Government doesn’t want spectator’s role in north (Koha Ditore - front page)

Government of Kosovo continues to divert blame regarding how Serbia’s parallel structures in the north function, particularly where the recent display of Mitrovica’s Civil Protection went unhindered.

In a press conference following the Government’s meeting, Deputy Prime Minister Hajredin Kuçi said the public appearance of the Civil Protection unit is an “illegal action and has challenged security forces in Kosovo [...] Such actions should not be seen in the streets of Kosovo. We do not foster the logic of violence but if someone sends a message of force, a response will be sent back,” said Kuçi.

Meanwhile, Sunday’s drill of the civil protection does not directly undermine the EU rule of law mission; the same view was echoed by KFOR whose spokesperson, Uwe Novitzky, said, “Since the individuals engaged in what seemed to be a fire and recovery drill, they did not present a threat to the safe and secure environment; KFOR did not see it reasonable to intervene.”

Thaçi: Missing persons, in the dialogue with Serbia (Express - page 6)

In a meeting with the general director of the International Commission on Missing Persons Kathryne Bomberger, Prime Minister Hashim Thaçi expressed the Kosovo Government's commitment to contribute to the plight of missing persons. “The Government of the Republic of Kosovo has also raised the issue of missing persons in the dialogue with Serbia and urges a greater engagement of international factions to step up the pressure for Belgrade authorities to provide necessary information on all cases of persons missing during the war,” Thaçi said.

Kuçi: Only liaison offices with precise address (Epoka e Re - page 3)

Deputy Prime Minister Hajredin Kuçi stated on Monday that Kosovo will not accept to have liaison officials between Kosovo and Serbia without a precise address. He assessed that the position of the Kosovo Government is clear: Kosovo liaison office in Serbia and one for Serbia in Pristina can only operate according to the 1961 Vienna Convention for Diplomatic Relations.

“We do not accept to have liaison officials without liaison office. Our intention will not be to have our people without a precise address. We request for such mission to be positioned be it in Pristina or Belgrade, then people can integrate in these positions,” added Kuçi.

Recognition from Fiji, total number unclear (Koha Ditore - front page)

The Republic of Fiji has decided to recognize the independence of Kosovo. The news was announced by Kosovo Prime Minister Hashim Thaçi during the regular meeting of the Kosovo Government. However, in a press conference after the meeting, both Thaçi and his deputy, Hajredin Kuçi, avoided mentioning the total number of states that have recognized the independence, which was declared in February 2008. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kosovo presently has 96 recognitions and now, with Fiji included, the number is raised to 97, which is half of the total number of members in the UN.

Dialogue change (Epoka e Re - front page)

Kosovo Deputy Prime Minister Edita Tahiri said that the beginning of the dialogue for the normalization of relations between Pristina and Belgrade put an end to the phase of technical dialogue. Tahiri said that she will continue to exercise the post of head negotiator by implementing and monitoring the role of agreements reached between Kosovo and Serbia in Brussels.

Deputy head of the Office attacked, Hodzic requests security in the north (Kosova Sot - page 4)

Kosovo Police announced that an explosive device was thrown last night in the direction of Dusan Milisavlevic's, deputy head of the Administrative Office in northern Mitrovica, private residence in Zveçan. This was also confirmed by the chief of this Office, Adriana Hodzic. “The lack of rule of law has been confirmed once again. The time has come, and I appeal to all security institutions to start treating these issues seriously. It is time to see results, and resolve similar cases that happened thus far,” Hodzic told RFE.

Velijaj says that she gave the bribe under orders from Austrians (Koha Ditore - front page)

German national Natali Velijaj has implicated the Austrian state company, OeSD, in the passport scandal, claiming that she merely implemented orders from Austria to bribe officials from the Ministry of Internal Affairs. According to Velijaj, she has the written order confirming her story and expressed readiness to document all evidence, including transactions. “I gave part of the sum (1.4 million euro) from this money to a few high officials in the Ministry of Internal Affairs following orders from the Austrian printing house, which printed passports of Republic of Kosovo,” said Velijaj before the initial hearing last week in Pristina District Court.

Kadri Veseli begins climbing up the PDK ladder (Express - page 5)

Former head of Kosovo Intelligence Service (SHIK) Kadri Veseli is climbing up the managing structures of PDK following unanimous votes  at the party’s Bair sub-branch in Mitrovica. Veseli is now to head to the party’s convention of sub-branches and it is anticipated that he will also be elected there and continue rising up the ranks of the PDK.

Serb court sentences Mark Kashnjeti to two years in prison (dailies)

Dailies reported that the former member of the Kosovo Liberation Army Mark Kashnjeti was sentenced by a special chamber of Serbia’s Supreme Court to two years in prison for crimes against civilians, which he allegedly committed during the conflict in Kosovo. Kashnjeti’s family maintains that he was not in Kosovo when the crimes were committed and dismissed all charges.