- KFOR refutes Vucic: No plans for intervention in north (KTV)
- Petrovic feels threatened by Vucic (Klan Kosova)
- Haradinaj: Kosovo needs electoral reform (Kosovo portals)
- Negotiating Team divided (KTV)
- Fajon: I strongly trust Mogherini (RTK1)
- Hoxhaj: Tariff has harmed our relations with America (RTK)
- Haradinaj: Kosovo determined for long-term partnership with US (KTV)
- The AAK-managed Telecom employs Nitaj’s son (KTV)
- Hoxhaj reacts after failure of RYCO meeting (RTK)
KFOR refutes Vucic: No plans for intervention in north
(KTV)
KFOR spokesperson Vincenzo Grasso has refuted statement of the Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, who said that Prishtinë/Pristina was planning an armed intervention to put northern Kosovo under control and to take Trepça.
Grasso said there were no signals that Kosovo has been planning anything like that, as some media speculated.
The KFOR spokesperson stated to Tanjug that the situation in Kosovo was under control, and there are no indications for incidents.
Asked whether KFOR agreed with such plan of Prishtinë/Pristina, Grasso answered that those were provocations, and that both sides should be careful with unnecessary tensions based on fake information.
Answering the question what KFOR would do if Kosovo would interfere in the north; Grasso said that KFOR has good and stable contacts with all security institutions in Kosovo, as well as with Serbian Armed Forces.
“KFOR is committed to exercising its mandate in compliance with Resolution 1244 of the Security Council, to guarantee security to all citizens of Kosovo. KFOR is working and is ready to intervene in case of any security threat,” he said.
Grasso emphasised that the security situation is under control.
“The concerns caused by the current rhetoric create the possibility for an isolated case to escalate. KFOR calls on all those responsible for public speech and to all the media, not to trigger consequences with such things,” Grasso concluded.
Petrovic feels threatened by Vucic
(Klan Kosova)
Kosovo Assembly Member Slobodan Petrovic is feeling threatened. The reason is Aleksandar Vucic.
Recently, the Serbian President has addressed serious allegations against him, Klan Kosova reported.
The chairman of the Independent Liberal Party (SLS), according to Vucic, voted the establishment of Kosovo Army. He is accusing Petrovic of making the quorum to vote for the ‘banditesque’ document, as Vucic calls the [Kosovo] Dialogue Platform.
“I can directly say that I have already turned into a target together with the people I work and the family, and this is more than clear. I thought that after the murder of Oliver Ivanovic, which was a tragedy, those that targeted him learned their lesson, but it seems that I have cheated myself,” Petrovic stated.
Because of this, the Kosovo lawmaker through a public letter addressed the same person that is threatening him – the Serbian President.
“Anyone who aims to limit and intimidate our citizens will not find support among us, even if that person is called President Aleksandar Vucic. They cannot change me to fight for each citizen, for a dignified life for them, no matter what their first or last name is,” he underlined.
Petrovic, who was stopped for an interrogation by the Serbian authorities at Merdar border crossing point, said he did not seek protection by Kosovo rule of law bodies.
“I am not one of those people who get frightened; nevertheless, this is an indicator for me that I must be vigilant,” he said.
It was confirmed to Klan Kosova that the international community has intervened with regard to those that are already been called as threats against the SLS lawmaker by the Head of Serbian state. Petrovic has been contacted by US Senators and UK diplomats.
Haradinaj: Kosovo needs electoral reform
(Kosovo portals)
Following a meeting with the OSCE Head of Mission Ambassador Jan Braathu and Head of the EU Office Natalyia Apostolova, PM Ramush Haradinaj stated that Kosovo needs an electoral reform.
On a Facebook post, Haradinaj stated: “Kosovo needs an electoral reform that develops and strengthens democratic processes in the country. We agreed in a meeting with the OSCE Head of Mission, Ambassador Jan Braathu, and EU Office Chief Nataliya Apostolova that the electoral reform should be careful and should consider social specifics, by guaranteeing political inclusiveness and adequate gender and ethnic representation.”
In addition, the Government also issued a press release about this meeting, which reads, amongst others, “Haradinaj emphasised Government’s commitment to general reforms in the country, strengthening of the rule of law, and economic development, which would be in the interest of strengthening of the democratic role of Kosovo institutions.
Negotiating Team divided
(KTV)
Disagreements of the dialogue within the Negotiating Team have been added on top of the division over the tariff in the Government coalition.
The motive for that was the unannounced visit to Brussels of the two co-chairpersons of the Negotiating Team, and the objection by Enver Hoxhaj.
At Hoxhaj’s absence, the Team met with the Director General for Political Affairs at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Richard Moore.
Following the meeting, the Team co-chairperson Fatmir Limaj said that the British official also asked for revocation of the tariff, in order that the dialogue continues.
The other co-chairperson Shpend Ahmeti said that their meeting in Brussels with representatives of the Office of Federica Mogherini was an ordinary, not a secret one.
He also spoke about the criticism addressed by the PDK member of the Negotiating Team, Enver Hoxhaj.
Richard Moore, accompanied by the British Ambassador to Kosovo Ruari O’Connell, met also with Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj.
Moore said briefly that he would convey to Haradinaj the British messages about current developments.
After the meeting, Haradinaj wrote on Facebook that he was grateful for the British support, and for its firm stance in preserving Kosovo’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Prime Minister Haradinaj said that it was because of the territory exchanging idea that the dialogue has been suspended.
On Twitter, he conveyed a message to the Dialogue facilitator Federica Mogherini, saying that Dialogue was derailed long before tariffs were introduced.
Fajon: I strongly trust Mogherini
(RTK1)
Member of European Parliament Tanja Fajon appreciated the address of the EU Foreign Policy Chief Federica Mogherini at the Security Council, as a request for supporting the UN Troop in finalising the Belgrade- Prishtinë/Pristina agreement, with the desire to positively bring the issue to an end.
“I strongly trust Federica Mogherini. I am aware that the dialogue between Serbia and Kosovo is very important not only for her, but for the entire EU. It is about enlargement of the Western Balkans,” Fajon said.
She added that the EU High Representative wants to conclude her mandate with a positive story.
“It is not only because this issue is high on the European Commission’s and Federica Mogherini’s agenda, but it is for people so that they can live normally in both sides,” Fajon stated.
She reiterated that the European Parliament has repeatedly called for a swift resumption of the dialogue, which is in the interest of all.
On Tuesday, Mogherini said at the UN Security Council that Prishtinë/Pristina authorities should revoke tariffs, in order for the dialogue to continue. She stated that the final agreement should be in line with the International Law, and to be supported by the UN Security Council.
Hoxhaj: Tariff has harmed our relations with America
(RTK)
Deputy Prime Minister of Kosovo Enver Hoxhaj said that the Haradinaj Government should not allow breaking of friendly and strategic relations with the United States of America.
He said he would resign the post in case the tariff brings relations with America to point zero.
He immediately reacted to analyst Imer Mushkolaj, who asked him what he could resolve with his resignation.
“I will resign because of responsibility,” said Hoxhaj on TV Dukagjini, RTK portal reported.
“The tariff has harmed our relationship with America, because America is interested in completing Kosovo’s state-building. We have not imposed a tariff on America. When the US President writes two letters to a small state such as Kosovo, we would not to discuss whether the tariff should be lifted or not,” Hoxhaj said.
Hoxhaj called for Kosovo to seize the historic moment of international attention, to reach a final agreement with Serbia.
“Let’s use the opportunity of this historic moment. We should not miss this great historic opportunity. The tariff should be suspended. We should not reduce foreign policy to a tariff. If the tariff was the way to Kosovo’s recognition by Serbia, we would have imposed it in 2008 when we declared our independence. We have to suspend the tariff temporarily, for example for three months, to see how this issue is moving. The tariff is a means and not a goal. Our goal is mutual recognition, but the tariff remains only a tool,” said Hoxhaj.
Hoxhaj said that the tariff was imposed to stop Serbia’s aggressive campaign against Kosovo in diplomacy.
Haradinaj: Kosovo determined for long-term partnership with US
(KTV)
Kosovo Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj held a regular meeting with the United States Ambassador to Kosovo, Philip Kosnett.
At the meeting, Haradinaj said they discussed important issues in the country, with particular emphasis on economic development and security issues.
“Kosovo has already created the necessary fiscal legal infrastructure, the US Special Economic Zone and other concrete actions in favour of local producers, which are a solid ground for economic development,” Haradinaj said in a Facebook post.
Moreover, Haradinaj said that “our partnership in the field of security is indispensable for combating organized crime, corruption, and terrorism.”
“The country’s government is determined to long-term partnership with the US, and we will engage in this spirit unstoppably,” Prime Minister Haradinaj said.
The AAK-managed Telecom employs Nitaj’s son
(KTV)
Besides the privileges they enjoy as MPs in the Kosovo Assembly, many of them, mostly the governing MPs, use their authority to employ their relatives at public institutions.
Kosovo Telecom has become the first door to those employments.
Genc Nitaj, 28, on 28th August last year signed his contract as a marketing officer at this enterprise.
Genc is son of AAK MP, former journalist Muharrem Nitaj.
But Nitaj refuted to have exercised his authority for getting his son employed in the enterprise, which at that time was managed by Gent Begolli, a former AAK official.
According to Nitaj, his son was employed based on merits, and he is overqualified for his current position.
Donika Kadaj-Bujupi, who returned to AAK after leaving Vetëvendosje, also has relatives who are employed at Telecom.
Since 1st August 2018, her husband Naser Bujupi has been working as sales agent at Telecom.
Kadaj-Bujupi said that her husband is a lawyer, who for 20 years was unemployed.
According to an official report issued by Telecom, 234 persons were employed in the period February 2018-2019.
In total, Telecom has 2,540 employees, whereas in 2016 the number was 2,295.
Hoxhaj reacts after failure of RYCO meeting
(RTK)
Enver Hoxhaj, Deputy Prime Minister of Kosovo, took to Twitter to react for the failure of the meeting of the board of the Regional Youth Cooperation Office (RYCO).
Reportedly, earlier today Board member Milica Skilevic was dismissed by Serbian state only for confirming participation at this meeting which was to be held in Prishtina, English edition of RTK portal reported.
“Serbia is directly responsible for the failing of RYCO Board meeting in Prishtina today. This behavior is against regional cooperation and the Berlin process. We call on EU to react as this is clearly Serbia’s policy – to destroy all regional initiatives,” Hoxhaj wrote.
