Former Kosovo’s chief negotiator in the dialogue with Serbia, Edita Tahiri, said that Kosovo and Serbia need to address the issue of their border demarcation and compensation of war damages. In a debate organised today in Mitrovica north the Pristina-Belgrade dialogue, Tahiri said there can be no normalization of relations without Serbia recognising independence of Kosovo.
The Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) candidate for mayor of Istog, Gani Dreshaj, said he plans to appeal against the decision of the Election Complaints and Appeals Panel (ECAP) for a revote in the municipality. Dreshaj, whom the runoff election results showed as winner, said he strongly believes the Supreme Court will overturn ECAP ruling and decide in his favour.
The President of Albania, Ilir Meta, told Klan Kosova that it is important to finally clarify Serbia’s orientation, towards the European Union or Russia. “It appears that Serbia’s orientation is towards EU,” he said. “There is an effort and an insistence to move towards EU and this means a European approach towards neighbors and Kosovo,” Meta said.
The President of Kosovo, Hashim Thaci said Ratko Mladic’s conviction for genocide is important to ensure justice for the victims.
“We think of Srebrenica today. We must also ensure the perpetrators of deeds and promoters of genocidal ideology will continue to pay for the evil they unleashed from Belgrade. Never forget,” Thaci wrote on his Twitter account.
75-year-old Ratko Mladic was sentenced by The Hague Tribunal to life imprisonment, Klan Kosova reports.
Koha quotes reports from the French paper Le Monde saying that a British judge working for the EU rule of law mission in Kosovo (EULEX) has resigned his post citing corruption. “In recent weeks I have reported of several cases of corruption inside the mission. In particular, I have raised the issue of my e-mail being hacked by another EULEX judge. I have asked the British Foreign Office and the EU to send the case to the police. Both refused to support me,” judge Malcolm Simmons is quoted to have said. “EULEX is not a mission to promote rule of law.
Kosovo’s Deputy Prime Minister, Fatmir Limaj, said in a press conference that the state of Israel is ready to invest in Kosovo. Limaj said he met a group of Israeli investors who had concrete development plans amounting to around €100 million. “We had a meeting with serious Israeli investors from the agriculture sector because, as you know, Israel is a leading force in agricultural development so investment here is good news for Kosovo,” Limaj said.
Klan Kosova reported that the New Kosovo Alliance (AKR) has reached a coalition deal with Vetevendosje for runoff elections on 19 November. The actual agreement is expected to be signed between the AKR’s mayoral candidate, Agim Bahtiri, and Faruk Mujka, head of Vetevendosje’s branch in Mitrovica, later today.
Ahmet Isufi, MP from the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK), said that Kosovo should have asked for Serbia’s recognition and compensation of war damages as preconditions for normalization of relations. He said the dialogue process has so far not been transparent and needs to change its format so that there is accountability for agreements reached.
Ulrike Lunacek, outgoing European Parliament rapporteur for Kosovo said that it is good that the issue of survivors of sexual violence is no longer taboo in Kosovo. She said these victims should not keep silent but raise their voice and seek equal treatment in the society. Lunacek praised former Kosovo president Atifete Jahjaga who she said is an example for Kosovo women and Igballe Rugova from the NGO sector who Lunacek said did an outstanding work with women survivors of sexual violence.
Authorities in Belgrade have sent a note of protest to Kosovo institutions after the latter imposed a tax on flour imported from Serbia.