The US Ambassador in Pristina Philip Kosnett and EU Office Head Nataliya Apostolova sent an appeal to the Kosovo authorities to implement the 2016 decision of the Constitutional Court which confirmed ownership of Visoki Decani Monastery over 24 hectares of land, KoSSev portal reports.

Following 16 years long dispute the Constitutional Court made decision in May 2016 confirming the previous decision of the Supreme Court from 2012 on Visoki Decani monastery’s ownership rights over  24 hectares of land.

France must focus on the Western Balkans which have become “a diplomatic dead end”, French European Affairs Minister Nathalie Loiseau said, the Belgrade-based Beta news agency reported.

She told the French daily newspaper La Croix that the European Union has not engaged itself sufficiently in reinforcing the peace in the reigon.
“Things can either go in a good direction or in a bad one” but there can be no status quo, she said.

 The EU Information and Cultural Centre in North Mitrovica organized yesterday a discussion on the status of rule of law in Kosovo, Kontakt plus radio reported.

The panelists included representatives of UNMIK, EU Office in Kosovo, non-governmental organization Activ and EULEX.

Ian Bancroft, the EULEX coordinator in northern Kosovo, said, among other things, that the north has a special context in Kosovo, and for this reason the mission has particular presence here and in some way a separate mandate.

Accusations against Kosovo’s Chief Prosecutor, Aleksander Lumezi for allegedly forging the bar examination, turned out to be untrue. The Basic Court in Pristina under monitoring of the EU’s Mission for the Rule of Law, EULEX, concluded investigation which resulted that Lumezi had not forged his exam.

Referring to an unofficial document on nomination of Serb judges in the north of Kosovo,  Vetevendosje Movement MP Albin Kurti, said these judges were nominated by signing a statement which does not mention Kosovo state and its Constitution anywhere in its text.

He also said the declaration does not mention loyalty of Serb judges towards Kosovo.

Independent MP at Kosovo Assembly, Korab Sejdiu, has requested today during the Assembly session the video recording from the oath of the Serb judges.

He said only a few photos were published from and the Serb judges from the north are not seen taking the oath. He requested a video where the judges can be seen pledging that they will respect Kosovo laws.

Kosovo Assembly MP from Vetevendosje Movement, Glauk Konjufca accused today during the parliamentary session Kosovo institutions for accepting to decree new Serb judges and prosecutors based on Serbia’s recommendations.

According to Konjufca, these institutions should be ashamed for allowing this to happen, claiming that he is possesses documents which prove that judges and prosecutors are nominated by Serbia’s President, Aleksandar Vucic.

Deputy chief of the EULEX mission in Kosovo, Bernd Thran, said today that decree of Serb judges and prosecutors represents a historic day for Kosovo. Thran held today a lecture in front of the students of ISPE College entitled “ EULEX’s role on implementation of the rule of law.”

”Today, President Hashim Thaci decreed judges and prosecutors who come from the northern part and this is a historic day. We are very proud to see what has happened, but what remains for us to see is implementation of this agreement,” Thran said.

The President of Kosovo, Hashim Thaçi, pursuant to the constitutional and legal powers, in accordance with the proposal of the Prosecutorial Council, has appointed today, by decree, 40 judges and 13 new state prosecutors from the non-majority community.

President Thaçi, after the oath ceremony, congratulated all the new prosecutors and judges, providing them support in their daily work.

Court session on Vetevendosje MPs charged for throwing teargas at the Assembly of Kosovo failed again. The reason for these postponements is absence of Albin Kurti and Donika Kadaj Bujupi. The court had issued an order to Kosovo Police to bring the two MPs to the court by force. “The Court has issued an order for Kosovo Police to bring them in by force. Respective stations received the orders of this Court however,  we have not received so far any information if they acted in accordance with the order or not,” said judge Beqir Kalludra.