Kosovo was treated as a state during the UN Summit of the world leaders against extremism, hosted by the President of the United States of America, reported Associated Press.
World media report that the seating chart for Tuesday's meeting shows Kosovo among the states attending the meeting, even though it is not a U.N. member state. Kosovo leaders participated at the summit invited by the United States of America.
Prime Minister of Kosovo, Isa Mustafa, met in New York the European Union’s foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini and spoke about Kosovo’s European integration process. PM Mustafa briefed EUHR Mogherini of the progress in Kosovo and the government’s commitment to continue reforms. He also called on the EU to sign with Kosovo the Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) as soon as possible and pave way for the visa liberalization process. “We are convinced that we meet all the technical conditions and only a political decision remains to be taken,” said Mustafa.
The OSCE mission in Kosovo launched an awareness campaign aimed at encouraging journalists to report cases of intimidation, threats or blackmail through a new free helpline set up by the Association of Journalists of Kosovo. The campaign, that will feature billboards across Kosovo in the Albanian, Serbian and Turkish languages, will run for one month with the objective of informing the journalist community of this helpline and using the information received to help law enforcement bodies take necessary action. “Recent years have been quite difficult for journalists in Kosovo.
President of Kosovo, Atifete Jahjaga, met today in New York the President of the Libyan Council of Deputies, Agila Saleh and discussed deepening of bilateral relations and mutual recognition of statehood. President Jahjaga called on Libya to support Kosovo in gaining membership in international organisations, particularly UNESCO. The Libyan official said Kosovo is an example of progress and that the Constitution of Kosovo is a model for the drafting of new Libyan constitution.
A convoy of EULEX vehicles arrived in Belgrade to deliver humanitarian aid to transiting refugees and migrants in Serbia. As part of the aid, EULEX has donated household items such as cooking equipment and appliances, microwave ovens, hot water machines, beds, mattresses, cupboards, hygienic and safety items, as well as generators, space heaters, and a container fully equipped with shower cabins, washing rooms, and a toilet. The donation was delivered to the Serbian Commissariat for Refugees.
OSCE, supported by the German Foreign Office, organised in Pristina a two-week training on freezing, seizing and confiscating illegally gained assets for Kosovo Police officials. John Corrigan, Chief of the Organized Crime Section in the OSCE Mission in Kosovo, said that the need for this type of training was identified through meetings with senior Kosovo Police officials. Participants were able to review the legal framework for freezing and confiscating illegally gained assets and they also studied different fictional cases.
Prime Minister of Kosovo, Isa Mustafa, met yesterday Vanuatu ambassador to Brussels and permanent representative in UNESCO, Roy Mickey Joy. PM Mustafa informed Ambassador Joy of the progress in Kosovo and thanked him for the support to Kosovo’s UNESCO membership efforts. Vanuatu official on his part expressed his country’s full support for Kosovo joining UNESCO.
Kosovo’s Principal Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Hashim Thaci, is calling on the people of Kosovo to be patient and not to seek asylum in other European countries. In an interview for German newspaper Handelsblatt, Thaci said the situation in Kosovo is stable and that there is no social reason for people to flee the country. “Kosovo is a safe country where there is respect for human rights, therefore, there is no reason to seek asylum in Germany,” Thaci said. He called for more economic aid for Kosovo from European countries.
Government of Kosovo has condemned today’s paint attack on the Prime Minister Isa Mustafa’s vehicle by Vetevendosje activists. In a statement, the government said the act is unacceptable and damaging for Kosovo. “The Government of the Republic of Kosovo remains committed to a constructive political debate within the Republic of Kosovo institutions with all political and civil society representatives and assures the citizens of Kosovo that such events will not stop our mission for economic development, rule of law and European integrations,” the statement reads.
Despite announcements that the agreement on vehicle insurance between Pristina and Belgrade would be suspended by a decision of the Kosovo Insurance Bureau, vehicles with Serbia-issued license plates have continued to enter Kosovo in an unaffected way. The head of the Kosovo delegation in talks with Serbia on the insurance policies, Rrahim Pacolli, said that someone from the Kosovo government has prevented the suspension of the agreement.