UNMIK Headlines 18 March
Government rejects, Brussels silent (Koha Ditore)
Kosovo Government officials rejected and deemed a draft agreement published on Sunday by Belgrade-based Blic daily newspaper “unofficial”. According to the document, the EU and Pristina decided on a 10-point project for the agreement between Pristina and Belgrade. Serbian Prime Minister Ivica Dacic echoed the same statement reported by Blic.
Meanwhile, European Commission officials did not want to comment on the authenticity of this document; opposition representatives in Pristina doubt its validity, saying that there would be space for criticism if the proposed project from the EU turns out to be true.
According to the project, the EU and Pristina propose that northern Kosovo Serbs be allowed to create a European region – north of Kosovo – without blocking the membership of Kosovo in international organizations, only mentioning OSCE.
Political adviser of the Prime Minister Bekim Çollaku considered this an unofficial document, which has not been presented to the parties. Çollaku did not want to comment on the content of the document published in the media.
According to Çollaku, Kosovo will not move from its position, and the only framework of reintegration of the three municipalities in the north it will be the Constitution, Kosovo laws, and the Ahtisaari Plan.
EU without comment on European region of north (Koha Ditore)
The policy maintained by the Office of EU High Representative Catherine Ashton not to reveal any details about the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina continues to produce growing speculation.
The document called “project agreement”, which has been published by Blic newspaper, notes the creation of a “European region of the north of Kosovo”. EU officials have not commented on the authenticity of this document, clearly written by the office of Baroness Ashton. The document closes with the latest thoughts about the ideas for the solution on the “issue of the north of Kosovo”.
Diplomats of EU member states say that they “have been left in the dark by the office of Baroness Ashton”, as far as details of the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia are concerned. For some the project published in Belgrade seems real, while for others it is a “version from Serb circles”.
Serwer: “Blic” project consists of Ahtisaari’s Plan (Koha Ditore)
U.S. analyst Daniel Serwer published an article in peacefare.net on Sunday evening on how the draft agreement published in Blic is consistent with Ahtisaari’s Plan.
“It is difficult to comment on a text that was likely prepared originally in English, translated by Blic and retranslated into English. It is not clear where the original came from or how close to a final agreement this text may be. Is it being published now to test the Serbian and Kosovar reaction? Does it genuinely represent something Pristina can accept?” asks Serwer.
“What it shows, however, is that both sides, one way or the other, are dealing with key issues: how can the Serb population of northern Kosovo participate in Kosovo institutions and still avail itself to Ahtisaari plan’s provisions for governing themselves? How can Kosovo’s interest in maintaining a single judicial and security framework be satisfied while allowing wide latitude to local governance in the other respects provided for by Ahtisaari?” says Serwer, adding that the devil is not in the details. “It is in the broader context. While this text purports to be status neutral, it would in principle allow Kosovo to join a lot of international bodies, some of which are open to membership only to sovereign states.”
Haradinaj: No agreement, solution within Constitution (Bota Sot)
AAK leader Ramush Haradinaj believes there is no agreement between Pristina and Belgrade, following similar reports by Serb media regarding a draft agreement achieved between Pristina and the European Union to be sent to Serbia. According to the draft, a European region would be created north of Kosovo instead of Belgrade’s Association of Serb Municipalities in Kosovo.
War damages before signing agreement (Zëri)
Deputy Prime Minister of Kosovo Hajredin Kuçi said a possible agreement for normalizing relations between Kosovo and Serbia will not be signed without resolving issues like war damages, pensions, external debt, and socially-owned property. However, Kuçi noted that resolving the situation in the north remains a priority.
Kacin: Forget partition (Express)
Jelko Kacin, the European Parliament’s Rapporteur for Serbia, reiterated the European position that Kosovo’s partition is absolutely unacceptable. “This would open a Pandora’s Box for new requests for partition in the Western Balkans and beyond,” Kacin told Serbian media on Sunday. “Kosovo has been defined as a political, geographical, historical, and economic entity […] Kosovo can and should be a multiethnic and multi-confessional society,” he said.
Kacin added that unresolved relations between Serbia and Kosovo will block European integration, and “above all, place a red flag for all foreign investors in Serbia”.
“The Ahtisaari Plan provides an excellent basis for the development of Kosovo and for minority rights,” Kacin was quoted as saying.
Vulin: Strengthening, not withdrawal (Express)
Aleksandar Vulin, director of the Office for Kosovo in the Serbian Government, visited northern Mitrovica on Sunday, stating that the government in Belgrade does not intend to dissolve its structures in northern Kosovo. “The state of Serbia is not in Kosovo to withdraw, but to strengthen its institutions, not dissolve them,” Vulin said.
Mustafa: Ruling parties punished for bad governance (Koha Ditore)
During the jubilee of the establishment of the LDK branch in Dragash, the leader of the Democratic League of Kosovo, Isa Mustafa, expressed conviction that in the next elections, the parties currently governing Kosovo will be punished for bad governing. Mustafa also stated that LDK called the supporters to have faith “because it will govern in the future.”
Serb municipalities, financially unsustainable (Koha Ditore)
A report of the Institute for Advanced Studies (GAP) stated that a majority of Serb municipalities in Kosovo are financially unsustainable and are known for a high level of abuse and lack of transparency. They are mainly dependent of Government grants.
Gracanica is an example where income collection competes with Albanian municipalities. Shtërpce municipality is experiencing major public debt. Other municipalities are simply unsustainable.
According to the report, the municipalities of Ranillug, Kllokot and Partesh, are almost at the same point on development, level of investments, the manner of spending public funds, performance in administration, and level of transparency.
UNMIK to be reviewed (Tribuna)
The United Nations Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) will undergo a review process but will not shut down as long as Resolution 1244 of the UN Security Council remains in force.
International sources told the paper that UNMIK will be downsized again and that, in the event of an agreement on northern Kosovo, UNMIK should pave the way for the creation of the new municipality north of the Ibër River. The same sources said that countries that support Kosovo’s independence expect that UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon will suggest this in his next report due in May.
UNMIK spokesperson Olivier Salgado did not comment on whether the mission will be reduced as a result of Pristina-Belgrade Dialogue.
The paper recalls that an earlier report by the Kosovo Government said that the UNMIK administration in northern Mitrovica has become an obstacle for the integration of the city and that it was supporting the survival of Serbia’s parallel structures in northern Kosovo.
However, UNMIK spokesperson told the newspaper that he has no comment on this issue.
Investigations into murder of police officer Zymberi suspended (Zëri)
Sources from EULEX confirmed that investigations into the killing of Kosovo police officer Enver Zymberi on 25 July 2011 in northern Kosovo have been suspended pending new information. The source added that there are six arrest warrants issued for persons suspected of being involved in the case; two were detained but later released without being found implicated in Zymberi’s killing.