UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, January 30, 2026

Kurti: We need cooperation with opposition, we’re ready and interested (media)
Kurti: KSF will take part in International Stabilization Force for Gaza (RFE)
Gashi: There are voices that Haradinaj is collecting signatures for President (media)
Gruda: Special Court’s tendency to rewrite our history is unacceptable (media)
Kosovo applies law through process, not pressure (The Kosovo Dispatch)
Stevic: Intl community, key factor for resolving education and healthcare issues (Kosovo Online)
Marinkovic: Moves by Rasic and SL on laws on foreigners and vehicles are late (Radio Kim)
Health Minister admits being interviewed by Special Prosecution (Ekonomia Online)
Kurti pays tribute in Mitrovica north to Albanian teen killed 25 years ago amid post-war violence (Kossev)
EBRD invests €117.3 mln in Kosovo’s private sector in 2025 (SeeNews)
‘That day, the war started: Bosnian cameraman’s chilling footage of Kosovo killing (BIRN)

Kurti: We need cooperation with the opposition on, we’re ready and interested (media)

Kosovo caretaker Prime Minister Albin Kurti said today that he is willing and interested in cooperating with the opposition but that it remains to be seen in February whether that is mutual. He also said that it will be seen in the Assembly if there is a mood for a new relationship between the government and the opposition.

Kurti also told reporters that he has met with President Vjosa Osmani, but that before the election of the president three steps need to be made first. “We need to see in the Assembly if there is a mood for a new government-opposition relation. I cannot speak beforehand, but there is no doubt that in February we will find out if there is a possibility of opening a new chapter in our relations. The people have given us overwhelming support, and this is a major responsibility for us. We won't have any problems in forming the government, but we need cooperation with the opposition for two thirds that are needed in the Assembly on international agreements and the election of the president. From our side there is readiness and interest. In February we will find out if the opposition is ready and interested too,” he said.

Kurti said that as far as his meeting with President Osmani is concerned, “we are communicating but you need to take into account that that will be the fourth step. After the certification of election results and after all possible complaints are addressed, we need three steps first. First, the constitution of the Assembly, which includes the election of the Speaker and five deputy speakers; then the formation of the government, and third we immediately need to adopt the international agreements. We have three agreements with the World Bank and the EU Growth Plan, which total to €882 million, 30 percent of which are grants and 70 percent are loans”.

Kurti: KSF will take part in International Stabilization Force for Gaza (RFE)

Kosovo caretaker Prime Minister Albin Kurti told reporters today that Kosovo wants to contribute to peace in the world wherever it is needed, as he commented on Kosovo's participation in the Board of Peace initiated by US President Donald Trump.

In his first comment about the Board of Peace, Kurti said that Kosovo’s participation is a continuation of its contribution to Gaza, starting with the participation of the Kosovo Security Force (KSF) in the International Stabilization Force for Gaza. “The KSF is now well known for its search-and-rescue and demining capabilities, and more,” he said. “This is why we have been interested in taking part in political decision-making bodies too”.

Gashi: There are voices that Haradinaj is collecting signatures for President (media)

Senior member of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) Arben Gashi said on Thursday that there are reports that the leader of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) Ramush Haradinaj is collecting signatures for a candidacy for the post of Kosovo President. “There have been ideas from what I’ve seen that Ramush Haradinaj is collecting signatures from individual MPs and political groups, but I don’t know what happened concretely,” Gashi said in an interview with ATV.

Gruda: Special Court’s tendency to rewrite our history is unacceptable (media)

Most news websites report that senior member of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) Perparim Rama slammed the Specialist Chambers of Kosovo that their representatives are holding lectures in schools in Kosovo. He told a press conference today that the court has deviated from its mission, and that the tendency to rewrite history in schools is unacceptable. “Pupils, most of them under 18, were presented with biased positions labelling the former leaders of the KLA as perpetrators of war crimes and crimes against humanity. This is scandalous and unacceptable,” he said.

“Our fight is being attacked even in the desks and classes of our schools. But our truth cannot be changed in the name of ‘selective’ justice, nor can the collective memory be deformed in the name of ‘education’,” Gruda argued. “The tone used in these presentations treats Hashim Thaci, Kadri Veseli, Jakup Krasniqi and Rexhep Selimi as guilty and preempts the final verdict of the court. Real courts engage in justice and not in propaganda”.

Gruda also said that the Specialist Chambers have deviated from their original mission. “It should have helped shed light on the truth and remove the allegations against the KLA, but instead it has turned into a mechanism that is trying to rewrite history,” he said.

Kosovo applies law through process, not pressure (The Kosovo Dispatch)

Kosovo has begun implementing its Law on Foreigners and Law on Vehicles through a phased, procedural approach that seeks to replace long-standing legal uncertainty with administrative clarity, while keeping channels open to affected communities and international partners. Since January 16, the first stage of implementation has focused on public information rather than sanctions. The rules mirror European standards: foreign nationals must hold valid travel documents, register their address within three days of arrival, respect the duration of stay, and obtain work permits where required. Vehicles must be legally registered. At border crossings, travelers without Kosovo-issued documents now receive written notices outlining entry requirements, registration obligations, and compliance with Kosovo law. Officials describe this as an effort to ensure predictability rather than to create pressure.

Government: Clarification and Facilitation

In a written statement submitted to the Kosovo Dispatch, Government Spokesperson Përparim Kryeziu said that a special inter-institutional working group has been established to manage the process and address concerns arising from implementation. “To address issues deriving from the application of the Law on Foreigners and the Law on Vehicles, the government has gathered a group of officials from relevant institutions, including legal experts,” Kryeziu wrote. “The role of this group is to clarify the requirements foreseen by the laws and, at the same time, the state’s obligations toward those affected by them, with the aim of facilitating their full implementation”. Kryeziu added that representatives of the international community in Kosovo have already been informed about the group and that initial meetings have taken place.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs has also launched a public information campaign, publishing detailed guidance and checklists on its official website for temporary and permanent residence permits. Officials say the objective is to provide legal certainty and avoid arbitrary enforcement.

Diverging Political Responses

The measures have generated debate within Kosovo’s Serbian political landscape. Nenad Rasic, leader of the party For Freedom, Justice and Survival, has called on political actors, including the Serbian List (SL), to engage in drafting legal and technical proposals that could be submitted to Kosovo institutions to ease the transition for citizens affected by the new requirements. He said the responsibility of politicians is to help communities adapt to the application of laws that are already in force, stressing that the situation has direct implications for daily life and dignity.

The Serbian List (SL) responded by rejecting Rasic’s position and accusing him of lacking legitimacy, while reiterating its opposition to the government’s approach. The party said it has raised its concerns with representatives of the international community.

The exchange reflects broader uncertainty within the Serbian community over how to respond to the gradual extension of Kosovo’s legal framework.

Health and Education at the Center

The most sensitive implications concern health and education institutions operating under Serbia’s system. Under Interior Ministry rules published on January 16, individuals working in Kosovo without Kosovo documents are required to obtain work permits or professional licenses through Kosovo institutions. In practice, this would require Serbian-run schools and clinics to obtain authorization from Kosovo authorities.

Prime Minister Albin Kurti has said that the process will be implemented in coordination with the European Union and that concerns of non-majority communities will be taken into account, framing the issue as one of integration rather than closure.

Civil Society and Consultation

Several Serbian civil society organizations have called for broader consultations involving political representatives, civil society, and the academic community before further steps are taken. They have raised their concerns with diplomatic missions in Kosovo and urged international engagement.

Government officials point to the informational phase of implementation and the creation of expert working groups as evidence of a willingness to manage the process through dialogue and technical solutions rather than abrupt enforcement.

Read more at: https://shorturl.at/C8yCx

Stevic: Intl community, key factor for resolving education and healthcare issues (Kosovo Online)

“Education and healthcare are the two pillars of the survival of Serbs in the area, and the question of their integration into the Kosovo system cannot be resolved until they sit down at the negotiating table, to find the best solutions through dialogue that will first of all suit the Serbian community and in no other way,” Lazar Stevic, a journalist from North Mitrovica, told Kosovo Online.

He stated that Albin Kurti closed all the structures that worked under the Republic of Serbia in the territory of Kosovo, that only education and health remained, which are “a thorn in his side” and the next step he is ready to take. “He convened a meeting in Pristina where he informed the ambassadors that healthcare and education must be included in the system of the Republic of Kosovo. What is surprising is that no one from the international community reacted to his presentation and that neither condemnation nor confirmation came as to whether they were in favour of it or not. That is what worries and interests the Serbs here in Kosovo: what will be the reaction of the international community” Stevic said.

Marinkovic: Moves by Rasic and SL on laws on foreigners and vehicles are late (Radio Kim)

Goran Marinkovic, leader of the Kosovo Alliance, said in an interview with Radio Kim, that they are ready to talk with everyone that protects the interests of Serbs, but that he thinks that an opportunity to discuss the enforcement of Kosovo’s laws on foreigners and vehicles has been missed. “I think that that initiative is somewhat late. However, as representatives of our parties, we need to ask certain questions to Rasic and representatives of the Serbian List, who are the legitimate representatives of the Serb people in the Assembly of Kosovo, and probably some of them will be in the government too, on why they did not react to the laws which were adopted way earlier and which directly affect the lives of our people,” he argued.

Health Minister admits being interviewed by Special Prosecution (Ekonomia Online)

Kosovo’s caretaker Minister of Health, Arben Vitia, said today that he has been interviewed by the Special Prosecution, without disclosing further details. “I believe that the Special Prosecution and I will explain everything very soon,” he told the news website.

Kurti pays tribute in Mitrovica north to Albanian teen killed 25 years ago amid post-war violence (Kossev)

Kosovo’s caretaker Prime Minister Albin Kurti visited the Bosniak Mahala neighborhood in North Mitrovica on Thursday to pay tribute to Gazmend Brahimi, a 15-year-old Albanian boy who was killed on this day 25 years ago during interethnic violence between Serbs and Albanians in the aftermath of the Kosovo war.

Kurti was joined by South Mitrovica Mayor Faton Peci, Self-Determination (Vetëvendosje) official and parliamentary candidate Agim Bahtiri, and Aida Ferati Doli, a municipal assembly councilor in North Mitrovica from the same party. During the visit, Kurti also met with members of the Brahimi family.

In a statement posted on Facebook, Kurti said that, like many Albanian families displaced by the war, the Brahimi family returned to Kosovo to find their home destroyed. “But unlike many others,” he added, “upon returning to their hometown, they did not immediately find freedom”. Kurti described the circumstances of Gazmend Brahimi’s death, attributing responsibility to what he called “criminal gangs from Serbia.” According to Kurti, the teenager was killed by a hand grenade thrown at him in Bosniak Mahala, an ethnically mixed neighborhood, at a time when Albanians returning to their property were, he said, subjected to daily intimidation. He added that Gazmend’s brother was with him at the time and still carries 17 fragments of the grenade in his body.