Kosovo’s Deputy Prime Minister Enver Hoxhaj said that protective measure of ten percent tax set by Kosovo government on products imported from Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, defends interests of Kosovo state, it strengthens it and protects local production.
He told Telegrafi that the decision was made in order to impede Serbia from financing campaigns against Kosovo.
Vetevendosje has called on Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj to resign citing lack of progress in ‘correcting’ the border demarcation with Montenegro in line with the report prepared by the government commission led by Shpejtim Bulliqi. The party leader, Albin Kurti, said three months have passed since the Assembly ratified the border demarcation agreement and no steps have been taken since to correct the border line. Kurti also said Kosovo is in a situation where there can be no democracy as it has a minority government.
Social Democratic Party (PSD) has sent invites to political parties for the next roundtable on the topic of dialogue for normalization of relations with Serbia but has not extended the invitation to the Serbian List. PSD spokesperson, Shkodran Hoti, said the roundtable will take place on Monday at the premises of the Kosovo Assembly. “We have sent invitations to all political parties, except the Serbian List because of its positions towards Kosovo and its continuous coordination with the government in Belgrade,” Hoti said.
Prime Minister of Kosovo, Ramush Haradinaj, said that implementation of the European Reform Agenda (ERA) is of strategic interest for Kosovo. In his remarks at the meeting of the Ministerial Council for European Integration, Haradinaj said the goal behind the ERA implementation is gaining EU candidate status and ultimately EU membership. He said the relevant ministries need to fulfill all recommendations. “We need to discuss where the delays are and we need to interact and also cooperate with the Assembly of Kosovo,” PM Haradinaj noted.
Prime Minister of Kosovo, Ramush Haradinaj, met Bulgarian Prime Minister, Boyko Borissov, at the sidelines of the Aqaba Meetings taking place in Tirana, an initiative of King Abdullah of Jordan to combat terrorism and radicalization. Haradinaj thanked Borissov for his government’s support to Kosovo. “Kosovo is determined to continue good relations and bilateral cooperation with Bulgaria, as two friendly countries,” Haradinaj said.
Justice Minister, Abelard Tahiri, said in a meeting with a group of German MPs that his priority has been implementation of visa liberalisation criteria and the strengthening of legislation to fight corruption and organised crime. “Visa liberalisation for Kosovo and its citizens means two things: a step forward in the process of European integration and the creation of a platform to end isolation and give our citizens the opportunity to expand their views, meet and get to know other cultures,” Tahiri said.
The government of Kosovo has submitted to the Assembly the anti-corruption strategy covering the period between 2018-2022, confirmed government spokesperson Donjeta Gashi. Gashi said the strategy went to the Assembly through regular procedure. Earlier, Vetevendosje MP and head of Assembly’s legislation committee, Albulena Haxhiu, accused the government of bypassing the Assembly by declaring the anti-corruption strategy effective without receiving parliamentary endorsement.
Mayor of Mitrovica, Agim Bahtiri, told RTV Dukagjini that everything is clear with regards to the administrative boundary between the Mitrovica and Mitrovica North municipalities and that there will be no dialogue on this issue. Speaking about the revitalization of the main Mitrovica bridge connecting the south and the north, Bahtiri said the only sticky issue involves the manner the bridge will be declared open. He said the EU wants to have an opening ceremony, a move which the Mayor of Mitrovica North, Goran Rakic, is against.
Albulena Haxhiu, Vetevendosje MP and chair of the Assembly legislation committee said the government has declared the anti-corruption strategy to be effective without the Assembly actually endorsing it first. In a Facebook post, Haxhiu said the Anti-Corruption Law states that the government presents the strategy to the Assembly for approval, a step which, according to Haxhiu, the government has not adhered to. “This is unacceptable, unlawful, and someone has to be held accountable for it,” Haxhiu wrote.
Head of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) parliamentary group, Avdullah Hoti, said that the last week’s EU-Western Balkans summit in Sofia reconfirmed European perspective for the region but underlined that promoting democracy and rule of law as well as fighting corruption and organised crime remain challenges for Kosovo, especially for, as he said, the “fragile” government.