European Commission Blocks Statement Against Serbia
Daily newspaper Koha Ditore reports on its front page that the European Commission has blocked a statement that would hold Serbia responsible for violating an agreement for regional representation and cooperation.
The Commission reportedly has blocked a statement to be issued by the Board of the Regional Youth Cooperation Office (RYCO), after the Serbian Government withdrew from the board a serb civil society representative, and as a result the meeting which was scheduled to be held in Prishtina failed.
The paper claims to have seen a correspondence between the Advisory Board and the Office of EU Enlargement Commissioner, Johannes Hahn. The paper also claims to have seen a copy of the statement that wasn’t allowed to be published.
Board representatives later said the European Commission was interfering in their work.
External Link: Kërko punë
Serbia’s Government dismisses a young activist for wanting to go to Kosovo
On the eve of a meeting of the Regional office for the cooperation of youths (RYCO) Managing Board in Pristina, Serbia’s representative Milica Skiljevic was replaced because she said she would go to Kosovo despite the country’s instructions, N1 reported on Wednesday.
The reason for her replacement was Serbia’s Government decision that the move would be against the country’s interest, while Skiljevic said she only wanted to present the interest of young people.
“I learned about the decision indirectly and then waited for a while expecting to be personally informed since it was about me. When that didn’t happen, I demanded an explanation from the Ministry of Youth and Sports which I haven’t received yet,” Skiljevic said.
External Link: Mundësi punësimi.
Reaction of Kosovo
Kosovo’s Deputy Prime Minister, Enver Hoxhaj, too criticized Brussels for biasedness and for failing to hold Serbia responsible for violating the agreements.
‘Serbia is directly responsible for the failing of RYCO Board meeting in Pristina today. This behavior is against regional cooperation and Berlin process. We call on EU to react as this is clearly Serbia’s policy — to destroy all regional initiatives,” Hoxhaj wrote.
The Regional Office was formed to improve relations among youths and was meant to act independently from the politics carried out by the countries they came from.
External link: njoftime pune.
