Headlines - 03.10.2016

• Government to resubmit demarcation without consensus (Zëri)
• Viets: Kosovo needs a unifying political culture (Koha Ditore)
• Kosovo authorities ban Đurić from entering Kosovo (Koha Ditore)
• Arrest of KP director to be addressed in Brussels (Koha Ditore)
• Thaçi’s arrest  sparks tensions again between Pristina and Belgrade (Zëri)
• Vetëvendosje: Government is risking Trepça’s perspective (dailies)

Government to resubmit demarcation without consensus (Zëri)

The paper reports in a front page story that the government of Kosovo is expected to resubmit to the Assembly the draft law on border demarcation agreement with Montenegro without political parties’ consensus. Kosovo’s Deputy Minister of Local Government Administration, Bajram Gecaj, told the paper that Prime Minister Isa Mustafa would invite opposition parties to discuss the demarcation deal only if the latter show willingness for such a meeting without any preconditions. “If opposition parties show sincere willingness to meet without imposing any conditions, Prime Minister Mustafa is ready to call a meeting right away,” Gecaj said. On the other hand, the leader of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK), Ramush Haradinaj, told the paper the government doesn’t have the necessary votes to ratify the demarcation deal. He also said that Mustafa’s statement that demarcation deal will be sent to the Assembly “is a kind of insanity.” 

Viets: Kosovo needs a unifying political culture (Koha Ditore)

In a front-page interview for the paper, German Ambassador to Kosovo Angelica Viets said that problems like unemployment, lack of medical insurance and creation of new jobs are much more pressing matters for Kosovo than the ratification of the border demarcation agreement with Montenegro and the establishment of Association/Community of Serb-majority municipalities. Viets stressed that Germany has no official stance on the border demarcation deal as it considers it to be a bilateral issue between Kosovo and Montenegro, but admitted that it is unfortunate its ratification has been set out as a visa liberalisation condition. She further said that Kosovo lacks a political culture that would bring people together, “the belief that everyone should work together to push Kosovo forward”. The interview with the German ambassador was carried out to mark the 26th anniversary of the German unification.

Kosovo authorities ban Đurić from entering Kosovo (Koha Ditore)

Kosovo authorities once again are reported to have banned the head of the Serbian Government’s Office for Kosovo, Marko Đurić, from entering Kosovo. Đurić planned to visit the north of Kosovo but his request was not approved by Kosovo’s Foreign Minister Enver Hoxhaj, reported KTV. This is the second time in two weeks that Đurić was not allowed to enter Kosovo.

Arrest of KP director to be addressed in Brussels (Koha Ditore)

The recent arrest of the Kosovo Police director for Mitrovica region, Nehat Thaçi, by Serbian authorities is expected to be tackled within the framework of the EU-facilitated dialogue in Brussels. Kosovo’s Foreign Minister, Enver Hoxhaj, said that they are in coordination with all relevant institutions, including the government in Belgrade, to secure Thaçi’s release. Serbian authorities have imposed a 30-day detention period for Thaçi whom they accuse of terrorism. 

Thaçi’s arrest  sparks tensions again between Pristina and Belgrade (Zëri)

Quoting the Associated Press (AP), the paper reports that the arrest of the Kosovo police director in the Mitrovica region, Nehat Thaçi, shows a sign of continuing tensions in the volatile Balkans. Reporting on Thaçi’s arrest, AP considers that the issue could affect  ongoing tensions in the Balkans. The paper also quotes the French agency AFP as reporting that Thaçi’s arrest has created a situation which may provoke new tensions between Pristina and Belgrade.

Vetëvendosje: Government is risking Trepça’s perspective (dailies)

Vetëvendosje leader, Visar Ymeri, accused the government of Kosovo of, as he said, risking the perspective of the Trepça mine by either being partitioned by Serbia or put under liquidation by the Privatisation Agency of Kosovo. Ymeri said the government has no strategic plan on how to develop Trepça which, according to him, should be viewed as Kosovo’s industrial development engine. Ymeri made the remarks at a press conference yesterday.