• Kurti meets Abdixhiku to discuss post of President, “constructive atmosphere” (media)
• Kosovo businesses want new elections to be avoided, call for aid measures (Koha)
• Vllasi: Failure to elect president would harm everyone, Osmani the best candidate (Kosovo Online)
• EU will continue to support judicial reform in Kosovo (Indeksonline)
• Svecla: Germany has always supported Kosovo, partnership will continue (RTK)
• Oil association: Fuel prices in Kosovo rise amid Middle East turmoil (SeeNews)
• AJK deeply concerned over renewed threat against Nacionale journalist (media)

Kurti meets Abdixhiku to discuss post of President, “constructive atmosphere” (media)

“We don’t have a solution yet, but we will inform you soon,” Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti said today after meeting Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) leader Lumir Abdixhiku about the election of the Kosovo President. Kurti said the meeting “was held in a constructive atmosphere” and that the public will be informed about any new developments, Radio Free Europe reports.

LDK MP Hykmete Bajrami said that the party’s parliamentary group will meet today, while other LDK MPs signaled that a decision on the post of President will be made at the meeting.

Several other news websites – Indeksonline, Nacionale and Klan Kosova – meanwhile quote unnamed sources as saying that Kurti plans to nominate Glauk Konjufca for Kosovo President. Konjufca is currently Minister for Foreign Affairs. According to Indeksonline, Kurti asked LDK leader Lumir Abdixhiku in their meeting today to secure the votes for Konjufca’s nomination. 

Kosovo businesses want new elections to be avoided, call for support measures (Koha)

The Kosovo Chamber of Commerce in a letter to parliamentary parties called on them to avoid new elections if the Kosovo president is not elected in line with the constitutional deadline. 

The chamber said that Kosovo’s economy needs stability and functioning institutions, sustainable decision-making and institutional cooperation, “and not a new election process that can further economic and institutional uncertainty”.

The chamber called on parliamentary parties to find common ground and avoid sending Kosovo to new elections “as political stability is a precondition for economic stability”.

The chamber also said that Kosovo urgently needs new internal and external investments and reforms that would make it more competitive and attractive for businesses. “Due to geopolitical developments and possible risks of increased prices or deregulation in the supply chain, the government and the assembly must prepare a clear support package for businesses and consumers,” it said.

Vllasi: Failure to elect president would harm everyone, Osmani the best candidate (Kosovo Online)

Analyst Azem Vllasi assessed that it would not suit anyone if a new President of Kosovo were not elected and that it would cause harm to everyone. He noted that everything is in the hands of Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti and the Vetevendosje Movement, and that no one understands such persistence in not nominating the current President Vjosa Osmani for another term.

Vllasi assessed that if Kosovo were to go to new elections due to the failure to elect a president, it would be the greatest “political stupidity”. “Moreover, it would look like deliberate sabotage of the state. Because going to elections three times in one year – that is activity against state interests,” Vllasi said in a written response to Kosovo Online.

The key question, he emphasized, is why there are “games” surrounding the election of the president when Vjosa Osmani is there and is, as he stated, the best possible candidate. “Why is there still no candidate if someone would be better than her? I believe that everyone will come to their senses and vote for Vjosa. Everything is in the hands of Albin Kurti and the Vetevendosje Movement. No one understands why he is so persistent in bypassing Vjosa,” Vllasi concluded.

EU will continue to support judicial reform in Kosovo (Indeksonline)

EU Ambassador in Kosovo Aivo Orav met with outgoing chair of the Kosovo Judicial Council Albert Zogaj today. “Orav expressed his appreciation for Zogaj’s contribution to the judicial reform aligned with Kosovo's EU-related rule of law commitments, highlighting the need for the new Council leadership to continue working on the same path towards an independent, accountable and efficient justice system. As Kosovo’s most reliable partner and the largest provider of financial assistance, the EU will continue supporting the judicial reform via new IPA funding (EUR 15 million) and the Growth Plan,” the EU office said in a Facebook post. 

Svecla: Germany has always supported Kosovo, partnership will continue (RTK)

Kosovo’s Minister of Interior Affairs Xhelal Svecla met with German Ambassador to Kosovo Rainer Rudolph and discussed the priorities of the government and the importance of furthering cooperation between Kosovo and Germany. “We reconfirmed our shared commitment to advance concrete projects in the area of security, strengthening institutional capacities and continuous coordination in addressing joint challenges. I am confident that the close cooperation between our institutions will continue to produce tangible results in the service of the people and the long-term stability of Kosovo,” Svecla said in a Facebook post.

Oil association: Fuel prices in Kosovo rise amid Middle East turmoil (SeeNews)

Retail fuel prices in Kosovo have increased amid global supply insecurities as US and Israeli strikes on Iran over the weekend have disrupted shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial waterway for international oil markets, chair of the Kosovo Oil Association, Fadil Berjani, said on Monday.

Diesel fuel prices in Kosovo have increased to between 1.18-1.25 euro per litre as of Monday, while gasoline sells in the 1.17-1.24 euro per litre price range, Berjani said in a Facebook post, without providing comparative data. He declined a SeeNews request for clarification.

Local media have reported that prior to the air strikes diesel fuel prices stood at 1.15 - 1.21 euro per litre.

The Strait of Hormuz, the only sea passage from the oil-rich Persian Gulf to the open ocean, accounted for 27% of global maritime oil trade and roughly 20% of world petroleum liquids consumption in 2024, according to data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA).

Kosovo's retail fuel market has often been marked by price volatility, which in several cases has prompted the trade ministry to intervene with profit margin caps, more recently in December.

AJK deeply concerned over renewed threat against Nacionale journalist (media)

The Association of Journalists of Kosovo (AJK) said in a statement that it is deeply concerned over a new threat directed at Nacional journalist Burim Pacolli by a rapper known as “Mossi,” only hours after a physical assault against him. AJK said that it is in contact with the Police and the Prosecutor’s Office regarding the case and calls on both institutions to intensify efforts to locate and arrest the suspect, as well as any other individuals involved in the physical attack. It also urged the Kosovo Police to assess the need to provide protection for journalist Pacolli following the assault and the repeated threats. “AJK reiterates that freedom of expression, criticism, and reporting are guaranteed by the Constitution and laws of Kosovo, and no journalist should be subjected to attacks for exercising these rights,” the statement notes.