Thaçi: I will meet Dacic, even in Belgrade (Koha Ditore – front page)

In an interview for Zagreb-based weekly Jutarnji List, Kosovo Prime Minister Hashim Thaçi said he is confident that Kosovo will be integrated in the European Union and NATO, and that Serbia will accept the reality of the independent state of Kosovo.

“We were at war with another regime. Things have changed, Dacic has changed too, so has Tomislav Nikolic, who was a Serb government official at the time of war. They are now in the power and they have the legitimacy of their people and the international community, the same I have, therefore I will always talk with them,” Thaçi said. When asked if he would go to Belgrade, he said, “yes if it is necessary.”

Dialogue not without removal of parallel structures (Koha Ditore – page 3)

According to Kosovo Deputy Prime Minister Hajredin Kuçi, the dialogue for normalizing relations between Kosovo and Serbia cannot move forward without removing Serb parallel structures from Kosovo and implementing the agreements reached thus far. Kuçi said that the Kosovo Government will present this position at the next meeting in Brussels, which has been scheduled for 10 December.

Kuçi said Prime Minister Hashim Thaçi is ready to travel to Brussels whenever the EU requires. “When the EU makes such a request we are ready to respond. The topics are: implementing agreements already reached, withdrawing illegal security structures, and other issues that we will discuss with the EU,” Kuçi said. “We will introduce topics that will be harmonized with the EU; however, complying with agreements reached so far and removing illegal parallel structures are preconditions for moving forward,” he added.

They expect Thaçi to brief them (Zëri – front page)

Kosovo Prime Minister Hashim Thaçi is expected to resume briefing institution heads and opposition leaders - except Vetëvendosje - about his second meeting with Serbian Prime Minister Ivica Dacic this week. It is not yet known yet if Thaçi will brief Assembly Speaker Jakup Krasniqi, whom he ignored after his first meeting with Dacic.

“I believe by the end of this week, [Thaçi] will go before Parliament to inform MPs about his second meeting with Serbia’s Prime Minister Ivica Dacic,” PDK parliamentary group chief Adem Grabovci told the paper.

Meanwhile, Vetëvendosje representatives argue that meetings between Thaçi and Dacic serve only to pave way to the real topic of dialogue – the northern part of Kosovo: “The Prime Minister won’t address this topic in Parliament. Rather, he will mention other topics - like the highway, the implementation of allegedly technical issues by Serbia - leaving the impression that there is readiness to normalize relations between the two countries.”

Reforms, not dialogue, lead Kosovo towards EU (Koha Ditore – page 3)

As far as normalizing relations between Pristina and Belgrade is being emphasized – a precondition for advancing of the European agenda of both countries – the European Union continues to insist that all countries implement reforms and fulfill rule of law criteria if they wish to be part of this mechanism. Even though the emphasis is on improving relations between Pristina and Belgrade, European diplomats in Kosovo said that there will be no EU for Kosovo until the requested reforms are implemented. According to integration experts, dialogue with the Serb side is a “super priority.”

Daci: German – French model is best (Epoka e Re – front page)

Nexhat Daci, leader of the Democratic League of Dardania (LDD), said he is against the idea of applying the German-German model for relations between Kosovo and Serbia, arguing that this implies that Kosovo will one day be in a union with Serbia.

“The ‘two Germanys’ model would be disastrous as this project would mean that Kosovo would one day be in a union with Serbia. This project should not be applied for the normalization of relations between our countries. I favor the German–French model, rather than the German–German model, but we should not forget that the German–French model includes France taking large parts of Germany for itself. I am more in favor of international opinions; a formula needs to be found inside the Ahtisaari Plan, which would provide more possibilities,” Daci elaborated.

Ahmeti: Great risk from Kosovo’s eventual partition (Zëri – page 2)

Ali Ahmeti, leader of the Democratic Union for Integration and former leader of the Albanian guerrilla army in Macedonia, said that the crisis of conflicts can return to the Balkans in case there are no investments in peace and trust. “A concrete example in this respect is the sensitive issue of Kosovo. If Kosovo’s borders are changed and if one part of Kosovo breaks away, this will pose a great threat, because no one can guarantee that there won’t be a domino effect,” Ahmeti added.

Former Serbian MUP in Istog wounded (dailies)

Several dailies report that Momir Pantic, former member of the Serbian Ministry of Interior Affairs, was wounded by an unknown attacker while driving on the Peja-Mitrovica road. Pantic received light bodily injuries from the gunfire. Serbian media reported that Pantic was a member of MUP in the municipalityof Istoguntil March 1999 and he is now living in Kraljevo, Serbia. According to Express, Pantic was head of the Serbian MUP for the Istog region.