• Western Balkans leaders adopt conclusions at Tirana Summit (media)
• No breakthrough in Kosovo-Serbia relations during Tirana summit (media)
• Thaci does not attend leaders’ lunch in Tirana due to Dodik’s presence (media)
• Haradinaj: Serbia to recognise Kosovo under existing borders (RTV21/Telegrafi)
• Thaci reveals his conversation with Putin in Paris last year (media)
• “I showed the door to an Albanian PM due to a partition plan in 2002” (media)
• Mustafa: LDK will not get involved in dialogue before elections (RTK/Telegrafi)
• Analysts warn of dangerous scenarios for Kosovo (Zeri)
• Albanians in the north call on EU to reopen Mitrovica bridge (Zeri)

Western Balkans leaders adopt conclusions at Tirana Summit (media)

Leaders of the Western Balkans adopted joint conclusions at the end of the Brdo-Brijuni process that took place in Tirana under the auspice of President Ilir Meta:

“We recognised that progress made insofar has contributed to consolidation of democracy, regional peace, security and stability, and enhancement of regional cooperation.

We welcomed the recent Prespa Agreement, and concluded that such an example paves the way towards strengthening of European and Euro-Atlantic bonds with the Western Balkans region.

We acknowledged that this positive momentum has synergised new optimism in the region, in the light of its European and Euro-Atlantic perspectives, as key strategic objectives.

Aware of intensive internal debates in the European Union, in context of Brexit and of upcoming European Parliamentary elections, we welcome EU commitment towards the WB region, including through the Berlin and Brdo-Brijuni Processes, as well as through the recent meeting in Berlin convened upon the initiative of German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron with the Western Balkans, and Croatia and Slovenia,” the conclusions read.

The leaders further expressed support for EU’s  position that one of the conditions for an aspirant’s membership is to solve open bilateral issues with its neighbours. “We will actively strive to maintain dialogue and to deepen the trust within the region that we represent. All open issues will be resolved peacefully, in the spirit of mutual respect and cooperation,” they said.

“We call on the European Union to consider its enlargement to the Western Balkans as a matter of geopolitical significance, having in mind that the full integration of the Western Balkans into the European system of values is an important factor for the overall European stability as well. This does not exclude the obligation of the candidates countries to implement the standards set by the European Union for the countries seeking fullfledged membership. We believe that for the peace, security and prosperity of the Western Balkans and of the European Union Member States, it is mutually important that the standards are respected and the negotiation process is carried out more flexibly and faster.”

See the conclusions: https://bit.ly/2vOV0Vq

No breakthrough in Kosovo-Serbia relations during Tirana summit (media)

Western Balkans leaders discussed in the Brdo-Brijuni summit in Tirana yesterday about region’s aspirations to join the EU but dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia was also discussed at the event, Zeri reports. If adds however that the summit did not result in any breakthrough in the dialogue.

Koha Ditore reports on its leading front-page story that Kosovo President Hashim Thaci expressed his skepticism that the European Union can conclude the process of dialogue and that the United States of America should have a leading in reaching an agreement between the two countries. “There can be no dialogue or agreement without the United States,” Thaci is quoted as saying.

Epoka e Re at the same time highlights the call Western Balkans leaders made to the EU to treat integration of the region as a geopolitical priority and that they welcomed the engagement of the German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron in the region. The leaders also agreed for Slovenia to host the next Brdo-Brijuni summit later in the year which is also going to be attended by the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

Host of the summit, Albanian President Ilir Meta, said Kosovo and Serbia were encouraged to continue dialogue for normalisation of relations but added that the issue will be more concretely addressed during the Paris summit in July.

President of Kosovo Hashim Thaci said after the summit that the decision to impose an import tax on Serbia was legitimate and that dialogue needs to resume without conditions. “No one should be afraid of national communication and integration and of a movement and space where Albanians live, free of borders. A free movement, always including Presevo, Medvedja, and Bujanovc,” Thaci said.

“The tariff remains a legitimate right. Serbia's conditioning of the dialogue is unjust. I spoke to Vucic during the Summit and nothing more. I said there will be no association with executive competencies in Kosovo that would resemble the Serbian Republic. We had disagreements over the fact that Vucic denies the crimes committed in Kosovo and this in itself is a crime ... We are in favor of a comprehensive agreement on the Kosovo issue, without threatening a single millimeter of the territory of Kosovo and with Presevo Valley joining the Republic of Kosovo,” he said from Tirana.

Thaci said there will be no association with executive competencies in Kosovo and that the final agreement with Serbia will not produce a Serbian Republic in Kosovo. “Each day, week, month that passes without an agreement will only deepen the gap between Kosovo and Serbia which could also be reflected in the region.”

He expressed hope that the Paris meeting will produce something concrete in order to move forward with the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue process and that he was disappointed upon learning that the U.S. was not informed about the Berlin summit.

Thaci does not attend leaders’ lunch in Tirana due to Dodik’s presence (media)

Kosovo President Hashim Thaci did not attend a lunch organized for Western Balkans leaders by Albanian President Ilir Meta in Tirana on Thursday, most news websites report. Thaci decided not to attend because of the presence of Milorad Dodik, chairman and Serb member of the tripartite Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Dodik is known as a staunch opponent of Kosovo’s independence. Media also note that earlier on Thursday, Thaci refused to shake hands with Dodik and criticized the Albanian President for inviting Dodik to the summit.

Haradinaj: Serbia to recognise Kosovo under existing borders (RTV21/Telegrafi)

Prime Minister of Kosovo Ramush Haradinaj spoke about dialogue with Serbia at an interview with RTV 21 where he pointed out that its goal is recognition of Kosovo by Serbia under the existing borders.

Haradinaj also said that his vision about how the process should happen is coming to fruition: “I have asked for Mogherini to be removed from dialogue and she has. I have asked for a summit, a conference of something similar and it is happening. I don’t want to exaggerate but I also asked for things to be clarified, each and everyone’s role, and it is coming to that.”

Haradinaj however said this is a victory for Kosovo not for him personally. “What is very important is that once elections in the EU and Paris [summit] are over the way to come to an epilogue is further clarified and we will do this with direct consultations with the U.S.,” he said.

“There have been attempts to portray be as if I am ruining relations with the U.S., that I am deteriorating them or that I am an enemy who doesn’t want peace and so on. All this have fortunately died down, we are now at a new stage,” Haradinaj said.

“We will have the Paris meeting, there will be another one in Washington D.C., so it may well happen that the Washington also get directly involved. All these are part of the process aimed at giving a final clarity and there is only one solution which is recognition of Kosovo by Serbia under the existing borders, a mutual recognition, respect for human rights, obligations to deal with damages of the past, advanced economic relations and a Euro-Atlantic perspective but only European integration for Serbia as it doesn’t want to join NATO but we do,” Haradinaj said.

Thaci reveals his conversation with Putin in Paris last year (media)

Kosovo President Hashim Thaci said on Thursday that during a tête-à-tête meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Paris last year, the latter told him that he would support an agreement between Kosovo and Serbia. In an interview to Klan, Thaci said: “I asked him very openly about a mutual agreement for recognition between Kosovo and Serbia, and he told me that Russia would not oppose such an agreement. I also asked him if Russia would oppose this agreement at the UN Security Council? He told me very clearly: we cannot be more Serb than Serbia”.

Commenting on the upcoming Paris summit, Thaci said: “we haven’t discussed any concrete ideas, but Paris is a more substantial meeting between the two sides, and Macron, Merkel and Mogherini will be there. The U.S. have a clear position, they don’t have any red lines, even after the Berlin summit. This was confirmed to me officially. I talked directly with President Trump about the Kosovo – Serbia dialogue, and he agrees 100 percent. I talked with Secretary Pompeo too, and all relevant officials, and they support an agreement without any red lines. The letter from President Trump is my guideline”.

“I showed the door to an Albanian PM due to a partition plan in 2002” (media)

Kosovo President Hashim Thaci said on Thursday that in 2002, an Albanian Prime Minister came to his office in Pristina and on behalf of then-Serbian Prime Minister Zoran Djindjic presented him with a plan for the division of Kosovo, most news websites report. “The plan was about Kosovo’s partition and it included the northern part of Kosovo … I told him that he had come to the wrong address and showed him the door,” Thaci said.

Mustafa: LDK will not get involved in dialogue before elections (RTK/Telegrafi)

Leader of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) Isa Mustafa said that his party will not join the dialogue process with Serbia until new elections are held in Kosovo and a government with necessary legitimacy emerges. “This government doesn’t have a majority and cannot ratify a possible agreement with Serbia,” Mustafa told RTK.

Mustafa also said that LDK does not support an agreement with Serbia which would affect the territory of Kosovo. “Agreement with Serbia cannot touch on the border issue. Border correction is a Serb idea which has been prepared a long time ago at the Serb Academy of Science,” he added.

Mustafa also commended the consistency of Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj on rejecting any agreement that would result in border changes. “I think without this rejection, the opposition would have a hard time in stopping this issue,” Mustafa said.

Analysts warn of dangerous scenarios for Kosovo (Zeri)

Political commentators told the paper that although the option for change of borders as part of the final agreement between Kosovo and Serbia was ruled out at the recent summit in Berlin, the idea is not completely dead and is continued to be pushed by President of Kosovo Hashim Thaci.

Analysts say that the border change topic could be brought back to the negotiating table if other ‘damaging’ options such as an association of Serb municipalities with executive powers or autonomy for the north are raised during the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina.

“These three options, none of which good for Kosovo, are seen by some in Kosovo, Serbia and the EU as a solution that could lead to a final acceptable agreement for Serbia which would enable it to recognise Kosovo as independent country,” said Violeta Haxholli from the Kosovo Democratic Institute (KDI). She added that all three options would ‘undo’ Kosovo of 17 February 2008.

Albanians in the north call on EU to reopen Mitrovica bridge (Zeri)

Albanian representatives in the north of Kosovo have called on the EU to reopen the main bridge in Mitrovica saying there are no obstacles to the bridge being opened for traffic. “Construction works have been completed and there is no problem to it being opened,” said Bashkim Cimili, deputy chairman of the Mitrovica North municipal assembly.