Headlines - 31.10.2017

• Pacolli: Montenegro considers border demarcation a closed issue (dailies)
• Opposition planning no-confidence motion against government (Zeri)
• Government to address Assembly with report on dialogue (Koha)
• Apostolova: Progress difficult without two-thirds of votes (RTK)
• Vucic says Hoyt Yee told him Kosovo’s territorial integrity is untouched (media)

Pacolli: Montenegro considers border demarcation a closed issue (dailies)

Kosovo’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Behgjet Pacolli, told members of the Kosovo Assembly’s committee on foreign affairs that the government in Montenegro considers the border demarcation issue with Kosovo to be closed and has no wish to renegotiate another agreement. Koha Ditore reports that the government of Kosovo has no strategy how to get out of this situation and quotes Pacolli as saying that the future course of action will be decided once the border demarcation commission presents its findings. Asked by the committee on what actions the government of Kosovo has undertaken against reports that Montenegro authorities are already exercising control over the disputed border areas, Pacolli said this may very well be some kind of fake news as he has not received any official information that this has been the case.

Opposition planning no-confidence motion against government (Zeri)

The paper reports that the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) is waiting for an appropriate time to bring down the Ramush Haradinaj-led government by putting up for vote a motion of no confidence. LDK deputy leader, Lutfi Haziri, said recently that the co-confidence motion will be initiated “very soon”. Vetevendosje officials said they would consider any initiative to bring down the current government which, they said, cannot function normally with a fragile majority it has. At the same time, MP from the ruling Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK), Rasim Selmanaj, said the idea of a no-confidence motion is not serious as it happens to coincide with the timing of runoff mayoral elections.

Government to address Assembly with report on dialogue (Koha)

The Kosovo government plans to address the Assembly with a report on dialogue between Pristina and Belgrade, the paper reports on the front page. Officials from Prime Minister Haradinaj’s office told the paper on Monday that they are currently analyzing the process before they address members of parliament. “Dialogue with Serbia has no alternative, but it needs to be reformatted, timelines need to be set and the process should conclude with the full normalization of relations between the two countries through mutual recognition,” Arber Vllahiu, government spokesman, told the paper. “The process of dialogue needs to be open and transparent to the people of Kosovo. We are currently analyzing the process and the government will address the Assembly with a report on dialogue”.

Apostolova: Progress difficult without two-thirds of votes (RTK)

Head of the EU Office in Kosovo and Special Representative, Nataliya Apostolova, said in a meeting with officials from the Initiative for Kosovo (NISMA) that progress in the European Reform Agenda is not going to be easy considering that the government has 61 or 62 votes while majority of the reforms require to be passed by two-thirds of votes. Apostolova also expressed concern over the work of the Assembly saying that politicians have focused more on the local elections process and less on parliamentary work. As part of her meetings with parliamentary parties, Apostolova is today expected to meet representatives of the Serbian List.

Vucic says Hoyt Yee told him Kosovo’s territorial integrity is untouched (media)

Several online media report that Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on Monday that in his meeting with U.S. Assistant Deputy Secretary of State, Hoyt Yee, the latter told him that Kosovo’s territorial integrity cannot be touched. Vucic said the meeting was not easy. “The main topics of discussion were Kosovo and Russia. The U.S. support the territorial integrity of the independent state of Kosovo. Nothing can change this in U.S. policy,” Vucic said.