Media coverage on UN SG Ban Ki-moon’s visit to Kosovo

• Media coverage on UN SG Ban Ki-moon’s visit to Kosovo (dailies)
• Ban calls for a compromise solution for northern Kosovo (Koha Ditore)
• Jahjaga and Nikolic to meet at the UN? (Express)
• Ashton invites Thaçi to Brussels (Epoka e Re)
• Constitutional Court with international judges until 2014 (Koha Ditore)


Kosovo Media Highlights


Media coverage on UN SG Ban Ki-moon’s visit to Kosovo (dailies)
Koha Ditore reports that UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in his visit to Kosovo will stop at UNMIK but “will not set foot” at Kosovo institutions opting to see the President Atifete Jahjaga and Prime Minister Hashim Thaçi outside the institutions’ facilities. The paper said the decision is due to fear that Ban’s visit may be interpreted as being equal to those he undertook in other former Yugoslav states.

Express also reports on the front page that Ban Ki-moon will not set foot in Kosovo’s state institutions today. The United Nations Secretary-General will meet the heads of Kosovo institutions at Pristina Airport. Afterwards, he will hold a press conference, where reporters will not be allowed to ask questions. Ban will then visit UNMIK, Decan and Prizren. An unidentified UNMIK information officer told the paper that due to his busy agenda, the Secretary will meet President Atifete Jahjaga and Prime Minister Hashim Thaçi at the airport.

According to Epoka e Re which quotes reports from Dukagjini.com, following press remarks at the Pristina Airport, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will travel to Prizren in a helicopter and he is there to meet Prime Minister Hashim Thaçi.

Kosova Sot’s front-page editorial notes that one should not expect any spectacular statement from Ban Ki-moon on Kosovo’s status but what can certainly happen is for his six-point plan to be revived. “The six-point plan is in opposition with Kosovo’s independence and sovereignty and as such it should be rejected. During his visit, Kosovo citizens would like to hear Ban’s reaction against scandalous statements by former Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic… It wouldn’t be bad if Ban starts his visit by referring to the ruling of the International Court of Justice. His visit will be symbolic rather than one that could trigger some new political development,” the editorial concludes.

The same paper writes that one of the issues that will be raised by UN SG Ban in his meetings with Kosovo leadership will be the situation in the north. Representatives from opposition parties, AAK and Vetëvendosje, said the Government of Kosovo should not agree to discuss the north with the UN Secretary-General. LDK’s Lutfi Haziri said Ban’s visit is one of the most important visits to Kosovo by senior officials and added that this is an indicator that indirectly the UN SG recognizes the state of Kosovo. “It would be best if Ban Ki-moon in this visit declared the closing of UNMIK because only this way he would help Kosovo and the stability in the region,” said AAK’s Burim Ramadani. Officials of the Vetëvendosje Movement argue that the UN Secretary-General will visit Kosovo in the capacity of a United Nations protectorate and not as an independent state, because the United Nations do not recognize the state of Kosovo. Vetëvendosje’s Shpend Ahmeti said it was important for them to know what message Ban will bring to Kosovo. Ahmeti said that if Ban is coming to Kosovo to discuss the six-point plan, which Ban said is in full compliance with Tadic’s plan, then it is better that he doesn’t come at all.

At the same time, Interior Minister Bajram Rexhepi said today’s visit of Ban Ki-moon to Kosovo reflects the new political reality. Rexhepi said the visit shows that the UN is interested to see stability and cooperation in the entire region. “UNMIK’s mission is more virtual, a facilitating mission which has no operational aspects,” said Rexhepi, adding that Kosovo authorities will call on the UN to reduce its presence in Kosovo.

Bota Sot quotes political analysts in Kosovo as saying that they don’t view the visit by UN chief Ban Ki-moon to be of paramount importance for the situation in the country or for talks between Pristina and Belgrade. The visit is seen more as further advancement in relations between Kosovo and the United Nations. Naim Rashiti, from the International Crisis Group, told the paper that the visit does not imply the UN will be involved in talks between Kosovo and Serbia despite the fact that the UN did not hide their wish to be part of the process. In a different article related to the SG’s visit, the paper notes that Serbs are mentioning UNSC Resolution 1244 and are resting all hopes on Ban Ki-moon.

Ban calls for a compromise solution for northern Kosovo (Koha Ditore)
Koha Ditore reports that UN chief Ban Ki-moon began his visit to Belgrade with an emotional meeting with Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic who was waiting for him at the airport. Ban said he was pleased that Jeremic will chair the General Assembly next year. “Reconciliation and the resolution of issues through dialogue are of paramount importance and a condition for the region to move toward the European Union. The United Nations is committed to helping the region,” Ban said.

Jahjaga and Nikolic to meet at the UN? (Express)
Express writes that Kosovo President Atifete Jahjaga and her Serbian counterpart Tomislav Nikolic will meet each other in September in the framework of the UN General Assembly’s works. Sources told the paper that both sides are ready to meet but also have some preconditions. Nikolic’s advisor said the Serbian President will meet Jahjaga once certain conditions are met but did not elaborate on what there are while Jahjaga’s advisors said the Kosovo President is ready to meet anyone if it is in the interest of Kosovo but will do so only in the capacity of the President of Republic of Kosovo.

Ashton invites Thaçi to Brussels (Epoka e Re)
Kosovo Prime Minister Hashim Thaçi, according to the paper, will travel today to Brussels on the invitation of the EU High Representative for Security and Foreign Policy Catherine Ashton. Though it was reported that the meeting between the two officials will focus on the course of the Pristina-Belgrade dialogue and implementation of agreements reached in Brussels so far, Integration Minister Vlora Çitaku said the Ashton’s invitation is not related to this issue. She said the visit will serve to discuss Kosovo’s European perspective and is one of Thaçi’s regular visits to Brussels.

Constitutional Court with international judges until 2014 (Koha Ditore)
The International Civilian Office in Kosovo, lead by Pieter Feith, has extended the mandate to the three international judges at the Constitutional Court. Due to this decision of the ICO, the Constitutional Court of Kosovo will continue to have three international judges, Robert Carolan, Snezana Botusarova and Almiro Rodrigues. The extension of the mandate comes after the decision of the International Steering Group, to end the supervised independence and after the endorsement in principal of the Law for fulfilling and changes of the laws that concern the supervision of independence, at the Kosovo Assembly.


Koha Ditore

Front page
• Jahjaga, Thaçi to meet Ban outside institutions
• Rexhepi: We will not intervene in north without coordination with EULEX
• The Constitutional Court with international judges until 2014
• Special Prosecution raises charges against former judge, lawyer for third time

Other headlines
• Ban requests compromised solution for the north of Kosovo (3)
• Professional diplomat, Ivan Mrkic, to lead Serbia’s Foreign Ministry (3)
• Corrected version of “Kosova e Re” project, not be sent to Assembly (5)
• American treasure requested not to support “Kosova e Re” (5)
• Vetëvendosje promises agriculture 10,000 jobs (6)

Kosova Sot

Front page
• Gërbeshi’s serious suspicions on Pacolli
• Ban Ki-moon is coming for the north
• The map that united Albanian territories in 2035
• Editorial: Ban in the Republic of Kosovo

Other headlines
• Haradinaj denies that AAK could join the Government (2)
• The Office for Kosovo, as a Ministry (2)
• Thaçi in Brussels (4)
• Rexhepi: Ban Ki-moon comes in the new political reality (4)
• Charges against former judge Puka and lawyer Robaj (12)

Epoka e Re

Front page
• Ashton calls Thaçi in Brussels
• Ban is coming
• Coalition in Gjilan, good sign
• Krasniqi: This is why we postponed elections

Other headlines
• Topi: I, the President of all Albanians (2)
• Minister Panariti visits Kosovo on Wednesday (2)
• Nikolic would meet with Jahjaga (5)
• They go to Albania (7)
• Vetëvendosje movement with a plan for agriculture (3)
• Businessmen visit the President (9)
• Kosovo Police more professional than Russian diplomacy (10)

Express

Front page
• Meet at the UN?
• They have the law
• He waits for them at the Airport

Other headlines
• Buzhala: Veton’s letters addressed to the world (2)
• The Office for Kosovo (4)
• Rexhepi: The police will not intervene in the north (2)
• Elections in Autumn (5)
• Ahmeti: Ban visit Kosovo as a protectorate, not as an independent state (6)
• Rada is being afraid (6)
• Kosovo’s troubles (7)

Bota Sot

Front page
• President of the envelope (Jahjaga) and president of the dinner (Surroi)
• March as soldiers also outside Kosovo
• They refer to Resolution 1244 and hope on Ban Ki-moon

Other headlines
• President Jahjaga: Challenges require gender equality representation (2)
• KSF returns with medals from marching in Holland (3)
• Topi called himself President of all Albanians (3)
• Thaçi in Brussels (3)
• Visit of Ban Ki-moon, advancing of Kosovo – UN relations (4)
• The map that united Albanian territories (7)
• Minister Rexhepi visited three municipalities of the Republic of Kosovo