Ban Ki-moon: Tensions risk pace in the Balkans

• Ban Ki-moon: Tensions risk pace in the Balkans (Koha Ditore)
• Ashton: They are impeding us in the north (Koha Ditore)
• Constitutional reform attacked (Koha Ditore)
• Zbogar: The north to be discussed within Kosovo (Koha Ditore)
• Jahjaga: Arrests of Albanians have political motives (Koha Ditore)
• The police will not impede Serbia illegal elections (Koha Ditore)

Kosovo Media Highlights

Ban Ki-moon: Tensions risk pace in the Balkans (Koha Ditore)
In the new report on the situation in Kosovo, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon alarms that tensions and confrontations between communities continue to be a risk to the peace and stability of Kosovo and the region. Regarding the arrests, tension, and aggressive rhetoric, he holds the leaders of Kosovo and Serbia responsible. “Even though Pristina and Belgrade have achieved results in the dialogue in Brussels, as well as progress on their respective European agendas, tensions and confrontations in the field continue to pose a real danger to peace and stability in Kosovo and the region,” says the report that will be debated on 14 May at the UN Security Council.

The UN chief considers that the two most important positive developments in the last four months are the start of the feasibility study for Kosovo by the European Commission and the announcement of Serbia’s candidacy status for EU membership, reports this daily.

Ashton: They are impeding us in the north (Koha Ditore)
The European Union High Representative for Foreign Policies and Security, Catherine Ashton, complained to the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and members of the Security Council about the obstacles that EULEX faces in the north of Kosovo. “EULEX’s approach in the northern part of Kosovo is far from being free, permanent and unconditioned, despite the continuous efforts of the international community,” says the report on the four-month activity of the EU mission, which Ashton sent to the members of the UN Security Council. “Some road blockades, usually guarded by protesters, are still present in the north of Mitrovica and on the main roads in the north of Kosovo, they are impeding EULEX’s access, and in particularly to the official border crossings at gates 1 and 31. The situation changes on a daily bases and remains unpredictable. There are cases when EULEX vehicles cannot reach their destination,” says the report.

Constitutional reform attacked (Koha Ditore)
The leaders of the two parties of the coalition Government and of the two opposition parties have decided that the package of constitutional changes, the result of more than a year of work of the Constitutional Commission, does not reflect the will of parties and their parliamentary groups. As such, it should be replaced by a “reconsidered package,” they said. Such interference in the process of constitutional reform has a direct impact on the delay of presidential elections, says this daily.

Zbogar: The north to be discussed within Kosovo (Koha Ditore)
The European Union Special Representative, Samuel Zbogar, stated that he does not expect any major problem regarding the holding of Serbia’s parliamentarian and presidential elections. In an interview for the Voice of America, Zbogar said that an agreement with the OSCE has been reached to organize elecetions. Speaking about the the north of Kosovo, Zbogar said that this is a political issue which should be discussed within Kosovo, but that Serbia should also be included in the discussions, in order to find a solution.

Jahjaga: Arrests of Albanians have political motives (Koha Ditore)
The President of Kosovo, Atifete Jahjaga, expressed concern regarding the violent action of the Serbian Police in Presevo Valley and arrest of some Albanian youth under the accusation for war crimes.

According to a press release sent to the media, the Office of the President considers that the action entirely politically motivated with the aim to cause insecurity to the Albanian population, by inducing its displacement from their territories, in this part of Serbia, and by denying its legitimate rights.

The police will not impede Serbia illegal elections (Koha Ditore)
If the illegal mayors decide to organize Serbian local elections in Zveçan and Zubin Potok on Saturday, they will be held without interference from Kosovo authorities. Police spokesperson, Besim Hoti, said that that they are considering two options if such elections are to be held: to react in order to prevent them or simply to ignore them. Based on a source from the Government, Koha Ditore reports that they will go with the second option. This daily reports that the illegal representative of Serbs, Marko Jaksic, who has announced the holding of these elections, also does not believe that the police will intervene.