The caretaker executive gave the green light on Friday to the initiative to sign an international agreement with the European Union, which aims for the country’s membership in the ‘EU Roam Like Home’ area.

This legal instrument is seen as a necessary precursor for the full application of EU rules in the sector of roaming communication tariffs.

According to the caretaker head of government, Albin Kurti, this initiative paves the way for the elimination of additional charges for mobile services used by Kosovar citizens and businesses in European Union member states.

‘This constitutes a key phase of our digital integration into the European Union, enabling the removal of additional roaming charges for our citizens and businesses when using mobile services in participating countries,’ Kurti declared.

At the same session, the government also reviewed the partnership between the public enterprise ‘Termokos’ and the European Investment Bank, related to the new phase of expanding central heating in the capital.

The caretaker Minister of Finance, Hekuran Murati, announced that the project foresees a grant fund of 17.2 million euros.

‘This agreement secures a grant in the amount of 17.2 million euros for financing the expansion of the central heating network in Pristina, targeting new areas and users. This project is expected to increase the quality and reliability of supply, extend network coverage to around half of the demand, and help clean the air by reducing electricity consumption,’ Murati explained.

In addition, the caretaker cabinet took several other decisions. It approved a draft regulation that defines the method for recruiting firefighting personnel.

Xhelal Sveçla, the caretaker Minister of Internal Affairs, emphasized that the regulatory text has been prepared in line with the legislative calendar for 2026.

‘The Ministry of Internal Affairs, according to the plan of sub-legal acts for 2026, has prepared this draft. The fire and rescue service is one of the main pillars of the civil security and emergency management system in the country. Its efficiency directly depends on the presence of professional, qualified staff ready to face risks and extraordinary situations. To establish a unified, transparent and merit-based system for selecting personnel, the MIA has drafted this document,’ Sveçla stated.

Also on the agenda was the re-approval of the annual financial report of the Republic’s budget for the fiscal year 2025. The caretaker Prime Minister, Albin Kurti, announced that the Ministry of Finance had brought this report back for a vote, after technical improvements made during the audit by the National Audit Office.

‘The re-approval of this document allows the submission of the final version to the Assembly of Kosovo and to the National Audit Office, in accordance with the legal framework in force,’ Kurti concluded.

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The discussion took place after the European Commission had sent member states a written recommendation that Cluster 3 be opened with Serbia during July.

“The European Commission considers that Cluster 3 can be opened in July, taking into account that Serbia has made some efforts on specific key issues and that the overall balance required for the opening of Cluster 3 has been met,” said Guillaume Mercier, spokesperson for the European Commission.

However, at the meeting of EU ambassadors, a large number of member states came out against opening Cluster 3. According to them, Serbia still has not made sufficient progress on the rule of law, has not aligned itself with European Union sanctions against Russia, and continues to raise doubts about its strategic orientation.

Opening this cluster would unblock accession negotiations between the European Union and Serbia, which have remained frozen since December 2021.

At first, the main reason for this blockage was Serbia’s refusal to align itself with EU sanctions on Russia. Later, growing concerns about the state of the rule of law and democratic standards in the country were also added as obstacles.

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