Kosovo’s Minister for Dialogue, Edita Tahiri, said at the meeting of the Assembly’s commission for legislation that recent tensions in the north have prevented implementation of justice agreement that was supposed to begin on 10 January.  Tahiri said all preparation for the agreement’s implementation are in place and that integration of Serb judges and prosecutors in

President of Kosovo, Hashim Thaci, said at the summit of European countries Foreign Affairs Parliamentary Committees taking place in Pristina that the EU often lacks vision and leadership and thus risks becoming a bureaucratic institution detached from its citizens. “One of those speaking strongly about Brussels lacking vision is me but there is no other alternative for us nor are we seeking a different one,” Thaci said.

Head of the EU Office in Kosovo and the EU Special Representative Nataliya Apostolova said that visa liberalisation is in the hands of Kosovo politicians and called on them to fulfill the last two remaining conditions – ratification of border demarcation agreement with Montenegro and fight corruption. “European agenda needs to be implemented by the government of Kosovo. 93 out of 95 criteria have been met.

Prime Minister of Kosovo, Isa Mustafa, said today at the cornerstone-laying ceremony for the crossing point between Kosovo and Serbia in Merdare that the event is a direct result of the dialogue for normalization of relations. “The dialogue has not been easy but it is producing very good results,” Mustafa said.

The University of Pristina had to change the location of today’s ceremony to mark the 47th anniversary of its establishment due to threats it received on behalf of the terror group ISIS. Police forces were seen at the ceremony monitoring the situation. According to reports, University of Pristina received a letter saying it would be attacked on 15 February. Police investigation is ongoing. At the same time, Telegrafi quotes sources from the Kosovo Police saying the letter sent to the UP does not constitute a credible threat.

Prime Minister of Kosovo, Isa Mustafa, said that Kosovo and Serbia will not be able to build a future if they don’t deal with the past. In the first meeting of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission set up by President Hashim Thaci, Mustafa said that war crimes will not be forgotten. “By bravely addressing our past we win trust and strengthen the hope of our citizens for building a safe future. The past cannot hinder us in building the future if we prosecute and sentence those that have committed crimes,” Mustafa said.

Head of the Association of Kosovo Montenegrins, Slobodan Vujicic, apologized during the first meeting of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission for the crimes that Montenegrins committed in Kosovo during the war. “I apologize for the crimes that Montenegrins could have committed. There were such Montenegrins in Pristina and Peja region. There were also Montenegrins who were victims. The truth about them should be understood and we should all be dealing with it,” Vujicic said.

Belgrade paper Politika has reported that Kosovo has missed its opportunity to apply for membership to UNESCO this year as the deadline for application has expired. Sources said that the agenda for the upcoming session of UNESCO set to take place in October has already been finalised.

Anti-corruption NGO Çohu has expressed concern over the appointment of Driton Gashi to the post of Kosovo Intelligence Agency director. Çohu claims Gashi has been politically affiliated with the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) and was even member of the party’s presidency of the Pristina branch. The NGO considers that Gashi’s appointment to the post is continuation of the PDK’s efforts to stretch control over Kosovo institutions and as such is unacceptable.

Kosovo’s Minister of Justice, Dhurata Hoxha, said justice reform will be her priority for 2017. In a meeting with ambassadors accredited in Kosovo, Hoxha stressed the importance of implementing the European justice agenda. “A memorandum of understanding will be signed in the coming weeks with all relevant rule of law institutions which will be part of the functional review,” said Hoxha adding that the process will look into the applicable legislation and provide a platform for addressing challenges and possible shortcomings.