Headlines - 21.06.2013 Six-hour dinner with partial results (dailies) The working dinner between Prime Minister of Kosovo Hashim Thaçi and Serbia’s Ivica Dacic ended in Brussels at around 2 a.m. but no detail of the meeting were given by the time the papers went to press. Koha Ditore reports that Deputy Prime Minister, Hajredin Kuçi, did not talk about a possible outcome from the meeting while Maja Kocijancic, spokesperson of Baroness Ashton, wrote on Twitter at around 3 a.m. that specific steps have been made towards a visible and sustainable improvement of relations between parties. She said Ashton will inform member states in connection with the progress in the implementation of April agreement. “Dacic and Thaçi agreed today on a number of open issues in the field of justice, police and future municipal elections,” wrote Kocijancic. Parties in Brussels have discussed about the name of the regional police commander for the north of Kosovo inhabited predominantly by Serbs, and the date of local elections in this part. They also discussed the amnesty law which Kosovo is obliged to approve soon. Pillay: Amnesty law in conflict to international law (dailies) On her visit to Kosovo, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay raised several concerns such as interference of politics in the judiciary, lack of protection for witnesses and victims, shortcomings of rule of law institutions and lack of enforcement of laws. In a press conference, Pillay expressed concern over attempts to prevent arrest of former KLA members accused of war crimes. “War crimes are war crimes and all those that perpetrated them should be brought before justice. One-sided justice is not productive in long term and is a serious violation of human rights”, she said. Pillay also spoke about agreement between Kosovo and Serbia hoping that it will improve rule of law and provide greater respect for human rights. She emphasized however that she is against the idea of an amnesty law being passed in Kosovo. “It is very clear that with international standards and international humanitarian law, granting amnesty is a violation of international law, especially for very serious crimes”, said Pillay. Peci: There is no truth in the press release of MFA (Koha Ditore) Koha Ditore reports that ambassador Lulzim Peci on Thursday rejected all accusation from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs few moments after he presented his resignation to President, Atifete Jahjaga, from the position as a liaison officer to Belgrade. Pec I said the press release issued by the Ministry upon his resignation is filled up with lies. “I have decided to resign for three reasons: first, because of my personal dignity; second, because of my moral dignity because there are some limits that cannot be crossed and also because of my political convictions”, said Peci. “I think that the full normalization of relations, as it has been also stated from most leaders of our state, means full recognition of relations between two countries.” Opposition requests explanation from the Government about Peci (dailies) Representatives of opposition parties have requested on Thursday from the Kosovo Government to give explanations as to what is the truth behind the criticism of Ministry of Foreign Affairs to former ambassador Lulzim Peci. People cannot be humiliated media rumours but a clear explanation from Kosovo institutions is due, said on Thursday members of the opposition. Agreement’s ratification, next week (Zëri) As was expected, Assembly of Kosovo yesterday decided to postpone the voting of the agreement of 19 April between prime ministers of Kosovo and Serbia. The decision came after request from Prime Minister Hashim Thaçi who is in Brussels meeting his Serbian counterpart, Ivica Dacic. MP from the ruling Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) Arsim Bajrami said it would make no sense to vote on agreement’s ratification without PM Thaçi being present at the session. He also noted that ratification should be reciprocal, namely that Assembly of Serbia should also vote on it. “We call on European Union to exercise influence on Serb authorities to also enter the ratification process because the agreement will take on international features only if simultaneously signed by two independent and sovereign states”, argued Bajrami. Çitaku in Belgrade speaks about normalization of Kosovo-Serbia relations (dailies) Minister of European Integrations in Kosovo Government, Vlora Çitaku, travelled on Thursday in Belgrade on invitation from the Forum for Ethnic Relations non-governmental organisation. Çitaku will speak in the Belgrade conference about integration in European Union and the process of normalization of relations between Kosovo and Serbia. In a statement to Koha Ditore, Çitaku said that she will speak before an auditorium consisting of journalists, members of civil society, but also officials of institutions of Serbia. The Kosovar minister will not meet in Belgrade any officials of Serb institutions. “I will meet with the head of EU delegation in Belgrade, with Quint ambassadors in Belgrade, I will visit the liaison office where newly-appointed Valdet Sadiku is expected to arrive,” said Çitaku. Halbauer dreams of removing barricades before September (Tribuna) KFOR Commander Volker Halbauer hopes September will find Mitrovica without barricades. “I have a dream. My dream is that the last barricade is removed before September jointly by Prime Minister Thaçi and Prime Minister Dacic”, said Halbauer in a press conference. He said however that he can be of no more assistance to the process except for providing a bulldozer that would dismantle the barricade. Halbauer said the north needs a political not a military solution. COMKFOR dismissed reports of his troops being downsized and preferred not to comment on the possibility of Kosovo Security Force being transformed into an army.