Dacic emphasizes importance of OSCE Mission in Kosovo

(RTK2)

During a meeting held, Serbian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Ivica Dacic, and the newly elected Head of the OSCE Mission in Kosovo, Jan Braathu, emphasized the importance of this Mission in Kosovo in implementing activities within the Mission’s mandate and in a status-neutral manner.

Dacic highlighted the current excellent cooperation with the OSCE and expressed his readiness to deepen the cooperation in the future, reads a press release issued by his Ministry. 

Srpska List addresses Law on Strategic Investments to Court

(All monitored broadcasters, KTV)

Constitutional Court of Kosovo has started looking into the Trepça case, while the Government has provided its answers. Government has at the same time requested an interim measure against liquidation of its assets from this Court, KTV online reported.

Srpska List MPs have also addressed the Law on Strategic Investments to the Constitutional Court, saying that it also disputes the ownership of Orthodox Church in Kosovo.

Srpska List caucus leader Slavko Simic said that approval of a law that allows Kosovo Government to have at its disposal the property, which initially is not known under what circumstances and criteria it was declared a social property, is not permissible.

Simic stressed that they are for dialogue between Belgrade and Prishtinë/Pristina, and not unilateral laws.

He added that they will not enter dialogue with Kosovo institutions for their return as long as long there are laws that are at the harm of Serb community.

In the meantime, Constitutional Court has started to look into the first case which is related to the Law on Trepça. They have received the responses of Kosovo Government for the complaint that Srpska List did against Law on Trepça. This was made public by Besnik Berisha, legal advisor to Prime Minister Mustafa. 

Right to return denied to Mitrovica/Mitrovicë north Albanians

(RTK1)

Sixteen years after the war and eight years of statehood, hundreds of Albanian families from Mitrovica/Mitrovica are being denied the return and rebuilding of their lives in the areas from where they were forced out in 1999. Traces of war from burning of dozens of houses in “Kroi i Vitakut” neighbourhood are notable even today, RTK reported.

Hundreds of Albanian families continue to live on rent in Mitrovicë/Mitrovica south, because they are not allowed to build in northern part of Mitrovica/Mitrovicë. Although majority of the owners are in position to start reconstruction of these houses, they are not allowed to do so by the current Mayor of Mitrovica/Mitrovica north, even without giving a single legal explanation about this.

Hazir Ferati is one of Mitrovica/Mitrovicë north Albanian residents, but he says that he feels differently.

“It’s like being a refugee in my own country! The state does not pay you the rent, nor does it cover any of your expenses. We are in a position which is neither here, nor there,” Ferati told RTK.

Ferati had a house in the north until 1999, but today he is not allowed to reconstruct it.

“Parallel structures came and impeded us. We have tried to build our house since 2012, but we came across obstacles from the parallel structures,” Ferati said.

Adrijana Hodzic, official of the Administrative Office in Kosovo north, also considers it an absurdity that residents of this neighbourhood are being denied the return and reconstruction for years. According to her, politics are making this process difficult.

“We had no power to secure return in that manner; therefore, we insisted that the central level, several ministries, to be the key in this process, in order for us to be able to have the support for return of citizens,” Hodzic said. 

Political parties start harmonising their stances on demarcation

(KTV)

Kosovo wants to convince the European Union that it is willing to conclude demarcation with Montenegro, but it also wants to make to make the distinctions that political forces have for delineation of the border with Montenegro known.

For this matter, all the caucuses are soon expected to come out with a joint statement, consequently asking for acceleration of visa liberalisation process.

This stance came out after a meeting that Kosovo Assembly Speaker, Kadri Veseli, had with members of the Assembly Foreign Affairs Committee.

Veseli said that after drafting and signing this statement they will also pay visits to EU countries. Meanwhile, Assembly Foreign Affairs Committee chairman, Elmi Reçica, said that it must be demonstrated that Kosovo has unity.

Pal Lekaj of AAK and Zafir Berisha of Nisma once again expressed their stances against the current version of the Agreement on Demarcation; however, they expressed their willingness to be part of the joint statement. Representatives of Vetëvendosje Movement or Srpska List were not present in this meeting. 

Deputy Police Director reports to Assembly Committee on Nehat Thaçi’s arrest

(KTV) 

The EU Office in Kosovo has called for avoidance of interference in justice system in relation with Nehat Thaçi’s case, which, according to them, they are closely following.

On the other hand, Kosovo officials are discussing his arrest by the Serbian state.

Kosovo Police Deputy Commander Naim Rexha reported to the Assembly Security Committee, where he said that based on their records, this was the first time that Police Director Nehat Thaçi entered in any of the border points with Serbia. According to him, Thaçi was planning to visit Germany and Switzerland.

Other members of this Committee had many other questions and issues to address to Deputy Police Director Rexha.

Kosovo cannot be overlooked in Serbia-Albania relations

(KTV Rubicon show)

Discussing about the visit of the Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama to Belgrade and controversies that were raised regarding this visit in Kosovo, the political analyst Mufail Limani told KTV Rubicon show that no visit of Albanian Prime Minister, whoever he is, is bad for Kosovo. However, he said that Kosovo cannot be overlooked in Serbia-Albania relations.

“It is absurd to think that Belgrade can be related with Albania by overlooking Kosovo,” Limani considers.

The other political analyst in this show, Imer Mushkolaj, said that Albania never gave its maximum for Albanians living out of Albania. He said that it has only recently started to take over this role.

The analyst Jusuf Thaçi said that KLA war would not happen without Albania’s contribution and that some are trying to minimize this. Thaçi also stressed that there were no negative stances or statements for Kosovo in Rama’s meeting in Belgrade. According to him, the main problem is the statement of Kosovo Foreign Minister, Enver Hoxhaj, about this meeting, which he considers to be unmeasured.

Recalling the statement of Albanian and Serbian Prime Ministers in Belgrade, analyst Behlul Beqaj said it is clear that there is a joint vision between Serbia and Albania. According to Beqaj, when Edi Rama and Aleksandar Vucic said they do not want to deal with the past and choose to deal with the future, it implies that an anonymous decision has been reached.

In the meantime, Mufail Limani stressed that it is better for the Albanian Prime Minister not to talk about Kosovo. According to him, it is not Rama’s business to talk about Kosovo. He also considers that Tirana-Belgrade agreement devastates Kosovo and, according to him, this is known by all those that know a little of politics. Limani also said that Albanian PMs have always used Kosovo politically, but Jusuf Thaçi disagreed with him, saying that there were never such tendencies.

Mushkolaj stressed that Serbia’s problem is Kosovo, and not Albania.

The Albanian Prime Minister responded to all critics who are accusing him and telling him not to speak on behalf of Kosovo, KTV reported in its later news edition.

Invited to “Open Studio” show in News24, Rama said he does not speak on behalf of Kosovo, but for Kosovo. He added that to talk about Kosovo and not on behalf of Kosovo it is not needed to take anyone’s permission.

Kosovo and EU discuss implementation of Agreement on Justice

(KTV)

On Tuesday, a bilateral meeting between Kosovo delegation and representatives of the European Union took place in Brussels on the implementation of the Agreement on Justice, a press release of the Kosovo Ministry for Dialogue announced.

Kosovo delegation, led by Minister Edita Tahiri, engaged for a swift implementation of the Agreement on Justice, online version of KTV reported. Kosovo delegation notified EU that Kosovo has made all the preparations needed to expand the unitary justice system in Kosovo north.

On the other hand, EU representatives pledged for the conclusion of this process in compliance with Kosovo laws, and in line with the Brussels Agreement.

Online version of this broadcaster also quoted Minister Tahiri as saying that “regardless of misinformation by the Serbian side, the issue of Trepça will not be discussed in Brussels, because Trepça and all other assets are property of the state of Kosovo.”

Jevtic unfreezes his position in Kosovo Government

(Klan Kosova)

It seems that one of Serb Ministers in Isa Mustafa’s cabinet has ‘unfrozen’ his position. On Tuesday, Kosovo Minister for Return and Communities, Dalibor Jevtic, signed a Memorandum of Cooperation with the mayor of Rahovec/Orahovac municipality, Idriz Vehapi.

These two institutions will jointly build the “Summer Theatre” in Velika Hoca/Hoçë e Madhe village. This project will cost over 40,000 euros, while half of the funds will be allocated by the municipality and the other half by the Ministry, Klan Kosova reported.

Hyseni: Somebody wanted to kill me

(All monitored broadcasters, KTV)

During his reporting to the Kosovo Assembly Committee on European Integration, Minister of Interior, Skender Hyseni, revealed something that he never disclosed publicly, KTV reported.  Somebody from Dubrava prison apologized to him through a phone call, telling Hyseni that he wanted to kill him. This was stated by Minister Hyseni, after PDK MP Xhavit Haliti expressed his interests about the progress in shedding light on the post-war killings.

Speaking about visa liberalisation process, Hyseni said that in its final report European Commission recommended liberalisation of visas for Kosovo; however, he added that recommendation includes strengthening the fight against corruption.

Minister Hyseni also said that out of 113 measures of the National Programme for Implementation of SAA, 24 have been fully completed.

Members of the Assembly Committee on European Integration also discussed about drug trafficking and trafficking of human beings.