UNMIK Headlines 9 December
Basic Court in the north is blocking negotiations (Koha Ditore)
Officials of Kosovo Government are committed not to allow another Basic Court in the north which Serbia is insisting on. Kosovo Deputy Prime Minister, Hajredin Kuçi, told the newspaper that “there will be only one Basic Court, one applicable law in Kosovo, and the appointment hierarchy will be made from the central level, respectively from the President of Republic of Kosovo.”
With big differences regarding the justice structures in the north, Kosovo and Serbia will be conducting a new round of negotiations on 13 December. A source of the newspaper within the working group of Kosovo for the issues of justice said that there were three points in the discussion table – structure of courts, integration of judges, prosecutors and other staff in Kosovo institutions, as the validity of decisions of the courts in the north. He explained also initial positions of parties. “Serbs have requested to have Basic Courts there where Serbs are majority, while the position of Kosovar side was that in the framework of existing structures to be done integration of prosecutors, judges and professional staff.”
Kosovo and Serbia with cooperation agreement for electricity (Koha Ditore)
Koha Ditore reports that operators of energy transmissions of Kosovo and Serbia will be signing an operational agreement to regulate mutual relations as two operators of transmission system. The framed agreement for cooperation will be signed on Tuesday in Vienna, has announced Energy Community of Southeast Europe. This announcement has been made from the official web site of Energy Community. “Serb Electricity Network (EMS) and System and Trade Operator of Kosovo (KOSTT) will be signing a framed historic agreement for cooperation and leading of systems under the patronage of Energy Community,” says in the press communiqué of Energy Community of Southeast Europe. This agreement presents one part of implementation of the agreement achieved 8 September, between Government of Serbia and Kosovo.
Lajcak: More good news in order to review position on Kosovo (Koha Ditore)
Slovakian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Miroslav Lajcak said in an interview for the paper that his country’s position against independence of Kosovo is not hostile. “Our stance is not against the people of Kosovo”, he stressed. He also said that there is an increasing communication between Slovakia and Kosovo officials with the most recent Kosovo Foreign Minister Enve Hoxhaj visiting Slovakia.
“We maintain contacts and support every activity that brings Kosovo closer to European Union and ensures European perspective. We also very much support normalization of relations between Belgrade and Pristina and I can stress what I already said many times that the question for recognition of Kosovo should be asked in Belgrade and in Pristina more than in Bratislava, Bucharest or Athens”, said Lajcak.
He said that if he were to address his country’s parliament with the request to recognize independence of Kosovo, he would need clear reasons to argue in its favour. “I need to demonstrate concrete results of real changes on the ground”, noted Lajcak.
Tahiri: Serb mayors should respect Kosovo laws (Epoka e Re)
Deputy Prime Minister, Edita Tahiri, appealed on the Serb mayors to respect Kosovo laws, or they will remain un-integrated in Kosovo’s institutions. “The elected in these municipalities are aware of these changes in the political reality supported by Brussels Agreement. Their cooperation is democratic and legal obligation. If there are such that refuse implementation of Kosovo’s laws, they will remain uninvolved in the legal municipal bodies of the Republic of Kosovo,” said Tahiri.
The north, officially with Pristina (Zëri)
Kosovo Serb politician Oliver Ivanovic said that once local authorities are established in the north, there will be official communication with the Government of Kosovo as this is also stipulated by the 19 April Agreement between prime ministers Ivica Dacic and Hashim Thaçi. At the same time, northern municipalities will also maintain cooperation with Serbia “as the Serbian Government is entitled to fund and support them”.
He said that participation in Kosovo local elections does not mean recognition of the state of Kosovo. “Mayors of municipalities with Serb majority do not recognize independence even though they ran in elections. This should be seen only as a political position which does not change. These elections were not intended to show that Serb citizens have recognized the state of Kosovo but to ensure a local leadership that would be legal and legitimate and internationally recognized”, said Ivanovic.
Hoxhaj at OIC (Epoka e Re)
Kosovo’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Enver Hoxhaj, after the successful visit in Paris, where he also participated at the French-African Summit, traveled to the Republic of Guinea, to participate at the 40th session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Member States of the Organization for Islamic Cooperation. In the margins of this ministerial session, that will discuss “Dialogue of civilizations: Factor of peace and sustainable development,” Minister Hoxhaj will meet the Foreign Ministers of the countries that have not recognized Kosovo yet as well as counterparts of the countries that have recognized Kosovo, to lobby for the recognition of Kosovo by the remaining states of this organization.
Reform to be finished in January (Tribuna, Zëri)
Tribuna newspaper reports that enthusiastic about results of local elections, political subjects want to start this year with the reform of the law for elections in order that next parliamentary election to undergo without problems. All biggest parliamentary subjects say that reform should be done without Constitutional changes, because of the veto announced from Serbs who requested continuation of guaranteed seats. The changes should be finished until January to enable elections in summer.
Serb mayors also to be sworn in (dailies)
Papers report that Kosovar delegation in Brussels has refused the possibility that the heads of Serb municipalities to avoid to be swearing. Besnik Osmani, Secretary in the Ministry of Administration of Local Governance. He said that heads of Serb municipalities will make the oath, the same as other heads of municipality elected in the local elections of 3 November. Osmani was part of technical team from Kosovo in dialogue with Brussels. According to him, in Brussels it has been discussed about this issue, but Kosovo has refused to change procedures.