Prime Minister of Republic of Kosovo, Isa Mustafa, during his official visit to Lithuania, was hosted in a meeting today by the Prime Minister of Lithuania Algirdas Butkevicius. During the meeting between the two prime ministers, they discussed the strengthening of cooperation and relations between the two countries, as well as Lithuania's support for Kosovo's European integration processes. After the meeting, in a joint press conference, Prime Minister isa Mustafa thanked his counterpart Algirdas Butkevicius for the reception and support that Lithuania provided for Kosovo.

Kosovo’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Hashim Thaci, met today in Pristina the European Union Director for Western Europe, Western Balkans and Turkey, Angelina Eichhorst. During the meeting, Thaci underlined the commitment of the government of Kosovo on the path towards EU membership. "I thanked Mrs. Eichhorst for the support that the EU continues to give Kosovo. The SAA opens new opportunities for our citizens, but also stimulates the economic development.

Following the ratification of the Stabilization/Association Agreement with the European Union, First Deputy Prime Minister Hashim Thaci told reporters in the Assembly hall that Kosovo will now assume new obligations and responsibilities. “These responsibilities will be directly linked to the implementation of certain criteria that are required to move forward with reforms in the legislation and the economy.

Kosovo Prime Minister Isa Mustafa, on behalf of the Kosovo government, expressed regret over the recent incidents in the Kosovo Assembly saying that the violent actions by the opposition are not good for the people of Kosovo. He called on law enforcement authorities to do their job in relation to the incidents and said that the work of the Assembly must be unblocked. “Such actions are damaging Kosovo’s image,” Mustafa told a government meeting in Pristina today. “We are ready to answer to the Assembly on any matter. We are also ready for a debate in the Assembly on the recent agreements.

The member of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK), Ardian Gjini, writes in an opinion piece today that the offensive claims that the opposition is preventing the visa liberalization for Kosovo is nothing but laying ground for justification. “With this approach, the government is trying to do two things: ensure that the eventual success in this regard will be attributed to the government, and to blame the opposition in case of failure in this regard,” Gjini writes.

Kosovo Prime Minister, Isa Mustafa, said today that Kosovo’s institutions will fulfil the remaining eight conditions for visa liberalization by November 30. In his address at the government meeting in Pristina today, Mustafa said the European Union has no reason not to set a date for visa liberalization for Kosovo. He also briefed his ministers on the visit of the Kosovo delegation to New York and meetings with several world leaders there.

The European Union Commissioner Johannes Hahn met today with Kosovo’s Minister for European Integration Bekim Collaku. Commenting on the recent developments in Kosovo, Hahn said it was normal for people to have disagreements but that it is categorically unacceptable to express disagreements through violence. “This is unacceptable in democracy. It is completely normal and fair to have different opinions, but not to practice violence. Such methods belong to the past,” he said.

Kosovo’s European Integration Minister, Bekim Collaku, said today that Kosovo has met all the visa liberalization criteria and that it expects the European Union to recommend the visa liberalization for Kosovo citizens and to sign the Stabilization/Association Agreement. Collaku made these remarks after meeting the French Ambassador to Kosovo Maryse Daviet. Collaku and Daviet discussed Kosovo’s request to become a member of the UNESCO, and Daviet reconfirmed France’s support in this respect.

Kosovo Open Society Foundation along with civil society partner organisations will submit today to the Head of EU Office in Kosovo Samuel Zbogar a petition with over 54,000 signatures calling for visa liberalization for Kosovo. The petition will also be delivered to the European Integrations Minister Bekim Collaku. The visa liberalization awareness campaign began this April with a letter the Kosovo civil society organisations sent to the EU institutions urging them to apply transparent and fair criteria when assessing Kosovo’s compliance to visa liberalization roadmap requirements.

Kosovo’s Principal Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Hashim Thaci, is calling on the people of Kosovo to be patient and not to seek asylum in other European countries. In an interview for German newspaper Handelsblatt, Thaci said the situation in Kosovo is stable and that there is no social reason for people to flee the country. “Kosovo is a safe country where there is respect for human rights, therefore, there is no reason to seek asylum in Germany,” Thaci said. He called for more economic aid for Kosovo from European countries.