UNMIK Headlines 9 July
Still no agreement on telecom and energy (dailies)
The thirteenth round of talks between prime ministers of Kosovo and Serbia, Hashim Thaçi and Ivica Dacic, in Brussels failed to result in an agreement on issues relating to telecom and energy. The two parties however confirmed progress in the meeting.
PM Thaçi said the meeting was “extremely fruitful” and that an agreement in principle has been secured. He added that there are still small elements left to be discussed before a formal agreement can be reached.
The next meeting of the prime ministers is scheduled to take place on 24 July in Brussels while the facilitator of the dialogue, EU High Representative for Foreign Policy and Security Catherine Ashton, is in the meantime expected to pay a visit to Pristina and Belgrade.
Reeker: There are misunderstandings on the amnesty law (Koha Ditore)
The US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Philip Reeker said Kosovo should adopt the amnesty law because this is a duty it has taken on as part of the agreement with Serbia. Reeker stressed that there are misunderstandings and misinterpretations of the law in question and that the document should be read carefully. “I think that some of the MPs that took part in the discussions have not even read it,” he said whilst in Brussels.
UNMIK chief meets Romanian foreign minister (Zëri)
Romanian Foreign Minister Titus Corlatean met on Monday in Bucharest with head of UNMIK Farid Zarif and discussed matters related to the UN mission following agreement on normalization of relations between Kosovo and Serbia. Romanian Foreign Ministry said the meeting also focused on progress of the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue and implementation of the achieved agreement.
Petition launched against amnesty law (dailies)
Members of the civil society initiated collection of signatures from the citizens opposing the amnesty law. The organizers of the petition claim changes introduced to the draft law already rejected once by the Assembly are cosmetic and do not affect its substance. Ilir Deda from Kosovo-based KIPRED institute said this is the final time to prevent the law from coming into force.
Selimi: Rasmussen is right, Government doesn’t want an army (Koha Ditore)
Member of the Assembly commission on security and Kosovo Security Force supervision, Rexhep Selimi, said NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen is not to blame for failing to speak about KSF’s transformation into an army. Selimi said that the Government of Kosovo in its strategic review of the security sector has not considered the prospects of an army for Kosovo. “I would not blame Rasmussen for these reasons because he did not encounter this in writing in any of Kosovo Government documents,” said Selimi, MP from Vetëvendosje Movement.