Thaçi and Dacic talked about opening of “liaison offices” (Koha Ditore – front page)

The paper reports that it has learnt from diplomatic sources in Brussels on what an EU official reported to the Policy and Security Committee about the meeting between Prime Minister of Kosovo Hashim Thaçi and Serbia’s Ivica Dacic. According to the official, the two leaders focused on several issues though in an informal way. The official also said there was a “positive chemistry” between Thaçi and Dacic.

Based on the first Thaçi-Dacic meeting, the EU prepared a list that will serve as platform for continuation of dialogue and this will be presented to the sides during the visit of EU High Representative Catherine Ashton and US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

According to paper’s sources in Brussels, the main points of the EU plan are: stop to Serbia exercising state functions in north of Kosovo, opening of Kosovo liaison office in Belgrade and a liaison office of Serbia in Pristina, implementation of achieved agreements, especially IBM agreement and participation of Kosovo in international and not only regional forums. At the same time, Kosovo is requested to accept that the “north is different”.

According to diplomatic sources, north certainly is and will be a topic in the dialogue and furthermore will be one of the main topics. Among the first points which are expected to be discussed in the dialogue is precisely the north.

European diplomats are surprised why Kosovo’s prime minister continues to claim that the north of Kosovo will not be discussed in the dialogue. “Why should it not be discussed withSerbiawhenSerbiais keeping in the north its institutions and where Serbs in the north are refusing authority of Pristina. Prime Minister Thaçi is aware about this and he showed flexibility in many meetings about this topic”, said a European diplomat.

The north keeps the platform in the air (Zëri – page 3)

The paper writes that the start of negotiating process with Serbiais not expected to result in a platform that the Kosovo side would draft because of the north’s problem. Pristina authorities, adds the paper, have no idea how to approach the north in the upcoming high-level political talks with Belgrade following the recent statements from international officials arguing that Ahtisaari’s package is not enough. Pristina, therefore, is not sure what kind of platform to prepare, get ready for implementation of Ahtisaari’s package, prepare a special status or make a possible Plan B for exchange of territories, reports Zëri.

Kurti: Thaçi cannot survive without Serbia (Koha Ditore – front page)

Koha Ditore carries an interview with Vetëvendosje leader Albin Kurti who claims that Kosovo Prime Minister Hashim Thaçi has a strong boost to talk with Serbia. “For me it is clear that Thaçi needsSerbia. He cannot survive without Serbia, because only that way he can remain in power and be interesting for internationals”, said Kurti.

Kurti emphasized that his political entity will not stop its activities, as he called it, against trade with Serbia and selling assets of Kosovo. The leader of the second largest opposition party has referred to the meeting of Kosovo Prime Minister Thaçi with Serb Prime Minister Dacic as criminal, while he said that Kosovo should have conditioned Serbia in European Union for normalization of relations.

Hoxhaj: Glorification of invasion wars, bad message for the region (Koha Ditore –front page)

Kosovo’s Foreign Minister Enver Hoxhaj reacted to Serbia’s top officials marking the 100^th anniversary of the first Balkans wars inKumanovo,Macedonia by saying that the stance of the Serb President Tomislav Nikolic has not shifted from the past policy ofSerbia towards Kosovo and Albanians.

“In my view, glorification of first Balkans wars hundred years ago which in essence were invasion wars for territorial expansion and the time and the place of such glorifications… are no doubt bad messages for the region and show that the political mythology of Great Serbia is still present in the mindset of the current Serb political leadership,” said Hoxhaj.

Pacolli announces Kosovo’s recognition from Burundi (dailies)

The office of the Deputy Prime Minister Behgjet Pacolli issued a statement announcing that the Republic of Kosovo has been recognized by the Republic of Burundi. Verbal note has been sent to Pacolli by Burundi’s Foreign Minister Laurent Kavakure. Burundiis the first state from the Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries to recognize Kosovo and brings to 93 the total number of countries that have so far recognized independence of Kosovo.

More homework for Kosovo (Zëri – front page)

The recent statements that the EU visa-free travel could be suspended for certain countries in the Western Balkans have affected Kosovo by more tasks being imposed on it in the visa liberalization process with the main condition being the reducing of the number of Kosovo asylum seekers in the EU countries. Kosovo’s European Integration Minister Vlora Çitaku said that these should serve as a mobilizing force for Kosovo. “Lessons from the regional countries have led to additional criteria such as the emphasized criteria of reducing the number of asylum seekers,” said Çitaku adding that this was not a task imposed on countries in the region that already joined the visa liberalization regime.

Tadic: My plan offers more than the model of two Germany’s (Koha Ditore – page 3)

Koha Ditore reports that former President of Serbia, Boris Tadic, said in an interview for Croatian television that his four-point plan for Kosovo sets from the insistence of international community that there can be no division of Kosovo and from the principle of Serbia that there cannot be recognition of Kosovo. Tadic said his plan which stipulates special status for the north would ensure reconciliation of Albanians and Serbs and ultimately lead to normalization of life for all in Kosovo.