EULEX confirms arrests of former KLA members (dailies)

Kosovo Police and EULEX Police arrested on Friday evening seven former members of the Kosovo Liberation Army on the suspicion they have committed war crimes. The suspects were in house arrest since May 25, and following a complaint by EULEX special prosecutor Maurizio Salustro, the Appellate Court announced the suspects have to placed in detention. The EU rule-of-law mission (EULEX) confirmed the arrests. The defence meanwhile said the court's decision was unrighteous and said it would file a complaint with the Supreme Court of Kosovo. The suspects, known also as the Drenica Group, include former KLA General Staff chief and current ambassador to Albania Sylejman Selimi, former KLA Drenica Zone commander and current Skenderaj mayor Sami Lushtaku, and other former KLA members, Sahit Jashari, Jahir and Zeqir Demaku, Hysni Thaçi and Avni Zabeli. A defence attorney said the detention measure will expire on June 24.

KLA War Veterans to meet today (indeksonline.net)

"The arrest of former KLA Drenica Zone commanders last night without any prior notification, even for their defence attorneys, is the latest serious violation by EULEX in Kosovo," said Xhavit Jashari, chairman of the Association of Families of KLA Martyrs.

Jashari said the KLA War Veterans would meet on Saturday to discuss the next steps after Friday's arrests. "The situation is very tense and citizens, veterans, families of martyrs and war invalids are extremely upset with the latest actions by EULEX... We will try to keep the situation under control but it is going to be very difficult," he added.

Jashari said "this was high time for state leaders to come to their senses as arrests of the former KLA leadership is aimed at criminalizing the pure war of the KLA".

No agreement on implementation, meeting to resume on Tuesday and Wednesday (Koha)

Marko Djuric, advisor to Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic, said on Friday that considerable progress was reached in the areas of police and justice at the two-day meeting of teams in charge of implementing the Belgrade-Pristina agreement.

Djuric said talks were held in constructive spirit and that he expects a possible agreement if there is no dynamic setback from the text of the agreement.

Djuric said five working groups held intensive discussions in the last two days "with the aim of securing political rights and the protection of personal property and safety of Kosovo Serbs". He said talks would resume on Tuesday and Wednesday in Brussels.

Serbian telecom arriving in Kosovo (gazetaexpress.com)

Mobile phone network operators in Kosovo - Vala and IPKO - have no information on negotiations on telecommunications between Kosovo and Serbia in Brussels. These operators are unaware that very soon they will have a new competitor on the market.

Sources told Express that Kosovo has already agreed for the a Serbian operator to enter its market. This operator will reportedly operate only in Serb enclaves. The virtual operator will not function through PTK and IPKO but through the Serbian Telecom. Unlike the current operators that paid millions of euros, the Serbian operator will pay a license of only €50,000.

"With this agreement, Kosovo has agreed to license the Serbian Telecom here and now the latter can operate legally in Kosovo's market and not illegally as it has done for eight years," the source added.

The Serbian operator will replace the illegal Serbian mobile telephony (063) that previously operated through UNSC Resolution 1244.

A senior government official, involved in talks, said, "if the actions of this virtual operator are not limited, it can provide a blow to mobile companies Vala and IPKO, because it will have advantages in taxes and other areas."

In compensation, Serbia will reportedly give Kosovo a state code +383 or +384.

Kosovo's Deputy Prime Minister Edita Tahiri confirmed the developments. She told Express that Serbia has agreed to give Kosovo the telephone code it requested. "Our countries have approximated positions on the telecom issue. We have agreed that in the next couple of days, officials of the European Union will decide or model a solution between these positions," Tahiri said.