Kosovo said it had filed an application to join UNESCO amidst Belgrade's insistance that this would entail 'indirect recognition' of its independence.

Prime Minister Hashim Thaci announced on Thursday that Kosovo had applied to join the UN's culture arm, UNESCO, marking another step to achieve full recognition of its independence.

Sources reported that Prime Minister of Albania, Edi Rama, will pay an unannounced visit to Kosovo today and meet Prime Minister Isa Mustafa and Foreign Minister Hashim Thaci. The visit will be brief, said the sources. According to Koha, Rama and Mustafa are expected to discuss relations between Kosovo and Albania and the situation in the region. Rama is also expected to brief Mustafa on the recent visit of the German Chancellor Angela Merkel to Tirana.

Is the wish of Hashim Thaqi to again become Kosovo Prime Minister maybe the main reason why last Brussels round of talks didn’t result in agreement between Belgrade and Pristina? Will the establishment of the Special Court for crimes committed by KLA (whose leader was Thaqi) be a trigger to terminate the coalition with Prime Minister Isa Mustafa and result in the new elections?

In an interview for Deutsche Welle in Albanian, Kosovo’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Hashim Thaci said he was hopeful that the last round of talks in Brussels was characterized by a dynamic debate on a number of issues important for normalization of relations between Kosovo and Serbia. “We discussed and made progress with regards to the establishment of the association of Serb-majority municipalities and full integration of Serbs in Kosovo institutions.

Kosovo’s Foreign Minister Hashim Thaci writes on his Facebook account today that Niue, an island country in the South Pacific Ocean, has recognized the independence of Kosovo. “Last night I received a verbal note from Toke Talagi, the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Niue, for the recognition of Kosovo and the establishment of diplomatic relations between our countries. The sovereign vote of Niue in agencies such as the UNSECO, WTO and the WHO, will help Kosovo secure the required majority for membership of the United Nations agencies,” Thaci writes.

The news agency reports that from today’s meeting in Brussels, Kosovo could get its own telephone code, a good agreement on the Gazivoda Lake and the removal of the Peace Park on Ibar Bridge that would enable the free movement of people and goods. Belgrade and Serbs, meanwhile, hope they will get something for the Association/Community of Serb-majority Municipalities and also cheaper rates for telephone conversations between Serbs in Kosovo and those in Serbia proper.

The constitutional amendments that pave the way to the establishment of the special court will not be sent to the Kosovo Assembly this week. The Assembly Presidency met today in Pristina to determine the agenda of the parliamentary session on Thursday and the constitutional amendments on the special court were reportedly not included. On Thursday, the MPs are expected to debate with Principal Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Hashim Thaci, on the border demarcation with Montenegro.

Kosovo’s Foreign Minister Hashim Thaci said in a lecture at the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs (NUPI) that Kosovo needed to diversify its foreign policy and focus not only on increasing the number of recognitions but also its membership in international organisations. He said however that Kosovos’ top priority is Euro-Atlantic integration. “We are also quite engaged on making the visa liberalization for our people happen as soon as possible as we are the last Balkans republic that cannot move freely to Europe”, said Thaci.

The leaders of the opposition parties through an open letter addressed to the President Atifete Jahjaga, Assembly Speaker Kadri Veseli, Prime Minister Isa Mustafa and Foreign Minister Hashim Thaci, demanded the government of Kosovo to immediately cease any activity related to the special court. The letter stressed that the constitutional amendments for the establishment of the special court violate the constitutional provisions regarding the sovereignty of judiciary.

Kosovo’s  Minister of the Foreign Affairs, Hashim Thaci, reacted regarding the verdict of “Drenica Group,” writing on his Facebook profile that this verdict has tendency to blot justice. Thaci wrote that justice was the main intention of the population, however the verdict of “Drenica” group sets dilemmas on justice.