Kosovo’s Minister for European Integration said that he expects Kosovo’s integration in the European Union this year, despite the challenges faced recently.

Çollaku made this statement during his first meeting with new head of the European Union Office in Kosovo, Nataliya Apostolova. He also stressed that the EU should continue with procedures on visa liberalisation make a positive decision on Kosovo.

By Fatos Bytyci

PRISTINA (Reuters) - An ally of Kosovo's president is under investigation for allegedly granting jobs at state institutions and companies to people based on their political affiliation, Kosovo's prosecutor said on Friday.

The investigation of Adem Grabovci is based on evidence from phone taps made in 2011 during an anti-corruption operation by the European Union police and justice mission, known as EULEX.

The group of citizens #Iprotest will hold their fifth protest against crime and corruption today in downtown Pristina. "Citizens of Kosovo we call on you to join the fifth protest that will be held today at Zahir Pajaziti Square starting from 17:00,” the group said in a Facebook post. #Iprotest started organising protests two weeks ago after Pristina-based news website Insajderi began publishing a series of leaked wiretap conversations between high-ranking members of the ruling Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK).

The investigative website Insajderi claims to possess more than a thousand telephone conversations of Adem Grabovci, head of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) parliamentary group, recorded in 2011 which reportedly show him as the person in charge of party’s illegal activities. According to Insajderi, Grabovci’s phone was tapped by EULEX as part of investigations into his activity while deputy minister of transport.

Slobodan Vujičić, head of the Association of the Montenegrins of Kosovo, said during the roundtable held today that the agreement between Kosovo and Montenegro on the demarcation of the border, should be initially ratified at the Assembly, then both parties should create a commission that would re- measure the border. He added that solution of this matter should not be political being that Podgorica has expressed readiness to make the required measurements once again.

Kosovo Assembly Speaker Kadri Veseli said on Wednesday that there will be full transparency in the border-demarcation process with Montenegro. He further added that any decision taken by the Assembly will be in the interest of all citizens. “We should believe that any decision taken in the Kosovo Assembly will be in the interest of the Kosovo citizens,” Veseli said.

Kosovo’s Prime Minister, Isa Mustafa, after the central meeting of the Summit of Leaders in Paris on Tuesday said that there will be no integration in the European Union without fulfilling all the criteria set by the EU. “Kosovo MPs, in accordance with the work of the state commission and the clear position of the U.S. State Department, should address the issue of border-demarcation with Montenegro as soon as possible.

The European Union Special Representative to Kosovo, Samuel Žbogar, told Klan Kosova that the EU Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo (EULEX) has succeeded in combating crime and corruption, while referring to cases of former PDK MP Azem Syla and Prizren Mayor Ramadan Muja.  While Syla was arrested last month and is currently in detention for organized crime accusations, Ramadan Muja continues to be the Mayor of Prizren.  Žbogar said that politicians who have problems with the law should leave politics.

The news site reports that the Court has concluded that two witnesses against former PDK MP Azem Syla and his group, are at highest level of risk. For this reason, several sessions have been scheduled in order to get their testimonies, without having an indictment yet. In the decision on the approval of prosecutor's request for a special investigation, which the news site claims to possess, the judge says that the risk for these witnesses is at the highest level.

The news site reports that the Austrian Minister of Interior , Wolfgang Sobotka, told Austrian TV station ORF that the decision to grant visa liberalisation for Kosovo, Turkey, Ukraine and Georgia will be made by the end of June.