UNMIK Headlines 31 December
Thaci: Serbia trying to delay implementation of April agreement (RTK)
Hashim Thaci, the Deputy Prime Minister of Kosovo, said on Tuesday that the dialogue between Pristina and Belgrade will resume in February. “The meetings will be held at the level of prime minister and deputy prime minister. The basis is still the April agreement even though Serbia is trying to delay its implementation,” Thaci said. “I do not know when the dialogue will end. I believe this will be a long process because there will be other phases too. But one thing is certain: dialogue is for the good of both sides … The European Union will continue to lead the process. There will also be full oversight by the United States and NATO. The normalization of relations between Kosovo and Serbia is sending a message of peace and stability in the region”.
Jahjaga: Kosovo President’s Office politically neutral (Indeksonline)
Atifete Jahjaga, the President of Kosovo, said in an interview for Klan Kosova on Tuesday that she is proud that the Office of the President maintained a politically neutral position during the six-month stalemate. “I have created an Office that respects the Constitution of Kosovo and which has never been part of any corruption scandals,” she said. Jahjaga declined to comment on whether she wanted to keep the post of President after her mandate expires in 2016.
Kurti: This is the most unpopular government (Gazeta Express)
Albin Kurti, the leader of the Vetevendosje Movement, told Epoka e Re on Tuesday that the ruling coalition between the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) and Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) would benefit only “the clans of Hashim Thaci and Isa Mustafa”. He added that the current government is the most unpopular that Kosovo has had since 1999. Kurti also said that in 2015, the Vetevendosje Movement will cooperate with the rest of the opposition “to get rid of this government”.
Kosovo, FYROM pledge joint war against crime & terrorism (Kallxo.com)
The State Prosecutors of Kosovo and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia signed on Tuesday a memorandum of cooperation to fight organized crime and terrorism. Kosovo’s Acting Chief Prosecutor, Syle Hoxha, said that the memorandum’s goal is to foster an exchange of information and experiences to increase efficiency. “We agreed for each party to nominate a prosecutor who would be in charge of the arrangements,” Hoxha said. He explained that Kosovo has already signed such memoranda with the European Union, Albania, Montenegro, and Croatia.