Headlines - 22.06.2013 Agreement: Elections on 3 November (Koha Ditore, Tribuna) The working dinner between prime ministers Hashim Thaçi and Ivica Dacic resulted in agreement on the date for local elections in Kosovo and on the date when the regional police commander for northern municipalities will be named. Deputy Prime Minister of Kosovo Hajredin Kuçi told Koha Ditore that the Serb delegation presented a decision of the Government to cut off pays for members of MUP and to close down offices of security structures in Kosovo. It also provided a detailed account of all the funding for institutions in Kosovo. Kuçi also confirmed the reaching of an agreement on the amnesty law but gave no details on its content. “We agreed to name the acting regional commander and I believe that the police director will make the appointment on Monday,” said Kuçi further. “We agreed on 3 November as the date for local elections which will take place throughout the territory of the Republic,” he added. At the same time, Tribuna reports that the parties did not manage to agree on the two other open issues, energy and telecommunications. Foreign Minister Enver Hoxhaj said however that the parties have approximated their stances on concrete aspects but that the technical groups in the coming days will have to further clarify these issues. Ashton and Fuele call for SAA for Kosovo (Epoka e Re) EU High Representative for Foreign Policy and Security, Catherine Ashton, and Commissioner for Enlargement Stefan Fuele sent a letter to the EU member states informing them on the progress achieved in implementation of agreement for normalization of relations between Kosovo and Serbia. In the letter, the two EU officials concluded that Pristina and Belgrade have made significant progress in normalizing relations. Ashton and Fuele asked the European Council to take a “clear and positive” decision for opening of membership talks with Serbia and starting negotiations for Stabilisation and Association Agreement with Kosovo. Çitaku: Kosovo will never again be part of Serbia (dailies) Kosovo’s European Integration Minister Vlora Çitaku said in Belgrade that Kosovo will never again be part of Serbia and that the Serb state should realize this once and for all. Speaking at the debate organized by Forum for Ethnic Relations on European integrations and implementation of agreement between Belgrade and Pristina, Çitaku noted that it is fortunate that both Serbia and Kosovo aspire European integration and that they should now make efforts to normalize relations. “However, Serbia should have one thing clear, that with Kosovo it should be an equal partner in all fields,” said Çitaku. Halbauer: KFOR will not remove barricade on River Ibër (Zëri) KFOR Commander Volker Halbauer reiterated in a meeting with Mitrovica’s parallel mayor Dragisa Vlaskovic that KFOR will not dismantle the barricade on the bridge of River Ibër. “The barricade does not present an obstacle to the freedom of movement except for a political symbol that should be resolved with political means. I believe this issue will be settled and if there are political agreements between Pristina and Belgrade, then the barricade would lose importance,” said Halbauer. Kosovo to soon apply for CoE membership (Tribuna) Foreign Minister Enver Hoxhaj believes Kosovo enjoys support of the two-third of Council of Europe member states in gaining membership in the organization. “Last week we were admitted to the European Bank for Development and in the recent months we have made all necessary preparations and drafted a strategic document and I can say that we will soon apply for Kosovo’s membership in the Council of Europe,” Hoxhaj said in an interview for Radio Free Europe.