• Kosovo Assembly endorses platform for dialogue with Serbia (dailies)
• Palmer: Mutual recognition, the essence of the agreement (RTK)
• Vucic calls security council after Kosovo adopts law on dialogue (Koha)
• Djuric: Kosovo’s platform spells end of dialogue (Telegrafi)
• Hoxhaj: Consensus on dialogue is vital (Epoka)
• Minister: U.S. has refused visas to over 20 officials after tax decision (Koha)
• Lekaj: Independence and territory are not negotiated with Serbia (Indeksonline)
• Sherifi: Ramush is not alone, NISMA maintains position on tariff (media)
• Swiss ambassador: Redrawing of borders has never worked (media)
• Silent initiative to join Interpol (Zeri)

Kosovo Assembly endorses platform for dialogue with Serbia (dailies)

Kosovo Assembly approved yesterday the platform for dialogue with Serbia with 61 votes in favour and 1 abstention. Earlier in the day, MPs also adopted the draft law on the responsibilities and competencies of the Kosovo State Delegation for dialogue with Serbia with 58 votes in favour and 3 abstentions. Opposition parties – the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) and Vetevendosje – walked out of the Assembly session in protest prior to the vote.

Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj hailed the decisions saying the votes are in favour of preserving the Kosovo of 17 February 2008. “With today’s vote, with majority present in the Assembly, we have paved way for the comprehensive team with representatives of ruling parties, opposition, and civil society to represent Kosovo’s constitutional and strategic interests and once again we are demonstrating our commitment for peace and stability of the whole region and for building good neighbourhood,” Haradinaj wrote on Facebook. He also said the law on platform for dialogue with Serbia represents Kosovo’s position that its borders are inviolable and that there will be no third level government.

Kosovo Assembly Speaker Kadri Veseli said after the Assembly vote that Kosovo has said yes to the dialogue with Serbia which will enable it to gain UN seat and preserve full sovereignty. He further called on opposition representatives to join the process: “Their participation in the final encounter with Serbia only helps Kosovo,” Veseli said. “I believe in the rationality of the opposition and I believe it will join the team and take on its responsibility,” Veseli said.

Co-head of the Kosovo delegation, Fatmir Limaj, hailed the vote saying that from now on Kosovo will have its official position on dialogue with Serbia. “The platform approved at the Asembly of Kosovo contains principles on the basis of which we will enter a possible dialogue with Serbia. I am extremely pleased that the platform adopted by the legislators today represents the unity of Kosovo institutions in the future dialogue with Serbia,” Limaj wrote on his Facebook account.

Palmer: Mutual recognition, the essence of the agreement (RTK)

Matthew Palmer, U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State, has reiterated the request for Kosovo to suspend the tax on Serbian products and resume with dialogue. He told journalists in Zagreb that the U.S. support normalization of the relations between Kosovo and Serbia and reach of a comprehensive agreement, which would result with mutual recognition. He added that it is very much possible for the agreement to include correction between of the border between Serbia and Kosovo. According to him, the U.S. expects from Belgrade to recognize Kosovo as a sovereign and independent state, while Kosovo should accept Serbia as its neighbor. “There is space for the parties to dialogue about the agreement which would be acceptable for the opinion both in Serbia and in Kosovo,” Palmer said.

“We want to see the parties reaching the agreement and bring it to us to read it carefully. If we notice unacceptable things, we will let the parties know about it, and we will work together on its correction, in order for the U.S. to be able to give full support,” Palmer said. “Contest between the two countries is destabilization source for the region,’ he said.

He added that the agreement should be variable, which means inclusion of political component, security, as well as economic, trade and cultural components.

Palmer stressed that the parties do not have much time in disposition, if they want to ensure prosperity and peace for their citizens, as well as European future.

Vucic calls security council after Kosovo adopts law on dialogue (Koha)

The paper reports on page three that Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has called a session of the National Security Council for today, after the Kosovo Assembly adopted the law and platform on dialogue with Serbia.

Djuric: Kosovo’s platform spells end of dialogue (Telegrafi)

Marko Djuric, head of the Serbian Government’s Office for Kosovo, said that Kosovo Assembly’s adoption of a platform for dialogue will be the end of it. “The adoption of the platform which foresees recognition as the only possible outcome of dialogue without addressing the rights and position of Serbs shows that Pristina has this way sent a message that this is the end of the dialogue,” Djuric said.

Hoxhaj: Consensus on dialogue is vital (Epoka)

Deputy Prime Minister of Kosovo Enver Hoxhaj said on Thursday that the adoption of the platform for the dialogue with Serbia is very important step toward resumption of the dialogue, which according to him will conclude with mutual recognition and Kosovo’s membership at the UN. “It is vital to have internal consensus and full coordination for Kosovo to have a strong position at the negotiating table. 2019 represents a good momentum for the reach of historic agreement that would enable state building, with recognition and UN seat, and focused on economic development of our country,” Hoxhaj said.

Minister: U.S. has refused visas to over 20 officials after tax decision (Koha)

Kosovo’s Minister of Justice, Abelard Tahiri, said in an interview with KTV that more than 20 senior Kosovo institutional officials have been refused U.S. visas as a result of the government’s refusal to suspend the tax on imports from Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. “The tax was the right decision in face of Serbia’s aggression towards Kosovo. I have said this many times. We did not consult ally countries over the decision because we believed we as institutions are entitled to counter a country that tries to damage our international subjectivity. However, we have come to a point now when this is hampering our relations,” Tahiri said. He said the government of Kosovo will not fall over the tax but did say that efforts need to be made to foster good relations with allies. Tahiri, who comes from the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK), also said that although no politician should be thinking of votes when it comes to relations with the U.S., the PDK has come out as the leading party in two recent polls.

Lekaj: Independence and territory are not negotiated with Serbia (Indeksonline)

Kosovo’s Minister for Infrastructure, Pal Lekaj, said on Thursday that Kosovo’s independence and its territory cannot be negotiated in the talks with Serbia. “Any agreement that is reached with Serbia must be voted in the Assembly,” he said. Lekaj also said that the opposition made a mistake for not supporting the platform on dialogue in the Assembly. “The opposition should have acted differently. It should have joined the process, because we are stronger when we are united,” he added.

Sherifi: Ramush is not alone, NISMA maintains position on tariff (media)

Bilall Sherifi, head of the NISMA parliamentary group, said on Thursday that his party continues to support the 100-percent import tariff on Serbian and Bosnian goods. “NISMA has not changed its position. We have maintained a consistent position, since the tariff was introduced. We have said that the tariff should be lifted when the reasons why it was introduced in the first place are eliminated,” he said. Sherifi also said that Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj is not alone in his position to keep the tariff in force.

Swiss ambassador: Redrawing of borders has never worked (media)

Swiss Ambassador to Kosovo, Jean-Hubert Lebet said on Thursday at a conference on the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue organised by the Kosovo Democratic Institute (KDI) that the redrawing of borders has never worked: “This did not bring about a sustainable peace.” He said that if there is no commitment to peace, the same issues will continue to be present even when the borders are shifted and in fact, they become even more complicated. “There is no model that can be applied somewhere else. The signing of an agreement is not the main lesson. If parties do not want to reach an agreement, it will not be achieved,” the Swiss diplomat said.

Silent initiative to join Interpol (Zeri)

Kosovo’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Internal Affairs are refusing to comment on the renewed initiative to join Interpol, the paper reports on the front page. It adds that although Kosovo submitted application for membership, officials from the two relevant ministries are not elaborating on the process or revealing what strategy they plan to carry out. “We don’t want to make any statements on Interpol because it is a sensitive process and as you are ware the Serb lobbying is very aggressive in this period. We will timely inform you of everything we believe should be shared with the media,” Kosovo’s Deputy Foreign Minister Rejhane Vuniqi said. Meanwhile, security experts say Kosovo institutions should not make another attempt at joining the organisation without first conducting a thorough analysis of last year’s failed membership bid.