Government reiterates call for dialogue (Zeri)
Kosovo Prime Minister Isa Mustafa and Deputy Prime Minister Hashim Thaci, during the government meeting on Thursday, called on the opposition parties to return to the Assembly to debate on issues which concern them. Mustafa said any attempt to block the work of the Assembly will slow the integration processes, will undermine the country and relations with the EU. “We are able to give arguments for any concern of the people, including those who protested on Wednesday. I again call on the opposition leaders to return to the Assembly so that we can resolve all issues there,” Mustafa said. Deputy PM Thaci too said dialogue is the only way to overcome the current crisis.
Opposition warns it will block Assembly session today (Epoka e Re)
The Assembly of Kosovo will gather today at 10:00 for a plenary session, where a range of draft laws, reports and proposals are expected to be discussed. Parliamentary opposition parties, however, announced that they will block the session. “I call on the President of the Assembly not to call the parliamentary session because it is already clear that this parliament does not have the legitimacy and we do not have conditions to continue normal work without a political solution among the political parties,” Fatmir Limaj, leader of the Initiative for Kosovo (NISMA), wrote on his Facebook page. Limaj also said that ignoring the new reality is provocation aimed at deepening the political crisis.
US Embassy appeals for peaceful Assembly session (Kosova Sot)
The US Embassy in Pristina has called on all parties to refrain from use of violence in today’s session of the Kosovo Assembly. In a statement for Rrokum TV, the US Embassy further stated that it does not support any candidate for the post of Kosovo president. “This is a decision that the representatives elected by the people of Kosovo should take.”
Veseli meets Mogherini and Hahn in Brussels (Epoka e Re)
The President of the Assembly of Kosovo, Kadri Veseli, met on Thursday in Brussels with the European Union High Representative for Foreign Policy and Security, Frederica Mogherini and the EU Commissioner for Neighborhood and Enlargement, Johannes Hahn. They discussed the political and integration developments of Kosovo. Commissioner Hahn stressed that Kosovo’s European Integration should be a national objective of both the government and the opposition. He also informed that he will visit Kosovo soon to see the dynamics of the fulfillment of the obligations that Kosovo has undertaken.
Arrest warrant for Vetevendosje leader Ymeri to be issued today (Koha)
The Basic Court in Pristina is expected to issue today warrant for the arrest of Vetevendosje leader Visar Ymeri for failing to show up to the hearing in a case dating back to 2012. Ymeri, along with his fellow MP, Rexhep Selimi, and former Vetevendosje MP Florin Krasniqi, are accused of assaulting the MP from the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) Bekim Haxhiu in June of 2012 during a Kosovo Assembly session break.
EU in no rush for visa liberalization for Kosovo (Koha)
The paper reports on its front page that the European assessment mission has yet to respond to the Kosovo Government’s invitation to visit Pristina and see the level of implementation of the final recommendations for visa liberalization. The visit was supposed to take place in mid-February. Kosovo’s Minister for European Integration, Bekim Collaku told the paper on Thursday: “We expect this mission to visit Kosovo soon and to see the progress made in the implementation of the final eight recommendations. I know that maybe the European Commission as well as member states of the European Union are in no great rush with this process, but for me as head of this process and for all Kosovo citizens, visa liberalization is an urgent matter and it should be treated as such”.
