UNMIK Headlines 8 March
Pristina-Belgrade dialogue ends ahead of scheduled time (Tribuna)
EU High Representative for Foreign Policy and Security, Catherine Ashton, it seems has given up on her efforts to bring together for another round of dialogue prime ministers of Kosovo and Serbia. Sources told the paper that the dialogue between Pristina and Belgrade will not be able to resume before parliamentary elections take place in Serbia although Brussels insisted on organizing another meeting in order to reach agreement on three outstanding issues without which the implementation of the April agreement is impossible.
The EU will make efforts to bring the parties together right after elections take place in Serbia on 16 March but even then it will be very difficult until Belgrade constitutes new government. By then, Kosovo will also prepare for its own parliamentary elections which makes the resumption of the dialogue difficult.
Thaci: There is international support for KAF (Tribuna)
Prime Minister of Kosovo, Hashim Thaci, thanked the international community for respecting decisions of the Kosovo institutions regarding transformation of Kosovo Security Force into Kosovo Armed Forces. In a meeting of the Government, Thaci said Kosovo is an independent and sovereign country and as such, its decisions are being respected.
UN will not interfere about KAF (Tribuna)
United Nations have said they will not get involved in the issue regarding the establishment of the Kosovo Armed Forces. UN Spokesperson, Farhan Haq, told Belgrade news agency Tanjug that the UN will not interfere in issues relating to security in Kosovo.
Kosovo has only 673,000 voters (Koha Ditore)
If the changes to the law on elections are approved, it will mean that from now on only resident citizens will be able to vote and according to the central civil registry, there are a total of 672,504 citizens with residence in Kosovo. This number is not even half of the citizens that were eligible to vote in last Kosovo elections.
Germany supports Kosovo in EU integrations process (dailies)
Kosovo Foreign Minister, Enver Hoxhaj, began yesterday a two-day visit to Germany on the invitation of his counterpart, Frank-Walter Steinmeier. In a meeting, the two ministers discussed developments in Kosovo, European integrations process and deepening of bilateral relations. Steinmeier said the German Government is very active in Kosovo and its support towards Kosovo’s EU membership will continue in the coming period.