UNMIK Headlines 25 September
Thaci praises Vucic’s constructive role in agreements reached (Koha)
In an interview for Vienna-based daily newspaper Die Presse, Kosovo’s Principal Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Hashim Thaci praised “the constructive role of Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic in reaching agreements between Kosovo and Serbia in Brussels”. Thaci said the agreements serve the interests of both Pristina and Belgrade, they contribute to the normalization of relations and they speed up the European integration prospects of Kosovo and Serbia. He also said that with the agreements Serbia has de facto recognized Kosovo’s independence. Thaci said the decision to establish the special court was not easy but it was an international obligation and he doesn’t fear that members of his party will be tried by this court. “Kosovo showed international maturity when it decided to form the special court,” he said. “I cannot guarantee that there were no attacks by outraged individuals from the side of Kosovo Albanians. But this cannot be equalized with the Serbian side’s attempt to carry out genocide. Now it is important to keep everything transparent. Kosovo certainly has nothing to hide”.
Collaku: SAA this year, visa liberalization next year (Zeri)
Kosovo’s European Integration Minister, Bekim Collaku, in an interview with Tirana-based TV station Top Channel, said the time has come for the European Union to reward Kosovo for its hard work on the visa liberalization process. Collaku said he expects the Stabilization/Association Agreement between the EU and Kosovo will be signed this year. “I am confident that the SAA will be signed this year and that implementation will begin next year,” Collaku said.
“We will not support KAF law if it makes ethnic divisions” (Telegrafi)
Vetevendosje leader Visar Ymeri said they would not vote in favour of the law establishing the Kosovo Armed Forces if it splits the military along ethnic lines. He said Vetevendosje would also strongly oppose the law if it foresees the creation of a special battalion for the north of Kosovo.
Aleksandar Jablanovic dismissed as leader of Serbian List (Zeri)
The political representatives of Kosovo Serbs have decided that as of Thursday, Aleksandar Jablanovic will no longer be the leader or representative of the Serbian List. They also demanded that Jablanovic be held accountable for the funds he spent while in this post. The Serbian Government supported the decision to dismiss Jablanovic. “As far as we’re concerned, Aleksandar Jablanovic no longer represents the Serbian List,” said Marko Djuric, director of the Serbian Government’s Office for Kosovo. Kosovo’s Deputy Prime Minister, Branimir Stojanovic, said that the decision to dismiss Jablanovic “came as a result of Jablanovic’s irresponsible policy towards Kosovo Serbs”.
Ahtisaari strongly supports Kosovo’s UNESCO admission (RTK)
Kosovo’s Deputy Foreign Minister Petrit Selimi met on Thursday with former Kosovo status envoy, Martti Ahtisaari, who is now head of the Crisis Management Initiative (CMI). Selimi briefed President Ahtisaari and his staff on Kosovo’s strategic approach, the lobbying and the latest developments surrounding Kosovo’s bid to become a member of the UNESCO. Selimi also thanked Ahtisaari for his engagement and contribution to Kosovo’s integration in the international community.
Pristina Hospital with luxury apartments for VIP prisoners (Koha)
The paper reports on its front page that the University Clinical Center of Pristina (UCCP) has luxury apartments for VIP patients. According to the paper, two such apartments are located in the Otorhinolaryngology Clinic. The paper reports that, on the first floor usually there stays Sylejman Selimi, former commander of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) and on the second floor stays Isni Thaci, a bodyguard of Deputy Prime Minister Hashim Thaci. The paper also notes it has monitored the movements of the prisoners. Documents released by UCCP doctors, mainly from the Cardiology Clinic, reveal that prisoners Sylejman Selimi, Sami Lushtaku, Isni Thaci, Sabit Geci, Fisnik Blakaj and those from the Kicina case, stay outside the prison most of the time.
KIC: No one from Kosovo injured in Mecca stampede (Kosova Sot)
Kosovo Islamic Community announced that all persons from Kosovo that were in Mecca for the annual hajj are safe and were not close to the site were a tragic stampede left over 700 pilgrims dead.