Headlines - 14.10.2016

• Thaçi: Border demarcation obstructers have visas (Klan Kosova)    
• Veseli: Demarcation should conclude as soon as possible (RTK)
• Mustafa believes Guterres will continue to support Kosovo (Koha)
• Kosovo delegation annuls visit to Belgrade (Zeri)
• Tahiri: EU has list with names of 1860 missing persons (Epoka)
• Peja mayor opposes construction of hydroelectric plants in Rugova (Koha)
• Trump campaign denies Nedelnjik interview on Serbia (Koha)

Thaçi: Border demarcation obstructers have visas (Klan Kosova)

In an interview for Klan Kosova, Kosovo President Hashim Thaçi spoke of the need to ratify the border demarcation agreement with Montenegro and criticized opposition representatives who oppose the deal for employing “false patriotism”. “Those who are obstructing this process have visas for themselves and their families”,  Thaçi said. He warned that if the deal is not passed by the Assembly of Kosovo, “we risk losing at least two more years and no one will deal seriously with Balkan countries considering the internal problems the European Union faces”. Thaçi also spoke about the establishment of Kosovo Armed Forces. He said the Serbian List initially agreed to the idea but “Albanian parties stalled the process”. “I think that an open debate should take place and finalise this issue as soon as possible by forming a modern army”, Thaçi said. Asked about the arrest of the Kosovo Police director Nehat Thaçi by Serbian authorities on terrorism charges, Thaçi said that the detention was arbitrary and unjust. He also said that based on the information they possess, Thaçi did travel to Serbia many times in the past. “Our information shows that he was apprehended at the border with Serbia while the reason of his travel to Serbia is unknown to all, but he wasn’t on an official mission”, Thaçi said.

Veseli: Demarcation should conclude as soon as possible (RTK)

The President of the Assembly of Kosovo, Kadri Veseli, said in an interview for RTK on Thursday that the border demarcation between Kosovo and Montenegro should conclude as soon as possible and that the process has taken too long. According to Veseli, the issue of demarcation was used more for patriotism and competition between the government and the opposition. “The demarcation should conclude and Kosovo should move forward on the path of European integration,” he said. Veseli however did not say whether the demarcation agreement would be discussed at the Assembly this year. Veseli, who is also leader of the biggest political party in Kosovo, the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK), said his party is in the process of changing half of the ministers in the Kosovo government. He said he expects the same from their partner in the ruling coalition, the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK). “Reforms are necessary for improving  people’s lives,” Veseli said. Commenting on developments surrounding the law on the Trepca mining complex, Veseli said that the reactions by the Serbian List and those of the government of Serbia were unnecessary. “Because based on the Constitution of Kosovo, mines and minerals are an unalienable property of Kosovo and its citizens,” Veseli said. “The decision on Trepca was the least political. This decision was economical and through this, the economic giant will have a greater developing perspective and it will not be limited as it has been so far. With the endorsement of the Law, we have not divided Trepca property, because Trepca is Kosovo’s property.

Mustafa believes Guterres will continue to support Kosovo (Koha)

Kosovo’s Prime Minister, Isa Mustafa, congratulated the former Prime Minister of Portugal, Antonio Guterres, on his appointment as the United Nations Secretary-General. In his congratulations letter, Mustafa expressed his belief that Guterres was the right choice for this important position at the United Nations. “Prime Minister Isa Mustafa, who has had the opportunity to meet with Guterres during a recent visit to New York, has expressed confidence that the new UNSG, Antonio Guterres, will continue the support for Kosovo and its processes,” notes a press release sent by Mustafa’s office.

Kosovo delegation annuls visit to Belgrade (Zeri)

A delegation from Kosovo, which was invited to take part at the Belgrade Security Forum, cancelled its participation one day before the event. Kosovo’s Deputy Minister of Local Administration, Bajram Gecaj, told the paper on Thursday that the delegation annulled their visit due to the arrest of Kosovo Police regional director, Nehat Thaci, by Serbian authorities.

Tahiri: EU has list with names of 1860 missing persons (Epoka)

Kosovo’s Minister for Dialogue, Edita Tahiri, met on Thursday with representatives of the government committee for the missing persons and families of missing persons. Tahiri informed them that she submitted in Brussels the list with the names of 1860 missing persons from Kosovo. Tahiri also said the Kosovo government continuously calls on the international community to pressure  Serbia into revealing the whereabouts of missing persons.

Peja mayor opposes construction of hydroelectric plants in Rugova (Koha)

The paper reports on page two on what it calls a “secret meeting” on Thursday in Pristina between Prime Minister Isa Mustafa, Austrian Ambassador Gernot Pfandler, Peja Mayor Gazmend Muhaxheri and representatives of the Austrian company “Kelkos Energy”. The meeting focused on a project by the Austrian company to build six units that will produce 60 megawatts of electricity from the Lumbardhë River. The project, which amounts to €120 million, was met with opposition from the citizens of Peja, civil society organisations, the municipality and Mayor Muhaxheri. According to the paper, both Prime Minister Mustafa and the Austrian Embassy tried to keep the meeting secret by not informing the media. Muhaxheri was the only one to talk about the meeting. He denied he was faced with political pressure to allow the project to continue. “No, the meeting had an informative character. We need to inform investors and people who want to make investments. The planned project cannot go forward. The development plan of Peja municipality does not allow any investments in the Lumbardhë,” Muhaxheri added.

Trump campaign denies Nedeljnik interview on Serbia (Koha)

In one of its front-page stories, the paper reports that the Trump campaign denied a report in Serbian weekly magazine Nedeljnik that Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has issued an apology for his country’s decision to bomb Serbia during Bill Clinton’s tenure at the White House. Jason Miller, senior communications advisor to Trump, said Trump and the campaign’s Indiana state director Suzie Jaworowski never gave an interview to the magazine. “This was a hoax and we look forward to receiving a formal retraction and apology from all involved,” Miller said in an emailed statement.