Headlines - 28.01.2016

Mustafa: Association, only in accordance with Constitutional Court (dailies)

The Prime Minister of Kosovo, Isa Mustafa, said on Wednesday after the meeting with Serbia’s Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic, which was mediated by the EU High Representative, Frederica Mogherini, that they discussed implementation of the reached agreements. Mustafa said that the agreement for Association/Community of Serb-majority Municipalities can be implemented only in accordance with the decision of the Constitutional Court of Kosovo. “With regards to the Association, nothing will proceed if it is not in accordance with the decision of the Constitutional Court,” Mustafa said. Speaking about Serbia’s upcoming general elections, Mustafa said that the right of the Serbs to vote in Kosovo will be respected only in accordance with the laws of Kosovo. Mustafa said the discussions were held in a constructive atmosphere and that they discussed the issue of mutual recognition of diplomas as well as freedom of movement. Asked why he went to Brussels despite his earlier statement that he would go only after liberalization of visas for Kosovo people, Mustafa said that the situation with visas remains unacceptable but Pristina has to contribute to the dialogue. “We want to show that we are constructive on normalization of the relations, and I think that we have fulfilled political criteria to receive a positive opinion when the removal of visas is concerned,” Mustafa said. 

Mogherini: Talks were held in a very good atmosphere (dailies)

After the meeting with the Prime Minister of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic and the Prime Minister of Kosovo, Isa Mustafa, and their delegations for another round of talks in the framework of the High Level Dialogue for normalization of relations between Belgrade and Pristina, The EU High Representative Frederica Mogherini issued a statement where she notes that the talks were held in a very good atmosphere. “We took stock of the implementation of the agreements reached in the Dialogue: the 2011 Agreement on Acceptance of University Diplomas and Freedom of Movement Agreement, the First Agreement of April 2013 and the August agreements of 2015.
It was confirmed today that the mutual acceptance of educational and professional diplomas and certificates is becoming a reality. On this basis, students will be able to continue their studies and professionals will be able to improve their employment prospects, both in Serbia and in Kosovo. We also significantly advanced on the implementation of the agreement on Freedom of Movement, in particular on the provisions on license plates. The discussion furthermore focused on the commitment of both sides to work on the implementation of the agreement for the establishment of the Association/Community of Serb majority municipalities, based on already signed agreements. Both sides also agreed to start discussions on direct air and rail connections between Kosovo and Serbia,” a press release issued by the EU states. Mogherini thanked the Prime Ministers of Serbia and Kosovo for their continued commitment to further normalise their relations within the framework of the Dialogue and added that the EU will continue to support the full implementation of all agreements.

Ymeri: Vucic has Mustafa in his pocket (Kosova Sot)

Vetevendosje leader Visar Ymeri said Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic should have been on trial for war crimes instead of running a country and added that his behaviour towards Kosovo Prime Minister Isa Mustafa is humiliating. Ymeri said this goes to show that Vucic has Mustafa “in his pocket.” “The dialogue that is diminishing Kosovo’s statehood and integrity and is stripping institutions of their dignity, is being led by a man that has neither dignity, nor integrity or democratic legitimacy,” wrote Ymeri on his Facebook account.

Opposition’s plan B to overthrow government (Zeri)

The three opposition parties – Vetevendosje Movement, Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) and Initiative for Kosovo (NISMA) - have given Prime Minister Isa Mustafa a deadline until 17 February to resign and announce early elections, otherwise the opposition will apply plan B for the overthrow of the government. If the government does not reflect until 17 February, the opposition is planning to organize daily protests to increase the pressure on the government. Political analysts say that in addition to the frequency of the protests, the opposition must also change the demands. According to them, the Association/Community of Serb-majority municipalities and border demarcation with Montenegro are not serious agenda to overthrow the government. 

Delawie: Kosovo to combat corruption (RTKLive)

The United States Ambassador to Kosovo, Greg Delawie, is not satisfied with the latest report of Transparency International where Kosovo was ranked the 103^rd in the Corruption Perceptions Index for 2015.  "Kosovo score in the corruption report remains unchanged in 2015. Kosovo can and must do better,” Delawie wrote on his Twitter account. 

Vetevendosje blames Kosovo government for legalizing Serbia’s authority (Koha)

In a press conference yesterday, Vetevendosje officials accused the government of Kosovo of signing an agreement with Serbia legalizing its interference in Kosovo’s telecommunications field. Vetevendosje leader Visar Ymeri said that the application for a dialing code with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) was done through Serbia’s permission. Telecommunication expert Ismet Hamiti said that when it comes to dialing codes, there is the applicant, the owner and the user. In Kosovo’s case, “the applicant is Austria; the user is Kosovo, while the owner of the code will be Serbia.” 

Limaj: President to be elected by the people (Epoka e Re)

The leader of the Initiative for Kosovo (NISMA), Fatmir Limaj, has requested for the President of Kosovo to be elected directly by the people of Kosovo. “The manner of the election and functioning of the institution of the President of the Republic, especially during the last years, gives us sufficient arguments to change the regulations for the election of the president,” Limaj said. He added that so far, the president could not exercise the unifying role and the institution often became part of the combinations and political bargaining. Limaj wrote on Facebook that based on the current political situation and the questioned legitimacy of the current Assembly, election of the President by the same would not fulfill the constitutional criteria for the president to represent unification of the population. 

EC calls for depoliticizing of independent institutions (Koha Ditore)

A European Commission (EC) delegation that visited Kosovo this week called for depoliticizing of independent institutions. The message was conveyed during meetings the EC officials had with Kosovo authorities as part of the Stabilisation and Association Process (SAP) Dialogue. EC officials stressed the need for transparent, merit-based and non-politicized appointments to independent regulatory bodies and publicly owned enterprises as well as public institutions. They also raised the need for an implementable system for confiscation of assets to ensure an effective fight against corruption and organized crime.

KLA veterans to protest on Monday (Tribuna Channel)

The former Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) veterans announced a protest for Monday, 1 February, to express their dissatisfaction with the government’s decision not to issue pensions for all veterans. The chairman of the Council for the Protection of the Rights of KLA veterans, Xhevdet Qeriqi, said yesterday the veterans will express their disappointment with the government’s work, not excluding the possibility that the protest might escalate.