Pristina - Mitrovica dialogue also requested

• Pristina - Mitrovica dialogue requested (Koha Ditore)
• Cliff: The office, first step towards the north (Zëri)
• Administrative Office will not guarantee integration of the north (Koha Ditore)
• Return of displaced persons, priority for Kosovo Government (Zëri)
• Petrovic: Toward implementation of the law in the north (Epoka e Re)
• Surroi: Pro-Americanism is essential for Kosovo (Koha Ditore)
• Nikolic: I am not meeting with Thaçi (Koha Ditore)
• Nikolic should make concrete steps on dialogue with Kosovo (Epoka e Re)
• Commission asks for clarifications from Jahjaga (Kosova Sot)
• Together for the delay (Express)
• See you in NATO (dailies)
• Menzies: If we are interfering in Kosovo internal affairs, say so (Koha Ditore)

Kosovo Media Highlights

Pristina - Mitrovica dialogue also requested (Koha Ditore)
Koha Ditore reports that Paris expects that after the creation of the new Government in Serbia the technical dialogue with Kosovo will resume and a dialogue with the north will start. “The two processes should not be confused. The dialogue in Brussels is technical and it has been productive, therefore it should continue as such, but Pristina should also start to talk with Mitrovica. The Kosovo Government should talk with the citizens in the north, with their representatives there”, said French Ambassador, Jean Francois Fitou, in a short statement for Koha Ditore. The French diplomat said that the EU should put pressure on both sides to implement the agreements achieved to date. Some days ago, the paper reported that the failure of implementation of the footnote and the integrated border management agreements has damaged the dialogue facilitated by diplomat Robert Cooper.

Cliff: The office, first step towards the north (Zëri)
British Ambassador to Kosovo Ian Cliff said in an interview for the paper that his country fully supports the decision of the Kosovo Government to open an office in the north of Mitrovica but added that this is only the first step to ‘reaching out’ in the north. He said that internationals are closely monitoring the selection process of the administrator for this office. “We think it is time the UN administration in Mitrovica allow others to take a more active and responsible role and allow the progress achieved so far by the preparatory team of north Mitrovica municipality to develop into a larger administrative office,” said Cliff.

“We see the administrative office in northern Mitrovica as a step, a small step in accordance to the Ahtisaari package. But of course the population in the north should also understand what is offered under Ahtisaari plan and we should work on this with the majority population there,” said further Cliff.

Administrative Office will not guarantee integration of the north (Koha Ditore)
Based on a Radio Free Europe report, Koha Ditore reports that while the authorities consider that the creation of the Administrative Office is another step towards the creation of a special municipality in northern Mitrovica, experts says this office will not guarantee integration of that part into the institutional and social life of the country. Senior researcher at KIPRED, Shpend Kursani, stressed the need for the support of the international community to dissolve the parallel structures in the north. “This means that Serbs in the north should be convinced that they have to live within Kosovo institutions, because we cannot allow each minority in each country of the Balkans to decide where to live. If we left the minorities to decide, then all Albanians would say that they would like to live in a big Republic of Albania, Serbs in Serbia, and so on,” he said.

Return of displaced persons, priority for Kosovo Government (Zëri)
Prime Minister Hashim Thaçi said in a meeting with officials responsible for returns and communities that the integration of the Serb community of the north into Kosovo institutions is “the alpha and omega” of the Kosovo Government. “The return of displaced persons to their property is a high priority for the Government of Kosovo. Therefore, Kosovo welcomes all those who wish to return and live in their homes,” noted Thaçi.

Speaking about the Government’s actions in the north, Thaçi said that the citizens there will be able to democratically elect their representatives. “Our vision for the north is a place with competent and effective institutions, impartial self-governance and with comprehensive mechanisms for protection of human rights. This should be done in an environment where freedom of movement along the River Ibar is enjoyed by all and where citizens don’t fear for their security,” added Thaçi.

Petrovic: Toward implementation of the law in the north (Epoka e Re)
Epoka e Re runs as the leading story an interview with Kosovo’s Deputy Prime Minister Slobodan Petrovic highlighting his remarks that the Kosovo Government is determined to open the administrative office in the north. He said the decision for this office came as a need to improve services for residents of the north.

Petrovic added that the government previously consulted the international civil representative and other key international stakeholders. “We expect the plan for the new administrative office in the north to be effective. The government does not expect an easy road but it is determined to move the process forward. The government will continue to cooperate with international partners, especially with EULEX and KFOR, to implement the rule of law in the north,” Petrovic is quoted as saying.

Surroi: Pro-Americanism is essential for Kosovo (Koha Ditore)
Koha Ditore reports that the Head of the Board of the Club for Foreign Policy, Veton Surroi, said on Monday that Pro-Americanism of the people of Kosovo is essential for the newest state in Europe. In a speech held at the America military camp Bondsteel on the occasion of the Memorial Day, Surroi said that there is no doubt that Kosovo is set in favor of United States of America and is discovering the nature of American culture”. He thanked the US for its leading role during the NATO intervention in 1999.

Nikolic: I am not meeting with Thaçi (Koha Ditore)
Koha Ditore reports that the elected President of Serbia, Tomislav Nikolic, told Russian television Russia Today, that he is a nationalist, but also a democrat, who respects European values. Asked whether he is ready for the dialogue with Pristina and Prime Minister of Kosovo, Nikolic said that he will discuss with representatives of Pristina, but not with Hashim Thaçi, because “he is suspected for crimes against the Serb people”, said Nikolic.

Nikolic should make concrete steps on dialogue with Kosovo (Epoka e Re)
The Executive Vice President of the Atlantic Council, Damon Wilson, stated for the Voice of America in Serbian that Washington respects the election of Tomislav Nikolic as President of Serbia, and together with Brussels will wait to see what policy he will pursue internally and externally. He stated that they encourage the new President to do two things: be very clear that he wants to continue with Serbia’s progress towards the EU and withhold from explosive rhetoric on Kosovo. “It is obvious that this is a difficult issue for each Serbian politician and some of his statements offered more encouragement than concern, and I think that he will have to prove his case through taking concrete measures, particularly in regards to the dialogue,” said Wilson.

Commission asks for clarifications from Jahjaga (Kosova Sot)
The Kosovo Assembly’s commission on legislation complained that the reason President Atifete Jahjaga decided to send back to the Penal Code is not clear. She did not provide any guidance, alternatives or rewording for the disputed articles. “Legally, the way it is written is poor, it has many legal defects in the aspect of drafting,” said Arsim Bajrami from PDK referring to Jahjaga’s decision.

Together for the delay (Express)
Express reports on the front page that PDK leader Hashim Thaçi and LDK leader Isa Mustafa managed to postpone presidential elections and are now thinking about leaving Atifete Jahjaga in the post of president until the end of her mandate. But according to the paper this is not where their alliance ends. The paper namely quotes unnamed sources as saying that the two leaders are attempting to postpone national elections to 2014 by inventing a blockade at the Election Reforms Committee.

A senior PDK official told the paper, “Holding presidential elections suits neither Hashim Thaçi nor Isa Mustafa. They are confident that these elections would not result in a better president than Jahjaga. Therefore, they agree that it’s best to leave Jahjaga in the post of president until the end of her mandate in 2016.”

See you in NATO (dailies)
Relations between Turkey and Kosovo and the position of the Turkish community in Kosovo were the focus of a meeting that Kosovo Assembly Speaker Jakup Krasniqi had with a delegation of the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the Turkish Parliament. Volkan Bozkir, head of the committee, promised that Ankara would support Kosovo in increasing the number of recognitions. He also said he was confident that Kosovo would very soon become a member of NATO. “We will soon sit together in NATO seats,” Bozkir was quoted as saying.

Menzies: If we are interfering in Kosovo internal affairs, say so (Koha Ditore)
Former American official in Kosovo, John Menzies, does not believe that the representatives of American Government are interfering in the internal issues of Kosovo. “I don’t believe that this is the aim of our Government or our people”, said Menzies. Meanwhile, when asked if Kosovo will receive an envelope with a name of the future president of Kosovo, Menzies said that he does not believe such a thing. “I don’t think like this, if we started interfering in your internal affairs, tell. I don’t believe that this is the intention of our Government or our people. We trust you and we are together with you on this path”, said Menzies.

Kosovo Press Headlines

Koha Ditore

Front page
• Calls for dialogue between Pristina and Mitrovica
• Surroi: Pro-Americanism is essential for Kosovo
• Menzies: If we’re interfering in Kosovo’s internal affairs, say so
• Mayor Selmanaj’s dinners cost €999
• Former judge suspected of committing around 260 criminal acts

Other headlines
• Next assembly session on Thursday (2)
• Journalists still concerned about the Penal Code (4)
• Bozkir: Kosovo soon in NATO (4)
• Administrative Office will not guarantee integration of the north (4)
• Nikolic: I won’t meet Hashim Thaçi (5)
• Milosevic had 2200 agents, 700 of them in Kosovo (5)
• Topi calls on Kuwait to lobby for recognitions of Kosovo’s independence (7)
• Croatian businesses invited to invest in Kosovo (9)
• Thaçi: Kosovo soon to have a modern law on construction (9)

Zëri

Front page
• The office, only the first step toward the north
• Government’s priority to dissolve parallel structures
• Kosovo and Croatia ready to cooperate
• Xharra: Global crisis “impoverishes” Beqaj
• Turks launch series of dismissals at the Airport

Other headlines
• Krasniqi calls on EU to dissolve parallel structures (2)
• Britain helps KSF (2)
• Boris Tadic, the new prime minister of Serbia (2)

Kosova Sot

Front page
• Committee wants explanations from Jahjaga
• Editorial: The loss of the opposition and the indifference of the electorate
• Growing deficit
• PDK invites AAK to a coalition
• CEC: AKSH incites hatred and violence!

Other headlines
• The office, a step toward the new municipality (2)
• US expects concrete steps in Pristina-Belgrade dialogue (4)
• Structured dialogue for rule of law begins on May 30th (4)
• Menzies denies US influence on Kosovo Government (5)

Epoka e Re

Front page
• Towards the law in the north
• Thaçi: Ahtisaari’s Plan remains for the north
• Assembly to endorse the law on diaspora on Thursday
• Bozkir: Kosovo soon in NATO

Other headlines
• Nikolic should make concrete steps on the dialogue with Kosovo (2)
• Kosovo keeps away radical Islamic elements (2)
• Milosevic in Kosovo had 700 agents (2)
• Demolli expects consensus for the elections reform (3)
• Britain offers support for KSF (3)
• Tax for Presevo Valley citizens, an international obligation (11)

Express

Front page
• Half a century in jail
• Together for the delay
• Unemployment without change

Other headlines
• Mitrovica was and remains in the focus of the Government (4)
• Nikolic and Tadic for the achievement of a consensus for Kosovo (5)
• We will see you in NATO (5)
• Assembly to hold a session on 31 May (6)
• We are not interfering (6)
• Shootings in the north (9)

Bota Sot

Front page
• The end of the mandate of Edita travel from Pristina to Brussels
• How German police prevented smuggling with archaeological founding’s from Kosovo?
• USA helps Kosovo, but does not interfere in internal affairs
• In the north Serbs shoot freely with firing guns

Other headlines
• Topi request from Kuwait to lobby for recognition of Kosovo (2)
• Jahjaga: Kosovo is a state established over the citizens principle (3)
• Former Ambassador Menzies visits KSF (7)
• Bozkir: We will be sitting together in seats at NATO (7)
• Croatia supports Kosovo in the field of energy and telecommunication (9)
• Supreme Court confirms the verdict for 25 years for Besnim Hasani and Shpend Qerimi (10)
• EULEX rejects the statements of the media in connection with the case of Jovica Miljkovic (10)