The United States Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Europe and Asia, Brian Hoyt Yee, said that the United States of America fully support dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia, the lowering of tensions and direct communication between the two parties. Yee made these remarks after meeting Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic in Washington. The meeting focused on the EU-brokered dialogue between Pristina and Belgrade.

Ramush Haradinaj, the detained leader of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK), will appear before a French court on 9 February when a final decision on whether to extradite him to Serbia is expected to be announced. Haradinaj was detained by French authorities on 4 January on an arrest warrant issued by Serbia.

Municipality of Skenderaj/Srbica has received a car donation from the UN Mission in Kosovo. The donation was received by deputy mayor, Fadil Nura. On the occasion, Nura thanked UNMIK for the donation which will help the municipality in carrying out its daily tasks in providing service to the citizens. He also said that UNMIK has given important contribution in different stages of Kosovo’s institutional development. The donation was handed over to Skenderaj/Srbica officials by Leonid Markaryan, head of UNMIK’s Office for Community Support.

Serbian Progressive Party led by Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic has strongly condemned the attack on the Serbian member of parliament in the north of Kosovo, Tanjug reported. In a statement to the press, the party said violence is “unacceptable” and that the attack “was a cowardly act.”

Three opposition parties – Vetevendosje, the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK), Initiative for Kosovo (NISMA) – will submit to the Constitutional Court request to review the legality of the amended law on Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) veterans passed by the Kosovo Assembly on 30 December 2016. In a statement to the media, Vetevendosje said MPs Aida Derguti and Time Kadrijaj will submit the request today. The opposition claims the law has wrongly categorized KLA veterans.

Kosovo’s Justice Minister, Dhurata Hoxha, said they have requested French authorities to unconditionally release the leader of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) Ramush Haradinaj, detained last week on an arrest warrant issued by Serbia.

France’s ambassador to Kosovo, Didier Chabert, told Klan Kosova said that the detention of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) leader Ramush Haradinaj could have been avoided had he informed the French Embassy that he was planning to travel to France. Chabert said the detention was part of a regular procedure being that Haradinaj was on Interpol’s list of wanted people. He also said that French authorities have been informed of the “sensitivity” of the case but the court needs to be base its decision on legal arguments.

Ferat Shala has been appointed new Minister of Environment and Spatial Planning in today’s meeting of the government. Prime Minister Isa Mustafa said Shala’s appointment has been done in consultation with coalition partner PDK. Shala replaces Ferid Agani to the post.

Kosovo’s Minister for Dialogue, Edita Tahiri, said the European Union should have a “serious conversation” with Serbia after a hand grenade was found by the police in Mitrovica North near the Kosovo government premises. “The attempted attack took place very close to the Government building we inaugurated today,” Tahiri told Klan Kosova. “This attack shows Serbia is countering agreements with grenades and walls,” she added. “European Union guarantees the agreements and should seriously deal with Serbia because this attack is against the entire process.”

Milovan Drecun, chairman of the Serbian Parliament’s committee for Kosovo, said disagreements between Serbian List MPs could have come as a result of “pressure from the Albanian side and certain diplomatic missions”. Drecun told the Radio Television of Serbia that “political immaturity” prevailed among those Serbian List MPs that decided to return to the Kosovo Assembly without an agreement with the Serbian Government.