Assembly approval not a safe bet for EULEX

• Assembly approval not a safe bet for EULEX (Koha)
• EULEX: LDK members have been killed for political motives (Koha)
• Kosovo targeted (Express)
• Thaçi: New coalition, media speculation (Express)
• Expect pressure (Express)
• Hague requests from Thaçi a plan for integration of the north (dailies)
• There is no meeting between Nikolic and Jahjaga (Zëri)
• Dacic: Agreements with Pristina will be implemented (Kosova Sot)
• Reichel: Relations between two Germanies, model for Kosovo, Serbia (Koha)
• Serbs block road between Jarinje and Rudnice (Zëri)

Kosovo Media Highlights

Assembly approval not a safe bet for EULEX (Koha)
Koha Ditore reports on the front page that the future of the EU rule-of-law mission (EULEX) can face a question mark in case leaders of local institutions insist that the Assembly should be the body to approve the mission’s extended mandate. International officials fear that the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) can condition their support for the mission with the implementation of the resolution for early presidential elections.

Unidentified sources told the paper that in order not to leave anything to chance, meetings are being held with LDK officials to get guarantees from them that they will not use EULEX to get back to Thaçi and Jahjaga.

Without LDK and Vetëvendosje, it will be extremely difficult for other parliamentary parties to collect 80 votes that are needed to give legitimacy to the European mission. The easiest solution for the continuation of the mandate of EULEX remains to send a letter from President Jahjaga.

“The mandate will be extended through an exchange of letters between President Jahjaga and Baroness Ashton, which should be approved by the Kosovo Assembly with two thirds of MPs,” Deputy Prime Minister Hajredin Kuçi told the paper.

But if the LDK decides to boycott voting, or in more extreme case to vote against, then securing the necessary 80 votes will not be an easy task.

EULEX: LDK members have been killed for political motives (Koha)
Koha Ditore quotes a report by EULEX as saying that dozen members of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) were murdered in post-war Kosovo only because they were opponents of the PDK. All victims, according to EULEX police, were either members of the LDK or believed to have been connected to the previous Serb regime.

The organized crime investigations unit of EULEX Police has listed tens of murder cases from Xhemajl Mustafa to that of Shaban Manaj, qualifying them as politically-motivated assassinations.

According to investigators, a well-financed organization is behind the murders, murder attempts, beatings and kidnappings.

Kosovo targeted (Express)
Express reports that Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic spent his last day in office campaigning against Kosovo. During a visit to Moscow on Thursday, Jeremic said no government in Belgrade would recognize Kosovo’s independence and that a solution should be sought in the framework of the United Nations and Resolution 1244.

Jeremic is expected to continue this battle in New York in his new capacity – chairman of the UN General Assembly - for which he received support from the Russian diplomacy.

“The UN charter and Resolution 1244 constitute the only international legal base for the resolution of this issue. There is no alternative to dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina. The UN in Kosovo has a mandate that it needs to fulfill,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said after the meeting.

Lavrov also said he does not know if UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon was quoted right when he said that UN does not have any role in dialogue between Pristina and Belgrade. “However, I would start from this point that at the UN no one has shifted away responsibility about the situation in Kosovo and I count that our colleagues in New York are in the position to understand rightfully which is the mandate that they have received from Security Council,” Lavrov said.

Thaçi: New coalition, media speculation (Express)
Kosovo Prime Minister Hashim Thaçi is quoted as saying in Express that the ruling PDK-AKR coalition is stable and that media reports about a new coalition with Haradinaj’s AAK are just speculation. “This is speculation by the media. The coalition is functioning well, it is a good governing team that is producing results on a daily basis,” Thaçi told RTK. The paper notes that AAK officials meanwhile have not ruled out a coalition with PDK as long as Haradinaj would be appointed prime minister.

Hague requests from Thaçi a plan for integration of the north (dailies)
Kosovo Prime Minister Hashim Thaçi met on Thursday with United Kingdom’s Secretary for Foreign Affairs William Hague. A press release issued by Thaçi’s office notes that the meeting focused on excellent relations between the two countries, Kosovo’s integration in the European Union as well as for the process of general reforms in Kosovo.

Thaçi informed Hague about the Kosovo Government’s work in meeting all requirements deriving from the European integration agenda, structural reforms in the economy, policy and legislation. He also expressed the government’s determination to strengthening good, efficient and transparent governance. Thaçi repeated his earlier position that dialogue with Serbia should resume only after previous agreements are implemented.

Hague assured Thaçi that the United Kingdom would continue to support the state of Kosovo, especially on its road to becoming an EU member. He valued the progress achieved and called on Thaçi to continue with the necessary reforms, especially in finding a plan to integrate the Serb community living in the northern part of the country.

Hague also welcomed progress achieved in dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia and highlighted the importance of resuming dialogue in order for both countries to be able to move toward EU membership.

Expect pressure (Express)
Political analysts in Pristina indicate that dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia will resume after signals that the European Union sent following the meeting between Kosovo Prime Minister Hashim Thaçi and EU High Representative Catherine Ashton. Maja Kocijancic, spokeswoman for Ashton, told the media that talks should resume as soon as possible, after the formation of the new government in Belgrade.

Political analyst Shenoll Muharremi said the Kosovo Government will find itself under pressure to resume dialogue. “Don’t forget that the feasibility study will be published in October, and it will lay out Kosovo’s path in the European agenda. Don’t forget that we are in dialogue on visa liberalization and don’t forget that Kosovo is the last country in the region as far as European integration are concerned. Therefore, I don’t see how the Kosovo Prime Minister can insist not to enter dialogue,” Muharremi said.

Shpend Kursani, political analyst with Pristina-based KIPRED research institute, said Thaçi will yield before pressure from the European Union. “The Prime Minister of Kosovo always gave in to pressure,” Kursani said.

There is no meeting between Nikolic and Jahjaga (Zëri)
Zëri reports that the Office of the President of Serbia has ruled out reports that Tomislav Nikolic will meet Kosovo President Atifete Jahjaga in New York during the United Nations General Assembly. A press release issued by Nikolic’s office said he would not meet Jahjaga before a political consensus on Kosovo is reached and that after the formation of the new government in Belgrade Nikolic will meet all parliamentary parties on the Kosovo issue.

Dacic: Agreements with Pristina will be implemented (Kosova Sot)
At the session of the Serbian Parliament, Prime Minister-designate Ivica Dacic said he wants Serbs to build an integral vision for the future and to have a government oriented toward the future and not the past. Dacic said Serbia will not recognize the independence of Kosovo but that agreements reached in dialogue with Pristina need to be implemented.

“The Government of Serbia wants a normal life for all citizens in the territory of Kosovo. Agreements reached in technical dialogue with Pristina need to be implemented. Dialogue should resume at the political level, with the participation of the highest state officials,” Dacic said.

Reichel: Relations between two Germanies, model for Kosovo and Serbia (Koha)
In an interview for Koha Ditore the German Ambassador in Kosovo, Ernest Reichel, said that at this phase, it is not realistic to insist for Belgrade to recognize Kosovo as an independent state. But what can be achieved is establishment of the good neighborly relations. “On how to establish these neighborly relations, without including the international recognition, it should be sought a little in history. For example, there is a model of the relations between the two German states. They had an agreement between each other without including the full international recognition,” said Reichel.

Serbs block road between Jarinje and Rudnice (Zëri)
Around 100 Serbs from Leposavic and Lesak blocked on Thursday the main road from the border with Serbia to the village of Rudnice, where a mass grave is believed to be located. Serbian media reported that Serbs have blocked the road in sign of dissatisfaction with the movement of vehicles which carry commercial goods.

Kosovo Press Headlines

Koha Ditore

Front page
• Assembly approval not a safe bet for the Assembly
• EULEX: LDK members were killed over political motives
• Reichel: Relations between Germanies, model for Kosovo and Serbia
• Cement importers want their losses compensated

Other headlines
• Hague wants from Thaçi a plan to integrate the north (3)
• KDI: Anti-corruption mechanisms, a source of corruption (6)
• Serb groups block Ibër highway near Jarinje (8)

Zëri

Front page
• President forever
• Support for EU integration
• Kosovo bids farewell to its poet
• Calls for war are not serious
• No biometrical ID cards until spring
• Cenaj: Our holes

Other headlines

• Jahjaga and Thaçi in London (2)
• Cyprus is not an obstacle for Kosovo (2)
• No meeting between Nikolic and Jahjaga (2)
• Serbs block Jarinje-Rudnice road (4)
• Rexhepi: Zymberi, the new history of Kosovo (5)

Kosova Sot

Front page
• Judge Suzana Sejdiu manipulates with justice
• Anti-corruption, what a failure
• Ministry of Justice annuls the tender for the third time

Other headlines
• Cyprus supports Serbia, promises to be unbiased to Kosovo (2)
• Salaries to be reviewed by the President (2)
• Hague requests from Thaçi a plan for Serbs in the north (3)
• Dacic says that agreements with Pristina will be implemented (3)
• Serbs of the north block the border in Jarinje again (3)
• Kosovo leader participate at the opening of Olympic Games (4)
• Nikolic rejects meeting with Jahjaga at UN (4)
• Lavrov: the UN is responsible for Kosovo (4)
• EU obliges Kosovo to dialogue (4)
• Albania coordinates with Kosovo regarding UN (4)
• Ban Ki-moon’s visit to Kosovo (10)

Express

Front page
• Millions trade with China
• Kosovo targeted

Other headlines
• Thaçi: New coalition, media speculation (4)
• Nikolic: I will not meet with Jahjaga (5)
• President Jahjaga and Prime Minister Thaçi at Olympic Games opening (5)
• Support from Panariti (6)
• Expect pressure (6)
• Hero honoured (8)
• Decisions of Mimoza (10)

Bota Sot

Front page
• Honoured hero of the effort for the liberation of northern Kosovo
• Albania supports establishment of Kosovo institutions in its entire territory

Other headlines
• Thaçi repeats: No dialogue without implementation of agreements (2)
• President Jahjaga and Prime Minister Thaçi at London Olympic Games (3)
• KSF organizes farewell ceremony for Ambassador Dell (6)
• PTK divided, management celebrated in Duplex, union rejects (9)
• Vetëvendosje sceptical over removal of MTI decision on cement (9)