Headlines - 19.09.2016

• Border demarcation to be voted in October (Koha Ditore)
• Opposition says yes to Mustafa’s invitation (Zëri)
• Slim chances for visa liberalisation this year (Koha Ditore)
• Beyani: Serbia and Kosovo to find durable solution for IDPs (Bota Sot)
• Thaçi against demolition of the Orthodox Church in Pristina (Zëri)
• Vetëvendosje: Agreement on registration plates, shameful (RTK)

 Border demarcation to be voted in October (Koha Ditore)

Prime Minister of Kosovo, Isa Mustafa, said he plans to meet leaders of opposition parties before the agreement on border demarcation with Montenegro goes to the Assembly for the second time. However, this is not expected to be done before October. “Early October I will meet the opposition and present all the facts and then see the future course of action,” said Mustafa.  

Opposition says yes to Mustafa’s invitation (Zëri)

The paper reports in a front page story that the two largest opposition parties, Vetëvendosje Movement and the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK), have said they will positively respond to a possible invitation by Prime Minister Isa Mustafa for a meeting to discuss the demarcation deal. On the other hand, Initiative for Kosovo (NISMA) officials said another meeting with the government to discuss the demarcation deal would be treason for Kosovo. 

Slim chances for visa liberalisation this year (Koha Ditore)

Even if the Kosovo Assembly ratifies the border demarcation agreement with Montenegro, it is highly unlikely that there will be visa liberalisation this year and if it does not ratify the agreement, there will be none at all, the paper writes on its front page today. Unnamed European officials in Brussels have admitted that the ratification of the border demarcation agreement imposed on Kosovo may not have been fair as other countries in the region did not face such a condition, but now that it is a criteria, it has to be met. Some officials even claim that the implementation of the agreement on establishment of the Association/Community of Serb-majority municipalities is also a visa liberalisation condition albeit not presented formally as such.

Beyani: Serbia and Kosovo to find durable solution for IDPs (Bota Sot)

The UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons (IDPs), Chaloka Beyani, on Friday called on the Government of Serbia and the authorities in Kosovo to show leadership and intensify their efforts to achieve durable solutions for those who have been living in protracted displacement for some 17 years. Speaking at the end of his five-day visit to Serbia and Kosovo, Beyani described the IDPs’ situation as a deadlock and stressed that considerable work remains to be done to effectively solve the displacement issue. Beyani said some positive steps have been taken by the Serbian Government and the authorities in Kosovo, including in terms of housing, land and property issues, as well as in terms of documentation. However, he noted with concerns that many IDPs are still living in squalid conditions, especially those belonging to the Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian communities. 

Thaçi against demolition of the Orthodox Church in Pristina (Zëri)

Kosovo President Hashim Thaçi through a Facebook post on Saturday, said that the Serb Orthodox Church in the Pristina University Campus should not be demolished. “Without taking into account the circumstances and the time during which any building was constructed, we must not allow to violate these objects, especially when they belong to religious communities.” His statement followed the protest held on by some  students who called for the demolition of the Church. According to Thaçi, any religious building in Kosovo is evidence of tolerance and interfaith dialogue. He said “Any dispute must be settled in a legal manner, through dialogue between the parties, and not with unilateral acts that incite hatred and violence.” 

Vetëvendosje: Agreement on registration plates, shameful (RTK)

In a press conference, Kosovo Assembly deputy leader from Vetëvendosje Aida Dërguti said that the recent agreement between Pristina and Belgrade on registration plates is shameful. She said the people of Kosovo need to be made aware that the agreement is not reciprocal as it extends the validity of KS plates for another five years. With regards to the Orthodox Church in the University of Pristina campus, Dërguti said the building has no construction permit and cannot be called a church.