EU wants Pristina and Belgrade to address issue of north

• EU wants Pristina and Belgrade to address issue of north (dailies)
• Dialogue on north brings back Ban Ki-moon’s points (Koha Ditore)
• Thaçi: The coalition is excellent, I don’t need new partners (dailies)
• Pacolli: PDK-AKR coalition can break up tomorrow (dailies)
• Rexhepi’s statements, insincere (Express)
• EU welcomes idea for Balkans Benelux (Zëri)
• ICTY, a key partner (Zëri)

Kosovo Media Highlights

EU wants Pristina and Belgrade to address issue of north (dailies)
The top story in most daily newspapers this morning is the message from EU leaders in Brussels that Pristina and Belgrade must address the northern Kosovo issue.

Koha Ditore reports that during her visit to Brussels, Kosovo President Atifete Jahjaga avoided a direct question on whether Pristina would hold talks with Belgrade on northern Kosovo, but said that the solution for the north cannot be autonomy or special status. The cover story also reported Jahjaga saying that she expects citizens of Kosovo to be able to travel visa-free in EU member states starting next year.

Zëri quotes Herman Van Rompuy, president of the European Council, saying, that “parties must address the situation in northern Kosovo for the good of all people living there.” The front page story also reported Rompuy stating “I am confident that continued dialogue between Pristina and Belgrade is the best way to achieve progress and to ensure stability and further development in the region and this is the main goal of the European Union.”

Under the leading headline, “They remove all dilemma,” Express reports that the top leaders of the European Union were never as direct than they were on Wednesday. “Herman Van Rompuy and Jose Manuel Barroso called on Pristina to talk to Belgrade about the northern part of Kosovo. They told this to President Jahjaga in her face and she did not reject dialogue but ruled out a special status for that part of the Republic of Kosovo,” the paper notes.

Epoka e Re quotes Barroso on its cover saying, “regardless of who is in government in Serbia, dialogue between Pristina and Belgrade must continue.”

Dialogue on the north brings back Ban Ki-moon’s points (Koha Ditore)
The paper reports that the anticipated dialogue on the northern part of Kosovo is expected to define issues related to the north that the United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon had mentioned several years ago. Unidentified Western diplomats told the paper that issues addressed in Ban’s report are real problems and that the Kosovo Government should address these issues in dialogue with residents from the north. Belgrade too is expected to be a party in these talks.

The same diplomats said that the issue of courts in the north, with special emphasis on the district court in Mitrovica, the police chain of command, the funding of the northern municipalities, the competencies of a regional council of the northern municipalities and further competencies for the Serb Orthodox Church are problems that were described in Ban’s report and which need to be resolved through dialogue.

The paper says it tried to get a comment from the Kosovo Government on the issue but to no avail. The government has yet to appoint a spokesman and other officials preferred not to comment on the matter.

In a separate box within the same article, the paper quotes AAK MP Burim Ramadani as saying that his party as early as 2008 was against Ban Ki-moon’s plan for the north and against the six points which are extremely damaging for Kosovo. “We are confident that any new arrangement in the north makes the state of Kosovo dysfunctional,” Ramadani said. “Establishing rule of law and economic development are crucial. Other forms are damaging for the state of Kosovo”.

Thaçi: The coalition is excellent, I don’t need new partners (dailies)
In an interview for RTK, Kosovo Prime Minister Hashim Thaçi said he has excellent cooperation with partners of the ruling coalition. “The ruling coalition is stable, functional and leads a good government. All media speculation is unfounded. This coalition is successfully implementing its mandate for a European Kosovo,” Thaçi said.

Pacolli: PDK-AKR coalition can break up tomorrow (dailies)
Several dailies report that AKR leader Behxhet Pacolli told Radio Dukagjini that as far as he’s concerned the ruling coalition between the PDK and AKR can break up tomorrow. “I don’t mind. Let them think about it and they can break it up tomorrow. I don’t know anything, I am away. I don’t know what is happening,” Pacolli said when asked about rumours for the breakup of the current coalition.

Rexhepi’s statements, insincere (Express)
Express reports that the deputy of Vetëvendosje movement, Rexhep Selimi, has criticized the Minister of Internal; Affairs, Bajram Rexhepi, who a day before said that there are 400 MUP members in Kosovo. Selimi, who is also the principal deputy at the Parliamentary Commission for Internal Issues and Supervision of Security Force, said that statements of Minister Rexhepi intend to create a bad environment in the country. “On the first sight, this seems to be a sincere announcement, maybe harmless,” said Selimi and added that the intention of the statement is in accordance with the scenario that the situation in the country is in disfavor of the sovereignty of Kosovo.

EU welcomes idea for Balkans Benelux (Zëri)
The European Union welcomes the idea of a Balkans Benelux, which was recently suggested in an analysis in EUObserver. Petar Stano, spokesperson for the EU Commissioner for Enlargement, Stefan Fule, said the EU welcomes the idea for the creation of a so-called Balkans Benelux or the economic and political union of Macedonia, Albania, Kosovo, and Montenegro, which would bring added relationship co-operation between the countries.

“We are absolutely in favour of a union or joint action by the countries, especially now that we have the positive examples of the Vishegrad and Benelux, which existed before. A Balkans Benelux would contribute to greater economic development and political cooperation between these countries,” Stano said.

ICTY, a key partner (Zëri)
Zëri reports that the ICTY is a key partner of the EULEX Task Force, which is investigating claims of organ trafficking raised in a resolution by the Council of Europe and by former Swiss senator Dick Marty. In the cover story, the latter claimed that some of Kosovo’s political leaders were involved in organ trafficking. “We are in constant contact with The Hague tribunal, EULEX and other stakeholders, but,” a spokesperson for the task force told the paper, “The Hague tribunal is our key partner.”

Kosovo Press Headlines

Koha Ditore

Front page
• EU wants parties to address issue of north
• AKR doesn’t mind if ruling coalition breaks up
• KDI: Assembly, institution without dignity
• Surroi: The Committee in Dragodan
• Miners fear scenario of selling Trepça

Other headlines
• MTI has no budget for Brezovica tender (2)
• Dialogue on north brings back Ban Ki-moon’s points (3)
• EULEX prosecutors interview municipal officials in Prizren (5)
• Kelmendi: Options for Thaçi and Haradinaj (10)

Zëri

Front page
• ICTY, a key partner
• EU wants talks on the north
• Xhemajli postpones serving sentence
• Editorial: The rain and the spies!
• There’s no one to control expenditures

Other headlines
• Ardian Gjini, the most active MP (2)
• Pacolli: The coalition can break up tomorrow (2)
• Thaçi: The coalition is excellent, I don’t need new partners (2)
• Lunacek: Serbia is far from the EU (2)
• EU welcomes idea for Balkans Benelux (4)
• Nedeljkovic: There are no parallel security structures in the north (4)

Kosova Sot

Front page
• EU wants talks on the north
• Editorial: There were once the red lines
• Pacolli: Break it up tomorrow!
• Baki’s letter: Saliuka received bribes!

Other headlines
• Government surrounded by corruption (2)
• Rompuy to Jahjaga: How do you pronounce your name dear? (4)
• Vetëvendosje: Mustafa is responsible for long life of Thaçi government (4)
• The Assembly is blackmailed (4)
• KPA calls on Trepça miners to end their strike (4)


Epoka e Re

Front page
• Determined for the law in the north
• EU’s message: The dialogue on the north should continue
• Another failure of Russia at the Security Council
• Thaçi: This coalition is excellent

Other headlines
• Ban Ki-moon in Kosovo on Tuesday (2)
• Berisha: Changes in the region irreversible (2)
• Meyer: Division of Kosovo, the only solution (2)
• KDI assesses work of deputies (3)
• Petrovic: I am not embarrassed to be part of the Government of Kosovo (3)
• Election reform should continue (7)
• IMF, 48 million arrive (8)

Express

Front page
• Remove every dilemma
• Coalition in debate
• Punishment of constructive politics

Other headlines
• Rexhepi’s statements, insincere (4)
• Russia’s initiative fails (5)
• The party of press releases (5)
• The solution is on division (6)
• KDI’s assessments (6)
• Additional 48 million euros (10)


Bota Sot

Front page
• Some certain media deal with speculations. Coalition is stable
• Brussels pressure: Sit on the table with Belgrade, discuss the north
• Miners request visit by Jakup Krasniqi and someone from Government
• Deputies represent the least interests of citizens

Other headlines
• Editorial: Explosion of the past (2)
• Jahjaga met with President of European Commission, Barroso (3)
• Naser Rugova calls Ukë Rugova “an individual cousin” (4)
• Thaçi denies possibility of PDK-AAK coalition (4)
• Tetovë: Thaçi and Crvenkovski make cooperation official (7)
• PDK rewards party militants with ambassador positions (8)
• IMF gives additional € 48m, Pristina – Skopje motorway begins 2013 (9)