Kosovo, Serbia preparing border points (Koha Ditore)

Heavy machinery was employed over the last few days to construct the border crossing point in Merdare until 10 December, when the implementation of the Integrated Border Management agreement is foreseen to begin. Meanwhile, the building machinery contracted from Serbia have begun opening and leveling the area that leads from Jarinje to Rudnica, where the joint members of Serbian police and customs will be placed.

The joint border points in Merdare and Brnjak are being built from the Kosovar side, while the border points in Dheu i Bardhë and Jarinje are being built from the Serb side.

In the new four border points - Merdare and Bërnjak, Dheu i Bardhë and Jarinje – workers are intensely preparing the ground where the containers will be placed, which will serve as joint buildings for Kosovar and Serb customs and police officers, along with veterinary and food inspectors.

Thaçi taking Blerim along (Zëri)

The Kosovo Government is maintaining secrecy with regards to details on the upcoming meeting between Prime Minister Hashim Thaçi and Serbia’s Ivica Dacic. Sources, however, did reveal that the newly-appointed political dialogue coordinator, Blerim Shala, will also attend the meeting on 4 December.

According to a statement issued by the Kosovo Government, which Zëri sardonically calls “very transparent”, the meeting agenda includes implementing the Integrated Border Management agreement.

Pressure for offices (Express)

According to an unnamed Kosovo official taking part in the dialogue with Serbia, the next meeting between Kosovo and Serbia prime ministers could result in one of the most important agreements reached thus far: opening liaison offices. The source added that Serbia might concede because of pressures from EU member states. “Everything is related to Serbia’s path to European integrations,” said the source.

Government must resign, said recordings fabricated (Koha Ditore)

The Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) and Vetëvendosje have called on the Government to resign for declaring that recent recordings involving Prime Minister Hashim Thaçi were fabricated. Statements by government officials were refuted by the EU rule-of-law mission (EULEX), which confirmed the authenticity of the recordings. Representatives of both opposition parties said the government displayed a lack of public responsibility and therefore should resign.

“This government should not exist at all. This government came to power as a result of a framed election process,” LDK MP Arben Gashi said. “The moment they had the courage to manipulate the will of the people, other things became less significant.”

According to Vetëvendosje MP Glauk Konjufca, the government’s false statement regarding the recordings is another reason for them to resign. “It is not, however, the main reason. The main reason why this government should resign is corruption, control over the judiciary, and compromises with Serbia,” said Konjufca.

Koha Ditore also reported that those who sent the recordings to the media called for an end to the slander regarding the tappings, otherwise other material would be published. “I inform you that if the slander against the recordings does not stop, I have another 120 recordings of all party leaders and they are even more scandalous,” stated the latest email from the address.

Kuçi: Investigating telephone tapping (Epoka e Re)

Justice Minister and first official in PDK, Hajredin Kuçi, said that investigations need to begin on whether publishing the telephone tappings of his party officials are in fact legal. In a statement for Epoka e Re, Kuçi said that EULEX and local institutions should commit to performing independent investigations. “For me, it is important to match [it] with the Constitution of Kosovo, law, and European Conventions for Freedom and Human Rights. I say that an independent investigation from EULEX and our institutions is needed,” said Kuçi.

Jashari: Recordings wouldn’t surprise us even if harsher (dailies)

Murat Jashari, who represents the family of late KLA commander-in-chief Adem Jashari, commented on the taped recordings of senior PDK officials. “The case of PDK affairs is similar to the Watergate affair in the U.S., and it carries political and legal responsibility,” Jashari said on Sunday. He added that whatever surprised and shocked many people was in fact language used by state officials.

According to Jashari, his family was not surprised with the communication in the recordings. “We wouldn’t be surprised even if this communication was harsher,” he added. 

Lawyers don’t feel responsible for leaked conversations (Zëri)

The head of the Kosovo Chamber of Lawyers, Ibrahim Dobruna, said there is no evidence to suggest that the bugged conversations between senior government officials were leaked to the press by lawyers.

Meanwhile, attorney Tomë Gashi said that EULEX intentionally shifted the blame regarding the leaked conversations towards lawyers. “At the time when they were made public, EULEX wanted to send a concrete message to certain people, who include Speaker Krasniqi, Prime Minister Thaçi, and President Jahjaga, to warn them not to support Limaj and not to interfere in our work,” said Gashi.

Vetëvendosje livid at language used against Jashari family, Krasniqi (Koha)

Vetëvendosje’s branch in Malisheva issued a statement regarding the recent so-called tapping scandal maintaining that it is insulted and outraged at the language used by Kosovo Prime Minister Hashim Thaçi. “The offensive language heard in these conversations seriously harms the dignity of citizens of Malisheva, families of martyrs, KLA war veterans, the disabled, and all activists and intellectuals who dedicated a lot for the country,” read the statement, also noting that the conversations reveal “a denigrating language” used against Adem Jashari’s highly respected family and Kosovo Assembly Speaker Jakup Krasniqi.

EULEX new chief starting January (Zëri/Epoka e Re)

Zëri reports on page two that German diplomat Bernd Borchardt will become the new chief of the EU rule-of-law mission in Kosovo (EULEX). He will assume this post in January from French General Xavier Bout de Marnhac. Borchardt was deputy head of the OSCE verification mission in Kosovo led by William Walker. Borchardt was also ambassador to Albania in 2006-2007.

Epoka e Re notes that Kosovo welcomes the appointment of Borchardt as head of EULEX. Representatives of institutions and political analysts believe that Borchardt will bring positive things to the work of the EU mission.

European Parliament: SAA between EU and Kosovo possible (Koha Ditore)

According to the European Parliament, the European Union can concur with Kosovo about the Stabilization Association Agreement. Considering how Kosovo has not been recognized by five EU countries, they are invited to give their consent for the closure of Kosovo with EU. This was stated in the draft-resolution for Kosovo, which on Monday will be reviewed by the Council for Foreign Policy of European Parliament, and adds that “Parliament is aware of the end of supervised independence of Kosovo” according to the International Steering Group. In this document, which was viewed by a journalist from Beta news agency, the “dismissal of parallel structures in the north of Kosovo, which are finance from the state of Serbia”, was requested.

Reforms move forward (Express)

Leaders of political parties in Kosovo are expected to meet with Quint representatives in mid December to define the remaining issues in the election reforms. According to anonymous sources, the goal is to conclude all reforms, including constitutional reforms, by the springtime. “This is the condition of the internationals,” said the sources.

Albania, Kosovo request inquiry against Carla del Ponte (dailies)

The governments of Albania and Kosovo will ask relevant international institutions to authorize and launch an independent inquiry against the former ICTY chief prosecutor Carla del Ponte for her illegal allegations made against former Kosovo prime minister Ramush Haradinaj. Both governments called on the present ICTY chief prosecutor to immediately begin an investigation into the issue.

The Albanian government released a statement saying that the indictment against Haradinaj and his fellow-fighters was raised without sufficient evidence; the Kosovo government accused del Ponte of abusing the readiness of Kosovo institutions to cooperate with the International Criminal Tribunal in The Hague.

Haradinaj “handicaps” Nikolic (Zëri)

Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic will not attend the summit of presidents of the region in Budva, Montenegro, on 4 December. Serbian media reported that Nikolic will not attend the summit as a result of the ICTY’s decision to acquit Haradinaj and his two associates from all charges.

Milan Ivanovic: We will bring back barricades (Zëri)

Zëri reports on page eight that Milan Ivanovic, chairman of the Serb National Council for northern Mitrovica, said that northern Kosovo Serbs will bring back the barricades if the Integrated Border Management (IBM) agreement results in “the establishment of borders with Serbia”.

“This will happen because we are united and determined to fight for our interests, which were never more endangered,” said Ivanovic. He added that northern Serbs must be part of Serbian Prime Minister Ivica Dacic’s delegation in the dialogue with Hashim Thaçi, “because we know what is acceptable for us and what is not […] Without our knowledge and agreement, it will be difficult to implement anything on the ground,” Ivanovic said.

“I had the chance to talk with Thaçi when the UNMIK representative brought him to northern Mitrovica with a group of armed people. Before the meeting, we managed to remove all those armed men from the hospital building, where the meeting took place,” Ivanovic said.