Headlines - 10.02.2015

EU statement on Pristina-Belgrade dialogue (Gazeta Blic)

The European Union High Representative/Vice-President Federica Mogherini following the resumption of the EU-facilitated dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, issued the following press release: “I met today in Brussels with Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic and Prime Minister Isa Mustafa to resume the high level dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina for the normalisation of relations. The two Prime Ministers finalized the agreement on justice and judiciary in Kosovo, thereby closing a critical chapter of the implementation of the Brussels Agreement that will substantially improve lives of people on the ground. I commend Isa Mustafa and Aleksandar Vucic for this achievement. PM Vucic and PM Mustafa also had a comprehensive discussion on the full spectrum of issues in the dialogue and assessed the remaining work. In the coming days, working groups will resume to take forward the work on implementation. In addition, the two Prime Ministers exchanged views on the way forward and confirmed their commitment to continue to make progress in the normalisation of relations. PM Mustafa and PM Vucic agreed to work together to tackle current regional concerns, among them the acute problem of illegal migration from Kosovo. I expressed my support to the two Prime Ministers for further progress in the respective EU paths.” 

Dialogue, controversies in the first meeting (dailies)

Kosovo Prime Minister Isa Mustafa and Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic met for the first time in Brussels on Monday evening in the framework of the Pristina– Belgrade dialogue. Koha Ditore writes that the both sides had different interpretations about what may be the subject of discussions on this round of talks. For the European Union officials, the most important thing is the fact that the dialogue is resuming. While Mustafa and Minister of Foreign Affairs Hashim Thaci did not address the media, Vucic and Serbian Minister of Foreign Affairs Ivica Dacic told the media that the main topics would be the establishment of the Association/Community of Serb majority municipalities, the participation of Serbs in Kosovo institutions, especially the dismissal of Aleksandar Jablanovic from the post of Kosovo minister for communities and returns, but also topics related to what Serbia sees as its assets, including the mining complex Trepca. Dacic said that they will also talk about the issue of irregular migration from Kosovo. 

Tahiri: Association of Serb municipalities not on agenda (Telegrafi)

Kosovo minister without portfolio Edita Tahiri said that talks in Brussels are focusing on the judiciary and that association/community of Serb municipalities is not on the agenda. “Without an agreement on justice and dissolving of the ‘Civilian Protection’, there can be no talks about the association,” she said.

Hahn: Visa liberalization does not resolve massive migration (Koha Ditore)

The European Union Commissioner for Enlargement and Neighborhood, Johannes Hahn, met on Monday with the Prime Minister of Kosovo, Isa Mustafa. Hahn and Mustafa discussed the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA), visa liberalization process and the Pristina-Belgrade dialogue.  Hahn told media in Brussels that the visa liberalization is not the solution to the problems of those that are migrating from Kosovo and that the solution is economic development which would create new jobs. According to him, it is the task of Kosovo politicians to create these conditions. Mustafa said that Kosovo has set its priorities related to the economic development, rule of law and public administration reforms, and these priorities are in full accordance with the EU. Mustafa also pledged to conclude the SAA with the EU and fulfill all the criteria for the visa liberalization process. 

Veseli and Zbogar discuss irregular migration (Zeri)

The Speaker of the Assembly, Kadri Veseli, met on Monday with the head of the European Union Office in Kosovo, Samuel Zbogar. Veseli and Zbogar discussed the legislative agenda of the Assembly for 2015, respectively laws pertaining to the process of Kosovo’s European integration. Veseli and Zbogar also discussed the current developments in Kosovo, with special emphasis on migration of Kosovo people. 

Over 23,000 to be recognised KLA war veteran status (dailies)

Head of the Kosovo government commission for verification of Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) members, Agim Ceku, announced yesterday that they have reviewed over 65,000 applications for war veteran status and have so far rejected more than 8,000. He said the process is 95 percent complete and that there are still another 2,000 applications to be examined. One of the grounds on which the applications were turned down, according to Ceku, was that none of KLA commanders were able to confirm the information presented by applicants.

Serbian Gendarmerie to patrol border with Hungary (Zeri)

Police officials in Serbia, Hungary, Austria and Germany, met on Monday in Belgrade and reached an agreement for greater cooperation on stopping irregular migrants. Serbia’s Minister of Internal Affairs, Nebojsa Stefanovic, called on migrants from Kosovo not to sell their properties and leave because, according to him, 99 percent of them will be returned to their homes. As reported in the Serbian media, Stefanovic said that apart from the border police, the Serbian Gendarmerie will also begin patrolling along the Serbian-Hungarian border.