The European Integration Minister, Bekim Collaku, today signed a financial agreement between Kosovo and the EU on the next Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA) program, consisting of €66 million. The European Commission director for Western Balkans, Jean Eric Paquet signed the agreement on behalf of the EU. Collaku said that the IPA annual program will support the sectors of rule of law, fundamental human rights, energy, innovation, agriculture and rural development.

Over 15 thousand people have signed a petition to accelerate the visa liberalization process for Kosovo, an activity that started a week ago by civil society, led by the Kosovo Foundation for Open Society (KFOS). The signatures coupled with 500 letters to the European Union representative in Kosovo, Samuel Zbogar and Kosovo Minister for European Integration, Bekim Collaku, through which the people are expressing their need for freedom of movement.

The President of Kosovo, Atifete Jahjaga met on Wednesday in London the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Special Representative of the British Prime Minister for the prevention of sexual violence in conflict, Baroness Joyce Anelay with whom she discussed the institutional and social initiatives in Kosovo to rehabilitate and reintegrate the survivors of rape during the war in Kosovo. Jahjaga informed Baroness Anelay about the inter-institutional commitments to provide legal protection and to strengthen the legal status in the society of the survivors of this war crime.

The protest organized today by the Kosovo Liberation Army War Association against the special court, ended peacefully in Pristina. The protesters called on Kosovo Assembly MPs to vote against the establishment of the special court, and said that they would organize other protests if the Assembly decides to vote in favor of this court. They also criticized the justice system, saying the detention of the accused in the Drenica Group case, was one-sided justice. The protest was also supported by the Vetevendosje Movement, Initiative for Kosovo and some PDK MPs.

Kosovo’s Minister without Portfolio, Edita Tahiri, said on Thursday that in the coming days there will be intensive meetings on the issue of dialogue. Tahiri also mentioned some of the main topics that would be discussed during the dialogue. According to her, one of the topics might be the establishment of the Association/Community of Serb-majority municipalities.

Kosovo’s Prime Minister, Isa Mustafa, said today that the government of Kosovo is committed to increase the safety of investors, whereas the new strategy will also improve the business climate.  “Kosovo's economy has had a growth rate, but this rate fails to absorb the number of unemployed in Kosovo,” Mustafa said.  Mustafa made these comments at the first meeting of the National Council for Economic Development.

Kosovo Assembly Speaker Kadri Veseli met today with the Special Representative of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly for South East Europe, Roberto Battelli, and head of OSCE Mission in Kosovo, Jean-Claude Schlumberger.  Veseli and Batelli discussed current developments in Kosovo, the role and contribution of the OSCE in building democratic institutions in Kosovo, the mutual cooperation and the possibilities for Kosovo’s further advancement.

Kosovo’s European Integration Minister Bekim Collaku, during the preparatory meeting of the National Committee for Investment said that all projects are for infrastructure and that the EU has already donated € 1 billion for these investments.  This committee met in order to discuss key infrastructure investments and co-financing of projects by the European Union.

The working groups of Kosovo and the European Union on the Reform of Public Administration met today in Pristina. The head of the EU Office in Kosovo, Samuel Zbogar, said that the Public Administration Reform is the basis of development of a society, adding that Kosovo side must act and that the work on the reform of the administration should not remain only in documents and speeches. Zbogar also said that the Prime Minister  Isa Mustafa should keep the promises he made for the Public Administration Reform.

Kosovo’s President, Atifete Jahjaga, on 1 and 2 June will attend the Summit of Business leaders of Southeast Europe in Portoroz, Slovenia.  Opportunities for regional co-operation in the fields of energy, tourism, transport and infrastructure, and the financial sector, particularly the role of smart cities in economic development are the main themes of this Summit.