Vetevendosje officials today denied the statements of the AAK leader Ramush Haradinaj who said opposition parties have decided to boycott the Assembly. Adonis Tahiri, spokesperson for Vetevendosje, told the news site that there is no common stance between the three opposition parties for boycotting the Assembly. "We still don’t have a joint decision as united opposition on this matter,” Tahiri said. But despite different positions with regards to boycotting the Assembly, opposition parties said they will continue opposing the government through protests.

Kosovo’s Minister for European Integration, Bekim Collaku, said today in Pristina that the non-enlargement of the European Union in the Western Balkans could lead to increased influence of Russia and ISIS in the region. During a round-table on EU enlargement, Collaku said he was aware of the latest crisis faced by the EU such as the refugee crisis and the growth of right-wing parties, “but crises in the past did not stop the enlargement of the Union”.

Blerim Shala, member of the Kosovo Assembly and Kosovo’s political coordinator of talks with Belgrade in Brussels, writes in an opinion piece about “the four key principles that according to the people of Kosovo should be respected by all those that want to engage in politics in Kosovo”. Shala argues that if Kosovo politicians, both those that are in government and the opposition, want to make Kosovo a sustainable state they need to respect the principles that are crucial for the interests of the people.

A European Commission (EC) evaluation team will come to Kosovo in March to assess the fulfillment of criteria for visa liberalization. Citing unidentified sources within the government, the news site reports that the EC evaluation team will come to Kosovo on 15 March. The source said the government believes the team's evaluation will be a positive one and the recommendation for visa liberalization will be made during 2016.

Head of the Kosovo-based think tank FOL, Petrit Zogaj, said today that the EU rule of law mission (EULEX) has failed in fighting corruption and organised crime in Kosovo. He said that in the seven years since being established, the mission had only taken 47 court decisions in cases of organised crime and corruption.  According to FOL, EULEX’s poor performance has increased the mistrust of the people in the justice institutions.

During the state ceremony in Pristina today marking the eighth anniversary of Kosovo’s independence, Prime Minister Isa Mustafa said 17 February represents the culmination of an entire generation's aspirations for freedom and independence. Mustafa thanked all of Kosovo’s allies that helped liberate and build the new country. “Kosovo has laid the foundations of democracy and no one can destroy them,” he said. Mustafa also said that the current government won its legitimacy through the people and a democratic process.

Citing sources in the offices of international representatives in Kosovo, the news site reports that that the Kosovo Assembly Presidency will meet on Tuesday and schedule the first assembly session of the year this Friday. The news site notes that the Assembly was supposed to meet this week to elect the President of Kosovo, but following a request by international officials, this was postponed until after the opposition protest announced for 17 February.

Vetevendosje Movement has reacted against a decision reportedly taken by Kosovo Minister of Local Government and Administration Ljubomir Maric to rename the southern part of the Mitrovica municipality to Mitrovica South. Vetevendosje said the decision “is yet another step towards factual partition of Mitrovica and of Kosovo.” Vetevendosje MP Aida Derguti said the Movement anticipated these problems ever since the Ahtisaari status package was negotiated back in 2006.

In meetings with several ambassadors, Kosovo Assembly President Kadri Veseli said that the election of the President will be a constitutional, transparent, democratic, and inclusive process. With regards to the political deadlock, Veseli said he was hopeful that the spirit of dialogue and communication would prevail over destructive, political tendencies. In an effort to find a solution to the crisis, Veseli met separately today with US Ambassador Greg Delawie, the British Ambassador Ruairi O’Connell and the Norwegian Ambassador Jan Braathu.

Pristina-based Lajmi news site reports that Kosovo Assembly President Kadri Veseli decided not to attend the meeting of political leaders called by President Atifete Jahjaga because he did not want the meeting to fail. Unnamed sources told the news site that it was Ramush Haradinaj, leader of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK), who said that Veseli should not attend the meeting.