• Thaci: Inter-institutional coordination required for dialogue (media)
• Kurti: I have reservations about agreements, I was not part of talks (RFE)
• Borrell: Dialogue to continue as soon as we appoint envoy (media)
• Kurti meets international representatives at MSC sidelines (RTK)
• Kurti for Blick: To Kosovo, Serbia’s recognition is not sufficient (Blick/Lajmi)
• Hoti and Grenell discuss dialogue with Serbia (Kallxo)
• Haxhiu: From now on, politicians will fear the prosecution (Kosovapress/RTK)

Kosovo Media Highlights

Thaci: Inter-institutional coordination required for dialogue (media)

President of Kosovo Hashim Thaci said Kosovo said there needs to be inter-institutional coordination, including amongst the government and the opposition, regarding dialogue with Serbia. He added that to this end he will exercise his unifying role as Kosovo president.

Speaking to the media following an informal meeting of the EU and Western Balkans leaders in Brussels, Thaci hailed agreements reached with Serbia. "In Brussels we reached landmark agreements in 2013. These led to the reintegration of the north of the country into the territory of Kosovo and the assertion of the north under the administrative and institutional control and the integration of the Serb community," Thaci said.

"Of course the EU role should be important but that of the U.S. remains indispensable," Thaci added. "For Kosovo it is very important there is coordination between the EU and the U.S. Final agreement with Serbia can be achieved only through the leading role of the U.S. President, Donald Trump, and the U.S. administration. I still don't see unity of EU countries on this process."

At the same time, Thaci told public broadcaster RTK after the meeting that the EU should present a vision for the future of the Western Balkans which would also include visa liberalisation for Kosovo.

"Kosovo has reason to feel disappointed and betrayed by the EU because of visa liberalisation, as it has fullfilled the required criteria. Lack of unity on the part of the EU has had a negative impact on Kosovo leading to the process continuing indefinitely."

Kurti: I have reservations about agreements, I was not part of talks (RFE)

Prime Minister of Kosovo Albin Kurti said that he has reservations about the agreements signed in Munich between Kosovo and Serbia as he was not part of the negotiating process.

"Of course we need links, better infrastructure, motorways and railways. But again, civil servants that signed those agreements began negotiations during the previous government and actually concluded them without our participation," Kurti told RFE.

Asked whether his critical position on the agreements is a reason why he did not meet the U.S. Special Envoy Richard Grennell while in Munich for the Security Conference, Kurti said communication with the U.S. is good and that there was no plan for a meeting with Grenell.

"This time I was part of a panel, a roundtable and there were no plans for a meeting."

Borrell: Dialogue to continue as soon as we appoint envoy (media)

The EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, spoke to Radio Free Europe about the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue at the sidelines of the EU-Western Balkans informal meeting in Brussels.

Asked about the U.S. involvement in the process, Borrell said: "Ask them why they are involved. First, we have paid much more money. We are supporting Kosovo with much more financial resources."

To the question of when the dialogue is expected to resume, Borrell said that the new government of Kosovo was only formed recently and it was not possible to continue it before this. "Maybe we will have to nominate a special representative but it takes a lot of work."

Asked whether this person will be the Slovak Foreign Minister, Miroslav Lajcak, Borrell: "Maybe." He added that the post needs to be taken by someone who knows the region and is ready to get engaged in a job that is very demanding.

On the prospect of EU appointing an envoy for the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue, Borrell told the media before the meeting in Brussels that such a decision requires preparation. "We have to prepare the mandate, all the papers… I don’t think it is going to be possible tomorrow, but in any case for the next [Foreign Affairs] Council."

Kurti meets international representatives at MSC sidelines (RTK)

The Prime Minister of Kosovo Albin Kurti met within the margins of the Munich Security Conference with the U.S. Acting Assistant Secretary of State in the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs, Philip Reeker. “It was a pleasure to meet the US senior diplomat Philip T. Reeker who knows Western Balkans very well,” Kurti wrote on his Twitter account.

He also met members of German Bundestag, Patrick Sensburg, Tobias Lindner, Jurgen Hardt and Ralph Brinkhaus.  After the meeting, Kurti took to Twitter to write that “Germany is a great ally and supporter of Kosova. They extended best wishes for our new government and offered their support.”

Kurti also wrote about his meeting with the Foreign Minister of Turkey Mevlut Cavusoglu. “Turkey is a significant investor in Kosova and an important regional partner. Pleased to meet with foreign minister of Turkey.

Kurti for Blick: To Kosovo, Serbia’s recognition is not sufficient (Blick/Lajmi)

Prime Minister Albin Kurti told Swiss news agency Blick that while Serbia is complaining because it has lost the territory of Kosovo, a territory that it wanted without the Albanian population, “On the other hand, there are the sufferings and pains of the Albanian people, not only from the last war.”

Asked what it takes for real peace to come about, Kurti said “it is far from sufficient for Serbia to recognize Kosovo as a state. In concrete terms, two agreements are needed to create real, long-term peace in the region. On the one hand, we need an agreement that concerns our common values: security, democracy, human rights, stability, development. This agreement affects the future.” He added that a clear agreement is needed on what actually happened in the war. “This agreement then brings peace.”

Hoti and Grenell discuss dialogue with Serbia (Kallxo)

Kosovo's Deputy Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti met with the U.S. Special Envoy Richard Grenell.

In a Facebook post, Hoti said that they discussed important processes that should be undertaken by the new government of Kosovo.

"I assured him that we will be a reliable partner in the process of normalisation of relations with our neighbour, Serbia, to reach the final goal of mutual recognition. I assured him that the new Government will not shy away from its responsibility in this process and that we are fully committed in making progress," Hoti wrote.

Haxhiu: From now on, politicians will fear the prosecution (Kosovapress/RTK)

Kosovo’s Minister of Justice Albulena Haxhiu said the priority of Kurti’s government will be Kosovo’s lawsuit for Serbia’s war crimes. “In my mandate, there will be no prosecutors who fear politicians but politicians who fear prosecution. She told Kosovapress that there are major manipulations with the number of KLA war veterans and added that people who were active in political life are involved in this.

Speaking about Astrit Dehari’s case, Haxhiu said it is good news that the Special Prosecution and not the Prizren one is dealing with the case. She said she strongly believes that the case will be resolved soon.

Haxhiu reiterated that their priority is lawsuit for Serbia’s war crimes. She noted that it is impossible to investigate war crimes with the existing three prosecutors at the Special Prosecution, therefore she added capacities will increase. She said they will consult local and international experts on the matter.

Haxhiu said they will urgently request consideration of changes on the Criminal Procedure Code to be voted at the Assembly after the assessment of the Venice Commission.