The United States Embassy in Pristina announced that the U.S. State Department has reviewed the Kosovo-Montenegro border demarcation document prepared by the Kosovo State Commission for Marking and Maintenance of the State Border.
Officials from the Kosovo Business Alliance complained today that Kosovo is not being treated equally by the Central European Free Trade Agreement (CEFTA) when it comes to the export of Kosovo produce. They said Kosovo faces numerous barriers at the border crossings and in addition, Kosovo is still represented at CEFTA through UNMIK symbols and not its own. The Kosovo Business Alliance urged institutions to make efforts in resolving the problems that the business community is facing.
On 11 December Serbian Government appointed Srđan Mitrović as a new head of the Provisional Body of Gnjilane/Gjilan District, with the seat in village Gornje Kusce. Mitrović said to TV Puls, that complete municipal administration (Serbia sponsored) is now fully functional.
Opening of the Chapter 35 in the EU membership negotiations with Brussels means a lot to Kosovo Serbs. EU membership is a controversial topic for many Serbs, however being a member of that club means that you are well managed state with strong institutions that can offer legal and physical protection and economic development.
The President of Kosovo, Atifete Jahjaga praised the role of the Academy of Sciences and Arts of Kosovo, in her speech at the ceremony of its fortieth anniversary. “The Academy plays a role in strengthening of our young democracy. We should build the culture of dialogue which overcomes divisions through political forces. We should not dare risk our relation with the international factor, especially with the European Union and America and aggravates the life of the citizens of the country,” said Jahjaga.
The current political turmoil in Pristina most directly affects the safety and hopelessness of Serbs in Kosovo, says the leader of the Serbian Resistance Movement (SPOT) Momcilo Trajkovic.
He says that it is a strategy which aims a change of government among Albanians, but also that Serbian factor disappears which is disturbing for them.
-They feel that they would be better off without Serbs – says Trajkovic.
Pristina endeavors to place the issue of war reparations on the table in the dialogue with Belgrade in Brussels. This topic was mentioned by the Kosovo President Atifete Jahjaga in her annual address to the Kosovo parliament. According to her the dialogue should continue, however new issues should be tabled as well, such as pensions and war reparations.
A court in Gjilane, a town in Kosovo, has ruled against 75-year-old Persa Stojkovic for her "flagrant violation of public order and peace." According to the executive decision, the Serb woman from the village Paralovo must either pay a fine of EUR 50, or spend three days in prison.
Serbia is not going to join NATO and most Serbs are stalwartly opposed to their country entering the alliance, according to Aleksandra Djurovic, head of the Serbian parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee.
KTV’s editor-in-chief Adriatik Kelmendi in his opinion piece argues that Kosovo and Serbia are part of Europe and that European standards should be applied to solve problems between Kosovo and Serbia. "Albanians through dialogue wish to round up the process of independence and sovereignty and to be equal with the other countries of the world in this regard. Serbs know that they cannot stop this, but at the same time require much more autonomy and rights for members of their community in Kosovo.