Dubrovnik meeting without effects on Kosovo-Serbia relations

• Dubrovnik meeting without effects on Kosovo-Serbia relations (dailies)
• EU will be more rigorous than ICO (Koha Ditore)
• Jahjaga: I will meet Nikolic only as President of Kosovo (dailies)
• Kuçi to resume Government functions? (Zëri)
• LDK backs down (Zëri)
• Krasniqi: Responsibility for Jahjaga’s election rests with leaders (dailies)
• Zbogar reacts towards the killing of Serb couple (Zëri)
• No to the idea of EULEX being included in the Constitution (Express)


Kosovo Media Highlights


Dubrovnik meeting without effects on Kosovo-Serbia relations (dailies)
Koha Ditore reports that foreign diplomats did not hesitate to evaluate the meeting between Kosovo Prime Minister Hashim Thaçi and former Serbian President Boris Tadic as late, while political analysts see this as a preparation for a meeting between President of Kosovo Atifete Jahjaga and of Serbia, Tomislav Nikolic. Thaçi-Tadic meeting has been perceived in Pristina as a courteous gesture, while in Belgrade it has been called a private meeting not in line with the Serbia’s state interest.

Zëri quotes reports from Croatian media in saying that the meeting between Thaçi and Tadic was a result of powerful pressure from the US. According to Vecernji List, Kosovo PM Thaçi, despite suggestions from the US officials, rejected the idea of meeting former Serb President Tadic outside the summit’s facilities.

At the same time, the Croatian paper has quoted Austrian Foreign Minister Michael Spindelegger as saying that it is a bit too late for the symbolic meeting between Tadic and Thaçi. He however added that it is good when leaders sit and discuss the future of their countries.

EU will be more rigorous than ICO (Koha Ditore)
Koha Ditore writes that the state of Kosovo will continue to be supervised and to be corrected from close up. According to the French ambassador to Kosovo Jean Francois Fitou, this will not be done anymore by the International Civilian Office (ICO) but by European Union.

In an interview for the paper, Fitou has warned that the regulations and limitations imposed by the EU will be more difficult than those which have been applied so far by ICO. “The end of supervision also has another aspect. Kosovo is getting closer to the EU. And this approximation means many limitations, means putting on a jacket tailored beforehand. When you want to become a member in the EU, you should stick to the rules, you cannot do anything you like. In the EU has rules, compromises are needed there,” said Ambassador Jean Francois Fitou.

The French official called on Kosovo Government to reach out to the citizens in the north and discuss with them the content of Ahtisaari Package. According to him, whatever name used for the document, Ahtisaari Plan gives every right which is needed for the north.

Jahjaga: I will meet Nikolic only as President of Kosovo (dailies)
Kosovo President, Atifete Jahjaga, told the Novi Sad daily Dnevnik that she would never want to personally meet the new President of Serbia, Tomislav Nikolic but is ready to meet him only as a President of Republic of Kosovo. “We as the only legitimate and legal leaders of our states can talk by expressing the will of our citizens. Find a solid and sustainable solution through these talks which would mean peace and stability in the region,” said Jahjaga.

“We want the new Serbian leaders accept the reality and as soon as possible recognize Republic of Kosovo and as two neighbouring countries establish diplomatic relations and cooperate on the path of Euro-Atlantic integration,” said Jahjaga further.

Kuçi to resume Government functions (Zëri)
Former Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Justice Hajredin Kuçi may very soon return to his two government posts he resigned from two weeks ago, the paper writes quoting sources. In fact, Kuçi’s ‘return’ may happen early this week. “After the dropping of the two articles from the Penal Code, he has no reason not to return to his government posts,” the source said.

LDK backs down (Zëri)
The paper reports that the largest opposition party Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) is expected to withdraw from the ‘battle’ with President of Kosovo Atifete Jahjaga if she decides to remain in her post until the official end of mandate. A senior LDK official told the paper that the party is not sticking to the position that it will block the election and constitutional reform in casa Jahjaga fails to respect the three-party agreement that enabled her to become president. “I don’t believe the LDK will block the election and constitutional reform as it threatened to do several days ago,” said the unnamed official.

Krasniqi: Responsibility for Jahjaga’s election rests with leaders (dailies)
Assembly Speaker Jakup Krasniqi said that the responsibility for election of Atifete Jahjaga to head the state falls with the political party leaders who signed the agreement but also with the President herself. Krasniqi said that if an agreement is not respected in entirety, it risks the amendment of the Constitution process.

Zbogar reacts towards the killing of Serb couple (Zëri)
Zëri reports that the head of European Union Office and the EU Special Representative in Kosovo, Samuel Zbogar, has reacted today in connection with the murder of Serb couple, Milovan and Lilljana Jevtic. “I have learned with great concern about the murder of Kosovo Serb couple in Ferizaj on Friday evening. It is essential this crime is investigated in the right way, clarify the circumstances and the motive and apprehend the perpetrators,” said Zbogar.

No to the idea of EULEX being included in the Constitution (Express)
Express reports that opposition parties and constitutional experts insist on EULEX’s future mandate not being part of Constitution of Republic of Kosovo. According to the experts, such a thing would constitute an unseen precedent. Furthermore, opposition says that EULEX derives its mandate from European Union which as an entity has not recognized Republic of Kosovo.


Kosovo Press Headlines

Koha Ditore

Front page
• EU will be more rigorous than ICO
• Meeting in Dubrovnik without effect on Kosovo-Serbia relations
• Jahjaga: I will meet Nikolic only as president
• Governments lost meaning to “Nations Road”

Other headlines
• Kusari-Lila’s decision outside any possible perception (4)
• Happy fire not tradition of Albanians (5)
• Palokaj: Thaçi-Tadic, late or futile handshake? (10)
• Krasniqi: Albanians and their neighbours, 100 years later (11)

Zëri

Front page
• EU, with double standards for Kosovo
• Mimoza’s selectiveness
• Jahjaga, ready to meet Nikolic
• LDK backs down

Other headlines
• Zbogar reacts against the killing of a Serb couple (2)
• Responsibility for Jahjaga’s election falls on leaders (2)
• Tadic did not represent Serbia in Croatia (2)
• Serbs of the north to protest today (4)
• Spindelegger: Tadic is late... (4)
• Hoxhaj met Croatian counterpart, Pusic (4)
• Americans intervened for Thaçi-Tadic meeting (5)
• Kuçi to return to the Government? (5)
• SNC warns Belgrade: Do not dissolve Ministry for Kosovo (8)

Kosova Sot

Front page
• Commodity for incompetent judges and prosecutors
• Mustafi’s arrest hides millions of euro
• Jahjaga ready to meet Nikolic
• The north, nest of illegal Serb telephony
• Editorial: Dismissal or resignation

Other headlines
• Serbia, with nationalistic contaminated legacy (2)
• Thaçi-Tadic meeting with American intervention (2)
• Spindelegger: Tadic is late... (2)
• End of supervision doesn’t stop international pressure (3)
• Gordon asks Belgrade to strengthen relations with Kosovo (4)
• Krasniqi: Responsibility for President’s elections on leaders (4)

Epoka e Re

Front page
• I told you....
• Americans made meeting possible
• Jahjaga ready to meet Nikolic
• Signal towards improving of interstate relations

Other headlines
• Serbs in the north criticize Tadic (2)
• Gordon in Belgrade (2)
• Dacic: Tadic did not presented Serbia in Croatia (2)
• Haraqija: They cannot remove me from politics (5)
• EULEX mandate, not with Constitution (7)

Express

Front page
• Isa threatens
• We are closing down

Other headlines
• Krasniqi: Responsibility for election of Jahjaga falls with the leaders (4)
• Jahjaga, ready for meeting Nikolic (5)
• Late meeting (5)
• Hoxhaj met his Croatian counterpart, Pusic (6)
• No to EULEX being included in the Constitution (6)
• Gordon in Belgrade (6)

Bota Sot

Front page
• Disputed articles removed from Penal Code, Kuçi returns to Government
• Jahjaga: I will meet Nikolic as a president
• Americans force Thaçi and Tadic for a handshake
• Dell: Political agreements are not over the Constitution
• Serbs in the north call Tadic “a traitor”

Other headlines
• Serbs in the north say Tadic is helping the creation of state of Kosovo (3)
• Spindelegger: Tadic is very late (3)
• Denero: Dubrovnik, preparation for Jahjaga-Nikolic meeting (3)
• Meetings of Minister Hoxhaj in the Dubrovnik Summit (4)
• Zbogar reacts against the murder of Serb couple (6)