UNMIK Headlines 7 April
PM Haradinaj meets Matthew Palmer (media)
Kosovo Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj, received on Friday the U.S. State Department Director for South Central European Affairs, Matthew Palmer. Haradinaj took to Facebook to write that he had a substantial meeting with the U.S. diplomat Palmer.
“Substantial meeting with the director for South-Central European Affairs at the U.S. Department of State, on intensification of Kosovo’s state agenda towards normalisation of relations with Serbia, visa liberalisation and opening of a new dynamics towards Euro-Atlantic perspective of our country,” Haradinaj wrote.
He further stressed that U.S. stayed close to Kosovo on all its state-building stages, and added that U.S. will support also the transformation of the Kosovo Security Force (KSF) into Army.
“Kosovo is lucky to have the U.S. as a strategic ally and as the most credible partner,” Haradinaj wrote.
Pacolli: Governing coalition is fragile (RTV21, RTK)
Kosovo’s Principal Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Behgjet Pacolli, told RTV21 that Haradinaj’s government is weak and Kosovo might soon hold extraordinary elections.
“The government has significantly weakened being that governing circles are themselves talking about elections, but I do not want to prejudge, however it would have been a sin if this government did not move forward, being that Haradinaj has invested not only his energy but his soul as well on this matter,” Pacolli said.
“It is a very sensitive coalition which is perhaps even blackmailed by the others and I feel sorry for the pro-activity of this government. Something happens all the time, always serving the duty, and I think that it would be a bad thing for the work to be stopped,” Pacolli added further.
“It seems to me that extraordinary elections are in hands of opposition, therefore it seems to me that Kosovo is moving towards elections. I would invite an opposition political party to join the government, if they are patriots, and show that Kosovo does not depend on a list (Serbian List),” Pacolli said.
Rakic: Association will not establish according to constitutional decision (media)
Goran Rakic, leader of the Serbian List, said the Association of Serb-majority Municipalities will not establish according to the decision of the Constitutional Court but according to the agreement signed in Brussels. He added that Association is an international obligation and that the European Union is the guarantee. He added however that Kosovo Serbs suspect Pristina’s sincerity when this agreement is concerned.
He stressed that international agreements are more valuable than those of Pristina institutions.
Isufi: LDK should wait return of its leader, then request elections (Klan Kosova)
Caucus of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) Ahmet Isufi, commented on Klan Kosova the request of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK), for extraordinary elections.
“Opposition is playing its role. They have to proclaim every day that they are interested to improve the government, and to bring it down,” Isufi said.
“Their leader is ill and he is expected to return to Kosovo. Let them wait for Isa Mustafa’s return, in order for him to be able to lead his party and not rush beforehand, because we do not consider that it is the momentum for elections. The other political parties have also announced internal elections, it is problematic to eneter election process now,” Isufi added.
Serbian List has not left the government (Koha Ditore)
The paper reports that despite the announcement of the Serbian List that they are not part of the government and that they moved to opposition, officials of this political party have not left their positions at the government and neither state privileges for these positions.
The Minister for Communities and Returns, Dalibor Jevtic together with his deputy continue to exercise their duties and the same is valid for the Minister of Administration and Local Government, Ivan Todosjevic and Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Development, Nenad Rikalo. The same goes for six deputy ministers and their supporting staff and political advisers.
Djuric to visit Kosovo again today (media)
Marko Djuric, Director of the Office for Kosovo at the Serbian government, will be visiting Kosovo today. According to media in Serbia, Djuric will participate at the Orthodox Easter liturgy that will be held at midnight in the Banjska Monastery in Zvecan. Kosovo’s Ministry for Foreign Affairs, has issued permission to Djuric to enter Kosovo.
“No matter that he is an official, as any other pilgrim, he has the right to pray at any church that he wants. The request was approved in the spirit of peace and understanding on the occasion of Orthodox Easter,” said Rejhan Vuniqi, Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs.
“He will respect the rules because he faced and got familiar with the new reality in Kosovo and through him, this reality became known to every official of the Serbian state,” Vunici added.
Pacolli: Djuric should have not been brought to Pristina (RTV21)
Kosovo’s Principal Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Behgjet Pacolli, commented on the arrest of Marko Djuric, Director of the Office for Kosovo at Serbian government, saying that he should have not been brought to Pristina in that manner. He said his detention was required being that he entered Kosovo illegally. “Djuric entered Kosovo illegally. We have detained and returned him. But why did Kosovo Police bring him to Prisitna in that manner, I do not have information. I do not know why did this happen. It should have not happened in this manner. He should have only be expelled from Kosovo and not to make such spectacles,” Pacolli said.