• It has become difficult to trust EU regarding visa liberalisation, Haradinaj says (KTV)
• Tariff might slow down KSF transformation into army (KTV)
• Hoxhaj: Tariff has harmed relations with our partners (RTKLive)
• Simic: Together with Vucic we will fight for each and every Serb in Kosovo (KTV)
• Return project for Serb IDPs to continue for two more years (KTV)
• Kosnett calls on Government to include more women in Cabinet (KTV)
• Hoxha: EU remains our only address for sustainable peace (RTKLive)

It has become difficult to trust EU regarding visa liberalisation, Haradinaj says

(KTV)

It seems that Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj has lost his trust in the European Union officials.

Asked whether visa liberalisation is being linked with the dialogue process and revocation of tariff, Haradinaj said it has become difficult to trust the European officials, as they may have new demands.

Once again, Prime Minister Haradinaj said it is unreasonable to tell Kosovo to meet conditions in order to continue the Dialogue.

The Government appointed Betim Reçica at the position of Secretary General in the Ministry of Infrastructure.

Meanwhile, at the Government meeting, Minister of Economic Development Valdrin Lluka said that next week in Belgrade, ministers of the six Western Balkan states will sign an agreement for waiving roaming tariffs by July 2021.

Lluka said that company for construction of the “New Kosova” power plant will be selected in April.

This topic, which prompted discussion between the governing cabinet members, went on silently as the microphones were turned off.

Tariff might slow down KSF transformation into army

(KTV)

Ignoring the international calls for suspending customs tariff on imports from Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, might bring consequences to Kosovo both in the external and internal aspect, political experts in Prishtinë/Pristina say.

According to them, presently Kosovo might lose the international support in speeding up the process of transformation of the Kosovo Security Force (KSF) into an army, and in the external plan the consequences are seen in deepening the isolation and stagnation in the EU integration.

However, they have reserves if the tariff can be considered an obstacle to resumption of the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia, reminding that the dialogue had been interrupted even before imposing of the tariff.

Political analyst Ramush Tahiri stated to Radio Free Europe that consequences from the tariff can be from different directions, and they may harm the country.

Shkëlzen Maliqi, analyst, thinks that the consequences for Kosovo may be evident, especially if it is said that the tariff is an obstacle for the dialogue.

 Hoxhaj: Tariff has harmed relations with our partners

(RTKLive)

Deputy Prime Minister of Kosovo Enver Hoxhaj said that the tariff issue has harmed relations with Kosovo’s partners.

He told RTK3’s “Analizë Dite” show on Tuesday that the tariff may kill the possibility of reaching the agreement with Serbia.

“This topic has been consumed. This topic will have novelties when we will take a stand in the Government. But one thing remains: the tariff has harmed the relations with our partners. The tariff may kill the possibility to have a final agreement with Serbia in 2019,” he said.

“The tariff has led Dialogue with Serbia to a dead end,” he went on.

 Simic: Together with Vucic we will fight for each and every Serb in Kosovo

(KTV)

Vice chairman of Srpska Lista Igor Simic remembered the arrest of Director of the so-called Office for Kosovo Marko Djuric one year ago, as he entered Kosovo without permission. Simic said that the Prishtinë/Pristina authorities demonstrated that they want unilateral actions to resolve open issues between Serbs and Albanians, but to the detriment of Serb people.

“On this day last year, Djuric was kidnapped, and legal representatives of Serb people were beaten with a brutal force, including ministers, MPs, mayors, all members of Srpska Lista, who were convinced that they could peacefully discuss the future of relations between Serbs and Albanians,” Simic stated to Tanjug, KosovaPress reported.

He stressed that everything was done in order to jeopardise citizens’ safety, in the framework of the action, the plan for intimidating Serbs in north Kosovo, so that they can leave the area themselves.

“We will never agree with such a plan. This is our country, we stay here, and there is no way back from here. We will continue fighting together with our country Serbia, with the Government and the President Aleksandar Vucic, for each and every Serb in Kosovo,” Simic said.

 Return project for Serb IDPs to continue for two more years

(KTV)

The project for return of Serbs to Kosovo will continue for two more years. Ministry of Communities and Return will invest eight more million euros on reconstruction of houses for Serbs in eleven different municipalities.

While many persons from Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian communities live in difficult conditions, for many years, many houses and collective buildings were constructed for the Serbs, which in many cases are not used.

Four thousand displaced Serbs want to return to Kosovo, officials of the Ministry of Communities and Return say. But, according to representatives of Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian communities, allocation of these funds is discriminatory.

MP Veton Berisha of the Egyptian Liberal Party says that this Ministry is favouring only the Serb community.

According to him, Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare has allocated funds for social cases of Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian communities.

MP Danush Ademi of 6+ party also said that Ministry of Communities and Return is discriminating other communities by prioritising only the Serb community.

“Compared to our Ashkali community, the Serb community is the most privileged one,” he stressed.

During this year, 59 houses were reconstructed for the Serb community members.

Kosnett calls on Government to include more women in Cabinet

(KTV)

Donikë Dobruna is a young judge at the Prishtinë/Pristina Basic Court. In her address on Tuesday, she said that the law is equal for all and that there should not be any form of discrimination against women.

The Kosovo Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj said that women’s issue is no longer a taboo, but he added that the heritage remains problematic.

On the other hand, The US Ambassador Philip Kosnett mentioned Kosovo Police as a good example of respecting gender equality, and he encouraged the Government to take this example and to increase the number of women in the Government Cabinet.

“When people hear the word integrity, they think about honesty; but there’s a second, meaning to integrity: to be whole, to be undivided, to be complete. Today, Kosovo is not whole. It is, in fact, divided because 50 percent of its population is consistently held back. When women are part of the decision-making process, it increases productivity of a country; women serve in government, public health budgets go up and governments are less corrupt,” Kosnett said.

These comments were made on Week of Women, organised by the National Democratic Institute.

Hoxha: EU remains our only address for sustainable peace

(RTKLive)

Kosovo’s Minister for European Integration Dhurata Hoxha said today at a roundtable organized by the three European Council Presiding countries and Group for Legal and Political Studies that “EU remains our only address for sustainable peace, Prosperity and equal opportunities for our citizens.”

“We seek from the Presidency of the EU Council an objective approach and the same assessment and conditions on our path to the EU. We expect for our country and the region, in general, to get the deserved attention, building on the great investment that has been made for us to enjoy freedom,” she wrote on her Twitter account.