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14 November 2012
Thaçi informs Quint, ignores Speaker of Parliament (Koha Ditore)
Kosovo customs officers stationed in north (Zëri)
Serb gendarmerie elite unit patrolling north (Koha Ditore)
Gordon: Division of Kosovo not option (Epoka e Re)
Kosovo demands liaison office, Serbia liaison officer (Koha Ditore)
They don’t know about north (Express)
Vetëvendosje MPs to join PDK? (Epoka e Re)
Strasburg Court obliges Serbia to pay Kosovo pensions (Epoka e Re)
Three escape from Dubrava Prison (Koha Ditore)
Velija suspected of transferring money to state officials (Koha Ditore)
Kosovo Media Highlights
Thaçi informs Quint, ignores Speaker of Parliament (Koha Ditore – front page)
Kosovo Prime Minister Hashim Thaçi has not included Parliament Speaker Jakup
Krasniqi on the list of leaders he is informing separately about the meetings in
Brussels with Serbian Prime Minister Ivica Dacic. Thaçi however did choose to
inform President Jahjaga, the Quint ambassadors and part of the opposition on topics
he opened with Milosevic’s “political son”.
Although they are colleagues in the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK), Thaçi chose
to leave Krasniqi in the same group with all MPs, despite Krasniqi being one of the
three central leaders of the state. The situation between the two leaders deteriorated
after Krasniqi openly said Thaçi is not a monarch and therefore should not make
decisions on his own when general interests of the state are concerned.
Krasniqi meanwhile does not seem concerned with Thaçi’s recent behavior. “He chose
this form of action,” Krasniqi said yesterday, adding that he is well informed about the
content of the discussions being mediated by EU High Representative Ashton. “The
Parliament informs me,” he said. Asked if he feels ignored by Thaçi not meeting him
face to face, Krasniqi said, “on the contrary, I feel just fine.”
Kosovo customs officers to be stationed in the north (Zëri – front page)
Authorities in Pristina reiterated that members of the Kosovo Customs Service will be
deployed to the Bërnjak and Jarinje border points in the north, along with other
crossings in Merdare and Dheu i Bardhë. Kosovo officials say was agreed during the
second meeting between Kosovo Prime Minister Hashim Thaçi and his Serbian
counterpart, Ivica Dacic.
“Naturally, implementing the IBM at this stage will focus on existing border points, in
accordance with the agreement reached between the experts. At a later stage, the EU
pledged to fund the construction of the joint border crossings for efficient
implementation of IBM,” Thaçi said.
Serb gendarmerie elite unit patrolling in the north (Koha Ditore – page 3)
According to sources, an elite unit of the Serb gendarmerie is patrolling the north
under the direct supervision of the Serbian Government. Its goal is to act on the
ground, depending on the way the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue goes.
The Government of Kosovo, international community, and the unit dealing with the
‘management’ of northern leaders - who are disobedient to Belgrade - knows about
the presence of Serb police in the north.
Gordon: Division of Kosovo is not an option (Epoka e Re – front page)
The U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs, Philip
Gordon, reiterated the U.S. position that supports the territorial sovereignty and
integrity of Kosovo. Gordon also does not expect Serbia to recognize the
independence of Kosovo at this point.
Speaking at the Atlantic Council, Gordon stressed that Kosovo and Serbia should
normalize their relations and dividing Kosovo is not an option. “In order to move
forward, Belgrade should end support of parallel structures of security and law in
northern Kosovo, and work with the international community to attain freedom of
movement,” he said.
Kosovo wants liaison office, Serbia liaison officer (Koha Ditore – front page)
Pristina and Belgrade governments continue to contradict themselves regarding the
possibility of opening liaison offices. Pristina insists that the issue of opening liaison
offices was discussed in Brussels, while Belgrade maintains that they spoke of
appointing liaison officers. “We are talking here about liaising officers,” said Serbian
Prime Minister Ivica Dacic in an interview for RTS. Meanwhile, Kosovo Deputy
Prime Minister Hajredin Kuçi said that it is impossible to have liaising officers
without having an office first.
They don’t know about the north (Express – front page)
Kosovo Prime Minister Hashim Thaçi is expected to hold a third meeting with his
Serbian counterpart, Ivica Dacic, next month. At the meeting, the Kosovar side will
ask for the practical implementation of the integrated border management agreement
and the dissolution of parallel structures.
Deputy Prime Minister Hajredin Kuçi meanwhile told the paper that Kosovar
authorities have no idea when Brussels is going to address the issue of northern
Kosovo. Kuçi added that Pristina will call on Belgrade to stop financing parallel
security structures and to make concrete steps toward the dissolution of such
structures.
Vetëvendosje MPs to join PDK? (Epoka e Re – front page)
According to sources, the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) will be joined by
several members of Vetëvendosje Movement during the upcoming internal elections,
most notably Alma Lama, Afrim Hoti, and Afrim Kasolli. The three MPs are not
pleased with Vetëvendosje politics.
In exchange for joining PDK, Lama is allegedly insisting on being appointed deputy
ambassador to Albania, while Hoti and Kasolli want to be included in PDK’s list for
the next general elections.
Strasburg Court obliges Serbia to pay Kosovo pensions (Epoka e Re – page 2)
The Strasburg Court is aiding Serbia on four major problems, said the Serbian judicial
representative at this court, Slavolub Caric. According to Vecernje Novosti, the
second group of problems concerns Kosovo pensions, which Serbia should pay after
the decision in power for Grudic case: the Kosovo couple residing in Novi Pazar, who
awhile back won the case against the state of Serbia.
This concerns the debts to Albanian, Serb, and Bosniak citizens that stemmed from
after the international protectorate in Kosovo. Serbia’s Minister of Work and Social
Issues justified this with lack of access to documentation of pensioners and that there
were no payments of Kosovo to Serbia’s Pension Fund. The European Court,
however, concluded that pensioners are not guilty for this and that they were denied
their right on their property.
Three escape from Dubrava Prison (Koha Ditore – page 5)
Three escaped from Dubrava Prison Tuesday morning. “The fugitives include: Haxhë
Krasniqi from Klina, Nexhdet Ramaj from Rakosh near Istog, and Gazmend Mujaj
from Jabllanica, near Peja,” an information officer from the prison told reporters.
An unnamed source said that one of the fugitives was sentenced to 15 years in prison.
Another fugitive was found guilty on terrorism charges in Macedonia and was
transferred to Dubrava to serve his sentence. A spokesman for Kosovo Police in Peja
told the media that one of the fugitives voluntarily returned to prison.
Velija suspected of moving money to state officials (Koha Ditore – front page)
It is suspected that the German citizen, Natali Velija, did not embezzle €1.4 million
for personal gain, but transferred the money to four different bank accounts to bribe
state officials.
On Monday, she was ready to witness at the Prosecution in order “to illuminate the
corruption” at the Ministry of Internal Affairs. However, according to her defense, the
prosecutors did not want to listen.
On Tuesday, she did not wish to speak during an attempt to interview her because she
said she is not able to. Sources within this process said that the owner of “Consulting
EU” transferred over a million euros to four Kosovars as a bribe for the €1.4 million
tender for producing passports, which was won by Austrian-based company
“Österreichiche Staatsdruckerei.”
Kosovo Press Headlines
Koha Ditore
Front page
 Thaçi informs the Quint, ignores the Speaker of Parliament
 Kosovo wants liaison offices, Serbia wants a liaison officer
 EU and WB annul donors conference scheduled for November
 Natali Velija suspected of transferring funds to state officials
 Groups of Albanians in frontal fight against Assad
Other headlines
 Elite unit of Serbian gendarmerie patrolling the north (page 3)
 Armitage: Proceed with prequalified bidders for Kosova e Re (page 5)
 Three prisoners escape from Dubrava Prison (page 5)
 Matoshi: Why do Albanians curse? (page 10)
 Christopher Hill: Obama 2.0 (page 11)
Zëri
Front page
 Kosovo customs officers in the north!
 Thaçi briefs Quint on details of meeting with Dacic
 Krasniqi to face prosecutor for insulting Mother Teresa
Other headlines
 Coordination for rule of law (page 2)
 Fate of missing, a priority for Kosovo (page 2)
 Dacic: Kosovo is slipping toward independence (page 4)
 Serbs to be equipped with temporary license plates (page 5)
Kosova Sot
Front page
 Fitou: Do not oppose dialogue with Serbia just for the sake of it
 Judiciary and corruption hinder economy
 Three people arrested for passports scandal
 Escape from Dubrava Prison, one returns
 Editorial: Fleeing responsibility
Other headlines
 Kosovo, key EU condition for Serbia (page 2)
 Thaçi briefs Quint (page 2)
 Kirby: Some parallel institutions remain in the north (page 3)
 Ban asks for implementation of agreements (page 3)
 Cooperation protocol between Kosovo and Albania (page 3)
 Comprehensive inclusion demanded for dialogue (page 3)
 LDK will respect resolution for talks (page 3)
 OSCE not to monitor elections in PDK (page 3)
 Serbia made to pay pensions of Kosovars (page 7)
Epoka e Re
Front page
 Based on Pantic’s words, Salihaj family searched
 Mustafa: Country’s institutions have Assembly’s mandate for talks
 Gordon: Division of Kosovo not an option
 They abandon Vetëvendosje for PDK?
 Opposition’s participation in dialogue unnecessary
Other headlines
 Kosovo, key priority for Serbia (page 2)
 Dacic: Kosovo ‘slipping’ towards independence (page 2)
 Strasbourg court forces Serbia to pay Kosovo pensions (page 2)
 Thaçi briefs international community (page 4)
 The north to resist IBM (page 5)
Express
Front page
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They do not know about the north
Hopes on Brussels
Danger Trepça
Natalie’s silence
Other headlines
 Rama: The flag, Albanians’ ideal homeland (page 2)
 Some parallel institutions will remain (page 4)
 Weber: They know in Serbia that they have lost Kosovo (page 5)
 Dacic: Let us finish the job (page 5)
 They will resist at the border (page 6)
 Hoxhaj: Basha helped on recognitions (page 6)
 Kosovo, the main condition for Serbia (page 6)
 Free services for the north (page 8)
 The lean their hopes on Brussels (page 9)
 Strasburg decides pro-Kosovo (page 10)
Bota Sot
Front page
 Albanian Academy invited Serbian chauvinist academic, ignores Kosovo
 LDK members cheer: We are proud to live in Ibrahim Rugov’s century
 Mustafa: LDK will behave according to the Resolution of Kosovo Assembly
Other headlines
 Macedonia: Zero donations for Albanian municipalities (page 2)
 Impacted accusations and slow investigations on Dick Marty’s case (page 2)
 EULEX confirms arrest of German Natalie Velijaj (page 2)
 Deputies of Kosovo Assembly “dare” to visit the north (page 3)
 Ambassadors of Quint states also informed on meeting with Dacic (page 4)
 Do number of recognitions impact integration processes of Kosovo? (page 6)
 Escape Dubrava prison (page 6)
 No local elections without a political agreement for the north (page 8)
Disclaimer
This media summary consists of selected local media articles for the information of UN personnel. The public
distribution of this media summary is a courtesy service extended by UNMIK on the understanding that the
choice of articles translated is exclusive, and the contents do not represent anything other than a selection of
articles likely to be of interest to a United Nations readership. The inclusion of articles in this summary does not
imply endorsement by UNMIK.