• Hooper: Comprehensive agreement needs to contain land swap option (VOA)
• Haradinaj: France’s role in agreement with Serbia has grown (Kosovapress)
• Chabert: Dialogue for reach of final agreement should resume (RTK)
• Dacic: Haradinaj was asked to lift tax in exchange for visa liberalisation (Klan)
• Lithuania supports visa liberalisation, Finland reserved (Zeri)
• Veseli in the U.S. invited by the U.S. Congress (Epoka)
• Analysts: Chances slim for Kosovo joining Interpol this year (Zeri/Telegrafi)
• Isufi: Kosovo and Montenegro ready to correct border lines (RTK)
• “September is determinant for the fate of this government” (Epoka)
• Hodzic: Citizens in the north are victims of higher politics (KosovaPress)

 Kosovo Media Highlights

Hooper: Comprehensive agreement needs to contain land swap option (VOA)

Several papers and online media cover an interview the former U.S. State Department official James Hooper gave for Voice of America in Albanian where he said that a comprehensive agreement between Kosovo and Serbia cannot not have the element of territory in it and criticised the German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Kosovo Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj for, as he said, blocking a possible agreement without presenting an alternative instead.

“Presidents Thaci and Vucic were negotiating a comprehensive agreement and the reason it failed is not because Serbs and Albanians couldn’t agree, in fact they were very close to an agreement. Of course, certain details still had to be worked out but they had agreed to the general concept. The problem was that the people of Kosovo did not want to accept territorial exchange as part of a comprehensive agreement. In addition, Germany, Ms. Merkel, also did not accept it and so it was blocked. I understand very well the sensitivities that Germans can have over inviolability of borders and territories stemming from the World War II and the Cold War but this doesn’t work in the Balkans, it is different there,” Hooper said.

Hooper said that there is no more room for a partial, gradual agreement and a comprehensive one has to contain the territorial exchange option. “This is the reality,” he said. “If there is no room for a partial agreement and if they do not want to pay the price of a territorial exchange, the third reality is that there will be violence as a result between Kosovo and Serbia. They will begin to gradually slide and violence will erupt unexpectedly,” Hooper warned.

Hooper said he didn’t believe an agreement between Kosovo and Serbia can be reached this year: “Reality for Kosovo is that if there is no territorial element, there will be no comprehensive agreement. And I don’t believe Kosovo has reached a point in accepting such an option.”

Haradinaj: France’s role in agreement with Serbia has grown (Kosovapress)

Prime Minister of Kosovo Ramush Haradinaj said at a reception marking Bastille Day, the national day of France, that the France’s role in efforts to reach an agreement between Kosovo and Serbia has increased.

“I would like to use this opportunity to thank the French president for his engagement which is an indicator of the increase of interest about the Western Balkans. What is needed now is to negotiate a framework about mutual recognition in existing borders between Kosovo and Serbia and a dialogue initiative that would also enable Kosovo to support the dialogue,” Haradinaj said.

Chabert: Dialogue for reach of final agreement should resume (RTK)

Didier Chabert, France’s Ambassador to Kosovo, said during his speech on the National Day of France that it is essential for the dialogue with Serbia to resume as soon as possible, and added that current status is unsustainable. He added that resumption of the dialogue requires will of both sides to engage in serious negotiations, with the joint aim of reaching a final agreement.

“Signing of a comprehensive and legally binding agreement would resolve many remaining issues in accordance with the international right and would contribute to the stability of the region. This is why at the Berlin Summit, France and Germany showed their readiness to facilitate resumption of the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia,” Chabert said.

Dacic: Haradinaj was asked to lift tax in exchange for visa liberalisation (Klan)

Klan Kosova quotes Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic as saying for Belgrade media that at the Berlin summit, Prime Minister of Kosovo Ramush Haradinaj was asked by the German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron to lift the tax on Serbian goods in exchange for visa liberalisation.

“At one point they told him ‘lift the tax and we will make sure visas are lifted’. Haradinaj asked, ‘who will guarantee that,’” Dacic said. He said such a response from Haradinaj shows that Pristina does not view Germany and France as being able to provide any such guarantees.

Lithuania supports visa liberalisation, Finland reserved (Zeri)

The paper continues to carry the positions of EU member states on visa liberalisation for Kosovo covering today Lithuania and Finland.

Andrius Kalindra from the Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs told the paper that the country supports visa liberalisation for Kosovo. “With regards to Kosovo, considering the progress the country has made, Lithuania can support the assessment provided by the European Commission on Kosovo as well as the opinion of the European Parliament on this matter,” Kalindra said.

At the same time, Virpi Kankare from the Finnish Foreign Ministry said that “visa liberalisation for Kosovo depends on the fulfilment of all criteria and the work will continue based on the previous presidencies.” Kankare pointed out that the Council of Ministers will be the authority that will ultimately decide on visa liberalisation.

Veseli in the U.S. invited by the U.S. Congress (Epoka)

Kosovo Assembly Speaker Kadri Veseli has travelled on Sunday to the United States of America, where he will meet with significant U.S. representatives, senators, congressmen and other actors of the U.S. public life. He will also hold a speech at the U.S. Congress in front of many Parliament Speakers from the world.  MPs Mimoza Kusari Lila and Avdullah Hoti are also part of this delegation.

Analysts: Chances slim for Kosovo joining Interpol this year (Zeri/Telegrafi)

Zeri quotes political and security experts saying that they think there are very slim chances of Kosovo succeeding in joining Interpol this year. Nuredin Ibishi said that at present, only active lobbying campaign can produce results but said that he does not see such an initiative in place. Rasim Alija, analyst, he expected this year’s application process to go the same as the previous one as he sees no sign Kosovo has learnt any lessons from last year’s failure to join Interpol.

At the same time, Kosovo’s Foreign Minister Behgjet Pacolli said that the Kosovo Police is considered a highly professional and trustworthy force and that the Executive Committee of Interpol has debated on Kosovo’s membership bid and has decided in favour of Kosovo Police file being forwarded for vote at the General Assembly.

“We hope Serbia calls to the voice of reason and not act obstructively towards peace and security. It would be primitive and outside any logic, to prevent and lobby against Kosovo Police’s membership in the international organisation of Interpol while at the same time speak about peace and security,” Pacolli wrote on social media.

Isufi: Kosovo and Montenegro ready to correct border lines (RTK)

Ahmet Isufi, caucus of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) said inter-state commissions for correction of the borderline between Kosovo and Montenegro are preparing to deal with this matter. According to him, both Kosovo and Montenegro agreed to correct the borderlines.

“Interstate commissions are preparing to go in the field and engage in order to correct the mistakes which could be made; therefore, we expect from the commission to conclude its work these days. It is a duty of professional commissions to do their job, and they know how long this process can take, but it is important that there was an agreement between the two governments to accord on correction of the border lines,” he said.

“September is determinant for the fate of this government” (Epoka)

Vetevendosje Movement MP Shemsi Syla told the paper that the manner of governing by the current government political developments are degrading each day. He criticized the government for not delivering any results in any field.

Syla also said that all actions of the government are ad hoc and there is no coordination among them. However, according to him, September will be determinant for the fate of this government. He said that it will rather be dissolvement of the Assembly than motion of confidence and added that it is a vital duty of the opposition to bring this government down.

Hodzic: Citizens in the north are victims of higher politics (KosovaPress)

Adriana Hodzic, Kosovo’s Minister for Administration and Local Government said people in the north of Kosovo are victims of higher politics. She said it is prime time for the institutions to work on direct improvement and wellbeing of the people there. She also insisted on increase of cooperation between the central and local levels.

Speaking about the resignation of mayors of the northern municipalities and their threat that they might resign even after the 19 May elections, Hodzic advised them to understand their position and respect the trust of the people. Hodzic said she is continuously in touch with people in the north and adds that they are tired of politics. According to Hodzic, more attention should be payed to general infrastructure which would have direct impact on coexistence.