Headlines - 15.07.2014

Gjini: We can form the government without Vetevendosje (Bota Sot)

Ardian Gjini, deputy leader of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK), told TV Klan on Monday that, while chairing the session of the Kosovo Assembly, Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) MP Flora Brovina should act in accordance with the recommendations of the Assembly’s presidency. “I think Flora Brovina, as the most experienced deputy of the Assembly, will not violate the Constitution. But if she does not act in accordance with the Assembly’s presidency, she will lose her mandate,” he added. Gjini also said the opposition coalition can form the new government even without the Vetevendosje Movement. He also cited differences with Vetevendosje. “I don’t believe that the Vetevendosje Movement would lead talks (with Belgrade), because earlier they were against the talks,” Gjini said.

Changes made to draft text, agreement close (Zeri)

The paper reports on the front page that working groups of the coalition of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK), Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) and Initiative for Kosovo (NISMA), as well as the Vetevendosje Movement, continued their meetings on Monday and positions are reportedly very close now. “The draft that circulated a day ago has undergone some changes and we hope it will be signed in the next meeting. There is still hope, and if the agreement is signed, the Vetevendosje Movement will be part of the government,” a senior official of the opposition coalition told the paper.

Jahjaga and Josipovic: Balkans should speak with one voice (Bota Sot)

Kosovo President Atifete Jahjaga met on Monday in Dubrovnik with the President of Croatia, Ivo Josipovic. They discussed the need for cooperation among the countries of the region, especially in the fields of energy, infrastructure and the economy. Both presidents agreed that the Western Balkans should speak with one voice regarding EU integration processes. Jahjaga will participate in the Brdo-Brioni Summit, which is a joint initiative of Slovenia and Croatia to help Western Balkan countries with the process of EU integration.

Mitrovica starts dialogue on construction (Koha)

The paper reports on the front page that, on Tuesday, the government of Kosovo, the municipality of south Mitrovica and the municipality of Mitrovica North, will begin tripartite meetings aimed at avoiding politically motivated construction that has produced tensions between Albanians and Serbs there. The process is also expected to result in a concrete project for the banks of the River Iber/Ibar. Kosovo’s Environment and Spatial Planning Minister, Dardan Gashi, told the paper on Monday that bridges and squares are the not the only problems in Mitrovica. “Tomorrow in Pristina we will discuss topics that are related to the law on construction and the law on spatial planning. In the first part of our meetings, we will try to enable people, namely Albanians, to build their homes where they used to be located and to allow construction where permitted. The second part will focus on designing the river banks as far as squares, bridges and freedom of movement are concerned,” Gashi said.

Gashi warns of using bulldozers in Mitrovica (Tribuna)

Kosovo’s Minister of Environment and Spatial Planning, Dardan Gashi, said that he will order bulldozers to clear the areas where northern Serb leaders are trying to construct squares if no solution is found through dialogue. He said talks are underway at two levels, one in Brussels and one at the level of the two Mitrovica municipalities. He said talks are aimed at finding a mutually acceptable solution for the two sides within the Kosovo legal framework and added that the next meeting in Brussels will take place on 22 July.

“Albanians should not be allowed to build in Kroi i Vitakut” (Zeri)

The provisional administration of northern Mitrovica, which the paper identifies as a parallel structure set up by Belgrade, issued a statement on Monday saying that the provisional institutions in Pristina have decided to suspend construction in the neighborhood of Kroi i Vitakut until other problems are resolved. The statement says: “The problems arose when Albanians, who started building houses without permits in Kroi i Vitakut, protested against the construction of buildings for Serbs. We all have UNMIK permits to construct these buildings; they are destined for social cases, vulnerable and IDP families, so that they can remain here and also to enable other IDPs to return to their homes. For this reason, we think that the decision to stop the constructions of both Serbs and Albanians is unprecedented. We want the rights of Serbs to live in these areas to be protected. Albanian constructions here need to be stopped; they have never lived in Kroi i Vitakut and their intention is clearly to change the ethnic structure in the neighborhood.”

Dacic: EULEX the guarantor of Serbs’ survival in Kosovo (Koha)

EULEX chief Bernd Borchardt met on Monday in Belgrade with Serbian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic. Serbian media quoted Dacic as telling Borchardt that the presence of EULEX and other international stakeholders, such as UNMIK and KFOR, guarantees the survival of Serbs in Kosovo. Dacic and Borchardt also discussed cooperation between Serbia and EULEX and the possibility to expand such cooperation.

US supports Albanians in FYROM (Botapress)

US Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Victoria Nuland sent clear political messages to Skopje. Speaking about the current political and security situation created after the protests over the “Monstra” case, Nuland stressed the need to fulfill the Ohrid Agreement as a necessary condition for the future of the country. She encouraged parties to build closer cooperation among communities and stressed the readiness of the US to invest in Albanian regions of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, in order to reach economic and social balance.