Pristina

Former UNESCO chief against Kosovo's membership

Former Director-General of UNESCO Federico Mayor opposes Kosovo's membership in the organization, and stresses that the UN is in need of deep reforms.

Former local KLA commander Sabit Geci has said that the first war crimes indictment against him also contained the name of Hashim Thaci.

This has been reported by the Pristina-based Albanian language daily Bot Sot.

The Bosnian and Kosovo authorities made a huge mistake when they decided against mutual visa liberalisation, warned entrepreneurs from both countries during their first joint business forum on Friday in Sarajevo.

MPs from the opposition Vetevendosje (Self-Determination Movement) released tear gas in the parliamentary chamber around midnight on Friday forcing lawmakers to evacuate.

MPs from the opposition Vetevendosje (Self-Determination Movement) set off tear gas inside the parliament chamber on Friday, forcing lawmakers to evacuate.

They also set off gas in front of the parliamentary speaker's office just before the start of Friday's session.

"Now is the last chance to sign a bilateral agreement with Kosovo on protection of the Serb population and heritage," says Borislav Stefanovic.

"This is our last chance, if Kosovo is definitely received into the UNESCO, to sign a written bilateral agreement with Pristina," the former Serbian negotiator in the technical dialogue with Pristina told the Belgrade-based daily Danas.

The Council of the European Union has approved the Agreement on Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA) between Kosovo and the European Union.

RTS is reporting this on Thursday, quoting electronic media in Pristina.

Serbian FM Ivica Dacic said on Thursday he believes there is a chance that the UNESCO General Conference in November will not "confirm Kosovo's entry."

27 countries have voted in favor of the Albanian initiative to recommend Pristina to be allowed to join UNESCO, among them Montenegro and Macedonia.

The executive board voted on Wednesday by 27 to 14 for Kosovo's bid to join UNESCO to move to the next stage, despite opposition from Serbia, which sees it as a further unacceptable step towards recognition of its former province's independence.

"It was a small but emotional step forward in a long road," Kosovo's Deputy Foreign Minister Petrit Selimi wrote on Twitter after the vote.