President Thaçi also part of Tuesday’s meeting in Brussels

(All monitored broadcasters, KTV&TV21) 

Kosovo Government Spokesperson, Arban Abrashi, confirmed that in the next meetings that will be held in Brussels, Kosovo delegation will be composed of President Hashim Thaçi and Prime Isa Mustafa.

“Prime Minister is in constant coordination with the President regarding participation in next meetings in Brussels,” Abrashi said.

Dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia in Brussels, under facilitation of EU High Representative Federica Mogherini, is expected to continue on Tuesday evening.

On the other hand, Serbian Prime Minister, Aleksandar Vucic, made it public that Serbia will be represented him and the Serbian President, Tomislav Nikolic, while he stressed that Albanian side is also expected to have a high level representation.

However, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Valon Murtezaj, could not confirm to KTV if Tuesday’s meeting will happen or not.

Kohavision insisted on taking the stance of Office of Kosovo President regarding this meeting, but contact with this Office was impossible.

Lekaj: Kosovo needs to change

(Most monitored broadcasters, KTV&TV21) 

AAK caucus leader, Pal Lekaj, said that Kosovo needs to change in order to face Serbia that, according to him, has not changed.

Lekaj’s reaction comes after the confirmation that senior Kosovo and Serbian leaders will meet on 24 January in Brussels regardless of, as he says, latest irresponsible behaviour of Serbia and requests for suspension of talks.

To Vetëvendosje Movement, there is no reason for dialogue with Serbia to continue, KTV reported.

Mustafa: Kosovo institutions stopped Serbian provocative train

(RTK1)

Prime Minister of Kosovo, Isa Mustafa, emphasised that demarcation with Montenegro will be concluded soon; while he promised that Kosovo will not give away any hectare of land in exchange of visa liberalisation.

“We will not give away any hectare for liberalisation, but also no one has the right to keep citizens of Republic of Kosovo hostage and isolated,” he stated for Gazeta Fjala.

PM Mustafa also spoke about the stoppage of Serbian train. According to him, the Serbian provocative train was stopped by the institutions of Republic of Kosovo with the support of international partners.

Kosovo Government disregards Srpska List’s ultimatum

(TV21)

At a time when Srpska List’s ultimatum to Government of Kosovo is drawing near that they will unilaterally establish the Association of Serb Majority Municipalities (ASMM) in case Kosovo executive does not do it, in this central institution expect that Srpska List will think it over again and return to institutions in order to enable acceleration of procedures for establishment of the Association.

While Srpska List is not withdrawing from its ultimatum, this is making no impression on Kosovo Government.

“By freezing its participation in Kosovo institutions, Srpska List has somehow excluded itself from participation in institutions, and by doing so it has taken acceleration of procedure for establishment of Association out of government’s agenda” said Faton Abdullahu, advisor to Prime Minister of Kosovo. 

Political analyst, Ramush Tahiri, sees this threat of Kosovo Serbs as a warning to accelerate procedures for establishment of the Association of Serb Majority Municipalities. He also considers a meeting between Prime Minister Isa Mustafa and Srpska List to determine the status of this Association necessary.

“If the Serb municipalities would do the Association on their own it would be dysfunctional because it would not be financed by Kosovo Government, it would not have international support, and it cannot function. I think that it is a threatening warning to accelerate the procedures at the Government of Kosovo. And, I also expect that Prime Minister of Kosovo, not because of the pressure, but because of the program, to call in the leaders of Serb political parties and respective minister, who deals with the Association, and determine the framework document,” Tahiri said.

Former Ambassador of Kosovo to Belgrade, Lulzim Peci, said that if Kosovo Government does not take concrete steps for establishment of the Association until the end of deadline given by Kosovo Serbs, any move taken by Serbs will not have any legal effect, but it will only raise tensions.

“In reality this will be the next provocation by the Serbian side, and that is establishment of this Association in illegal manner. However, the Agreement on Association is very clear. The statute for the Association will be drafted by Kosovo Government,” Peci underlined.

Security expert, Avni Islami, also considers the threat of Kosovo Serbs for the Association as the next provocation on the line. He is confident that local institutions will not allow its establishment by the Serbian side.

Prime Minister’s media advisor, Faton Abdullahu, sees the announcement of Kosovo Serbs that they will unilaterally declare establishment of ASMM in Kosovo on 15 February, on the Serbia’s Statehood Day, as a desire of theirs to re-establish parallel structures, but not also an Association of Serb Majority Municipalities.

Srpska List keeps Law on High Education hostage due to University of Mitrovica

(KTV)

It is over than a year since the Draft Law on High Education is not being adopted at the Assembly of Kosovo. Srpska List is coming up to the problem in this case, too.

MPs of this community said that their non-participation in Assembly sessions is the only reason for this non-voting KTV reported.

With the amendment of the Law it is envisaged that the so-called University of Prishtina with its premises in Mitrovica/Mitrovicë North will be put under the umbrella of Kosovo institutions.

Analysts and education experts say that University in Mitrovica/Mitrovicë should necessarily be subjected to Kosovo laws.

In the meantime, Teuta Haxhiu, member of the Kosovo Assembly education committee, said that this Draft Law was retracted from the Assembly in the most unusual way possible.

Orthodox Church not cooperating with Kosovo institutions

(Klan Kosova) 

Patriarchate in Pejë/Pec, Monastery in Gracanica/Graçanicë, Visoki Decani Monastery, and Leviska Church in Prizren are the four Orthodox Church buildings located in Kosovo, but which UNESCO protects as property of Serbia, Klan Kosova reported. 

The same ones are also in the list of Ministry of Culture in Prishtinë/Pristina, but besides this, Kosovo institutions do not have anything else under control.

Vjollca Aliu of the Cultural Heritage Department admits that Orthodox Church is almost entirely closed to cooperation with Kosovo institutions.

In “Ec Ma Ndryshe” organisation consider the approach of Kosovo institutions toward orthodox buildings as a failure ahead of Serbia which, according to them, is using churches for entirely political goals.

In any case, the Ahtisaari Package also recognizes the ownership over these buildings to the Serbian Orthodox Church. On the other hand, government officials in Belgrade constantly call it as an exclusive property of Serbia, Klan Kosova concluded. 

Qosja respond to critics regarding his idea of territory exchange

(TV21)

Exchange of Serb-inhabited Kosovo north with Presevo Valley would save Kosovo from small Serbian states in its territory. But, on the other hand, Kosovo would get Presevo, Medvedja, Bujanovac and other surrounding villages inhabited with Albanians. This was stated by academic Rexhep Qosja in a response to critics regarding his territory exchange proposal.

Qosja considers that critics of his idea will give Serbia both Mitrovica/Mitrovicë north and Presevo Valley.