Headlines - 04.10.2016

• President Thaci encourages political debate on demarcation (Koha)
• Veseli: Opposition needs to be part of consensus on demarcation (Koha)
• The Bundestag cautions Kosovo (Zeri)
• Government keeps Trepca draft law secret, opposition is sceptical (Koha)
• Kosovo to send official note to Serbia over Thaci’s arrest (media)
• Kosovo’s Foreign Ministry rebuts Đurić (Telegrafi)
• Haxhiu suggests student martyrs monument on University campus (media)

Italian Ambassador calls for political consensus on Armed Forces (Epoka)

President Thaci encourages political debate on demarcation (Koha)

Kosovo President Hashim Thaci said on Monday that he was encouraging political debate on the border demarcation agreement between Kosovo and Montenegro. During his first visit to Albania as President of Kosovo, Thaci said, “there is a constructive debate in the Assembly and I hope a rightful conclusion will be reached above party interests, provincial mindset and daily politics. It is in Kosovo’s state interest to conclude the demarcation [with Montenegro], to receive visa liberalisation and to establish the Armed Forces”. Asked to comment on the recent arrest of Kosovo Police Regional Director Nehat Thaci by Serbian authorities, Thaci said: “We cannot respond to arrests with other arrests nor to violence with violence. We are coordinating with international authorities. Members of the Kosovo Liberation Army fought a righteous war. It is regretful to witness Belgrade’s paranoid reactions vis-à-vis KLA members based on files from the Milosevic era. We are working with the respective authorities to close this issue once and for all. Such an arbitrary action has triggered reactions from Kosovo and international institutions and the matter will be discussed at the highest level of internationally-brokered communication with Serbia”.

Veseli: Opposition needs to be part of consensus on demarcation (Koha)

Kosovo Assembly Speaker, Kadri Veseli, said on Monday that the opposition needs to be part of the political consensus on the border demarcation with Montenegro. “It is in Kosovo’s interest to ratify the border demarcation agreement. My message to all citizens of the Republic is that by dwelling too much on symbolic acts we are damaging our partnership with international friends. We need to make a decision and the opposition needs to be part of the political consensus,” Veseli said.

The Bundestag cautions Kosovo (Zeri)

The paper reports on its front page that Germany has advised Kosovo to quickly meet the remaining requirements for visa liberalisation. After meetings at the Bundestag and Bundesrat, Njomza Emini, head of the Kosovo Assembly’s European Integration Committee, told the paper: “As far as demarcation [with Montenegro] is concerned, they told us that they cannot interfere in the border delineation process between two sovereign countries, but that it is good to reach an agreement quickly because time is running out”. Meanwhile, opposition MPs who were part of the delegation that visited Germany, argued that the Bundestag was never properly informed by the Kosovo government about the latest developments on the ground.

Government keeps Trepca draft law secret, opposition is sceptical (Koha)

The paper reports on its front page that the presidency of the Kosovo Assembly has included the draft law on the Trepca mining complex on the Assembly’s agenda for Friday, even though the government has yet to adopt the bill. Assembly Speaker Kadri Veseli said on Monday: “We will have the Trepca draft law in the Assembly on Friday. We will pass the law for the interests of the mining complex, the mineworkers and the country”. The paper notes that the decision by the assembly presidency is in opposition with the Regulation of the Assembly, namely Article 15 point 7, which provides that the invitation, agenda and discussion material should be sent to MPs at least three days prior to the plenary session. Citing the lack of discussion material, opposition representatives have raised concerns over the content of the bill.

Kosovo to send official note to Serbia over Thaci’s arrest (media)

Kosovo’s Interior Minister Skender Hyseni said on Monday that Kosovo will soon send an official note to the Serbian government demanding the immediate release of Kosovo Police Regional Director Nehat Thaci from detention. Hyseni said his Ministry was coordinating with the Foreign Ministry and the Justice Ministry on further course of action. According to Hyseni, Serbian authorities decided to set a 30-day detention for Thaci based on a political recommendation, which he argued is unacceptable. He also said he was confident that Thaci will soon be released and that it won’t be necessary to discuss the matter at the Brussels dialogue.

Kosovo’s Foreign Ministry rebuts Đurić (Telegrafi)

Kosovo’s Foreign Ministry has rebutted the statement of Marko Đurić, head of the Serbian Government’s Office for Kosovo, saying that he will be in Kosovo on Sunday despite the ban by Kosovo authorities. Foreign Minister Enver Hoxhaj has announced that they will take necessary measures to prevent Đurić’s possible entrance to Kosovo.

Haxhiu suggests student martyrs monument on University campus (media)

Bekim Haxhiu, Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) MP, said in an interview for TV Dukagjini on Monday that a monument honoring student martyrs should be built on the campus of Pristina University. Haxhiu said the Orthodox Church, which is located on the campus, is an evidence of time, both the past and the present. “The church was built at a time when Albanian students were removed from the university campus. The church is evidence of Milosevic’s regime’s attempt to change the structure of the university campus by expelling Albanian students and building religious sites there. There is no need to demolish churches and harm Kosovo especially in the eyes of the international community. The historic developments in Kosovo happened because of the students and there is no monument within the university campus honoring the student martyrs. I wish that the municipality of Pristina in cooperation with the martyrs’ associations will build a monument honoring student martyrs between the church and the university campus,” Haxhiu added.

Italian Ambassador calls for political consensus on Armed Forces (Epoka)

Italian Ambassador to Kosovo, Piero Cristoforo Sardi, said on Monday that Italy continues to see Kosovo as a factor of stability in the region and that it will support Kosovo’s development. After meeting Kosovo Security Force (KSF) Minister Haki Demolli, Ambassador Sardi said the transformation of the KSF into the Armed Forces of Kosovo must be a well-prepared and coordinated process. He also said that consensus is required among all political parties in the Kosovo Assembly on the matter.