Independence of Kosovo

BELGRADE – Serbian government officials said Tuesday that strengthening the rule of law is an absolute priority in the country’s European integration process, as the efficiency of reforms in all other segments of society is highly dependent on that.

KOSOVSKA MITROVICA - The Citizens' Initiative Serbia, Democracy, Justice (SDP) pointed out that despite the fact that the mayoral campaign is in full swing in Kosovska Mitrovica, the head of the SDP electoral list Oliver Ivanovic is still in custody in Pristina under unfounded accusations and his health has deteriorated.

BELGRADE - UN officials spoke in high terms of Serbia's participation in international peacekeeping missions, said Vladimir Bozovic, state secretary at the Serbian Ministry of the Interior (MUP), who had recently visited the U.S.

PRISTINA - An international prosecutor of the Kosovo Special Prosecution Office has announced an appeal against a decision to transfer Oliver Ivanovic to a detention unit in northern Kosovska Mitrovica, EULEX spokesperson Irina Gudeljevic said on Friday.

BELGRADE - Austria's Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz said that his country will support Serbia in undertaking the necessary reforms, in order to speed up its EU accession.

KOSOVSKA MITROVICA - The leader of Citizens' Initiative Serbia, Democracy, Justice Oliver Ivanovic will be transferred from a detention unit in Pristina to northern Kosovska Mitrovica, Ivanovic's lawyer Nebojsa Vlajic said on Thursday.

SARAJEVO - European Parliament's special rapporteur for Serbia Jelko Kacin said on Wednesday the EU's current neutral position on Kosovo's status was a temporary compromise, but he refused to speculate on what the ultimate solution would be and when it would come about.

BRUSSELS - Representatives of Belgrade and Pristina have managed to bring their positions closer on the judiciary, Serbian Prime Minister Ivica Dacic has said, announcing that an agreement will be finalised in the coming days.

BELGRADE/BEIRUT - Marko Blagojevic, Serbian Foreign Ministry (FM) secretary general, and Vladimir Maric, head of the Foreign minister's cabinet, met in Beirut Wednesday with Lebanese Foreign Ministry Secretary General Wafic Rehaime, who said that Lebanon has no plans to recognize Kosovo independence.

LEPOSAVIC - Around 200 workers of the Lola forging factory in Lesak, Kosovo-Metohija, gathered in protest on Wednesday near the Jarinje crossing in the north of the province after their company's bank account has been blocked.

The workers want the bank account to be unblocked.