Kadri Kastrati, the outgoing commander of the Kosovo Security Force, told RTK today that the KSF is ready to take part in peacekeeping missions abroad. “We are on the verge of transforming the KSF into the Armed Forces of Kosovo,” Kastrati added.
Lirije Kajtazi head of the Parliamentary commission for the human rights and gender equality, has confirmed that she has received the names of the four candidates for the Ombudsperson of Kosovo. She added that the commission will meet on Monday to look into the list and then send them to the Assembly for voting. She said that the process has so far been transparent and without political influence. The decision for one of the candidates, Mazllum Baraliu, Suzana Novoberdaliu, Shqipe Mala or Veton Vula, is expected to be made within 30 days.
Kosovo assembly Speaker, Kadri Veseli, held today a meeting with the representatives of the local and international economic institutions as well as the representatives of businesses. The intention of the meeting was creation of the required legal basis, that would establish a suitable environment for the free economic initiative.
Kosovo’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Hashim Thaci reiterated that Kosovo will sue Serbia for genocide. Thaci made the comments in a press conference after meeting Albanian Foreign Minister Ditmir Bushati in Pristina. Bushati on his part said that Kosovo’s integrity is guaranteed by its Constitution and that Kosovo has already been recognised by many countries. Bushati also met Prime Minister Isa Mustafa and discussed upcoming joint meetings of the two governments expected to take place on 23 March in Tirana.
Adem Grabovci, Head of the Parliamentary Group of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK), blamed Serbia for the irregular migration of Kosovars. According to him, this migration is well organized. “We know that crossing Serbia earlier was very difficult, just as crossing the border to Hungary. However, an evil is happening now, and the Serbian state is behind it,” said Grabovci for the public broadcaster, RTK.
Albin Kurti, the leader of the Vetevendosje Movement, told RTK today that the dismissal of Communities and Returns Minister Aleksandar Jablanovic was a good lesson for all ministers of the Kosovo government. He said that the coalition of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) and the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) with the Serbian List was wrong. Kurti suggested that the PDK and LDK should respect the Constitution of Kosovo by including in the government people like Nenad Rasic "who don’t insult the people of Kosovo and respect the state of Kosovo".
In the recent quarterly report on Kosovo, the UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, expressed concern over the migration of people from Kosovo. At the same time, he welcomed the establishment of the Kosovo Assembly and the government and provided a chronology of events that will be discussed at the Security Council meeting this Friday, 6 February. The meeting will be chaired by one of the Security Council’s permanent members, China, while Kosovo will be represented by Foreign Minister Hashim Thaci.
In an interview for RTK, Kosovo’s Deputy Foreign Minister, Petrit Selimi, said that Kosovo has more important priorities than to deal with the statements of Communities and Returns Minister Aleksandar Jablanovic. “The Trepca issue is way more important. Serbian cannot take Trepca. Kosovo is an independent country,” Selimi said.
The Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), Jens Stoltenberg, will visit Kosovo on Friday. During his visit, Stoltenberg will meet COMKFOR, General Francesco Paolo Figliuolo, and top representatives of the international community in Kosovo. The NATO SG is also scheduled to meet President Jahjaga, Prime Minister Mustafa and Deputy Prime Minister Thaci.
Isa Mustafa, the Prime Minister of Kosovo, attended today the meeting of the Kosovo government’s committee for missing persons. “I am here today to express my full commitment to do my best to resolve the fate of your missing loved ones. This issue will be treated as a priority by the government of the Republic of Kosovo. It will also be treated as a priority in meetings and relations with international officials, so that pressure can be applied on Serbia to find our loved ones. We will also address this issue within the process of dialogue in Brussels,” Mustafa said.