UNMIK Headlines 25 November
Thaci: There will be no Republika Srpska in Kosovo (Zeri)
Kosovo Prime Minister Hashim Thaci said he is confident that runoff elections in 24 municipalities on December 1st will prove that Kosovo is a democratic state that holds elections with a high level of political culture. In an interview for Anadolu, Thaci said local elections will be a turning point that will prove good interethnic relations and will mark progress in the path toward European Union membership.
The fund for the north typically “parallel” (Koha Ditore)
The paper notes that the failure to include the fund for the northern part of Kosovo in the draft budget for 2014, which was adopted last week by parliament, is seen as the creation of a typical parallel fund. Opposition representatives argue that in addition to police and justice, the Association of Serb majority municipalities will also have a separate funding line, “and this clearly shows the creation of an ethnic autonomous region within the territory of Kosovo”. Political analysts argue that the parallel fund is in contradiction with the Constitution and the Unitarian spirit of the functioning of the state of Kosovo.
Vulin lobbies for Serbian List in Decan (dailies)
Several dailies report that during his visit to Decan on Sunday, Serbian Minister for Kosovo Aleksandar Vulin said that the victory of the Serbian List in run-off elections in Kosovo is the best way to establish the Association of Serb majority municipalities. Vulin said the government of Serbia would continue to finance, protect and advance the lives of Serbs in Kosovo. “We love all Serbs and Serbia does not want to divide Serbs. However, For us, as all the Serbs are the same beloved and Serbia does not want to divide Serbs, However, we need to say that in political terms, the Serbian List is closer,” Vulin added.
Renegotiation of Association of Serb majority municipalities (Tribuna)
According to the paper, Pristina and Belgrade are expected to enter a new round of political talks in December after run-off elections in Kosovo. The establishment of the Association of Serb Municipalities, the statute of this organization and financing of Serb Municipalities are among the key topics that will be discussed by Kosovo and Serbia prime ministers, Thaci and Dacic, and later on will be made operational by the respective working groups.
Diplomatic sources in Pristina told the paper that the statute of the association will be drafted in accordance with the April agreements in Brussels. In addition to funds from customs in the north, Belgrade also wants the association to have a share in the Trepca mining complex and the Gazivoda Lake.
Reopening of Kosovo airspace postponed (dailies)
NATO Council has decided to postpone reopening of Kosovo airspace scheduled to take place early next year. The Alliance have no reasoning for the move but in a statement to Radio Kosova, NATO officials said significant progress has been made on preparations to normalize Kosovo airspace but this has to be observed further.
The issue of whether Kosovo airspace is to be tackled in the Pristina-Belgrade dialogue was discussed last year in a meeting between Deputy Prime Minister Edita Tahiri and NATO Council officials but none of the parties confirmed whether an agreement between Kosovo and Serbia should precede the actual opening of the airspace.
“Kosovo Jihad” suspected of sending threat from Bresalc (Zeri)
The threatening email sent to Kosovo Police on November 12th from the so-called “Followers of Teuhid and Jihad in Kosovo” is believed to have been sent from the village of Bresalc in the municipality of Gjilan. Three out of six people arrested for plans to carry out terrorist attacks are from the same village.
“Kosovo Police is investigating in several directions, one of them is the village of Bresalc in Gjilan municipality,” a source told the paper. The source also said no one was arrested so far in relation to the threatening email.