Headlines - 16.01.2015

President Jahjaga meets heads of institutions (dailies)

The President of Kosovo, Atifete Jahjaga, held a joint meeting on Thursday with the heads of Kosovo institutions, including Assembly President Kadri Veseli, Prime Minister Isa Mustafa and Justice Minister Hajredin Kuçi, to coordinate efforts to create the special court that is expected to address war crimes allegations in Kosovo. The leaders agreed to set up a joint technical team to look into the establishment of the special court, whose creation has already been approved by the Kosovo Assembly. The leaders also stressed the need for general consensus on the special court’s formation.

Armed forces to be a condition for support for special court (Koha)

In a front-page report, the paper notes that the ruling coalition’s Kosovo-Albanian political parties are making the establishment of the Armed Forces of Kosovo a condition for forming the special court. “Voting on these two issues would be linked, bearing in mind that certain minority MPs have been reluctant to support the formation of the Armed Forces,” an unidentified source close to the process told the paper.

Tahiri reacts to Vucic’s statements (Epoka e Re)

Minister without portfolio Edita Tahiri said that Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic’s visit to Kosovo was no different from those of his predecessors. Tahiri said that Kosovo would protest to the European Union about Vucic’s nationalistic statements during his visit. “Vucic’s statements do not contribute to the dialogue on good neighborly relations, which is facilitated and guaranteed by the European Union,” Tahiri said. She also urged Serbia to “wake up and put an end to its hegemonic mentality”.

Irregular migration weakens Kosovo’s visa liberalization chances (Zeri)

The German Ambassador to Kosovo, Angelika Viets, said on Thursday that the recent migration of people from Kosovo to other European countries weakens Kosovo’s chances for visa liberalization. She said that, so far, 98 percent of asylum requests from Kosovo have been rejected. Viets noted that the Council of the European Union has reaffirmed the possibility of Kosovo entering into a visa-free regime with Schengen countries, after fulfilling all the necessary criteria, despite the fact that five EU member states have yet to recognize Kosovo’s independence.

Baer: Kosovo should be included in OSCE discussions (Zeri)

The United States Ambassador at the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), Daniel Baer, said on Thursday that Kosovo should be included in OSCE discussions and participate in the OSCE Permanent Council. He stated that Kosovo is part of Europe and should play an important role in institutions that are dedicated to peace and progress. He added that the OSCE plays a key role in dialogue between Pristina and Belgrade and that he expects the talks to resume.

Croatian President: Serbia should recognize Kosovo (Kosova Sot)

The President of Croatia, Kolinda Grabar Kitarovic, told Bosnian TV channel BHT1 that “Kosovo’s independence is a reality”. Grabar-Kitarovic said that that everyone in Serbia realizes that Kosovo is no longer a part of Serbia. According to her, Serbia should have recognized Kosovo’s independence a long time ago.