Awwal 16, 1432 H/Feb 19, 2011, SPA -- Kosovo's caretaker Prime Minister Hashim Thaci on Saturday reached a coalition agreement with new partners to form a new cabinet, according to dpa. Thaci's Democratic Party PDK forged an alliance with the Coalition for New Kosovo of Begjet Pacolli and minority representatives, including 11 Serbs, giving a combined total of 65 of 120 seats in the parliament. "We signed today an agreement ... for a New Kosovo, for its development, democratic reforms and new jobs, for a European Kosovo and regional cooperation," said Thaci. He singled out the lifting of the visa regime, which the European Union applies on Kosovo citizens, integration with NATO and EU, and "welfare of our country," as the upcoming cabinet's priorities. The coalition agreement was struck on the fourth anniversary of Kosovo's declaration of independence from Serbia and nearly four months after snap parliamentary elections. The new parliament is scheduled to convene for the first time on Monday, with the election of the new president on the agenda. Thaci has faced severe charges in a Council of Europe report, which branded him as the hub of organized crime in Kosovo.
