• Veseli: EU with double standards (Zeri)
• “No reconciliation with Serbia as long as criminals are set free” (Kosovapress)
• Hoxhaj: Serbia violated Geneva Convention with Genocide in Kosovo (RTK)
• KFOR: Security situation in Kosovo is quiet (media)
• Political parties battling over Prime Minister post (Zeri)
• AAK doesn’t rule out coalition with PDK (media)
• “Serbia fears wars, because it got badly burned in Kosovo” (Kallxo)
• Tomor Morina’s release confirmed (Klan Kosova)
• Serbia continues building houses in Albanian neighbourhoods in the north (Zeri)
• Lajic: We have lost millions due to the tariff (RTS/RTK)

Veseli: EU with double standards (Zeri)

Kosovo Assembly President and Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) leader, Kadri Veseli, took to Facebook on Monday to criticise the early release of Miodrag Solaja, a member of a Serbian paramilitary group “Scorpions” who was convicted of participating in the killing of 14 Albanian civilians, including seven children, in Podujevo in March 1999. Veseli was critical of the European Union’s indifference to this issue, saying that it is functioning with double standards. Veseli also said that Kosovo must not allow history to be manipulated and for “victims to be equalised with butchers”.

“No reconciliation with Serbia as long as criminals are set free” (Kosovapress)

Jahja Lluka, advisor to Kosovo’s outgoing Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj, told the news agency on Monday that with the early release of Miodrag Solaja, Serbia is proving that it is not interested in justice. “We are outraged by the release. We need to say it openly that Serbia tries to gain points from the European Union pretending that it is convicting criminals, but they never serve out their sentences … This is double murder,” Lluka said.

Hoxhaj: Serbia violated Geneva Convention with Genocide in Kosovo (RTK)

Deputy Prime Minister of Kosovo Enver Hoxhaj said on the 70th anniversary of the Geneva Conventions that Serbia has violated the Conventions with genocide committed in Kosovo. “Today is 70th Anniversary of the Geneva Conventions. Serbia violated it with genocide in Kosovo. Around 90% of ethnic Albanians were forced out as refugees and displaced persons. 13,535 were killed, 1230 children among them, including babies and toddlers, while 1,657 still missing,” Hoxhaj wrote on his Twitter account.

KFOR: Security situation in Kosovo is quiet (media)

KFOR spokesman Pio Sabeta told Serbian newspaper Danas that the security situation in Kosovo is quiet. Asked to comment on remarks by Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic that there could be attacks against the Serb community in autumn, Sabeta said: “KFOR is cooperating closely with local and international security organisations. If there is any kind of threat to the security situation, KFOR is ready to implement necessary measures to maintain security in Kosovo.

Political parties battling over Prime Minister post (Zeri)

The paper reports on its front page that although the Kosovo Assembly is expected to be dissolved on August 22, political parties are already making calculations in the event they win the upcoming early general elections. Most parties have already announced their candidates for the post of Prime Minister, and they are adamant that they will not accept any compromises on this issue.

AAK doesn’t rule out coalition with PDK (media)

Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) MP and senior official, Blerim Kuci, during an interview to T7 TV station, did not rule out a possible coalition with the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK). “Anything can happen. In the previous elections, we decided to run alone, but then we changed our position at the last moment, because the Democratic League of Kosovo [LDK] formed a coalition with other parties,” Kuçi said. He also commented on the dialogue with Serbia, arguing that Kosovo President Hashim Thaci should not lead the process. “First, he could be under investigation by the Special Court and lacks legitimacy. Second, Thaci has ties to Erdogan and he should not lead the dialogue,” he added.

“Serbia fears wars, because it got badly burned in Kosovo” (Kallxo)

Kosovo’s outgoing Deputy Minister of the Kosovo Security Force, Burim Ramadani, took to Facebook to write that Serbia has not changed, but it fears war in Kosovo. “Kosovo’s Security Strategy is a strategy of modernism and strengthening of institutions, by making Kosovo aim to become an example state in the region in the field of security, defense, information and diplomacy. So, a strategy of modernism. We have rightfully defined foreign hostile activities (of Serbia and Russia) as the main threat to the security of Kosovo. A few weeks after we endorsed our modernization Strategy, Serbia approved its Milosevician Strategy again. It confirmed again that Serbia has not changed at all, only that now it is afraid to make wars, because it got burned badly in Kosovo. So, the difference between us is conceptual, deep and it is a difference between good and evil. We want to modernize ourselves and the region. The want to return the Milosevician past,” Ramadani wrote.

Tomor Morina’s release confirmed (Klan Kosova)

According to Klan Kosova, Tomor Morina, a former KLA member arrested by authorities of North Macedonia based on an Interpol arrest warrant issued by Serbia, will be released. The news website quotes a relative of Morina as saying that the decision for his release has been made, and it is not certain when will he be released, as the decision for his release has to be sent at the prison where Morina is being held.

Serbia continues building houses in Albanian neighbourhoods in the north (Zeri)

The paper reports in one of its front-page stories that Serbs are building houses in Albanian neighbourhoods in the northern part of Mitrovica despite opposition from Albanians. According to the paper, there is a plan to bring 1,500 Serbs from Serbia, that have never lived in that area before, to the Kroi i Vitakut neighbourhood. The paper also notes that meanwhile, the municipality of Mitrovica North is not issuing permits to Albanian residents to rebuild their houses in the same area.

Lajic: We have lost millions due to the tariff (RTS/RTK)

Serbia’s Minister of Trade, Rasim Lajic, told RTS that due to the lack of export, from 21 November to August, Serbia has lost €280.8 million. He also added that Serbia has gained in the past from export to Kosovo €500 million. “We don’t expect there will be discussions in Kosovo to lift the tariff, because all those who are competing are presenting tariff as their idea and they are using it for the campaign to gain political points,” Lajic said. He added that the United States of America and the European Union are the only ones that could have impact on lifting the imposed tariff.