UNMIK Headlines 16 December
EU ministers call for establishment of special court (Koha)
In a front-page story, the paper claims to possess a copy of the draft conclusions of the ongoing meeting of Foreign Ministers of the European Union in Brussels. The draft conclusions, among other things, call on Kosovo to fulfill its political obligations and establish the special court that will address war crimes allegations in Kosovo. The Foreign Ministers are expected to welcome the formation of new institutions in Pristina and will call on Kosovo’s leaders to promote administrative reform, the independence of the judiciary, the fight against corruption and organized crime, the resumption of dialogue with Belgrade and the implementation of agreements reached so far. As a top priority, the Kosovo authorities will be asked to adopt the necessary legal amendments to establish the special court.
Pristina-Belgrade dialogue to resume in January (Bota Sot)
The European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Federica Mogherini, said on Monday that the dialogue between Pristina and Belgrade will resume in January after the holidays. “I will invite the Prime Ministers of Serbia and Kosovo to come to Brussels immediately after the holidays,” Mogherini told reporters in Brussels.
Bitter battle expected over Association of Serb municipalities (Koha)
Branimir Stojanovic, the Deputy Prime Minister of Kosovo, told the paper on Monday that there will be a bitter battle over the jurisdiction of the future Association/Community of Serb-majority Municipalities. Representatives of Serb municipalities have openly admitted that they don’t want the Association to be registered as a non-governmental organization as foreseen by Kosovo laws. Marko Djuric, the Director of the Serbian Government’s Office for Kosovo, said recently that education and healthcare in Serb-majority municipalities should remain under the Serbian system. The paper recalls that, in their power-sharing accord, the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK), Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) and Serbian List, agreed that the Association would be established in the next five months.
Mustafa meets EU ambassadors (Zeri)
The Prime Minister of Kosovo, Isa Mustafa held separate meetings on Monday with the British Ambassador to Kosovo, Ian Cliff, the Hungarian Ambassador, Lorant Balla, and the Austrian Ambassador, Johann Brieger. The ambassadors congratulated Mustafa on his new post, and expressed readiness to continue cooperating with the new government of Kosovo.
Bosnia blocks Kosovo’s Adriatic Charter membership (Tribuna)
Bosnia and Herzegovina has rejected the idea of Kosovo becoming a member of the Adriatic Charter, an association of the US and regional countries set up to promote NATO integration. The Albanian Foreign Minister, Ditmir Bushati, who was hosting the Adriatic Charter meeting in Tirana, said that Kosovo’s membership was supported by all countries except Bosnia and Herzegovina. At the same time, the Serbian representative walked out of the meeting when the discussion on Kosovo’s possible membership began. Kosovo and Serbia will now remain observers and not partners to the Charter.
HRW sends letter to EU High Representative Mogherini (Koha)
Human Rights Watch (HRW) sent a letter to the European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Federica Mogherini, regarding allegations that the EU Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo (EULEX) engaged in corruption and pressured a Koha Ditore reporter. Among other things, the letter refers to “Human Rights Watch’s concern regarding the serious allegations of corruption by some members of the EU Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo (EULEX) and the alleged failure of the mission adequately to investigate those allegations and instead to take action against the person who reported them.” The letter adds, “We are also seriously concerned by allegations from a trusted local journalist, Vehbi Kajtazi, that EULEX officials pressured him to stop his reporting on the corruption claims. Human Rights Watch welcomes your decision to launch an EEAS investigation into EULEX’s handling of the corruption allegations. We understand that Mr. Jean Paul Jacqué was appointed on November 10 as an independent expert to review EULEX’s handling of the corruption allegations and revert back within four months with findings and recommendations. We are concerned, however, that Mr. Jacqué’s role appears limited to overseeing EULEX’s internal investigation rather than conducting an independent investigation into the allegations… It is vital that the EEAS broaden Mr. Jacqué’s mandate so that he may conduct his own investigation into these allegation. That investigation should not be limited to the corruption allegations raised by the former EULEX prosecutor but should include all credible allegations of corruption implicating the mission and its current and former staff. In addition, for transparency and credibility, and given the vital importance for the rule of law that these allegations are addressed, and are seen to be addressed fairly and firmly, Mr. Jacqué’s findings should be made public. Since the EULEX mandate is to investigate and adjudicate serious crimes and promote the rule of law in Kosovo, it is crucial that Mr. Jacqué’s investigation also thoroughly examine how the mission investigated reports of corruption, including those from the former EULEX prosecutor who acted as whistleblower, to identify and correct apparent weaknesses in the system.”