Government welcomes European Parliament’s Resolution
(Most monitored broadcasters, RTK1)
Kosovo Government welcomes the approval of Resolution on Kosovo in the European Parliament, which as the Government states, contains clear demands for advancement and acceleration of European integration process of Kosovo.
“The Government of Kosovo expresses its gratitude to the European Parliament for its positive assessment regarding fulfilment of visa liberalisation criteria, calling on it to take necessary actions in order for Kosovars to travel without visa in 2016.
The Government considers European Parliament’s willingness to give its consent on visa liberalisation same as its invitation to the European Commission to make one such move at the earliest, as a very important step,” a Government’s press release states.
The EP Resolution was also welcomed by Kosovo political parties.
Opposition calls on President to announce elections
(Most monitored broadcasters, KTV)
Opposition parties call on Kosovo President Atifete Jahjaga to dissolve the Assembly and announce the date of early elections. Through their letter addressed on 22 January, the opposition made it clear to the President that they will continue with their way of opposition to defend Kosovo’s interests.
However, President Jahjaga did not reply to the opposition. The President’s Office said that she is working on creating conditions for a joint roundtable. This is being refused by the opposition parties.
In the meantime, political analyst, Naim Rashiti, does not believe that the current political crisis will end soon. According to him, voting for the President will only deepen this crisis further.
KFOR: Serbian gendarmerie has not entered Kosovo
(Most monitored broadcasters, Klan Kosova)
KFOR Commander, Guglielmo Luigi Miglietta, said it is not true that Serbian gendarmerie has entered Kosovo territory as it was said during the recent days. According to him, Serbian gendarmerie was in Serbia’s territory.
Addressing a joint press conference with Supreme Allied Commander for Europe, General Philip Breedlove, Miglietta said that Kosovo Police together with KFOR have done a good job when they arrested several suspects near the Visoki Decani Monastery.
In KFOR are not aware of the goals that these suspects had, while they deny that foreign troops will guard Serb churches and monasteries following this case.
On the other hand, General Breedlove said that Kosovo Security Forces are doing a good job, but he did not tell if it is going to transform into an army.
No political will to combat corruption
(All monitored broadcasters, KTV)
Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Turkey lack the political will to combat corruption. This is the conclusion of the regional conference dubbed “Institutional mechanisms in the fight against corruption” organised by the Kosovo Democratic Institute (KDI) in Prishtinë/Pristina.
The index, prepared few weeks ago by this Institute, places Kosovo first in the region as far as corruption is concerned.
KDI representative Visar Sutaj says that there is no political will in Kosovo to combat corruption and that judiciary is directly influenced by the politics.
The Anticorruption Agency as an institution was considered as the main problem in this regard. Representatives of anticorruption agencies from the region presented their issues, while the lack of political will in the combat against corruption was their common issue.
SPRK: Enver Hasani enjoys no immunity for his acts
(Most monitored broadcasters, KTV)
Special Prosecution of Kosovo (SPRK) filed a complaint at the Court of Appeal against the decision of Prishtinë/Pristina Basic Court, which rejected the request of the Special Prosecution for a special investigation into the case of former Constitutional Court President Enver Hasani.
The complaint has been filed due to essential violation of the provisions of the criminal procedure, which could have affected the judicial ruling. Also, according to the SPRK, Hasani did not act within the scope of his responsibilities as a judge and the President of the Constitutional Court, for which he enjoys functional immunity, but he had undertaken actions that were beyond his competencies and had misused the post and authorizations that were granted to him by the law and Constitution of Kosovo.
Djuric and Simic discussed Kosovo political situation and security
(RTK2, Klan Kosova)
Director of the Office for Kosovo in the Serbian Government Marko Djuric and Srpska List chairperson Srpska Slavko Simic discussed current political situation and security in Kosovo.
The two officials confirmed the importance and necessity of coordinated action and cooperation of the Government of Serbia and the elected representatives of Kosovo Serbs “with emphasis on the need for strengthening the political unity of the Serb population in Kosovo.”
Civil society and artists request visa removal between Kosovo and B&H
(All monitored broadcasters, Klan Kosova)
A debate on freedom of movement was held in Graçanicë/Gracanica on Thursday. Special focus of this debate was on the visa regime that Bosnia and Herzegovina has imposed to Kosovo.
According to the participants of this debate, irrespective of the fact that freedom of movement is one of the basic human rights, in the case of Kosovo and Bosnia this issue is considered to be political.
Members of the Kosovo Bosniak community also expressed dissatisfaction over this fact, saying that this issue should also be tackled in higher levels, such as Brussels, in the framework of Prishtinë/Pristina and Belgrade talks, because according to them, Serbia influences Bosnia’s decision on this matter.
On the other hand, Kosovo artists consider that large amounts of money and time needed for obtaining visas influences the mutual cultural cooperation, and even force them to give up their few cooperation efforts.
