Çitaku: Kosovo doesn’t negotiate its statehood and independence
(RTK)
The UN Security Council on Thursday evening in New York began its regular session on the report of UNMIK performance for the period 16th October 2018 to 15th January 2019, presented by the Head of Mission, Zahir Tanin.
The Kosovo Ambassador to the US Vlora Çitaku addressed the session.
She said she was honoured to be in the UN chamber, due to the respect and value she pays to it.
“Kosovo is certainly not a novelty topic for the chamber. For many people around the world, it was the war of the late 1990s that put Kosovo on the map. However, the war itself was not an isolated formative experience for my people,” Çitaku said.
“This war was predicated by years of oppression, segregation, and exploitation. Years when we were denied our most fundamental rights. No right to read and write our own language in schools, or to sing songs out on our streets,” she added.
“Years of tremendous suffering that only came to an end when your predecessors, sitting around this very table, two decades ago, gave a voice to me and my people,” Çitaku went on saying.
“Our country has risen from the ashes of war, and it was the UN administration that lifted us up. This chamber has provided guidance and facilitated a healthy debate about Kosova and its future,” Çitaku remembered.
“Ladies and gentlemen, with these facts in mind, I address you with the absolute candour and correctness that this forum impels, in saying that I can seriously not understand why on earth we are here for the third time in four months to talk about Kosova again. It is astounding. Simply unbelievable, that this council has convened more sessions to talk about Kosova, than it has for Syria, Yemen, or Venezuela,” Çitaku said.
“It is preposterous and absolutely unacceptable that his chamber be turned into a theatre by Serbia. That this esteemed forum becomes a stage for Serbia to tell its fairy tales to the world. Fictional stories that they don’t even believe for themselves. It is shameful that, yet again, this chamber is being misused, purely for domestic consumption,” she stressed.
“UNMIK has no role, and it no longer has a mandate in Kosova. These sessions have lost their purpose. In fact, the charade that is being put on here is yet more proof that Serbia is not genuine in its articulated intent to engage in dialogue with Kosova about the normalization of relations between our two countries,” Çitaku underlined.
“The dialogue between our two countries was not, is not, and will never be about Kosovo’s right to exist as a free nation under the sun. Let us not distort the facts here. Eleven years ago this month, a new and young republic was born in Europe. And Kosova will not, never, not today, not tomorrow, we will never negotiate our statehood. We want and we are prepared to talk about building constructive relations as neighbours. As equals. However, this is exactly where the problem lies. Serbia is inherently opposed to the idea that Kosova is its equal. That is why they create unnecessary drama everywhere they can about anything that makes them view us as their equals. There is a stubborn refusal to accept us as their peers. But, frankly speaking, that is Serbia’s problem. What I cannot understand is why we have to meet here so often and entertain their ideas about a parallel universe that they chose to live in,” Çitaku ended.
Çitaku considers UNSC meeting on Kosovo pointless
(KTV)
On its main news edition, KTV announced that the UN Security Council will convene on Thursday in New York, to discuss the regular quarterly report of the UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, on UNMIK’s performance in Kosovo.
The same newscast reported that Kosovo will be represented by the Kosovo Ambassador to Washington, Vlora Çitaku, while Serbia is represented by its Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic.
Security Council is mostly concerned about the tensions between Prishtinë/Pristina and Belgrade. The tensions have been increased over the last months, following adoption of the law on transformation of Security Forces into an Army. Security Council discussed this issue on 17th December. After Kosovo’s failure to be admitted to Interpol, Kosovo imposed 100 percent tariff on goods imported from Serbia. The EU and the US have called for suspending this decision. One of the elements mentioned in the report is beginning of the work of Specialist Chambers for crimes in Kosovo.
Ambassador Vlora Çitaku reacted to Thursday’s session of the UN Security Council on Kosovo, calling it a pointless and unimportant session.
“Another pointless session today. Unimportant and unnecessary. Disgusting to see how Security Council is turning into a theatre, where Serbia is allowed to repeat lies that they do not believe for themselves,” Çitaku wrote on her Facebook account.
A little bit later, again on a Facebook post, Çitaku wrote that she was on her way to New York to another pointless meeting of the Security Council for Kosovo.
“It is disturbing to see how #UNSC platform is being distorted into a theatre where #Serbia comes and shares stories that even they themselves do not believe,” Çitaku wrote.
Thaçi: US reconfirmed support to a Kosovo-Serbia agreement
(RTK)
Kosovo President Hashim Thaçi met in Washington with the US State Secretary, Mike Pompeo.
“As always, a special pleasure to discuss with the US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo. Today also, at the Morning Prayers, we discussed developments in Kosovo and in the Western Balkans region,” Thaçi wrote on Facebook.
“Once again, full support of the US to the Dialogue and to reaching a comprehensive and final peace agreement between Kosovo and Serbia was reconfirmed,” he stated.
AAK: No border change, no conditions for dialogue, no rescinding of tariff
(KTV)
The AAK Steering Committee and Presidency held a meeting, chaired by the AAK leader and Prime Minister of Kosovo, Ramush Haradinaj.
According to a statement to the media, the AAK forums with their votes at this meeting reconfirmed three fundamental guiding principles for this political party in relation to the Dialogue process with Serbia.
The three AAK principles are as follows:
1.Respecting the Kosovo Constitution and Declaration of Independence of 17th February;
2.Dialogue without conditions with Serbia; and
3.Tariff on products of Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina shall not be rescinded unless the mutual recognition happens.
OSCE: Gllogoc/Glogovac case to be given highest priority and justice to be served
(RTK, KTV, TV21, Klan Kosova)
The OSCE Mission in Kosovo joins others in expressing our condemnation of the sexual abuse reported against a vulnerable person by individuals in positions of trust and authority.
“The acts alleged to have been committed by the young girl’s teacher, and subsequently over a longer time period by a police officer are appalling and unacceptable on all levels of humanity and professionalism.
We welcome the immediate responses of the Kosovo Police General Director, the Kosovo Police Inspectorate, as well as the municipal authorities of Gllogoc/Glogovac in suspending, arresting and initiating case investigation procedures against the alleged abusers,” the OSCE press announcement reads.
The OSCE expects that this matter will be given the highest priority and that justice will be served.
“We call on social welfare officials to provide the necessary follow-up and counselling for the young victim and her family,” this press release writes further.
Police officer from Gllogoc/Glogovac put in one month detention on remand
(KTV)
Police officer V.V. from Gllogoc/Glogovac has been put in one month detention on remand, as a suspect for sexually abusing an underage girl.
The news was confirmed to KTV by Media Office of the Basic Court in Prishtinë/Pristina.
The statement of the Basic Court says that there is grounded suspicion that the accused V.V, in the capacity of the Head of Investigative Unit at the Police Station in Gllogoc/Glogovac, abused his official position or authority.
The party may appeal this decision at the Kosovo Court of Appeals.
Klan Kosova reported that a teacher and a gynaecologist have also been arrested, as suspects in this case.
Girl killed by institutions and then by provincial mind-set
(Klan Kosova)
The girl from Gllogoc/Glogovac, who is suspected to have been raped first by her teacher and then by a police officer, told her sad story.
She has called for punishment of her abusers, and said that she would deal with the case till the end.
Ismail Tasholli, philosopher, said on Klan Kosova Zona e Debatit that this sad story surfaces lots of problems, and that many persons have been involved in this story.
Jehona Lushaku, analyst, says that this extremely tragic case has pointed out many problems that the state institutions are facing, from education, to police, and health.
Professor Bardh Rugova believes that this event is not a matter of an individual, but rather a matter of stratifications on how the whole event occurred.
On the other hand, Ilir Mirena, analyst, pointed out a positive thing out of this case. He says that reaction of the public was unanimous in favour of taking measures and disrobing this system.
Ilir Deda, politician, said that we should get revolted against an inappropriately built system. According to him, not only that the teacher and the police officer should end up in prison, but the medical doctor should also be interrogated, the case should be investigated completely.
Ardian Gola, sociologist, says that the young girl has been killed by the educational and police institutions, and secondly, she was killed by the provincial and entirely patriarchal mind-set.
Radojicic hires lawyer in Kosovo
(Klan Kosova)
The most famous fugitive from Kosovo Milan Radojicic has hired a Kosovo lawyer.
Zivojin Jokanovic is the lawyer who will be defending Radojicic, deputy chairman of Srpska Lista, who is suspected for involvement in the murder of politician Oliver Ivanovic, and who has been issued an arrest warrant by the Special Prosecutor’s Office.
Jokanovic, whose office is situated in Prishtinë/Pristina downtown, has been hired by wife of the suspect.
The new lawyer supports any plan for surrendering Radojicic, if he will be granted the protected witness status in the Ivanovic case.
