Main Stories
24 June 2011
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Kosovo, “gradual” condition for Serbia’s integration (Koha Ditore)
Kosovo “gives up” the Republic on movement with Serbia (Koha Ditore)
Schwarzenberg: No EU for Serbia without regional cooperation (dailies)
Zannier leaves, UNMIK on eve of shutdown (Kosova Sot)
Municipality of Gracanica raided (dailies)
Fule: Serbia should normalize relations with Kosovo (dailies)
In Belgrade for information (Express)
Kosovo Media Highlights
Kosovo, “gradual” condition for Serbia’s integration (Koha Ditore)
Koha Ditore reports that according to some EU diplomats, insistence of some EU
member states for Kosovo to be a condition for Serbia’s road towards EU, has started
to concern Belgrade as well as some EU institutions which consider that this should
not be a condition now. Great Britain first, and now Germany, are mentioned among
the EU member states which request from Serbia to first prove “constructive
behavior” towards Kosovo and only then receive the status of the candidate for EU
membership.
However, Serbia can fulfill this condition without any problem, because at this
moment, this does not mean recognition of Kosovo’s independence, and concrete
results that could derive from the discussions between Belgrade and Pristina, might be
sufficient to give Serbia the status of the candidate.
According to these diplomats, Kosovo will become a gradual condition for Serbia’s
road towards EU. This according to them means that at each phase of Serbia’s
integration in the EU, some concrete steps towards the recognition of Kosovo’s new
reality will be requested.
Kosovo “gives up” the Republic on movement with Serbia (Koha Ditore)
Koha Ditore reports that the free movement, the issue of the free trade,
telecommunication, energy as well as return of the cadastral and civilian documents,
are the six issues on which Kosovo and Serbia will reach an agreement during July.
Head of Kosovo team in these discussions, Edita Tahiri, told this daily that the
agreements are European and they get Kosovo closer to the EU. She said that Kosovo
is not making compromises and both parties are trying to benefit as much as they can.
Kosovo citizens will be able to travel to Serbia only with identity cards, and they will
not need to show their passports when traveling to this neighboring country.
She also said that Kosovo Customs will keep the “Kosovo Customs” stamps, while
attached documents will not include the word Republic. Serbia’s license plates will be
removed for Kosovo Serb citizens; however, they will be allowed to carry KS plates
from UNMIK’s time. According to Tahiri, this will be a transition.
Zannier leaves, UNMIK on eve of shutdown (Kosova Sot)
Citing an article published in Belgrade-based Pravda newspaper, Kosova Sot reports
that the United Nations want to shut down the UNMIK office in Kosovo which would
make Resolution 1244 practically irrelevant. The newspaper reported that UNMIK
chief Lamberto Zannier will soon leave the post as he will be appointed chief of the
OSCE on July 1st.
Kosovo political representatives believe that UNMIK has ended its mission and that it
should not be given a new mandate after Zannier’s departure. The U.S. administration
reportedly shares the same opinion and wants UNMIK’s competencies to be
transferred over to the European Union.
Schwarzenberg: No EU for Serbia without regional cooperation (dailies)
The Check Minister of Foreign Affairs, Karel Schwarzenberg, said on Tuesday during
the meeting with Kosovo’s Foreign Minister Enver Hoxhaj, that Serbia will not be
able to become a European Union country without demonstrating regional
cooperation.
“I consider that membership in the EU should be made based on the principals of
individual prosperity of the countries, however Serbia would have been faster than
Kosovo in this respect. Before being accepted as a EU member, according to
Copenhagen criteria, it should resolve the problems with its neighbors,” said
Schwarzenberg adding that this should be stressed clearly.
He said that even if Serbia does not recognize Kosovo as a state, it should at least as a
good neighbor. Schwarzenberg praised progress in Serbia and expressed full support
for the dialogue between Pristina and Belgrade.
Municipality of Gracanica raided (dailies)
Dailies report that the EULEX Police, raided on Tuesday the Municipality of
Gracanica, searching for facts that prove involvement of its officials in corruption.
Financial investigators of the EU mission, under the supervision of a prosecutor of
Kosovo Special Prosecution, confiscated many cadastral documents, related to some
privatized socially owned enterprises. This mission announced that four officials of
the new municipality of Gracanica, were interviewed.
“The raids are within a context of an investigation for abuse of the official position,
related to false registers of privatization of former socially owned enterprises. Raids
were authorized by an EULEX judge for precursory measures in Prizren,” says an
EULEX press release.
Fule: Serbia should normalize relations with Kosovo (dailies)
Dailies report that the Commissioner for enlargement and European neighborhood
policy, Stefan Fule, said on Tuesday in Brussels after the meeting with Serbia’s
Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic, that Kosovo issue is not included in the European
Commission questionnaire for reforms in Serbia, however he stressed that no
European State country “is ready to accept any country as a member, if there are open
issues concerning the region or neighboring countries.” Jeremic on the other hand
stated that Serbia will never recognize independence of Kosovo, and added that his
statement will not change today, tomorrow, in three months or after a century.
In Belgrade for information (Express)
Express reports that mayors of Kosovo municipalities with Serb majority, who were
elected on Kosovo elections, visited Belgrade on June 21st, and met with Assembly
Chairperson, Slavica Djukic-Dejanovic. Prior to making this extraordinary journey,
they informed Kosovo’s Deputy Prime Minister and chief of the delegation in the
discussions with Belgrade, Edita Tahiri. The official version says that they went to
Belgrade to be informed about the dialogue process, even though Pristina is only a
few kilometers away, says this daily. Mayors of Shtërpce, Kllokot and Novobërdë
municipalities stated that the meeting was not a secret, and Express reports that
Serbia’s chief negotiator Borko Stefanovic, did not meet them.
Kosovo Press Headlines
Koha Ditore
Front page
 Kosovo, a gradual condition for Serbia’s integration
 Kosovo “gives up” on Republic for movement with Serbia
 Vetëvendosje attacked by PDK for winning tenders
 No EU for Serbia without regional cooperation
 Surroi calls on Slovakia to recognize Kosovo
 Bechtel&Enka to face Economic Court
 Bosnia risks losing €70 million from Kosovo’s measures
Other headlines
 Gracanica municipality raided by EULEX (3)
 Mustafa against getting power through social unrest (6)
 Abdixhiku: Zero war and full tolerance (10)
Zëri
Front page
 Blame game over theft at police
 United for the palace of justice
 The unavoidable president
 Vetëvendosje looking for new members
 Shefkiu: The two faces of a protest
Other headlines
 Serbia to normalize relations with Kosovo (2)
 No one asked Serbia to recognize Kosovo (2)
 Serbia to solve problems with its neighbors (3)
 Pacolli continues lobbying in Nigeria (4)
 Plus: EU doesn’t accept countries with unresolved territorial disputes (4)
 Minus: Gallucci supports parallel structures (4)
 Clash over theft at the Assembly (5)
 Kosovo and Slovenia with customs agreement (6)
Kosova Sot
Front page
 “Hill International” supervises highway with €7 million
 Editorial: Only raids
 Half a billion of the Trust outside the country
Other headlines
 Zannier leaves, UNMIK on the eve of shutdown (2)
 Accusations in the assembly over businesses of politicians (3)
 Serbia confirms participation in CEFTA meeting in Pristina (4)
 Schwartzenberg: Serbia must resolve disputes with neighbors (4)
Epoka e Re
Front page
 Buzhala and Konjufca clash at the assembly
 Fuele: Serbia to normalize relations with Kosovo
 Schwartzenberg: Serbia in the EU after it resolves problems with neighbors
 EULEX investigates Gracanica municipality
Other headlines
 EU saves Kosovo for end of negotiations with Serbia (2)
 Maas: EU doesn’t accept countries with unresolved territorial disputes (2)
 Djelic: Germany doesn’t ask us to recognize Kosovo (2)
Express
Front page
 Battle over privileges
 In Belgrade for information
 Gracanica’s turn
 At the Supreme Court
 No conditions in the EU
Other headlines
 Nano: The EU is refusing us (2)
 Ambassador supports Bundestag’s position (4)
 Surroi calls on Slovakia to recognize Kosovo (5)
 Serbia to normalize relations with Kosovo (6)
Bota Sot
Front page
 Thaçi and Mustafa with cold handshake
 Konjufca calls Berat Buzhala a mercenary not a MP!
 Deputy Prime Minister Pacolli expects quick recognition from Nigeria
 Did Vetëvendosje protests shock the government?
Other headlines
 Not in the EU’s interest to accept countries with disputes (2)
 EULEX raids Gracanica municipality (2)
 Fuele: Serbia with Kosovo endangers the EU (3)
 Gani Geci and Adem Salihaj to testify in Bllaca case tomorrow (6)
 EU saves Kosovo for end of negotiations with Serbia (7)
 Germany expects Serbia to recognize Kosovo before joining EU (7)
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.