The European Union (EU) Office in Kosovo allocated 8.5 million euros for the four northern municipalities, North Mitrovica, Zvecan, Leposavic and Zubin Potok, writes Zeri. This grant is dedicated to municipalities with Serb majority and it is expected to serve for economic development and infrastructure construction.

The Minister of European Integration, Bekim Collaku, met on Tuesday with the French Ambassador to Kosovo, Maryse Daviet. Collaku and Daviet discussed the European integration process and the illegal migration of Kosovo citizens towards the European countries.

In an interview for Radio Kosova, the Minister of European Integration, Bekim Collaku expressed his confidence that during his mandate, Kosovo will meet the criteria for visa liberalization and will fulfill the obligations towards European integration.

The Deputy Special Representative of European Union (EU) in Kosovo, Thomas Gnocchi, said in an interview for Radio Kosova that, whatever the number of ministers and deputy ministers will be in the new government of Kosovo, the EU expects that Kosovo will have an efficient government, and able to address all of the priorities.

Federica Mogherini, the European Union’s foreign-policy chief, must stay directly involved in talks between Kosovo and Serbia if the dialogue is to succeed, Hashim Thaci, the country’s foreign minister, said Thursday.

To lock in the reconciliation between the two former foes, Kosovo and Serbia should also start work on a second agreement in the new year, Mr. Thaci said in a sit-down with The Wall Street Journal in Brussels. Mr. Thaci, who was Kosovo’s prime minister for seven years until earlier this month, is still widely considered the country’s most powerful politician.

The Deputy Prime Minister of Kosovo and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Hashim Thaci, met in Brussels with EU Commissioner for Neighborhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations, Johannes Hahn.

The minority communities in Kosovo lack capacities to participate effectively in policy and decision-making processes, writes Koha citing a report published by the European Union Office in Prishtina. The report also notes that the minority communities face additional barriers due to their continued marginalization, and, their lack of integration in society and institutions.

An independent expert appointed to investigate allegations of corruption inside the EU’s rule-of-law mission in Kosovo only has a ‘limited’ role, warned Human Rights Watch.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) has called on the EU’s foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini, to give more powers to the expert tasked with probing the corruption allegations, made by an EU prosecutor, which caused a scandal in Kosovo in October.

Kosovo Minster for European Integration, Bekim Collaku told Radio Kosova that the signing of the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA) is expected to happen in the first half of next year. Collaku said that the government of Kosovo welcomes the call of the Council for General Affairs to the European Council to submit as soon as possible the proposal for signing the SAA between Kosovo and the EU. Collaku also met with Belgium Secretary of State for Asylum and Migration, Theo Francken, and discussed about the integration process with a focus on visa liberalization.

The European Union is seeking to advance two key initiatives in the Balkans in the next couple of months, senior officials said Monday.

EU enlargement chief Johannes Hahn said he now hopes for a political breakthrough in Bosnia by early February, which could reopen the country’s path toward eventual EU membership. Meanwhile, EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said she is working to relaunch reconciliation talks in January between Serbia and Kosovo at prime ministerial level.