Main Stories
1 December
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Thaçi: The six-point plan will not be implemented in Kosovo (dailies)
Sejdiu: Fair deployment of EULEX is a special challenge (dailies)
Fried: EULEX in Kosovo serves to strengthen independence (Zëri)
EULEX with an office in Belgrade (Express)
Assembly with no debate on six-point document (Zëri)
Talks between Pristina and Belgrade – only as neighbours (Koha Ditore)
Ramush Haradinaj re-elected as AAK leader (dailies)
Ali Ahmeti: Kosovo’s partition can have a chain effect (Zëri)
Kosovo threatened with reduction of assistance from Germany (Koha Ditore)
Chairman of Assembly of Islamic Community under attack (Koha)
Kosovo Media Highlights
Thaçi: The six-point plan will not be implemented in Kosovo (dailies)
Dailies report on Prime Minister Hashim Thaçi’s announcement to the media during
his visit to Reçan village, in the municipality of Prizren.
“The six-points are dead… Forget the six points definitely, because they were
Belgrade’s bad dream. It was Belgrade’s bad dream pretended to come true in
Kosovo. However, our stance, the stance of the Republic of Kosovo made them not to
figure in any official document. Therefore, they are not subject of discussion from
now on,” said Thaçi.
Thaçi expressed support for EULEX and added that this mission should implement
concrete actions from its very first day or otherwise its presence would be
meaningless.
Asked about Serbian President Tadic’s proposal to review the Kumanovo Agreement,
Thaçi said this was yet another bad and dead dream of Serbia, and added that a
decision concerning the Republic of Kosovo can be made only by its institutions.
“International and Serb authorities can meet and discuss developments within Serbia,
but not about the territory of the Republic of Kosovo,” he said.
Sejdiu: Fair deployment of EULEX is a special challenge (dailies)
Dailies report that President Fatmir Sejdiu told the opposition yesterday about the
numerous challenges faced currently by Kosovo, in particular the challenge related to
the fair deployment of EULEX.
According to Sejdiu, the responsibility for these challenges falls on all stakeholders in
Kosovo. Sejdiu made these remarks during the convention of the Alliance for the
Future of Kosovo (AAK), where he was accompanied by Deputy PM and LDK
Secretary General Ramë Manaj.
Fried: EULEX in Kosovo serves to strengthen independence (Zëri)
Zëri quotes U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Daniel Fried as saying that EULEX will
deploy throughout Kosovo, in a non-separated country. “Without the presence of
EULEX, Kosovo could have problems, therefore, we are deploying this mission in
Kosovo in order to strengthen the independence and sovereignty of this new state,”
Fried added.
Fried also said that the high ranking U.S. official said that the Ahtisaari Plan will be
valid and added, “Serbia doesn’t have a role to play. EULEX was foreseen in the
Ahtisaari Plan and we all know what its mission is. Its mission has the same mandate
as in February, that has not been changed and will not change. The European Union
will confirm that.”
Fried also said he doesn’t fear a mix of competencies in Kosovo. “We now need
UNMIK to transfer its competencies to EULEX. Kosovo achieved a big victory,
because Kosovo rejected the United Nations six-point plan. Europe and the United
States had to accept and respect their standpoint,” Fried added.
EULEX with an office in Belgrade (Express)
Express reports that EULEX will open a small office in Belgrade, which will operate
on technical issues. “It will be an office that deals with technical and not political
issues,” European officials were quoted as saying. According to them, this technical
office opens for international police cooperation such as combating of organized
crime in the region and other criminal activities.
The possibility for opening such offices in other capitals of the region is not excluded,
reports Express, adding that opening of liaison offices is also allowed by the Joint
Action endorsed by the EU Council, on 4 February of this year.
Assembly with no debate on six-point document (Zëri)
Zëri reports on the front page that the Kosovo Assembly has held no debate on the
six/point document and the opposition has not initiated a vote of confidence for the
President and the Prime Minister. Certain that the motion for a vote of confidence
against President Sejdiu and Prime Minister Thaçi would be difficult to pass at the
Assembly, the opposition has decided not to submit a procedural request for this
motion. The issue of seeking accountability from institutional leaders has for the time
being remained at the level of debates.
Talks between Pristina and Belgrade – only as neighbours (Koha Ditore)
Koha Ditore reports on the front page that Pristina has replied to the Serbian proposal
for status talks between Belgrade and Pristina by saying that negotiations can be held
for the interests of two countries and two nations only as two neighbouring states.
“For Kosovo, its institutions and the people, the political status was resolved on 17
February. This status is the independence of Kosovo. Independence was declared in
coordination with the international community and has been recognized by 52 states,
therefore, talks about Kosovo’s political status are over,” said Kosovo Deputy Prime
Minister Ramë Manaj.
Manaj also said that based on the new reality, the two states could talk only as two
sovereign countries.
Ramush Haradinaj re-elected as AAK leader (dailies)
All dailies cover the fifth convention of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo held on
Sunday, where Ramush Haradinaj was re-elected as party leader. Koha Ditore reports
that the novelty in this convention was Zëri publisher Blerim Shala, who upon
Haradinaj’s proposal, is expected to take up the post of party deputy leader. The paper
also notes that former UNMIK PDSRSG Steven Schook has publicly accepted the
offer to become advisor to the AAK leader.
Ali Ahmeti: Kosovo’s partition can have a chain effect (Zëri)
Zëri reports that BDI leader and former NLA commander-in-chief Ali Ahmeti said in
Skopje that the partition of Kosovo could have a chain effect in the entire region.
Ahmeti, however, said he doesn’t believe that partition will come and advised Russia
not to act against the will of the Albanian majority in Kosovo. “I don’t think Kosovo’s
partition can happen, because it could have a chain effect for the region; Western
democratic countries that have invested a lot in peace, stability and security of the
Western Balkans will not allow partition to happen,” Ahmeti said.
Kosovo threatened with reduction of assistance from Germany (Koha Ditore)
Citing a report published in the German newspaper Welt am Sonntag, Koha Ditore
reports that as a result of the delay to release the three members of the German
Intelligence Service (BND), Kosovo was threatened with the reduction of assistance
from the Federal Republic of Germany.
Welt am Sonntag quoted unnamed sources in the German Government as saying that
even there is no conclusion yet, there has been considered concrete measures for the
reduction of aid assistance in different fields in particular in the area of security.
A day earlier, Berlin reportedly called on Prime Minister Hashim Thaçi to apologize
about the scandal with BDN agents.
Chairman of Assembly of Islamic Community under attack (Koha)
Koha Ditore reports that the chairman of the Assembly of the Islamic Community of
Kosovo, Xhabir Hamiti, claims to have been physically attacked on Sunday by
masked men, who in his opinion are “extreme Islamic groups”. “Around 18:45 hrs,
masked men attacked me at the entrance of my garage. I think they are people who
follow the extreme Islamic ideology that has been operating in Kosovo in the last
couple of years,” Hamiti was quoted as saying.
Kosovo Press Headlines
Koha Ditore
Front page
 Talks – only as neighbours
 Thaçi says six points and Serbian dreams are dead
 Weller: Late rejection
 System of salaries at KSF same as in the police
 Affair with German spies could have been a revenge
Other headlines
 Sejdiu: Fair deployment of EULEX is a special challenge (2)
 Çeku: This is not the success of our politics – people should know the truth (2)
 Former Serb members of Kosovo Police cancel their protest (3)
 Kosovo threatened with reduction of assistance from Germany (3)
 Chairman of Islamic Community Assembly was attacked (3)
 Haradinaj re-elected AAK leader (4)
 Palokaj: Wishing success to EULEX (10)
Zëri
Front page
 Assembly no debate on six points, opposition does not initiate vote of
confidence against President and Prime Minister
 Ramush Haradinaj re-elected party leader, Blerim Shala joins AAK
 Pristina: Amendment of Kumanovo Agreement a risk for regional stability
 Editorial: Setback to 1999
 Shala: Belgrade must be stopped
 Fried: EULEX in Kosovo serves to strengthen independence
 AFP: Germany threatened to cut aid to Kosovo
Other headlines
 Thaçi: Six point plan will not be implemented in Kosovo (2)
 Ponosh: Serbia will ask for lifting of security zone with Kosovo (2)
 Tadic expects new negotiations on Kosovo’s status (6)
 Ali Ahmeti: Kosovo’s partition could have a chain effect (6)
 Trajkovic: Albanians will dare not create problems for EULEX (6)
 Çeku alarms over Serbian initiative for the Kumanovo Agreement (7)
Kosova Sot
Front page
 Serbia wants to return its solders in Kosovo
 PM Thaçi, six-points are dead
 Revision of Kumanova agreement, a danger for Kosovo
 Haradinaj, re-elected as President
Other headlines
 Still far from democracy (2)
 Tadic: We should speak to Albanians (3)
 Çeku’s proposal, agreement with EULEX (4)
 Kosovo with a new economic strategy in three months (7)
Epoka e Re
Front page
 Lulzim Fushtica, intelligence chief, Sheremet Ahmeti, director of police,
Sylejman Selimi KSF commander?
 Islamic extremists attack chairman of the Islamic community assembly
 Haradinaj re-elected
 Another “no” of Kosovo
Other headlines
 Solana and Tadic exchanged letters on EULEX (2)
 Fried: Six-point plan cannot be imposed to Kosovo (3)
 Germany made pressure on Kosovo to release its three citizens (3)
 Çeku: The six points, the end of passive politics (5)
 Tomorrow protests “Against 6-point, for sovereignty” (8)
Express
Front page
 With Blerim
 EULEX with an office in Belgrade
 Haxhiu: Two AAK leaders
 Rexhepi: A legalized anarchy
Other headlines
 Forget the six points (4)
 They don’t want changes (6)
 Tadic against division of the north (6)
 Kurti and Zogiani: Let us defend the Republic of Kosovo (8)
Lajm
Front page
 Who won in the UNSC?
 Serbia should not be trusted
 President without co-opponent
Other headlines
 No partition, as long as far as there are Albanians on two sides of border (2)
 Hyseni hints recognitions in December (2)
 Fried: EULEX enforces the Kosovo independence and Sovereignty (3)
 Maas: EULEX will contribute to the stability (3)
 Slovakia doesn’t recognize Kosovo passports, but accepts Kosovo passports
(4)
Bota Sot
Front page
 Review of ‘Kumanovo’ is the return of Serbian military in Kosovo!
 Haradinaj, undisputed leader of AAK
 EULEX does not legalize Kosovo partition
Other headlines
 East. West. Kosovo (2)
 Çeku: Institutions are not showing force opposite Belgrade (4)
 Thaçi promises investment (5)
InfoPress
Front page
 Krasniqi: Belgrade produces instability
 Fried: six-points are not approved as new mandate for EULEX
Other headlines
 Maas: EULEX, in the bases of joint action (2)
 Forget the six-points (3)
 EULEX based on constitution (4)
 Haradinaj, re-elected for president without no other candidates (4)
 The plan cannot be imposed to Kosovo (5)
Belgrade Media Update
Thaçi: SC presidential announcement balanced (Tanjug/RTS)
Kosovo Prime Minister Hashim Thaçi has assessed that the Presidential
Announcement of the UN Security Council on the reconfiguration of UNMIK and
deployment of EULEX is balanced and that it has shown respect for the stances of
Kosovo institutions, but that Albanians will not accept the six-item plan. In the
interview for Express he said that under no condition will the six points,
conceptualized in Belgrade, be tolerated by the local and international institutions in
jeopardizing the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Kosovo. Thaçi has stated that
the position of Kosovo representatives was clear – the active beginning of the
realization of state and international functions in the entire territory of the province.
Germany threatens Pristina with cancelling financial assistance (Beta)
Beta is quoting an AFP report that says Berlin is considering cancelling its assistance
to Kosovo. Welt am Sonntag daily said that the German government had to “exert
great pressure” on the authorities in Kosovo in order to secure the release of the three
men. Germany is second only to the United States when it comes to the amount of
financial assistance it sets aside for Kosovo – Berlin has pledged 100mn Euros for the
next two years. Meanwhile, Focus magazine claims in its latest edition, to be
published on Monday, that the real reason for the arrest of the three BND agents in
Pristina was to confiscate a notebook containing information about the contacts
between Kosovo leadership and mafia. The weekly adds that the BND men gathered
new information on Hashim Tahci in this context, but does not give details or sources
of this allegation.
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.