UNMIK Headlines 8 July
Demarcation raises tensions at the Assembly (dailies)
The request of the MP from the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK), Shpejtim Bulliqi, to organize an open roundtable regarding the agreement on demarcation of the border with Montenegro, induced a harsh debate at the Assembly on Thursday. The President of the Assembly, Kadri Veseli, warned the opposition that it cannot stop the agenda of the coalition government, while the leader of the Vetëvendosje movement, Visar Ymeri, said that ratification of this agreement at the Assembly will not be allowed.
Kosovo conditions dialogue with implementation of agreements (RFE)
The political dialogue between Pristina and Belgrade in Brussels is expected to continue after the formation of the new Serbian government, Brussels officials told the news site. Meanwhile, Kosovo government officials said that they are willing to continue the dialogue, while insisting that there will be no new topics without the implementation of agreements reached so far. Valon Murtezaj, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and advisor to Prime Minister Isa Mustafa, told Radio Free Europe that there are three agreements that Serbia has yet to implement. “Kosovo government will insist that Serbia first implements all the agreement before moving forward… It is the agreement on telecom, energy and free movement that still need to be implemented,” Murtezaj said.
Kosovo backs down from threats of reciprocity measures to Serbia (Koha)
Authorities in Pristina have backed down from the threats of imposing reciprocity measures to Serbia regarding the use of provisional license plates for vehicles entering Kosovo. The measure was supposed to become applicable from July but this has not yet happened. Kosovo’s Minister for Dialogue, Edita Tahiri, was unavailable for comment while the opposition parties blamed the government of Kosovo for having a yielding position towards Serbia.
Çaushi: We will not give up territory for visas (Zëri)
Vetëvendosje Movement senior member, Driton Çaushi, told the paper that Kosovo should not be the only place in Europe to give up a part of its territory to obtain visa liberalisation with the European Union. He added that the opposition parties, by all means, will not allow the current agreement on border-demarcation with Montenegro to pass the Assembly. According to him, the opposition does not feel guilty if visa liberalisation doesn’t happen this year since, according to him, the EU also has asked Kosovo leaders to fight corruption and organized crime. “Of course for Mustafa, Thaçi and Veseli this is not a priority because if they would fight corruption it means they would fight themselves,” Çaushi said, adding that the government should as soon as possible annul all the harmful agreements it has signed.
Rexhep Selimi criticizes Kosovo Serb ministers (Epoka e Re)
Kosovo Assembly MP from the Vetëvendosje movement, Rexhep Selimi, criticized on Thursday during the Assembly session the Kosovo Serb ministers for participating at the ceremonies where Kosovo state is being insulted. “Isa Mustafa’s ministers are participating at the unveiling of the monuments of Tzar Lazar in Mitrovica, inauguration of the Sunny Valley, while their chief, who is a Prime Minister, condemns them harshly through a Facebook status. As if this was not enough, partners of LDK and PDK, ministers of the government of Kosovo from the Serbian List, speak at the pulpits of these inaugurations of Serbia’s projects in Kosovo, as it was spoken at some point in Gazimestan,” Selimi said.