presence in Thursday’s session of Kosovo Assembly, KTV reported in its later news edition. Prime Minister said that although opposition was loaded more than needed with Serbia, this time it demonstrated opinions and ideas and not violence at the Assembly.

Gjilan/Gnjilane Serb municipal councillor says he is Municipality Mayor

(KTV)

Serbian parallel structures continue to remain a challenge for Kosovo state, not only in the north.

Srdjan Mitrovic, independent municipal councillor at Gjilan/Gnjilane Municipal Assembly, is claiming to be the Mayor of this municipality.

With the request of other municipal councillors, Mitrovic has been expelled for the third time from the Municipal Assembly’s session held on Thursday.

When he was asked by the Municipal Assembly President who does he represent, Mitrovic said he represents the interests of Serbs.

“I am a representative of Serb community here in Gjilan/Gnjilane Assembly and they have given me the right to speak on their behalf,” Mitrovic said.

On this point, the ruling and opposition parties, as rarely ever, left their party distinctions aside and agreed that instalment of Serbia’s interests should not be allowed to happen in Gjilan/Gnjilane.

Mitrovic was asked to bring a written decision in the next session, which demonstrates that he is not part of parallel structures.

Detention and house arrests for Vetëvendosje activists extended

(KTV)

Six Vetëvendosje Movement activists, who were arrested in relation to the attack against the Assembly of Kosovo, are also being investigated for the attack on Radio and Television of Kosovo (RTK) building as well as the attack on the house RTK Director General Mentor Shala.

On Thursday, the Court extended their house arrest and detention measures for additional two months. Vetëvendosje reacted against extension of these measures.

Tomë Gashi, legal representative of one the detained activists, Petrit Ademi, considered this decision as politically-motivated and announced that he will appeal it.