Headlines - 14.04.2015

Opposition: 18 April protest will be peaceful (dailies)

Kosovo opposition leaders met yesterday at the Vetevendosje premises and discussed modalities of the upcoming antigovernment protest. “The parties agreed on all points,” said Pristina Mayor from Vetevendosje Movement, Shpend Ahmeti. He explained that the march will set out from Zahir Pajaziti Square and will continue past the Kosovo Electricity Distribution and Supply Company (KEDS), the Constitutional Court, the public broadcaster RTK, and will end at Skenderbeu Square. All these points, according to the opposition, represent examples of the “captured state”.

Serb paramilitaries will become prison guards (Koha)

The paper reports on its front page that the 20-point agreement on the dissolution of the Civil Protection in the northern part of Kosovo foresees that 25 members of the illegal security mechanism will be recruited to the Kosovo Correctional Service. At the same time, another 80 members will be recruited to the Emergency Management Agency. According to the agreement, the dissolution of the Civil Protection will begin next Monday, and the four “observation points”, including the one on the main bridge over the Iber, will be handed over to the Kosovo Police. The paper also notes that the agreement does not foresee the demilitarization of this mechanism, because Serbian authorities have claimed that Civil Protection members were never equipped with arms.

Thaci: No room for terrorists in Kosovo (Zeri)

Kosovo’s Principal Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Hashim Thaci, told Slovenian news agency STA that in Kosovo there is no room fundamentalists or Islamic terrorists to operate. He added that Kosovo authorities last year arrested more than 100 individuals who returned from Iraq and Syria, and announced that this “ruthless and uncompromising war will continue.” Thaci also said that he sees Kosovo in the next five years being a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), a country with procedures for visa liberalization completed, and a member of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).

European Parliament supports Kosovo’s integration (Zeri)

Kosovo’s Interior Minister, Skender Hyseni, met on Monday with the Vice-President of the European Parliament, Rainer Wieland. Hyseni and Wieland discussed visa liberalization for Kosovo, the fight against organized crime and measures for preventing and combating terrorism. Wieland praised Kosovo’s progress and offered the European Parliament’s support to Kosovo’s European agenda.

EULEX, an erroneous administration (Zeri)

The European Union Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo (EULEX) has been challenged in a debate organized by the European Academy for Cooperation in Berlin, and supported by the German Foreign Ministry. In this debate, the panelists accused EULEX of not doing enough to prevent the irregular migration of people from Kosovo. The European Academy Director, Eckart Stratenschulte blamed the EU for an erroneous administration in Kosovo. Terry Reintke, a member of the European Parliament, admitted that there have been shortcomings in the work of the EU in Kosovo. She said that the European Parliament is working to shed light on the allegations of corruption in EULEX.

Derguti: Kosovo is being ethnically divided even in security sector (Epoka)

In an interview for the paper, Aida Derguti, the Deputy Speaker of the Kosovo Assembly, said that if the Kosovo Armed Forces (KAF) do not go to the northern part of the country this would show that Kosovo is being ethnically divided even in the security sector. “This division is taking place in the economy, politics, energy, telecommunications, justice and other areas. The same will happen in the area of security. Prime Minister Isa Mustafa confirmed this when he said that the Kosovo Armed Forces will not go to the north,” she said. Derguti also called on the government of Kosovo not to meet the requests of the Serbian List as long as the latter protects Belgrade’s interests instead of the interests of the Serb minority in Kosovo. “The true integration of Kosovo Serbs should happen through direct dialogue with them and through economic development,” she said.

Search ongoing for 17 year-old missing in Mitrovica North (dailies)

The Kosovo Security Force, Kosovo Police, firefighters and KFOR troops are continuing the search for Sead Alushi, a 17 year-old Kosovo Albanian, who went missing on Friday evening in Mitrovica North. Police officials believe that Alushi drowned in the Iber River. Mitrovica Mayor Agim Bahtiri and Mitrovica North Administration Head Adriana Hodzic gave a press conference on Monday about the case. Bahtiri said all efforts are being made to locate the missing teenager.

Tensions in the north (Kosova Sot)

A brawl between two rival groups from Mitrovica North and Zvecan is the latest in a series of incidents that have taken place in the northern part of Kosovo. In an earlier incident, on April 9, a 17 year-old Serb was stabbed and the attackers have not yet been identified. Ksenija Bozovic, the President of the Mitrovica North Municipal Assembly, said the residents of Mitrovica North are expecting the Kosovo Police to find those responsible for the latest incidents. “Resolving these cases would help lower the tensions,” she said.

Grenade attack at the police station in Zubin Potok (KosovaPress)

A hand grenade was thrown last night in the courtyard of the police station in Zubin Potok, reports Kosova Press. Sources told the news agency that unknown persons left a message written in the police station courtyard, which said: “Stop the Kosovo Police and EULEX – traitors”. This explosion damaged four police vehicles. Deputy police director for the north region, Besim Hoti, confirmed the incident saying that the police started the investigation.