Headlines - 03.10.2018

• Veseli: Abelard Tahiri will not resign (Klan Kosova)
• Thaci’s visit to Gazivoda reveals problems within PDK (Koha)
• New movements at governing cabinet (Epoka)
• Thaci supports unification of Presevo Valley with Kosovo (RTK)
• Vucic in Moscow: “Border correction has failed” (Koha)
• Dacic: Border correction doesn’t involve only north of Kosovo (Express)
• Albanian President says border changes would open Pandora’s Box (media)
• Interior Minister: No need for Thaci to inform about visit in the north (media)
• Action for the Armed Forces (Zeri)
• The special stagnation (Zeri)
• Political stability, prerequisite for economic development of Western Balkans

Veseli: Abelard Tahiri will not resign (Klan Kosova)

Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) leader, Kadri Veseli, told Klan Kosova in an interview on Tuesday evening that Justice Minister Abelard Tahiri will not resign his post. “He will continue his work; he will not resign. We will not accept the resignation. He has done a very good job as Minister of Justice. Reforms in the justice system is what Kosovo needs the most. He is one of the best ministers in the government. He was ready to resign. I have met him, we talked and there is no reason that can challenge the process of reforms. He is very determined to continue the reforms and he has my full support. I have nominated him, and he will continue to be Minister of Justice,” Veseli said.

Thaci’s visit to Gazivoda reveals problems within PDK (Koha)

Under the leading front-page headline Thaci’s boat drowns Minister Abelard Tahiri, the paper notes that Kosovo President Hashim Thaci’s recent visit to Gazivoda Lake and the fact that he was accompanied by two Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) ministers has revealed the conflict between party leader Kadri Veseli and those who are still loyal to Thaci. The paper goes on to note that Justice Minister Abelard Tahiri has offered his resignation without previously notifying Veseli and this is why Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj has not accepted his resignation yet. Veseli said no decision in the party can be made individually. A PDK deputy leader, who preferred to remain anonymous, told the paper: “many members of the [PDK] presidency, are not used to seeing Mr. Veseli as party leader and [Abelard] Tahiri is not the only one to act this way. There are many of them. It is understandable that the party leader cannot accept this … Actions such as those in Gazivoda cannot be made without informing the party. The same goes for the resignation”.

New movements at governing cabinet (Epoka)

The paper reports that neither the Prime Minister of Kosovo Ramush Haradinaj nor the leader of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) Kadri Veseli, accepted on Tuesday resignation of the Minister of Justice, Abelard Tahiri. They both praised the work of the minister assessing him as one of the best ministers of the government. However, Haradinaj confirmed that changes of the ministers from the PDK are expected. The paper has learned from the sources within PDK that Shaqir Totaj and Nezir Cocaj are expected to move to the ministerial positions.

Thaci supports unification of Presevo Valley with Kosovo (RTK)

The President of Kosovo met on Tuesday during his official visit to Geneva, representatives of the “Medvedja” association as well as representatives of other associations from the Presevo Valley. He has confirmed once again his support for their request for Presevo, Bujanoc and Medvedja to unite with Kosovo. “I confirmed to them that I support their request for unification of Presheva, Bujanoc and Medvedja with Kosovo,” Thaci wrote on his Facebook profile.

Vucic in Moscow: “Border correction has failed” (Koha)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic told reporters in Moscow on Tuesday that during his two-hour meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, they focused on the Kosovo issue for at least 45 minutes. “I talked about the situation, about the fear that we have in case provocations continue and if there will be any kind of attacks on the lives and properties of Serbs living in Kosovo,” Vucic said. Asked if Putin was notified about the plan on “border correction”, Vucic said there is no point in talking about a plan that has been rejected by EU member states, Serbs and Albanians. “I believed it was a rational solution but no one else thought that way,” he said.

Dacic: Border correction doesn’t involve only north of Kosovo (Express)

Serbia’s Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic said during an interview given to Vojvodina RTV that the idea of correction of the borders between Kosovo and Serbia does not involve only the north of Kosovo, but other parts of Kosovo inhabited by Serbs as well. He said that the status of the Orthodox Church property also remains to be discussed in Brussels. He assessed that in case of some conflict, an armed attack in northern Kosovo could happen, however this would impact Serbia’s European road, as “a conflict with Kosovo would mean a conflict with KFOR.”

Albanian President says border changes would open Pandora’s Box (media)

Albanian President Ilir Meta commented on the initiative for border correction between Kosovo and Serbia, during his visit to the U.S., several news websites report. Meta argued that the proposal for border correction is a waste of time and that it would open Pandora’s Box in the worst possible way. “It is unthinkable for dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia to produce an agreement that would change borders along ethnic lines. The result of the referendum in Macedonia should serve as a wake-up call,” Meta was quoted as saying.

Interior Minister: No need for Thaci to inform about his visit in the north (media)

Kosovo’s Interior Minister Bejtush Gashi, reported today to the Kosovo Assembly Committee for Internal Affairs, Security and Supervision of Kosovo Security Force. During his reporting, Gashi also spoke about the visit of the President of Kosovo Hashim Thaci to the north of Kosovo, respectively, Gazivoda Lake. “There was no need for President Thaci to inform about his visit in the North as the visit took place within the territory of Kosovo,” Gashi said. He said there is no additional detail about the visit and assessed that such visits help President Thaci on completion of his visiting agenda. Gashi also reported that the issue of the early retirement of Kosovo Police members is planned to be resolved within this year. He also guaranteed that the matter of the salaries for the police and firefighters will be resolved within this year.

Action for the Armed Forces (Zeri)

Kosovo Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj has returned from the United States of America determined to form the Kosovo Army, saying that he has received the U.S. support for the process, the paper reports on page five. Today, the Kosovo Assembly Committee on Oversight of the Kosovo Security Force will discuss three draft laws adopted by the government that will pave way to changing the mandate of the KSF. Haradinaj told reporters in Pristina on Tuesday that the Kosovo Security Force will have no limitations of operating in Kosovo’s territory, including the northern part of the country.

The special stagnation (Zeri)

The paper reports on its front page that the Specialist Chambers of Kosovo are fully functional since July last year whereas the Office of the Specialist Prosecutor has yet to file the first indictments for crimes allegedly committed by members of the former Kosovo Liberation Army. A spokesman for the prosecutor’s office told the paper that he could not disclose details about the indictments or the ongoing investigations. Meanwhile, attorneys accredited by the Specialist Chambers argue that delays in the process can result in declining trust of the people in the court’s work.

“Political stability, prerequisite for economic development Western Balkans”

The President of Kosovo, Hashim Thaçi, participated at the “Strategic Dialogue on the Western Balkans – meeting of the leaders”, organized by the World Economic Forum in Geneva, Switzerland, where he has talked about the necessity to achieve a political stability, considering this also as the “key” for the economic development of the region.

Thaçi said that efforts are being made to reach a peaceful agreement with Serbia, through the dialogue in Brussels. “The political stability also generates economic development, therefore we are also working on reaching an interstate agreement that stabilizes our entire region,” Thaçi said. He added that it is an advantage that both parties are in favour of reaching this agreement, and the entire international community, the USA and the EU support its achievement. “The outcome should not be prejudiced, but we must all be unique in supporting the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue process”. The participants in this closed meeting supported the efforts to build political stability in the Western Balkans as a prerequisite for development, attraction of foreign investment and economic growth.