Headlines - 16.02.2017

• Thaci: Kosovo has made remarkable progress in nine years (Epoka e Re)
• Veseli: We can go to elections only with an agreement (media)
• Papadopoulou: Kosovo must prosecute crimes outside Special Court (Koha)
• Assembly endorses European Reform Agenda (dailies)
• Kurti: Serbia is trying to create another Bosnia in Kosovo (media)
• Konjufca: Intelligence chief did not resign but was dismissed (Zeri)
• Albanian PM talks about joint embassies with Kosovo (Koha)
• Albania, Croatia write to NATO about Serbia’s threats to Kosovo (Telegrafi)

Thaci: Kosovo has made remarkable progress in nine years (Epoka e Re)

President of Kosovo Hashim Thaci said in an interview with the paper that Kosovo has made remarkable progress in the nine years since it declared independence. He said Kosovo plans to apply this year to UNESCO as well as to Council of Europe. “Kosovo remains the most unjustly isolated country because the EU lacks strategic approach towards Kosovo and the Western Balkans and focuses more on procedural and bureaucratic aspects,” Thaci said adding however that Kosovo has met all but one condition for visa liberalisation and that is ratification of the border demarcation agreement with Montenegro. “Demarcation agreement is accurate, right, clear, and supported by the international community therefore refusing it is unjustifiable,” Thaci said. Speaking about dialogue with Serbia, Thaci said it has produced concrete results and most of the agreements have already been implemented. “This dialogue is for normalization of inter-state relations not for undermining Kosovo state interests.”

Veseli: We can go to elections only with an agreement (media)

Kadri Veseli, leader of the Democratic Party of Kosovo and President of the Kosovo Assembly, said on Wednesday that he never fears elections but also implied that early national elections are not in the plans at the moment. “We don’t fear elections because we respect the will of the people. We are the leading political party but the coalition will remain because we have responsibilities, objectives and processes to see through. Based on the Constitution, we will have local elections in November and then national elections in June 2018 … The coalition with LDK is optimal and functioning. However, in the event of a political agreement, we are allowed to go to early elections. So, when we have a political agreement and when there is political stability, we can go to an agreement for early elections,” Veseli told RTK.

Papadopoulou: Kosovo must prosecute crimes outside Special Court (Koha)

The paper runs a front-page interview with Alexandra Papadopoulou, head of the European Union Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo. Commenting on the Special Court that will address war crimes allegations, Papadopoulou said Dick Marty’s report does not cover all war crimes cases and that some cases that are with EULEX will be transferred to the local institutions. “But there are also other cases which the authorities have initiated themselves. Therefore, it is the Kosovo system that must address war crimes cases,” she added. Papadopoulou said the biggest achievement of the EU mission is the fact that it will leave Kosovo. “EULEX did not come here to replace Kosovo authorities and institutions. EULEX is here to help Kosovo achieve progress toward a society based on the rule of law. The fact that EULEX is gradually concluding its mission is evidence of trust that Kosovo’s law enforcement institutions can do their job,” she said.

Assembly endorses European Reform Agenda (dailies)

Kosovo Assembly endorsed yesterday the European Reform Agenda which will help Kosovo get closer to its EU path. The new European Integrations Minister, Mimoza Ahmetaj, said the reform consists of 22 priorities planned to be implemented during this year.

Kurti: Serbia is trying to create another Bosnia in Kosovo (media)

Several media cover an interview that former Vetevendosje leader Albin Kurti gave to Top Channel on Wednesday. Kurti argued that Kosovo and Albania should unite and invest in the army “as long as our neighbors try to take advantage from our weaknesses”. He said he was confident that Tirana cannot see an ally in Belgrade, “because it is the sworn enemy of the Albanians, and Tirana must join the same front with Pristina”. Kurti further said that Kosovo lacks the substance of independence, it remains the country with the highest unemployment and poverty rate in Europe. “We have failed to unite Mitrovica and we are not being allowed to form the Army of Kosovo which would enable our territorial integrity”. He also said that Serbia has moved from the idea of reoccupying Kosovo to the idea of creating another Bosnia in Kosovo, “and unfortunately I cannot say that it has been unsuccessful in doing this”.

Konjufca: Intelligence chief did not resign but was dismissed (Zeri)

Head of the Vetevendosje parliamentary group, Glauk Konjufca, said yesterday at the Kosovo Assembly session that the now former head of the Kosovo Intelligence Agency (KIA) did not resign but was dismissed after an auditor discovered numerous misuses in this institution. The auditor in question was in the meantime dismissed as well, Konjufca said.

Albanian PM talks about joint embassies with Kosovo (Koha)

Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama said on Wednesday that sooner or later Albania and Kosovo will have not only joint consular services but also joint embassies. “If someone sees this is a Greater Albania, it is their problem. This is not a Greater Albania, this is a drastic cut of costs and at the same time it will bring people closer together,” Rama was quoted as saying.

Albania and Croatia write to NATO about Serbia’s threats to Kosovo (Telegrafi)

Albanian Defence Minister, Mimi Kodheli, and her Croatian counterpart, Damir Krsticevic, have written to the NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg regarding the most recent developments in Kosovo. In the letter, Albanian and Croatian ministers condemn the nationalist rhetoric of Serb officials aimed at undermining Kosovo’s sovereignty and destabilizing the security situation in the Western Balkans region. Kodheli and Krsticevic also urged Stoltenberg to review the operational plan of the peacekeeping missions in Kosovo and support transformation of the Kosovo Security Force (KSF) into Kosovo Armed Force (KAF).