• Thaci: Region can become unstable if agreement is not reached (media)
• Norwegian FM: Agreement with Serbia opens closed doors for Kosovo (Zeri)
• Thaci: Dialogue with Serbia to resume without conditions (RTK)
• Mustafa: Opposition should bring down PAN coalition (Bota Sot, Express)
• Serbia continues to invest in Kosovo, Hoxhaj calls on EU to react (media)
• Bahtiri: We will not allow humanitarian crisis in the north (Telegrafi)
• Kosovo Assembly adopts report on expulsion of Turkish nationals (media)
• U.S. Ambassador praises police work in fighting human trafficking (Indeksonline)

Thaci: Region can become unstable if agreement is not reached (media)

All media cover a conference held on Monday in Pristina “Vox populi on the grand finale between Kosovo and Serbia”, highlighting Kosovo President Hashim Thaci’s remarks at the event. Under the leading front-page headline Thaci resorts to border correction, Koha Ditore reports on differing positions between Kosovo President Hashim Thaci, the state delegation and opposition parties at a joint conference held on Monday in Pristina which discussed options of a final settlement with Serbia. The paper notes that “the President dramatized again saying that the region would become unstable if an agreement with Serbia is not reached”. Shpend Ahmeti, co-head of Kosovo’s state delegation for talks with Serbia, focused on meetings with internationals and the price, which according to them, Kosovo must pay in exchange for recognition from Serbia. “Every one of them has told us – you Kosovars have to decide what is the price that you will pay. So, there is a price we must pay, and this is a result of the lack of work by Kosovo’s institutions in the last 20 years. Now we must discuss a price we need to pay, or we must accept the status quo,” Ahmeti is quoted as saying.

RTK reported on Monday that President Thaci said it was in Kosovo’s national interest to reach a legally-binding agreement with Serbia that would include mutual recognition. Thaci said Kosovo wants to clarify its relation as a state with Serbia and that this can be achieved only through a process of dialogue with clear timelines and objectives and with guarantees and international backing primarily from the U.S. and the European Union. “I have no doubt that if we don’t reach a legally binding agreement with Serbia this year, we will enter a dangerous zone of these relations and this could bring instability to the whole region,” Thaci said. “Despite recent initiatives to unblock the process of dialogue, the result is zero. The lack of dialogue and the prospect of reaching an agreement on the normalization of relations between Kosovo and Serbia is the biggest possible threat to Kosovo’s security and stability”. Thaci also said “we all know that we cannot wait another twenty years to clarify our relations with Serbia. Time is not on our side. The status quo in our relations with Serbia is unstable”.

In its coverage from the conference, Indeksonline quotes Thaci as saying that he is glad that 91 percent of respondents in a survey conducted by RIDEA were against the current status quo. “You have analysed and tested other scenarios too, but it is clear that the Association [of Serb-majority municipalities] is strongly rejected by the citizens of Kosovo … This is a good lesson to those that are still working on this option. They should give up on these dangerous attempts as soon as possible. I also want to say that I am very glad that the border correction or border demarcation option enjoys the biggest support among the people of Kosovo despite a negative campaign by some political parties and others against this scenario,” Thaci said.

Zeri quotes Thaci on the front page as saying that without an agreement with Serbia the region risks becoming unstable. Bota Sot reports on its front page that Kosovo wants guarantees from the U.S. and the European Union for a final settlement with Serbia.

Several news websites reported on Monday that Oxford Professor Anthony Heath said at the event that there is uncertainty among Albanian and Serbian population on what should the final agreement between Kosovo and Serbia be. He presented three scenarios of the survey: 1. Continuance of the status-quos. 2. Greater powers for the Association with Serb-majority municipalities and 3. Correction of borders between Kosovo and Serbia.

According to him the status quo was not supported by neither of the communities and both of them are dissatisfied with current arrangements. He said he found distinctions on perspectives of the two communities. “Albanian community is concerned about reaching European integration and recognition by Serbia, while Serb respondents have the need to resolve internal problems that they face. “86 percent of Albanian community do not agree with extended power for the Association of the Serb-majority Municipalities. There is a division among Serb community as well when increase of power of the Association is concerned. 1/3 agree with this scenario and as many do not. So, they do not share the same opinion.” “As far as the correction of the borders between the two countries is concerned, we found that majority of the Albanian community is against change of the borders,” he said. “There are some distinctions when this matter is concerned. 93 percent of the Albanians said Kosovo is independent and should be recognized as such, without border corrections and that there is no need to make such concessions”. He also mentioned that Albanian community was asked if they agree with the EU and U.S. policies. “We have surprising results. We notice that there is a more support of the U.S. policy than for the EU one among Albanians,” he said.

Norwegian FM: Agreement with Serbia opens closed doors for Kosovo (Zeri)

The paper carries as its leading story an interview with Norwegian Foreign Minister Ine Eriksen Soreide, highlighting her remarks that a final settlement with Serbia will bring new opportunities and opened the closed doors for Kosovo. Soreide is visiting Pristina and is scheduled to meet President Thaci, Prime Minister Haradinaj and Foreign Minister Pacolli. She said Norway encourages Kosovo and Serbia to resume the EU-brokered dialogue on the normalization of relations. “I hope this year can be a window of opportunity to reach a mutually acceptable agreement. Delays in the process can always include risks, because it is difficult to predict the situation both internally and externally,” Soreide told the paper. Asked to comment on President Thaci’s border correction idea, she said a final agreement between Kosovo and Serbia must be in line with international law, it needs to ensure regional stability, maintain Kosovo’s multi-ethnic society and be implementable. “Within this framework, I believe it is up to the parties to identify a mutually acceptable solution,” she added.

Thaci: Dialogue with Serbia to resume without conditions (RTK)

Kosovo President Hashim Thaci met on Monday for a working dinner with the Foreign Minister of Norway, Ine Marie Eriksen Søreide. They discussed bilateral cooperation, Norway’s support for Kosovo as well as peace and stability of the region.

“Kosovo is committed to strengthening of peace and stability in our region. Resumption of the dialogue is very important, but this should happen without conditionings,” Thaci said.

Norwegian Foreign Minister said her country supports peace and stability in the region. “Norway supports dialogue for normalization of the relations between Kosovo and Serbia,” she said.

Thaci added that Kosovo wants to clarify its relationship with Serbia once and for all, and that a legally binding agreement, with the required international guarantees can be reached, but it requires more will, vision and political pragmatism.

Mustafa: Opposition should bring down PAN coalition (Bota Sot, Express)

The paper reports that Isa Mustafa, leader of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) has left aside all the grudges with the two opposition political parties Vetevendosje Movement and Social-Democratic Party, and started to meet them in order to reach an agreement for the motion of confidence.

“When it comes to the motion of confidence, we will jointly prove that we are all ready and committed to bring down the government of the PAN coalition,” Mustafa told Express. He however added that these three political entities do not have the sufficient number of votes to do so. “We will not invite the Serbian List to sign the motion, however we do not have the right to stop anyone from voting at the Assembly,” he said.

Asked about the idea of President Hashim Thaci for correction of the borders, Mustafa said he should initially propose to the Assembly change of articles one and two of the Constitution, because as long as they are in power, he would be violating the Constitution. “Otherwise, I consider that this idea of his is a consequence of his political confusion,” Mustafa said adding that he considers the idea to be dangerous.

Serbia continues to invest in Kosovo, Hoxhaj calls on EU to react (media)

Kosovo Deputy Prime Minister Enver Hoxhaj reacted on Monday against Serbia’s investments in mainly Serb-inhabited municipalities in Kosovo, several media report. Hoxhaj said that the European Union should condemn and block what he called Serbia’s destabilizing actions. “Serbia continuous colonization projects to change ethnic structure in north of Kosovo. These dangerous acts create tensions, instability, and ethnic conflicts. @eu_eeas should condemn and block such destabilizing actions immediately,” Hoxhaj tweeted.

Bahtiri: We will not allow humanitarian crisis in the north (Telegrafi)

Mitrovica South Mayor Agim Bahtiri said on Monday that he will not allow implementation of any plan coming from Serbia, and that would cause humanitarian crisis in the north.

He said the Mitrovica South municipality, together with the intuitions of Kosovo will prevent Serbia’s attempts to cause an artificial humanitarian crisis in the north of Kosovo by emptying elementary foods and drugs from the shops and drug stores. Bahtiri said he would serve all the people without distinction and fulfil all their needs in the four municipalities of the north, in order to prevent a humanitarian crisis.

Kosovo Assembly adopts report on expulsion of Turkish nationals (media)

All media report that the Kosovo Assembly adopted at an extraordinary session on Monday the Report of the Assembly Investigating Committee which concludes that there were violations during the expulsion of six Turkish nationals from Kosovo in March 2018. Despite the criticisms of the MPs from the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) and 6+ parliamentary group, the report was endorsed with 59 votes for, two against and four abstentions.

U.S. Ambassador praises police work in fighting human trafficking (Indeksonline)

The United States Ambassador to Kosovo, Phillip Kosnett, praised the work of Kosovo Police in the fight against human trafficking. “Kosovo should be proud of the significant progress it made to combat human trafficking this year. A revised criminal code, new sentencing guidelines, and strong responses by the police make Kosovo’s most vulnerable citizens safer,” Kosnett tweeted.