Kosovo

Kosovo’s Constitutional Court has suspended a parliamentary vote on a new prime minister until May 29, dashing President Hashim Thaci’s hopes for a quick resolution to a political crisis.

He said that he is looking forward to a swift resumption of the dialogue to help achieve a comprehensive normalization of relations, stressing that he is ready to engage with all political actors in Pristina.

[…] A prosecutor of the Kosovo Specialist Chambers, with headquarters in The Hague, Netherlands, asked the court's president to assign a pre-trial judge because of his "intent to initiate additional proceedings before the Specialist Chambers."

The senior UN official in Kosovo is stressing that strong leadership and political unity are needed now more than ever, as local leaders and their international partners wage war on the “enormous challenge” posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

President Hashim Thaci on Sunday announced that further steps would be taken this week to form a new government – even though outgoing Prime Minister Albin Kurti, who lost a no-confidence vote in parliament on March 25, is still demanding new elections once the pandemic is over.

The European Union's newly appointed special envoy to Serbia-Kosovo talks says he is committed to resolving all of the Balkan neighbors' outstanding disputes. In statements to RFE/RL on April 17, Ambassador Miroslav Lajcak stressed there was only one EU-moderated Pristina-Belgrade dialogue but said he would also continue to work closely with his U.S. counterparts.

Kosovo’s caretaker prime minister has assured a European Union special envoy of his commitment to resume dialogue on normalizing ties with neighboring Serbia.

As Kosovo President Hashim Thaci launched talks with party leaders on the way ahead after the recent no-confidence vote in the government, outgoing Prime Minister Albin Kurti appeared isolated in calling for new elections.

Former Slovak Foreign Minister Miroslav Lajcak is expected to become this week the European Union special representative for the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue and the Western Balkans.