• EU High Representative Borell to visit Kosovo today (media)
• Delays in formation of government reflect on integration agenda (Koha/Zeri)
• Kelmendi: A victory in battle, surrender on the table (Koha)
• Abazi: If LDK burns Kurti it will be divided (media)
• Stoltenberg: NATO is working on opening Kosovo lower airspace (RTK)
• Haradinaj: Agreements with Serbia, step toward final settlement (Zeri)
• Bildt: Even Milosevic would’ve loved Trump-like solution for Kosovo (Zeri)
• Konjufca in Brussels: Feeling isolated is disappointing for Kosovo people (Epoka)
• Spain could block Zagreb summit over Kosovo (Koha)

EU High Representative Borell to visit Kosovo today (media)

Josep Borrell, High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Vice-President of the European Commission, will travel to Kosovo on 30-31 January and to Serbia on 31 January-1 February, informs a press release issued by the EU Office in Kosovo.

“Ahead of the visit the High Representative/Vice-President Borrell said: “I am looking forward to my first official visit to the Western Balkans which demonstrates our commitment to the EU perspective of the region, its stability, security and prosperity. The Western Balkans will be a priority during my mandate and, given my personal resolve to advance the EU-facilitated Dialogue, I wanted to visit Kosovo and Serbia first in the region. There is a lot of important work ahead including the normalisation of relations between Belgrade and Pristina. During my visit, I look forward to getting to know Kosovo and Serbia and to meet their people.”

The High Representative will be in Kosovo on 30-31 January. He will meet with political leaders including President Hashim Thaci (the meeting will be followed by a press point), party representatives as well as representatives of civil society organisations. Josep Borrell will launch an EU-funded project to improve air quality in Kosovo and will visit Prizren.

The High Representative will be in Serbia on 31 January-1 February. He will meet with political leaders including President Aleksandar Vucic (the meeting will be followed by a press point), party representatives as well as representatives of civil society organisations. Josep Borrell will also visit areas around a Serbian national park,” reads the press release.

Delays in formation of government reflect on integration agenda (Koha/Zeri)

Koha Ditore reports on its front page that Kosovo will suffer from delays in forming the new government both internally and in relation to its European integration agenda. European diplomats meanwhile have made it clear that they will not interfere in the process of forming the new government.

EU Head of Office in Kosovo, Nataliya Apostolova, commented on Wednesday on a recent meeting between the Vetevendosje Movement and the Democratic League of Kosovo, where she attended together with the Quint ambassadors in Pristina.

“We only listened to the positions of the parties, but we did not advocate for any solution at the meeting with the parties that are negotiating a coalition. It is not up to us to intervene,” Apostolova said. “It is important to have a government in place soon that will implement reforms on the integration path”.

Zeri too reports in its leading front-page article that Apostolova has called for the quick formation of the new government. The paper also notes that Vetevendosje leader Albin Kurti has only five more days to present a new government to the Kosovo Assembly.

Kelmendi: A victory in battle, surrender on the table (Koha)

Columnist Adriatik Kelmendi writes in an opinion piece that “on October 6 last year, the people cast the majority of their votes to the Vetevendosje Movement and the Democratic League of Kosovo as an opposite option to Thaci’s policies, but now these two parties are risking to pass this trust over to Thaci on February 4”. Kelmendi argues that “Kurti and Mustafa should forget for one moment who is more to blame that they have reached a point where they cannot form the government together. They are the opposition that won the elections in Kosovo. As in every battle, they will have some wounded soldiers along the way, but they cannot risk losing the war they have won”.

Abazi: If LDK burns Kurti it will be divided (media)

Vetevendosje Movement (LVV) MP Haki Abazi said in a debate on RTV Dukagjini on Wednesday that if the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) “tries to burn Kurti and tries to form a coalition with other political parties it would be making a disastrous move”. “Such a move would lead to the division of their party and the electorate … I believe most of their structures will apply positive pressure to reach a coalition with Vetevendosje,” he added.

Stoltenberg: NATO is working on opening Kosovo lower airspace (RTK)

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg confirmed on Wednesday that NATO is working on opening the lower airspace over Kosovo.

“We strongly support dialogue between Pristina and Belgrade. We support resumption of this dialogue that has been suspended for some time now. We believe that dialogue is the only way to reach a sustainable political solution to conflict. We support it not only through political support, but by helping to resolve the issue of the airspace,” he said.

“There is a process facilitated by NATO which addresses this matter. I hope that we will find ways to agree on reopening the lower airspace and enable in this way direct air traffic between Belgrade and Pristina,” Stoltenberg said on Wednesday in Brussels.

Haradinaj: Agreements with Serbia, step toward final settlement (Zeri)

Kosovo’s outgoing Prime Minister, Ramush Haradinaj, commented on Wednesday on the two agreements signed recently with Serbia, saying that they are a step toward a final settlement. “We will meet soon with those that attended that meeting. The two agreements are helpful for our people. We will give further support to our people. Agreements are usually discussed and analysed. We will discuss the agreements either today or tomorrow with all those that were involved. These agreements are in the interest of our people. You know that there is a great number of Kosovo’s citizens living and travelling through Serbia and this provides them with greater freedom of movement. All these agreements are a step forward and they further strengthen our sovereignty. I see that there is hesitation and scepticism because we are not used to good news,” Haradinaj said after the government meeting on Wednesday.

Bildt: Even Milosevic would’ve loved Trump-like solution for Kosovo (Zeri)

Former Swedish Prime Minister Carl Bildt took to Twitter on Wednesday to comment on the recent agreements between Kosovo and Serbia, the paper reports on page two. “I’m dead certain Milosevic once upon a time would have loved a Trump-like solution for Kosovo. Serb security forces in full ultimate control. Borders. Airspace. Digital space. Trade. Not even a heavy machine gun allowed. And – of course – some limited rights for the Kosovars,” Bildt tweeted.

Konjufca in Brussels: Feeling isolated is disappointing for Kosovo people (Epoka)

Kosovo’s Assembly Speaker Glauk Konjufca spoke at the Western Balkans Assembly Speakers Summit in Brussels about Kosovo’s challenges in its European path. “96 months have passed since we started the dialogue for visa liberalisation and today, we remain the only country that is not granted visa liberalisation in the Schengen Zone,” Konjufca said.

He also spoke about the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue saying that “we understand completely importance of good neighbourly relations and remain committed that the dialogue with Serbia should be facilitated by the EU.” He added that the future government of Kosovo will undertake significant steps on this direction.

Konjufca expressed appreciation to the European Parliament for remaining the main defender of the European perspective for Western Balkans.

Spain could block Zagreb summit over Kosovo (Koha)

Citing unnamed diplomatic sources, the paper reports on page two that Spain could decide to block the Zagreb summit if Kosovo is invited as an independent country. Spanish diplomats meanwhile have told Radio Free Europe that “they have yet to receive an invitation and that as soon as they receive an invitation from Croatia they will know how to reply”.