Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) officials said in a press conference today that they hoped Kosovo would receive two good news in 2015: visa liberalization and UNESCO membership; none of which materialized. Ardian Gjini hailed the decision of the Constitutional Court on the Association/Community of Serb-majority municipalities but noted that the government is viewing the decision through a wrong discourse.
The European Union has "taken note of the position of the Constitutional Court of Kosovo to be formed Association / Community of municipalities with Serbian majority", according to Belgrade-Pristina agreement, and stresses that "expects all parties concerned to respect that decision."
The government of Kosovo concluded today’s meeting where they stressed that the government would not annul or renegotiate the agreement for Association/Community of Serb-majority municipalities.
Kosovo’s Minister for Dialogue, Edita Tahiri, said today during the meeting of the government of Kosovo that the Constitutional Court did not annul any point of the agreement on Association/Community of Serb-majority municipalities and neither was it requested to renegotiate the issue.
Kosovo’s Deputy Prime Minister of Kosovo and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hashim Thaci, said today during the meeting of the government that the ruling of the Constitutional Court on the constitutionality of the Association/Community of Serb-majority municipalities, will be respected. “We will respect the decision of the Constitutional Court. As foreseen, we will send again the statute and amendments to the Constitutional Court.” He also said that this issue should not be politicized.
The government of Kosovo issued today a press release to refute recent reporting of some media based on the announcements of NGO “Kosovo Center for Security Studies”, that the military radar in Kopaonik mountain, bombed by NATO forces in 1999 has been reactivated. “The government of Kosovo has communicated officially with KFOR and received official confirmation on the issue. KFOR within its competencies commences regular inspections of the location of the demolished radar, to verify its condition.
The Prime Minister of Kosovo, Isa Mustafa, praised his party at the ceremony organized for the 26 anniversary of the establishment of the Democratic League of Kosovo. He said that he is conducting LDK’s authentic spirit and faith in the democratic processes of Kosovo also at the government that he is currently leading.
The government of Kosovo through a press statement reacted to the media reports earlier in the day that the government allegedly did not suspend the work on the implementation of the agreement on Association/Community of Serb-majority municipalities. “The government has not taken any action in regards to the agreement on Association of Serb-majority municipalities since 30 October 2015 when this agreement was sent to the Constitutional Court for review.
Deputy leader of the Vetevendosje movement, Driton Caushi, said during a press conference today, that Kosovo will not manage to complete the European Union’s set criteria for liberalization of visas, being that one of the basic criteria is fighting of corruption. “The government cannot fulfill these criteria, because this means that it would have to fight itself,” Caushi said.
Prime Minister of Kosovo, Isa Mustafa, said there is no reason why the EU would not give a positive recommendation for visa liberalization as Kosovo has met all the necessary criteria. “We expect to be able to travel without visas next year,” said Mustafa at the meeting of his cabinet. He added however that the visa liberalization decision is political. Mustafa told his ministers that he met with the EU Special Representative for Kosovo Samuel Zbogar and was informed by him that there is no definite decision regarding the visa liberalization for the people of Kosovo.