Headlines - 14.10.2017

• News website founder attacked in Pristina (dailies)
• Thaci: EU’s approach to Kosovo ‘shameful’ (DW/Zeri)
• Pacolli: Serbia to recognize independence of Kosovo (RTK)
• Mustafa: Kosovo has not lost any land to Montenegro (RTK)

Kosovo Media Highlights

News website founder attacked in Pristina (dailies)

Vehbi Kajtazi, founder of the investigative news website Insajderi was attacked yesterday afternoon in one of the Pristina cafeterias, the papers report. Kajtrazi told Reuters that he was attacked because of his work. “I have identified the attacker and he attacked me because of the stories I write,” he said. Kosovo Police said in a statement that it has accompanied one person to the police station to be interviewed in connection to the case and that it has opened an investigation into the attack. The attack drew condemnation from the government of Kosovo, political parties and civil society organizations. Representatives of the international community also condemned the attack on Kajtazi with the U.S. Ambassador Greg Delawie saying it was unfortunate journalists in Kosovo are still being attacked and the British Ambassador Ruairi O’Connell calling the attack deeply concerning and a threat to the freedom of expression. Meanwhile, the Association of Kosovo Journalists (AGK) has called a protest today at midday against attacks on journalists.

Thaci: EU’s approach to Kosovo ‘shameful’ (DW/Zeri)

President of Kosovo, Hashim Thaci, said in an interview to Deutsche Welle that the European Union’s position on Kosovo is ‘absurd’ and ‘shameful’. “We have not sought either more or less than equal treatments as other countries in the region and not have the criteria doubled. Be as it may, of 95 visa liberalization criteria, we implemented 94 of them and only ratification of the border demarcation with Montenegro remains,” said Thaci noting that the border condition was unjustly imposed on Kosovo and was “a political trap on the part of the European Commission only to postpone visa liberalization for Kosovo.”

Pacolli: Serbia to recognize independence of Kosovo (RTK)

Kosovo’s Foreign Minister, Behgjet Pacolli, told Serbian media that the Balkans region needs stability and that Serbia could play a constructive role by recognizing independence of Kosovo. “Serbia is a very important factor for us. We respect Serbia,” Pacolli said adding that it was unfortunate that Serbia was a factor of bloodshed and destruction in the past. “However, we believe that in a near future we will have good neighbourly relations as two independent states,” he noted.

Mustafa: Kosovo has not lost any land to Montenegro (RTK)

Leader of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK), Isa Mustafa, said in an interview to RTK that Kosovo has not lost any territory to Montenegro through the current border demarcation agreement and that the decision of Kosovo Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj to set up a new commission to look into the agreement is ‘absurd.’ He said we would have liked for the border with Montenegro to be at Cakorr and Zhlep but the fact of the matter is that the commission has already established where the border is.