Following Croatia, Slovenia and Albania, which have become fully flagged members of NATO, Montenegro will soon find itself there. NATO will, as was announced yesterday by the NATO Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg, continue to be focused on Western Balkans since this region is important for NATO. In Washington however, work on further expansion of influence of NATO in this region. Thus, the US Congress, two days ago, adopted the amendment which calls on the US administration to accept Kosovo in the Partnership for Peace Program.

Out of 24 Kosovo Serbs who were on election lists in the Serbian parliamentary elections, six of them will have the opportunity to represent interests of Kosovo Serbs in the Serbian parliament.

In his regular column, Lumir Abdixhiku writes for Koha Ditore that the entry into force of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) represents a new economic momentum for Kosovo, despite the views from few skeptics. The reforms set out in the agreement, not only regulate a new economic and trade relation between Kosovo and the EU, but they are also supposed to transform the structure of the Kosovo’s economic model.

Arrests and indictments have intensified in recent weeks in Kosovo, where the authorities admit more cases need to be targeted to meet the EU criteria for visa liberalisation. 

Kosovo is seeing a surge in police and prosecution actions against organised crime, as law enforcement say cases must be targeted to fulfil the criteria set by the EU to abolish visa requirements for Kosovo.

A European Union prosecutor in Kosovo has filed indictments against 20 people over the sale of visas to the EU’s passport-free Schengen zone for thousands of euros, the prosecutor’s office said on Thursday. Those charged include the son of Kosovo’s late independence leader Ibrahim Rugova.

http://www.euronews.com/newswires/3195825-kosovo-charges-20-over-sale-of-eu-visas/

Kosovo’s Minister for Dialogue, Edita Tahiri, said that there will be no progress on the establishment of the Association/Community of the Serb-majority Municipalities if the agreements with Serbia on telecom and energy are not implemented. “We have a blockade from Serbia or a disrespecting of the agreements on the issues of Kosovo’s dial code and the independence for the energy transmission system,” said Tahiri for Ora News.

Economy columnist Ibrahim Rexhepi argues that Kosovo’s economic development should rely on energy produced through the coal reserves while renewable energy resources could be used as an added value in increasing the level of energy stability. One thing needs to be clear, writes Rexhepi, and that is that coal will be the primary source of energy while all other resources need to be considered as alternative.

The caucus whip of the Serbian List in the Kosovo Parliament, Slavko Simić, yesterday requested from the Kosovo government to abolish the administrative direction that provides additional conditions for Kosovo residents fulfilling criteria for pension and social welfare.

A communique issued by the Serbian List states that the administrative direction issued by the Ministry for Labor and Social Welfare violates the law because such decisions have to be adopted by the parliament.

Kosovo’s President, Hashim Thaçi, accompanied by the Montenegrin charge d’affairs to Kosovo, yesterday paid a visit to Gorazhdec/Goraždevac and visited the Montenegrin family Bešović and promised them that a house will be built for this family.

Responding to journalist’s question about the unresolved case of murdered Serbian children at the river Bistrica in this village in 2003, Thaçi said that “all who committed bad things” will be brought to justice.

European football body UEFA is taking additional precautions to ensure Kosovo's recent admission to international football competitions does not cause political problems. UEFA will set up a task force to determine which teams should be kept apart from Kosovo in international competitions to avoid potential trouble, it said on Wednesday.

http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-soccer-uefa-kosovo-idUKKCN0Y91W3