UNMIK Headlines 10 September
New maps confirm Kosovo lost over 8,000 hectares (Koha)
In its front-page story, the paper reports that the Government of Montenegro published on Tuesday all documents related to the demarcation of the border with Kosovo. Two geography professors from the University of Pristina told the paper on Wednesday that the new maps reveal that Kosovo lost over 8,000 hectares in the demarcation process. The Montenegrin government also published the official reports from the meetings which show that the Kosovo delegation had initially rejected the new borderline that it now tries to justify to the public.
Rasic: Only Belgrade benefits from Association/Community (Klan Kosova)
The leader of the Progressive Democratic Party and Serb MP at the Assembly of Kosovo, Nenad Rasic, told Klan Kosova on Wednesday that Kosovo Serbs gained nothing from the Pristina-Belgrade agreements in Brussels. He said that the Association/Community is a good opportunity for Belgrade to exert more political power over the Serb municipalities in Kosovo. “It [the Association/Community] will not have executive competencies; however, Belgrade will have the political power to influence any Serb municipality.” Rasic said. He further argued that the Kosovo Serbs feel betrayed by this agreement.
Biserko: Belgrade will use Association/Community to block Kosovo (dailies)
The Director of the Helsinki Committee in Belgrade, Sonja Biserko, in an interview with Pristina-based news site Lajmi, expressed her concern that Belgrade could use the Association/Community of Serb majority municipalities to block the functioning of the state of Kosovo. “The statute of the Association will be drafted soon. Serbia is trying for this statute to be similar to that of the Republika Srpska in Bosnia and Herzegovina,” Biserko said.
Serbian List postpones higher education draft law (Epoka)
The Government of Kosovo has postponed with the request of the Serbian List endorsement of the draft law for higher education. This political party has requested more time for consultation regarding the inclusion of North Mitrovica University in the draft law. During the discussions of the Government on the draft law for the religious freedoms in Kosovo, the Serbian List also request to put the Serb Orthodox Church right after the Islamic Community; however, the governing cabinet refused the proposal.
Jahjaga to meet Albania’s leaders in Tirana today (Kosova Sot)
President of Kosovo Atifete Jahjaga will visit Albania today on the invitation of her Albanian counterpart Bujar Nishani. Jahjaga is also expected to meet Prime Minister Edi Rama and Parliament Speaker Ilir Meta as well as the leader of the opposition Democratic Party Lulzim Basha.
Reinhardt: Kosovo doesn’t need more than 3,000 soldiers (Epoka)
A former KFOR Commander in Kosovo, NATO General Klaus Reinhardt, said in an interview for Rrokum TV that “Kosovo does not need a bigger army than the current one, because no country in the region, including Serbia will attack Kosovo”. “You have a small army, and this is good. You can spend the rest of the funds for other purposes. There is no need to fear Serbia, FYROM, Montenegro or Albania. None of them is going to attack you. Even if someone claims so, that is not true. So who is attacking your country? No one,” Reinhardt said.
Discussions on Association of Albanian municipalities in Serbia (Indeksonline)
The mayor of the Bujanovac municipality in the southern part of Serbia, Nagip Arifi, confirmed that they are expected to establish an association of Albanian municipalities in Serbia, similar to the one recently agreed for Serb majority municipalities in Kosovo. He said that Albanian political leaders in the Presevo Valley will meet this Saturday and discuss the establishment of the association.
CDHRF wants autopsy results for those killed in Kumanovo (Koha)
The Pristina-based Council for the Defense of Human Rights and Freedoms (CDHRF) issued a media communiqué on Wednesday saying that the autopsy results of those killed in the Kumanovo clashes should be given to their families. “The FYROM authorities, namely the forensic experts, have finished the autopsy, but did not give the results to the families or to the Kosovo authorities. Kosovo forensic experts too have finished their autopsies but the results were never given to the families of the victims,” the CDHRF said.