• Haradianj calls on international community to stop pressure on Kosovo (VoA)
• Hahn hopes Pristina-Belgrade dialogue will resume in September (Tanjug, RTK)
• Haradinaj: AAK will run on general elections on its own (RTV Dukagjini)
• Judah: Small chances for dialogue this year (Koha)
• Dacic claims another country withdrew recognition of Kosovo (RTK)
• S. Embassy in Kosovo issues security alert for its citizens (RTK)
• Scott: Serbia’s membership at EU depends on Kosovo (RTK)

Haradianj calls on international community to stop pressure on Kosovo (VoA)

The outgoing Prime Minister of Kosovo said in an extensive interview given to Voice of America that “we do not dare to leave an institutional vacuum until the election of the new government.”

"I have fulfilled the legal obligation to appear as a suspect after being called for questioning," he said, adding that "there is a lot of suspicion in Kosovo that it can be a conspiracy, but what I can confirm is that I strongly believe in what I have openly and in the most sincere way told the international partners: that Kosovo's borders are not controversial, and there should be no discussion of territory or borders changes.

"The agreement with Serbia should include mutual recognition within the existing borders, and at the same time free trade must be linked with the recognition," he told VOA.

The United States and European Union have repeatedly urged Haradinaj to end the tariffs.

"I call upon the international community, our allies, to stop unjust pressure on Kosovo for tariffs as well as other topics, because it is not right to accept Serbia's conditions for dialogue," he said.

https://www.voanews.com/europe/after-hague-appearance-haradinaj-tells-us-eu-stop-pressuring-kosovo

Hahn hopes Pristina-Belgrade dialogue will resume in September (Tanjug, RTK)

The European Union Enlargement Commissioner Johannes Hahn said on Friday he expected elections in Kosovo to take place soon and lead to a clarification of the political landscape, enabling in this manner a resumption of the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue in September.

For the dialogue to resume, "political clarification" is necessary in Kosovo, he said when asked by reporters to comment on the resignation of the PM Ramus Haradinaj.

At a press conference after a meeting with Serbian PM Ana Brnabic, Hahn also noted the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue was a crucial element for progress of the entire region and stressed that a permanent solution must be found.

Haradinaj: AAK will run on general elections on its own (RTV Dukagjini)

The outgoing Prime Minister of Kosovo Ramush Haradinaj said he is against a technical government and called on the political parties to reach consent on dissolving the Parliament. He also told the broadcaster that he has not contacted President of Kosovo Hashim Thaci, since his resignation.

Asked about eventual pre-election coalitions, Haradinaj said the structures of his political party assessed that they should run on general elections on their own. He however added that he is interested for a coalition with NISMA, PSD, AKR, but not with the bigger political parties.

Judah: Small chances for dialogue this year (Koha)

Tim Judah, British journalist wo has followed developments in Kosovo and the region since nineties, said there are small chances for the Pristina-Belgrade dialogue to resume this year.

“Simple math shows that it is very unlikely that the dialogue will resume until next year. If elections in Kosovo are held in the fall then it will likely take several months to create the new government, this time when Serbia will enter the electoral period,” Judah said. Therefore - he added - even if the issue of tariffs would be removed from the negotiating table, "I do not see that something can happen for a very long time".

“In general terms, whatever you might think about changing borders and so on, losing time is bad news. It has been 20 years since the end of the war and Kosovo is still trapped by its legacy. By contrast, in 1965 the relations between France and Germany were transformed in unimaginable ways for the previous generations. To a large extent, this was a matter of visionary leadership. Do we have this here? I do not think so,” Judah said.

Dacic claims another country withdrew recognition of Kosovo (RTK)

Serbia’s Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic said on Friday that the Republic of Central Africa has changed its position towards Kosovo. “The Central African Republic is the 14^th country to withdraw, suspend or emphasised its position of not recognition of Kosovo,” Dacic said. He added further that he possesses the official note of this country, that he visited some time ago.

U.S. Embassy in Kosovo issues security alert for its citizens (RTK)

The U.S. Embassy to Kosovo has issued a security alert, due to the ongoing threats by transnational terrorist organisations and individuals inspired by extremist ideology.

“During the summer season security measures in Kosovo remain heightened due to ongoing threats posed by transnational terrorist organisations and individuals inspired by extremist ideology. Extremists continue to focus on tourist locations, large public gatherings, shopping malls, transportation hubs, clubs, and other soft targets frequented by Westerners,” reads the alert.

Scott: Serbia’s membership at EU depends on Kosovo (RTK)

The U.S. Ambassador to Serbia Kyle Scott said obstacles on Kosovo-Serbia negotiations are frustrating for everyone.

Scott said Serbia has made considerable progresses in economic stabilization and preparations for EU membership however, he added the crucial condition for membership remains reach of a comprehensive agreement for normalization of relations with Kosovo.

He agreed with the statement of the Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic that Belgrade should resolve this problem sooner or later.

“If this does not happen now, the next generation will have to do it, but perhaps it will be more difficult then. This is the reason why we should use the momentum and try to move forward now,” Scott said.