Kosovo not concerned over Nikolic’s threats

• Kosovo not concerned over Nikolic’s threats (Zëri/Epoka e Re)
• Pristina: solution for north, UN membership unrelated (Koha Ditore)
• AKR: Thaçi is betraying us (Express)
• Ivanovic calls on Serbia to block privatization in the north (Zëri)
• Ban arrives in Podgorica (Zëri)
• Ban to visit Pristina on Tuesday (Epoka e Re)
• Josipovic: Jeremic’s statement, expected (dailies)
• Jeremic: No reason for Josipovic to be concerned (Express)
• Mikullovci: The government is destroying Trepça (Koha Ditore)
• Former KFOR major calls Kosovo a land of monkeys (Koha Ditore)

Kosovo Media Highlights

Kosovo not concerned over Nikolic’s threats (Zëri/Epoka e Re)
Zëri reported that authorities in Pristina don’t feel threatened by a recent statement from Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic who said that if Kosovo authorities intervene with forces in the north they will face an attack from Serbia.Kosovo’s Deputy Prime Minister Hajredin Kuçi said Nikolic’s statement “is a statement from the Milosevic era and one that resembles Cold War logic.”

On the other hand, representatives of the opposition believe that such threats from Belgrade should be treated with concern by both the international community and Pristina. Former Kosovo’s Local Government Minister and LDK official Sadri Ferati said he was surprised that there was no reaction by the international community and Kosovo’s state institutions.

“Even if such a statement was meant for internal consumption, it certainly creates concern and, in this respect, the international community and local officials should not be indifferent. In my opinion, this statement represents Nikolic’s feelings toward Kosovo,” Ferati said.

Epoka e Re reported that, in response to Nikolic’s statement, Kosovo’s Prime Minister Hashim Thaçi said, “Tomislav Nikolic is a big loser. The same way he left Kosovo shamefully in 1999, the same will happen to him again... Such statements are bad messages from Serbia to Kosovo, and bad for peace, stability and neighbourly cooperation in the region... Such statements have caused crisis and great suffering to people, it even led to genocide in Kosovo, and the key players of the Serbian regime were Nikolic and Dacic.”

Pristina: solution for north, UN membership unrelated (Koha Ditore)
The Government of Kosovo has not objected the discussions with Belgrade about northern Kosovo; however it has denied that their result would have any impact in the process of the membership at the United Nations.

Kosovo’s Deputy Prime Minister, Hajredin Kuçi, did not want to see any relation between the discussions on northern Kosovo and UN membership. “We have not thought about this issue. The issues of the north, territorial integrity, borders or sovereignty are not in the table of discussions with anyone,” said Kuçi.

AKR: Thaçi is betraying us (Express)
Express reported that New Kosovo Alliance (AKR) doesn’t like the fact that its ruling coalition partner, the Kosovo Democratic Party (PDK), is approximating positions with the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK). Express notes that people in Behxhet Pacolli’s party are feeling betrayed. AKR parliamentary chief Myzejene Selmani told the paper that PDK leader Hashim Thaçi is playing games behind the scenes. Selmani also warned that if AAK joins the government, AKR would leave and join the opposition.

Ivanovic calls on Serbia to block privatization in the north (Zëri)
Oliver Ivanovic, State Secretary in the Serbian Government’s Ministry for Kosovo, said the new government in Belgrade should stop the privatization of enterprises in northern Kosovo. Ivanovic warned that the Kosovo Privatization Agency has planned to forcefully privatize two factories in the north, which, according to him, were constructed exclusively with funds from the Serbian Government.

“According to UN Resolution 1244, this wealth is in the hands of UNMIK, and not in the hands of Albanian institutions and this is why many experts warned that Serbia must fight to get back this wealth,” Ivanovic said.

Ban arrives in Podgorica (Zëri)
The United Nations Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, arrived in Podgorica for a two-day visit to Montenegro as part of his tour in Balkans. On the first day of his visit in Podgorica, he met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nebojsa Kaludjerovic and then President Filip Vujanovic in Cetinje.

Kaludjerovic and Ban also visited the sites around the UN building at Moraca island in Podgorica. Ban will arrive in Kosovo on Tuesday.

Ban to visit Pristina on Tuesday (Epoka e Re)
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, after visiting Montenegro, will travel to Serbia and then to Kosovo on Tuesday. Ban will be the first senior UN official to visit Kosovo since it declared independence. During his visit, Ban is expected to meet UNMIK representatives in Pristina, President Jahjaga, Prime Minister Thaçi and Assembly Speaker Krasniqi.

Josipovic: Jeremic’s statement, expected (dailies)
The President of Croatia, Ivo Josipovic, said that the statement of Serbia’s outgoing Foreign Minister, Vuk Jeremic, regarding Kosovo, is reckless, considering his function as chairman of the United Nations General Assembly. Josipovic said that Croatia’s position towards Kosovo is defined by the fact that Croatia recognized the independence of Kosovo.

“We want good relations with all the countries in the region and we try to build such relations also with Serbia,” said Josipovic, adding that perhaps Jeremic’s statement were expected considering Serbia’s policy towards Kosovo. Josipovic made these statements after the meeting with the United Nations Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon.

The senior UN official said that he would comment on Jeremic’s statement on Kosovo after the meeting with the officials in Belgrade. “The status of Kosovo is regulated within the Resolution 1244 of the United Nations Security Council, while I will comment on Jeremic’s statement during my visit to Serbia after I discuss with him,” said Ban Ki-moon.

Jeremic, who has been nominated Chairman of the UN General Assembly, said that Kosovo could join the UN over his dead body.

Jeremic: No reason for Josipovic to be concerned (Express)
Express reported that former Minister of Foreign Affairs in Serbia, Vuk Jeremic, commented on the statements made by the Croatian President, who said that his statements regarding Kosovo were expected but unsuitable. “There is no reason for him to be afraid, that we will not implement the responsibility that was trusted to us by majority of votes, and that we will not respect in full the UN Charter,” said Jeremic. “They among other things define very clearly procedures of membership, and I am afraid that they are not as favorable for secessionist territories such as Kosovo and Metohija.”

Mikullovci: The government is destroying Trepça (Koha Ditore)
Koha Ditore ran an interview with Nazmi Mikullovci, the former director of the Trepça mining complex, highlighting his remarks that the Kosovo Government is constantly destroying the mining complex. Mikullovci said the main problem behind lack of development in the mining complex is the government’s political interventions through the Kosovo Privatization Agency.

“If political interventions in Trepça are stopped, this enterprise can produce and free itself from interventions from the state budget and also generate enough income to implement the program of the second development phase,” Mikullovci said.

Former KFOR major calls Kosovo a land of monkeys (Koha Ditore)
Koha Ditore reports that Kristian Kahrs, former NATO official, was fined €500 by a court in Pristina and was held for 24 hours in Vidovdan. The Norwegian, who worked as an information officer with KFOR after the war, is now living in Belgrade. He runs a personal website where he apologizes to Serbia “for crimes that KFOR allowed to be committed against the Serb population in Kosovo.”

Kahrs was with members of the Serbian extremist movement “Obraz” on the day Serb “pilgrims” were headed to Gazimestan to commemorate the Battle of Kosovo. Sources told the paper that on several occasions during riots in northern Kosovo he was seen at the barricades and close with the extremist movement “Obraz”.

“You are all monkeys. This is a land of monkeys,” Kahrs reportedly told police officers in Kosovo when he was forced to remove his shirt and a cap due to provocative insignia.

Kosovo Press Headlines

Koha Ditore

Front page
• Mikullovci: Government is destroying Trepça
• Pristina: solution for north, UN membership unrelated
• Former KFOR major calls Kosovo a land of monkeys

Other headlines
• Josipovic: Jeremic’s statement, expected (2)
• KEK accusations on legal violations in 6 million tender (5)
• Government: Facing the past and reconciliation needs time (7)

Zëri

Front page
• The advertisement that does not end
• President consciously creating crises
• Kosovo not concerned over Nikolic’s threats

Other headlines
• Josipovic: Jeremic’s statement, expected (2)
• Ban arrives in Podgorica (2)
• Ivanovic requests from Serbia to block the privatisation in the north (5)
• They deceive with wheat productivity (7)
• Behgjet Pacolli: My idea for the north (10)

Kosova Sot

Front page
• Talks for the north, PDK and AAK in coalition
• Thaçi: Nikolic, big loser

Other headlines
• Josipovic: Statement of Jeremic, reckless (2)
• Invitation for dialogue to Prime Minister of Kosovo and Serbia (2)
• Without oil and gas resources, no research has been done after the war (6)

Epoka e Re

Front page
• It is becoming true, PDK and AAK start from Gjilan
• Thaçi: Nikolic has mentality of Milosevic
• My idea for the north

Other headlines
• Ban in Pristina on Tuesday (2)
• Josipovic: Statement of Jeremic, reckless (2)
• Coalition PDK – AAK, good and bad for Kosovo (4)
• Assembly should decide for EULEX (6)
• The decision about cement changes this week (6)

Express

Front page
• Bechtel to build Pristina-Skopje highway
• Thaçi is betraying us
• Eqa has an idea
• They don’t answer
• Shala: The will for powerlessness

Other headlines
• Jeremic: Josipovic needs not worry (5)
• A Balkans Benelux (5)
• Josipovic: Jeremic’s statement, expected (6)

Bota Sot

Front page
• Do Kosovo MPs deserve to go on summer vacations?
• Brussels hosting Kosovo, Serbia Prime Ministers
• Pacolli: A reply to those who feed off attacking me
• What state is this?

Other headlines
• Minister Rexhepi visits municipalities (2)
• Prime Minister Thaçi: Nikolic is a big loser (3)
• Fire spreading in Deçan mountains (7)