The Prime Minister of Kosovo, Isa Mustafa, in an interview for Radio Kosova, said that the agenda of talks between Pristina and Belgrade will be known on 10 February. "The first meeting in Brussels will be in February, but we will be informed for the agenda of talks on 10 February," said Mustafa.
In an interview for Radio Kosova, the Minister of European Integration, Bekim Collaku expressed his confidence that during his mandate, Kosovo will meet the criteria for visa liberalization and will fulfill the obligations towards European integration.
The economic development and creation of new jobs should be a priority for the new government of Kosovo, said the Norwegian Ambassador to Kosovo, Jan Braathu, for Radio Kosova. Braathu said that the two parties in the ruling coalition, the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) and Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) had focused their election campaigns on economic development, and now they have to keep their promises. Braathu also spoke about Kosovo's other priorities, such as the fight against corruption and the establishment of special court.
The Deputy Special Representative of European Union (EU) in Kosovo, Thomas Gnocchi, said in an interview for Radio Kosova that, whatever the number of ministers and deputy ministers will be in the new government of Kosovo, the EU expects that Kosovo will have an efficient government, and able to address all of the priorities.
Kosovo Minster for European Integration, Bekim Collaku told Radio Kosova that the signing of the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA) is expected to happen in the first half of next year. Collaku said that the government of Kosovo welcomes the call of the Council for General Affairs to the European Council to submit as soon as possible the proposal for signing the SAA between Kosovo and the EU. Collaku also met with Belgium Secretary of State for Asylum and Migration, Theo Francken, and discussed about the integration process with a focus on visa liberalization.
The Kosovo Minister of Communities and Returns, Aleksandar Jablanovic, said that the Association of Serb municipalities will be established soon and that its activity will not be damaging to anyone. In an interview for Radio Kosova, Jablanovic also spoke about the role of Serbian List MPs in the Kosovo Assembly regarding the forming of Kosovo Armed Forces saying that whilst they are open to communication with the Albanian side, they will reach a final position on the issue following consultations with ‘relevant circles’.
The Kosovo Assembly failed to approve 14 parliamentary committees that were proposed last week. The motion received 58 votes in favor and 32 against and it required 61 to pass. MPs from the opposition parties opposed the ways the parliamentary committees were allocated because, according to them, the main committees will be chaired by the coalition parties. Assembly Speaker, Kadri Veseli, postponed this point of the agenda for the next session.
The requests for asylum of many Kosovars in the Schengen countries, have affected the visa liberalization process for Kosovo, Radio Kosova reports. EU officials in Pristina, say that this is not in the interest of Kosovo and that Kosovo institutions should address this issue as soon as possible.
EU officials in Pristina told Radio Kosova that Kosovo must fulfill all the requirements arising from visa liberalization roadmap, before the European Commission proposes to put Kosovo on the" white list ".
On the International Human Rights Day, 10 December, Kosovo is still considered to be among places where respect for human rights does not meet the required standards, declared on Tuesday head of the Council for Defense of Human Rights and Freedom (CDHRF), Behxhet Shala. Radio Kosova reports that according to Shala, human rights are violated in Kosovo primarily from socio-economic aspect, since, around 50 percent of the Kosovo population is unemployed.
Radio Kosova reports that the European Union Office in Kosovo and heads of missions of EU Member States present in Kosovo, through a press statement, welcomed the constitution of the Kosovo Assembly and congratulated Prime Minister Isa Mustafa on the appointment of the new government.