Thaçi: Normalisation of Albanian-Serbian relations goes through Prishtinë/Pristina
(Klan Kosova –Debate Zone)
President of Kosovo, Hashim Thaçi, commented statements of the Republican candidate for US President, Donald Trump, who told a Serbian news agency that NATO intervention in Kosovo was a mistake. Furthermore, according to this agency, Trump issued an apology to Serbs for this intervention.
Speaking in Klan Kosova’s Zona e Debatit show, Kosovo President said that anyone who is against the NATO intervention in Kosovo is also against the freedom of a people.
He also spoke about normalisation of Albanian-Serbian relations, saying that the route of normalisation does not go from Belgrade to Tirana, but through Prishtinë/Pristina to the other territories.
President considers the arrest of Kosovo Police Lieutenant-Colonel, Nehat Thaçi, from the Serbian police forces as ‘an ugly and unjust imprisonment.” Nevertheless, according to him, this arrest should not have an impact on dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia.
President Thaçi also spoke about the new Law on Trepça. He said approval of this Law was a good thing and that internationals had ‘an approving silence for Trepça.’ Nevertheless, President Thaçi said it is better to wait for the Constitutional Court’s judgment on this case, since Srpska List has addressed this Law to this Court.
He also commented the ‘letters’ that he addressed to Chief State Prosecutor, Aleksandër Lumezi, considering this as an obligation of him, both as a citizen and the President of Kosovo. Thaçi stressed that he addressed these letters in coordination with internationals.
Rama-Vucic meeting, a battle of statements
(All monitored broadcasters, KTV)
Kosovo was the topic that heated the debate this time around too in Belgrade Security Forum between the Albanian Prime Minister, Edi Rama, and his Serbian counterpart, Aleksandar Vucic.
At the opening of this Forum, Prime Minister Edi Rama said that the Euro-integration process is the only way for modernisation of the society. Indirectly he also mentioned the arrest of Kosovo Police Mitrovicë/Mitrovica regional director, Nehat Thaçi, by Serbian Police to Vucic. The latter, on the other hand, compared Thaçi’s case with the one of Oliver Ivanovic in Kosovo.
Rama also spoke about Trepça mining complex, saying that ‘it is in the heart of Kosovo and it belongs to Kosovars, and it should not be politicized because it is for country’s economic development.”
Vucic said he speaks about Trepça only if economy is in question, while he added that Prishtinë/Pristina made wrong moves for development of Trepça mining complex.
Rasic: Fictive technical procedures invented for any of our requests
(RTK2)
Just few days ago, Kosovo Ministry of Culture blocked continuation of reconstruction works on St. Nicholas Church at the Holy Archangels Monastery in Prizren. The Inspectors showed up at the monastery requesting temporary termination of all works, with the justification that no construction permit was issued.
Prizren chief-inspector, Bujar Hasani, said that works at the church has been stopped because the works were launched without a construction permit. Hasanaj said that based on the decision of Ministry of Culture Youth and Sports, the municipal directorate stopped the works, as, according to him, they are not restoration or conservation works, but rather construction works for an entirely new building.
Diocese of Raska and Prizren reacted after the decision, saying that such behaviour of Kosovo Ministry of Culture makes the religious life of Serbian Orthodox Church in Kosovo impossible.
Serb representative in Kosovo Assembly, Nenad Rasic, considers that Diocese of Raska and Prizren should once again verify the available documents and if there are no omissions then, as he said, it must be reacted and explanations from the responsible should be asked.
“Within my capacity and the capacities of my colleagues, I know that we can go to any institution to request explanation why it reached to this stage. In case the explanation is not good enough, then it does not make sense to continue working within Kosovo institutions if a fictive technical procedure is invented for any of our requests,” said Rasic.
Veseli convinced that demarcation process will end soon
(KTV)
Assembly Speaker Kadri Veseli said that adoption of demarcation between Kosovo and Montenegro should end as soon as possible.
Furthermore, according to him, this has already been delayed.
“This issue must be closed. The internationals are also requesting this. We do not have time to lose in this process. Demarcation must end and Kosovo should move in its European integrations path,” Veseli stated in an interview with the public broadcaster, online version of KTV reported.
He could not tell an exact date as when the demarcation can be returned to the Assembly. “I do not want to talk with dates or months. But I can tell that Government will bring the demarcation to the Assembly, and this process will end,” Veseli concluded.
Speaker Veseli stressed that Srpska List should return to Kosovo institutions as soon as possible. He considers that return is in their interests.
“Belgrade’s actions which pushed Srpska List to boycott are not mature. Srpska List’s game which is done through Belgrade aims to incite artificial tensions; therefore, Belgrade will be responsible for any potential tension,” Veseli added.
Srspka List submits Law on Trepça to Constitutional Court
(All monitored broadcasters, KTV)
They hesitate to pronounce the name “Republic of Kosovo.” They do not declare themselves as Kosovars either, but they do not have an issue to address the Constitutional Court of Kosovo to overturn the Law on Trepça, KTV reported.
Ten Srpska List MPs, who left Kosovo institutions after the approval of Law on Trepça, have knocked on the doors of Kosovo Constitutional Court with the request to interpret constitutionality of this law.
Slavko Simic, Srpska List chairman, claims that MPs violated nine Articles of the Constitution and Assembly’s work regulation with the approval of this Law. According to him, even the most vital interests of Serbs were not respected with the Law on Trepça.
Simic, who immediately after submitting the case to the Court travelled to Belgrade, said that prior to taking a decision on their future in institutions they will have consultations within the party, with the Government in Belgrade, Kosovo institutions, and the international community.
Djuric: Serbs will not be marginalized for issues which are against them
(KTV)
Director of Office for Kosovo at the Serbian Government, Marko Djuric, discussed the situation created following the approval of Law on Trepça by the Kosovo Assembly with political representatives of Serbs in Kosovo, online version of KTV reported.
Djuric considers that by freezing their participation in the work of Kosovo Government and Assembly, Serb representatives made the only remaining move in the current situation. According to him, this boycott is not a signal that Serb representatives do not want to take part in decision-making, but rather a signal that they do not allow to be marginalised for issues which go against the interests of Serb people.
The meeting was attended by Deputy Prime Minister of Kosovo, Branimir Stojanovic, Ministers Ljubomir Maric and Dalibor Jevtic, mayors of Strpce/Shtërpcë and Gracanica/Graçanica, Bratislav Nikolic and Vladeta Kostic.
Assembly of Kosovo with ineffective resolutions
(KTV)
Five different resolutions have been adopted by Members of the Kosovo Assembly during this legislation, the content of which often is similar.
Point 3 of the Resolution issued when Ramush Haradinaj was arrested in Slovenia is similar to the Point 6 of the Resolution adopted for release of Kosovo Police Director Nehat Thaçi, which demonstrates the disrespect that institutions have for the political will of the Assembly.
With these resolutions, MPs have requested engagement of respective institutions for cleaning the lists of arrest warrants issues by Serbia. Government says it is constructive in this regard.
This, according to legislative’s work monitors, demonstrates the disrespect that Government and respective institutions pay to the Assembly. Government has a different opinion about this.
Based on Assembly’s work regulation, Resolutions are not binding; however, they express the political will of the Assembly. According to LDK MP Armend Zemaj, this should not be disrespected by the Government.
Supreme Court confirms judgement on Medicus Case
(KTV)
The Supreme Court of Kosovo confirmed the judgement of five years of imprisonment for the doctor Sokol Hajdini, who was involved in Medicus Case.
Hajdini was sentenced for the criminal offences – organised crime and trafficking in humans which was related to the removal of kidneys for the purpose of transplantation in the Medicus Clinic, which took place from at least May 2008 to October same year.
Supreme Court affirmed the conclusions of the Basic Court of Prishtinë/Pristina with regards the criminal offence of trafficking in persons and on the non-existence of the elements of the criminal offence of organised crime.
In relation to the number of proven transplants that took place in the Medicus Clinic, the Supreme Court indicated that the Court of Appeals correctly declared the evidence obtained during the search in the Medicus Clinic as inadmissible and correctly established the number of transplants at 7, a press release issued by the Supreme Court notes.
