UN: Pristina officials were not invited to General Assembly

The Pristina delegation consisting of Hashim Thaci, Ramush Haradinaj and Behgjet Pacolli has not been invited to participate in the UN General Assembly.

UN spokesperson Eri Kaneko said this on Wednesday, and added that representatives of the provisional authorities in Pristina are in New York "privately."

"They have not been officially invited, the reasons are known, and they can only be New York privately," Kaneko said, denying in that way Pristina-based Klan Kosova broadcaster's report that said Thaci was "participating in the work of the (UN) General Assembly."

Another Pristina-based media outlet, Bota Sot, reported - citing Preshevo Jone agency - that Kaneko "explained that representatives of UN member states participate in the work of the General Assembly upon invitation, while only representatives of member states and permanent observers can speak during the high-level discussion."

The spokesperson specified that Pristina does not have the status of a permanent observer, either - in addition to not being a member of the UN - and that the former status is enjoyed only by the Vatican and Palestine.

This now effectively explains why nobody from the Pristina delegation was present at a dinner for UN General Assembly participants, hosted on the first day of the session by US President Donald Trump.

It was announced earlier in Pristina that Thaci would meet with Trump during the General Assembly - but immediately before his departure for New York, the cabinet of the Kosovo president said that this meeting was "uncertain, because it has not been confirmed."

During the day on Wednesday, Thaci posted a photo of himself with Trump on Twitter.