Headlines - 30.08.2013 United Nations Security Council holds session on Kosovo (dailies) All dailies report on yesterday’s session of the United Nations Security Council on Kosovo, several of them highlight Kosovo Foreign Affairs Minister Enver Hoxhaj’s calls to end the UN mission in Kosovo. Koha Ditore reports on the front page that Hoxhaj complained to the Security Council for Serbia’s failure to implement the Brussels agreement with Kosovo. Hoxhaj briefed the council on Kosovo’s efforts to implement the April agreement, and criticized Serbia for lack of political readiness. UNMIK chief Farid Zarif and representatives of UN member states called on both parties to implement the agreement because it enables the two countries to integrate in the European Union. Koha Ditore notes that UNMIK chief Farid Zarif called on Pristina and Belgrade to engage in resolving the fate of missing persons. He said international missions in Kosovo can assist in the process, but real results are impossible without having information from both sides. “Families are right to seek justice and we call on parties to step up their efforts and resolve the issue as soon as possible,” he said. Zarif hailed Pristina and Belgrade’s engagement to implement the Brussels agreement. He said organizing elections in the northern part of Kosovo is going to be a challenge and called on Serbs not to boycott the process. “Holding elections in Kosovo is a special challenge. The OSCE has reacted quickly to assist the process in the north and to enable IDPs and people there to be part of the process,” he said. Zarif said Kosovo still needs the presence of UNMIK. “Preparations are underway to build measures for reconciliation and UNMIK continues to play an important role in facilitating and building trust between the parties.” Zëri quotes Hoxhaj on the front page as saying that UNSC Resolution 1244 needs to be changed. “The time has come for the United Nations Security Council to consider transforming UNMIK into a UN political office that would coordinate all UN agencies, funds and programmes,” Hoxhaj said. Under the leading headline Soft clash over the agreement, Tribuna reports that Belgrade and Pristina exchanged accusations at the Security Council for lack of readiness to fully implement agreements reached in Brussels. Security Council member states stressed the importance of continuing dialogue and changing the situation on the ground. Member states expressed support for the work of UNMIK, whereas Kosovo’s Foreign Minister Enver Hoxhaj called for the mission to end. Kosova Sot reports on the front page that Hoxhaj called for a new resolution by the Security Council on Kosovo and for the latter to be enabled to join the United Nations. In a separate box, the paper quotes UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon as saying that positive steps by Pristina and Belgrade have resulted in historic agreements and progress toward the normalization of relations. Ban also called on both sides to double their efforts to shed light on the fate of 1,700 missing persons. Hoxhaj is quoted as saying in Epoka e Re, “the most important role that the United Nations can play in Kosovo is to support us in our preparations to join the UN”. He also said it is important to now acknowledge the fact that UNMIK has no longer a role to play in Kosovo. Lajm quotes Hoxhaj as saying, “We call on the Security Council to launch concrete activities that will enable Kosovo to take its place in the family of free and democratic nations”. “The full normalization of inter-state relations will be reached when Serbia recognizes the independence of Kosovo. At the same time, our international contribution will end when Kosovo becomes a full and equal member of the United Nations,” Hoxhaj added. Çollaku: We expect agreement to be finalized on September 8 (Lajm) Bekim Çollaku, principal advisor to Kosovo Prime Minister Hashim Thaçi, said on Thursday that Pristina and Belgrade have approximated their positions for agreements on energy and telecommunications. “The agreements on energy and telecom are close to being finalized. We expect we will officially finalize them on September 8. The only issue that has not be resolved, with regards to the agreement on energy, is the management of the substation in Vallaq … Both agreements will end illegal activities by operators from Serbia, and Kosovo will finally have its internationally-recognized state telephone code,” Çollaku said. Albanians expelled from the north, out of voting lists (Koha Ditore) Albanian citizens expelled from the north of Mitrovica, risk to remain out of the voting lists for the local elections of 3 November. Even though the municipality of northern Mitrovica still does not exist, voters expelled from the north are being treated by Central Election Commission as if they have changed their addresses from one municipality to the other. According to the citizens, around 12 thousand Albanians have been expelled from the north only on 4 and 4 February 2000. Now they cannot state at the municipal election councils where they would want to vote, while officials of these councils and those of OSCE, did not want to speak about the manner of voting of the displaced citizens, stating that Pristina should be asked about this issue. Officials at the CEC secretariat stated that citizens should vote in the municipalities where they registered as citizens of Kosovo. The Administrative Office in the north was also left completely out of the election process, while CEC members said that expelled Albanians are being left out of the voting lists intentionally, in order to open way of creation of ethnically clean municipalities of Serbs. Cliff: CEC, a very politicized body, it should reform  (Kosova Sot) The Ambassador of the Great Britain in Kosovo, Ian Cliff, said in an interview for this daily that “if want for the people to participate in elections in the north, elections that are anyways being facilitate by the OSCE, I think that the ballots should not carry the logo of the Republic of Kosovo. Even though I am not a jurist, I think that this doesn’t represent violation of any red line, because I consider none of the laws in Kosovo says that ballots should carry the logo of the “Republic of Kosovo.” Speaking about the agreement between Kosovo and Serbia, Cliff said that the agreement is historical achievement. He stressed that there are difficulties on its implementation however according to him, the agreement is going in the right direction. “I think that in a way, Serbia is deviating, because the last date mentioned for the reach of the agreement was 8 August. I think that some kind of agreement is on the table, and it only remains for Serbia to sign it. As far as we are concerned, we think that this should have been certainly resolved by now,” said the Ambassador. Krasniqi supports division of PDK (Epoka e Re) Assembly Speaker Jakup Krasniqi, has publically supported leaving of PDK members from this party and establishment of the citizens’ initiatives in some of the cities of Kosovo, including Malisheva, Drenas and Ferizaj. He stated that anyone who leaved this bad governance has his support. “I have said it a few days ago, and I am saying it today, I support any initiative of citizens, which intends to change the mentality of bad governing. I support the democratic processes of any initiative for the change of the bad governing and bringing a new one,” Krasniqi said.