Headlines - 14.11.2016

• Hahn: After telephone prefix, we continue with Association (Lajmi)
• Kosovo with telephone prefix (Epoka e Re)
• Serbian telecom company to bring assets to Kosovo tax-free (Koha Ditore)
• Djuric says agreement on telecom is Serbia’s victory (Lajmi)
• SG Ban issues quarterly report on Kosovo (Kosova Sot)
• Ahmeti: No possibility for breakup of the coalition (Epoka e Re)
• Protest in Pristina today calling for justice for Astrit Dehari (media)
• Suspects behind Kosovo Assembly attack not interviewed yet (Kallxo)
• Prisoners in Mitrovica enter hunger strike (Zeri)

Hahn: After telephone prefix, we continue with Association (Lajmi)

The EU Commissioner for European Neighborhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations, Johannes Hahn, hailed the agreement between Pristina and Belgrade to implement the Telecommunication Agreement, reached in Brussels in 2013 and the 2015 Action Plan stemming from this agreement. “I hail the agreement reached today between the two parties for further implementation of the agreement on telecommunication. I hope that this progress will accelerate the agreements for the establishment of the Association of the Serb-majority Municipalities and Energetics,” wrote Hahn on his Twitter account.

Kosovo with telephone prefix (Epoka e Re)

Kosovo’s Minister without portfolio engaged in the dialogue with Belgrade, Edita Tahiri, announced on Sunday that the agreement between Pristina and Belgrade on Kosovo’s telephone state prefix was reached with mediation of the European Union. She said that International Telecommunications Union will allocate to Kosovo the prefix +383 on 15 December of this year. “Our state will have its own telephone code just like the other countries and it will have full sovereignty for its telephone prefix, while all the other codes used so far (381, 377, 386) will seize to be used,” Tahiri said. She added that the agreement was reached due to the maximal engagement of the EU.

Serbian telecom company to bring assets to Kosovo tax-free (Koha Ditore)

The paper reports on the front page on the agreement between Pristina and Belgrade delegations on further implementation of the Telecommunications Agreement which “will ensure that a three-digit dialling code is allocated by the International Telecommunications Union to Kosovo.” The paper writes that while Kosovo will get its own dialling code, Serbia’s telephone calls to Kosovo will be considered to be local. According to a press release issued by the EU, the agreement enables the new Serbian telecom company “Mts d.o.o” to operate fully-licenced fixed telephone services in Kosovo and to obtain a temporary authorisation for mobile telephony. “The parties agreed on the mobile telephony and frequency bands and spectrums to be allocated to Mts d.o.o in Kosovo, enabling it to continue to provide the current level of coverage to its customers.  The arrangement also enables the transfer of assets to Mts d.o.o without any customs, taxes or charges”, the EU press release reads.

Djuric says agreement on telecom is Serbia’s victory (Lajmi)

The director of the Office for Kosovo in the Serbian Government, Marko Djuric, said the agreement between Belgrade and Pristina on telecommunications preserves property of Telekom Serbia and will have a positive impact on overall relations, not only with Kosovo, but also with the EU. "The wealth of Telekom Serbia is permanently protected by this,” Djuric said. “Telekom Serbia assets are officially preserved forever, as a base station and everything else. Kosovo wanted to seize our assets but we did not accept it. This is an important agreement.”

SG Ban issues quarterly report on Kosovo (Kosova Sot)

The paper reports that in his quarterly report on Kosovo, the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has urged Kosovo authorities not to undertake any decisions that could hinder progress in the EU-facilitated dialogue between Pristina and Belgrade. The report covers the period from 16 July to15 October during which, said SG Ban, political tensions centred around the dispute over the border demarcation process with Montenegro and the adoption of a new law on the Trepca mining complex. “The latter issue created additional public tension between Pristina and Belgrade while the implementation of the agreements reached within the framework of the EU-facilitated dialogue continued only at a slow pace,” the report reads. With regards to laws that are sensitive for different groups of interest, Ban called for careful consultation to ensure participation of minority communities in the decision-making process.

Ahmeti: No possibility for breakup of the coalition (Epoka e Re)

Member of the leadership of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK), Imri Ahmeti, told the paper that coalition between his party and the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK), is stable and would not breach. He was also convinced the budget issue would not affect the future of the coalition. He said that dissatisfactions of individuals are not a reflection of the positions of the partners. Asked about the demands of the opposition parties for new elections, Ahmeti said that elections are not the solution, but their reflection in relation with the state interests is. He said that reformatting of the government will happen during these days however he expressed skepticism that this could bring results on the wellbeing of the people.

Protest in Pristina today calling for justice for Astrit Dehari (media)

With the motto “Justice for Astrit Dehari” a group of citizens supported by several civil society organizations, will protest today in Pristina where they will call for justice regarding the death of Vetevendosje activist Astrit Dehari. This protest is supported by Vetevendosje Movement, which also invited the citizens to participate. “The authorities instead of solving the case have only raised the dilemma, hindering independent and just investigation,” notes a press release issued by Vetevendosje. Media report that yet after one week of Dehari’s death in Prizren Detention Center, authorities did not give any official version on the cause of his death.

Suspects behind Kosovo Assembly attack not interviewed yet (Kallxo)

Abdurrahim Islami, a prosecutor with the Special Prosecution of Kosovo, told the news website that the suspects behind the August 4 attack on the Kosovo Assembly have not been interviewed yet. The website notes that over three months have passed since the attack on the Assembly, and the suspects - all of them activists of the Vetevendosje Movement – were not interviewed. One of the suspects, Astrit Dehari, was recently found dead in jail at the Prizren Detention Center. Islami said the suspects will be interviewed this month. “We are planning to interview the suspects this month and then we will analyze their statements and decide on the further course of action,” Islami added.

Prisoners in Mitrovica enter hunger strike (Zeri)

The paper reports that Serb prisoners in prison in Mitrovica have entered hunger strike, since Kosovo's justice authorities have moved from there four prisoners to a high security prison in Gerdoc, Podujeve. Among the prisoners who were displaced is also Serbian citizen Slobodan Gavric, who was sentenced to 13 years in prison for terrorism. Prisoners who have gone on hunger strike said one of the reasons is that there are no Serb guardians in the high security prison in Gerdoc. Among those who went on strike is also Oliver Ivanovic, leader of the Serbian Democratic Party.