In an opinion editorial for the New Year’s edition of the paper, the EU Special Representative to Kosovo Samuel Zbogar states that Kosovo has a clear European perspective and the signing of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) are a testament of this. “The more Kosovo implements the SAA, the closer it will bring its standards to those of the EU,” Zbogar writes.

EU Special Representative in Kosovo Samuel Zbogar say that he expects that those responsible for the latest attacks on Serbs and their property in Gorazdevac will be found and punished, but he could not specify when this will happen.

Several news sites report that Samuel Zbogar, the head of the European Union Office in Kosovo, has commented on a statement by First Deputy Prime Minister Hashim Thaci who said on Wednesday that in the event of a negative report on visa liberalization the people of Kosovo should protest in front of EU offices in Pristina. Zbogar said the idea to protest is not good and that Kosovo should wait for the final report by the European Union on visa liberalization.

European Union Special Representative in Kosovo, Samuel Zbogar, appealed once more on the opposition parties to accept the political dialogue. "We hope that the Assembly will soon start to function normally. Our position is clear - the violence as a political tool is not acceptable," said Zbogar. He believes that the Association / Community of Serb Municipalities (A/CSM) will be formed, but that it is required the opinion of the Constitutional Court.

Samuel Žbogar, Head of EU Office in Kosovo/EU Special Representative published in Sbunker an opinion piece, where he says that the European Union has recognized equality between women and men as a fundamental value and is committed to advancing gender equality.

Kosovo Assembly President Kadri Veseli today met with the United States Ambassador to Kosovo, Greg Delawie and the EU Representative in Kosovo, Samuel Zbogar. During the meeting it was discussed about the recent developments in Kosovo, with particular emphasis on the work of the Assembly. Delawie and Zbogar expressed their support for the continuation of the work of the Assembly, in order to avoid creating delays in the promulgation of laws relevant to the processes through which Kosovo is going.

Successful implementation of the Stabilization Association Agreement will be determinant for the future of Kosovo towards the next step, gaining the status of the candidate for European Union membership. For successful implementation of the SAA, Kosovo needs to have strong institutions and a functional Assembly.

The news site reports that Vetevendosje MP Albin Kurti, who was arrested by Kosovo Police on Saturday, has sent a second letter from the High-Security Prison. In his letter Kurti argues that the Association/Community of Serb-majority municipalities is the next and decisive stage of ruining the state of Kosovo. “The Association is a natural result of the Kosovo Government’s approach. What is the value of Kosovo’s independence if it will be followed by a model similar to that of Bosnia? This government must be stopped.

Head of the European Union Office in Kosovo, Samuel Zbogar, said today that the dialogue between Pristina and Belgrade does not have an alternative; however, he requested from the institutions of Kosovo more transparency of the process. Zbogar made these comments during the promotion of the “Big Deal”report by BIRN, Internews Kosova and Advocacy Center for Democratic Culture (ACDC) organizations, which concerns the dialogue process. “We have also lost the opposition, and the situation is such.

Stabilization and Association Agreement represents a first contractual relationship and the first formal political dialogue between Kosovo and the European Union. On the other hand, the official Belgrade will soon open negotiation chapters with the EU.