The Office in the north, alternate route to “Ahtisaari”

• The Office in the north, alternate route to “Ahtisaari” (Koha)
• Serbia to remove parallel structures in the north (Epoka e Re)
• EU sets more difficult conditions for Kosovo (Zëri)
• PNDSH: Office in the north will fail (Zëri)
• PDK candidate wins run-off elections in Ferizaj (dailies)
• Dacic: Some EU states will ask for factual recognition of Kosovo (dailies)
• Investigations will not focus just on organs trade charges (Koha)
• They arrested him to release him later (Zëri)

Kosovo Media Highlights

The Office in the north, alternate route to “Ahtisaari” (Koha)
Koha Ditore reports on the front page that the plan for the establishment of the Administrative Office for North Mitrovica (AONM), a copy of which the paper has managed to secure, mentions the steps that need to be taken for the implementation of the Ahtisaari Package in northern Mitrovica. AONM is defined a “governance mechanism” and therefore is mentioned in the package. The package also describes the presentation of South Mitrovica and North Mitrovica on a joint board. The plan of the Government foresees the fast establishment of this board, which will be led by internationals.

Serbia to remove parallel structures in the north (Epoka e Re)
Epoka e Re reports that the Managing Director in the European External Action Service, who visited Belgrade some days ago, shocked the local political scene, with new requests by the European Union that Serbia needs to fulfill. As Serb media reported, Lajcak indicated three conditions that must be met before the start of negotiations for membership. According to sources one of the conditions has to do with the removal of Serbian parallel structures in the north of Kosovo, while the other is giving up the policy Europe and Kosovo.

EU sets more difficult conditions for Kosovo (Zëri)
Zëri reports on the front page that the enthusiasm for a European perspective in Pristina is dimming not only among citizens but also among government officials. The paper further notes that around mid-June, Kosovo will receive the visa liberalization roadmap from Brussels. Government officials in Pristina unofficially admit that the roadmap contains more difficult conditions compared to those for other countries.

“The last meeting at the level of ambassadors of EU member states will be held on May 30th. The meeting is expected to make a decision on the roadmap, namely to announce the date when Kosovo will receive the document. The document will contain only one phase but will have more conditions than other countries in the region,” a government official involved in the process told the paper.

PNDSH: Office in the north will fail (Zëri)
The Albanian National Democratic Party (PNDSH) has reacted against the upcoming launch of the government’s administrative office in northern Mitrovica. “We as a party believe that the government project in northern Mitrovica will fail because its functioning is based widely on support and understanding from Brussels. We think that Brussels will not assist this project, and to make matters worse Brussels will hesitate to support it exactly at a time when its support and assistance will become crucial,” read a communiqué issued by the PNDSH.

PDK candidate wins run-off elections in Ferizaj (dailies)
All dailies report on the front page that PDK candidate Agim Aliu has won the run-off elections in Ferizaj, beating the LDK candidate Adem Salihaj. The Central Election Committee (CEC) has published the first preliminary results according to which PDK’s Aliu won 14.832 votes (57.59%) while Salihaj won 10.992 votes (42.41%).

Dacic: Some EU states will ask for factual recognition of Kosovo (dailies)
Several dailies report that SPS leader Ivica Dacic told media in Belgrade that some EU member states will continue to condition Serbia’s further integration into the EU not with the formal recognition of Kosovo’s independence but with factual recognition.

“This means that no one will force us to recognize Kosovo’s independence, but will impose on us decisions whereby Kosovo would be considered an independent and sovereign state,” Dacic added.

Investigations will not focus only on organs trade charges (Koha)
The paper notes that the notorious report by Swiss senator Dick Marty, which was adopted by a majority of votes at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, continues to lurk as a dark cloud over Kosovo and the Balkans and is seen as such even by the European Union.

Despite suspicion among EU and NATO senior officials over Marty’s claims, his report resulted in the establishment of a Special Investigative Task Force led by former US Ambassador John Clint Williamson.

Although the 20-member team considers Marty’s document as “a report with sensational media elements”, it is seriously considering some of Marty’s allegations and will investigate them.

The group, which is based in Brussels, will not investigate only allegations for “the violent abduction of organs of Serb inmates”, allegations which have shocked many people in Europe, but will also look into allegations of torture in prisons in northern Albania during and after the Kosovo conflict.

They arrested him to release him later (Zëri)
Zëri reports that EULEX took the case of Jovica Miljkovic from the hands of national prosecutors. Two days after they received the case, Miljkovic was released from detention. Miljkovic is accused of participating in the demolition of the police containers placed at the “Three Towers” neighbourhood in North Mitrovica, one day after an explosion killed Selver Haradinaj. Miljkovic was released on 25 May after decision of EULEX Prosecutor, Neeta Amin.

Kosovo Press Headlines

Koha Ditore

Front page
• Office in the north, alternate route to “Ahtisaari”
• Investigations will not only focus on organ trade allegations
• Kosovars attracted by big salaries in Afghanistan and Iraq
• Project for economic zone of Pristina, €1.3 billion
• Policemen side by side with smugglers

Other headlines
• PDK continues to govern in Ferizaj (2)
• Berisha and Jahjaga meet in Durrës (2)
• Serbia will be asked to recognize Kosovo (2)

Zëri

Front page
• EU sets more difficult conditions for Kosovo
• PDK wins in Ferizaj again
• Preteni’s mistakes
• Assembly has turned into a circus
• Capital privatizations in the hands of internationals
• They arrested him to release him later

Other headlines
• Kosovo remains condition for Serbia in the EU (2)
• Dacic fears Brussels over Kosovo (2)
• Nikolic clearer on Kosovo (2)
• PNDSH: Office in the north will fail (4)
• Diplomacy Academy to be based in Prizren (5)

Kosova Sot

Front page
• Politicians “invade” faculties
• Editorial: Kosovar vs. Albanian
• PDK’s Agim Aliu wins Ferizaj elections
• Smuggling in the north does not stop
• Milosevic had over 2,200 agents in the Balkans

Other headlines
• Putin supports Serbia’s position on Kosovo (2)
• EC questions disturb ministries (2)
• Nikolic calls for high-level talks on Kosovo (4)
• Demaçi: No one should be above the law (4)
• Dacic: They will ask us to recognize Kosovo (4)

Express

Front page
• PDK starts a new cycle of victories
• In June Cabinet for Pristina
• The draft law for health to be approved in Wednesday

Other headlines
• Serbia to remove parallel structures in the north (2)
• Berisha met with Jahjaga (2)
• Dacic: They will request from as to recognize Kosovo (2)
• Kosovo and Croatia cooperate for diplomacy (3)
• Less cases in 2013 (8)

Express

Front page
• Reconfirmed in Ferizaj
• Sick, and without hope
• They are punished for the protest

Other headlines
• Dacic: The state of Kosovo is being legitimized (4)
• Blerand Stavileci, The Head of Cabinet for Good Governance (5)
• Friendly to Berisha (3)
• PNDSH: Office, failed project (6)
• They are feeling stronger (6)
• Diplomatic cooperation (6)
• Kosovar with false identity arrested (7)

Bota Sot

Front page
• Mark Krasniqi was the right hand of the President Ibrahim Rugova
• Prime Minister Berisha welcomed President Mrs. Atifete Jahjaga
• The Serbs in the north again disappointed from Belgrade

Other headlines
• Two formulas of the new Albanian President (2)
• President Jahjaga did not plan a meeting with Idajet Beqiri (4)
• A dead body close to the EULEX headquarters (6)
• Abdullahu: The office in the north, failed project (7)
• Kosovo-Croatia: Memorandum of cooperation (7)
• Serwer: I am not surprised very much with the results of the elections in Serbia (8)