• LDK and VV, between consultations and ultimatums (Koha)
• Mustafa: LDK heading to elections on its own (Bota Sot)
• Will LDK give Vetevendosje the post of Prime Minister? (Express)
• Haxhiu: Kurti should be joint candidate for Prime Minister (Express/RTV Dukagjini)
• Haziri to Vetevendosje: Do not undermine our will (Express)
• AAK leader Haradinaj meets NISMA’s Limaj (media)
• Pompeo: Normalisation of relations with Kosovo strengthens Serbia’s stability (media)
• Serbian List comments on Pompeo-Vucic meeting (RTK)
• Haradinaj: Border change, monstrous scenario serving Russian agenda (Epoka)
• Kosovo and North Macedonia agree to lift trade barriers (media)

LDK and VV, between consultations and ultimatums (Koha)

The paper reports on its front page that from meetings between their respective leaders Isa Mustafa and Albin Kurti, the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) and the Vetevendosje Movement (VV) have now expanded their consultations to working groups. In their first meeting on Tuesday, the two working groups – Glauk Konjufca and Besnik Bislimi (VV) and Avdullah Hoti and Kujtim Shala (LDK) - did not agree on a candidate for Prime Minister nor on the governing principles. VV representatives said after the meeting that they presented their reasons why VV leader Kurti should be a joint candidate for Prime Minister and they offered to the LDK the posts of President and Assembly Speaker.

VV MP Albulena Haxhiu told the paper that consultations between the working groups should conclude by the middle of next week. “We are not in a situation where we can wait indefinitely, because the Assembly will be dissolved on 22. The date of elections can be announced the next day and therefore these meetings must have an epilogue. We cannot wait longer than early or middle of next week,” Haxhiu said.

Mustafa: LDK heading to elections on its own (Bota Sot)

Leader of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) Isa Mustafa said that his party’s position is to head to elections on its own but is open to cooperation. He said he would be ready to meet with leader of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) Ramush Haradinaj.

“I think we will meet. Any meeting is valuable, no matter the objectives. We need a regular election process, acceptable and transparent. Either way, we need to cooperate after elections as well. Everything will not end with elections,” Mustafa said.

Will LDK give Vetevendosje the post of Prime Minister? (Express)

Avdullah Hoti, leader of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) parliamentary group, said in an interview to the news website on Tuesday that the current opposition should govern Kosovo after the upcoming parliamentary elections. Hoti said new elections “should have been held a year ago when the PAN government lost its legitimacy after losing the majority in the Assembly”. Asked if the LDK would agree to give the Prime Minister post to Vetevendosje in an eventual coalition, Hoti said: “we had productive cooperation with Vetevendosje in the last two years in the opposition in the Assembly and this constitutes the basis for a broader cooperation in government in the future … It is natural for the current opposition to lead the new government because only this can bring substantial changes to the model of governance. However, every form of our cooperation with VV will be discussed and decided by the competent LDK mechanisms. As for the Prime Minister position, we will ask for the people’s trust to lead the government. We must accept the rule that the biggest party leads the government”.

Haxhiu: Kurti should be joint candidate for Prime Minister (Express/RTV Dukagjini)

Vetevendosje (VV) MP Albulena Haxhiu said in an interview to RTV Dukagjini on Tuesday that VV leader Albin Kurti should be a joint candidate for Prime Minister if VV and the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) reach a pre-coalition agreement. “We don’t believe that someone from the LDK can push processes forward, therefore, Kurti should be a candidate for Prime Minister,” she said. Haxhiu added that in an eventual coalition with the LDK “we need to discuss Kosovo’s problems such as unemployment and poverty … These topics are more important than discussing posts”.

Haziri to Vetevendosje: Do not undermine our will (Express) Lutfi Haziri, deputy leader of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) responded to the Vetevendosje Movement caucus Glauk Konjufca, who said that LDK has until 23 August to decide on eventual pre-election coalition. He requested from Konjufca to be patient, and not undermine LDK’s will as according to him they are close to the decision. “We have our own agenda and we will stick to it…. as patience is one of the values that LDK cultivates, I am telling Glauk: Be a bit patient as we are close to decisions…. Do not forget Ibrahim Rugova’s approach,” Haziri said.

AAK leader Haradinaj meets NISMA’s Limaj (media)

Kosovo’s outgoing Prime Minister and leader of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) Ramush Haradinaj met yesterday with Fatmir Limaj, leader of the Social Democratic Initiative (NISMA).

An advisor to Haradinaj confirmed the meeting saying that the two leaders discussed recent developments. Haradinaj told reporters after the meeting that they discussed the motion for disbanding the Assembly which will be voted on this Thursday. “There is a good mood for a coalition, but we did not discuss this. We talked about the motion on Thursday,” he said.

Klan Kosova quotes Haradinaj as saying that he discussed possible cooperation with Limaj but that no agreement was reached yet. “There is nothing official yet that could lead to a pre-election cooperation,” he said.

Pompeo: Normalisation of relations with Kosovo strengthens Serbia’s stability (media)

The U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met in Washington D.C. the President of Serbia Aleksandar Vucic and said that normalisation of relations with Kosovo will contribute to stability.

“Productive lunch with Serbian President @avucic on Kosovo-Serbia Dialogue and Serbia’s EU accession. Normalizing relations with Kosovo will strengthen stability and prosperity for Serbia, the #WesternBalkans, and the Transatlantic community,” Pompeo tweeted after the meeting.

Zeri writes that the meeting between Pompeo and Vucic took longer than expected, about two hours, and that the two met at the sidelines of a UN Security Council session on the situation in the Middle East.

Vucic is reported to have said that Serbia can count on U.S. support when it comes to removal of the import tariff and continuation of dialogue with Pristina. “We discussed about everything at lengths. He wanted to hear what Serbia thinks about solving the issue of Kosovo. I think I presented Serbia’s position in the shortest and simplest way possible,” Vucic wrote on his Instagram account.

Klan Kosova quotes Vucic as saying that in a best-case scenario dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia will resume in December.

Serbian List comments on Pompeo-Vucic meeting (RTK)

Igor Simic, deputy leader of the Serbian List commented on the meeting between the U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and the President of Serbia Aleksandar Vucic saying the position of the U.S. administration on the continuation of the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue is in line with that of Serbia.

“Today is unique in the recent political history of U.S.-Serbia relations where the meeting ends in a common position about situation in Kosovo. This diplomatic progress in relations is a result of responsible policy of President Vucic which makes even the most fervent supporters of Kosovo independence admit that the Kosovo issue doesn’t end in unilateral recognition of Kosovo and that a compromise solution is required that respects interests of Serbia and the Serbian people,” Simic said.

Haradinaj: Border change, monstrous scenario serving Russian agenda (Epoka)

The resigned Prime Minister of Kosovo Ramush Haradinaj, met on Tuesday for a farewell meeting with the outgoing Ambassador of the United Kingdom Ruairi O’Connell. On this occasion, Haradinaj expressed faith that Great Britain will be against change of the borders. “I believe that the United Kingdom will continue to be against any territorial or border change in Balkans and will always remain a secure address for the population of Kosovo, because such a monstrous scenario which serves to Russian agenda, will never be accomplished,” Haradinaj said.

Kosovo and North Macedonia agree to lift trade barriers (media)

Kosovo’s Minister of Trade and Industry, Endrit Shala, met in Pristina yesterday North Macedonian Minister of Economy, Kreshnik Bekteshi, and discussed ways to eliminate trade barriers.

Shala said both parties agreed in principle to remove all trade barriers by the end of the week. He said the Kosovo agency of food and veterinary will submit additional guarantees to North Macedonia to ensure active monitoring of the product of fish eggs after which the “agency of North Macedonia will remove the barrier against Republic of Kosovo.”

Shala said that once this procedure is completed, the Ministry of Trade and Industry will remove the measures imposed on North Macedonian products.