HAGUE

UPDATE: The Dutch justice ministry just announced that they have given their approval for Bulgaria to join the Schengen area, marking the end of the Netherlands' prolonged resistance to this decision.

The proposed Draft Law on Protection of the Kosovo Liberation Army's Values failed to pass on Thursday after only 35 MPs out of a total of 120 lawmakers in the Kosovo Assembly voted in favour.

"A total of 36 deputies participated [in the vote], 35 votes in favour, one against and no abstentions," said Kosovo Assembly speaker Vjosa Osmani.

Fugitive former Kosovo Liberation Army unit commander Remzi Shala, known during wartime as 'The Red Apple', appeared in court in Prizren on Friday after being arrested, but denied he was trying to evade justice.

Shala is a suspect in the kidnapping in 1998 of an ethnic Albanian man who was subsequently killed, and was initially supposed to appear in court in Prizren on January 9.

Kosovo is planning to call on the international community to establish a special international tribunal that would judge crimes committed by Serbs during the war in Kosovo - but experts told BIRN that it is almost impossible that such a proposal will be successful.

While in Banja Luka, Brnabic will receive the Order of the Serb Republic, in a ceremony honoring deserving institutions and individuals.

The prime minister will also attend a parade march in Krajina Square, and a gala in the sports arena Borik.

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The Serb Republic (RS) is the Serb entity in Bosnia-Herzegovina.

"The meeting was an opportunity for an exchange with the Kosovo representatives on the (Belgrade-Pristina) dialogue," the EU announced, adding that in this context, Mogherini "reiterated the urgency to revoke the customs tariffs (taxes on goods from central Serbia), announced by the Kosovo government at the end of last year."

The European Federation of Journalists adopted a resolution urging a new Hague-based court to investigate killings and disappearences of ethnic Albanian and Serb journalists connected to the Kosovo conflict.

In a surprise move, David Schwendiman, the chief prosecutor of the recently-established, Hague-based Kosovo Specialist Chambers, announced he will step down soon because of his retirement as a US official.

President Hashim Thaci said that the law that enables the new Hague-based Kosovo Specialist Chambers to operate was unjust but cannot be revoked, despite attempts by MPs from the ruling coalition.