• Haradinaj dismisses Deputy Minister Mikic (media)
• Kocijancic: EU makes repeated calls for suspension of import tariff (Zeri)
• Thaci: A peace agreement can be successful (media)
• Haradinaj: Tariff is not isolating Kosovo (Zeri, RFE)
• Constitutional Court: Thaci’s request, unacceptable (media)
• Serbian government reacts to Mikic’s dismissal (Zeri)

Haradinaj dismisses Deputy Minister Mikic (media)

Kosovo Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj dismissed Deputy Justice Minister Vesna Mikic on Monday for her comment accusing NATO of ‘genocide’ on the 20th anniversary of the start of the military alliance’s bombing campaign against Yugoslavia on March 24.

“The NATO alliance committed a deliberate, planned genocide against a sovereign country that fought Albanian terrorism within its own borders,” Mikic wrote on Facebook on Sunday.

Haradinaj said the statement went against Kosovo’s core values. “There is no place in Kosovo’s government and institutions for individuals, whatever their ethnic origin, who denigrate our common Euro-Atlantic values,” Haradinaj wrote on Facebook as he announced Mikic’s dismissal.

Kocijancic: EU makes repeated calls for suspension of import tariff (Zeri)

Maja Kocijancic, spokeswoman for EU High Representative Federica Mogherini, told the paper that the EU still believes that Pristina must suspend the import tariff on Serbian and Bosnian goods. “The EU, together with the U.S. and other countries, make repeated calls to the Kosovo Government to immediately suspend the tariff in order to make way for dialogue to resume quickly. The status quo is not an alternative and there is no other way for dialogue between the two sides to resume. The tariff not only obstructs the path of dialogue but it also impairs Kosovo’s European path,” Kocijancic said.

Thaci: A peace agreement can be successful (media)

Kosovo President Hashim Thaçi has given an interview to German daily newspaper Suddeutsche Zeitung.

Thaci said his relationship with Serbian counterpart, Aleksandar Vucic, “is difficult but we need to have an open channel of communication”. “Because it is precisely this dialogue that has prevented many ugly things from happening between our two countries … We both know where we come from, but this does not stop us from working for peace,” he said.

“There is no other alternative. A peace agreement between Kosovo and Serbia can be as successful as the agreement between Germany and France. On the other hand, the status quo means constant regress because it destabilizes the region,” Thaci said and added that over 70 percent of Kosovars support dialogue with Serbia.

Asked if border changes could be part of the agreement, Thaci said ‘we aim for a comprehensive agreement that will finally resolve all open issues between Kosovo and Serbia. But until now there is nothing on the table, there are no maps. This topic has been exaggerated by the media.

“I have talked directly with President Trump. His message for both sides is clear: use the momentum, move forward and do not allow the tragedies of the past to happen again,” Thaci said.

http://www.rtklive.com/en/news-single.php?ID=13797

Haradinaj: Tariff is not isolating Kosovo (Zeri, RFE)

The Prime Minister of Kosovo Ramush Haradinaj told on Monday Radio Free Europe that the customs tariff on Serbian products is a measure and a defensive measure towards Serbia’s aggressiveness. He added that Kosovo’s will for dialogue has not faded and according to him, Kosovo is always ready for dialogue, but without conditions. Haradinaj denied claims that tariff is isolating Kosovo.

Constitutional Court: Thaci’s request, unacceptable (media

The Constitutional Court has announced that the request of the President of Kosovo Hashim Thaci to interpret Article 18 for alleged conflict between his and the Assembly competencies with regards to the international agreements. The verdict notes that the Constitutional Court has concluded that there is not a précised or proved conflict between the constitutional competencies of the President and the Assembly. President Thaci had addressed the Constitutional Court with the pretension that there is vagueness about the competencies for ratification of the exchange of letters between Kosovo and the European Union.

Serbian government reacts to Mikic’s dismissal (Zeri)

Officials from Office for Kosovo at Serbian government said Vesna Mikic’s dismissal from the position of the Deputy Minister of Justice is yet another proof that Ramush Haradinaj needs Serbs who are obedient and suitable to him.  According to them, Mikic expressed the opinion of rules over the Serbian population.