Vetevendosje Movement MP, Rexhep Selimi, said that except for the people of Kosovo, Serbian agents tapped significant international personalities in Kosovo, to provide information to Russian intelligence.
From 25 to 29 January, lawmakers of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) will present their reports and adopt resolutions on the most immediate international issues, reports the media.
International terrorism
The Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) Deputy Leader and Kosovo Assembly President Kadri Veseli said before party members in Prizren that the PDK leader Hashim Thaci will be elected president of Kosovo in the coming month. Veseli said there is no doubt that Thaci is the most deserving person to take on the post. Meanwhile, Enver Hoxhaj, also PDK deputy leader, said Thaci will be elected in a few weeks’ time.
Some political analysts in Pristina are arguing that early parliamentary elections, requested by the opposition parties, are a dangerous option given the current political circumstances. Officials at the Central Election Committee (CEC) told the news site they are ready to organize elections at any time but that there is no indication that they could be held soon. CEC chairperson Valdete Daka said no one has contacted her about the possibility of early elections. “No one has requested this, no one has contacted us and we are not making any preparations.
Kosovo’s minister without portfolio and chief negotiator in the dialogue with Belgrade, Edita Tahiri, said Austria has officially applied with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) for a dialing prefix for Kosovo. She said that Kosovo’s prefix will be 383. Tahiri thanked the Austrian government for its efforts in enabling Kosovo to have its own international prefix. The ITU, according to Tahiri, is now expected to grant Kosovo its prefix by early March.
The opposition rally that took place in Peja/Pec today has ended peacefully. In the rally, the leaders of Vetevendosje, the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) and Initiative for Kosovo (NISMA) said the opposition is determined in demanding the revocation of the agreement on Association/Community of Serb-majority municipalities and the border demarcation with Montenegro. Vetevendosje leader Visar Ymeri said the region of Peja/Pec will be mostly affected by the agreements.
Prime Minister of Kosovo, Isa Mustafa, said there is no reason why the EU would not give a positive recommendation for visa liberalization as Kosovo has met all the necessary criteria. “We expect to be able to travel without visas next year,” said Mustafa at the meeting of his cabinet. He added however that the visa liberalization decision is political. Mustafa told his ministers that he met with the EU Special Representative for Kosovo Samuel Zbogar and was informed by him that there is no definite decision regarding the visa liberalization for the people of Kosovo.
Kosovo’s Minister of Interior, Skender Hyseni, met with the ambassadors of the EU member states accredited in Pristina. He told them that the Ministry of Internal Affairs is determined to fulfill criteria for liberalization of visas. Except for the visa liberalization they discussed illegal migration, violent extremism and terrorism.
The President of the Assembly of Kosovo, Kadri Vesei, has criticized the European Union after the news that Kosovo people will not be able to travel without visas in Europe.
At the first annual Assembly-Civil Society Conference, Veseli said if there are voices on organized crime and corruption in the politics of Kosovo, then let the politicians be punished through visa regime, not the people.
The Ambassador of the OSCE Mission in Kosovo, Jean Claude Schlumberger said that participation of Kosovo citizens in ISIS is a signal that should be stopped quickly.
He said societies throughout the world are facing extremism and radicalism, therefore bridges should be built to fight these challenges among communities, institutions and states of the region.