Albanian Language Media:

• Mustafa: Reciprocity measures carry consequences, government to find solution (Express)
• Haradinaj writes open letter to Kurti asking him not to lift tariff on Serbia (media)
• Haradinaj meets Pompeo at Washington D.C. event (media)
• Kosovo Assembly to have 14 commissions (media)
• PDK boycotts Assembly presidency meeting (Koha)
• New CEC members sworn in (media)
• KP gives details about recent arrest of officials on corruption charges (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• EU Commissioner Olivér Várhelyi visits Belgrade, met with Vucic (B92)
• President Vucic answers questions on Facebook about Kosovo, Montenegro, economy (N1, B92)
• Odalovic: Continuation of dialogue can’t be conditioned that Serbia gives up struggling for what is its own (Kosovo-online)
• Rakocevic: Serbs should build their own system of values, regardless of who is in power in Pristina (RTV Puls)
• Joksimovic: Serbia to decide on new EU accession methodology (RTS, N1)
• Indictment raised against former Serbian MUP member for “war crimes” (Radio KIM)

Opinion: 

• EU vs. US: Two sides eager for a win (Prishtina Insight)

International:

• Kosovo Finds Asian Ally in Land of Rising Sun (Balkan Insight)
• French change of tone boosts Balkan states’ hopes of joining EU (Reuters)
• European Commission Unveils Revised Enlargement Strategy (Balkan Insight)
• Ankara Urges Brussels Not To Separate Turkey From Western Balkans In Accession Talks (RFE)

Humanitarian/Development:

• Kosovo’s energy market: when will the monopoly end? (Prishtina Insight)

Albanian Language Media

Mustafa: Reciprocity measures carry consequences, government to find solution (Express)

Leader of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) Isa Mustafa said that the issue of reciprocity measures is a complex one and carries multidimensional consequences.

“Early this week the new government was elected which has a lot of work ahead, including the dialogue as well as the tariff imposed by the Haradinaj-led government. In the governing programme we agreed for the tariff to be linked with reciprocity. This is now an issue for the government to deal with and I would refrain at this stage from commenting on how it should be done,” Mustafa said.

“However, I have to say it is very complex and with multidimensional consequences. I believe the Government can find the best way forward, coordinate actions with our international partners, especially the U.S. and the EU,” he added. 

Haradinaj writes open letter to Kurti asking him not to lift tariff on Serbia (media)

Former prime minister of Kosovo Ramush Haradinaj has written an open letter to his successor Albin Kurti urging him not to lift the import tariff on Serbian goods.

“Together with the people of Kosovo, you have sacrificed a lot. You were in prisons and faced challenges, but you always stoically stood by what you believe,” Haradinaj told Kurti. “Because of this sacrifice I want to personally ask you not to lift the tax on Serbia.”

“Albin, do not allow a market of an over 400 million euros profit for Serbia, the country that beat you and tortured you. The country which used the money of the people of Kosovo to buy weapons in Russia. Please, do not camouflage this sovereign decision with foggy terms such as ‘reciprocity’.

“Do not lift the tax, Albin. Do not surrender because of some temporary points you may stand to win from the international community.

“Reconsider the decision, Albin. We can continue to disagree. On these disagreements the people have given the verdict on 6 October, but this is an issue greater than a handful of votes.”

“We have to stand united in opposing Serbia until mutual recognition and not support ‘reciprocity’ without recognition.”

Haradinaj meets Pompeo at Washington D.C. event (media)

Former Prime Minister of Kosovo Ramush Haradinaj was seated next to the U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo during the National Prayer Breakfast event in Washington D.C. 

In a Facebook post, Haradinaj said he discussed with Secretary Pompeo political developments and Kosovo’s role in the region and beyond. 

“Kosovo has proven it stands alongside the U.S. and is its most trusted partner in all global aspects be it security, economy, foreign policy, or peace and democracy. I assured Secretary Pompeo that we remain steadfast in the belief that Kosovo and the U.S., apart from common strategic interests, also share the system of values of freedom and democracy,” Haradinaj wrote.  

Kosovo Assembly to have 14 commissions (media)

Kosovo Assembly Speaker Vjosa Osmani said today that the new legislature will have 14 commissions, two less than the previous one.

Speaking to reporters after the Assembly Presidency meeting, Osmani said that the number of commissions had to be adapted to the restructured ministries. 

“We agreed in the Assembly Presidency to have 14 parliamentary commissions that will oversee respective ministries. We agreed to vote on the formula for division of commissions in the upcoming meeting on Monday,” Osmani said. 

PDK boycotts Assembly presidency meeting (Koha)

The Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) boycotted today’s meeting of the Kosovo Assembly presidency to protest against, as it said, unlawful actions of Speaker Vjosa Osmani after she displaced the picture of Kosovo President Hashim Thaci in her office and replaced it with that of the late president Ibrahim Rugova.

Head of PDK parliamentary group Bedri Hamza said at a press conference that Osmani’s moves are driving out the opposition from the Assembly. 

“As a result of this unlawful action, we as the main opposition party will not take part in the meeting of the Assembly presidency,” Hamza said. 

“We demand the official picture of the president of the country, Mr. Hashim Thaci, be treated as per the applicable legislation, and be restored to its rightful place,” Hamza added.

New CEC members sworn in (media)

Ten new members of the Central Election Commission (CEC) have been sworn in today before the President of Kosovo Hashim Thaci.

The new CEC members, proposed by their respective parliamentary parties, consists of two representatives from the Vetevendosje Movement (LVV) – Sami Kurteshi, Alim Rama, one representative from the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) – Sami Hamiti, one from the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) – Arianit Elshani, one from the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) – Ibrahim Selmanaj, one representative from the Serbian List – Nenad Rikalo, one from the NISMA-AKR-PD coalition – Eshref Vishi, one from VAKAT coalition – Cemailj Kurtisi, one from Turkish Democratic Party (KDTP) – Rifat Kranic, and one from the Ashkali Party for Integration (PAI) – Artan Asllani. 

KP gives details about recent arrest of officials on corruption charges (media)

Kosovo Police held a press conference today to give more details about an operation carried out last night which resulted in the arrest of several persons, of whom one is reported to be a senior official in the Ministry of Interior and the other a police sergeant.

The group is suspected of being involved in criminal activity, bribery and abuse of official position while the official from the Ministry of Interior is also suspected of being involved in human trafficking. 

Serbian Language Media

EU Commissioner Olivér Várhelyi visits Belgrade, met with Vucic (B92)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic meet with European Commissioner for Neighborhood and Enlargement Olivér Várhelyi in Belgrade, B92 reports.Várhelyi arrived to Belgrade a day after a new methodology for the EU accession process was presented in Brussels.

Várhelyi and Vucic discussed the continuation of European integration process, and after the meeting, the two officials will hold a joint press conference.

Várhelyi is expected to outline the future plans of the European Commission for the region and comment on the revised accession methodology.

It is envisaged that, in the presence of Vucic and Várhelyi, a financing agreement on project financing of IPA 2019, worth about EUR 138.5 million, will be signed by Joksimovic and Fabrizi.

Ahead of the visit, the new Enlargement Commissioner said he looks forward to the first visits to the two countries participating in the EU accession talks, Serbia and Montenegro, where he will be heading after Belgrade visit.

“I look forward to discussing progress in the political dialogue ahead of the elections in both countries, as well as the results of reforms concerning EU accession that are evident in the area of the rule of law”, Várhelyi said, and the EU Delegation to Serbia announced.

Commissioner Várhelyi, will also meet with Prime Minister Ana Brnabic, while ministers Jadranka Joksimovic, Ivica Dacic and Nebojsa Stefanovic will also attend the meeting.

See at: https://bit.ly/2vVzFNi

President Vucic answers questions on Facebook about Kosovo, Montenegro, economy (N1, B92)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic answered the questions, mostly related to the situation in Montenegro, Kosovo issue and the economy, posted to him on Facebook yesterday, BETA news agency reported.

Talking about the situation in Montenegro, Vucic said Serbia’s politics would be “smart, responsible and wise.” He added that Belgrade would support the Serbs in the coastal republic in all possible ways.

“The Serbs are exposed to a perfidious, ill-intended and brutal campaign which lasts for almost three decades. Whatever happens, we are guilty of it and it’s the easiest for everyone to blame Serbia for everything… The essence of that perfidious campaign is to blame the Serbs for internal needs. Serbia always wants to destroy someone, while it has never destroyed anyone,” Vucic said.

Talking about the Kosovo issue, Vucic noted “there would be no talks with Pristina if its representatives think there is nothing to talk about with us. And that Serbia has to recognize Kosovo independence as soon as possible and to apologize for something.”

“Yet, again, I hope there will be more reasonable, rational people who understand the importance of talking and trying to reach compromise. If someone thinks they can beat Serbia with blackmail they could not have been more wrong”, Vucic said.

He also said that when regular military service is announced in Kosovo and Metohija, no one is reacting, whereas when our ministers tried to announce the same, there was an uproar abroad, but now no one is reacting, nor when Kosovo announces greater funding for the military and genocide lawsuits.

Odalovic: Continuation of dialogue can’t be conditioned that Serbia gives up struggling for what is its own (Kosovo-online)

Serbian Foreign Affairs Ministry Secretary General Veljko Odalovic assessed that no one can condition continuation of the dialogue with Pristina by setting the condition to Serbia not to struggle for what is its own, Kosovo-online portal reports.

“It is an impossible condition; the dialogue is the most important thing here. Belgrade is doing its job, what is our obligation, we will speak the language that is understandable and talk about what is going on, and any attempt that might follow related to the international organizations and new recognitions, it is our right to try to thwart it,” Odalovic said.

Commenting on the assessments that new Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti is “unpredictable” Odalovic said that “Kurti remains unknown to many.”

“And for those who are in his close surroundings, and for the international community…That man is not unknown to us, because of his statements, both in the pre-election campaign and now, he causes certain distrust and negative reactions…” Odalovic said. He added that Kurti is quite rigid in some stances “when it comes to relations with Serbia.”

“But even now, he did not send a good message, and that message is rather pragmatic – to revoke the tariffs that Ramush Haradinaj introduced, it can be positive, to send a message to Serbia he is ready to continue the dialogue,” Odalovic said.

Rakocevic: Serbs should build their own system of values, regardless of who is in power in Pristina (RTV Puls)

Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija should build their own system based on European values and struggle for freedom regardless of who is in power in Pristina, Gracanica-based journalist and an author Zivojin Rakocevic said, RTV Puls reports.

He also opined that Hashim Thaci will continue having the main say in Kosovo.

“Populist statements of Albin Kurti are a clear message to us, that we need to focus on ourselves and to have our own autonomy regardless if someone is giving it to us or not,” Rakocevic said.

“Our autonomy, our freedom and our lives, so that we within our ghettos and our community decide and build our freedom, normal democratic development, pluralism and everything else that belongs to the European values,” he added.

Joksimovic: Serbia to decide on new EU accession methodology (RTS, N1)

Serbian Minister for European Integration Jadranka Joksimovic told RTS that Serbia does not have to continue its accession to the European Union under the new methodology adopted by the European Commission.

The European Commission on Wednesday adopted a new accession methodology for the countries of the Western Balkans which Neighborhood and Enlargement Commissioner Olivér Várhelyi said was intended to make “accession negotiations more credible, dynamic, predictable and with a stronger political steer”.

Joksimovic said the new methodology was drawn up for North Macedonia and Albania. “We have not been included unless we agree to it,” she said. “We have demonstrated that we have the capacity for reforms and integration, something not everyone else has. The negotiations (with the EU) started in 2014, the first chapter was opened in 2015,” she recalled.

The minister added that Serbia will assess whether to change methodology based on the new methodology’s economic plan, N1 reports.

See at: https://bit.ly/2unQLTz

Indictment raised against former Serbian MUP member for “war crimes” (Radio KIM)

Kosovo Special Prosecution submitted to the Basic Court in Pristina a lawsuit against a former member of the Serbian Ministry of Internal Affairs (MUP) G.S. for committing a criminal act “of war crimes against the civilian population”, Radio KIM reports.

According to the indictment, G.S. as “a member of MUP reserve forces, in April 1999, in cooperation with other members of the unit, took part in the expulsion of the Albanian civilian from the villages of Slovinje and Rabovce, committed assassination and other illegal acts.”

G.S. is in detention since 20 July 2019.

 Opinion

EU vs. US: Two sides eager for a win (Prishtina Insight)

Divergent positions on either side of the Atlantic have created further uncertainties over the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue, with both sides keen to play the role of peacemaker, Visar Xhambazi writes.

While the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue remains suspended, halted in November 2018 after the previous Kosovo government imposed a 100 per cent tariff on Serbian goods, Western interest in the dialogue on both sides of the Atlantic has been rapidly increasing in recent months.

January saw visits to Kosovo and Serbia from both Richard Grenell, US President Donald Trump’s appointed ‘Special Envoy to the Kosovo-Serbia’ dialogue, and Josep Borrell, the EU’s newly appointed High Representative for Foreign Affairs.

Grenell insisted he would leave politics to one side and seek to focus on the economy, while also encouraging Kosovo to drop the tariff and urging Serbian officials to end a campaign encouraging countries to ‘de-recognize’ Kosovo.

Borrell meanwhile reasserted European commitment to the Balkans, including his personal resolve to advance the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue. Recent reports also suggest that he is also to appoint a special envoy for the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue, with German diplomat Christoph Heusgen, who has served as Germany’s ambassador to the United Nations, the name cited.

See at: https://bit.ly/39fYqCm

International

Kosovo Finds Asian Ally in Land of Rising Sun (Balkan Insight)

While Serbia cultivates ever closer links with China, Kosovo – the former province it refuses to recognize – is building ties with another East Asian giant, Japan.

When Kosovo President Hashim Thaci visited Japan last October to meet Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, the two leaders discussed an important milestone in diplomatic relations.

A month earlier, at an earlier meeting, Abe had announced that Tokyo would open an embassy in Pristina – an important development for diplomatically isolated Kosovo.

See at: https://bit.ly/31wkNAG

French change of tone boosts Balkan states’ hopes of joining EU (Reuters)

France has welcomed the European Union’s proposed changes to the way it admits new countries, which could smooth the path towards membership for Balkan countries after President Emmanuel Macron blocked accession talks.

The EU’s enlargement commissioner Oliver Varhelyi unveiled a new methodology for admitting new member states on Wednesday. The reforms were forced by Macron blocking the start of negotiations with North Macedonia and Albania – a decision EU chiefs described as a historic error – and demanding changes to the bloc’s so-called enlargement process.

See at: https://reut.rs/31CAmqE

European Commission Unveils Revised Enlargement Strategy (Balkan Insight)

Would-be EU members in the Balkans have greeted the European Commission’s new enlargement methodology – presented in Brussels on Wednesday – which aims to streamline, clarify and incentivize the process.

Balkan EU hopefuls on Wednesday welcomed the unveiling of a new proposed methodology for European enlargement on Wednesday in Brussels by Olivér Várhelyi.

The Enlargement Commissioner said that the revised accession process needed to be more credible, with a stronger political steer, more dynamic and more predictable.

“While we are strengthening and improving the process, the goal remains accession and full EU membership of the Western Balkan countries,” Várhelyi said in Brussels.

One key novelty in the revised methodology is that the current negotiating chapters will in future be grouped into six thematic clusters: fundamentals; internal market; competitiveness and inclusive growth; green agenda and sustainable connectivity; resources, agriculture and cohesion; and external relations.

See at: https://bit.ly/374XcYO

Ankara Urges Brussels Not To Separate Turkey From Western Balkans In Accession Talks (RFE)

Turkey has urged the European Union to remove “the artificial division” between the Western Balkans and Turkey in the bloc’s enlargement policy and slammed Brussels’ treatment of Ankara in a letter seen by RFE/RL.

The letter, addressed by Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu to new EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, is dated 22 January and outlines the Turkish view of the bloc’s enlargement policy ahead of the publication by the European Commission on February 5 of a new methodology for EU accession negotiations.

The commission’s proposals concern EU hopefuls in the Western Balkans such as Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo, and North Macedonia.

Cavusoglu says in his letter said that the accession of the Western Balkan countries shouldn’t be treated differently from that of Turkey.

See at: https://bit.ly/2v90rkO

Humanitarian/Development 

Kosovo’s energy market: when will the monopoly end? (Prishtina Insight)

Holding onto its complete control over the distribution and supply of electricity to Kosovo’s homes and businesses, a single consortium dominates the Kosovo energy market, with smaller companies attempting to enter the market still frozen out.

On paper, Kosovo’s energy market has many registered companies able to provide electricity to consumers. However, in reality, there is one consortium that dominates.

Kosovo’s energy market was effectively monopolized following the privatization of the Kosovo Energy Distribution Company, KEDS, and the Kosovo Electricity Supply Company, KESCO, in 2013. The controversial deal saw the Kosovo Electricity Company, KEK, split into separate entities and privatized its distribution and supply branches, with the Limak & Calik consortium buying both KESCO and KEDS for 26.3 million euros.

See at: https://bit.ly/2uroSKa