Kosovo’s Deputy Prime Minister, Branimir Stojanovic, said he will ask NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenerg for NATO and KFOR to do everything in their power to make sure that there are no incidents in the northern part of Kosovo. “I will discuss with him the situation on the ground. NATO and KFOR must do their job and make sure that nothing will happen to us. We will present our concerns to him,” Stojanovic told Radio Television of Serbia. “I hope the international community will do everything to prevent incidents because no one wants chaos”.

In a visit to the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) offices, Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama said the detention of Ramush Haradinaj by French authorities on an arrest warrant issued by Serbia is “completely unnecessary” and that that both the governments of Albania and Kosovo are working on making sure Serbia’s arrest warrants against Kosovo leaders are revoked.

A group of about 100 local Serb residents protested today in Mitrovica North against demolition of the wall erected by municipal leadership. Protesters marched towards the Iber River bridge to express their discontent with the prospect of the wall being removed. The protest ended peacefully.

Nataliya Apostolova, head of the European Union Office in Kosovo, said today that no agreement has been reached yet on the Mitrovica wall. Apostolova wrote on her Twitter account: “would be happy to have agreement on Mitrovica wall, but this is still not the case. Discussions continue & and I hope solution will be found soon”.

Serbian Minister of Labour, Aleksandar Vulin, has not been permitted to enter Kosovo, confirmed for the news website the advisor to Kosovo’s Foreign Minister Enver Hoxhaj, Bashmir Xhemaj. Vulin was scheduled to visit Kosovo today.

Representatives of three opposition parties – Vetevendosje, the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK), Initiative for Kosovo (NISMA) – held a press conference today where they called for the halt of dialogue with Serbia. They said Prime Minister Isa Mustafa and President Hashim Thaci have no credibility to lead talks without the consent of the Kosovo Assembly. “How is it possible for the country’s leaders to make compromises for Kosovo on their own without asking us, the Assembly, the opposition. In fact, we heard of the meeting from the media,” said Vetevendosje’s Glauk Konjufca.

The lawyer for AAK leader Ramush Haradinaj, Arianit Koci, responded to the statements of the Serbian war crimes prosecutor Milan Petrovic that his client will be handed over to the specialist chambers by calling them untrue and speculations. Koci recalled the statement of the special court spokesperson, Avis Benes, earlier in the month saying that Haradinaj was not detained in France on the mandate of the Kosovo Specialist Chambers. “We also heard from Ms.

Head of AAK parliamentary group, Pal Lekaj, said that continuing denial of justice to the party leader Ramush Haradinaj means growing danger for Kosovo. “Ramush’s detention and Serbia’s actions show us that we are not in a situation to continue bearing any more this government in Kosovo which allows Serbia to continue battling us,” said Lekaj. He added: “Patience is running thin and where there is injustice there can be no peace.”

Kosovo’s Deputy Minister of Local Government and Administration, Bajram Gecaj, said that the agreement on border demarcation with Montenegro cannot be ratified without the votes from Serbian List MPs. “We also have some MPs from the ruling coalition that have opposed this agreement but the Government of Kosovo has initiated the setting up of a professional commission for resolving demarcation,” said Gecaj.

Kosovo Assembly President Kadri Veseli said today that the situation regarding Serbia’s train was an “artificial provocation” and urged the people of Kosovo to have more faith in their institutions. “The situation is serious but people should feel safe. They should not feel threatened. We will not allow Serbia’s walls and trains in Kosovo,” Veseli said after the meeting of the Kosovo Assembly presidency. He also said that the Mitrovica North wall will be taken down. “I am not sure whether on 1 or 17 February but it will most definitely be demolished,” Veseli said. “The wall is artificial.