Thaçi in United States: A slight border change should be accepted

(All monitored broadcasters, KTV)

Kosovo President Hashim Thaçi insists on a border change. During his visit to the United States, on Tuesday he had a discussion at the Council on Foreign Relations in Washington DC, where before a specialised audience on the region he spoke about the efforts for reaching a peace agreement between Kosovo and Serbia.

Thaçi said that Kosovo would not make agreements that are not acceptable to the US, but he added that if a slight border changes the price for a final peace agreement, that should be acceptable.

“A comprehensive peace agreement between Kosovo and Serbia will bring peace to Kosovo, peace and stability to the region, and it will have a transforming role in our society,” President Thaçi said, his Office announced.

He said that reaching an agreement between Kosovo and Serbia would not be an easy process, but added that it is the only way forward to avoid going back to tensions and conflicts. President Thaçi emphasised that the key purpose of the agreement was recognition of Kosovo by Serbia and Kosovo’s membership in the UN.

“Explaining that circumstances are favourable for a comprehensive agreement between Kosovo and Serbia, President Thaçi stated it seems that this time Serbia also is interested in an agreement with Kosovo, and Russia also seems willing to accept an agreement that could be reached between Kosovo and Serbia,” the announcement says.

“This is an opportunity to correct the border both in northern Kosovo and in southern Serbia,” Thaçi stated.

Talking about the role of the United States, Thaçi said that support from Washington was vital to Kosovo.

“Whenever Kosovo was together with the United States, it was victorious. Even if the compromises looked hard at the beginning, later it was turned out that those were the best strategic decisions,” Thaçi highlighted.

“Support of the United States to a peaceful agreement between Kosovo and Serbia is vital for Kosovo. We will not accept any agreement that is not acceptable also to Washington,” he added.

At the discussion, President Thaçi received questions from the audience.

James Pardew, a US diplomat and one of the US representatives for Kosovo during 1999-2001, asked about the border correction issue.

In his answer, President Thaçi said that one of the items in the peace agreement between Kosovo and Serbia will certainly be border demarcation between Kosovo and Serbia.

“However, strategic resources such as Gazivoda Lake, the entire town of Mitrovicë/Mitrovica, and Trepça are non-negotiable,” President Thaçi stated.

Other participants asked about economic development and reform in Kosovo. President Thaçi answered that those are success stories, but their successful continuation depends on political stability.

“That is why we need a permanent peaceful agreement between Kosovo and Serbia. That will open the path to reforms, development and positive transformation of the whole society,” President Thaçi concluded.

Veseli: I will stand behind coalition with Haradinaj until the end

(RTK1)

Assembly Speaker and PDK leader Kadri Veseli said that he will stand behind the coalition with Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj until the end, but he has only one concern, the “sincerity and true patriotism of Ramush Haradinaj.”

In an interview with Info Magazine, Veseli said that he has given support to Ramush Haradinaj and made him Prime Minister of Kosovo. “I will also stand behind it until the end. Only ethics and correctness keep me in my life,” Veseli said.

“This coalition is doing its job; this Prime Minister is doing the job. We are jointly making decisions. Just imagine the salary increases we have made in a situation where most of the surrounding countries are in an economic crisis. I have a concern: the sincerity and true patriotism of Ramush Haradinaj. Some liars will use his sincerity to make him come against the Western partnership, the US and the EU. I think he is doing a good job, but in politics one should not fall prey to fair-weather friends,” Veseli said.

Veseli and Haradinaj for a while had opposing views on the tariff; while Veseli has proposed a 120-day suspension of the tariff, Haradinaj insisted that the tariff should not be moved, despite the US request to suspend it.

Discussion of Trepça in Dialogue widely opposed

(KTV & RTK)

The possibility of discussing Trepça issue in the Dialogue with Serbia in Brussels has alarmed politicians in Prishtinë/Pristina.

The statement of Mogherini’s spokesperson, Maja Kocijancic that the goal of the EU is that open issues should be resolved through the Dialogue, has been strongly opposed.

In his first reaction, Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj wrote that the EU has gone astray.

He qualified this statement unacceptable, saying that it undermines sovereignty of the state and may provoke instability.

The Assembly Speaker Kadri Veseli was brief in his statement.

“Trepça was not, is not, and will not be an open issue in the Dialogue with Serbia. With this language, the EU is undermining any perspective of dialogue and good neighbourhood. Trepça is a natural right of the state of Kosovo, today and forever,” Veseli wrote.

Former Prime Minister Isa Mustafa called for unity about Trepça.

RTK reported that Minister of Economic Development Valdrin Lluka stated that they would not accept any discussion about Trepça, emphasising the need for unification of the entire political spectrum.

On a Facebook status, Lluka highlighted that the statement of the European Commission’s spokesperson Maja Kocijancic that Trepça should be part of the Dialogue, is completely unacceptable and immature, and as such it harms the perspective of dialogue and objectives for reaching an agreement for mutual recognition.

One day EU will ask Kosovo to stop breathing if there is no dialogue with Serbia – Mustafa

(GazetaExpress)

 Former prime minister of Kosovo and leader of the biggest opposition party, LDK, Isa Mustafa, has reacted to the EU position that status of the Trepca mining complex should be addressed during dialogue with Serbia.

Mustafa says the EU’s request to address the issue of Trepca mining complex during the EU-facilitated dialogue with Serbia is “unacceptable” and “absurd.”

Mustafa statement in Facebook:

“Surprised with the EU’s request that Trepca be discussed during the dialogue with Serbia. Kosovo has not accepted to discuss with Serbia Trepca and other assets, which are in its territory. Such a request is absurd, unacceptable, such as unacceptable discussing with Serbia borders and territory of Kosovo.

“During my mandate as Prime Minister, we drafted and approved the Law on Trepca, saving this symbol of economy of the country from bankruptcy and privatisation. The LDK MPs voted last week the Trepca Statute, which took 2/3 of votes in Assembly. This shows our unity towards vital state interests.

“We should be united and strongly oppose discussing with Serbia issues concerning our sovereignty and territorial integrity as part of arrangements for reaching of a comprehensive agreement! Because, with this trend, one day they will ask us to stop breathing if we don’t accept the dialogue with Serbia.”

Kurti: Haradinaj thinks he is Ahtisaari

(RTK)

The Vetëvendosje Movement leader Albin Kurti said that Kosovo Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj thinks he is Martti Ahtisaari.

He spoke in a conversation with citizens on the topic: “Kosovo-Serbia Dialogue and the International Community”.

“That agreement that Haradinaj has written is wrong, he thinks he is Ahtisaari. You are there to make requests to Serbia, not to write a comprehensive agreement. This job is done by the mediator. He has written a comprehensive Agreement in which he gives up in all the areas except that there is no change of borders,” he said.

Limaj and Ahmeti travel to Brussels without any announcement

(KTV)

Without any announcement and secretly, Fatmir Limaj and Shpend Ahmeti travelled to Brussels.

KTV sources stated that co-chairs of the Negotiating Team travelled to Brussels on Tuesday, to discuss the dialogue process with Serbia.

It is not known who Fatmir Limaj and Shpend Ahmeti have met with or will meet with during their stay in Brussels.

KTV tried to contact Limaj and Ahmeti, but none of them answered the calls and questions of KTV.

Both Limaj and Ahmeti have continuously stated that there would be full transparency about meetings and about the dialogue process.

EU’s Mogherini siding with Serbia, says ex-negotiator of Kosovo

(GazetaExpress)

Kosovo’s former chief negotiator in technical dialogue with Serbia, Edita Tahiri, has strongly opposed the statement of the EU spokeswoman, Maja Kocijancic, who told media in Belgrade that the issue of Trepca should be addressed during Pristina-Belgrade dialogue in Brussels.

“I strongly oppose this scandalous and war waging statement of the EU High Representative Federica Mogherini’s Office. This shows that Mrs. Mogherini is siding with Serbia, by losing her credibility as unbiased facilitator of Dialogue in Brussels. This is not an EU stance, but only of some officials who are in the wrong path,” Tahiri said.

“I wonder whose interests Mogherini is serving, because it is obvious it is not serving neither to the EU nor protecting the EU principles on Western Balkans,” Tahiri said. She said that it is alarming to see Mogherini’s Office violating position of the EU members which have already recognised Kosovo’s independence. “Mogherini and Kocijancic should not forget that 23 EU members have recognised the state of Kosovo, and only five have not recognised it. It is alarming that Mogherini’s office is not respecting the state of the EU leader countries, such as Germany, France, Great Britain, who are against change of borders between Kosovo and Serbia,” online media Kallxo.com reports.

UN chief worries about Belgrade – Pristina tensions, import tariffs main reason

(N1)

 The UN Secretary-General said he was concerned about the increasing tensions between Belgrade and Pristina, especially in northern Kosovo, and called on the leaders on both sides to refrain from further moves which could additionally worsen the situation, the FoNet news agency reported.

Antonio Guterres said the biggest problem in the relations between the two capitals was Pristina’s decision to increase import taxes to 100 percent on goods from Serbia and Bosnia last November and which it so far refused to suspend despite repeated calls from the US and the European Union.

He noted the taxes were introduced after Kosovo failed to join Interpol.

“The tensions between Belgrade and Pristina continue to grow and have a negative impact on the possibility for the productive (EU- facilitated Belgrade – Pristina) dialogue (on normalisation of relations),” Guterres said as quoted by Serbia’s state RTS television.

He asked the leaders on both sides “to use coolheaded moves in a search for the progress in the dialogue.”

Guterres’ new report on Kosovo was delivered to the ambassadors of the Security Council member states, though it was not clear whether the issue would be on the February meeting agenda.

The US, UK and France believe that, considering the situation on the ground, there is no need to discuss Kosovo four times a year.

Besides, Pristina leadership, supported by the US and UK, has repeatedly demanded the UN to reassess the role of its Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK). Russia and China have been opposing the move.

Commenting on the EU activities in Kosovo, the report said that the Special Court continued its investigation into “inhumane treatment of people and illegal organ trade in Kosovo,” and that the hearings of the former high-ranked members of the Kosovo Liberation Army had started.

EBU reacts, inclusion of RTK into Law on Salaries against Constitution

(RTK1)

The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) urges Kosovo authorities to adopt Law on Radio and Television of Kosovo (RTK).

The EBU is concerned that the institutional and editorial independence of Kosovo’s public service broadcaster, RTK, will be undermined if the law on Public Sector Salaries adopted on 2 February is promulgated by the President.

“We believe that, in including RTK employees in the newly adopted law on Public Sector Salaries, there is a conflict with the current RTK Law and the national Constitution, which provide for the institutional and editorial independence of public service media,” the EBU press release reads.

According to the current RTK Law, the broadcaster is free to pursue its human resources policy as part of its institutional autonomy in an open, transparent and competitive manner.

“RTK is an important democratic institution with a mission to serve all segments in society and it is of crucial importance to ensure its institutional and editorial independence in line with European standards, and in particular with the Council of Europe Recommendations 96 (10) on independence and 2012 (1) on governance of public service broadcasting,” the EBU release reads further

“We also urge the authorities of Kosovo to adopt the new Law on RTK that should ensure stable, independent and predictable funding of the broadcaster and provide sufficient safeguards for its institutional autonomy and editorial independence, including its autonomy on its human resources policy.

Independent and strong public service media is an important precondition for countries wishing to join the European Union,” EBU emphasises.