Headlines 18 February
Lunacek: Ratify demarcation and travel freely (Lajmi)
The European Union Vice-President and Rapporteur for Kosovo at the EU, Urlike Lunacek, congratulated Kosovo people on the day of the independence, noting that just e few steps divide Kosovo from visa liberalisation. She encouraged Kosovo political parties to continue their work in a constructive manner and European spirit. She noted that Kosovo people are the only ones in Western Balkans that cannot travel without visas. “The current stalemate should end. The two remaining requests can and should be fulfilled by Kosovo very soon. Ratification of the agreement for demarcation of the border with Montenegro is a necessity. And the government of Kosovo will certainly offer on the second reference point: further progress on the history of high conviction for corruption and organized crime should be visible,” Lunacek said.
Thaci meets Mogherini at the Munich Security Conference (Lajmi)
The President of Kosovo, Hashim Thaci, took to Facebook to inform that he met the EU High Representative, Frederica Mogherini, at the Munich Security Conference. “We agreed that Kosovo has made significant steps in politics, economy, and rule of law, and that it is promoter of peace and dialogue in the region. On the concrete issue of visa liberalization, Brussels now awaits Kosovo to fulfill the last condition, that of the ratification of the border with Montenegro, in order for Kosovars to be able to travel without visas in the Schengen zone,” Thaci wrote.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemns removal of Turkish flags in Prizren (Lajmi)
Kosovo’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned harshly removal of the flags of the Republic of Turkey in Prizren, assessing it as a vandal act by irresponsible individuals, “who intend to harm the democratic and multi-ethnic state of Kosovo.” The Ministry requested for the perpetrators to give account for their irresponsible and harmful actions.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Enver Hoxhaj, communicated with the Turkish Ambassador to Kosovo, and condemned harshly the act. “Kosovo’s relations with Turkey are excellent and they will not be impeded or harmed by any vandal and isolated act,” Hoxhaj said.
“At the time of major doubts, trust in Kosovo” (Lajmi)
The President of the Assembly of Kosovo, Kadri Veseli, described Kosovo in an editorial for the electronic version of New Europe as a country of possibilities, sports, film and human freedoms. “To my political counterparts, at the time of doubts, we should double our efforts to listen to people more often, in e more direct and sincere manner. We should trust Kosovo, our state has a much greater story than its territorial size. It has a story of politicians who acted after listening to the needs of people, and from their endeavors, a miracle was born,” Veseli wrote.