UNMIK Headlines 5 January
Pristina-Belgrade dialogue to resume in late January? (Klan Kosova)
Citing a report by Tanjug news agency, Pristina-based TV station Klan Kosova reported on Monday evening that the EU-brokered dialogue between Pristina and Belgrade will resume in the last week of January. According to Tanjug, the meeting, which was initially scheduled for mid-January, was postponed because Kosovo’s Prime Minister Isa Mustafa has conditioned his participation on visa liberalization for Kosovo’s citizens. The Serbian Government issued a press release earlier saying that the two Prime Ministers will discuss the full implementation of the agreement on the formation of the Association/Community of Serb-majority municipalities, cultural heritage, the status of the property of the Serb Orthodox Church, public and private properties, missing persons and university diplomas.
Opposition aims to bring down the government (Zeri)
In the first joint conference this year, opposition representatives said they remain firm on their demands for the annulment of the agreement on Association/Community of Serb-majority municipalities and the border demarcation with Montenegro. They said the Constitutional Court confirmed that the Government has violated the constitution by signing the agreement on the Association/Community and should therefore resign. Opposition officials said the anti-government protest scheduled for 9 January will be peaceful and incident-free.
Kurti: This government is coming to an end (Epoka e Re)
Vetevendosje MP Albin Kurti told the paper in an interview on Monday that the government led by Isa Mustafa is nearing its end and that it is faced with two options: resignation or downfall. Kurti, who is under house arrest for activating teargas in the Kosovo Assembly, said that the protest announced by the opposition bloc for 9 January will go on until the current government is removed. Kurti also suggests that Kosovo should go to early parliamentary elections and he did not rule out the possibility of the opposition bloc running with a single list in the elections.
O’Connell: Opposition’s actions are not democratic (Kosovapress)
The British Ambassador to Kosovo, Ruairi O’Connell, said in an interview for the news website that the release of teargas by the members of the opposition at the Assembly chamber was in vain and undemocratic. He said the main problems in Kosovo are corruption, organised crime, unemployment, and economic development, and that while he supports the right to protest he finds the violence unacceptable.
Collaku: Kosovo citizens to travel without visas in second half of 2016 (Koha)
The Kosovo government is adamant that its citizens will be able to travel without visas in the Schengen area in the second half of this year, the paper reports on page two. While officials in Brussels have refused to announce any possible dates insisting that the Kosovo authorities need to focus on meeting the remaining criteria, government officials in Pristina argue that any further delays in the visa liberalization process are unnecessary and that they have met the majority of the criteria. European integration experts in Pristina, however, say that the most challenging criterion is the fight against organized crime and corruption. Kosovo’s Minister for European Integration, Bekim Collaku, told the paper on Monday that the Kosovo authorities are addressing the latest recommendations from the final report of the European Commission. “During this month we will work on consolidating our opinions with the European Commission fully confident that when they announce their assessment in the first weeks of January they will have only one conclusion: Kosovo has met the criteria from the visa liberalization roadmap,” Collaku said. “There are no more dilemmas and the European Commission will recommend visa liberalization for Kosovo’s citizens in the first half of this year, this will enable our citizens to travel without visas in the second half of the year.”
Two Kosovo men suspected of ISIS affiliation arrested in Pristina (Zeri)
The Kosovo Police arrested on Monday two men on suspicion that they were returning from fighting in Syria. The men, originally from the region of Gjilan/Gnjilane, are believed to have fought alongside the Islamic State group.
Government condemns graffiti targeting President Jahjaga (dailies)
The Government of Kosovo has condemned the recent graffiti in Pristina depicting President Atifete Jahjaga in a sexist and denigrating way. These acts, said the government, insult the institution of the president and all Kosovo women.