Kosovo President, Hashim Thaci, said today that in line with his promises when he took up office, he has requested and initiated the amendment of the Criminal Code and the Criminal Procedure Code. “I have made this request in order to eliminate legal gaps and to strengthen the laws,” Thaci said at the first meeting of the working group that will amend the Criminal Code and Criminal Procedure Code, organised by the Ministry of Justice. Thaci also said: “we are witnesses to global changes and Kosovo is not immune to the current threats.

President of Kosovo, Hashim Thaci, called on the European Union to discontinue conditioning visa liberalisation as Kosovo more progress in meeting European standards than other countries in the region. In a meeting of the National Anti-Corruption Council, Thaci said: “The completely unfair approach on the part of European Union towards Kosovo is preventing the citizens from travelling freely without visas. The country has made more progress than any other country in the region in the fight against corruption and organised crime.

Prime Minister of Kosovo, Isa Mustafa, said in the meeting of the National Anti-Corruption Council that Kosovo has made significant progress in the fight against corruption. He said that the latest Transparency International report highlights a difference between the perception of citizens regarding corruption level in Kosovo and the reality. He also said that fifty officials are under investigation for corrupt activity and that there is a large number of indictments made on organised crime charges.

The recent “Global Corruption Barometer” report of Transparency International finds that two-thirds of people in Kosovo rank corruption as one of the biggest problems. The report, which was conducted in 42 countries in Europe and Central Asia, ranks Kosovo as third in terms of public opinion that corruption is one of the biggest problems facing Kosovo. Meanwhile, 67% of respondents believe that the government of Kosovo is not doing a good job in combating corruption.

The fight against corruption in the Western Balkans and Turkey is failing, putting European Union accession at risk, highlights Transparency International in its latest report. Political elites have too much power and there are limited ways to hold the corrupt to account, the report further stated.

Serbian journalists in Kosovo lack resources to deal with corruption and investigative journalism; it was said in the round table in Media Center in Čaglavica.

Does it make sense for journalists to deal with the corruption in Kosovo when there is no rule of law? It was one of the major issues with which dealt the owners of Serbian media in Kosovo in the round table in Čaglavica, listing and the other problems they face when attempting to deal with corruption.

The US Ambassador to Kosovo, Greg Delawie, said that corruption in Kosovo is the most serious obstacle for development and rule of law. He said the US will remain a partner to Kosovo in fighting corruption. Delawie made the statements at a roundtable organised by the US Chamber of Commerce aimed at installing a culture that supports and encourages business ethics.

Prime Minister of Kosovo, Isa Mustafa, said today that Kosovo is determined to meet the final criteria for visa liberalisation – the border demarcation with Montenegro. After meeting the newly-appointed head of the EU Office in Kosovo, Nataliya Apostolova, Mustafa said that Brussels should pressure Serbia into implementing the agreements reached in the EU-brokered dialogue so far and added that Kosovo remains committed to this process. Apostolova asked Mustafa to brief her on the Kosovo Government’s concrete measures against corruption and nepotism.

In a recent poll carried out by the Kosovo-based research group, Riinvest, the government of Kosovo was identified as the most corrupt institution while the Kosovo Security Force (KSF) as the least corrupt.  According to the poll, around 48 percent of the citizens in Kosovo have been involved in corruption by bribing officials in exchange for public administration services. Riinvest’s Lumir Abdixhiku said Kosovo authorities are responsible for the high level of corruption which, he warned, is posing a threat to the Kosovo society, development and integration process.

The group of citizens #Iprotest will hold their fifth protest against crime and corruption today in downtown Pristina. "Citizens of Kosovo we call on you to join the fifth protest that will be held today at Zahir Pajaziti Square starting from 17:00,” the group said in a Facebook post. #Iprotest started organising protests two weeks ago after Pristina-based news website Insajderi began publishing a series of leaked wiretap conversations between high-ranking members of the ruling Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK).