Mogherini: Despite difficulties, there is progress in Kosovo-Serbia negotiations
(RTK)
The European diplomacy chief Federica Mogherini stated that despite the difficulties, there has been progress in negotiations between Belgrade and Prishtinë/Pristina.
Mogherini told Politico that she considers the nuclear deal with Iran her greatest success, but noted that she cannot forget her work in the Balkans.
“Despite all difficulties, we are moving forward the negotiation between Serbia and Kosovo, to close once and for all the era of Balkan conflicts,” she said.
Thaçi wanted border changing to be included in Dialogue Platform
(KTV)
The Kosovo President Hashim Thaçi keeps insisting on his idea that the Presevo Valley should join Kosovo.
Furthermore, he had aimed to include his idea into the Dialogue Platform, but it was refused by the State Team, KTV reported.
All what has been included as a principle in this document, is promotion of human rights of the Albanian community living in the Republic of Serbia, in full reciprocity with Serb community in the Republic of Kosovo.
The Team co-chair Shpend Ahmeti said that at one of the meetings of leaders, the President asked for this issue to be included in the Platform.
KTV asked also the President’s Office whether the President intends to submit to the Assembly the Draft Resolution on recognising the right to Presevo Valley Albanians for joining Kosovo, but the Office did not respond.
After submission of the Dialogue Platform to the Assembly last week, it was said that a session for discussion of the Platform would take place soon; however, officials of the Assembly Speaker’s Cabinet told KTV that a session will be held on 28th February, but it will be simply a continuation of the previous session.
It remains unclear to the State Team why a session was not called this week as planned. For this reason, the State Team members will convene on Friday morning.
Ahmeti will take part in those meetings, but he says that he will not by any means attend meetings where tariff will be discussed.
On the other hand, Deputy Prime Minister Behgjet Pacolli says that relations with the United States will not be broken.
Pacolli was reluctant to speak much about the meeting that he had proposed a couple of days ago to coordinate actions in the interest of friendship with Western allies.
Tahiri: Tariff will not be rescinded next week
(Klan Kosova)
Besnik Tahiri of AAK said that the 100% tariff on products originating from Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina will not be rescinded.
“No, the tariff will not be rescinded next week. The tariff will not be rescinded either next week or under any other circumstances, except those that have been presented by Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj,” he said.
Speaking with Klan Kosova’s Info Magazine show, Tahiri said that imposing of the tariff was a decision taken by the coalition.
“We made it public then, and we make it public now. There are some positions that we take as a course of action, and they do not depend on whether you are in power or not.”
“It was a joint decision of the coalition to impose the tariff. We made our statements in the Government about this issue. Some public research has been carried out, and it has been noted that the public supports Government’s decision on tariff.”
“Why should we rescind the tariff, just to please [Aleksandar] Vucic, right?” Tahiri asked.
He added that the United States should not demonstrate their strength with Kosovo.
Tahiri stated that the Serbian President has invented a story that Kosovo and Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj are against Dialogue with Serbia.
“We are in favour of dialogue, but without conditions. What can Kosovo suffer more? What has the Dialogue produced for seven years that we wandering up and down in Brussels, except the pictures?”
Tahiri stated that it is possible to go to the polls only if there is a no-confidence motion.
“We will go to the polls when there will be a motion in the Assembly and when the Assembly faces this Government with the no-confidence motion; otherwise, the Government will not be ousted,” Tahiri continued.
He highlighted that Ramush Haradinaj is determined with his whole being, and he is defending the territory of Kosovo.
Sherifi: Government isn’t standing thanks to PDK’s generosity
(RTK1)
Bilall Sherifi of Social Democratic Initiative said that the Kosovo Government is not standing thanks to generosity of PDK, but because PDK has no partner to create a government with.
On Thursday, he spoke on RTK3 Open Studio show.
“I think that the Government is not standing thanks to generosity of PDK, but also because they have no other partner to form a government with. Consequently, even if they are having any discussions on the behind the curtain, it would be good to quit them. I am referring to PDK, because Mr Veseli has occasionally addressed this topic,” Sherifi said.
“Mr Veseli should sit at a table with partners, not discuss this topic publically,” he added.
Sherifi said that there was nothing official about breaking of the Government coalition.
“The coalition partners have not told each other that they want to end the co-governance, and since nothing official has happened, I also think that those are speculations,” Sherifi concluded.
Nice: Specialist Chambers intend to rewrite history
(RTK1)
Former ICTY prosecutor, lawyer Geoffrey Nice says that the Specialist Chambers are fully in the service of Serbia.
According to Geoffrey Nice, the goal of the Specialist Chambers is to rewrite history.
In an interview with Klan Kosova, he called Specialist Chambers incapable, given that for four years it failed to come up with indictments.
Currently, Nice is defence lawyer of Sami Lushtaku, and he was the chief prosecutor in Slobodan Milosevic case, in the International Crime Tribunal for former Yugoslavia (ICTY) in The Hague.
Rrustemi says that Thaçi’s irresponsibility about CEC should be denounced
(KTV)
Adnan Rrustemi, former member of the Central Election Commission (CEC) from Vetëvendosje Movement, spoke on the KTV Express Intervista about blocking of CEC by President Hashim Thaçi.
Rrustemi said that Thaçi was only doing so to block it, rather making use of his Constitutional obligations.
“Thaçi has blocked CEC since March last year. One should denounce irresponsibility of the President, who is not unblocking this independent institution,” he said.
Rrustemi added that blocking of CEC is intentional, and politically-influenced.
According to him, Thaçi is undermining CEC’s action capacities.
He thinks that the opposition will have a greater or doubled representation in CEC.
Rrustemi pointed out that as a result of the blockage by President Thaçi; about 40 municipal councillors have been waiting for more than a year to be certified, which has damaged the municipal assemblies. Moreover, he said that many projects and activities of CEC have become impossible, and many initiatives on CEC’s capacity building supported by international organisations have failed.
According to Rrustemi, at the end of last year, the President’s Office informally emailed political parties, asking for them to submit their proposals for CEC members. He says that this request was repeated later on, while President Thaçi still is not taking the appropriate actions.
“We have no time to continue prolongation of CEC; a general awareness raising is needed to highlight the interference of Thaçi in CEC,” he said.
In a reaction on Thursday, Vetëvendosje Movement accused President Hashim Thaçi of not functionalising the CEC. Vetëvendosje MP Albulena Haxhiu said that for two months, the President has not decreed the nominees of Vetëvendosje for CEC members, Adnan Rrustemi and Nazlie Bala.
According to Haxhiu, the President must comply with the Constitution.
Citizens sceptical about Bahtiri’s idea for unification of Mitrovicë/Mitrovica
(KTV)
Even though over 16,000 citizens responded positively to the petition for unification of Mitrovicë/Mitrovica South and North, they think that the whole thing is a political game.
They believe that the unification must happen, and they are ready to support such an initiative again.
Citizens said that the decision taken by the Ministry of Local Government (MLGA) is unjust, and it should be revised.
There are also those who say that unification is the right idea, but not in the powers of Mayor Agim Bahtiri.
In the meantime, MLGA, in a decision, has announced that the petition for unification of Mitrovicë/Mitrovica did not meet the required criteria.
More specifically, according to the MLGA, the petition has met only two of the eight required criteria.
Among other things, the way of financing the initiative has not been disclosed, nor has the concrete form of the initiative been defined, which means that compilation of the draft law or the proposal for this to be done by the Assembly.
In a written response, MLGA very briefly told KTV that upon the request of the Prime Minister’s Office, it has only looked into the legal part.
Rakic invites Bahtiri to jointly send initiative for annulment of independence to Assembly
(KTV)
Srpska Lista chairman Goran Rakic invited the Mayor of Mitrovicë/Mitrovica South, Agim Bahtiri, to jointly send to the Assembly of Kosovo the initiative, as he said, “to take the decision for annulment of Kosovo’s independence and integration of Kosovo into Serbia.”
This was Rakic’s reaction to Agim Bahtiri who, on Thursday, handed over the petition with citizens’ signatures for unification of Mitrovicë/Mitrovica to Kosovo President Hashim Thaçi.
“If Bahtiri has decided that the unification of Serbian and the Albanian people is the best solution, I invite him to jointly send the initiative to the Assembly of Kosovo to take the decision for annulment of declaration of Kosovo independence and for the integration of Kosovo into Serbia,” Rakic was quoted as saying by Danas daily.
