UNMIK Headlines 1 July
Thaci: We assured Chancellor Merkel of special court establishment (Zeri)
In a Facebook post following meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Kosovo Foreign Minister Hashim Thaci said they also discussed the establishment of the specialist chambers. He said the Kosovo delegation assured Chancellor Merkel that they will very soon establish the court and fulfill their international obligations. Thaci also said that Pristina will remain constructive and committed to the EU-facilitated dialogue with Belgrade.
Special court vote, irreversible (Zeri)
Kosovo opposition parties insist that the last week’s vote on the constitutional amendment paving the way for the establishment of the specialist chambers cannot be resubmitted to the Assembly. In a joint meeting, leaders of Vetevendosje, Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) and Initiative for Kosovo (NISMA) concluded that the voting of the Kosovo Assembly on 26 June is an irreversible decision and the government of Kosovo should respect it. Any attempt to overturn the decision of MPs would undermine Kosovo’s institutional and democratic order.
Kosovo does not give in on association (Epoka e Re)
Kosovo's Minister for Dialogue Edita Tahiri stated that Pristina and Belgrade reached on Tuesday in Brussels an agreement for Kosovo’s telephone code. She added that the final approval of this agreement could take place at the next meeting between Prime Ministers Isa Mustafa and Aleksandar Vucic. Speaking about the Association/Community of Serb-majority municipalities, Tahiri said that consent could not be reached because the Serbian party indirectly requested this association to have executive competencies.
EC assessment team for visas to visit Kosovo on 13 July (Epoka e Re)
Representatives of Kosovo institutions gathered on Tuesday to discuss their preparations for the visit of the European Commission’s fact finding mission for visa liberalization. Deputy Minister for European Integration Ramadan Ilazi expressed appreciation to Kosovo institutions and to the European Commission for its speedy response to Kosovo’s 5 June report by gathering a group of experts who will visit Kosovo from 13 to 17 July.
58 Serb families return to Kosovo (Koha)
In a meeting yesterday in Pristina the Kosovo Minister for Communities and Returns Dalibor Jevtic and representatives from the EU office in Kosovo and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) approved the return of 58 Serb families with a total of 302 members to the municipalities of Shtrpce/Strpce, Obiliq/Obilic, Klina, Istog and Peja/Pec. Minister Jevtic said that the returns have been made possible through the implementation of the Returns and Reintegration in Kosovo (RRK) project, which has had positive results.
Montenegrin minister: Borders not defined by resolutions (Telegrafi)
Montenegro’s Foreign Minister Igor Luksic said the border between Kosovo and Montenegro should be determined based on cadastral records and not parliamentary resolutions. The Kosovo Assembly has adopted a resolution calling on the government to conclude border demarcation with Montenegro. Montenegro opposition representatives said the resolution is an offense against Montenegro’s sovereignty.