Headlines - 20.01.2018

• Vucic calls on Serbs not to leave Kosovo (RTK/Koha)
• Vucic’s Kosovo visit agenda revealed (media)
• Kosovo Police special units head towards Mitrovica (Kallxo/Koha)
• Specialist court to decide its own future (Koha Ditore)
• Kosovo risks straining relations with EP because of specialist court (Koha)
• Haliti: Assembly presidency to reject specialist court initiative (Klan Kosova)

Kosovo Media Highlights

Vucic calls on Serbs not to leave Kosovo (RTK/Koha)

In his first stop of the visit to Kosovo, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic called on the Serb community members to stay in Kosovo and that the Serbian government will continue its support. “The state of Serbia will continue to help Serbs in Kosovo to ensure their economic prosperity and will find new mechanisms to secure their peace and combat crime and corruption,” Vucic said during a visit to the Orthodox Monastery of Banjska. Vucic is also reported to have said that “despite different interests” Serbia wants to do everything to preserve peace and resolve disputes.

Vucic’s Kosovo visit agenda revealed (media)

Kosovo media report that President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, has begun his visit to Kosovo today.  In the northern part of Kosovo, Vucic is expected to visit the Orthodox Monastery of Banjska and visit the place where Serb political leader Oliver Ivanovic was killed early this week and then go on to have a meeting with Kosovo Serb representatives at the premises of Technical Faculty in Mitrovica North. In the afternoon, Vucic is expected to travel towards central Kosovo and visit the Gracanica Monstery as well as meet local residents in the cultural centre in the nearby village of Llapnaselle/Laplje Selo. RTK reports that while initially Vucic’s visit was set to take place over the weekend, he will leave Kosovo this evening.

Kosovo Police special units head towards Mitrovica (Kallxo/Koha)

The news website reports that a number of Kosovo Police armoured vehicles, part of special units, have set this morning towards Mitrovica ahead of President of Serbia’s two-day visit to the northern part of Kosovo. The police forces are reported to have deployed in the north to provide added security during the visit. Koha also reports that there is a stepped up police presence in Mitrovica today but that the overall situation is peaceful.

Specialist court to decide its own future (Koha Ditore)

The paper reports on the front page today that the Assembly of Kosovo is not the final instance to decide the fate of the specialist chambers and that the ultimate role in this process rests on the court itself. In a written response to the paper, specialist court said its judges could review the constitutionality of any Assembly decision that affects the chambers. Meanwhile, the paper quotes sources saying that Kosovo ruling coalition will not give up the initiative to abrogate law on specialist court despite the increasing international pressure.

Kosovo risks straining relations with EP because of specialist court (Koha)

Contradictory position of Kosovo political forces with regards to the specialist chambers has dominated a Stabilisation and Association committee meeting between a Kosovo Assembly delegation and the European Parliament representatives. The paper reports that as a result of disagreements amongst the Kosovo Assembly delegation, headed by Memli Krasniqi from the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK), the meeting failed to end in a joint statement which EP insisted include the need for Kosovo authorities to cooperate with specialist chambers.

Haliti: Assembly presidency to reject specialist court initiative (Klan Kosova)

Kosovo Assembly deputy speaker from the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK), Xhavit Haliti, said in a Facebook post that the initiative to abrogate the law on specialist court can only succeed through an initiative to change the Constitution of Kosovo and not the way it is being pursued at present. Haliti also said that the presidency of the Assembly would commit a serious violation of the Constitution if it allowed the review of the initiative signed by a group of MPs calling for abrogation of specialist court. “This initiative should be rejected by the Assembly presidency and the issue should not go any further,” Haliti wrote.