• Borrell calls on parties to form government soon (media)
• Kurti comments on meeting with Borrell (media)
• Kurti wants Assembly vote on his government on February 3 (media)
• LVV: We want to go to the session with reached agreement with LDK (RTK)
• Mustafa says LDK to vote in favor of LVV minority government if deal fails (media)
• Haziri: Either government with LVV or in the opposition (T7)
• Beqiri: A minority government, worse than new elections (media)
• Serbian List will not obstruct formation of Kurti government (media)
• Haradinaj doesn’t attend meeting with Borrell, sends Tahiri (media)
• Borrell visits cultural heritage sites in Prizren (Koha Ditore)
• EU pledges funds to help Kosovo tackle air pollution (media)
• Geci: They made me offers to testify against Thaci, Veseli and Haradinaj (Telegrafi)

Kosovo Media Highlights

Borrell calls on parties to form government soon (media)

EU High Representative Josep Borrell held a joint meeting yesterday with LVV leader Albin Kurti, LDK leader Isa Mustafa, NISMA leader Fatmir Limaj and representatives of other parliamentary parties. Borrell called for the new government to be formed soon.

LDK’s Mustafa said he informed Borrell about the ongoing talks with the Vetevendosje Movement to form a new government. Mustafa said his party will not give up on the post of Assembly President.

LVV leader and candidate for Prime Minister, Kurti, took to Twitter to say that the meeting was fruitful. He also said that the EU-facilitated dialogue with Serbia must be reviewed and resumed.

Limaj said he called for the EU to take a firm approach against Serbia’s denial of the crimes committed in Kosovo.

Kurti comments on meeting with Borrell (media)

Vetevendosje Movement (LVV) leader and candidate for Prime Minister, said after meeting EU High Representative Josep Borrell today that they discussed Kosovo’s relations with the European Union and the EU-facilitated dialogue with Serbia.

Kurti wrote on a Facebook post: “I reiterated our position to review the agreements signed so far, in terms of their implementation, and the need to discuss with Mr. Borrell the new phase of the dialogue with Serbia. We need to review and evaluate the quality of the previous agreements before we can negotiate and sign new agreements. We should not be late but we should not hurry either. The dialogue needs to focus on unaddressed and unresolved issues, it needs to be well-prepared and based on principles. Kosovo is an independent and sovereign state and this must be the premise of any dialogue and the conclusion of every agreement.

“We believe in the power of the European Union to unite around common goals for the common good. Resolving the outstanding issues between Kosovo and Serbia is in the interest of the whole region.

“I also informed Mr. Borrell about the efforts to form the new government which will take its course next week. Our priorities will be the rule of law, economic development and employment especially for the youth and women”.

Kurti wants Assembly vote on his government on February 3 (media)

Vetevendosje Movement (LVV) leader and candidate for Prime Minister, Albin Kurti, has asked for the plenary session of the Kosovo Assembly that will vote on his government, to be held on February 3.

The Assembly Presidency will meet tomorrow.

Gazeta Express notes that it is not known if Kurti has talked to the Democratic League of Kosovo before submitting his request. LDK leader Isa Mustafa told reporters today that he has not talked to Kurti since their last meeting on Tuesday.

Bota Sot at the same time quotes sources within the LVV parliamentary group saying that they have been asked not to travel anywhere on the 3 February.

LVV: We want to go to the session with reached agreement with LDK (RTK)

Vetevendosje Movement (LVV) issued a press release which notes that they want to go to the requested Assembly session with the reached agreement with the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) and added that so far, they tried nine times to approximate positions with LDK.

“A few days remain before the deadline, and the mandated for the formation of the new government, leader of the Vetevendosje Movement Albin Kurti continues with engagement to enable fulfilment of the electoral promise for major changes.

“As Albin Kurti announced on his video message on 20 January, while not reaching yet an agreement with the main partner, LDK, he continued with the meetings with parliamentarian representatives of minorities. It was discussed with them about the program of the new government, and especially its impact on improvement of the lives of minorities and their economic and social integration in Kosovo. Also, eventual names of the ministers coming from minorities were discussed, one of which must be from Kosovo Serbs. We clarify to the public opinion that there were no discussions for inclusion of certain minority entities in the governing coalition. These discussions cannot be made as long as coalition with LDK is not reached.

“Also, the request addressed to the Assembly of Kosovo to call the session for Monday at 11:00 hours, was made prior to meeting the minority representatives. Therefore, we have made nine offers so far, which means that we reached for LDK nine times. But for this, some approach from LDK is required as well,” reads the press release.

Mustafa says LDK to vote in favor of LVV minority government if deal fails (media)

Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) leader Isa Mustafa said in an interview with RTV21 on Thursday that there is still room for a coalition government with the Vetevendosje Movement (LVV).

Mustafa said LVV has many reasons to push the process forward.

Mustafa also said that if an agreement fails, they would vote in favor of an LVV minority government.

“I hope that everything will conclude the way it started and that LVV will use the mandate and show good will. I think it is in the hands of Vetevendosje and Kurti should use this. We don’t know what will happen after February 4. We were and are still willing to form a coalition with Vetevendosje,” he said.

At the same time, Telegrafi quotes Mustafa as saying: “We stick to the promise but not at all cost. We need to know how LVV will lead a minority government. We cannot instruct MPs to raise their hands at all cost. They did not raise them even when I was voted prime minister. I cannot say we can secure 28 votes for this but we want the government to be formed.”

Mustafa also said that new elections are not the only option and that this is in the hands of the first party.

Haziri: Either government with LVV or in the opposition (T7)

Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) deputy leader, Lutfi Haziri, said that this party will either form the new government with the LDK or go in the opposition. “LDK has no other options,” he said.

Haziri said the LDK General Council set a red line to the PDK [Democratic Party of Kosovo] even before the elections.

Beqiri: A minority government, worse than new elections (media)

Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) leadership member, Ismet Beqiri, said in an interview to KTV on Thursday that an eventual minority government would be a worse option than new elections.

He said Vetevendosje and the LDK need to further their trust. “It is very important how we will govern and if we will further our trust, otherwise an agreement is useless. For now, the two highest posts need to be equally divides … It does not suffice being in the government without a representative post. This is not about conditions. It is a matter of trust if we will find common ground,” Beqiri said.

Serbian List will not obstruct formation of Kurti government (media)

Serbian List leaders said after meeting Vetevendosje Movement (LVV) leader Albin Kurti today that they will not obstruct the formation of his government.

Serbian List leader Goran Rakic told reporters after the meeting: “the Serbian List will not obstruct the formation of the new government. It is a clear fact to everyone, the international community and Pristina’s representatives that without the Serbian List as a factor, it is impossible to form the new government. The new government will have members from the Serbian List”.

Rakic refused to say if his party will be part of an eventual ruling coalition between the Vetevendosje Movement and the Democratic League of Kosovo.

Serbian List senior member Dalibor Jevtic said: “what we made clear in the meeting was that if the new government will have more than 12 ministries, in line with the Constitution, in this case the 13th ministry should go to the Serbian List.”

Haradinaj doesn’t attend meeting with Borrell, sends Tahiri (media)

Leader of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) Ramush Haradinaj did not attend yesterday’s meeting the EU High Representative Josep Borrell had with representatives of political parties and sent in his stead Besnik Tahiri, media report.

Haradinaj said he was unable to make room in his agenda to meet Borrell because of his previously arranged engagements.

Borrell visits cultural heritage sites in Prizren (Koha Ditore)

The EU High Representative Josep Borrell visited Prizren yesterday as part of his first visit to Kosovo.

In Prizren, Borrell met representatives of non-majority communities represented in the Municipal Assembly and also visited numerous cultural and religious sites in the city, accompanied by the Head of EU Office Nataliya Apostolova and Mayor Mytaher Haskuka.

“I visited Prizren with its UNESCO  listed medieval monuments & met representatives of local communities. I am happy to get to know Kosovo and its people, to engage in a process that I hope can solve one of the problems still remaining in Europe &overcome difficulties of the past,” Borrell wrote on Twitter after the meeting.

EU pledges funds to help Kosovo tackle air pollution (media)

During his visit to Kosovo, the EU High Representative Josep Borrell launched an EU-funded project aimed at tackling air pollution by improving environmental performance of the “Kosovo B” power plant.

“Air pollution is one of the most acute environmental problems affecting the Western Balkans, including Kosovo. With this investment, the EU is providing a concrete contribution to improve the environment in Kosovo and the region, as well as to improve the health and well-being of people. The European Green Deal is a deal for all of us in Europe, Kosovo included. With this project, we want to take a first step in this direction. We hope and expect that our determination will be matched by that of Kosovo’s policy makers,” Borrell is quoted in a press release issued by the European Commission.

The project, worth €76.4 million, will be provided for filters on the Kosovo B power plant, through the Commission’s Instrument for Pre-Accession (IPA).

Geci: They made me offers to testify against Thaci, Veseli and Haradinaj (Telegrafi)

Sabit Geci, a commander of the former Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA), said that on several occasions he was made offers to testify against Kosovo’s leaders.

“They wanted me to testify against Ramush Haradinaj, Fatmir Limaj, Hashim Thaci, Kadri Veseli, Sylejman Selimi, Sami Lushtaku,” he told T7. “They told me choose a place where you want to go with your family and you will have all benefits”.

Geci said he never testified despite the offers he was made.