• Haradinaj: Visit to Berlin aimed at deepening cooperation with Germany (media)
• Maliqi: Merkel-Haradinaj meeting, part of preparations for Paris (Epoka e Re)
• Thaci-Vucic set to meet in Bratislava (Zeri)
• UN: Tensions between Pristina and Belgrade, concerning (media)
• State delegation without a leading role in dialogue (Koha)
• Apostolova: EU supports principles of regional cooperation (Bota Sot)
• Deteriorating relations between Kosovo Government and UNMIK (RFE)
• Austrian diplomat Albert Rohan dies aged 83 (Pristina Insight)
• Montenegro court sentences man for war crimes in Kosovo (media)

Haradinaj: Visit to Berlin aimed at deepening cooperation with Germany (media)

Before travelling for Berlin to meet the German Chancellor Angela Merkel as well as other officials of the German government and Bundestag, Prime Minister of Kosovo Ramush Haradinaj addressed the citizens of Kosovo via Facebook post saying the visit is aimed at deepening relations between Kosovo and Germany.

“Cooperation based on trust is necessary for Kosovo’s journey to economic development, European integration and the security field. Germany will continue to be one of Kosovo’s key partners and its support is vital to reaching our joint objectives,” Haradinaj wrote.

Meanwhile, officials from the Kosovo government told Zeri that Haradinaj will ask Merkel’s support in visa liberalisation for Kosovo as well as in the process of dialogue with Serbia.

“In several occasions prior to this trip, the Prime Minister has expressed his position and what he intends to request at the meeting with Chancellor Merkel: support for dialogue, partnership between the two countries, and visa liberalisation,” said Kosovo government spokesperson Donjeta Gashi. “It has also been made clear that this meeting and in fact the dialogue itself are not related to the tax issue,” she added.

Maliqi: Merkel-Haradinaj meeting, part of preparations for Paris (Epoka e Re)

Epoka e Sot runs an interview with political analyst Shkelzen Maliqi who said that Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj’s meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel is very important and is part of preparations for the Paris summit in July.

“Unlike Berlin a month ago when nothing concrete was achieved, a formula on continuing Kosovo-Serbia dialogue is aimed to be reached in Paris. This requires the sides softening their positions that condition the continuation of dialogue,” Maliqi said.

“For a while now there is talk of a joint declaration being signed, carefully drafted, on the platform that provides possibility of a historic reconciliation on Kosovo which would be based on political principles acceptable for the two sides,” Maliqi said adding that this declaration would enable the suspension of the tax and pave way for Kosovo’s recognition by Serbia.

Thaci-Vucic set to meet in Bratislava (Zeri)

President of Kosovo Hashim Thaci is expected to meet today President of Serbia Aleksandar Vucic in Slovakia as both are participants of the GLOBSEC Bratislava Forum which will also have a session on Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue.

Ardian Arifaj, adviser to President Thaci, confirmed participation at the event and said Thaci will meet many foreign officials and that Serbian President Vucic is also expected to take part in one of the panels. “There will be a discussion on Kosovo-Serbia dialogue and its future,” Arifaj said.

Meanwhile, analysts consider that Bratislava conference will serve as a platform for Thaci and Vucic to keep the idea of border correction afloat.

Haki Abazi said the meeting will be aimed at the border correction idea to make a comeback. “The Vucic-Thaci meeting is at the sidelines of a second-hand conference in Bratislava. But what is clear is that this is happening as part of efforts to keep the border change idea alive,” Abazi said adding that Thaci is trying to use any forum to try and present himself as being a relevant actor while acting not in line with the Constitution of Kosovo and sidestepping relevant institutions. He said the Bratislava meeting is trying to be used to overshadow today’s meeting between Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj and the German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Klan Kosova reports that President Thaci will give a press conference at 11:30 before travelling to Bratislava.

UN: Tensions between Pristina and Belgrade, concerning (media)

Several news websites report that Antonio Guterres, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, said he was concerned with tensions between Kosovo and Serbia and called on both sides to refrain from inciteful statements and provocations. He also called for the removal of all barriers in order for dialogue to resume. “Serious tensions between Belgrade and Pristina are obstacles to the resumption of a productive dialogue and they are causing concern among local and international officials,” the UN Secretary General notes in his latest report on Kosovo which will be discussed at the UN Security Council on June 10. Guterres also notes that since his last report there was no meeting between Kosovo and Serbia leaders in the EU-brokered dialogue, although the two sides have met at the summit in Berlin.

State delegation without a leading role in dialogue (Koha)

The paper reports on its front page that the co-heads of the state delegation for talks with Serbia, Fatmir Limaj and Shpend Ahmeti, will be invited only as “décor” to Kosovo’s delegation that will travel to the upcoming summit in Paris in early July. The delegation will be led by Kosovo leaders, President Thaci, Prime Minister Haradinaj and Assembly President Veseli.

The paper also notes that while opposition and ruling parties have stepped up their activities in relation to dialogue with Serbia, the state delegation has not held a public event for some time now and they are not engaged in preparations for the Paris Summit.

Apostolova: EU supports principles of regional cooperation (Bota Sot)

Head of the EU Office in Kosovo and Special Representative, Nataliya Apostolova, said that the EU supports the principles of regional reconciliation and cooperation in the Western Balkans. “EU will continue to work with all partners in the region bilaterally in their European journey and in the direction of regional cooperation,” Apostolova said.

She is also quoted to have said that the EU will not support unification of territories. “Instead, the European Union expects everyone in the region to build constructive and cooperating relations and intensify work on their relevant reforms programme,” Apostolova said.

Deteriorating relations between Kosovo Government and UNMIK (RFE)

The arrest of a Russian UNMIK staff by Kosovo Police has led to deteriorating relations between the Kosovo Government and the United Nations mission in Kosovo, the news website reports. Mikhail Krasnoshchekov was detained by Kosovo Police during an operation against smuggling and organized crime in the north. He was later released because of his diplomatic immunity and despite accusations by the Kosovo President and Prime Minister that the Russian UNMIK staff was using the UN veil to act against Kosovo’s institutions. Although he was released, the Kosovo Government declared him a persona non grata.

Belgrade media then reported on a meeting between UNMIK chief Zahir Tanin and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, about the arrest of the Russian UNMIK staffer. The UN administration in Kosovo did not provide details about the meeting.

There were immediate reactions by Kosovo’s institutions.

Jetlir Zyberaj, political advisor to Foreign Minister Behgjet Pacolli, took to Facebook to say that Belgrade is the wrong address to discuss such matters. He also said that Kosovo’s institutions would not cooperate with UNMIK, because in his words this mission is creating obstacles to the rule of law.

“UNMIK has become the main supporter of organized crime in the northern part of Kosovo. Their office in the north cooperates with criminals and groups that try to damage Kosovo’s national security and to obstruct the rule of law in Kosovo. Last week’s events and the way that UNMIK treated this case are the best evidence of this,” Zyberaj wrote.

Zyberaj also wrote that Kosovo’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Behgjet Pacolli, has addressed the UN Secretary General and Security Council members seeking explanations “how this mission acts against Kosovo’s interests and national security and in the service of crime and smuggling”.

Kosovo’s former ambassador to Vienna and Sydney, Sabri Kicmari told Radio Free Europe that relations between Kosovo and UNMIK are delicate and very unclear but he added that both sides must negotiate and meet and overcome such situations.

“UNMIK no longer has the executive power it had after the end of the war in Kosovo, but some UNMIK officials seem not to have understood that political and social life in Kosovo has moved toward the clear direction of independence. Therefore, I think that our state officials, should be wise and in very calm manner sit at the table and explain to UNMIK officials that they are practically welcome in Kosovo as long as they don’t interfere with Kosovo’s subjectivity,” Kicmari said. He added that Kosovo does not have any executive power to remove the UN mission. “This is why it would be wise for our diplomacy to try and talk with UNMIK officials and convince them that they should use their symbolic presence here in the service of interethnic relations and not to become a subject of conflicts, as in the case of the Russian in the north. UNMIK is here to help to overcome situations and not to cause problems,” he added.

Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj and members of his cabinet have said repeatedly that the Kosovo Government no longer recognizes UNMIK, which functions in Kosovo based on UN Security Council Resolution 1244, adopted in June 1999.

Austrian diplomat Albert Rohan dies aged 83 (Pristina Insight)

Albert Rohan, an Austrian diplomat and key player in the development of the Ahtisaari Plan that brought about the supervised independence of Kosovo in February 2008, died in Vienna on Wednesday.

Albert Rohan, a former Permanent Secretary to the Austrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, died on Wednesday following a long career in the Austrian Foreign Service and as a diplomat and EU representative in Kosovo.

Rohan was appointed as deputy to the Special Envoy of the Future Status Process for Kosovo, Martti Ahtisaari, by UN Secretary General Kofi Annan in 2005. He played an important role in the Vienna Negotiations on the Final Status of Kosovo, which ultimately resulted in Kosovo’s independence.

Kosovo President Hashim Thaci reacted to the news on Wednesday, saying “Albert Rohan contributed much to installing peace in our region.”

Montenegro court sentences man for war crimes in Kosovo (media)

Media report that the High Court in Podgorica has sentenced a Montenegrin national to 14 years in prison for crimes against civilian population. Vlado Zmajevic was convicted for the killing of four Albanian civilians in the Kosovo village of Zheger in 1999.

Bekim Blakaj from the Humanitarian Law Centre told Radio Free Europe that Zmajevic was primary suspect for the war crimes committed in Zheger.