Mayors of municipalities of Pristina region yesterday signed a declaration on promotion of the interethnic dialogue. By signing the declaration mayors of Pristina, Gračanica/Graçanicë, Kosovo Polje/Fushë Kosovë, Štimlje/Shtime, Lipljan/Lipjan and Obilić/Obilliq have pledged for promoting interethnic cooperation and dialogue in those local self-governments.
The Municipalities of Pristina, Gracanica, Shtime/Stimlje, Lipjan/Lipljan, Fushe Kosove/Kosovo Polje and Obilic, with the assistance of the OSCE Mission in Kosovo, signed a declaration today which aims to promote dialogue and cooperation between communities. The head of the OSCE Mission in Kosovo, Jean-Claude Schlumberger, said that such activities promote diversity in municipalities. He said that communities should have the full support of the relevant municipalities.
Spokesman of the OSCE mission in Pristina Senad Šabović said that the consultation on the implementation of Serbian parliamentary elections in Kosovo is on-going. Šabović confirmed that the competent authorities of Serbia sent a request to the OSCE with regards to the elections which should be held on 24 April, stating that he cannot confirm how they will be implemented. There is however, the experience from 2012 and 2014, he said.
The OSCE Mission in Kosovo donated 300 books to the Kosovo Public Safety Academy (KPSA) as part of its support for the academy. The general director of the KPSA, Ismail Smakiqi, welcomed the donation. “This donation is a very special and valuable gift for the KPSA and its students. As a result of the tireless work of its staff and support given by its permanent partners, our academy is on the right track towards fulfilling its vision,” Smakiqi said.
Although Belgrade has not sent a request to the OSCE to organize parliamentary elections in Kosovo, some of the parties have begun preparations for the election campaign.
Officials of the Republic of Serbia claim that parliamentary elections will be held on the territory of Kosovo, but OSCE did not receive a formal request from the Republican Electoral Commission.
Deputy Director of the Serbian government's Office for Kosovo-Metohija (KiM) Dusan Kozarev and Deputy Head of the OSCE Mission in Kosovo Paivi Nikander discussed on Thursday about the current security situation in Kosovo, particularly when it comes to the security of Serbs and other non-Albanians in the province.
Citizens of Kosovo with the right to vote will be able to elect Serbian Parliament MPs. However, to ensure the safety and security of the election process, as in previous years, the OSCE will be included in the process. This agreement was reached during the last round of talks in Brussels, though Pristina unwillingly accepted. However, OSCE officials in Kosovo said that so far no one has approached them with this issue so far: “The OSCE mission supported Republic of Serbia central elections in Kosovo in 2012 and 2014.
The OSCE mission in Kosovo has begun delivering a basic training for 378 former members of the Civilian Protection from northern Kosovo, on the institutional and legal frameworks in Kosovo, including community rights. The six-week training course has been organised upon request of the Kosovo Ministry for Dialogue.
Kosovo Minister for Communities and Return Dalibor Jevtic conveyed concerns to the Ambassador of the OSCE in Kosovo, Jean-Claude Schlumberger, over the recent incidents in returnee communities in Kosovo, especially those in Gorazdevac, Srbobran, Berkovo and the last one in the village of Donji Petric in Klina/Kline municipality. "If we want to move forward towards a better future and coexistence, we need to prevent incidents because only in this way Kosovo can be a safe place for all, regardless of any affiliation.
The OSCE Mission in Kosovo yesterday organized a debate with representatives of NGOs and gender equality offices to discuss gender sensitive reporting in Kosovo media. Representatives of different organisations working on gender equality in Kosovo consider that Kosovo women continue to be misused by the local media. Violeta Kurti-Islami presented a report, which says that gender equality is mainly ignored in Kosovo media. She also criticized the government for not considering the requests of women organisations for advancement of women’s position.