Headlines - 03.04.2013 On the “historic day”, no agreement between Kosovo and Serbia (dailies) The EU High Representative for Foreign Policy and Security Catherine Ashton was unable yesterday to convince delegations of Kosovo and Serbia to agree on the basic principles under which an umbrella mechanism of municipalities with Serb majority would function. Still, not everything achieved since October last year collapsed. Ashton, who is facilitator in the dialogue, left the parties with the possibility of consultations in their respective countries before submitting a final answer. However, there will be no more efforts in finding a solution at the table of talks. “This is the last time that we meet formally. Some proposals have been put on the table. The difference among parties is very narrow, but it is deep. The prime ministers will return to their capitals for further consultations and in the coming days will inform me what they have decided”, said Ashton in an audio-recorded statement. Kosovo Prime Minister Hashim Thaçi said that Kosovo was ready to reach an agreement in Brussels but the unprincipled goals of Serbia made this impossible. He said that an agreement could be achieved in the beginning of next week if the other party changes its mind. “A specific date has not been set. If Serbia agrees with principles of the agreement, it can happen in the beginning of next week”, said Thaçi in a press conference. Jacobson: Talks, last chance to leave bitter past behind (Koha Ditore) US Ambassador to Kosovo Tracey Ann Jacobson said she was hopeful that Kosovo and Serbia will seize the historic opportunity in Brussels and reach an agreement. “I believe both parties know this is the final chance to leave behind those difficult years and work for something genuine”, said Jacobson in a visit to Ferizaj. USA hints at autonomy for the north (Koha Ditore) United States of America has expressed the need on Tuesday for Kosovo to offer autonomy for the north but it also reconfirmed the stance that territorial integrity of Kosovo cannot be violated. “We recognize integrity of Kosovo, including the north, but it is now up to Kosovo how it will shape a kind of autonomy which has been requested by ethnic Serbs in the north,” said Spokesperson of the US State Department Victoria Nuland. “We want to see a peaceful solution for all issues”, she added. Agreements to be ratified at the Assembly (Zëri) Kosovo Assembly Speaker Jakup Krasniqi said on Tuesday as the talks between prime ministers of Kosovo and Serbia were underway that any agreement will have to be ratified by the Assembly. “A great deal will depend on the content of these talks but if the agreement is between two countries, this issue is clearly defined by the Constitution which stipulates that the agreement has to be ratified by the Assembly”, said Krasniqi. Serb Church recognizes state of Kosovo (Tribuna) Five years after the declaration of independence, the Serb Orthodox Church in Kosovo is recognizing the legitimacy of Kosovo institutions, Tribuna reports on page five. Representatives of the religious community of Kosovo Serbs have agreed to be part of the council that protects religious and cultural sites. The paper recalls that the Serb Orthodox Church traditionally contacted with Pristina only through UNMIK. The church would later acknowledge the authority of the former International Civilian Office only after UNMIK was no longer able to convey its requests to Kosovo institutions. Kosovo’s Minister for Spatial Planning and Environment Dardan Gashi, who chairs the abovementioned council, told the paper that the council has met only once. He said representatives of the Serb Orthodox Church insisted that Belgrade too should have its representative at the council, but Pristina rejected this. “The Serb Orthodox Church is definitely recognizing Kosovo’s institutions as their representatives are attending meetings and respecting our joint decisions. This is a big step,” Gashi was quoted as saying. US Office regularly reported on tender for second mobile operator (Koha Ditore) Koha Ditore reports that the US Office in Pristina, which later became an embassy, was reporting regularly to Washington about the process of selecting a second mobile operator in Kosovo. The head of the Office Tina Kaidanow reported extensively to the US State Department about irregularities in this important process. US Office continuously quoted Ernst Tschoepke, head of UNMIK Legal Affairs Office, saying that the process was fair and transparent and that bids were not opened in public to protect confidentiality of those who have competed in this process. The US Office also quotes local media reporting that one of the bidders, businessman Ekrem Lluka, withdrew from the tender after he was paid off by the Telekom Slovenija, another bidder. The initial winner of the tender was the Kosmocell consortium that included Kosovo-based company Kujtesa and Lluka and representatives of Kujtesa told the US Office that the consortium could cover the sum of 81 million euro for the license, but Lluka informed the head of Telecommunications Regulatory Authority, Anton Berisha, that his group was not able to make the payment. One of the doctors in the Medicus case admits responsibility (Koha Ditore) Doctor Driton Jilta will accept his share of responsibility in the organ transplant case in the private clinic Medicus in Pristina. His testimony will be “rewarded” with a less harsh sentence, writes the paper. Jilta is one of the seven men accused in the so-called Medicus case and his previous indictment included charges of human trafficking and organized crime while the amended lawsuit will now see him accused of misusing official duty and illegal practice of medical activity.