Headlines - 24.07.2013 Thaçi calls on Serbs to view Kosovo as their homeland (dailies) Kosovo Prime Minister Hashim Thaçi on Tuesday called on local Serbs to view Kosovo as their homeland and to engage in building a joint future. Thaçi sent this message at the inauguration of a new facility in Gracanica municipality. “We will try to be close to all the Kosovo citizens, in Gracanica, Mitrovica, Zvecan, and Leposavic; to invest in projects for a better future and a safer Kosovo for all its citizens. Kosovo is our homeland and we should treat it together,” Thaçi was quoted as saying. Decision on energy and telecom expected today (Koha Ditore) Koha Ditore reports on the front page that technical teams of Kosovo and Serbia delegations in Brussels will try Wednesday morning to reach an agreement on energy and telecom, so that both prime ministers can formalize the agreement in the afternoon. This round of dialogue will focus on political aspects related to the implementation of the April 19 agreement. The agenda also includes discussions for organizing local elections, in particular in northern Kosovo municipalities and the dissolution of the Civil Protection. Issues related to the Association of Serb majority municipalities will also be discussed. Tahiri: Normalization will not fail (Epoka e Re) The paper reports that Kosovo and Serbia prime ministers, Hashim Thaci and Ivica Dacic, will meet in Brussels today. Kosovo’s Deputy Prime Minister Edita Tahiri said Thaçi will call for the acceleration of implementing the agreement for normalization of relations with Serbia. Tahiri said in this phase it was very important for the European Union to engage in stepping up the implementation of the agreement. she also said that regardless of Serbia’s tendencies to prolong the implementation, the process of normalization of relations shall not fail. Hoxhaj: Kosovo aims to join UN (Tribuna) In an editorial published on The Huffington Post, Kosovo’s Foreign Minister Enver Hoxhaj talked about Kosovo’s recognition by over half of 193 member states of the United Nations. “Our objective is universal recognition and membership in the United Nations,” Hoxhaj wrote. He also said after the Brussels agreement, Serbia de facto admitted the political existence of Kosovo, and its sovereignty and integrity. Hoxhaj said this chain of events recently resulted in the start of negotiations for the Stabilization/Association Agreement with the European Union. Ballots for the north without state symbols (Tribuna) The paper reports in the leading story that despite calls by internationals and senior officials in Belgrade, northern Kosovo Serbs have yet to agree to take part in Kosovo’s local elections scheduled for November 3^rd. The latest request from northern Serbs is for ballots in their municipalities to be different from other municipalities in Kosovo. Reliable sources in the Kosovo Government told the paper that ballots for the northern municipalities will not include symbols of the state of Kosovo. Meanwhile, officials at the Central Election Committee (CEC) said on Tuesday that had no information on the matter. LPK joins Vetëvendosje (dailies) Several dailies report that the Kosovo Popular Movement (LPK) has joined forced with the Vetëvendosje Movement. Representatives of both political parties said on Tuesday they would change the political, economic and social course for the good of the Albanian people. “We are not joining with the Vetëvendosje Movement in order to get to government or to get posts. The Vetëvendosje program is very similar to our program and this is why we are joining forces to change the political situation in the country,” an LPK representative said. Tribuna on the front page notes that Vetëvendosje has included in its ranks a political party that has not existed for four years. UN report: Kosovo, a transit country for drugs (Tribuna) The paper reports on the front page that according to a recent report by the United Nations titled “World Drug Report 2013”, Kosovo is mentioned only as a transit country for drugs. The report also notes that the largest amount of drugs from Asia toward Europe continues to pass through the Balkans. The region remains the most preferred route for traffickers although recently they are finding new routes.