Demarcation ratification taken off Kosovo Assembly's agenda

Demarcation ratification taken off Kosovo Assembly's agenda

The Beta agency said it was told that Serb List deputies did not take part in today's session "because of the lack of security conditions for the Serb community over the past few weeks."

Quoting unnamed sources, Zeri said the agreement was taken off Thursday's agenda and postponed "for another day." However, it is currently unknown when that day may be.

Tanjug's reporter, meanwhile, said that some assembly members from opposition Self Determination and from Hashim Thaci's ruling party were present in the hall on Thursday.

Outside the building, Self-Determination, which is opposed to the demarcation agreement, organized a protest, with the party's supporters showing up carrying flags of Albania, others inscribed with the word "autochthonous," and shouting, "Down with the government!"

They were matched by hundreds of police officers in full riot gear, deployed around the assembly and government buildings in downtown Pristina.

The police also detained opposition member of the assembly Donika Kadaj-Bujupi, who was found in possession of a tear gas canister as she was searched at the entrance to the assembly.

Earlier in the day, Kosovo President Hashim Thaci defended the agreement during a television interview, saying that Kosovo "would not lose a meter of its territory" because of it, and revealing that he puts his faith in "NATO's maps" rather than those produced by "Russia or Yugoslavia."

Thaci also said he was convinced that the agreement would be ratified, and that this would "pave the way for the liberalization of the visa regime with the EU."