UNMIK Headlines 19 May
Government ignored report that could have prevented Kumanovo killings (Koha)
In a front-page story, the paper reports that the killing of nine Kosovo nationals in Kumanovo could have been prevented if Kosovo Prime Minister Isa Mustafa had notified Interior Minister Skender Hyseni about information he received from the Kosovo Intelligence Agency about the suspicious movements of the victims. The Office of the Prime Minister did not say why they did not share such information with Hyseni, but said that the intelligence agency should have notified the Kosovo Police about the content of the report.
EU diplomats want Gruevski to be isolated (Koha/Gazeta Blic)
The paper’s Brussels-based correspondent reports that even though they call for “independent investigations” and “to avoid an escalating situation in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia”, many European diplomats acknowledged on Monday that it will be difficult to resolve the political crisis in FYROM if Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski remains in power. The same diplomats told the paper that Gruevski is not showing any signs of assuming responsibility for the recent events. “The resignation of the Interior Minister and the head of the Intelligence Service is a step in the right direction, but it is not enough. The crisis is very deep and politicians in power in FYROM, including some Albanians, have lost the trust of the people and they must reflect on this. The situation is very serious and this is a result of numerous political games,” a senior EU diplomat, who preferred to remain anonymous, told the paper. Citing sources close to the European Commission, Pristina-based news site Gazeta Blic reports that the Commission has called on Gruevski to resign his post, “but that Skopje won’t even consider the request”.
FYROM leaders without agreement, meeting continues in Strasbourg (dailies)
The second meeting of the leaders of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) ended yesterday without any concrete agreement. The opposition leader, Zoran Zaev, said after the meeting that the opposition’s stance is clear and that they require a transitional government, which could be a technocratic government or a political government. Meanwhile, Zaev along with Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski will today travel to Strasbourg, to meet with three Members of the European Parliament, Eduard Kukan, Ivo Vajgl and Richard Howitt.
Thaci to represent Kosovo at the UN Security Council (Bota Sot/Epoka e Re)
Kosovo’s Deputy Foreign Minister, Petrit Selimi, told Tirana’s Top Channel that Kosovo’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Hashim Thaci, will travel alone to New York to take part in the upcoming session of the UN Security Council on Kosovo. Selimi said the Kosovo side will present successes and challenges faced during the reporting period and added that Thaci will also address the recent events in Kumanovo, FYROM, and the special court.
Lunacek warns Serbia: Kosovo first, then the chapters (Zeri)
The European Parliament Vice President and Rapporteur for Kosovo, Ulrike Lunacek, said on Monday in Vienna that she cannot say when the European Union will open the negotiating chapters for Serbia’s membership. According to her, some EU member states, especially Germany, are seeking to achieve tangible progress in the dialogue, before the opening of Chapter 35 (Pristina - Belgrade dialogue and Brussels agreements), 23 (Judiciary and Human Rights) and 24 (Freedom and Security). Lunacek also said that it is necessary to accelerate the implementation of the Brussels agreements, especially in the energy sector. She also criticized the attitude of the President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker, who said that there will be no EU enlargement during his term, noting that this statement was demotivating for the Western Balkans.
Irregular migration and political deadlock left Kosovo without visas (Zeri)
The head of the Political, Economic and European Integration Section at the European Union Office in Kosovo, Thomas Gnocchi, said on Monday that Kosovo is entering its final phase in regards to visa liberalization. Gnocchi said the six-month political crisis and irregular migration have negatively affected the visa liberalization process for Kosovo. "Kosovo has two major priorities, signing the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA) and visa liberalization. We had different criteria, some of which were also different from other countries that entered the visa liberalization process. The EU considers these criteria as very important, and we are doing the right job,” Gnocchi said. He made these comments during the presentation of a study on visa liberalization by the Kosovo-based think tank Group for Legal and Political Studies.
Construction in “Kroi i Vitakut” to commence on 20 May (Kosova Sot)
Mitrovica Mayor Agim Bahtiri met yesterday representatives of the “Kroi i Vitakut” neighbourhood in the north and discussed the reconstruction of houses in the area. The meeting took place days before the expiration of the suspension of construction works agreed upon with Mayor of Mitrovica North Goran Rakic. Bahtiri told owners of houses in the neighbourhood that all local and international institutions have realized that the problem is not with the Albanian side.