UNMIK Headlines 9 March
Ashton pressures to reach agreement (Koha Ditore)
Serbia’s three main politicians, President Tomislav Nikolic, Prime Minister Ivica Dacic, and the current most powerful politician in Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, will visit Brussels on Monday to meet with EU High Representative for Foreign Policies and Security Catherine Ashton. Only three days after this meeting, on 14 March, Baroness Ashton will visit Pristina to meet with Prime Minister Hashim Thaçi and members of the opposition in Kosovo. These meetings have been confirmed by the Office of Baroness Ashton on Friday.
Sources from the EU confirmed that Ashton wants to pressure the parties in order to reach an agreement on crucial issues before the new round of dialogue on 20 March. “Of course, such an agreement is needed to work on disbanding parallel structures, the police, and courts in northern Kosovo,” said the EU source in Brussels, “we have to find a solution acceptable for both parties. I think that we have parameters for such an agreement."
For Serbia, and to a great extent for Kosovo, reaching the agreement by 20 March is necessary if they want to have any chance of moving forward towards the European Union.
Limaj’s advisor caught in international investigation for drug trafficking (Koha Ditore)
Telephone messages that discuss a 25 percent bribe in exchange for tenders were part of an international investigation on drug trafficking. Despite being contested by Fatmir Limaj and others, prosecutor Suad Kuraja ordered phone tapping immediately after a man was arrested in Germany in 2009, linked to a large quantity of drugs being trafficked, who is related to Florim Zuka, a businessman. The suspect is accused along with Fatmir Limaj, Demir Limaj, Florim Limaj, Endrit Shala, Nexhat Krasniqi ,and Gani Zogaj.
The arrest in Germany in 2009 lead to the start of investigations in Kosovo due to the suspicions of transport of drugs from Kosovo and money laundering. Investigations involved Florim Zuka, the owner of a company called “Tali”.
Even though the investigations on drug trafficking was left unresolved, the prosecution tapped the conversation between Limaj’s advisor, Endrit Shala, with Florim Zuka speaking about the 25 percent bribe and the amounts reached in exchange for tenders.
Thaçi: Dacic’s statement should not be met with enthusiasm (Koha Ditore)
Kosovo Prime Minister Hashim Thaçi called on leaders of Kosovo institutions to be reserved regarding the statement of the Prime Minister of Serbia, Ivica Dacic, who in a statement said “Kosovo is not Serbia.”
“I think that Kosovo institutions should not be enthusiastic about this statement, but realistically assess [the statement], always keeping in mind the reality and practice of Belgrade leaders,” said Thaçi. He stated that the statement of his counterpart comes late and regretful for the actions of the Serbian state. “Therefore, any positive message from Belgrade to accelerate the process of the recognition of Kosovo, is not only in the interest of Kosovo, but Serbia as well,” said Thaçi .
Gora is not joining Association (Zëri)
Mayor of the Municipality of Dragash, Selim Januzi, refused the proposal of Director of the Office for Kosovo at Serbia’s Government, Aleksandar Vulin, to join the Association of Serb municipalities. According to Jonuzi, Gora citizens are integrated in the institutions of Kosovo, and continue to leave the parallel system financed by Serbia. “We heard to Vulin saying that the Gora municipality is inexistent and that Gorans are being discriminated. They are very well integrated. We have the deputy mayor of the municipality, municipal directors, and deputies at the Assembly of Kosovo and at the Municipal Assembly. Since they are doing their job here, they want to be in this municipality,” Januzi told Telegraf.
Pacolli: Recognitions not bought (Express)
Deputy Prime Minister of Kosovo and AKR leader Behxhet Pacolli said during an interview that Kosovo has not been buying recognitions, because it does not even have funds. He added that statements by the former Foreign Minister, Skender Hyseni, on trading with countries that have recognized Kosovo, are just as slanderous to Vuk Jeremic’s. “I have sent computers to Mali in a legal manner. You know that was destroyed after coup de ėtat, from internal wars, and I have sent them as assistance on building a working environment,” said Pacolli.
Pacolli reiterated that there will be changes in the Government and that his party will take over responsibilities in the field of economic development.
Dacic: Thaçi in the north, only armed (Express)
Prime Minister of Serbia Ivica Dacic stated that Kosovo PM Hashim Thaçi can only go to the north armed. He said that the current reality should be accepted, which is that Belgrade does not govern the majority of Kosovo's territory, while Pristina does not control part of the territory it considers its own. “I told Thaçi that he can only go to the north armed. And while he does not admit that such a situation could lead to a regional destabilization, I think that this is a major problem. We are ready to resolve the problem of parallelisms and we consider that President Nikolic’s proposal is certainly very concrete,” said Dacic.