Headlines - 22.04.2013

Assembly says “yes” to the Thaçi-Dacic agreement (dailies)

With eighty-nine votes in favor, five against and one abstention, members of the Kosovo Assembly have voted Resolution for the normalization of relations with Serbia. Deputies of Vetëvendosje have made efforts to prevent the voting of the agreement in the Assembly, while outside of the building hundreds of Vetëvendosje activists have strongly opposed the agreement and voting on it.

NATO “did not guarantee” that KSF will never go in the north (Koha Ditore)

NATO diplomatic sources explained that the issue over KSF’s presence in northern Kosovo was clarified in an exchange of letters between Kosovo Prime Minister Hashim Thaçi with NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen. It was learned that no time frame was mentioned, and it was specified that in case of the actions in the north, it will be coordinated with KFOR and KFOR command would consult with “legitimate representatives of the local population”.  The main reason that NATO was mentioned so many times in the process of the dialogue was because of the request of Serbia for guarantees that the Kosovo Security Force, or any other future army of Kosovo, will not go to the north for some time. 

EU now wants focus on agreement implementation (Koha Ditore)

EU High Representative for Foreign Policy and Security Catherine Ashton will brief EU foreign ministers today about the dialogue and the agreement Kosovo and Serbia reached on Friday. However, sources said that the issues regarding Serbia’s date for EU accession talks and Kosovo’s start of negotiations for the Stabilisation and Association Agreement will not be at the discussion table in today’s meeting in Luxembourg; decisions on these matters are expected to be taken in June. EU diplomats also stressed that the focus right now will be on the implementation of the Kosovo-Serbia agreement and that this will determine the concrete steps of the EU towards Pristina and Belgrade.

Ashton, Thaçi and Dacic, in the monitoring team (Tribuna)

The prime ministers of Kosovo and Serbia are expected to travel to Brussels this week and meet EU High Representative Catherine Ashton to discuss the action plan to implement the agreement. Furthermore, the members of the implementation team will be appointed in this meeting and these will be in permanent contact amongst each other and report regularly to Ashton on the implementation process.

Hoxhaj: No reason for EU countries not to recognize Kosovo (Zëri)

Kosovo Foreign Minister Enver Hoxhaj said that the agreement on the normalization of relations with Serbia will serve as a strong argument in favour of Kosovo’s recognition by five EU member states. “Countries that have not recognized Kosovo, countries that were neutral to Kosovo, or countries that have conditioned the recognition of Kosovo with the normalization of relations with Serbia now have no argument left against making a positive decisions on the recognition of Kosovo,” Hoxhaj told Radio Free Europe.

Wisner: The agreement strengthens sovereignty of Kosovo (Koha Ditore)

Ambassador Frank Wisner spoke about reaching the agreement in Brussels between Kosovo and Serbia and said it was historical. According to him, this is a significant step for consolidation Kosovo. Wisner said that many things remain to be done, however this step has significant importance. “I congratulate the negotiators, the Prime Minister of Kosovo and his team. I congratulate the Serbian party. I congratulate the European Union, Baroness Ashton. We are aware how difficult it was. The only great unresolved issue of the negotiations that lead to the declaration of independence was the future of northern Kosovo.” He said that this agreement confirms the borders of Kosovo, strengthens its sovereignty, and paves the way towards a better economy in a peaceful space. 

Serbs in the north don’t allow implementation of the agreement (Zëri)

Serbs in northern Kosovo announced that they will stage a mass protest today to oppose the agreement between Kosovo and Serbia that aimed at restoring normalcy in this area. Serb representatives said in a statement to media they will use all democratic means to preserve Serbia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity in the north, adding that the recent agreement doesn’t even meet the minimum requirements for the survival of the Serb community in Kosovo.

Kastrati: Dacic only thinks that he has control in the north (Koha Ditore)

Serb Prime Minister Ivica Dacic believes that he has control over the north, according to a comment made by the head of Mitrovica municipality, Avni Kastrati, on Sunday during his visit to the three Albanian villages in Leposavic, in Bistrice, Ceraje and Koshtove. Kastrati, together with his associates, had to travel over 10 kilometers to arrive in these villages from the direction of Stanterg, because of the barricade placed from Serbs two days ago in the regional road of Iber. “The fact that we are now at this barricade placed two days ago by Serbs, part of which was removed by Albanian citizens, says that traffic cannot be stopped,” said Kastrati. According to him, this barricade will be cleared.  

Kurti: agreement will meet opposition inside, outside Assembly (Koha Ditore)

Vetëvendosje leader Albin Kurti said he will protest with members of his party inside and outside the Assembly against the agreement reached between Kosovo Prime Minister Hashim Thaçi and Serb Prime Minister Ivica Dacic. “We cannot limit ourselves within these institutions of Ahtisaari, therefore we will organize gatherings and activities, protests and demonstrations with citizens in the coming weeks and months, because we cannot stop the evil in Kosovo, without stopping this Government, which produces and maintains the evil, as in the economic aspect, also in the political aspect,” said Kurti on Sunday in the eighth meeting of General Council of the party. 

RTK doesn’t show images of Vetëvendosje banners (Koha Ditore)

When the agreement between Kosovo and Serbia was put up for a vote at the Assembly, members of Vetëvendosje took to the stand and unveiled banners saying “Resolution of submission to Serbia”, a map of Kosovo without the north in it and a banner with names of Kosovo police officer killed in the north. RTK’s cameras airing the session failed to show images of the banners and even muted the tone of the speech delivered by Vetëvendosje MP Liburn Aliu.