Kosovo's President, Hashim Thaci, met today with a European Parliament delegation that will participate in the EU-Kosovo meeting on the implementation of the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA). During the meeting, Thaci said that Kosovo will fulfill all visa liberalization requirements set by the EU, including the establishment of the Association/Community of Serb-majority municipalities in compliance with the Constitution of Kosovo, as well as the ratification of the agreement on border-demarcation with Montenegro.

Augustin Palokaj writes in his weekly column for the paper that while the news of visa liberalization for Kosovo is good, it should be received with caution as it is difficult to give an exact estimate of when the visa regime will actually be lifted. According to Palokaj, on one hand, there is no predictability and stability within the EU on anything and on the other hand, apart from the 90 criteria that Kosovo had to fulfill from the visa liberalization roadmap, two adEUditional ones were added to the list by the European Commission.

The European Union Special Representative, Samuel Zbogar, has only ten more weeks left in Kosovo. His mandate, given on 25 January 2012, by the then EU High Representative for Foreign Policies, Catherine Ashton, is due on 31 August. However, the EU Office in Kosovo was not able to give more details on who is going to inherit Zbogar’s position or if his mandate would be extended. “The news about the decision on his successor will be announced by Federica Mogherini", replied the EU information office.

Ulrike Lunacek has said that she is "not an enemy of Serbia" and that she is "certain Serbia will not join the EU without recognizing Kosovo."

Speaking in Belgrade on Thursday, the European Parliament (EP) vice-president and rapporteur for Kosovo added this was true "not because she claims it, but because of the experience that the EU has with Cyprus."

Kosovo's Minister of European Integration, Bekim Çollaku, said that despite internal challenges that the EU is facing, there was no shifting of interest and engagement towards the Western Balkans countries, including Kosovo. Çollaku spoke about Kosovo’s progress in the EU integration process, mentioning the signing of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) and the positive recommendation for visa liberalization. He said that a positive transformation is happening in Kosovo’s integration journey.

Maja Kocijancic, spokeswoman for the European Union High Representative Federica Mogherini, told Belgrade-based Beta news agency that the EU constantly calls for the full implementation of agreements reached between Pristina and Belgrade. “Any suggestion that agreements reached between Pristina and Belgrade are being corrected, has nothing to do with the reality and is misinformation,” Kocijancic said in response to statements by Serbian officials that the unilateral correction of agreements would be unacceptable.

The newspaper’s front-page editorial today argues that only Kosovo institutions celebrate the EU Day by losing many hours of work because this event is included in the government's list of official holidays. "This euphoria of celebrations only explains our passivity as a state and the limited willingness to work. The way how the state administration, government, municipalities and public companies work, is the worst example towards the EU path.

Serbia is firmly on the path towards full membership in the EU, but wants to enter Europe as an integral whole - either that or nothing, says Tomislav Nikolic.

The Serbian president made this statement as he addressed the central ceremony marking Armed Forces Day and Victory Day in Zrenjanin, northern Serbia, on Monday.

Kosovo President Hashim Thaci, today on the occasion of 9 May – Europe Day, said that Europe is Kosovo’s next destination. He also added that today more than ever, the people of Kosovo must remember the values on which the European Union was built and to reiterate the commitment to embrace those values and principles. “Commitment to peace and dialogue, economic cooperation, free trade and free movement of people, justice and rule of law for a multi-cultural society where no one is discriminated and everyone is equal.

By Bekim Collaku
Kosovo European Integration Minister