Headlines - 11.09.2014

EU: New government should continue dialogue (Epoka e Re)

Samuel Zbogar, Special Representative of the European Union and heads of missions of EU member states in Kosovo, appealed on Wednesday that whoever forms the new government they should resume dialogue with Serbia. In a joint statement, they said that the European Union has observed parliamentary elections in Kosovo and were pleased with the fair and transparent manner in which they were conducted. “We are also following the democratic process of constituting the Assembly as a first step to subsequently forming a legitimate government. We continue to adhere strictly to the principle of not intervening in these processes, which are an internal matter of Kosovo and that should be addressed and solved by Kosovo's elected representatives. We have already expressed and reiterate again now our hope that a government will be formed soon in order to address the many challenges that Kosovo faces, such as economic governance, raising standard of living, improving the rule of law, pursuing the European agenda and continuing normalisation of relations with Serbia. In this context, we reiterate the great importance of a constructive and result-oriented continuation of the EU-facilitated dialogue at the political and technical levels, leading to a comprehensive normalisation of relations with Serbia. This commitment, as clearly stated in the recently initialled Stabilisation and Association Agreement, is of direct relevance to Kosovo’s European path and therefore in the fundamental interest of Kosovo. We expect that the future Kosovo government continues to implement agreements, as well as commits and engages in taking normalisation forward,” the statement noted.

Internationals, concerned about the dialogue (Tribuna)

The posts of Kosovo chief negotiator, Edita Tahiri, and that of dialogue coordinator, Blerim Shala, are expected to merge into one according to the agreement signed yesterday between the coalition bloc and Vetevendosje, the paper reports on the front page. The paper goes on to quote international sources as saying that they are concerned with the recent agreement and they fear Vetevendosje may now determine future topics to be discussed in the dialogue with Belgrade. Vetevendosje will also be able to review all points of agreements reached so far and perhaps even change certain parts. International officials consider that according to the agreement, the role of the prime minister will be mainly formal and his presence will be required only at signing of agreements.

Daka: Consecutive elections, challenging (Epoka e Re)

Valdete Daka, head of Kosovo’s Central Election Commission (CEC), told the paper on Wednesday that the CEC is ready to organize elections whenever required. Daka however also said that consecutive elections are both challenging and carry certain risks. “It includes an outstanding amount of work, as short deadlines require greater engagement from all the CEC staff … The CEC does not decide whether or not elections will be held. The CEC is obliged by the Constitution to organize elections whenever this is required,” Daka said.

Grabovci: Bloc and Vetevendosje are denying the state (Lajm)

Adem Grabovci, deputy leader of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK), said on Wednesday that the agreement between the opposition bloc and the Vetevendosje Movement is mainly for personal and group interests and does not represent a principled agreement. Grabovci told Politiko news website that with their actions the opposition coalition is denying Kosovo’s statehood and is failing to recognize decisions of independent state institutions.

Hoxhaj wants Kosovo to join Interpol (Zeri)

Kosovo’s Foreign Affairs Minister Enver Hoxhaj met on Wednesday with EU ambassadors in Kosovo and called for Kosovo to become a member of Interpol and to establish direct cooperation with Europol. Hoxhaj briefed the EU ambassadors on recent political developments, the Berlin Summit and Kosovo’s EU integration prospects. Hoxhaj reiterated the readiness of Kosovo institutions to continue joint efforts in the fight against extremism and terrorism.

Serbia is blocking Kosovo’s participation in regional security initiatives (Koha)

The Pristina-based Kosovar Center for Security Studies (QKSS) held a roundtable on Wednesday to discuss its latest paper “Kosovo’s membership and participation in regional security initiatives”. QKSS director Florian Qehaja said Serbia is blocking Kosovo’s membership in security initiatives, despite the fact that the Brussels agreement signed between Pristina and Belgrade provides for Kosovo’s participation in such initiatives. “Clearly there have been obstructions and blockades by Serbia on the one hand, and also from other countries like Bosnia and Herzegovina and Romania,” Qehaja said. Kosovo’s Interior Affairs Minister Bajram Rexhepi said it is very important for Kosovo to become a member of all regional initiatives. He also said that the fight against crime and other threats requires coordination and cooperation between all countries in the region and beyond.

Thaci hits at the media (Zeri)

In a front-page report, the paper says that Kosovo’s outgoing Prime Minister Hashim Thaci is using his final moments in government to hit at media which for several years reported about scandals of his seven-year governance. Several weeks ago, Thaci issued a decision to initiate the expropriation of the former Media Palace where daily newspapers, private TV stations and news agencies have been operating for more than a decade. Media representatives are criticizing Thaci’s decision to turn these premises into government buildings.

Detention extended for terrorist suspects (dailies)

A preliminary procedure judge has approved the special prosecutor’s request to extend for another two months the detention of 32 people suspected of being involved in terrorist activities in Syria and Iraq. The prosecutor argued in his request that the suspects could try to escape justice and seek refuge in Syria.