Brussels conditions negotiations with Kosovo (dailies)

European Commission on Wednesday has approved Feasibility Study for Kosovo which has concluded that “in larger part” Kosovo is ready for opening of negotiations for the Stabilization-Association Agreement. Feasibility Study concluded that Kosovo has the possibility to reach SAA agreement with EU despite the fact that there are differences between member countries in connection with status of Kosovo. But the document of the Commission makes it clear that Kosovo did not fulfill all necessary criteria in order to be potentially recommended for the opening of these negotiations for SAA.

Instead, with simple language used from European Commission it has been said that “with this understanding Commission will recommend directives for such an agreement when Kosovo undertakes following steps”, and afterwards are mentioned which are the conditions. European Commission for the first time it said that normalization of relations between Kosovo and Serbia will be the condition for both countries towards their integration path in the EU.

Government: SAA short-term criteria will be met this year (dailies)

Koha Ditore reports on page three that the Government of Kosovo is expected to address next week the requirements of the European Commission to launch negotiations for the Stabilization/Association Agreement. Government officials pledged on Wednesday that within this year they will meet the four short-term criteria identified by the European Commission in the Feasibility Study. They however admitted that the signing of the agreement is far away.

“I am confident that this year we will meet all short-term criteria or requirements, which we need to meet, in order to negotiate the Stabilization/Association Agreement,” European Integration Minister Vlora Çitaku told reporters after the government meeting. “The inter-ministerial council for European integration will meet on Monday and we will specify the tasks of every sector.”

Çitaku also said that the current situation in northern Kosovo is not a problem for opening SAA negotiations, but will be a condition for signing the SAA because of the explicit requirement of the European Commission to have rule of law throughout Kosovo.

“Without exercising the rule of law throughout the territory of the Republic of Kosovo we cannot sign the SAA. This is made clear in the feasibility study, although with a softer tone,” Çitaku added.

 Zbogar: Criteria are achievable (Koha Ditore)

Koha Ditore reports that Kosovo should undertake at least 10 actions in four different fields, if it wants to start negotiations with European Union and which would enable signing of Stabilization –Association Agreement. The head of EU in Kosovo, Samuel Zbogar, said that there is no time limit that how long Kosovo should be fulfilling criteria’s. “Initially that member countries in the Council to decide to support recommendations which have been given from the Council, looking the process from outside, I think that it will be needed few months”, said Zbogar, adding that the dynamics of fulfilling of obligations depends mainly from Kosovo institutions.

Zbogar: The north to be negotiated with Serbia (Koha Ditore)

EU Special Representative Samuel Zbogar said in an interview for KTV that Serbia should be an important player in talks for the north and that the EU is working on getting Belgrade and Pristina sit on the same table and discuss the north of Kosovo.

Asked why Serbia should be included in the talks and not just the local Serb representatives, Zbogar said, “Because Serbia has parallel structures in the north, because their funding is very non-transparent and other structures like schools and hospitals that are visible but the funding should be transparent”. He also noted that there is no rule of law in the north.

Germany: EULEX on the wrong track (dailies)

German Defence Minister Thomas de Maiziere said that the EU rule of law mission in Kosovo is on the “wrong track” and should be completely “revamped”. He complained that the failure of EULEX is adding more strain to NATO troops and Berlin is particularly concerned because Germany is the largest contributing country to KFOR and alongside the US, Italy and Austria, it carries the heaviest burden of peacekeeping duties.

“Germany is not pleased with this situation,” said de Maiziere and added that because Serbs in the north don’t accept EULEX as a neutral force, NATO reserve troops are forced to do the job of the Kosovo Police and EULEX. De Maiziere made the comments at the meeting of NATO defence ministers.

At the same time, NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said there are no plans to downsize troops in Kosovo though the ambition is to gradually start reducing the number of peacekeepers if the security situation continues to improve.

LDK says that justice is being abused from politics (Koha Ditore)

Koha Ditore reports that LDK has evaluated that the justice system in Kosovo is being abused from politics and people related to politics. According to the party which is led from Isa Mustafa, justice system has suffered throwback in the mandate of the Government led by Hashim Thaçi. “This is damaging image of Kosovo, it is damaging citizens and businesses and is moving Kosovo away from the path of European integrations”, said LDK deputy, Arben Gashi. He expressed himself that his party evaluates that in prosecution and in investigation there are continuously political interferences.

 He is a member of Vetëvendosje? (Express)

Express reports on page seven that EULEX officials only confirmed that Kosovo’s Special Prosecution is investigating the assassination of former LDK senior official Xhemajl Mustafa. EULEX spokesman Blerim Krasniqi told the paper that the EU mission does not comment on cases under investigation. “All I can say is that the Special Prosecution is investigating the assassination of Xhemajl Mustafa,” he said.

 The paper recalls that Klan Kosova reported that the person suspected of killing Mustafa is a member of the Kosovo Parliament and that a member of Kosovo Police is also a suspect.

 The paper also notes that KosovaOnline reported that Mustafa’s killer is a member of the Vetëvendosje Movement. The portal quoted unidentified sources as saying that an arrest warrant is being prepared for the member of parliament. The same sources said that the MP is suspected of giving the order to kill the senior LDK official.

 Meanwhile, Vetëvendosje officials said on Wednesday that no MP from their ranks is suspected of killing Xhemajl Mustafa. “No member of the Vetëvendosje Movement is under investigation about this case,” a Vetëvendosje official told the paper.

 Pacolli gets opportunity to stop “bad privatization” (Koha Ditore)

Koha Ditore reports on the front page that last year Kosovo’s Deputy Prime Minister Behxhet Pacolli searched for allies to stop the “bad privatization” of public assets under the Thaçi-led government. Now that he has allies in three opposition parties, Pacolli has decided to support the leader of the government.

MPs of the New Kosovo Coalition, except Muhamet Mustafa who is publicly against the privatization of all public assets by all means, decided that on Thursday they will vote in favor of the PDK resolution to continue privatization in the same fashion.

 New Kosovo Coalition parliamentary group chief, Myzejene Selmani, denied that the coalition deviated from its 2010 economic program and said it was unreasonable to stop the privatization process as requested by Vetëvendosje. “Although we are partners in government, we have always made it clear that we support different kinds of privatization. But between the options of continuing or suspending the process, we are in favor of the first option,” Selmani said.

Turkey against division (Express)

The Ambassador of Turkey in Kosovo, Songul Ozan stated on Wednesday that that division of Kosovo would have been destabilizing for the entire Kosovo. Ozan, after a meeting with Mitrovica Mayor Avni Kastrati, said that Turkey strongly supports the territorial integrity of the Republic of Kosovo. “We support the integrity and sovereignty of the Republic of Kosovo and we are against any idea for division,” said the Turkish Ambassador. She also expressed readiness of Turkey to support projects that concern the improvement of the lives of the citizens.

Four more months at the head of EULEX (Zëri)

The paper reports that despite the fact that the regular contract is set to expire on Sunday for the head of EU rule of law mission in Kosovo Xavier bout de Marnhac, he is likely to continue to remain in his post at least until the end of January 2013. The EU, adds the paper, has not yet completed necessary procedures for selecting a new chief of EULEX and has therefore recommended de Marnhac to exercise his functions for another four months.