Headlines - 10.04.2014 Thaci: Parliament needs to vote on special court (Koha) In a front-page interview for the paper, Kosovo Prime Minister Hashim Thaci said the establishment of a war crimes tribunal will be an injustice toward Kosovo but added that Parliament nonetheless should vote in favor of its establishment. Thaci said if Kosovo authorities do not decide on the court, the issue will move to the United Nations Security Council. This scenario, he added, would be devastating for Kosovo because the tribunal would be outside Pristina’s jurisdiction and based outside Kosovo. “We have only one option and that is to cooperate closely with the United States and the European Union, and establish the special court, which will be under Kosovo’s jurisdiction,” Thaci was quoted as saying. “My suggestion and advice for Members of Parliament is that they should not allow any room for Russia’s aspiration to include the Security Council in the process. This would have disastrous results for Kosovo.” Asked about the need for a solution on courts in northern Kosovo, Thaci said, “An agreement was reached at the last meeting with Prime Minister Dacic and Deputy Prime Minister Vucic. The Government of Serbia will be formed soon, and the agreement, which has almost been reached, will be announced. Implementation will begin immediately. The solution provides that everything will be in line with the Constitution and laws of Kosovo”. Thaci said there could be new high-level talks between Pristina and Belgrade before parliamentary elections in Kosovo. Cliff: Do not fear the tribunal (Kosova Sot) The British Ambassador to Kosovo, Ian Cliff, said on Wednesday that the European Union wants Kosovo to establish a special court that would operate in accordance with Kosovo’s laws, with international judges and prosecutors, and with the EULEX emblem. Cliff said if Kosovo rejects the court, then it is rejecting EU standards. “If there is nothing to hide, then there is no reason to fear the tribunal,” Cliff added. Bashkurti: We don’t have to fear the tribunal (Epoka e Re) In an interview for the paper, renowned Albanian diplomat Lisen Bashkurti called on the people of Kosovo not to panic over the establishment of a war crimes tribunal. He said Pristina should be open and cooperative on the matter. “Kosovo has no reason to fear international law and its institutions,” Bashkurti added. Kuçi: The court is a political request (Kosova Sot) In an interview for Radio Free Europe, Deputy Prime Minister Hajredin Kuci said Kosovo has the full capacity to handle any judicial case, including allegations of crimes committed by the former Kosovo Liberation Army. “The request [for the establishment of the court] has more to do with legitimacy and international credibility, rather than a lack of capacity. I appreciate the statement made by the US ambassador who said, ‘This is not about a lack of capacity; rather it is a separate request.’ We have already won with the transition of EULEX; namely the EU believes we are building our capacities. But the request for the court has political rather than legal grounds,” Kuci added. Kuçi: We are expecting cooperation from Vucic (Epoka e Re) Deputy Prime Minister Hajredin Kuci said Kosovo institutions are expecting the new Government of Serbia to cooperate in the implementation of agreements reached in Brussels. Kuci told the paper that the new Serbian Prime Minister, Aleksandar Vucic, was actively involved in the dialogue in Brussels. Kuci also said Vucic should cooperate in reaching new agreements and acknowledging the political reality in Kosovo. Tahiri meets northern mayors on neutral ground (Tribuna) The front page reports that the government of Kosovo has accepted northern mayors’ opposition to Kosovo’s independence. Deputy Prime Minister Edita Tahiri and representatives of the Ministry for Local Government met the northern mayors in the EU offices in Pristina, i.e. “neutral ground,” on 10 February. The meetings reportedly focused on the statutes of the northern municipalities and the integration of members of the so-called civil protection. The EU Office in Pristina did not want to comment on the meetings and did not say who had requested to hold the meetings in their premises. Islamic Community forbids Imams to meet with internationals (Botapress) Naim Tërnava, who heads the Presidency of the Kosovo Islamic Community (KIC) says he should be the only person to talk about Islam in Kosovo, as the institution he leads has started to further expand its powers. The KIC has decided that Kosovar imams, as well as staff and institutions under KIC administration should not meet with international representatives in Kosovo. “Until now, we were able to know what is happening in the KIC, but this is now impossible… This is worrying,” said an international employer in the security field.