Despite constant requests by opposition parties, Kosovo's Prime Minister Isa Mustafa and President Hashim Thaçi have denied the possibility of early parliamentary elections. Assembly President, Kadri Veseli, who was recently elected president of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK), said today that there will be no early elections. “Elections will be held in 2018” Veseli was quoted saying.
Kosovo President Hashim Thaci, today on the occasion of 9 May – Europe Day, said that Europe is Kosovo’s next destination. He also added that today more than ever, the people of Kosovo must remember the values on which the European Union was built and to reiterate the commitment to embrace those values and principles. “Commitment to peace and dialogue, economic cooperation, free trade and free movement of people, justice and rule of law for a multi-cultural society where no one is discriminated and everyone is equal.
President of Kosovo Hashim Thaci said that there has been not a single case of people from Kosovo joining the terrorist group ISIS in the last six months. In a meeting with representatives of a German association for foreign policy, Thaci said the “unpleasant” political situations in Kosovo are now a thing of the past and that normal cooperation has been installed. The best example of this, according to Thaci, is yesterday’s meeting with the the European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini.
Several media cover today’s meeting that Kosovo President Hashim Thaci had with foreign ambassadors and heads of diplomatic missions in Pristina. Thaci said Kosovo has one of the best Constitutions and one of the most advanced legal frameworks in Europe, “but we will keep making it even better in order to make sure that no one escapes justice”. “As President, I will encourage the amendment of existing laws and the drafting of new laws in order to fill in any possible gaps.
Opinion piece writer for the paper, Halil Matoshi, says that the British legal official of the UEFA, Alasdair Bell, surprised on Tuesday experts of the international right with his brilliant defense of Kosovo’s right to become member of the UEFA which is preceded by FIFA membership. “After the International Court of Justice’s rejection of Serbia’s question on whether the Governing Provisional Institutions of Kosovo had the right to proclaim independence of Kosovo, this was the most brilliant defense of Kosovo in the international arena,” writes Matoshi.
President Thaçi said that the North Atlantic Alliance remains the key to stability in Kosovo and in the region, adding that KFOR is the most trusted institution among the people of Kosovo.
He said that Kosovo expects to establish a political dialogue with NATO and to enter into contractual relations with the alliance. “Kosovo Security Force has carried out the necessary reforms and is ready to be transformed into an army, a multiethnic force. The armed forces will be ready to join NATO’s Partnership for Peace programme”, he added.
Kosovo President Hashim Thaci met on Thursday Sweden’s Ambassador to Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, nonresident for Kosovo, Mats Staffansson. President Thaci said the entry into force of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) has positively influenced the political dialogue within Kosovo, as all parties are participating in the discussion for the implementation of the SAA.
Kosovo President Hashim Thaci during a visit to Meja, Gjakove/Djakovica to mark the Day of the Missing Persons in Kosovo, 27 April, said the wounds of the war are still not closed in Kosovo. “We feel the anger of every family member about the slow process for finding the fate of the missing persons. The government has shown concern for the martyrs, war veterans and victims of sexual violence. Gaping wounds remain because of not finding the missing persons,” Thaci said.
Kosovo President Hashim Thaci welcomed today's police operation against corruption and organized crime in Kosovo. “I welcome and strongly support the action of the national and international rule of law authorities. The fight against corruption and organized crime is the key to building a democratic state, the key to our future in Europe. I expect from all those involved in judicial cases to fully cooperate with the police and prosecution,” Thaci wrote on his Facebook page.
The President of Kosovo, Hashim Thaci stated that the unpleasant situations between the government and opposition parties have been overcome. “As far as the government and opposition are concerned, I highly value the current situation, the normality of democratic life. I encourage meetings among the entire leadership, as those of that have taken place in previous days, to discuss significant matters of the country.