Drews: There are arms, drugs and human trafficking in the north

• Drews: There are arms, drugs and human trafficking in the north (dailies)
• Petrovic: Ahtissari package valid for the north (Koha Ditore, Epoka e Re, front pages)
• Hoxhaj: European Union – Kosovo’s national agenda (Koha Ditore – page 4)
• PDK lacking internal unity (Zëri – front page)
• Vetëvendosje “bombards” government ministers with text messages (Zëri – front page)
• Fear from asylum seekers (Express – front page)


Kosovo Media Highlights


Drews: There are arms, drugs and human trafficking in the north (dailies)
In an interview for Deutsche Welle, outgoing KFOR commander Erhard Drews said that the reserve troops of the German-Austrian battalion which will be deployed to Kosovo soon will shoulder the biggest responsibility for the northern part of Kosovo. He added that 95 percent of the Serb population there does not want open conflict. “The troops will be responsible for a large part of the north and will provide security, stability and freedom of movement there,” Drews said.

Asked to comment on the conflict at the northern border crossings, Drews said that is not only about politics. “There is illegal trade of all kinds there – arms, drugs and human trafficking. And when such ‘illegal businesses’ are cut off, that’s when conflict breaks out and there can be victims,” he added.

Petrovic: Ahtissari package valid for the north (Koha Ditore, Epoka e Re)
Kosovo Deputy Prime Minister and leader of Serb Liberal Party Slobodan Petrovic told Koha Ditore that political dialogue with Serbia is the only way to resolve remaining problems between Kosovo and Serbia and added that the north’s issue could also be tackled in talks. “I think that with regards to the north, there should be a discussion in the sense of working out the details on establishing rule of law and reducing crime,” said Petrovic.

However, he stressed that Ahtisaari package is valid for the north but warned of the need to undertake “very cautious steps” there.

In yet another interview today, Petrovic told Epoka e Re that it is time for Kosovo and Serbia to reach out to one another and together strive to become part of the EU. “The north of Kosovo is becoming object of misuse and of bad ideas about partition which are not on anyone’s interest. I am not one of those that support the idea of partition. I think that Belgrade and Pristina should reach out to one another and together go towards Europe,” said Petrovic.

Hoxhaj: European Union – Kosovo’s national agenda (Koha Ditore)
Kosovo Foreign Minister Enver Hoxhaj speaking at the European forum of Albach noted that the Republic of Kosovo is working extremely hard this year to make European Union integration its national agenda.

“We are in the process of closing supervision of independence which will change the nature of our country and our society. We are also working very much to consolidate our internal statehood and for the first time after many years we have started the visa liberalization process and we hope that in the coming months, next year, our citizens will be able to move without visas to Europe, especially our students,” Hoxhaj said.

PDK lacking internal unity (Zëri)
Zëri reports on the front page that while he is trying to win over the trust of opposition parties to start talks with Serbia, Kosovo’s Prime Minister Hashim Thaçi seems to be having problems with building consensus in his own political party. PDK deputy leader Fatmir Limaj has rejected dialogue with former officials of Slobodan Milosevic.

“There should be no talks with the successors of Milosevic’s policy. We have ended our affairs with Serbia in 1999. Kosovo has determined its fate and we have no need to talk to Nikolic,” Limaj said recently. The paper notes that his position is now close to that of two opposition parties, the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) and Vetëvendosje.

Meanwhile, political analysts told the paper that it was demagogy that Thaçi is trying to build overall consensus when he is lacking consensus in his party.

Vetëvendosje “bombards” government ministers with text messages (Zëri)
Zëri reports that the cellular phones of Prime Minister Hashim Thaçi and ministers Besim Beqaj, Bedri Hamza and Mimoza Kusari-Lila, were recently blocked with hundreds of text messages against the process of privatization. Namely, Vetëvendosje officials and activists sent the same text messages to government officials “advising” them not to privatize the Kosovo Post and Telecom, the Kosovo Power Corporation and the Trepça mining complex.

Vetëvendosje activists also said they would block the privatization of the three enterprises by going out on the streets with their families. Sources from Vetëvendosje told the paper that their activists plan to send thousands of text messages and emails on Sunday.

Fear from asylum seekers (Express)
The paper reports that Kosovo institutions are finalizing the report on their capacities to undertake duties from the visa liberalization regime. The report will be submitted to European Commission two weeks before its due date. “On 1 September, report with all accompanying materials, laws, sublegal acts, strategies that are part of the roadmap will be submitted while on 15 September, we will submit another additional part where we will describe recent achievements in the process,” said Besnik Vasolli from the European Integration Ministry.

Interior Minister Bajram Rexhepi is hopeful the subsequent assessment from European Commission will be positive “because we are better than all the countries in the region were, but we have to wait”.

In a recent statement however, Rexhepi said that the only thing that could endanger the visa liberalization process is the large number of Kosovo asylum seekers.

Kosovo Press Headlines

Koha Ditore

Front page
• The Ahtisaari Package is valid for the north
• Drews: Arms, drugs and human trafficking in the north
• CEC in court over public finances
• Nine people injured by firearms in parties in six weeks
• High prices help Customs collect €875 million

Other headlines
• Burns and Perrit proposed for Council of Honors in the US (3)
• Hoxhaj: The European Union – Kosovo’s national agenda (4)
• Long lines in Merdare (6)
• Palokaj: The crucial autumn for the EU (10)
• Murati: The Ahtisaari Package – a bad solution even for the north (11)

Zëri

Front page
• PDK lacking internal unity
• Çitaku: No amnesty for those who delay visa process
• Northern Kosovo, a “paradise” for organized crime
• Vetëvendosje “bombards” government with text messages
• €509 million for 42 kilometers of highway

Other headlines
• Gaxhiq: Pension fund will be returned from Serbia (2)
• LDK: Poverty in Kosovo is getting worse (2)
• Constitutional amendments “challenge” the Assembly (5)

Kosova Sot

Front page
• Saliuka’s illegal machinations discovered
• Editorial: Improvised Albanian tourism
• Foreign policy is irresponsible
• Drews: Arms, drugs and human trafficking in the north
• Tolaj: Jona Med stole funds from the budget and conducted organized crime

Other headlines
• Kosovo’s ambassadors don’t bring foreign investors (2)
• Kacin: Serbia should stop strangling itself and its neighbors (3)
• Feasibility report on visa liberalization to be finalized next week (3)

Epoka e Re

Front page
• Petrovic: Time for reconciliation
• Drews: Arms, drugs and people trafficked in the north of Kosovo
• Çitaku: With quick steps
• Gërxhaliu: Albright and Clark improve Kosovo’s image

Other headlines
• Halimi: We have to be treated like the Serbs in Kosovo (2)
• Serbia with a plan on Kosovo (2)
• Vulin: Allowance for Kosovo will not be removed (2)
• Paulmichl appointed honorary consul in Strasbourg (3)
• Force towards illegal structures, reasonable (7)

Express

Front page
• Gadime cave being destroyed

Other headlines
• Maliqi: Kosovo’s maturing (2)
• Shala: How to normalize Kosovo-Serbia relations (3)
• PNDSH to the opposition: Oppose the dialogue (4)
• Fear from asylum seekers (4)
• LDK: Thaçi Government increased poverty (5)
• Arms, drugs and prostitution (5)
• Hoxhaj continues lobbying (6)
• Belgrade is the problem (6)
• Kosovo with honorary consul in Strasbourg (6)
• Clash over headscarf (7)
• Ramiz’s stunts (10)

Bota Sot

Front page
• In three years, government poured over €1 billion on roads!
• Drews: Arms, drugs and human trafficking in the north
• An international pact between Kosovo and Germany
• Feasibility report on visa liberalization is finalized
• PNDSH: Supervision of Kosovo’s independence is not over

Other headlines
• Vetëvendosje with text messages against privatization (2)
• Krasniqi: God help us! (5)
• Serbian mobile telephony antennas inside the Gracanica church (6)