Co-founder of Alternativa, Ilir Deda, said the dialogue for normalization of relations with Serbia is a national issue which requires a broad consensus between political parties. In a Facebook post, Deda said that before agreeing to anything in the framework of the EU-facilitated dialogue, President of Kosovo Hashim Thaci would have to get the approval of political parties. “Kosovo’s state interest should be built only through broad consensus of political parties. It cannot be built by any institutional leader on their own”, Deda wrote.
In an interview for Bota Sot daily newspaper, LDK deputy leader and Gjilan Mayor, Lutfi Haziri, said delays in ratifying the border demarcation agreement with Montenegro, as a result of the actions of the opposition and certain MPs, are obstructing the political life in Kosovo. “They [the MPs] are obliged to coordinate within their party structures and as representatives of the people to play their role and conclude the process. It is unforgivable for Kosovo not to get visa liberalisation as a result of the actions of certain MPs, including some from the LDK.
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Kosovo On Wednesday launched the preliminary report on the findings and recommendations from the "Corruption Risk-Assessment in extractive industries (mining/other)". The discussion centered around the findings and recommendations, with representatives from local and central institutions, civil society, and independent bodies.
Both papers carry the following editorial by Timothy Less, director of the Nova Europa political risk consultancy, published initially in NewStatesman.
Kosovo President Atifete Jahjaga said yesterday that domestic violence in Kosovo still remains a frequently occurring issue. “Also, in the reports issued by international organisations on progress in Kosovo, domestic violence is still classified as a deficiency which continues to challenge democracy and human rights guaranteed by the Constitution of the country and by the laws in force. Despite the many challenges and priorities, institutions of the Republic of Kosovo have shown exceptional attention to this phenomenon.
Kosovo’s Minister without portfolio and President of Regional Women's Lobby (RWL), participated in the "Women of Kosovo work together for European integration” regional conference organized by RWL, the Finish Embassy and supported by UN WOMEN. In her opening remarks, Tahiri said the role of women is on the rise and that women contribute to the development and democratization of society at national, regional and global levels. But according to Tahiri, the role of women in decision-making and peace processes is not yet at the right level.
As her mandate as President Kosovo comes to an end, Atifete Jahjaga, according to sources from her office, is expected to be appointed Kosovo ambassador to one of the countries Kosovo enjoys good relations with. The news website ora.info reported that Jahjaga discussed the matter with Prime Minister Isa Mustafa and Foreign Minister Hashim Thaci and received their support. “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is set to open an embassy in Doha where Jahjaga will be named ambassador,” the source said.
Kosovo Women's Network (KWN) today published new report on domestic violence entitled “An analysis of attitudes, frequency and institutional response to domestic violence in Kosovo.” The KWN research aims to provide accurate information and recommendations based on the data, which will then provide data for the National Strategy and Action Plan against Domestic Violence (to be published in 2016).