Kosovo: New PM Isa Mustafa and ministers sworn in

SARAJEVO

The appointment of Isa Mustafa as Prime Minister is among a raft of announcements of new ministers selected to the new government in Kosovo, six months after early parliamentary elections. 

Mustafa, the former mayor of the Kosovo capital of Pristina and the leader of the Democratic League of Kosovo, was chosen as the new Prime Minister of Kosovo, while Hashim Thaci - the Prime Minister of Kosovo since 2008 and the leader of the Democratic Party of Kosovo - will serve as Deputy Foreign Minister and Prime Minister, it was announced on Tuesday.

The positions were among a range of cabinet appointments which received a vote of confidence from the Assembly of Kosovo, a day after the signing of a coalition agreement between the two key parties.

A total of 73 deputies voted for the new cabinet in Kosovo, while 38 were against and 2 abstained.

Mustafa, who was born in the capital of Kosovo on 15 May 1951 and was previously Mayor of Pristina from December 2007 until December 2013, was sworn-in along with other ministers after the vote.

Kosovo declared its independence from Serbia in 2008, and has since been recognized by 108 states, including the U.S., Germany, UK, France and Turkey.

Serbia, together with China and Russia, are among those countries which do not recognize its independence. 

Appointments to the newly established government were:

Prime Minister of Kosovo, Isa Mustafa (LDK)

First Deputy Foreign Minister, Hashim Thaçi (PDK)

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports, Kujtim Shala (LDK)

Deputy Prime Minister, Branimir Stojanovic (Serbian List)

Minister of Administration and Local Self-Government, Ljubomir Maric (Serbian List)

Minister for Communities and Returns, Alexander Jablanović (Serbian List)

Minister of Public Administration, Mahir Yagcilar, The Turkish Democratic Party of Kosovo (KTDP)

Minister of Education, Science and Technology, Arsim Bajrami (PDK)

Minister of Finance, Avdullah Hoti (LDK)

Minister of Diaspora, Valon Murati (coalition with PDK)

Justice Minister, Kuçi (PDK)

Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Development, Memli Krasniqi (PDK)

Minister of European Integration, Bekim Qollaku (PDK)

Minister of Economic Development, Blerand Stavileci (PDK )

Minister of Environment and Spatial Planning, Ferid Agani (coalition PDK)

Interior Minister, Skender Hyseni (LDK)

Minister of Health, Have Rrahmani (LDK)

Infrastructure Minister, Lutfi Zharku (LDK)

Minister of Trade and Industry, Hikmete Bajrami (LDK)

Minister of Security Force, Haki Demolli (LDK)

Minister of Labour and Social Welfare, Arban Abrashi (LDK)

Ministers Without Portfolio, Edita Tahiri (coalition PDK) and Rasim Demiri (Bosniak coalition Vakat)

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