UNMIK Headlines 21 November
Application for UN membership to be announced (Koha Ditore)
Koha Ditore reports that the top priority of Kosovo’s diplomacy for 2014 is finding the easiest path for membership in the United Nations. Kosovo in the coming year is also expected to apply for pre-membership in the agencies of this organization. “This year we have drafted a strategic document on how to approach United Nations”, said Kosovo Foreign Minister, Enver Hoxhaj.
Although he said there are two possible scenarios for the membership process, he spoke only of the one which foresees that in the first half of 2014, Kosovo applies for membership in two to three UN agencies whose names he did not reveal. According to him, sufficient votes for membership in these agencies have been secured and a feasibility study which details the entire path to be followed is now ready. “We think that Resolution 1244 is dead, we think that partnership countries of Republic of Kosovo together with the Government and with Kosovo Assembly should come forward with a strategy for the membership of Kosovo in the UN,” said Hoxhaj.
Hoxhaj: Selimi will continue to receive his salary (Zëri)
Foreign Minister Enver Hoxhaj said in a session of the Assembly’s commission for foreign affairs that Kosovo’s ambassador to Albania, Sylejman Selimi, currently in detention awaiting trial on war crimes charges, will continue to receive his salary until justice reaches its verdict. “For as long as we do not have a ruling of the court, I will not take a different decision relating to Kosovo’s ambassador to Albania”, said Hoxhaj.
Speaking about recognition process, Hoxhaj did not rule out the possibility of Kosovo’s independence being recognized by five EU countries in the near future. “Dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia has produced a new momentum and has raised Kosovo to the international arena”, he said.
Rama apologizes for the Prizren rally (Koha Ditore)
Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama classified his visit in Prizren together with Turkish Prime Minister at the time when Kosovo was in election campaign as “an unlucky coincidence”. In an interview for Tirana-based television network, Top Channel, Rama apologized for the visit during election campaign which was criticized by opposition in Kosovo as an unfair support towards Hashim Thaçi’s PDK.
“The coincidence may have been unfortunate but it all was a coincidence because the inauguration of the airport was on that day and as I learned on the same day, Prime Minister Erdogan went also earlier to Prizren where he has an old friend from the youth, a simple man who lives in Prizren, whom he visits at home when he is in Kosovo plus there is a Turkish minority he visits when in Kosovo,” said Rama.
Selimi to be tried in the north (dailies)
Former KLA commander and Kosovo’s ambassador to Albania, Sylejman Selimi, will face preliminary hearing at the basic court in north Mitrovica on 27 November. However, Selimi’s other charges will be addressed in different proceedings set to commence on 6 December in Pristina. Selimi’s defense counsel confirmed the information and said they will demand the two cases are dealt with in a single trial.
Nikaj: CEFTA should adapt to the new challenges (Epoka e Re)
The seventh meeting of CEFTA’s Joint Committee was held on Wednesday in Sarajevo. Ministers of the region discussed the flow of the Agreement for Free trade and increase of cooperation. Deputy Prime Minister for Trade and Industry, Bernard Nikaj, spoke about CEFTA’s new challenges and Kosovo’s position on implementation of the 2020 Strategy for South-Eastern Europe. “For a better functioning of CEFTA’s mechanisms and implementation of 2020 Strategy, we have to make sure that CEFTA’s structures would adapt to the new challenges, in order to enable its implementation by all of us,” said Nikaj.