Prime Minister of Kosovo, Isa Mustafa, said today in a visit to Gjilan/Gnjilane that the wall constructed by Mitrovica North authorities is outside the framework of the Brussels agreement on revitalization of Iber River bridge. According to Mustafa, the wall will be removed. Mustafa also spoke about his recent meeting with Montenegrin Prime Minister, Dusko Markovic, which he said took place in a friendly atmosphere.
The President of Kosovo, Hashim Thaçi, honored today 84 Kosovo Serbs of Hoçë e Madhe/Velika Hoča, Rahovec municipality, who lost their lives during 1998-2000. “We have just placed flowers at this commemorative plaque of 84 Kosovo Serb citizens. We are here today to remember and pray for the victims during and after the war, regardless their nationality,” Thaçi said.
Kosovo Montenegrins have welcomed Sunday’s meeting between Kosovo Prime Minister Isa Mustafa and his Montenegrin counterpart, Dusko Markovic, who discussed the border demarcation between the two countries. Slobodan Vujicic, leader of the Association of Montenegrins of Kosovo, issued a media statement saying that the meeting confirms not only the friendly relations between the two nations and states “but also their joint aspiration toward values of civilisation and common strategic interests”.
The Ambassador of the United States of America to Kosovo, Greg Delawie, welcomed the letter of the NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg to the government of Kosovo. “Welcome NATO Secretary General letter on strengthening interaction, new cooperation & activities with Kosovo. Foundation for deeper NATO ties,” Delawie wrote on his Twitter account.
Kosovo’s Deputy Minister for Culture, Youth, and Sports, Rexhep Hoti, reacted to a statement made by Serbian President, Tomislav Nikolic, in an interview for a Belgrade paper where he said that the Association/Community of Serb-majority municipalities foresees substantial autonomy for the Serb community. In a Facebook post, Hoti said the Association/Community of Serb-majority municipalities can “never” become substantial autonomy and that such a statement will only harm the Serb community in Kosovo and normalization of relations process.
Gjilan/Gnjilane Municipality Committee for Communities approved on Tuesday the report of the Office for Communities and Returns for October and the municipal action plan for IDPs. Kemal Shahin, head of the Committee for Communities said the action plan confirms commitment of the municipality to provide a safe environment for the return of displaced persons and their socio-economic integration.
On the Albanian Flag Day, a large red and black banner depicting Vetevendosje activist Astrit Dehari and calling for justice regarding his death at the Prizren detention facility, was put up in one of the buildings at the Pristina center. Vetevendosje leader, Visar Ymeri, said that this year, 28 November will be dedicated to Dehari. Ymeri said Dehari was much more than a son and a political activist. “Astrit today is the truth of this state and political regime installed in the Republic of Kosovo,” Ymeri said.
Prime Minister of Kosovo, Isa Mustafa, said in a Facebook post that the level of unemployment in Kosovo has dropped to 26.2 percent, the lowest figure in five years. Mustafa said the figure comes from a labour force survey carried out by the Kosovo Agency of Statistics.
Citizens have begun signing a petition calling for an extraordinary session of the Kosovo Assembly to discuss the death of Vetevendosje activist Astrit Dehari in Prizren’s detention facility. The petition, launched following a protest under the slogan “Justice for Astrit”, calls for an independent investigation and hierarchical dismissal of all officials responsible for Dehari’s death. “We need to put more pressure on institutions. We have to insist justice is served,” said Besa Luzha, civil society activist.
The U.S. Ambassador to Kosovo, Greg Delawie, said in an interview with Periskopi today that deaths in detention are always concerning and that he welcomes the inclusion of independent observers in the case of Astrit Dehari. Delawie said he meets every political party in Kosovo, but that he does not prefer violence and he does not meet with individuals that exercise or promote violence. Delawie said the United States are not expected to change their policy toward Kosovo after Donald Trump’s election as President. “The U.S.