Headlines - 28.12.2013

Kosovo doesn’t give up on UN membership ambitions (Koha Ditore)

Kosovo Prime Minister Hashim Thaçi said his vision for the future of the foreign policy is Kosovo’s membership in as many international organizations as possible, with UN being one of the most important priorities. “We will try to get the voice of Kosovo heard in as many international forums as possible to demonstrate that our independence is a closed, irreversible fact”, he said. Thaçi also noted that efforts to gain UN membership should prevent Kosovo from joining other international organizations.

Decision for PTK postponed for Monday (Koha Ditore)

Government commission for privatization of Kosovo Post and Telecom met on Friday but did not manage to come up with a decision that would help resolve the stalemate on the issue. The commission is expected to meet again on Monday which coincides with the day when the legal timeframe for signing privatization agreement between the Government of Kosovo and winning company, Axos, expires.

A source from the meeting told the paper that the members of the commission discussed for three hours future course of action, with some suggesting that the entire privatization process of PTK should be declared invalid while others supporting the view that the process should move ahead and be finalized with signing of the contract with Axos.

EULEX will not leave but will be reconfigured instead (dailies)

EU rule of law mission in Kosovo is not expected to leave in June of 2014 as was announced by Kosovo Government officials. Instead the mission will be reconfigured in the coming year. “We are negotiating with EULEX. Of course there can be no personal decision of mine, this decision will be taken by the Assembly”, said Kuçi in the end-year press conference where he presented the progress of the Justice Ministry.

“I am very convinced that we will have a joint EU-Kosovo agreement on EULEX mandate but we have to increase our capacities and they have to reduce theirs”, Kuçi is quoted.

He also said that together with other stakeholders they will work during 2014 for rule of law in Kosovo, particularly in the north’s integration Kuçi also said that they were focused a great deal in 2013 on the dialogue process, especially in the justice system, and added that stances of the two negotiating sides have approximated and this is expected to be finalized with an agreement early next year.

LDK doesn’t want coalition with PDK (Zëri)

Officials from the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) have rejected the possibility of joining a coalition with Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) after the idea was introduced by PDK deputy leader Kadri Veseli. LDK’s Haki Rugova said it is too soon to speak of coalitions at this stage when general elections are expected to take place sometime in September of next year. At the same time, he expressed the view of his party not to enter coalitions with another large party like PDK. “Coalitions between two biggest political parties simply did not produce positive results before”, he said.

At the same time, PDK did not come out with a clarification as to whether Veseli’s statement was his personal view or that of the party he represents.

Kosovo Government approves action plan for SAA (Epoka e Re)

Government of Kosovo in its latest meeting approved action plan for negotiations for Stabilisation and Association Agreement which identifies activities the state of Kosovo is to undertake to address the findings of the European Commission progress report. Minister of European Integrations Vlora Çitaku said the plan is a key and strategic document that enables Kosovo to continue its path towards EU integrations. “SAA action plan consists of 355 actions whose implementation will contribute to fulfillment of two major objectives: meeting mid-term criteria and implementation of duties taken on from SAA”, she said at the meeting of the government.