• Kurti and Mustafa meet, fail to reach agreement (media)
• Thaci calls Assembly's constitutive session on 24 December (media)
• Haxhiu: If LDK insists on President’s post, Kosovo will head for new elections (KP)
• Osmani: I believe on positive moves for coalition in the following days (RTK)
• Thaci to Vucic: Seeking compromise without recogntion, a provocation (RTK)
• Kosovo declares Nobel laureate Handke ‘persona non grata’ (media)
• Butel: Kosovo has not fulfilled all criteria for visa liberalisation (RTK)
• Rakic: We have not given up forming association of Serb municipalities (Koha/Zeri)
• Bamieh: EULEX sent all war crimes cases with Serb suspects to Serbia (RTK/Bota Sot)
• Albania lobbies for Kosovo joining Adriatic Charter (Koha Ditore)

 Kosovo Media Highlights

Kurti and Mustafa meet, fail to reach agreement (media)

Leader of the Vetevendosje Movement (LVV) Albin Kurti met yesterday leader of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) Isa Mustafa but the media report that they failed to reach a coalition agreement to form new government.

In a statement, LVV said Kurti and Mustafa have agreed to intensify their meetings, almost on daily basis, until an agreement is reached.

The same position was echoed by LDK whose spokesperson Besian Mustafa said there will be more frequent meetings in the coming days. "This is the only information that has come out of this meeting," Mustafa said adding that he believed the next meeting will take place very soon.

Ahead of the meeting, Kurti said that they will continue where they left off the last time and said he was convinced an agreement will be reached. Asked to comment on the post of president as being the sticky point of the agreement, Kurti said: "There is no obstacle we cannot overcome."

Thaci calls Assembly's constitutive session on 24 December (media)

President of Kosovo Hashim Thaci has announced that he has issued the decision to convene the first meeting of the seventh legislature of the Kosovo Assembly on 24 December.

According to a statement issued by his cabinet, the decision to call the session is in line with the Constitution of Kosovo, the Law on the President of the Republic of Kosovo, and the certification of the final election results by the Central Election Commission.

“The Speaker and the Presidency of the Sixth Legislature of the Assembly of the Republic of Kosovo, in conformity with the relevant legislation in force, are directed to prepare the proposal for the agenda of the First Meeting of the Seventh Legislature of the Parliament of the Republic of Kosovo,” the statement instructs.

Haxhiu: If LDK insists on President’s post, Kosovo will head for new elections (KP)

Member of the Vetevendosje Movement (LVV) leadership Albulena Haxhiu said in an interview with Kosovapress that if the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) insists to get the post of Kosovo president, the only alternative is to head to fresh elections. She even said that LDK’s request does not make sense.

Haxhiu however expressed optimism about an LVV-LDK coalition, as according to her, they agreed on all other issues except for the post of the President. She denied claims that there are open issues also when the division of ministerial posts are concerned. Haxhiu said all ministers, no matter from which political party will be accountable to the upcoming prime minister, Albin Kurti.

Osmani: I believe on positive moves for coalition in the following days (RTK)

Vjosa Osmani, deputy leader of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK), said she believes that there will be positive moves on the reaching of the ruling coalition with Vetevendosje Movement (LVV).

“Chances are extremely high, but it of course depends on the demonstrated will. We as LDK have demonstrated extremely positive will to discuss with respect in relation with our potential governing partner, Vetevendosje Movement. We of course expect the same respect to be returned in order for our cooperation to be good, successful in the future government,” she said.

“I believe that there will be positive moves in the following days and each of us should see how to positively contribute in order to achieve this agreement,” Osmani added.

Thaci to Vucic: Seeking compromise without recogntion, a provocation (RTK)

The President of Kosovo Hashim Thaci responded to the statement of the President of Serbia Aleksandar Vucic made for Kathimerini newspaper during his visit to Greece, where he spoke about finding a final solution for Kosovo and the idea of change of the borders and territorial exchange.

“Messages from Belgrade that we have to compromise without recognition of Republic of Kosovo are provocations. Independence of Kosovo IS a compromise. Dialogue only possible on a principle: two countries recognizing each other as equal neighbors, moving toward Euro-Atlantic family,” Thaci wrote on his Twitter account.

Kosovo declares Nobel laureate Handke ‘persona non grata’ (media)

Kosovo’s acting Foreign Minister Behgjet Pacolli announced yesterday that Peter Handke, winner of the Nobel Prize for literature, is not welcome in Kosovo.

“Today I have decided to declare Peter Handke as persona non-grata in Kosovo because of the support he gave to Milosevic and his genocidal policies in Kosovo & BiH & denial of the genocide committed by Serbia. He & the Nobel Prize showed disrespect to the victims of genocide,” Pacolli wrote on social media.

Butel: Kosovo has not fulfilled all criteria for visa liberalisation (RTK)

Marie-Christine Butel, French Ambassador to Kosovo, said France is a longtime partner of Kosovo. “Together with the U.S. and many European partners, France was one of the first countries that recognised its independence and supported it continuously since then. The issue of visa liberalisation for short visit to Schengen zone is based on technical criteria. This means fulfilment of a number of conditions, especially related to strengthening of the state of law and war against organized crime activities.

France, along with some other member countries assesses that some of these criteria are not fulfilled by Kosovo; it especially remains careful about the developments that concern the state of law and war against activities of the organized crime. Significant progresses are achieved in this field. Nevertheless, continuous implementation of reforms by Kosovo authorities is essential for the endorsed laws concerning the rule of law and justice, in particular, to be able to implement in a sustainable and irreversible manner.”

Rakic: We have not given up forming association of Serb municipalities (Koha/Zeri)

Leader of the Serbian List, Goran Rakic, told Belgrade daily Politika that they have not given up the idea of forming the association of Serb municipalities even without the consent of Kosovo authorities “but in consultation with the state of Serbia.”

According to Rakic, the Brussels agreement obliges Pristina to establish the association so it’s not a “pick and choose” matter but an international obligation.

Commenting on the sentencing of his party colleague and former Kosovo Minister Ivan Todosijevic for inciting ethnic hatred, Rakic said that this constitutes a continuation of “ethnic cleansing” of the Serb population by Kosovo institutions. He said that if Todosijevic’s sentencing is not suspended, Serb representatives will abandon Kosovo institutions at both the local and central level.

Bamieh: EULEX sent all war crimes cases with Serb suspects to Serbia (RTK/Bota Sot)

A former prosecutor of EULEX who accused the EU mission of turning a blind eye to corruption has told RTK that she stands by the statement that EULEX had transferred all war crimes cases in which suspects were Serbs to authorities in Belgrade.

Bamieh said such a decision was justified by arguing that those suspects are in Serbia and Serbia would not agree to extradite them for trial in Kosovo so the only way would be to enable Serbian justice authorities to prosecute them. "I don't think this was necessarily accurate," she said. "There were alternative ways to try these cases under a neutral jurisdiction which would ensure a sort of cooperation from Serbia," Bamieh said.

Albania lobbies for Kosovo joining Adriatic Charter (Koha Ditore)

A meeting of ministers of defence of countries part of the U.S.-backed Adriatic Charter took place in Tirana as the country prepares to take over chairmanship in 2020.

Albania’s Minister of Defence, Olta Xhacka, raised the issue of Kosovo, currently observer, joining the initiative and said Albania will continue supporting Kosovo’s unconditional membership. “Today, more than ever, I think this is a must because I believe that formats like this play the foundations of cooperation, strengthening of relations and building of networks, friendships, contacts which are so important to guarantee peace and security in the Euro-Atlantic zone,” she said.