LOCAL PRESS

 

Vucic receives Botsan-Kharchenko (Tanjug/RTS/RTV)

 

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic received Russian Ambassador to Serbia Aleksandr Botsan-Kharchenko on Tuesday to discuss the present situation in the region, in particular after tensions sparked by Pristina’s unilateral and irresponsible moves aimed at restricting the freedom of movement for Kosovo Serbs. Vucic said it was good that, under pressure from international representatives, Pristina had given up on its initial intent to cause a conflict and plunge the entire region into instability. “Serbia will always be advocating peace and dialogue as the only way to resolve open issues,” Vucic said. Botsan-Kharchenko reiterated Moscow’s position that Pristina’s moves are irresponsible and that any possibility of escalation must be averted, the presidential press office said in a statement. The parties also discussed bilateral relations, which they said were sincerely friendly, as well as joint projects currently underway or under preparation, the statement said.

 

Selakovic: Serbia, Cyprus support each other on key issues (Tanjug/Beta/RTS/RTV)

 

Serbian Foreign Minister Nikola Selakovic said on Monday Serbia and Cyprus were committed to deepen cooperation and expand dialogue in all fields, as well as to maintain consistent and principled mutual support on key issues of state and national interest. Speaking at a joint press conference with Cypriot counterpart Ioannis Kasoulides, Selakovic thanked Cyprus for its support for Serbia's territorial integrity and sovereignty and, in particular, for its understanding for the difficult situation facing Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija and other non-Albanians in the province. He said the discussion with Kasoulides had also addressed efforts Serbia was investing towards a compromise, sustainable and lasting solution to the Kosovo and Metohija issue. Any form of unilateralism is unacceptable, he added. He said the support of countries that advocated respect of international law and, as a result, did not recognize the unilaterally declared independence of the so-called Kosovo, was priceless to Serbia when it comes to continuing the activities related to normalization of Belgrade-Pristina relations. Kasoulides said incidents in Kosovska Mitrovica had demonstrated a spark was more than sufficient to set the region ablaze and noted that Cyprus was hoping the crisis would be solved diplomatically. Selakovic said a joint commitment had been noted at the meeting to maintain and strengthen stability in the Western Balkans and the Eastern Mediterranean. He said the meeting with Kasoulides reaffirmed the excellent bilateral relations and that he expected the Cypriot FM to visit Serbia soon and a Serbia-Cyprus business forum to be held. He said the discussion had reaffirmed a relationship of traditional friendship, closeness and solidarity between the two brotherly peoples and demonstrated a resolve of the two sides to work, through further activities, to make bilateral relations even better and more substantial in the future. He thanked Cyprus for its continued and consistent support for Serbia's EU integration, which he said was one of Serbia's top foreign policy priorities. Selakovic also said that, together with Cyprus and other countries in the region, Serbia was working on boosting cooperation in energy, in particular in the context of energy diversification. Serbia is interested in expanding its economic cooperation with Cyprus, Selakovic said, noting that the volume of bilateral trade and economic turnover had risen by 30.3 pct between January and end-May.

 

Selakovic: Unilateral actions unacceptable, Serbia to triumph

Selakovic said on Monday that, if there were negotiations as a diplomatic way of resolving issues between Belgrade and Pristina, unilateral actions that were met with modest reactions, rather than with firm condemnation, were unacceptable, and noted that he believed that reason, and Serbia, would triumph. Speaking at a joint press conference with Cypriot counterpart Ioannis Kasoulides in Nicosia, Selakovic said the situation in Kosovo and Metohija was now slightly calmer but remained fragile, in particular because "someone has established unilateralism as the key principle for solving problems". "If we have negotiations as a diplomatic way of solving all issues that exist between Belgrade and Pristina or normalizing the communication and the situation, then it is not normal, appropriate or acceptable to have unilateral actions that are met with only modest reactions by some states, without any substantial or firm condemnation," Selakovic said. He noted that Kosovo Serbs had been banned from voting in a 16 January Serbian referendum on constitutional amendments and in the 3 April presidential and parliamentary elections. "Those were all unilateral decisions," Selakovic said. He said the present situation was not only about ID cards and vehicle registration plates, but about "the manner of behavior". "If someone is really focused on seeking a peaceful solution to all existing issues, then they should not be acting in the way they were acting last night and I firmly believe reason will triumph, which means that Serbia will triumph," Selakovic concluded.

 

Petkovic: We were one step from serious conflict (Beta/Politika)

 

Petar Petkovic, the Head of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija, has accused Pristina of causing "a very serious crisis" and said that the situation in northern Kosovo was "one step away from serious conflict" late on Sunday. Petkovic told an extraordinary news conference at the Serbian government headquarters that Pristina had planned to deploy over 100 members of the Regional Operations Support Units and dozens of vehicles in northern Kosovo. "It doesn't say anywhere that Serbs have to give up Serbian identity cards and Kosovo and Metohija license plates. This two-day agony shows the depth of the militancy of the man at the helm in Pristina and how dangerous Kurti is," Petkovic said, warning Pristina not to "even think of entering northern Kosovo with long guns." "President Aleksandar Vucic has been calling on the Quint representatives to act throughout all this. He spoke with representatives of the EU, Russia, and tomorrow he'll speak to the general secretary of NATO," Petkovic said, stressing that there was no alternative to the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue. He announced that Belgrade would continue to issue identity cards and license plates to Kosovo Serbs, stressing that this "violated no agreements" and was in line with "our own Constitution and law".

 

Jarinje, Brnjak border crossings open, traffic back to normal (N1)

 

The Kosovo Police (KP) said Monday evening that the Jarinje and Brnjak borders crossings are open to traffic. According to the official information obtained from police administrations and the regional directorate of North Mitrovica, all the barricades on the roads leading to the two border crossing points, Jarinje and Brnjak, have been removed and traffic has been restored, said the KP.

 

Stano: EU has invited Belgrade, Pristina to Brussels meeting (Tanjug)

 

EU spokesperson Peter Stano said on Monday the EU had invited Belgrade and Pristina to a meeting in Brussels. In a statement to Tanjug, Stano said the EU was watching the situation in the north of Kosovo closely and with concern. He urged the parties involved to remain calm and noted that any "uncoordinated and unilateral actions" threatening stability and security on the ground and obstructing freedom of movement must stop. He said the EU had invited both sides to meet in Brussels to discuss the way forward after Pristina had accepted demands by EU foreign policy and security chief Josep Borrell and the US to postpone measures regarding vehicle registration plates and ID cards, on condition that all barriers in the north of Kosovo were removed. Dialogue and talks are the only way to resolve disputes, Stano said. He said the EU remained in close contact with Pristina and Belgrade with the aim of reducing tensions, in close cooperation with EULEX, KFOR and international partners - the US in particular. He urged a re-focus on "comprehensive normalization of relations between Kosovo and Serbia", which he said was substantial for European integration of the two sides. He said Borrell's proposal had been that the implementation of Pristina's measures be postponed and that a meeting be held in Brussels in the meantime to discuss the way forward.

 

Kremlin fully supports Belgrade in dispute with Kosovo (Beta)

 

Moscow fully supports Belgrade’s “constructive position” in the latest Kosovo situation, a spokesperson for Kremlin Dmitry Peskov said on Monday. “We absolutely support Serbia, and are close to the Serbs in Kosovo. We believe these are totally unreasonable requests (by the authorities in Kosovo for the issuance of documents). Thank God, the situation didn’t escalate overnight, but the problem was just postponed for a month,” Peskov said answering a journalist’s question. Kremlin’s spokesman said that it’s very important that all sides exercised caution. “We support Belgrade’s peaceful and constructive position, shared by the Serbian president, calling for peace and constructive actions in this context. We believe that the states that have recognized Kosovo, and are the guarantors, should warn the authorities in Kosovo not to take any ill-thought-out steps that might lead to new escalations,” Peskov said

 

REGIONAL PRESS

 

Dodik reacts to developments in Kosovo: We in RS fully and strongly support Serbian leadership in their efforts to deescalate situation (ATV) 

 

Reacting to the most recent developments in Kosovo, B&H Presidency member Milorad Dodik wrote on his Twitter account that Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti’s “unilateral and irresponsible moves’’ have endangered safety of Serbs in Kosovo, and Serbia, under the United Nations Security Council (UN SC) Resolution 1244, has the right to defend safety of Serbs in Kosovo. “We in RS fully and strongly support Serbian leadership in their efforts to deescalate the situation and find a peaceful solution through dialogue, protecting the rights of Serb people. It is absolutely clear that the rights of Serbs in Kosovo, like our rights in the RS, are violated under political pressures and that the international community continues to apply double standards when it comes to Serbs. Everything is the same as in the past, but one thing is different – ‘Oluja’ will never happen to Serbs again, anywhere”, wrote Dodik on his Twitter account. Commenting on the latest developments in Kosovo, Vice President (VP) of PDP Jelena Trivic said that the decision of Kosovo Prime Minister (PM) Albin Kurti returned the history wheel backwards. Trivic said: “We send brotherly support to our people in Kosovo, we send brotherly support to authorities of the Republic of Serbia, we sent brotherly support to all jeopardized Serb(ian)s and unfortunately, there are many of them on all sides.”

 

Izetbegovic: We have friends in the east and west and together we will direct HR Schmidt in regards to solutions for B&H Election Law (FTV) 

 

President of SDA Bakir Izetbegovic stated another shocking message during a party rally in Hadzici last week. Namely, Izetbegovic said that they have friends in the east and west and together they will direct High Representative Christian Schmidt in regards to the solutions for the B&H Election Law. He does not believe that party leaders in the Federation of B&H (FB&H) will be able to reach an agreement within the deadline given by Schmidt and expects that changes will be imposed using Bonn Powers. Izetbegovic said that they can influence the final decision through lobbying in the east and west. He reminded that President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan is to visit B&H on September 9 and it is possible to direct the things with the help of friends. BHT1 reported that an agreement on changes to the B&H Election Law was not reached over the past eight years asking is it real to expect this in the next two months. According to BHT1, even those who are part of this game are not optimistic and disagreements and their own interests are still in the game. This is why analysts believe the scenario of imposed Bonn Powers is more likely to happen than a deal of politicians. Commenting on an agreement of parties about changes to the B&H Election Law, Izetbegovic stated that they “cannot prevent, but they can cure”. Speaking about prevention, he mentioned clearly-defined boundaries because HR Schmidt will most likely “impose something.” He is optimistic when it comes to influence on the definitive decision of the OHR but he is pessimistic about political parties reaching an agreement on their own. According to Izetbegovic, it is impossible to demand from them to solve this issue during the pre-election period. Izetbegovic said that in the current inflammatory situation ahead of the elections it is impossible to resolve the issues that failed to be calmly resolved in the past two years, noting that Schmidt expects impossible things from political leaders.

 

Becirovic: Covic and HDZ must realize there will never be third entity in B&H (Dnevni list) 

 

Candidate of united opposition for member of the Presidency of B&H and delegate in the House of Peoples (HoP) of B&H Denis Becirovic (SDP B&H) reacted on Monday to threats with “institutional and territorial reorganization” of B&H, which were made by Dragan Covic and HDZ B&H. Becirovic stated that Covic and HDZ must finally realize that a third entity will never be formed in B&H. “We will never allow formation of ethnically clean administrative units, which would be a dangerous step towards division of B&H. Never! Instead of dreaming dreams of their role models who were sentenced for the Joint Criminal Enterprise before the International Tribunal in The Hague, Covic and HDZ should finally deal with life problems of citizens”, said Becirovic and added that calls to institutional and territorial reorganization represent a dangerous threat to stability of the country and its rule of law. Becirovic added that young people and experts are leaving the country thanks to “synchronized warmongering messages of other officials of regime parties”. Becirovic concluded by saying that “stances of most important factors of the international community, such as the OHR, the EU Office to B&H, Embassies of the US, Germany and Great Britain and others are sending a clear message to citizens of B&H. In October 2022, we will send politics of apartheid, discrimination and hate to past”.

 

Other FB&H politicians comment on reaching of solution to B&H Election Law (BHT1) 

 

Leader of SDP B&H Nermin Niksic said that the High Representative Christian Schmidt clearly emphasized that following the elections, he expects from them to assume responsibility and to talk and reach solutions because this is a condition for B&H to join the EU. NS MP Predrag Kojovic assessed that in his opinion, they cannot reach any agreement within the defined deadline, arguing that opening of this topic during the pre-election campaign actually encourages nationalists. According to NiP leader Elmedin Konakovic, he does not believe that political leaders can agree on the electoral reform, which is why imposing of a decision that would lead to implementation of the ruling in the Ljubic case can be expected.

 

Cubrilovic: RS parliament paves way for return of RS competences, we demand only what belongs to us (Glas Srpske) 

 

The daily interviewed speaker of the RS parliament Nedeljko Cubrilovic who said that the current convocation of the RS parliament paved a way for return of RS competences. He added that they should not expect this process to end in a year or two, but this is no longer a taboo and they do not demand anything that goes beyond the Constitution of B&H. Cubrilovic stated: “The RS acts in a legal way and its institutions demand application of the law, with respect for the Constitutions of the RS and B&H.” According to Cubrilovic, this convocation of the RS parliament has made this institution be more visible and made it clear that it is impossible to reach any final decision without the stance of the RS parliament. Cubrilovic said: “In line with the Constitution, the RS is a guardian of competences and interests of the constituent Serb people and the RS within B&H.” Commenting on work results of the RS parliament in the past four years, Cubrilovic stated that this convocation worked the most – compared to others in B&H – but they could have done way more. Asked about one-third of RS MPs who switched their party ranks during the past four years, Cubrilovic said that these things happen everywhere although the number was quite high this time in the RS parliament and this does not really show stability. Cubrilovic assessed that he does not think that the people changed something in terms of ideology arguing that this also proves democracy in the RS parliament. He mentioned open lists that do not limit MPs to stay in one political party until end of their mandate. Asked should this be stopped within changes to the B&H Election Law, Cubrilovic stated: “Changes to the B&H Election Law unfortunately, failed. The law is not good and we should work on it and the most important thing is that peoples in B&H are represented – via elections – in a way that the state community of B&H is defined. I am also afraid of these new dimensions of authorities of the B&H Central Election Commission (CEC). They were given way too big responsibility, the CEC was set above the law and the Constitution. I get the impression that High Representative (HR) and the CEC can perform executive function. The CEC being above any legislative body is unacceptable.” Commenting on the fact that the Constitutional Court (CC) of B&H annulled some decisions of the RS parliament, Cubrilovic assessed that the CC is a political institution adding that some of their decisions are ridiculous while most of them are not respected which in his opinion, tells us about their quality. Cubrilovic: “That court can annul anything, but what happens after that? Nothing.” Speaking about the atmosphere in B&H ahead of the elections in October, Cubrilovic said that HR Christian Schmidt and a big part of the international community directly got involved in the elections and they act as fans and they favor some options which in his opinion, does not go in anyone’s favor. He underlined: “I am afraid of a situation of not being able to form authorities like it was at the level of the FB&H in the past four years or in earlier in Mostar. I believe that the RS will again be efficient and that the RS authorities will be formed very fast. I refer to functioning of state community and all institutions.”

 

Bakalar: Technical changes are implementable although it is not wise to change the rules during a match (Dnevni list) 

 

Member of the Central Election Commission (CEC) of B&H Zeljko Bakalar commented on technical changes to the Election Law imposed by HR Christian Schmidt. Bakalar said, among other issues, that he was surprised with the timing of Schmidt’s intervention given the fact the elections have already been called. According to Bakalar, it is true the CEC was consulted and that the CEC was consulted to tell the HR from expert point of view what is implementable at this moment. “When elections are called, it is not popular or wise to change the election rules, however some of these parts, which were part of decision imposed by Schmidt, were in the CEC’s opinion implementable”, said Bakalar adding that rules of the game are not changed during a match.

 

Plenkovic: It seems to me that events in Kosovo were less tense than it seemed (Hina) 

 

Croatia is for peace and dialogue in Kosovo, Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic said.

As for Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Kosovo, the issue of license plates has been on the agenda for a long time. We appeal for peace and dialogue, that is our general policy and I think we should persist in it, Plenkovic said during his visit to Imotski. He also said that he thought "it was actually less tense there than it looked".

 

Plenkovic: Croatian government always stands by Croats in B&H, I hope next moves of HR Schmidt will ensure at least minimum equality of Croats after elections (Hina) 

 

Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic stated on Monday that the Croatian government always stands by the Croats in B&H and expressed hope that the next moves of High Representative (HR) Christian Schmidt will move in the direction of ensuring at least the minimum equality of Croats after the general elections. Plenkovic added that the orchestrated pressures of political parties through protests in Sarajevo and the threats that Schmidt experienced certainly did not contribute to the HR making a such decision a few days ago. The Croatian Prime Minister pointed out that Croatia "projects stability both as a member of the EU and NATO" and that it is a country that has solved all its national tasks. Plenkovic also said that the Croatian Government strongly stands by Croats in B&H but not in way to insult Schmidt and – as Plenkovic said – to distract him with insults, like the one coming from Croatian President Zoran Milanovic, from reaching a decision to the benefit of Croats. Plenkovic said that (SDA leader) Bakir Izetbegovic has openly admitted he conducted negotiations (on electoral reform) in bad faith and that Izetbegovic conducted the negotiations in order to maintain status quo. “It is unacceptable and I think it is not politically smart for him”, said Plenkovic.

 

Abazovic rejects all objections to Agreement with SPC (CdM) 

 

Prime Minister Dritan Abazovic has rejected all the remarks and suggestions addressed to the text of the Agreement that Montenegro is supposed to sign with the Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC). This results from the legal analysis that Abazovic’s cabinet has submitted to the media today. His Cabinet has stated that those who believe that such an agreement is not adequate can check its validity before the competent courts. “Incorrectly, it is suggested that in the preamble the state ‘refers’ to canon law as directly binding, in such a way that the competent state authorities implement, execute and apply it”, the legal analysis states, among other things. The analysis points out that the issue of regulating relations with SPC long ago left the professional sphere and has become an oversized political issue. Abazovic’s cabinet says that it is time to “dedicate ourselves completely to life issues for the benefit of all citizens of Montenegro”.

 

Mickoski: Because of Pendarovski and Kovacevski, what we had to negotiate with Bulgaria is now on the negotiating table with entire EU (Kanal 5) 

 

The leader of VMRO-DPMNE Hristijan Mickoski, in an interview with TV Kanal 5 television, says that because of the SDSM government Dimitar Kovacevski and the President of the state Stevo Pendarovski brought what should have been on the negotiating table with Bulgaria to be on the negotiating table with the entire EU. The agreement is being negotiated at a different table than the European one. No one is saying that the agreement should not be negotiated. At least no politician in Macedonia says that there is no need to negotiate with Bulgaria. But the problem is that we have now brought those negotiations to the common table with European negotiations. That is the essence, because at one table you will negotiate about the environment, the economy, education, health, and at another table you will negotiate about the Middle Ages, about Samuil’s state. If you don’t agree on this, there is not point to agree on education, on the economy and on the environment, and on the rule of law and everything, if you don’t agree with what the Bulgarian historians will impose is a general fact, he said. When asked if he thinks that Bulgaria can block us again, Mickoski said absolutely, adding that this was also said by Stevo Pendarovski himself during yesterday’s interview with TV Kanal 5.

 

The tense situation in the north of Kosovo; Rama reacts for the first time (Radio Tirana) 

 

Prime Minister Edi Rama and his Spanish counterpart Pedro Sanchez held a joint conference at the Prime Minister's Office. During the conference, Rama reacted for the first time to the tensions in the north of Kosovo. He said that Kosovo has the right to implement reciprocity agreements and called on the Serbian presidency not to justify the actions of certain groups in the north of Kosovo. "We talked about Kosovo, it is known that Spain has a different position for reasons that are related to Spain itself and have nothing to do with any discrimination or prejudice against the Albanian community in Kosovo and their rights, but we have discussed especially in the context of a situation that escalated completely unreasonably late last night, since the government of Kosovo has the right and the duty to implement the agreements by exercising the territorial sovereignty that originates from an independence in the administration of the state and the agreements agreed with the other party are agreements to be implemented. We welcome the 30-day postponement of the implementation of this agreement. I call on the authorities in Belgrade not to provide any excuses or alibi to certain groups in the north of Kosovo who, for their own reasons, oppose the implementation of an agreement", said Rama. Rama said in a 1 August comment on new tensions in the north of Kosovo that he supported the government of Kosovo 100 percent, urging the Serbian president not to “give excuses to certain groups in the north of Kosovo.” Rama underscored that the Kosovo government had made the right decision to use reciprocity, and then to postpone it by 30 days, and that in such situations Kosovo could choose between two paths; one is war, and the other is to join the Open Balkans Initiative. “Situations like this do not suggest that the Open Balkans Initiative is useless or wrong. They also don’t suggest that our approach to Serbia and a policy of building ties are unnecessary. These situations show why the Open Balkans is needed. It’s the reason why Kosovo should come and sit at the Open Balkans table,” Rama said. The Albanian PM urged the Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic not to give excuses to certain groups in the north of Kosovo, which for their own reasons are opposed to the implementation of the agreement that must be implemented. It’s a valid agreement supposed to lend more credibility to the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue,” Rama said.

 

Sanchez supports the integration of Albania into EU (Radio Tirana) 

 

The Prime Minister of Spain Pedro Sanchez, during the joint conference with Edi Rama, while supporting the integration of Albania, said that the EU cannot be understood without the Balkans. According to him, the EU is not just a club of countries but a community of values ​​and principles. So, Sanchez also stopped at the Russian aggression in Ukraine, which according to him has caused uncertainty about the continuity of electricity supply. "I wish that Albania's path towards the EU will be successful. The EU cannot be understood without the Balkans. I think it is a positive idea that, apart from the accession processes, the idea of ​​creating this European community is good because this way we will be able to establish this relationship on a political level. We see with interest this positive dynamic that is generated between countries that want to enter the EU and are already in the EU. The Union is not just a club of countries, but a community of values ​​and principles. We can all enter. We need to apply common rules to achieve these goals. The aggression in Ukraine has affected many things, it has caused suffering for people and uncertainty about how the electricity supply will continue. It is important that European countries are united, determined to protect our values ​​and territorial integrity. The sanctions are not intended to harm the Russian people, but to reverse the course of the war. We support the integration of all Western Balkan countries into the EU and Albania is one of the main countries on this path. We wish you to continue on this path, in this fight to finish all the reforms that will unite you with the EU and improve your life", said Sanchez.

 

President Begaj telephone conversation with Vjosa Osmani: Open issues between Kosovo and Serbia can only be addressed through dialogue (Radio Tirana) 

 

President Bajram Begaj had a telephone conversation with his Kosovo counterpart Vjosa Osmani. The situation in the north of Kosovo was the focus of the conversation, while Begaj emphasized that "Kosovo is already an irreversible political reality, contributing to peace and stability in the region and its sovereignty remains inviolable". During the conversation with the Kosovo counterpart, the President welcomed the matured decision that the Kosovo authorities took in close cooperation and coordination with international partners, to postpone the implementation of the decision of reciprocity with Serbia on the issues agreed earlier. The head of state underlined that the decision avoided a serious provocation for the stability of Kosovo, especially in this situation laden with threats and increased risks, for the peace and security of our region after the Russian aggression in Ukraine. The President of the Republic underlined that Kosovo is already an irreversible political reality, contributing to peace and stability in the region and its sovereignty remains inviolable. The President of the Republic said that he joins the call of NATO allies and international partners for the continuation of the dialogue mediated by the European Union, for the normalization of relations between Kosovo and Serbia. "Only through a constructive and intensive dialogue will it be possible to properly address all open issues between Kosovo and Serbia. Albania will continue to contribute with all its possibilities and capacities to the preservation of peace and stability in the region, as well as to strongly support the continuation of the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia," underlined President Begaj during the telephone conversation with President Osmani.

 

Xhacka: The government of Kosovo showed maturity, it has the right to exercise its sovereignty in every cm of the territory (Radio Tirana) 

 

Kosovo has the right to exercise its sovereignty in every centimeter of its territory and that by postponing the decision on reciprocity the government of Pristina showed maturity. That is the statement issued by the Foreign Minister of Albania Olta Xhacka in a reaction to the situation created in the north of Kosovo. "The decision to postpone reciprocity regarding the Kosovo-Serbia border crossing, after consultations with strategic partners USA & EU, is a welcome act of patience and maturity by the government of Kosovo. Kosovo has every right to exercise its sovereignty over every square centimeter of its territory. All the actors involved in the destabilizing acts of the last 24 hours must be held accountable for their criminal acts. We stand by Kosovo and call on all our partners and allies to speak with one voice, against the growing rhetoric and threats of violence against Kosovo", wrote Xhacka.

 

Nikolla reacts to the tensions in the North of Kosovo (Radio Tirana) 

 

The speaker of the Assembly Lindita Nikolla has reacted to the tensions in the North of Kosovo and the decision of the government of Kosovo to postpone the implementation of the reciprocity agreement until 1 September. "We fully support the right of Kosovo to exercise its sovereignty like any other independent country. We also welcome the decision taken in coordination with strategic partners, the USA and the EU, to postpone the implementation of reciprocity by 30 days. At the same time, we call for the perpetrators of destabilizing actions to be held accountable before the law and for an end to the threatening rhetoric against Kosovo that only escalates the situation. Dialogue is the only way to solve problems", writes Nikolla.