• Kurti and Schallenberg vow to increase Kosovo-Austria cooperation (media)
• Michel: Western Balkans, strategic priority for the EU (RFE)
• France set to appoint envoy to Western Balkans? (RTK)
• Kurti welcomes adoption of minimum wage bill, calls it 'good news' (media)
• KLA war veterans to protest on 16 June against minimum wage bill (media)
• Kusari-Lila: War veterans have not been excluded from draft law (Koha/Telegrafi)
• PDK: Kusari-Lila shamefully insulted KLA veterans (Indeksonline)
• Sunny Hill festival moves from Pristina to Tirana (media)

Kurti and Schallenberg vow to increase Kosovo-Austria cooperation (media)

Prime Minister of Kosovo Albin Kurti met in Pristina yesterday Foreign Minister of Austria Alexander Schallenberg.

Kurti expressed appreciation for Austria's support in economy, trade, education, culture and added that he hoped the bilateral cooperation in these fields will grow, a press release issued by the Government of Kosovo said. "There was also discussion in the meeting about the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia in Brussels and the constructive and creative approach of Kosovo towards a legally binding agreement, centred on mutual recognition."

On the new geopolitical developments, Kurti said that he welcomed an increased focus from the EU towards the Western Balkans and spoke of Kosovo's aims to join the Council of Europe and NATO's Partnership for Peace programme noting that he hoped Austria would support Kosovo in moving forward in these processes. Minister Schallenberg on his part is said to have reiterated support for visa liberalisation for Kosovo and Kosovo's membership bid for the Council of Europe.

Michel: Western Balkans, strategic priority for the EU (RFE)

Charles Michel, President of the European Council, visited Montenegro yesterday ahead of his Kosovo visit and underlined the importance of the Western Balkans for the European Union. Michel said now more than ever, the region carries a strategic priority for the EU.

Asked about Open Balkan, Michel said the EU will support all regional initiatives that encourage economic development and cooperation but at the same time respects the decisions of individual states.

France set to appoint envoy to Western Balkans? (RTK)

RTK reports quoting what it says are international sources saying that the French President Emmanuel Macron is expected to appoint a special envoy for the Western Balkans region.

The move could take place as early as July when France concludes the presidency of the European Union, RTK adds.

Kurti welcomes adoption of minimum wage bill, calls it 'good news' (media)

Prime Minister of Kosovo Albin Kurti welcomed the draft law on minimum wage passing its first reading at the Kosovo Assembly yesterday saying it is "good news".

"Over 100,000 employees of the private sector will benefit from a more than 100 percent raise, namely over 50 percent of their monthly salary, while 380,000 employees from the private and public sector will benefit from income tax exemption," Kurti said on Facebook. "Apart from increasing the minimum wage for the first time in 11 years, we are increasing it more than ever before," he added.

KLA war veterans to protest on 16 June against minimum wage bill (media)

Kosovo Liberation Army War Veterans Organisations called an all out protest on Thursday to oppose the Kosovo Assembly’s adoption in principle of the draft law on minimum wage.

Representatives of the KLA war veterans argue that the legislation adopted yesterday discriminates against them and called it ‘shameful’ and ‘unconstitutional’.

Kusari-Lila: War veterans have not been excluded from draft law (Koha/Telegrafi)

Head of the Vetevendosje Movement (LVV) parliamentary group, Mimoza Kusari-Lila, rejected claims that KLA war veterans have been excluded from the draft law on minimum wage. She said the legislation in question only tackled the private sector.

Speaking at a press conference, Kusari-Lila said: “Veterans have not been excluded from the minimum wage law. The law has been approved for the minimum wage of the private sector. Pensions for the veterans were set in 2016 by the previous governments and the legality on the minimum wage was decided then.”

Kusari-Lila also responded to allegations that they sought out votes from the Serbian List MPs to pass the draft law on minimum wage. She said the LVV parliamentary group had already secured all the necessary votes and did not need those of the Serbian List.”The reason why the Serbian List came today and voted in support of the draft law was to give the voting a negative connotation which is now being echoed by the veterans' association and opposition parties,” she is quoted.

PDK: Kusari-Lila shamefully insulted KLA veterans (Indeksonline)

Uran Ismaili, deputy leader of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) accused Mimoza Kusari-Lila, head of the Vetevendosje Movement (LVV) parliamentary group of equalising the activity of the Kosovo Liberation Army veterans with the political activity of the Serbian List (SL) representatives.

Ismaili said that Kusari-Lila asked SL representatives whether they would take part in the protest against the draft law on minimum wage which, PDK official said, "is yet another step in degradation of our state and national values." Ismaili called on Kusari-Lila to apologise and on Prime Minister Albin Kurti to distance himself from such statements.

Sunny Hill festival moves from Pristina to Tirana (media)

The annual Sunny Hill music festival will not be held in Pristina. Kosovo-born singer Dua Lipa, whose father is the festival organiser, confirmed via Twitter that the new location of the event will be Tirana.

The organisers said the decision was taken as a result of delays on the part of Kosovo institutions regarding permits for the venue of the festival while in Kosovo, representatives of opposition and ruling parties have traded accusations over the festival's decision to change location.

Earlier, the Municipality of Pristina, led by the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK), came under fire by opposition and NGOs for its decision to lease 17 hectares of land to the festival for 99 years. The critics said the decision was not transparent and the Ministry of Local Government Administration, which has the final say on the issue, asked for additional information from the Municipality of Pristina.