Thaçi was in a hurry, now he postpones ratification (Koha)

The ratification by Kosovo’s Parliament of the agreement on normalization of relations between Kosovo and Serbia has been postponed following a request by Prime Minister Hashim Thaçi. Deputy Prime Minister Hajredin Kuçi told the paper that the reason behind the request was Thaçi’s visit to Brussels where he will meet Serbian Prime Minister Ivica Dacic. After the ratification was postponed, the Vetëvendosje Movement too postponed a protest that it called for the day of ratification. Vetëvendosje representatives said the request shows that the government fears facing its own people.

In a separate box within the same article under the headline Thaçi to Vetëvendosje: You cannot burn the European future, the paper quotes Thaçi as saying that someone can tear apart or burn a piece of paper, but no one can tear apart of burn the European future of the people of Kosovo. “This agreement for Kosovo and for the entire region is a European agreement, for a region without borders, democratic and Euro-Atlantic, therefore I say this with full confidence that we will move forward, and we will consolidate the state and a multi ethnic society,” Thaçi said.

Kurti doesn’t think blocking ratification of agreement is impossible (Koha)

Although he knows it is a difficult mission, Vetëvendosje leader Albin Kurti has a glimmer of hope that the Brussels agreement will not get the necessary votes in Kosovo’s Parliament. In an interview for KTV, Kurti said that on the day the agreement is presented to Parliament, his political movement will protest strongly against it both in Parliament and outside it.

“We want to stop this agreement, we want to stop its ratification, but it will be very difficult. However, we hope that a mass protest will help change the minds of members of parliament, because reaching 61 votes as an opposition will be very difficult, but securing 41 votes that will prevent the ratification would be easy.”

Jahjaga: Agreement, only way to solve problems (dailies)

During her visit to Austria, Kosovo President Atifete Jahjaga met President Heinz Fischer and Parliament Speaker Barbara Prammer. The meetings focused on relations between Kosovo and Austria, developments in the region, and Kosovo’s agenda for European integration. “We also talked about international relations, with special emphasis on relations between the Republic of Kosovo and the Republic of Serbia, dialogue between prime ministers Thaçi and Dacic, the achievement and implementation of agreements that lead to the full normalization of relations between Kosovo and Serbia,” Jahjaga said. She added said the Brussels agreement is the only way to find solutions for unresolved issues.

Ambassadors: Anti-EULEX campaign goes against Germany, Britain (Koha)

Ambassadors of Germany and Great Britain in Kosovo, Peter Blomeyer and Ian Cliff, have expressed deep disappointment with the campaign of KLA War Veterans against EULEX.

In an interview for KTV, the two ambassadors said the campaign goes against Germany and Great Britain, the two crucial states that helped the liberation of Kosovo. “We believe that the campaign which we are seeing presently against EULEX is a campaign against us, against Germany and Great Britain, France and all other countries that make up EULEX. The head of EULEX is German. We have 130 German staff working in this mission and this is paid by German taxpayers. We don’t understand why we are being treated this way. When I saw the posters, published from few organizations (war veterans) I must say that I am very disappointed,” Ambassador Blomeyer said.

The two ambassadors said that if individual crimes were committed they need to be punished and that there is no lynching of the former Kosovo Liberation Army. Ambassador Cliff said claims that there is a campaign to damage the KLA image are ridiculous.

Peci’s resignation, failure of the state (dailies)

All dailies report that Lulzim Peci, Kosovo’s liaison officer in Belgrade, submitted his resignation only two days after taking up the post. Koha Ditore notes that his resignation was seen as a failure by the state which gives a bad image to Kosovo vis-à-vis Serbia and the international community. Peci submitted his irrevocable resignation to President Atifete Jahjaga. “The reason behind my resignation is disagreement and criticism coming from Mr. Hashim Thaçi, Prime Minister of Republic of Kosovo in connection with my statement in the media that the full normalization of relations between Republic of Kosovo and Republic of Serbia will be done when the Republic of Serbia will recognize independence of our country,” wrote Ambassador Peci.

“I was convinced that the state policy in connection with the full normalization of relations with Belgrade was exactly the recognition from Republic of Serbia, but it looks like this policy is not such,” reasoned Ambassador Peci his resignation.

Kosovo Foreign Ministry has accused ambassador for a range of concessions, including his statement in Belgrade in Serbian language. Former Kosovo politician, Azem Vllasi has evaluated resignation as a failure of the state, which gives a bad image to Kosovo vis-à-vis Serbia and international community.

Foreign Affairs Ministry: Peci made flaws, exceeded his competencies (Epoka)

The Foreign Ministry of Kosovo, announced through a press release, that Lulzim Peci was not professional at his duty as diplomatic representative of the Republic of Kosovo. According to this Ministry, Peci during his first day at his position  as liaison officer of Kosovo in Belgrade, made mistakes, by speaking in Serbian during his appearance in front of the media, and not in the language of the country that he represents; had unauthorized meetings with representatives of the state of Serbia and he exceeded his competencies with his pretentions to express his own personal opinions.

Valdet Sadiku to replace Peci  (Epoka e Re)

Kosovo’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Enver Hoxhaj, proposed on Wednesday the current Ambassador in Zagreb, Valdet Sadiku, for the position of the liaison officer of the Republic of Kosovo in Belgrade. Hoxhaj’s proposal for this nomination, made on behalf of the Government of Kosovo, was sent to the President of the Republic of Kosovo, Atifete Jahjaga, who will decide on Sadiku’s decree as the chief of the special mission of Kosovo in Belgrade. “Opening of the Special Diplomatic Mission of the Republic of Kosovo in the Republic of Serbia, is a significant step towards normalization of relations between the two sovereign and independent neighboring states,” informed this Ministry.

Parties fail to reach agreement on energy (Tribuna)

Talks between Pristina and Belgrade working groups on supplying the northern part of Kosovo with energy have ended without reaching an agreement. The head of Kosovo’s delegation gave no statement after the meeting, but Serbian Minister for Energy Zorana Mihajlovic said an agreement on energy was not reached. “There are many open issues,” she told Serbian media.

Kosovo prepares to open office in Athens (Tribuna)

The Republic of Kosovo will soon open its office in Athens. Diplomatic sources told the paper that after the opening of the liaison office in Belgrade, talks have intensified with Athens to open a liaison office there. The source also said that a delegation of Kosovo’s Ministry for Foreign Affairs visited Athens on June 10 to discuss details for the functioning of the office.

Ambassador Dimitris Moschopoulos, head of the Greek liaison office in Pristina, confirmed to the paper that details for Kosovo’s office in Athens are being discussed. He also added that the office would have no implications for Kosovo’s recognition. “You know that Greece has a neutral position vis-à-vis Kosovo’s status. The office will not have implications in this position, it will focus more on economic issues,” Moschopoulos added.

Sources told the paper that Kosovo’s Ministry for Foreign Affairs will initiate requests for liaison offices in the other four member states of the European Union that have yet to recognize Kosovo’s independence.