• Haradinaj warns supporters of border correction with “political burial” (Koha)
• Tax no longer obstacle to U.S. officials visiting Kosovo (Koha)
• Thaci annuls EBRD Summit due to relations with Bosnia (media)
• Haradinaj: Kosovo committed to prevent Russian impact (RTK)
• Mogherini to meet Thaci and Vucic separately in Tirana (Indeksonline)
• Vucic: You can kill me, but I do not recognize Kosovo (Tanjug, Klan)
• Mustafa meets O’Connell: Political situation, complicated (media)
• Haradinaj meets Apostolova (media)
• KFOR replaces borderline markings (RTK)
• Assembly committee approves draft resolution on condemning genocide (media)

 Kosovo Media Highlights

Haradinaj warns supporters of border correction with “political burial” (Koha)

Prime Minister of Kosovo Ramush Haradinaj warned supporters of border correction idea with “political burial” saying the proposal is sponsored by authorities in Belgrade. “Those that choose to go along this road will be badly buried politically,” he said yesterday speaking to reporters after the meeting of the government.

Haradinaj vowed not to allow any part of Kosovo’s territory being affected by a possible final agreement with Serbia: “The border idea, of Vucic, Dacic and whoever else’s may be, exists for a century now. The idea for splitting up Albanian territories has been cooking for a century in their kitchens. I believe that they have understood that they cannot play with Albanian lands. They can have good neighbourly relations with Albanians if they wish to but they cannot play with borders in the Balkans.”

Commenting on media reports that the French President Emmanuel Macron adopted a harsh tone towards Haradinaj during the recent Western Balkans summit in Berlin, Haradinaj said people who have failed to push forward the border correction idea are behind such misinterpretations of what actually happened in Berlin. “Those who stayed in the hallways are doing the talking. They are not aware at all about what happened. First of all, I spoke in French with Macron and I do not know if those who stay in hallways speak French. He is a respected man and we had much better time than some think. It was the same with Chancellor Merkel,” he said.

Tax no longer obstacle to U.S. officials visiting Kosovo (Koha)

Yesterday, Commander of the Iowa National Guard, Major General Timothy Orr visited Kosovo although the tax on imports from Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina has not been lifted. Orr undertook a farewell visit to Kosovo and met all institutional leaders although his previous scheduled visit months back was cancelled because of the tax. The U.S. had also warned Kosovo leaders with more consequences, mainly regarding the transition of the Kosovo Security Force, if the government of Kosovo refuses to lift the tax.

Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj denied deterioration of relations with the U.S. “Kosovo-U.S. relations were never better. We are working in the field of security, politics, economy, geo-strategic field,” Haradinaj said.

The paper reached out to the U.S. Embassy seeking to comment on the visit of the U.S. army general Orr to Kosovo but did not receive a response.

In Kosovo, Major General Orr met President Hashim Thaci, Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj and Assembly Speaker Kadri Veseli. All thanked him for his contribution to Kosovo, particularly in spearheading the State Partnership Program between the Iowa National Guard and the Kosovo Security Force.

Thaci annuls EBRD Summit due to relations with Bosnia (media)

The President of Kosovo, Hashim Thaci, has conclusively declined to attend the Summit convened in Sarajevo, in the framework of the annual meeting of the EBRD Governing Board of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).

Thaci thanks the EBRD for the invitation and equal treatment of Kosovo in this meeting and regretted his non-attendance. “The only reason that has led to the non-attendance at this high level meeting are the bilateral relations between the Republic of Kosovo and Bosnia and Herzegovina, which are at the lowest possible level. Despite our political willingness and state readiness to have good neighborly relations with Bosnia and Herzegovina and mutual recognition, unfortunately, to this day, this will, despite of not being accepted, it has often also been misused.”

“Bosnia and Herzegovina has not yet recognized the Republic of Kosovo and for the bad luck of the citizens of both countries this country still maintains the visa regime for the citizens of the Republic of Kosovo in force. Such a situation is paradoxical, where, despite the bloody war that has taken place and despite the fact that we still do not have a normalization agreement, movement without passports and visa-free functions between Kosovo and Serbia, while on the other hand Bosnia and Herzegovina continues to discriminate the Kosovo citizens with a visa regime. We cannot understand how Bosnia-Herzegovina applies and behaves in this completely anti-European manner and even harsher than Serbia itself. Kosovo remains committed to good neighborly relations, regional cooperation and a Euro-Atlantic future, but refuses to be subjected and discriminated by anyone,” reads a press release issued by the Office of the President.

Haradinaj: Kosovo committed to prevent Russian impact (RTK)

The Prime Minister of Kosovo Ramush Haradinaj appealed on Tuesday at a memorial academy for unity and vigilance, as “Russia is trying to increase its impact in the region through the creation of the Association of Municipalities with Serb Majority.”

He pledged that Kosovo institutions will seek to shed light on the fate of the missing and “bring authors of terrible crimes committed during the war in front of the justice.

He reiterated that recognition of Kosovo by Serbia would have been the first step toward reconciliation and lifting of the tariff.

Haradinaj said Kosovo remains committed to its Euro-Atlantic path and to make impossible stretch of the Russian impact and interests in the region. Haradinaj said they are determined for Serbia not to reach the River Iber through creation of ‘Dodik republic.’

Mogherini to meet Thaci and Vucic separately in Tirana (Indeksonline)

The EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini is expected to have separate private meetings with President of Kosovo Hashim Thaci and President of Serbia Aleksandar Vucic at the sidelines of the Tirana meeting of the Brdo-Brijuni process.

Mogherini’s meetings with Thaci and Vucic are seen as part of efforts to bring Kosovo and Serbia back to the negotiating table.

Most recently, Mogherini’s spokesperson Maja Kocijancic said that the EU continues to act as facilitator in the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue and that the lifting of the tax on Serbia’s products is the only way to enable resumption of talks.

Vucic: You can kill me, but I do not recognize Kosovo (Tanjug, Klan)

The President of Serbia Aleksandar Vucic said on Tuesday that he will never recognize independence of Kosovo. He made this comment while addressing the international factors, reports Tanjug. “You can kill me, but that is not going to happen,” Vucic is quoted as saying.

“I am telling the English and Germans that I will not do it. Hit me, but I will not do it. I might be a President for 15 next years, but Vucic does not recognize Kosovo.”

He said the reason he could not find a solution for Kosovo, is that “everyone went mad.”

Mustafa meets O’Connell: Political situation, complicated (media)

Isa Mustafa, leader of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) met the Ambassador of the United Kingdom to Kosovo, Ruairi O’Connell. In a press release issued after the meeting, LDK said that the two officials discussed current developments in Kosovo and LDK’s positions on recent developments.

Mustafa assessed that the current political situation in Kosovo is quite complicated and requires serious and creative engagement of all political actors in order to guarantee defense of Kosovo state interests.

Haradinaj meets Apostolova (media)

Kosovo Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj met yesterday Nataliya Apostolova, head of the European Union’s Office in Kosovo. Haradinaj said they discussed advancing Kosovo’s path toward Euro-Atlantic integration, furthering regional cooperation and strengthening the rule of law.

“The Kosovo Government remains committed to accelerating the implementation of the European Reforms Agenda and advancing the Stabilization/Association Agreement,” Haradinaj wrote in a Facebook post after the meeting.

KFOR replaces borderline markings (RTK)

KFOR will continue to replace existing marks along the administrative borderline. According to KFOR, this activity is necessary as all marks were in a bad condition, as a result of weather conditions.

‘The marks set along the administrative border are references for KFOR and UNMIK personnel, not for the citizens of Kosovo. The warning marks show the distance from the administrative border, in order for KFOR and UNMIK personnel, not to breach agreements with Serbia’s Armed Forces by trespassing unintentionally the administrative border,” noted a press release issued by KFOR.

Assembly committee approves draft resolution on condemning genocide (media)

The Kosovo Assembly’s ad hoc committee tasked with preparing a draft resolution condemning genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes in Kosovo has approved the text of the draft resolution in yesterday’s meeting.

Members of the committee pointed out that the draft resolution is not related to the initiative undertaken by Assembly Speaker Kadri Veseli for setting up a special tribunal to deal with war crimes committed by Serbian forces in Kosovo. They said the resolution is aimed at acknowledging the genocide committed in Kosovo during the 1998-99 period.