Headlines - 22.02.2019

• Mogherini sees progress on Kosovo-Serbia dialogue (RTK)
• Kurz supports exchange of territories (Zeri)
• Thaci and Negotiating Team with different views on Kosovo borders (Zeri)
• Ahmeti: No one in Brussels mentioned correction of borders (Epoka)
• Platform review delayed, shortcomings identified (Koha)
• Japan to open embassy in Kosovo in 2020 (media)
• UNDP publishes latest public pulse poll (dailies)
• Bahtiri submits petition for Mitrovica unification to the President (Epoka)
• Vetevendosje: President has blocked the CEC (Epoka)
• MP Blerim Kuci, summoned by Specialist Chambers (dailies)

Kosovo Media Highlights

Mogherini sees progress on Kosovo-Serbia dialogue (RTK)

The EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini told Politico that there has been progress in the negotiations between Belgrade and Pristina, despite the difficulties.  “Despite all difficulties, we are moving forward the negotiations between Serbia and Kosovo, in order to be able to once and for all, bring conflicts in Balkans to an end,” Mogherini said.

Kurz supports exchange of territories (Zeri)

The paper quotes reports from Austrian media saying that Chancellor Sebastian Kurz, currently on a visit to the U.S., has said he supports exchange of territories between Kosovo and Serbia even though he considers it is a dangerous idea. The paper recalls that the idea of territorial exchange between Kosovo and Serbia was first publicly mentioned in a forum in Austria hosted by Chancellor Kurz. At the same time, Kurz is the only head of state that has openly endorsed the border change idea. In his meeting with the U.S. President Donald Trump, Kurz said the U.S. should get more involved in the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia. “The U.S. has a very strong position in Kosovo and this can be positively used,” he is quoted as saying.

Thaci and Negotiating Team with different views on Kosovo borders (Zeri)

President of Kosovo, Hashim Thaci, continues to insist on the idea of border correction as part of the final agreement with Serbia although the Negotiating Team for Dialogue last week finalized the platform which aims to preserve Kosovo’s territorial integrity. Analysts say however that even if approved by the Assembly, the platform cannot guarantee that the borders of Kosovo will not change as the Negotiating Team will play only a technical role in the process while the dialogue itself will be led by President Thaci.

Ahmeti: No one in Brussels mentioned correction of borders (Epoka)

Shpend Ahmeti, leader of the Social-Democratic Party (PSD) who is also co-head of Kosovo’s negotiating team in the dialogue with Serbia, said so far, no one in Brussels has made a request for correction of borders. “If President Rugova allegedly made such request, does this make the idea better? I heard yesterday Dacic saying that this was his proposal. Later, I heard Vucic saying that he has supported this for a long time. It is clear that no one in Kosovo would request such thing. It is clear that this a request of Serbia, but I am saying it officially that formally, this was never mentioned at the meetings by the mediators in Brussels and neither have we heard that Serbia has made such request,” Ahmeti said. 

Platform review delayed, shortcomings identified (Koha)

Koha Ditore reports on the front page that the Platform for Dialogue with Serbia is expected to enter the Assembly agenda next week, although it was finalized last week. The document was submitted to MPs this Wednesday and its first stop will be with the Assembly committee on foreign affairs. Chair of the committee, Vjosa Osmani, confirmed she has called a meeting for Monday. Meanwhile the Kosovo-based Group for Legal and Political Studies (GLPS) has identified several points which it says are shortcomings in the text of the platform. According to GLPS, the platform does not specify Kosovo’s official position in the dialogue with Serbia and that the “silence” on the possibility of territory being discussed may not be coincidental. GLPS states that the argument that platform’s reference to Article 2 of the Constitution of Kosovo relating to Kosovo’s territorial integrity and sovereignty prevents discussion on territory is “inaccurate” because territorial integrity as mentioned in the Constitution refers to protection of external borders in case force is used but not in cases when there is a peaceful agreement for border change. GLPS also stated that the platform fails to define mechanisms that would ensure broad consent on final agreement.

Japan to open embassy in Kosovo in 2020 (media)

State Minister of Japan’s Foreign Ministry, Toshiko Abe, met separately in Pristina yesterday Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj, President Hashim Thaci, and Foreign Minister Behgjet Pacolli and announced that Japan plans to open an embassy in Kosovo next year to mark the tenth anniversary of establishment of diplomatic relations, several media outlets report. “Kosovo is thankful to Japan for the huge assistance it has provided to the country in vital fields by being one of the main donors. The opening of the Japanese embassy in Kosovo in 2020 will give a new impetus to our friendship and partnership,” Haradinaj wrote on Facebook after the meeting. Thaci meanwhile said that Japan is a strategic ally for Kosovo and thanked the country for its support. Japanese minister Abe said her country remains committed to support Kosovo in all fields and is interests in deepening partnership in the future.

UNDP publishes latest public pulse poll (dailies)

UNDP presented yesterday the findings of its latest public pulse analysis covering the period between May-November 2018. The poll found that the biggest issues facing Kosovo is the unemployment rate (29.4%,) corruption (13.4%) and poverty (8.6%). The poll also showed that only 13.5% of 1,306 respondents are satisfied with the political direction Kosovo has taken. “Roughly one-third of respondents (36 percent), on average, declared to be satisfied with the work of key institutions in Kosovo in November 2018 compared to 32.5 percent in May 2018. The top three institutions the performance of which experienced the highest increase in citizen satisfaction compared to May 2018 are the courts, the Prosecutor’s Office, and the Speaker of the Parliament. However, 50 percent of respondents declared to be either dissatisfied or very dissatisfied with the current political direction of Kosovo. In line with respondents’ increased dissatisfaction with Kosovo’s political direction compared to October 2017, citizens declared to be more willing to join political protests in November 2018 than in October 2017. In terms of democratic and economic processes, both the Democratization and the Economic Confidence Indices are currently below average. These values indicate that roughly half of the population does not see the democratic processes in Kosovo in a positive light, and it does not hold a positive view of the economy, either. Regarding personal safety, the majority of respondents (71 percent) feel safe when out on the street, indicating the highest level of safety recorded by Public Pulse Polls since 2013,” the report reads.

Read the full report here: https://bit.ly/2DYJM47

Bahtiri submits petition for Mitrovica unification to the President (Epoka)

Agim Bahtiri, mayor of Mitrovica South, submitted on Thursday the petition of 16.594 citizens for unification of Mitrovica city to the President of Kosovo Hashim Thaci. He has requested from the President to undertake legally required procedures to fulfill the will of citizens. He told the media that he has requested from the President to make a quick decision as he is disappointed that the Assembly is not discussing this petition yet.

Vetevendosje: President has blocked the CEC (Epoka)

Representatives of the Vetevendosje Movement Albulena Haxhiu and Adnan Rrustemi, held on Thursday a press conference to speak about the one-year blockade of the Central Election Commission (CEC). They claimed that their political party should have two representatives instead of one at CEC. “A day before voting the resolution for the dialogue which aims to wipe off Hashim Thaci’s loneliness in his dangerous initiative of exchange of territories, the Office of the President has sent to parliamentary groups the request to send names at CEC. Attempts to use constitutional institutions such as CEC in order to pay for services of the PSD, AAK and NISMA to Thaci, are unacceptable and warning for deeper capture of the state,” Albulena Haxhiu said. She added that despite Thaci’s request to send one name, her political party has sent two.

MP Blerim Kuci, summoned by Specialist Chambers (dailies)

Papers report that Blerim Kuci, MP from the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo, has been summoned by the Specialist Chambers in the Hague. Kuci confirmed the call and said he plans to positively respond to it.  Koha Ditore writes that so far 20 persons have been called in by the Specialist Chambers to testify and also notes that Kuci has previously refused to testify in Kosovo courts on crimes alleged to have been committed by the KLA. Kuci was also for a while detained by the KLA.