UNMIK Headlines 23 February
Thaci: Kosovo to sue Serbia for ‘war reparations’ (Epoka e Re)
Kosovo’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Hashim Thaci, said Kosovo will file a lawsuit against Serbia for war reparations. “We are discussing and working on it,” said Thaci in an interview for Turkish news agency Anadolu. He said Kosovo will file a genocide lawsuit against Serbia with the International Court of Justice (ICJ) but did not give a specific time when this would happen. “Serbia has committed genocide in Kosovo. We have facts, testimonies and the entire world knows of it,” Thaci said.
Vulin reacts to Thaci’s statement for suing Serbia (dailies)
Serbia’s Minister of Labour and Social Welfare, Aleksandar Vulin, said on Sunday that Kosovo’s Foreign Minister, Hashim Thaci, has to explain his idea how Kosovo plans to sue Serbia for genocide at the International Court of Justice (ICJ). Vulin said that such suggestion is dangerous. He said that Serbia cannot be sued for genocide at a time when Kosovo and Serbia have reached agreements in Brussels for normalization of relations.
Mustafa: People of Kosovo do not deserve to remain isolated (dailies)
The Prime Minister of Kosovo, Isa Mustafa, wrote on his Facebook page that no one can use the irregular migration of Kosovo people to argument prolongation of the visa liberalization. He said that the people of Kosovo are clearly oriented towards European and western values. “This door should open as soon as possible, because it is dangerous for people who, some for own interest and others for loss of hope, are sometimes even heading eastward. The others should also not be experimenting with our fate, by setting conditions every day, because we do not deserve to be an isolated population in Europe” wrote Mustafa.
Failure to protect witnesses – main reason to establish special court (Koha)
Koha Ditore writes that it is difficult for European diplomats to explain how will the calls for establishing a special court with prosecution and hearings to take place outside Kosovo, will match the claims that the European Union Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo (EULEX) and Kosovo's judiciary "have made progress". According to the paper, European diplomats acknowledge that the intimidation of witnesses, lack of proper protection and lack of confidence in Kosovo courts, are the main reasons why Kosovo needs a special court. These issues will also be discussed today at a European Parliament debate on Kosovo. The paper writes that European diplomats expect Kosovo politicians to do everything they can to secure constitutional changes for the establishment of a special court which will address war crimes allegations on the basis of investigation carried out by the Special Investigative Task Force (SITF).
Tahiri: Kosovo does not discuss Trepca with Serbia (Zeri)
Kosovo’s minister without portfolio, Edita Tahiri, said on Sunday that the Kosovo government will not discuss the issue of Trepca mining complex with Serbia. She said that the government will establish an expert group to prepare a special law for Trepca which would make the mine function as part of a public-private partnership. Regarding the opposition protests on the issue of Trepca, Tahiri said that those protests were purely political and that Kosovo’s image was damaged by the violence used in protests.
Kurti: Kosovo leadership terrified of CoE report allegations (Kosova Sot)
In an interview for the Tirana-based Albanian Screen, until recently Vetevendosje leader Albin Kurti, said that the Kosovo political establishment is “terrified” of the prospect of facing possible indictments from the Council of Europe’s (CoE) report. “If they don’t behave well, they stand to lose not only power but freedom as well,” said Kurti of Kosovo leaders. He said the new government of Kosovo is not new as it consists of old actors with the old mindset and goals.