Headlines - 18.09.2018

• Kosovo President Thaci to meet US President Trump (KP/Bota Sot)
• Haradinaj: The U.S. is against change of borders (Klan Kosova)
• Apostolova: Parties to reach consensus on issues of interest for Kosovo (Koha)
• EU seeks ‘realistic’ agreement between Kosovo and Serbia (Koha Ditore)
• LDK: Dialogue with Serbia not urgent (Zeri/Koha)
• Sherifi: Territorial exchange, legitimizes ethnic cleansing in the North (RTK)
• PM Haradinaj meets Serbian List representatives (Telegrafi)
• Government claims Association will not have executive competencies (Epoka)
• EU working party on visa liberalisation to visit Kosovo next week (Zeri)
• Prosecution mixes up genuine KLA veterans with false ones (Zeri)
• Ymeri: We do not cooperate with Vetevendosje (RTK)

 Kosovo Media Highlights

Kosovo President Thaci to meet US President Trump (KP/Bota Sot)

President of Kosovo Hashim Thaci is expected to meet with the US President Donald Trump early next week, Kosovapress reported quoting international sources. Thaci’s initiative for border correction between Kosovo and Serbia is expected to be discussed in the meeting, especially following the national security advisor John Bolton’s remarks that the US would not rule out territorial corrections if the two parties agree to it.

Haradinaj: The U.S. is against change of borders (Klan Kosova)

The Prime Minister of Kosovo Ramush Haradinaj said it is necessary to reach a legally binding agreement with Serbia, but that this should happen without touching the current borders. “We do not think that the agreement should be reached by giving away territories or borders. Bringing the matter of borders on the table is a mistake and a setback which leads toward tragedies. The population does not deserve to face the past,” Haradinaj said. “I had the opportunity to dialogue with officials from the U.S. State Department, they do not suggest solution which involves territories or borders, but they said they have given space to leaders to reach an implementable solution which does not destabilize and that it is acceptable for the others,” Haradinaj said. “The U.S., Germany and the others recognized us with these borders. It is unforgivable if we open territory and border issue at the table,” he added.

Apostolova: Parties to reach consensus on issues of interest for Kosovo (Koha)

Head of the EU Office in Kosovo and Special Representative, Nataliya Apostolova, is reported to have criticized parliamentary parties for delays in ratification of agreements relating to the EU’s Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA). In the meeting of the EU-Kosovo Stabilisation and Association Parliamentary Committee (SAPC), Apostolova said political parties need to reach consensus on issues that are of interest for Kosovo and that crucial reforms should not be kept hostage to party interests.

EU seeks ‘realistic’ agreement between Kosovo and Serbia (Koha Ditore)

Head of the European Parliament delegation in Pristina for the EU-Kosovo Stabilisation and Association Parliamentary Committee (SAPC), Tonino Picula, said it was too soon to comment on the possibility of border changes between Kosovo and Serbia as part of the final agreement for normalisation of relations but noted that “we want a realistic solution that would not threaten stability in the region.”

LDK: Dialogue with Serbia not urgent (Zeri/Koha)

The Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) leader Isa Mustafa said dialogue with Serbia is not an urgent matter and that it requires consensus. He said the dialogue issue has overshadowed real problems the people of Kosovo are facing. Mustafa said dialogue would have to be tackled by ‘legitimate’ institutions that would derive from free elections and while the party supports dialogue as a way to resolve disputes it insists the issue of border changes not be part of discussions. “Serbia should first recognise us under the current borders and then we can talk about borders if we think it in our interest,” he said.  LDK also said it considers that now is not the right time for street protests despite the ‘poor performance’ of the Ramush Haradinaj-led government. “The moment we believe there needs to be a protest, we will either organise one or join one,” said LDK leader Isa Mustafa after a meeting of the party’s leadership.

Sherifi: Territorial exchange, legitimizes ethnic cleansing in the North (RTK)

Bilall Sherifi, caucus of the Social-Democratic Initiative (NISMA) said on Monday during his speech in front of the European Parliament and Kosovo Assembly MPs discussing “War crimes and road toward reconciliation” that almost two decades after violent expelling of Albanians from the northern part of Kosovo, ‘we are witnesses of the Serbian ambitions to annex Kosovo territories.” “I focused today during my speech on “ethnic Cleansing” as form of genocide. The focusing had only one intention, to draw attention on the danger that is threatening Kosovo and our entire region. “Under the mask of “territorial exchange” or “border corrections” between Kosovo and Serbia, they are preparing terrain in order to legitimize Serbian genocide in Kosovo is being prepared, Sherifi said.

PM Haradinaj meets Serbian List representatives (Telegrafi)

Prime Minister of Kosovo, Ramush Haradinaj, met yesterday a group of Serbian List officials consisting of deputy leader Milan Radojcic, Kosovo’s Deputy Prime Minister Dalibor Jevtic, and mayors from Mitrovica North and Shterpce/Strpce, Goran Rakic and Bratislav Nikolic, respectively. In a Facebook post, Haradinaj said the meeting focused on recent developments and aspects relating to the position of Serb community in Kosovo. “We agreed to continue regular communication and strengthen cooperation with mayors in order to achieve development objectives of each municipality,” Haradinaj wrote.

Government claims Association will not have executive competencies (Epoka)

Kosovo’s Deputy Prime Minister Enver Hoxhaj said establishment of Association of Serb-majority Municipalities is the biggest danger in the dialogue process with Serbia in Brussels. “We will do the utmost for the Association of the Serb-majority Municipalities not have an executive or territorial character,” Hoxhaj said. He added that there is no need to rush with establishment of this Association prior to receiving positive response for Kosovo’s UN membership.

EU working party on visa liberalisation to visit Kosovo next week (Zeri)

The paper reports that the Working Party on the Western Balkans (COWEB), responsible for EU relations with the Western Balkans and operating under the Council of the EU, will be visiting Kosovo on 25 and 26 September to see from up close the work of Kosovo institutions in fields concerning visa liberalisation.

Prosecution mixes up genuine KLA veterans with false ones (Zeri)

Kosovo’s Prosecution has not denied the possibility of shortcomings in the investigation process into the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) veterans’ lists and pledged to remove “genuine” KLA members from the published list of “false” ones. The prosecution’s statement comes after a considerable number of people claiming to possess evidence they were part of KLA appeared on the lists of so-called false fighters. One of these is the MP from the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) Time Kadrijaj who said she was shocked to find her name in the list while Hysni Gucati, head of KLA war veterans association, said the publication of the lists is violation of human rights. “These lists are not genuine,” he said.

Ymeri: We do not cooperate with Vetevendosje (RTK)

Visar Ymeri, deputy leader of the Social-Democratic Party said that Vetevendosje Movement’s invitations for cooperation are party organizing with unknown intentions. “If we agreed, we would cooperate with Vetevendosje to move processes forward. Otherwise, invitations or events of Vetevendosje are party events, for which we are not informed neither for their intentions or aims, therefore it is impossible for us to cooperate under such conditions,” Ymeri said. He added that opposition cooperation never happens by insulting the other.