Headlines - 01.09.2014

Bloc to gather on its own if Assembly session not held this week (Koha)

Representatives of the coalition bloc including the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK), Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) and Initiative for Kosovo (NISMA), said that they will not wait for the chair of the Assembly’s first session, Flora Brovina, for long. According to them, Brovina is refusing to hold the Assembly session until the bloc reaches an agreement with the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) on the election of the Assembly Speaker. Representatives of the bloc said that they will gather on their own this week, based on Article 9 of the Assembly rules and procedures, which says that, in the event that the oldest deputy refuses to call the session, the second oldest deputy can do so.

Assembly Speaker will depend on discussions with other parties (Epoka)

Adem Grabovci, deputy leader of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK), said his party does not have the name of the future Assembly Speaker, because that will depend on discussions with other parties, which will be held soon.

Haliti: We are meeting with LDK officials (Zeri)

Xhavit Haliti, senior official of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK), claims that his party has been meeting with officials of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK), to review the possibility of a coalition. According to Haliti, they are discussing possible forms of cooperation, and a PDK-LDK coalition is possible. On the other hand, Lutfi Haziri from LDK says that his party is already part of a coalition with the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) and Initiative for Kosovo (NISMA); in that regard, if the PDK wants to meet them, an invitation should be sent to the whole coalition and not just to the LDK.

Tahiri: Changes do not affect the dialogue process (Epoka e Re)

Edita Tahiri, Kosovo’s outgoing Deputy Prime Minister, said in an interview that the replacement of the EU’s Catherine Ashton by the Italian diplomat Federica Mogherini will not affect the dialogue process between Pristina and Belgrade. She said that Ashton’s successor will be carrying out the EU’s foreign policies with regards to the dialogue, and peace and stability in the region. Tahiri praised Ashton for her “great contribution towards the normalization of relations between Belgrade and Pristina.”

Kosovar jihadist arrested at airport, returned to Kosovo (Lajm)

Mentor Zejnullahu of Kosovo was arrested on Friday at Rinas Airport in Tirana, and was returned to Kosovo this Sunday. Police learned from Zejnullahu’s telephone that he was in touch with jihadists in Syria. Zejnullahu had entered Albania with the intention of traveling to Turkey, and from there to Syria. The 24-year-old had been wanted by the Kosovar authorities. He is the second Kosovar to be arrested in Tirana under the suspicion of being a jihadist.

Thaci & Haradinaj welcome new European leadership (Zeri. Lajm)

Hashim Thaci, the outgoing Prime Minister of Kosovo, wrote on his Facebook profile that the new European leadership has good knowledge of the situation in the Balkans. “After a positive report on visa liberalization and developments with the Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) discussions, Kosovars expect that next year will herald enhanced integration and freedom of movement within the European family. Donald Tusk and Federica Mogherini will be supporting pillars of this process,” wrote Thaçi.  Meanwhile, Ramush Haradinaj, head of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK), also congratulated Tusk and Mogherini on his Facebook profile.