• President Hashim Thaci’s interview to Klan Kosova
• Haradinaj: Initiative on special court must have an epilogue (Epoka)
• EU: Attempts to abolish specialist chambers, terrifying and damaging (Express)
• Mustafa: No getting away from special court (Kosova Sot/RTK)
• MPs Hasani and Kadriaj insist on abolishing special court (Zeri)
• KLI: Kosovo should not avoid international obligations (Epoka)
• Limaj: Demarcation matter to conclude in January (Epoka)
• Demarcation commission to report today to Foreign Affairs Committee (Koha)
• Crnadak: Bosnia will not recognise Kosovo (Zeri)
• Serbia’s conditions for normalization of relations with Kosovo (RTK)

President Hashim Thaci’s interview to Klan Kosova

Kosovo President Hashim Thaci gave an interview to Klan Kosova on Monday. Asked to comment on the initiative of 43 MPs on the special court, Thaci said that as president he would not block an initiative by MPs that respects all necessary procedures and is adopted in the Assembly. “The President’s role is to respect the Constitution. The decision of the Assembly is mandatory for me … I will not go against the will of the majority in the Assembly,” Thaci said. He also said that the initiative of 43 MPs “does not call for repealing the court, but rather for offering an alternative, and not undermining the process”. Thaci also said he told foreign ambassadors in Pristina that “when constitutional and legal initiatives are concerned, the President cannot go against them. I have made it very clear to them that I cannot impede the will of the MPs”. Thaci said he hasn’t changed his mind about the special court. “I still have the same opinion I had in 2015. The special court is a historic injustice against Kosovo and the Kosovo Liberation Army,” he said. Asked if he made a mistake by agreeing to its formation two years ago, Thaci said: “it was not about making a mistake, it was imposed by the international community which told us that otherwise they would take drastic measures against our country. We made a thorough assessment on how things could develop. There is no court that can hurt or insult my fight for the liberation and independence of Kosovo. This was an international imposition and also a pledge by the international community that with this step Kosovo could move quickly toward forming its own army, getting visa liberalization, membership of UNESCO and INTERPOL and applying for membership of the Council of Europe … We formed the court, but none of the promises made to us were kept … They keep saying this will involve individuals, but why then did they not do the same for Croatia or Bosnia?” Thaci said. As to the prospect of Russia’s involvement in the Pristina-Belgrade dialogue, Thaci said there will be no such arrangement. “Russia will not be part of the dialogue. Kosovo is not Syria to get three international actors involved in,” Thaci said. He reiterated the position that the dialogue should end in mutual recognition and Kosovo’s membership in the UN. “Only this way would the dialogue make sense,” he underlined.

Haradinaj: Initiative on special court must have an epilogue (Epoka)

The Prime Minister of Kosovo, Ramush Haradinaj, said on Monday the initiative of 43 MPs on the special court, should be given an epilogue in the Kosovo Assembly. He told the paper that the initiative is legitimate and that the government would respect any decision made by the Assembly on the matter. Haradinaj admitted that Kosovo would face consequences if it repeals the law on the special court. He said that his party, the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo, voted against when the special court was formed and that it maintains its position.

EU: Attempts to abolish specialist chambers, terrifying and damaging (Express)

Head of the EU Office in Kosovo and Special Representative, Nataliya Apostolova, condemned efforts to abolish law on specialist chambers saying they were terrifying and extremely damaging for Kosovo. At the same time, the Office of the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security, Federica Mogherini, said Apostolova’s position reflects that of the EU.

Mustafa: No getting away from special court (Kosova Sot/RTK)

Leader of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK), Isa Mustafa, said in an interview to RTK that attempts to abolish law on specialist court are unwise and no thought out well. He said international justice cannot be avoided and that he if certain people have committed crimes, they should be held accountable for them. As to the issue of border demarcation with Montenegro, Mustafa said he didn’t believe the Ramush Haradinaj-led government would resolve the matter. He said it was not serious on the part of Haradinaj to vote the demarcation agreement at the government level and then say it is up to the Assembly to reject it. “Laws get sent to the Assembly for approval not rejection,” Mustafa said.

MPs Hasani and Kadriaj insist on abolishing special court (Zeri)

The paper quotes on the front page MP Nait Hasani from the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) as saying that they did not give up on efforts to abolish law setting up specialist chambers but that it is now up to the presidency of the Assembly to move things further. Meanwhile, MP from the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK), Time Kadriaj, who signed the request for amendment of the law on special court, said she had no information on what are the future steps but added that AAK continues to oppose the court considering it to be a great injustice to Kosovo.

KLI: Kosovo should not avoid international obligations (Epoka)

The Pristina-based Kosovo Law Institute (KLI) is against the initiative for abolishment of the Special Court. According to KLI, this would endanger Kosovo’s statehood and violates seriously its international reputation. KLI called on institutions and political leaders to fulfill their constitutional, international and legal obligations in relation with the Special Court and not to undertake actions which endanger the future and Euro-Atlantic perspective of Kosovo’s population.

Limaj: Demarcation matter to conclude in January (Epoka)

Kosovo’s Deputy Prime Minister, Fatmir Limaj, expressed optimism that the issue of the border demarcation agreement with Montenegro will conclude in January. “I believe we will have the majority in the Assembly to conclude this matter,” Limaj said. He said that work was being done in order for everyone in the Assembly to welcome the version that will be submitted. “The people of Kosovo and our friends will applaud it,” he said. Limaj also said he was confident that neither Kosovo nor Montenegro will be harmed by this process. “In the contrary, both countries will come out stronger in their inter-state relations,” Limaj said.

Demarcation commission to report today to Foreign Affairs Committee (Koha)

Shpejtim Bulliqi, chairman of the state commission on demarcation, confirmed on Monday that today he will report to the Kosovo Assembly’s Foreign Affairs Committee. MPs have asked for further explanations about the current commission’s claims that the previous commission led by Murat Meha had allegedly forged maps, hid official documents and threatened Kosovo’s territorial integrity. Government officials could not tell the paper if Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj too will report to the MPs about the work of his commission. The paper also quotes political analyst Behlul Beqaj as saying that the failure to ratify the border demarcation agreement with Montenegro would mean the end of “an adventurous government”.

Crnadak: Bosnia will not recognise Kosovo (Zeri)

Foreign Minister of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Igor Crnadak, said his country would not be recognising independence of Kosovo and is not considering the move. Crnadak made the statement in an interview to N1 television channel.

Serbia’s conditions for normalization of relations with Kosovo (RTK)

The Director of the Office for Kosovo at the Serbian Government, Marko Djuric, said resolution of the property matters in Kosovo will be one of the main requests of the Serbian party, in order to reach complete normalization of the relations with Kosovo. Also, according to him, Belgrade will request at the beginning of the dialogue a review of the privatization in Kosovo, and it will contact UNMIK, EULEX and respective organizations of temporary governance of Kosovo on this initiative.