Headlines - 29.04.2013 Kosovo will not allow Serb referendum on its soil (Zëri) President of Kosovo Atifete Jahjaga spoke out against the announcement of the Serb officials for organizing a referendum both in Serbia and Kosovo regarding the recent agreement reached in Brussels. In a statement to Radio Free Europe, Jahjaga’s spokesperson Arbër Vllahiu said that no other country except Kosovo can organise a referendum in the territory of the Republic. “The way and the manner of the organization, the issues to be tackled in a referendum and the call for a referendum are clearly defined by the Constitution and laws of the Republic of Kosovo. No other country can organise a referendum in the territory of the Republic of Kosovo,” said Vllahiu.  Lunacek: No EU for Serbia without Kosovo recognition (Lajm) Ulrike Lunacek, European Parliament’s rapporteur on Kosovo, said the agreement between Pristina and Belgrade in Brussels is a historic step that both Kosovo and Serbia need to advance toward European integration. Lunacek said Serbia, however, cannot join the European Union without recognizing Kosovo. “No one in the European Union can remain indifferent, regardless of the position vis-à-vis Serbia or Kosovo, and allow the creation of a new Cyprus in the Union, because this is the test of a state whose borders have not been defined. There will not be something like this again,” Lunacek said. In an interview for Deutschlandradio, Lunacek said, “Belgrade should make it clear to its people, to the Serb minority in northern Kosovo, that this is the best agreement for people there.”  Vetëvendosje calls for protest when agreement brought to Assembly (dailies) Vetëvendosje leaders organised a press conference where they urged the citizens of Kosovo to oppose the agreement with Serbia when it is presented to the Assembly for ratification. Head of Vetëvendosje’s parliamentary group Visar Ymeri warned that if ratified, the agreement will gain the legal weight that surpasses that of the Constitution of Kosovo. In this case, “Kosovo will be a country defined by the agreement and not by its Constitution or laws,” said Ymeri. Vetëvendosje also appealed to the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) not to vote in favour of agreement’s ratification, adding that the party’s MPs together with those of Vetëvendosje will be enough to block the ratification.  The agreement should also reflect on the Valley  (Epoka e Re) Mayor of Presevo municipality, Ragmi Mustafa, said in an interview that after the normalization of relations with Serbia and the establishment of sovereignty in the entire territory, Kosovo could do more for Albanians in Presevo Valley. He assessed that the agreement reached between Kosovo and Serbia should be reflected in Presevo Valley, on respecting the rights of Albanians. Mustafa said that Kosovo demonstrated high democratic values in Brussels and benefited on its good image before the international community.  Brussels agreement supersedes Ahtisaari Plan (Tribuna) Brussels superseded the Ahtisaari plan for the city of Mitrovica. The plan prepared by the former Finnish president, which served as a basis for the Constitution of Kosovo, will not be applied in how the municipality functions in southern Mitrovica and in northern Mitrovica. The Ahtisaari Plan foresaw how both municipalities function under one board and thus maintain a semblance of a united city. But the Brussels agreement has not foreseen such a board. Moreover, by placing another police commander in the north, the Brussels agreement places northern Mitrovica in a different region. By failing to foresee the creation of a joint board for both administrations, the Brussels agreement completely annulled point 13 of the Ahtisaari Plan.  Russia will block Kosovo at international organizations (Epoka e Re) Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the Brussels document does not mention the possibility of Kosovo’s participation in international organizations, stressing that such efforts by Pristina would be blocked by Moscow. “It is early to say if all disputable issues between Pristina and Belgrade are definitely resolved,” assessed a source from the Russian Foreign Ministry, according to portal IN4S. According to this source, “Russia will continue to block Kosovo’s efforts to become members of international organizations.”   EC: SAA doesn’t recognize Kosovo as a state (Koha Ditore) The European Commission concluded that Kosovo has fulfilled the short term conditions to start the Stabilization Association Agreement (SAA) and recommended that the Council take the decision to start with SAA negotiations. In an explanatory memorandum recommending the start of SAA negotiations sent to EU member states, the European Commission assured these states that the decision for the start of SAA negotiations “should not be interpreted as individual recognition from member states if these states have not made such a step before.” The differences inside the EU about the independence of Kosovo have not changed despite the “Pristina-Belgrade” agreement and five states that have not yet recognized Kosovo restated that they will not change their decision. However, regarding the decision for SAA, those states did not give any signals how they are planning to act. EU Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Fuele is optimistic that those states will not present obstacles while, according to him, their concerns have also been considered.  Mustafa: We will not recognize fraudulent elections (Koha Ditore) Leader of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) Isa Mustafa said that they will not recognise upcoming elections results if votes are misused like the last time. “We have kept silent for the sake of the processes in Kosovo but votes cannot be stolen again,” said Mustafa. Speaking about agreement reached recently with Serbia, Mustafa SAID that they accepted the deal because it was supported by the US “and we have always stood alongside the US”. Mustafa made the comments in a meeting with LDK membership in the village of Zllakuqan, Klina. Hoxhaj requests recognition from Yemen (dailies) Kosovo Foreign Minister Enver Hoxhaj visited Yemen on Sunday, according to a press release issued by Kosovo’s Foreign Ministry. Hoxhaj was received by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Yemen, Abu-Bakr Al-Qirbi.  Hoxhaj informed his counterpart about the latest agreement in Brussels between Kosovo and Serbia for the normalisation of bilateral relations. According to Hoxhaj, no state has any reason to prolong the decision making to recognise Kosovo. On this occasion, Hoxhaj officially requested from minister Abu-Bakr Al-Qirbi that Kosovo be recognised and that Yemen is in the final phase of recognising it.