President of Kosovo, Hashim Thaci, called today a meeting of the National Council for European Integration and said that special effort need to be made to finalise the visa liberalization process as quickly as possible. He said that the current situation regarding the inability of the people of Kosovo to travel freely to European countries is “unjustifiable”.
Kosovo Government officials insist that there will be no delays in resubmitting the border demarcation agreement with Montenegro to the Assembly. The ratification process will also require the votes of the MPs from the Serbian List which is at present boycotting Kosovo institutions. The bill requires at least 80 votes in favour to be passed and the ruling coalition faces the prospect of having 11 votes less from the members of the Serbian List. This means that the ruling coalition currently can only muster 73 votes in favour.
Faton Abdullahu, spokesperson of the Prime Minister Isa Mustafa, considers that lack of voting the demarcation of the border between Kosovo and Montenegro impedes strengthening of the peace in the region. “It also means a new, unexpected obstacle on increase of the Euro Atlantic security in the region. By refusing to vote the demarcation, the problem would unavoidably pass where it is not, and where it does not suit us to be – at the inter-state dimension and as consequence, problem of the region as well.
Despite the continuous statements of the government officials that they have the votes of the Serbian List for the agreement on demarcation of the border between Kosovo and Montenegro, representatives of this party state the opposite. Nenad Rasić, Kosovo MP from the Serbian List, said that Kosovo Prime Minister Isa Mustafa’s claims and those of the government spokesperson Faton Abdullahu that the Serbian List would vote the demarcation, are not true. “This is not true,” Rasić said not wanting to comment the matter further.
Kosovo Assembly MP from the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) said that Kosovo is not experiencing its best days when liberalization of visas is concerned. Haliti made these comments during the meeting of the parliamentary committee for Stabilization Association where they spoke about the liberalization of visas and preparations for the second Kosovo-EU meeting which will be held on 23 and 24 November in Brussels.
Kosovo Assembly President Kadri Veseli, said today that the Assembly Presidency has decided that the next Assembly session will be held on Friday and that Trepca bill will be part of the agenda. He said he was confident that the bill will pass. Veseli also said that the border demarcation agreement with Montenegro will be put into vote soon.
Faton Abdullahu, spokesperson of the government of Kosovo, told Telegrafi that re-proceeding of the demarcation at the Assembly will not be delayed. “The Prime Minister Mustafa has just returned from New York, where he stayed for a week. He had many constructive and beneficial meetings including the one with President Obama. The priority of Prime Minister’s agenda is now demarcation and the positive thing is that there is an agreeable and coordinated will of the coalition parties not to prolong this draft-law unjustifiably.
Kosovo Assembly President, Kadri Veseli, today announced that the Assembly Presidency decided to hold the next plenary session on Thursday, 29 September. However, he said, the demarcation agreement with Montenegro is not part of the agenda for Thursday’s session. “Whenever the government submits the demarcation agreement to the Assembly, it will be put into vote. The demarcation agreement should pass. Any action that destabilizes peace, is a violation of sovereignty and our security. We are strongly oriented pro US and NATO,” Veseli said.
Avni Arifi, member of the Presidency of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) today reacted to the statement of Vetëvendosje MP, Albin Kurti, who said that the current demarcation deal might bring war in Kosovo. Arifi said Kurti’s statement only urges the MPs to vote for the current demarcation agreement. “Kurti's threat that voting demarcation agreement means war with Montenegro only urges the MPs to vote this agreement. How can it bring war if those elected by the people vote for it.
Prime Minister of Kosovo, Isa Mustafa, is expected to step up his efforts to resolve the dispute among political parties on the border demarcation agreement with Montenegro as soon as he returns from his trip to the US. Mustafa’s advisor, Faton Abdullahu, said the offer to discuss border demarcation is serious and is aimed at enabling all sides to present their facts. “The invitation should not be viewed or analysed based on who will shift their position, who will return the issue back to the beginning or on other things of such nature. The main thing it to present facts”, said Abdullahu.