UNMIK Headlines 8 June
Opposition to use protests and political actions against special court (Koha)
The opposition parties warned on Sunday that they are considering protests and different political actions to reject the establishment of the special court by the Kosovo Assembly. Vetevendosje secretary Dardan Molliqaj told the paper that leaders of the opposition concluded after a joint meeting that President Jahjaga, Prime Minister Mustafa, Assembly Speaker Veseli and Foreign Minister Thaci have neither the mandate nor the right to negotiate Kosovo’s sovereignty. “We have yet to make concrete decisions, but what I can say is that we will definitely use different activities to reject the establishment of the special court. We are discussing a possible protest, and actions both inside and outside the Assembly. All options are open because we believe there is great danger. After we coordinate our activities with other parties, we will notify you about the concrete activities,” Molliqaj said.
Zbogar: Economic development, crucial for Kosovo (dailies)
The European Union Special Representative to Kosovo, Samuel Zbogar, in an interview for the Fair Observer said that the EU member states do not have a unified view on the status of Kosovo but they all agree on Kosovo’s European path and that Kosovo shares the European perspective of the region. “The best example is the recent adoption of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) by the European Commission. Although five member states do not recognize Kosovo, all EU member states have been supportive of continuing the SAA process with Kosovo,” Zbogar said. He said that for the EU’s possible future enlargement, it is very important for Kosovo to fulfil many conditions. “Economic development is crucial for the future of Kosovo, but also further development of the rule of law and the fight against corruption,” Zbogar said.
Nishani: Albanians are existential factor in Macedonia (Koha)
In the second part of an interview for the paper, Albania’s President Bujar Nishani commented on the recent developments in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) and called for an international investigation into the Kumanovo incident. Nishani warned that if the Ohrid Agreement is not fully implemented, the gap between Albanians and Macedonians will grow even bigger. Nishani said that Albania considers the FYROM a friend and reiterated several times that Albanians are an existential factor there. Nishani also called on the members of the Kosovo Assembly to vote in favour of the legal package for the establishment of the special court. “As long as there is a demand by the international community that certain claims in certain cases and certain individuals need to be investigated and tried to prove their guilt or innocence, I believe that there is no need for a dilemma and there is no alternative, except to establish this mechanism and to enable all claims to be investigated and to prove if they are true or not,” Nishani said. He added that he does not see the establishment of this court as an attack on the former Kosovo Liberation Army.
Selimi calls for support for Kosovo’s UNESCO membership (Zeri)
Kosovo’s Deputy Foreign Minister, Petrit Selimi is in New York where he is continuing efforts for Kosovo's membership of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Selimi met a number of permanent representatives to the UN. At separate meetings, the ambassadors were informed by Selimi about the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ decision to apply for UNESCO membership in the coming days. Selimi requested their political support in this.
Special war in Presevo Valley (Zeri)
The paper reports that Momir Stojanovic, the chairman of the Serbia Assembly Council for controlling security service, said that three actions are planned to take place from 25 to 28 June by Albanians. According to him, the initiators of the attacks aim to eliminate some people who might be witnesses against former Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) members who might be tried by the special court. While the chairman of the National Council of Albanians in Presevo, Jonuz Musliu, said that Stojanovic’s statements are a call for war.