• Haradinaj: Tax will remain in force (media)
• Veseli: Any government endangering relations with U.S. can fall (media)
• Reeker: Import tariff threatening U.S.-Kosovo relations (media)
• U.S.: Kosovo – Serbia mutual recognition may happen in 2019 (Koha)
• Kosovo’s tariff is questioning credibility of the White House (Klan Kosova)
• Another U.S. official to visit Kosovo (media)
• Merkel’s top advisors to visit Pristina next week (Kosova Sot)
• Vucic does not exclude recognition of Kosovo (RTK)
• Mustafa: New elections, the only solution (media)
• Zuno: KFOR will not change its role in Kosovo (Zeri)
• Slovenian President against changes to Kosovo’s borders (Koha)
• Hoxha: EU could deal with visa liberalization after June (media)
• Kusari: Thaci, biggest violator of Constitution (media)
• Serbs hinder registration of Trepca as joint-stock company (Zeri)

Haradinaj: Tax will remain in force (media)

Prime Minister of Kosovo Ramush Haradinaj said yesterday that the import tariff on goods from Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina will remain in place. Speaking to reporters during a visit to the municipality of Gjilan/Gnjilane, Haradinaj said: “The issue of the tax is decided, it will remain until mutual recognition.” “I am deeply convinced a way will be found for the resumption of dialogue,” Haradinaj said further adding that talks should not be conditioned with the suspension of the tax. He said the best way for relations with the U.S. and Serbia to be restored is through an agreement that would respect Kosovo’s existing borders. “This is the way out,” he said.

Veseli: Any government endangering relations with U.S. can fall (media)

Kosovo Assembly Speaker and leader of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) Kadri Veseli said in Mitrovica yesterday that any government that endangers relations with the U.S. and the presence of the country’s troops in Kosovo can fall.  “Any government can fall but Bondsteel cannot. No government can endanger sacred relations with the U.S. You have noticed I have withdrawn from this debate and I am ashamed at the way our citizens are being treated. This is not the right way to go about things. We have obligations,” he said.

Reeker: Import tariff threatening U.S.-Kosovo relations (media)

Philip Reeker, the U.S. diplomat expected to soon be appointed to the post of the Assistant Secretary of State for Europe and Eurasia replacing Wess Mitchell, said in a conference in Skopje, North Macedonia, that the bilateral relations between the U.S. and Kosovo have been impaired because of the import tariff on products from Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Reeker said normalisation of relations between Belgrade and Pristina within the EU-facilitated dialogue is an opportunity to resolve problems. “If Pristina doesn’t return to negotiations as it said ‘without conditions’, it is risking not only its European perspective but more than that. We are not asking Kosovo give the Moon but lift the tax on imports from Serbia and Bosnia for a specific time. Then we can see what can be achieved at the negotiating table. No agreement has been signed until all its aspects are agreed upon,” Reeker said. He added that Kosovo will not lose anything if it enters negotiations but “stands to lose everything if it doesn’t sit at the table of talks.”

Reeker also called on Belgrade, which he said was aggressive in negotiations, to make efforts towards normalisation of relations with Pristina.

Reeker said the U.S. support to Kosovo’s independence cannot be put into question. “We stand beside you continuously but in some cases we’ve come to you with important requests and this is one of such times.” He said it was unfortunate that the U.S. still has “serious disagreements” with the government of Kosovo: “I fear Kosovo harms our bilateral relations.”

U.S.: Mutual recognition between Kosovo and Serbia may happen in 2019 (Koha)

The paper quotes on its front page an unnamed member of the U.S. government as saying that Washington wants to see a comprehensive agreement and mutual recognition between Kosovo and Serbia this year. The official said the U.S. cannot offer guarantees that borders will not be changed and that it is up to the two sides to move toward an agreement that they want and that that is why there are no red lines in the process. He said that the U.S. however will not accept any agreement.

Despite the implications and threats of border changes in the Balkans, the U.S. official said no one should be afraid of dialogue and its outcome. He added that given the positions of the two sides, it won’t be easy to reach an agreement and that greater commitment to the process is required. He repeated several times that the comprehensive agreement must conclude with mutual recognition and that “this has been made clear to Serbian President Vucic too”.

Asked why Washington wants an agreement to be reached as soon as possible, the U.S. official said President Trump is interested to resolve frozen conflicts. He also said that Washington has never warned to withdraw its troops from Kosovo if Pristina doesn’t lift the import tariff on Serbian goods. He added however that if the tariff is lifted “the ball will then be in Serbia’s hands to undertake the necessary actions”.

Kosovo’s tariff is questioning credibility of the White House (Klan Kosova)

A U.S. official, who preferred to remain anonymous, told Klan Kosova on Monday that the Trump administration does not rule out the possibility of border talks between Kosovo and Serbia. He added that Washington however is not pressuring the two sides and is not supporting an eventual border correction, because it is up to the two independent countries to reach a final settlement. “We don’t have red lines, but we will also not accept anything … The parties should not be afraid to discuss even on border adjustment,” he said.

The U.S. official said that before the two parties can discuss a final settlement, the Kosovo government must first suspend the import tariff on Serbian and Bosnian goods. “We don’t plan to give an ultimatum … but we won’t be patient indefinitely,” the official said, adding that there is no deadline and that this concerns the credibility of the White House. “The tariff must be removed and the sooner the better”.

Asked if there will be sanctions if the government in Pristina doesn’t act swiftly on the matter, the U.S. official said: “We don’t threaten that KFOR will withdraw if the tariff is not suspended”.

Another U.S. official to visit Kosovo (media)

David Hale, U.S. Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, is expected to visit Serbia and Kosovo on 8 and 9 March and urge political leaders to sit down at the negotiating table and reach agreement for normalisation of relations. Hale’s visit follows that of two officials from the U.S. National Security Council, John Erath and Brad Berkley, and comes at a time when the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia has stalled and the U.S. is making efforts to bring the process back on track.

Merkel’s top advisors to visit Pristina next week (Kosova Sot)

Two principal advisers for foreign policy to the German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Matthia Leuttenberg and Jan Hecker will visit Kosovo next week. Based on its sources the paper reports that they will arrive in Pristina on 11 March, to meet Kosovo’s President Hashim Thaci and Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj. The main issues to be discussed will be the 100-percent tax on Serbian products and the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia, reports the paper.

Vucic does not exclude recognition of Kosovo (RTK)

The President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, did not exclude the possibility of recognition of Kosovo in an interview given to the Italian news agency ANSA, however he said that Belgrade should also gain something in return. “First of all, there is a possibility of compromise. We cannot recognize Kosovo, without gaining anything from the other party,” Vucic reportedly said.

Speaking about change of borders, Vucic said the issue is controversial because they do not recognize the same borders, no matter if they recognized Kosovo or not. “Different form Kosovo leaders who deceive their citizens every day with unrealistic promises, how Pristina will gain everything and Belgrade nothing, it is my duty to explain to Serbs the meaning of the compromise, which does not mean neither victory nor defeat. A victory for the future of Serbia,” he said.

Vucic denied reporting of some media that he held secret meetings with Kosovo’s President Hashim Thaci and described as ‘pure lie’ claims of existence of a draft agreement between Kosovo and Serbia.

He reiterated that the dialogue will not resume until the government of Kosovo does not decide to lift the 100-percent tax on the products from Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Mustafa: New elections, the only solution (media)

Isa Mustafa, leader of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK), said on Monday that Kosovo has entered a dead end and that new elections are the only solution to the current situation. He told a press conference that only after gaining new legitimacy by the citizens, institutions of Kosovo can commence their constitutional obligations, including the dialogue with Serbia.

According to Mustafa, the President and the Prime Minister are the most responsible for the created situation in Kosovo. He said no one should think of “cleaning filthiness of current coalition through LDK. They should clean themselves what they have done,” Mustafa said.

Zuno: KFOR will not change its role in Kosovo (Zeri)

Deputy Commander of NATO Allied Joint Force Command Naples, Cristian Zuno said in Belgrade after meeting Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic that KFOR will not change its role in Kosovo and that NATO respects Serbia’s neutrality.

Slovenian President against changes to Kosovo’s borders (Koha)

Slovenian President Borut Pahor said during a visit to Tirana, Albania, on Monday that he does not support the idea of border changes between Kosovo and Serbia. “I don’t support border changes to meet national criteria. This concerns necessary corrections, so that both countries can have greater cooperation and mutual recognition,” Pahor said after meeting his Albanian counterpart, Ilir Meta.

Hoxha: EU could deal with visa liberalization after June (media)

Kosovo’s Minister for European Integration, Dhurata Hoxha, said on Monday that the visa liberalization process for Kosovo has stalled as a result of internal elections in the European Union. In her report to the parliamentary committee on European integration, Hoxha said the decision on visa liberalization for Kosovo is political and that Pristina has already met all the requirements in the process. Hoxha also denied claims that Kosovo has lost millions of euros of EU investments for not implementing the Stabilization/Association Agreement.

Kusari: Thaci, biggest violator of Constitution (media)

Kosovo Assembly member and Alternativa leader, Mimoza Kusari-Lila, said in an interview to T7 TV station on Monday that Kosovo President Hashim Thaci is the biggest violator of the Constitution of Kosovo. “A wrong dialogue between President Thaci and [Serbian President] Vucic has questioned Kosovo’s borders,” Kusari-Lila said. She argued that Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj is not skilled to lead the government. “He wanted that position so much that he should entered the process better prepared … He lacks the required capacity to lead the country,” she added.

Serbs hinder registration of Trepca as joint-stock company (Zeri)

The paper writes that although all conditions have been met to register the Trepca mining complex as a joint-stock company, the process is being hindered by Serb employees of the mine who refuse to apply for their 20 percent share. The trade union of Trepca miners in the north of Kosovo issued a statement saying they will not implement any of the decision or laws on Trepca taken by Pristina authorities including the request for registering the mine as a joint-stock company. Meanwhile, Kosovo’s Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj said that the registration of Trepca is a matter of time and called on Serb miners to use their right to gain shares in the company and not let them be influenced by Belgrade.