Kosovo seeks UN membership through dialogue

• Kosovo seeks UN membership through dialogue (Koha Ditore)
• Serbia regrets signing IBM agreement (Zëri)
• The state, untouchable (Epoka e Re)
• Kosovo did not gain anything from talks with Serbia (dailies)
• Krasniqi is alone (Express)
• Hodzic: Government’s office in north not threat (Koha Ditore)
• Suriname recognizes Kosovo passports (dailies)

Kosovo Media Highlights

Kosovo seeks UN membership through dialogue (Koha Ditore)
Kosovo seeks full UN membership as part of a process of normalizing relations with Serbia, Koha Ditore quotes senior Government officials saying. Along with integrating the north, normalizing relations is an opportunity for Kosovo to become part of the UN. “The issue of Serbia’s recognition is relevant. Serbia can even formally not recognize Kosovo though it would be good to do so. Normalization of relations means removing obstacles and having Kosovo function as a UN member,” said the unnamed official.

The source further added that Kosovo will request for two goals to be achieved from the upcoming talks with Serbia: safeguarding territorial integrity by integrating the north and having Kosovo function without obstacles from Serbia, which also implies an unhindered membership in the UN.

Serbia regrets signing IBM agreement (Zëri)
The paper writes that Serbia regrets signing an agreement on integrated border management with Kosovo as sources say that the Government in Belgrade cannot come to terms with the fact that there will be joint police forces from Kosovo and Serbia patrolling the border in the north. However, implementing this agreement is one of the conditions Serbia has to meet. This message will be conveyed to the Serbian Prime Minister Ivica Dacic by the EU High Representative Catherine Ashton most likely in September when Dacic is expected to visit Brussels.

The state, untouchable (Epoka e Re)
Epoka e Re reported that Prime Minister Hashim Thaçi declared that internal issues of the Republic of Kosovo will never be discussed with Serbia. In an interview for the paper, Thaçi said: “There will not be a dialogue with Belgrade. There will be only high ranking meetings to discuss normalization of relations between two countries. Normalization of relations doesn’t happen without high level meetings.” He added that big issues are not decided by just one party or the Government, but dealt by the entire political spectrum.

Kosovo did not gain anything from talks with Serbia (dailies)
Kosovo did not benefit from the dialogue with Serbia, say representatives of the opposition and political analysts. Their statements come after evaluations by Edita Tahiri, head negotiator of the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue, who said that besides that most of the agreements were not implemented, the political benefits for Kosovo are great. In response to Tahiri’s evaluation, deputy of LDK Skender Hyseni told Radio Free Europe that: “It is to regret when you hear such statements, because the only party in the talks, which are talks Pristina – Belgrade and not Kosovo – Serbia, who did not benefit anything, in contrary which has suffered in some fields is Kosovo.”

Krasniqi is alone (Express)
The paper reports that Kosovo Assembly Speaker Jakup Krasniqi has no support from his party, PDK, regarding his idea that a broader political coalition is needed for political dialogue with Serbia. The head of the PDK parliamentary group, Adem Grabovci, said that Parliamentary parties are obliged to cooperate on issues of national interest. Grabovci did not mention, however, the creation of a new coalition to address the issue of dialogue with Serbia. “I very much believe that parties will be serious and, if they truly wish to represent the will of citizens in the Republic of Kosovo, they will not shy away from responsibilities but will sit and debate and reach joint decisions,” said Grabovci.

Hodzic: Government’s office in north not threat (Koha Ditore)
According to a report in Voice of America, the head of the Kosovo Government administrative office in the north, Adriana Hodzic, said that the majority of staff employed by the office originates from the northern part of Mitrovica. However, their jobs often brought threats and issues from Serb parallel structures.

Hodzic said that attempts to intimidate the office’s staff may influence their work but the citizens from the north are affected more. “This is not democracy. No one has the right to threaten someone for working in this office or for using services of this administrative office,” Hodzic said.

Yesterday, police reported that a private vehicle was set ablaze in the north. Newspapers reported that the car was owned by one of the Serb staff members of the Kosovo Government’s office in the north.


Suriname recognizes Kosovo passports (dailies)
Newspapers reported that the Republic of Suriname decided to recognize passports issued by the Republic of Kosovo. The decision was announced through an official letter sent by the Surinamese Embassy to the Kosovo Embassy in The Hague.

Kosovo Press Headlines

Koha Ditore

Front page
• Kosovo seeks UN membership through dialogue
• Kosovo did not gain anything from talks with Serbia
• Competition authority investigates increase of bread price

Other headlines
• Car belonging to employee of north admin office set fire (2)
• Hodzic: Government’s office in north won’t threaten anyone (2)
• Four suspected of money laundering arrested (2)
• Serb police arrest Pristina-Munich bus line rep (2)
• LB calls for political roundtable ahead of dialogue with Serbia (3)
• EU: Agreements without implementation senseless (3)
• Turkey welcomes opening of Kosovo’s consular office in Istanbul (3)
• “Elkos” competing with 7 international companies for PTK privatisation (4)
• Witness: Zharku planned killing of 2 EULEX prosecutors, 1 judge (5)
• Hajrizi briefly escapes detention centre (6)

Zëri

Front page
• Regretting IBM
• Veterans clash again
• Kastrati calls for removal of barricades
• Kusari-Lila sells Golf 5 for €1,300

Other headlines
• Suriname recognizes passports of Kosovo (2)
• Trajkovic opposes partition (2)
• Kuçi meets Haber (2)
• Miletic: The north, number one topic (4)
• LB: Kosovo needs no slogans (5)
• Competition authority criticizes but does not fine (6)
• Eight companies in race for PTK privatisation (7)

Kosova Sot

Front page
• Record oil price, €1.39 for a liter
• Tolaj, Ajeti attempted to obstruct investigations
• Competition authority unable to supervise market
• Eight companies competing for PTK privatisation
• Editorial: Increasingly more expensive

Other headlines
• Demarcation with Serbia, still impossible (2)
• Republic of Suriname recognizes Kosovo passports (2)
• LB calls for harmonization of stances between Albanians (2)
• Opposition refuses talks with Serbia (3)
• Dacic, threat of return to the 90s (4)
• Fugitive Hajrizi in handcuffs again (8)
• Repeat request for barricade removal (14)

Epoka e Re

Front page
• The state, untouchable
• Haliti: Political dialogue unavoidable, challenging
• Comprehensiveness in the dialogue, unavoidable

Other headlines
• Kosovo opens consulate in Istanbul (2)
• Suriname recognizes Kosovo passports (2)
• Union movement: Kosovo does not need slogans (3)
• Scepticism for fulfilment of criteria for liberalization (6)
• Hajrizi arrested hours after escape (7)
• 120 guns confiscated from celebrations (7)
• Quiet in north, barricades still problematic (14)

Express

Front page
• Jakup is alone
• Champion of escapes

Other headlines
• Suriname recognizes Kosovo passports (4)
• Miletic: north, main political issue (5)
• Suspicions about visa liberalization (5)
• Union movement: Together for the dialogue (6)
• Rada Trajkovic rejects division (6)

Bota Sot

Front page
• Jahjaga between “two fires”, Mustafa and Thaçi
• Opposition accuses Thaçi of political blackmail

Other headlines
• Thaçi wants everyone in talks with Serbia (2)
• Turkish Government welcomes opening of consulate of Kosovo in Istanbul (2)
• The Office of Government in north won’t threaten anyone (3)
• Republic of Surinam recognizes Kosovo passports (3)
• Union movement appeal to parties don’t make “peace treaty” with Serbia (6)
• EULEX sentences Krasniqi to 25 years in prison (10)