Headlines - 16.09.2015

Thaci: UN membership doesn’t define statehood (RTK)

In an interview for the French magazine La Lettre Diplomatique, Kosovo’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hashim Thaci, stressed that Kosovo has already been recognised by 111 countries and that the government is now working on integrating into the international community. He said that UN membership does not define the statehood of a country and mentioned in this respect Israel and Switzerland which, he said, did not join the UN for decades but this did not prevent them from being important parts of the international community. “Kosovo is not yet a member of the UN, but it is a free and democratic country,” said Thaci. Speaking about Kosovo’s application for membership in UNESCO, Thaci pointed out that Kosovo has the youngest population in Europe and the need to reform and invest on education, culture and science is very important. “I wouldn’t want Kosovo’s membership to be hostage to endless geopolitical debates,” he added.

Jahjaga: Serbia will recognize Kosovo’s independence (RTK/Top Channel)

In an interview for Tirana-based Top Channel, Kosovo’s President Atifete Jahjaga said she was confident that dialogue between Pristina and Belgrade will conclude with Serbia’s recognition of Kosovo’s independence. Asked to comment on the special court that will address war crimes allegations, Jahjaga said Kosovo authorities were not under pressure and that they will fulfil their obligation in order to remove all doubts in the eyes of the international community.

O’Connell: EU will not allow deviations in the Association (Koha)

In a front-page interview with the paper, the British Ambassador to Kosovo, Ruari O’Connell, argues that the agreement for the formation of the Association/Community of Serb-majority municipalities does not threaten Kosovo’s constitutional order and that the Kosovo government must prove its commitment in implementing the agreement. “I haven’t seen any threat [from the Association] that could violate the constitutional order and I am confident that the government would not allow this … The role of the EU has been clear from the beginning, in the mediation of this process. We will continue to oversee the implementation of these agreements. Meanwhile, both parties – Kosovo and Serbia – must prove their commitment,” O’Connell said. Asked to comment on protests expected to be organized by the opposition, O’Connell said protests are a right but that “if they turn violent there will be consequences for Kosovo”.

“No Association without disintegration of parallel structures” (Epoka)

Kosovo’s Minister for Dialogue, Edita Tahiri, told the newspaper on Tuesday that the Association/Community of Serb-majority Municipalities cannot be established prior to the complete dissolving of the parallel structures. She said that the process of dissolving the so-called “Civilna Zastita” is on its final phase and that the candidates are currently being recruited to be integrated into the Kosovo institutions. She said that the three-party working group on this issue will meet in Brussels in October.

Opposition says agreements must be ratified in the Assembly (Zeri)

The opposition parties have opposed the intention of Prime Minister Isa Mustafa to report on Thursday in the Assembly on the agreements reached with Serbia on 25 August. According to them, Mustafa's report is insufficient in comparison with the agreements that were made in Brussels, and that they demand that the agreements be ratified by the Assembly in order to be valid. The head of the Vetevendosje Movement parliamentary group, Glauk Konjufca, said that the failure to send the agreements for ratification to the Assembly represents a bypassing of the Assembly.

Zbogar on visa liberalization: I see light at the end of the tunnel (dailies)

Civil society in Kosovo has submitted a petition with more than 50,000 signatures to the European Union representative in Kosovo Samuel Zbogar and European Integration Minister Bekim Collaku. The petition was signed by people calling for visa liberalization. Zbogar said the European Commission will meet in autumn to make a report on visa liberalization for Kosovo which will say where the process stands. "I must say that I see light at the end of the tunnel in this regard,” Zbogar said. According to him, now is not the moment to blame anyone, but to work together to complete this process. Kosovo’s European Integration Minister, Bekim Collaku, said that the isolation of the people of Kosovo for such long period is unfair.

Observation points removed, Civil Protection still active (Zeri)

The paper reports that the so-called Civil Protection that operates illegally in northern Kosovo is still active even though Kosovo’s Minister without portfolio confirmed several times that it was dissolved. According to the paper, the residents of Mitrovica said that they see members of the Civil Protection active every day, while the last observation point of this entity was removed on Monday. On the other side, officials of the Ministry of Administration said that the selection process of 320 members of the Civil Protection was finished, while 105 of them have already started their jobs in the Kosovo institutions. With the agreement reached between Pristina and Belgrade last year, it was specified that 483 members of the Civil Protection would be integrated into the Kosovo institutions.

Kocijancic: We expect Serbia to implement minority conventions (Epoka)

Maja Kocijancic, Spokesperson of the EU High Representative for Foreign Policy and Security, Frederica Mogherini, spoke at a press conference in Brussels about the decision of the Albanians in Serbia to establish an association of municipalities with Albanian majority. She explained that the association of the municipalities with Serb majority in Kosovo, which is being used as a precedent by Albanians in Presevo Valley, is a result of the negotiations between Belgrade and Pristina. She added, however, that the European Union expects Serbia to fulfil its international obligations towards national minorities. “Where the Albanian minority in Serbia is concerned, Serbia has pledged to implement a policy on national minorities in line with all the international obligations that derive from the framework of the Council of Europe Convention for protection of the national minorities and the European Charter for minorities. We expect fulfillment of these obligations,” Kocijancic said.

This is the document of Presevo Valley (Epoka)

Epoka e Re has published the document signed by 43 Albanian delegates and which stresses that the association of the municipalities with Albanian majority in Serbia will have the same statute as the one of the municipalities with Serb majority in Kosovo. Point two of the document notes that Assembly of the Albanian Advisers in the Presevo Valley obliges the secretaries of municipal assemblies to draft the statute of the association. Point three of the document notes the association will have the same judicial power as the association of the municipalities with Serb majority in Kosovo.