Haradinaj: We can manage without recognition by Serbia

(RTK1)

Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj commented on the warning of President Hashim Thaçi that if the Assembly does not support the agreement with Serbia on joining of Presevo, he will resign.

Haradinaj said that the Constitution does not allow territorial claims. He added that one can manage even without the agreement.

Once again, he expressed his unshakable stance regarding the tariff on Serbian products. He refused to comment on the President’s statement that the tariff is jeopardising the state, but he reiterated that he loves the President.

Following the Government meeting, Prime Minister Haradinaj said he hoped that the tariff will be annulled as soon as possible, but added that in order for it to happen, a contract on mutual recognition is needed, and it cannot be based on changing borders and territories.

Kosnett: With time, enemies can turn to friends

(RTK1)

The United States Ambassador to Kosovo Phillip Kosnett wrote on his Twitter profile about the Kosovo-Serbia relations.

The US diplomat stated as follows:

“With time, enemies can turn to friends.”

Referring to relations between the two countries, Kosnett said:

“This can be achieved when they honestly discuss the horrors of the past, while focusing on the benefits cooperation will bring in the future.”

There are no secret talks with Serbia, Arifaj says

(Klan Kosova & RTK1)

Ardian Arifaj, advisor to the President of Kosovo, said that an agreement with Serbia is meaningful for Kosovo only if it brings recognition and a seat in the UN.

On Klan Kosova’s Info Magazine show, Arifaj stated that there would be no agreement that affects and violates any strategic point of Kosovo.

“…Only this agreement is meaningful for Kosovo, and it will enjoy support by all citizens. We are not looking for any provisional solution. It is being indicated that politics impedes economic development, discourages investors. Political uncertainty is an obstacle to big investors, not only for Kosovo but also for the entire region,” he added.

“The comprehensive, final peace agreement will never violate strategic points of Kosovo. There is a red, thick line – Mitrovica/Mitrovicë and Trepça can never be touched,” Arifaj emphasised.

Arifaj said that this was a favourable momentum for reaching a Kosovo-Serbia agreement.

According to him, the international attention has returned to peace building in the Balkans and to an agreement between the two countries, in turn.

“What is qualified as the last phase has started, despite the stagnation due to the tariff. This means that a favourable momentum has been created both in the region and in the international arena in favour of a final agreement between Kosovo and Serbia, which would close the war chapter,” Arifaj said.

He said it was a condition to all the Balkans countries to close their open issues.

Arifaj refuted existence of secrete talks with Serbia.

“Secret talks do not exist. It is inaccurate; it is untrue that there are secrete talks. There are no secret talks, there are no secrete agreements. Any agreement that is reached, must be ratified with 2/3 votes of the MPs. There cannot be any secrete agreement that will be imposed on the citizens,” Arifaj stated.

Talking about border demarcation, Arifaj said that it brings good things only.

“Like with Montenegro and Macedonia, we need to make border demarcation with Serbia, as well. It brings a lot of benefits for the entire region.  The dialogue has provoked concerns to all communities, but it is important that the dialogue continues. A peaceful agreement will have a transformational role for our society. It will have a transformational role in overcoming ethnic divisions. Communities will not perceive each other as threats, but rather as co-citizens,” Ardian Arifaj concluded.

Kosovo may organise consultative referendum in case of agreement with Serbia

(RTK1, KTV)

Kosovo may organise a consultative referendum, in case a final agreement with Serbia for normalisation of relations is reached, legal and constitutional experts say. They also remind that preliminarily, the Assembly needs to adopt Law on Referendum.

Professor of Constitutional Law Arsim Bajrami, who was a member of the Commission for Drafting the Kosovo Constitution, stated to Radio Free Europe that Kosovo needed to have its law on referendum, as the most direct form of democracy that includes citizens in certain issues.

“Referendum can serve only as a consultative or optional referendum, and there is no obstacle to the Assembly within its powers to declare a referendum on any issue. However, the referendum in this case is not of a binding character; it is consultative only, because decision-making should be turned constitutionally, which means it should be voted by the Kosovo Assembly,” Bajrami said.

According to him, if one wants international agreements, including possible ones with Serbia, to be approved through referendum, the Constitution needs to be amended preliminarily.

“In this case, the referendum would be similar to the one that was held for changing the name in the case of North Macedonia. It would be only a measurement of the will of citizens of the Republic of Kosovo, whereas decision-making should be constitutionally turned to the Assembly of the Republic of Kosovo,” Bajrami said.

Mustafa: PSD is Government’s tool

(RTK1)

The LDK’s spokesperson Besian Mustafa said that Shpend Ahmeti’s PSD has turned into a tool of the Kosovo Government.

On Tuesday, he talked on RTK3’s Open Studio show.

“PSD has become a tool of this Government coalition, allegedly without becoming part of the Government. They vote anything that this Government presents at the Assembly. Every week, they support this Government,” he said.

Mustafa said that before imposing the tariff, coordination with the international partners should have happened.

“This is the first time in the history of Kosovo that we do not have good relations with the US. The US has expressed dissatisfaction concerning the tariff, in several ways. If relations with the US were not undermined, there would not be so many reactions coming from the US,” he added.

According to him, as a result of the tariff, Serbia has been given a tool to complain about.

Mustafa stated that if one parliamentary party does not accept to become part of an inclusive government, LDK would not accept either, and it would ask for elections.