Rasmussen: In the north NATO acted in self defense

• Rasmussen: In the north NATO acted in self defense (Koha Ditore)
• Kuçi: Kosovo will respond to divisions in the same way (dailies)
• The Government should talk with all citizens (dailies)
• Powerful explosion in the north, no victims (dailies)
• Haziri: Too promising to say visas will be removed this year (Koha Ditore)
• Creation of technical government announced (Kosova Sot)
• De Maiziere: In Kosovo there is light and darkness (Express, Epoka e Re)
• Arrests in MIA over repatriation process (Zëri)
• Everybody is waiting for Hashim Thaçi (dailies)
• Thaçi: Elections in PDK, this autumn (Express)
• With biometrical ID cards in Macedonia (Zëri)

Kosovo Media Highlights

Rasmussen: In the north NATO acted in self defense (Koha Ditore)
Koha Ditore reports that NATO’s highest official said the alliance is committed to implement its mandate in Kosovo in a neutral fashion to ensure freedom of movement and stability. NATO General Secretary, Anders Fogh Rasmussen said this on Monday. In response to accusations by Serb officials that with this action “NATO provoked the situation”, NATO Secretary General Rasmussen initially said that NATO troops in Kosovo “acted in self defense” and added that he “greatly evaluates the work and the way how the solders acted”. This was said in response to a question from Koha Ditore. He went on to say that “KFOR will implement its mandate in an unbiased way, neutral towards the status.”

Kuçi: Kosovo will respond to divisions in the same way (dailies)
Koha Ditore reports that the Kosovo Government is on alert after the language of new Serbia President, Tomislav Nikolic and former Interior Minister, one of the candidates for the Prime Minister of the new Government, Ivica Dacic. Kosovo Deputy Prime Minister, Hajredin Kuçi, said that with the language it is clear that Serbia has returned to the mentality of Slobodan Milosevic. He stressed that the international community should prevent new divisions which would endanger the entire region. “We have seen not very positive developments in Serbi... Kosovo has been threatened for a century from Serbia. Kosovo was threatened with ethnic cleansing and genocide. At that time there were similar voices to those of today. Although, we don’t feel threatened, because we have a partnership with NATO, USA and EU”, said Kuçi. The Kosovar Deputy Prime Minister added that Kosovo does not like the new divisions. If forced, it will respond.

The Government should talk with all citizens (dailies)
Kosovo Assembly Speaker, Jakup Krasniqi said the Kosovo Government dialogue with citizens in the north is open to all. “Kosovo should talk with all its citizens in any part of Kosovo to raise the quality of their lives. In line with this we see the removal of the roadblocks by NATO as a positive development and think that all roadblocks should be removed to guarantee freedom of movement and goods”, said Krasniqi. He added that Kosovo institutions should talk with all of its citizens, independently in which part of the country they live. Krasniqi said that Kosovo institutions should no select the citizens the same as it has done Serb politics with decades towards the Albanians.

Powerful explosion in the north, no victims (dailies)
A powerful blast broke the glass of an apartment in the center of north Mitrovica, on Monday in the early morning hours. The blast disturbed many citizens in that part of the town. Kosovo police confirmed the explosion and said it was from a pyrotechnic device, other sources said that it was a hand grenade, which exploded as a result of disagreements among Serb criminal groups. Based on preliminary reports, police investigators said the explosive ordnance had a high detonation effect, but little destructive ability. They found that it was activated by unknown persons in the street “King Peter” in north Mitrovica.

Haziri: Too promising to say visas will be removed this year (Koha Ditore)
Chair of the Assembly’s Commission for European Integration, Lutfi Haziri, said that it is too promising to claim that visa liberalization will be granted to Kosovo this year. “The progress and shortening of the road to getting the right for free movement is mainly linked to the agenda in Kosovo. How difficult or long the path will be will depend on the progress in Kosovo,” said Haziri. He added that the process in other countries of the Western Balkans took between 18 to 30 months.

Creation of technical government announced (Kosova Sot)
The paper reports, quoting sources, the Government of Kosovo may undergo a reformatting process, and the instauration of a technical government that would lead the country until new elections are held. This new government would not be led by the present Prime Minister Hashim Thaçi as he would aim for assuming the post of Kosovo president. His current deputy Hajredin Kuçi would become prime minister of the technical government. The government, according to the source, will break with the AKR, as it is not happy with how Thaçi has implemented the coalition agreement.

The new executive would not be formed with AKR so PDK, but likely PDK and AAK, which insists on having the prime minister’s post. The Government of Kosovo did not want to comment on these reports while AAK’s Burim Ramadani said he is not informed of such a possible scenario.

De Maiziere: In Kosovo there is light and darkness (Express, Epoka e Re)
Express reports that German Defense Minister, Thomas de Maiziere, said that the situation in Kosovo has not changed since his last visit, last year. He said that the recent outbreak of violence in the north, where two Bundeswehr soldiers were injured, is a cause for concern. Two German KFOR soldiers were injured last Friday by Serb citizens in the north of Kosovo, after the peacekeepers started to remove roadblock in the vicinity of the village Rudare. They were injured in the chest and ear. The injuries show that the shots were dangerous, said de Maiziere.

Arrests in MIA over repatriation process (Zëri)
Zëri reports on the front page that the prosecution is looking closely into the process of repatriation in Kosovo. According to the paper, a senior official of the Ministry of Interior Affairs has been arrested for taking bribes during the process. An unnamed official of the ministry told the paper that the person who was arrested is very close to Minister Bajram Rexhepi. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Interior has confirmed that it has failed with the repatriation process.

Everybody is waiting for Hashim Thaçi (dailies)
Koha Ditore reports that the meeting of the Commission for the Election Reform has failed because of the non participation of Prime Minister Hashim Thaçi. It was foreseen that Thaçi and Isa Mustafa would make public the official stances of their parties for the election system, but this did not happen. The meeting was not held at all as a result. “The meeting has been postponed. The representative of PDK did not show up, the others were present, the representative of LDK, AAK, AKR and the other 6 group representatives. However, we don’t know the reason why their representative did not show up. We waited for 30 minutes. International representatives such as the British Ambassador, Ian Cliff and OSCE representatives and we have evaluated that there was no reason to wait longer than that for the representative of PDK”, said Haki Demolli the Head of this Commission.

Thaçi: Elections in PDK, this autumn (Express)
PDK leader Hashim Thaçi said that the party will hold its regular election convention this autumn. Thaçi made the statement following a meeting with the party membership which, the paper reports, was not attended by PDK deputy leader Fatmir Limaj while general secretary Jakup Krasniqi is reported to have walked out of the meeting before it ended.

With biometrical ID cards in Macedonia (Zëri)
Kosovo’s Interior Affairs Minister Bajram Rexhepi confirmed on Monday during the government meeting that a principle agreement was reached with Macedonia to cross the border using just biometrical ID cards once Kosovo starts issuing them. Prime Minister Hashim Thaçi was reportedly rejoiced about the information and called on Rexhepi to follow the same procedures with all neighboring countries.

Kosovo Press Headlines

Koha Ditore

Front page
• Rasmussen: NATO acted in self-defense in the north
• Election reforms: Everyone waiting for Hashim Thaçi
• Prosecution reviews public accusations over privatization of Grand

Other headlines
• EU strongly rejects Nikolic’s statement about Srebrenica (2)
• Kuçi: Kosovo will respond to divisions in the same manner (3)
• Krasniqi: The government must talk to all residents (4)
• Powerful blast in the north, no victims reported (4)
• Haziri: It is too promising to say that visas will be removed this year (5)

Zëri

Front page
• Arrests in MIA over repatriation process
• Rasmussen: KFOR acted in self-defense
• Assembly is not informed about talks
• Threats over partition are not concerning

Other headlines
• Jahjaga visits Croatia (2)
• France will help Kosovo in area of justice (2)
• Serbs resume watch at barricades (5)
• OEK closely following developments at PAK (6)
• UNMIK/Kosovo products to be confiscated (6)

Kosova Sot

Front page
• Feasibility and visas require reforms
• Editorial: The game with election reform
• Prime Minister Thaçi absent, meeting of the committee fails
• PDK getting ready for elections in September
• Technical government is announced?

Other headlines
• ICO welcomes establishment of Group for Reconciliation (2)
• Obligatory watch at barricades resumes (2)
• Jahjaga visits Croatia (4)
• France and Kosovo further their cooperation (4)
• Law on ID cards is amended (4)
• Rasmussen: KFOR acted in self-defense (4)
• EU warns the Serbian President (4)
• Nikolic revives Balkans tensions (4)

Epoka e Re

Front page
• The lazy ones
• Haziri: European agenda should be reviewed
• Krasniqi: NATO must free all roads

Other headlines
• De Maiziere: There is light and darkness in Kosovo (2)
• Rasmussen: KFOR acted in self-defense (3)
• France condemns Serb violence in the north (3)
• Kuçi: We protect our residents in the north (5)
• Government starts work for reconciliation with Serbia (7)

Express

Front page
• Council investigates Muja
• Trick with invitation
• They don’t stop
• It was self defence

Other headlines
• Morton Abramowitz: New president, old problems (3)
• Thaçi: This autumn elections in PDK (4)
• Jahjaga travels to Croatia (5)
• They are not shaken from the division (5)
• Much work for liberalization (6)
• De Maiziere: In Kosovo there is light and darkness (6)
• Pyrotechnic explosion (9)
• France helps Kosovo in justice (9)
• KSF with Task Force (9)
• Confiscated products with UNMIK (10)

Bota Sot

Front page
• Kosovo’s road to the EU full of crossroads
• There’s light and darkness in Kosovo
• KFOR’s action in the north encourages Kosovo Government
• Rasmussen: KFOR acted in self-defense

Other headlines
• ICO welcomes establishment of Group for Reconciliation (2)
• EU warns Nikolic (3)
• Jahjaga visits Croatia (4)
• Stop to UNMIK/Kosovo products (6)