• Three mayors of northern municipalities to swear in today in public buildings (media)
• Rasic on swearing in of mayors: I don’t see any obstacle (media)
• Hovenier: Government to urgently prepare draft statute of Association (RTV21)
• Varhelyi to visit Kosovo today, will meet leaders and opposition (media)
• Reactions to Aliu election as member of Independent Media Commission (media)
• Kosovo to invest €1.77 mil to improve railways, water infrastructure (SeeNews)

Three mayors of northern municipalities to swear in today in public buildings (media)

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti said on Wednesday that the mayors of three northern municipalities – Leposavic, Zubin Potok and Zvecan - will be sworn in today in public buildings. He said that it is not normal that for six months now these municipalities have been without mayors and the citizens without municipal services. Kurti argued that these actions are aimed at the democratic functioning of institutions and guaranteeing the provision of public services for all citizens without any difference. “This is not a choice, this is our obligation. We are engaged to do this by protecting human rights, civil liberties, the rule of law, political pluralism, peace, and security in the country, because these are all normal in a democracy and in a Republic,” he said.

Radio Free Europe notes in its coverage that according to the Kosovo government, for security reasons, the mayors will be sworn in public buildings and not in the municipal assemblies.

Rasic on swearing in of mayors: I don’t see any obstacle (media)

Kosovo’s Minister for Communities and Returns, Nenad Rasic, said on Wednesday that he does not see any obstacles for the swearing in of the new mayors in the north of Kosovo.

“I don’t see any obstacles. We had a swearing in last week, and these others will also be technical and symbolic steps. They will confirm something that we knew for these elections. Our focus was legitimacy, and normal legitimacy is challenging at this moment,” Rasic told TV Dukagjini.

Rasic also said that “I believe there always needs to be representation in every municipality and I understand the need of the institutions to hold elections there”.

Hovenier: Government to urgently prepare draft statute of Association (RTV21)

U.S. Ambassador to Kosovo, Jeffrey Hovenier, said in an interview with RTV21 on Wednesday that the Kosovo government should urgently prepare a draft statute for the Association of Serb-majority municipalities. “Kosovo made a commitment in 2013 to establish an Association of Serb-majority Municipalities. We have been clear on record for a long time, we expect this to happen, and now is even more urgent and timely as a fundamental element of Kosovo’s responsibilities and of Kosovo’s commitments both in the Brussels Agreement, but also in regard to the Agreement on normalization of relations. We want to see that move forward urgently, we think that time is now,” he said.

Hovenier also said that Kosovo can achieve its vision of full integration in European and Euro-Atlantic structures only through the implementation of the Basic Agreement and the implementation annex.

Varhelyi to visit Kosovo today, will meet leaders and opposition (media)

European Commissioner for Neighborhood and Enlargement, Oliver Varhelyi, will visit Kosovo today. He is scheduled to meet President Vjosa Osmani at 12:00, and then meet Prime Minister Albin Kurti. Varhelyi will also meet the opposition leaders and representatives of civil society.

A press release issued by Varhelyi’s office notes that “the meetings will be an opportunity to review EU-Kosovo relations and discuss recent developments, as well as key reforms, including in the area of justice reform, energy transition, and the fight against organized crime and corruption”.

Varhelyi and Minister for Interior Affairs Xhelal Svecla are scheduled to launch the EU-Kosovo Internal Affairs Program, aimed at harmonising Kosovo’s actions in law enforcement and fighting of organized crime by EU standards.

Reactions to Aliu election as member of Independent Media Commission (media)

General Secretary of the European Federation of Journalists, Ricardo Gutierrez, reacted on Wednesday to the election of Luljeta Aliu as member of the Independent Media Commission (IMC). “This political appointment really gives the impression that the ruling party is rewarding its activists for their support by offering them a position in a public body that should be independent. I am outraged by this political appointment. You can count on me to denounce it to my colleagues and our partners in the Council of Europe. This appointment clearly violates the standards set by the Council of Europe in Recommendation Rec (2000)23 of the Committee of Ministers to member states on the independence and functions of regulatory authorities in the broadcasting sector,” Gutierrez wrote in a Facebook post.

The European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF) said in a statement on Wednesday: “We are very concerned and disappointed by the decision of #Kosovo parliament, controlled by Lëvizja Vetëvendosje, to elect Luljeta Aliu as a member of Independent Media Commission (IMC). Aliu has vocally, regularly and publicly supported Lëvizja Vetëvendosje (VV) and their politics. In no way can she be considered independent. We regret to see this development, as it runs counter to the process of IMC's depolitisation that VV had started. This election is a major step towards political recapture, in the very same way it was done in the past. In light of Kosovo's membership bid, we will immediately initiate exchange with the Council of Europe and PACE to inform them about this unsettling development that will have a major impact on the independence of IMC.”

Leader of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK), Memli Krasniqi, took to Facebook to react to Aliu’s election, arguing that she is a political supporter of Vetevendosje and that with her election the government has proved once again that it has a mission to prevent freedom of speech and to capture the media. According to Krasniqi, “only a corrupt and autocratic government aims to have political control over the media and independent institutions”.

Kosovo to invest €1.77 mil to improve railways, water infrastructure (SeeNews)

Kosovo's government committed 1.77 million euro ($1.9 million) to finance improvements to railway, water supply, and sewerage infrastructure, the economy ministry said.

Railway operators Infrakos and Trainkos will receive a total of 844,000 euro, while water supply and sewerage operators in the minicipalities of Prishtina, Gjilan, Peja and Prizren will receive the remainder, the ministry said in a statement last week.

The railway companies will use the funding for repairs of rolling stock and improvements to railway safety, acquisition of machines and surveillance systems enhancement. Water and sewerage projects will focus on rehabilitation and construction of networks, as well as changing filters at Peja’s drinking water facility.