Kosovo and Serbia agree about reciprocity on licence plates
(RTK1, KTV, Klan Kosova)
With the European Union facilitation a trilateral meeting was held on Wednesday regarding the implementation of the Agreement reached on 14 September 2016 which defines reciprocity regarding licence plates between Kosovo and Serbia.
In this meeting, Kosovo delegation, led by Minister Edita Tahiri, presented the progress achieved in implementation of the Agreement on reciprocity, which will remove the procedure of ‘Probationary’ plates that were unilaterally imposed by Serbia to Kosovo citizens.
Serbian side also confirmed the readiness to implement the Agreement and presented the progress of preparations for its implementation.
Both sides discussed the option of placing stickers in licence plates which will be valid for the two countries. EU requested from both parties to provide free stickers to citizens, which implies that the Governments of both countries should take over the cost for production of stickers, online version of Klan Kosova reported.
In this meeting, Kosovo delegation also reported about the progress achieved in opening civil registry offices in four municipalities in Kosovo north. It was emphasized that the recruitment process, integration, training and creation of working conditions for opening of these offices has progressed and that their opening will take place in November.
Quoting Serbian media, the online version of KTV reported that Prishtinë/Pristina delegation refused Belgrade’s persistence to include the issue Trepça in talks. According to the Serbian public broadcaster (RTS), Trepça topics provoked harsh debate and tensions in this meeting.
Two ministries without ministers, Government reshuffling expected
(KTV)
Two positions of ministers in the Government of Kosovo continue to remain vacant, KTV reported.
A minister, the Environment and Spatial Planning one, gave up his post until he finishes work with justice bodies, while Bekim Çollaku of European Integration left the Ministry to become the first advisor to Kosovo President Hashim Thaçi.
Coalition partners have announced Government reshuffling several times, while they now say that this issue will not take long.
While Ferhat Shala is performing the duty of Environment Minister, in the Ministry of Integration the burden has fallen on the Permanent Secretary, as the deputy minister Ramadan Ilazi, who is continuing his PhD studies, also gave up his post in this ministry.
Prime Minister Isa Mustafa ensured that Government cabinet reshuffling will happen soon. In the meantime, it seems that PDK is interested not to dissolve Ministry of Integration, but they still have not discussed concrete names.
LDK also meets with Vetëvendosje secretly
(Klan Kosova)
Kosovo Prime Minister’s advisor, Besnik Berisha, said that representatives of political entities also meet without media presence when important issues in the country are discussed.
Commenting the deepening political gap on demarcation of the border with Montenegro and civil society efforts to bring positions of the parties closer, Berisha said that besides these meetings that the public is aware off, there are also meetings that are held without media presence.
“There are also meetings without the awareness of media. Politicians often meet and discuss issues they do not agree about. This includes all parliamentary political entities, so Vetëvendosje included”, Berisha said.
He made these comments in Info Magazine show of Klan Kosova, online version of this broadcaster reported.
Haliti: Albania can help Kosovo issue
(Klan Kosova – Debate Zone)
Xhavit Haliti, Kosovo Assembly Deputy Speaker, commented recent debates on relations between Kosovo and Albania. He does not consider the visit of Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama to Serbia as wrong.
“He did not go there to sell Kosovo, or harm Albania’s interests. The path toward Europe is Serbia’s desire and this cannot be achieved without good neighbourhood,” Haliti stated in Klan Kosova’s Debate Zone show.
He also said that Albania is not a strong factor, but it can help a lot in the Kosovo issue.
“When we speak about Serbia’s agreement on railways with Albania, it is the interest of Albania, Kosovo and Serbia to absorb funds from the European Union. I see nothing wrong in this agreement. The railway is also an opening of Kosovo and Albania toward the West, same as with building of highways,” Haliti considers.
“Today’s trend is free movement of people and goods, and we should not place now wires and thorns in the railway,” he concluded.
All MPs agree, RTK is overspending in each category
(KTV)
It happens rarely to them, but MPs of the ruling and opposition parties found a point they agree about at the Assembly.
While the Radio and Television of Kosovo (RTK) financial report for the first six months of this year was being discussed at the Assembly Budget and Finance Committee, MPs of all political entities had a lot of criticism about it due to budget overspending in many categories, which were considered a luxury by the LDK MP Besa Gaxheri.
Director of RTK Board, Ismet Bexheti, considers that RTK is not managing to function normally.
Committee members did not approve the first semester report. With the proposal of Committee chairperson, Naser Osmani, a working was created group to work with the Board on revision of expenses for the three following months.
Kosovo Serb journalists lack conditions to tackle corruption stories
(Klan Kosova)
Serb journalists in Kosovo lack conditions to tackle corruption stories and do investigative journalism. This was stated in a roundtable held in Çagllavicë Media Centre on the topic “Reporting on corruption and investigative journalism in Kosovo Serb media”, organized by TV Mreza and BIRN Kosovo, online version of Klan Kosova reported.
Director of Çagllavicë Media Centre, Budimir Nicic, considers self-censorship as the main reason for the lack of corruption stories in Kosovo Serb media.
European Union, on the other hand, regularly monitors freedom of the media in Kosovo and reports the situation through the publication of annual reports.
EU Office in Kosovo representative stressed the importance of providing a working environment for journalists who want to tackle corruption stories.
“We believe that media have a unique role in the fight against corruption. It can influence the behaviour of people and decrease the level of tolerance against corruption, which is essential in the fight against this phenomenon,” said Dinka Zivalj, Spokesperson of the EU Office in Kosovo.
24 July proposed as Memorial Day for Egyptians
(KTV)
Regardless of absence of four Srpska List MPs, the Assembly Committee for Communities continued its work normally.
The Committee submitted the request to Assembly Presidency to declare 24 June as the Memorial Day for Egyptians, while it stressed the need for amendment of the Law on Official Holidays, as there are unnecessary holidays in it.
The AAK MP Ali Berisha underlined that Kosovo has many official holidays which are impeding the work of Kosovo institutions; however, they support the initiative of Egyptians for a Memorial Day for them.
Agim Çeku stressed that Law on Official Holidays must be changed, as, according to him, there are many unnecessary holidays, but, according to him, it does not belong to the Committee to remove these days from the holiday calendar.
Ten prison officers suspended
(KTV)
Ministry of Justice has temporarily suspended 10 officials of Kosovo Correctional Service after the Prosecution confirmed that an indictment has been filed against them.
Current Director of Dubrava Prison, Ismajl Dibrani, and former Director of Kosovo Correctional Service, Emrush Thaçi, are also among the suspended officers.
This group of people is suspected of abuse of official position.
Investigations against them started after Sami Lushtaku’s escape from prison.
Supreme Court clerk accused of bribery
(KTV)
Almost two months after filing of the indictment, the process against Supreme Court clerk, Bukurije Haxhimurati, has started. At the beginning of the session, her lawyer,
Florin Vertopi, objected the presence of KTV video camera in this trial.
He referred to the Article 208 of Criminal Procedure Code, which in fact regulates recording of the session for needs of the Court and the parties, but not also the media.
Judge Valon Kurtaj decided to proceed according to Article 301, according to which, the audio and video recording of public trials is allowed, although he limited the recording to only couple of minutes. The defendant Bukurije Haxhimurati said she does not feel guilty.
She is accused that from 2011 until 2013, at the capacity of official person, a clerk in Supreme Court, she took bribes at the amount of 13 thousand euros. This was done in exchange of mitigating the release from prison or mitigation of the sentence for Witness C, who was a collaborating witness in this case.
O’Connell and Kuzic discuss development of RTK2
(RTK2)
On Wednesday, RTK2 Director Srboljub Kuzic and the United Kingdom Ambassador to Kosovo, Ruairi O’Connell, met at the United Kingdom’s Embassy in Prishtinë/Pristina.
Functionalization of RTK2 and plans for further development of this TV channel were the main topics of the meeting.
Ambassador O’Connell congratulated Kuzic for his appointment as RTK2 director and wished him success in his new position.
