• Assembly to review platform for dialogue with Serbia (dailies)
• Mustafa: Dialogue team is degradation of Kosovo’s statehood (media)
• Hoti: Constitution is the law and platform for the dialogue (RTK)
• Hoxhaj: Our relations with U.S. must not suffer because of tariff (media)
• Ramadani: Better no agreement than to meet Vucic’s conditions (RTK)
• S. Gen Scaparrotti: Security situation in the Balkans, fragile (RFE)
• Serwer: Border changes would destabilize the region (media)
• Vucic: Serbia cannot join EU without agreement with Kosovo (Epoka)
• Malta supports Kosovo’s membership in international organisations (Zeri/Klan)
• Gjini: Vucic must apologize (media)
• Bahtiri: No post-war government did anything for the north (RTV Dukagjini)
• Kosovo accepted at International Commission on Missing Persons (Epoka)

Kosovo Media Highlights

Assembly to review platform for dialogue with Serbia (dailies)

Kosovo Assembly presidency has decided to schedule the review of the platform for dialogue with Serbia today. Koha Ditore reports that the platform has entered parliamentary procedure at a time when the border correction idea has gained force but that according to the Kosovo dialogue delegation the platform prevent any border changes and guarantee that Kosovo’s constitutional order will not be undermined by the dialogue with Serbia. Opposition parties – the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) and Vetevendosje – meanwhile have refused to join the delegation and object its platform.

Klan Kosova at the same time quotes Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj as saying that he hoped the platform would receive enough votes to be approved at the Assembly of Kosovo underlining the importance of the document. He however denied the platform being in any way linked to the suspension of the tax on imports from Serbia and Bosnia.

Political experts warn that the failure of political leaders to speak in one voice is damaging for Kosovo. Publicist Veton Surroi said at a conference in Pristina on the topic of dialogue that President of Kosovo Hashim Thaci has for two years led negotiations without having a political basis. He noted that there is also no consensus within the international community on the outcome of talks, especially regarding the border correction idea. Meanwhile, said Surroi, the dialogue led by the EU under the High Representative Federica Mogherini has been “useless” and dialogue with Kosovo Serbs never took place.

Mustafa: Dialogue team is degradation of Kosovo’s statehood (media)

Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) leader, Isa Mustafa, said on Wednesday that the state delegation for talks with Serbia is a degradation of Kosovo’s statehood. Mustafa said the state delegation sends Kosovo back to the period before the declaration of independence, the time of UNMIK, when the country did not have institutions with full legitimacy.

“The law on dialogue is a document of shame and blackmail by a small party in the Assembly that is enabling the ruling coalition to seize and rob the country. The platform on dialogue offers nothing but false expectations. Neither the law nor the platform on dialogue sanction the responsibilities of state officials that lobby and agree to violate the Declaration of Independence,” Mustafa said. He added that it was absurd that the platform was drafted by a group that does not represent the majority in the Assembly.

“No one should dare bring the Assembly before a fait accompli! Neither the President, nor the Prime Minister, or anyone else! Dialogue must be led by a legitimate government and a platform that is a product of broad consensus and adopted by 2/3 of votes in the Assembly, same as the Agreement”. Mustafa also said that his party will initiate amendments to the Penal Code of Kosovo “to sanction any official that questions the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and statehood of Kosovo”.

Hoti: Constitution is the law and platform for the dialogue (RTK)

Avdullah Hoti, caucus of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) took to Facebook to write that the Law for dialogue and the Platform for dialogue that are to be discussed at the Assembly today, are absurd and lack constitutional ground. “It should be clear to everyone that the only law and platform for dialogue is the Constitution. While the dialogue team is the legitimate government,” Hoti wrote.

Hoxhaj: Our relations with U.S. must not suffer because of tariff (media)

Kosovo’s Deputy Prime Minister, Enver Hoxhaj, said on Wednesday that Kosovo’s relations with the United States of America must not suffer as a result of the 100-percent import tariff on Serbian goods. “We jointly decided to introduce the tariff – we will jointly decide to suspend it. We will discuss this issue in the government together,” he said.

Hoxhaj said it is in Kosovo’s interest to reach an agreement with Serbia in 2019. “In 2017, the U.S. was not so willing to engage in an agreement between Kosovo and Serbia. Neither were European countries. We must use this historic opportunity. We must use 2019 to conclude Kosovo’s state-building process. I believe the agreement will be reached this year,” he added.

Ramadani: Better no agreement than to meet Vucic’s conditions (RTK)

Kosovo’s Deputy Minister of Defense, Burim Ramadani, told RTK on Wednesday that it is better for Kosovo not to reach an agreement with Serbia, than to meet Serbian President Vucic’s conditions for resuming dialogue, namely to suspend the import tariff on Serbian goods.

Ramadani also said he does not believe that Kosovo’s relations with the U.S. can be damaged as a result of the import tariff. He did however say “we have been informed that eight programs for the Kosovo Security Force have been cancelled. Of course this is not good news. I hope this situation will be overcome soon”.

U.S. Gen Scaparrotti: Security situation in the Balkans, fragile (RFE)

Commander of the United States European Command, General Curtis M. Scaparrotti said before the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee that the security situation in the Balkans is very fragile and that the region is the main target of Russia’s ‘malign’ influence. Scaparrotti said the Balkans region is of strategic importance and also spoke about the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue.

“Negotiations between Kosovo and Serbia for normalisation of relations and the achievement of a lasting solution that is implementable for the two countries are being expected. Russia feeds the regional unsustainability in an effort to prevent the Balkans countries from making progress on their Euro-Atlantic integration,” Scaparrotti said. He underlined the fact that Russia opposes independence of Kosovo and that its political, military and economic assistance to Serbia is aimed at preserving influence over the country. “NATO’s force in Kosovo (KFOR) which includes 3,500 troops from NATO members and other states plays an important role in maintaining security and stability in this region,” Scaparrotti said.

Serwer: Border changes would destabilize the region (media)

U.S. expert on the Balkans, Daniel Serwer, argued on Wednesday against the idea of border changes between Kosovo and Serbia. Serwer said an eventual land swap between the two countries would destabilize the region. He also said Kosovo should not rush into the process.

Vucic: Serbia cannot join EU without agreement with Kosovo (Epoka)

The President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, said on Wednesday after the meeting with the Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, that Serbia cannot join EU without reaching an agreement with Pristina. He added that the time has come to stop Serbian false envoys who claim that Serbia can join EU without resolving Kosovo problem. He added that neither Serbia nor Kosovo can make progress towards EU without an agreement in place.

Malta supports Kosovo’s membership in international organisations (Zeri/Klan)

Kosovo’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Behgjet Pacolli, received yesterday in Pristina Malta’s Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Promotion, Carmelo Abela, and said that cooperation between the two governments will continue to deepen. “Our two countries enjoy stable partnership and strong friendship,” Pacolli said. The Maltese diplomat stated that Malta will continue supporting Kosovo in its European integration journey and in efforts to join international organisations. Klan Kosova meanwhile quotes Abela as saying that the import tariff on Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina should be lifted and that dialogue for normalisation of relations between Belgrade and Pristina should resume.

Gjini: Vucic must apologize (media)

Ardian Gjini, deputy leader of the Haradinaj-led Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK), said Kosovo President Hashim Thaci must demand his Serbian counterpart Aleksandar Vucic to apologize for praising Slobodan Milosevic during a visit to Kosovo, before dialogue can resume. “If Vucic does not apologize for saying during his visit to Kosovo that Milosevic was a great leader, Thaci has no reason to talk to him,” Gjini said.

He also argued that Kosovo should not enter talks with Serbia, “if there are no guarantees that Kosovo’s borders will not be changed”.

Bahtiri: No post-war government did anything for the north (RTV Dukagjini)

Mitrovica Mayor Agim Bahtiri said in a debate on RTV Dukagjini on Wednesday that no post-war government did anything about the northern part of Kosovo. He argued that Kosovo’s laws are not being respected in the northern part of Mitrovica. “Haradinaj is doing absolutely nothing for northern Mitrovica. Neither is Deputy Prime Minister Pacolli. The previous governments did nothing for the north,” he added.

Kosovo accepted at International Commission on Missing Persons (Epoka)

The Prime Minister of Kosovo Ramush Haradinaj, signed on Wednesday an agreement for cooperation with the general director of the International Commission on Missing Persons (ICMP) Ketrin Bomberger. On the same day, Kosovo became member of this organization which treats the issue of the missing persons.

Haradinaj said the agreement obliges both parties to engage on shedding light on the fate of the missing persons. “Kosovo has given accreditation to the organization earlier. Today we signed an agreement of cooperation, where we took over the responsibility for shedding light on the fate of the missing. This is a responsibility deriving also from Berlin process and further on,” he said.

ICMP General Director Ketrin Bomberger said they are interested and will be committed to help Kosovo on the issue of the missing persons.

21 years after the end of the conflict in Kosovo, the fate of over 1,600 people remains unknown.