Albanian Language Media:

• Kurti meets Turkish ambassador, discuss cooperation (RTK)
• Stano: We do not comment on everything someone in Kosovo says (Express)
• KFOR Commander: Attacks in Banjska and against KFOR, unacceptable (Dukagjini)
• Gervalla in Salzburg talks about Kosovo and security situation (media)
• CBK: Money withdrawal and deposit, according to new Regulation; no additional restriction for the dinar (Reporteri)
• Macron’s congratulations on independence “with Association inside”, and  “decisive” deadline (Nacionale)
• Osmani and Konjfuca, “reserved” on dinar issue, appear more worried after U.S. blow (Nacionale)
• Haradinaj: There should not be disagreements with partners on security matters (Koha)
• Osmani: Kosovo, center of innovative ideas (RTK)
• Sandulovic: Borrell and Lajcak should understand Vucic is working against EU and NATO (media)
• Kosovar NGOs pay homage to Russian opposition leader Navalny (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Vucic: Consultations on the new Government to start from Monday (RTS) 
• Stano dismisses the claims that Borrell postponed the trip to Belgrade and Pristina: Absolute nonsense (Tanjug, RTS, media)
• Telecommunication interference removed, normalized freight traffic on Jarinje (Kosovo Online)
• Vucic, Michel discuss Serbia-EU relations, situation in Kosovo (Tanjug, RTS, Danas)
• Botsan-Kharchenko: Russia supports the return of the Kosovo issue to the UN Security Council (N1, media)
• CBK says that there are no restrictions on the withdrawal of dinars, but not whether there are enough dinars for payments (Kosovo Online)
• Lawyer Arsic: A request submitted to the Constitutional Court for a review of the constitutionality of the CBK decision regarding the dinar (Kosovo Online)

International Media:

• ​Economist Democracy Index for 2023: Montenegro advances, Albania declines (EWB)
• Röpke: Inclusion of CSOs from candidate countries in the EESC an important step in gradual EU integration (EWB)
• Kosovo Press Council Updates Code of Ethics to Combat AI Risks (Prishtina Insight)

Albanian Language Media

Kurti meets Turkish ambassador, discuss cooperation (RTK)

Kosovo Prime Minister, Albin Kurti, received in a meeting the ambassador of Turkiye in Kosovo, Sabri Tunc Angılı. “The meeting discussed bilateral relations and cooperation in joint projects in the fields of economy, energy and culture, including the opportunities to increase commercial cooperation through the promotion of the businesses of both countries,” reads the Prime Minister’s announcement.

According to the press release, Ambassador Angili congratulated Prime Minister Kurti on the 16th anniversary of independence, emphasizing the good relations between Kosovo and Turkiye.

Stano: We do not comment on everything someone in Kosovo says (Express)

Kosovo’s Deputy Prime Minister Besnik Bislimi in an interview with KTV, said that the EU should not force Kosovo to escalate the situation again to show that the situation in the North has de-escalated. Gazeta Express contacted the spokesperson of the European Union, Peter Stano regarding this statement.

“We do not feel the need to comment on everything that someone says in Kosovo. The EU’s expectations from the Kosovo authorities were very clearly formulated in a number of European Council conclusions and GAC conclusions. We expect partners who aspire to join the EU one day to behave and act in a European manner in accordance with these expectations. Otherwise, they will only isolate themselves even more and risk a derailment from the road to the EU,” Stano said.

KFOR Commander: Attacks in Banjska and against KFOR, unacceptable (Dukagjini)

The commander of KFOR in Kosovo, Ozkan Ulutas, has described the attack on KFOR in the north on May 29 and the attack on September 24 against the Kosovo Police, in Banjska of Zvecan, as unacceptable.

“First of all, the May 29 attack on KFOR troops and the September 24 violent attack in the north of Kosovo were unacceptable and should not be repeated. The perpetrators of this violence must be held accountable. We have called on the relevant authorities in Pristina and Belgrade to carry out the necessary legal investigations to establish the facts and bring the responsible persons to justice. All these points were also made very clear by the Secretary General of NATO, Jens Stoltenberg, during his visit to the region last November. In the wake of the violence, NATO landed around 1,000 additional peacekeepers and heavier armor in Kosovo. This was the biggest reinforcement of our contingent in Kosovo during a decade. This shows that NATO is ready to maintain peace”, he said on RTV Dukagjini.

Asked if the Banjska case could be discussed with the Serbian military command, which was accused of releasing military assets for the training of the terrorist group, Ulutas said that “KFOR communicates regularly and transparently with all international and local actors. We are discussing all relevant security developments in the region”.

Ulutas said that the KFOR peacekeeping forces in Kosovo are ready to face any situation. “KFOR has a fast, flexible and visible presence throughout Kosovo. We remain vigilant and focused on the day-to-day and impartial implementation of our UN-mandated mission. We are well equipped and ready to face any situation that may affect the security environment and we continue to operate in close cooperation and coordination with the Kosovo Police and EULEX,” he said.

Among other things, the KFOR commander also spoke about cooperation with the Ministry of Defense of Kosovo and the Security Force (FSK). “The NATO Liaison and Advisory Team, which is separate from KFOR, has a mandate to work side-by-side with the Kosovo Security Force, in accordance with the original mandate of the KSF, as a civil defense”, he said.

Ulutas quoted the Secretary General of NATO, who had said that the deployment of the KSF in the north requires the consent of KFOR. “Regarding the deployment of the KSF in the north of Kosovo, the Secretary General of NATO, Jens Stoltenberg, was very clear on this point during his visit to Pristina, in November. He emphasized that: ‘any deployment of the Kosovo Security Force in the north of Kosovo requires the consent of KFOR’. We welcome the continued respect of this commitment by the Institutions in Kosovo. The Secretary General of NATO also emphasized that ‘We expect timely consultations for any actions of the Kosovo Security Force or the Kosovo Police that may have an impact on regional security,’ he said.

He emphasized that he is in regular contact with “representatives of Kosovo’s security organizations and with the Chief of Staff of the Serbian Armed Forces”.

Gervalla in Salzburg talks about Kosovo and security situation (media)

At the invitation of the students of the University of Salzburg, Kosovo’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, Donika Gervalla, as part of her official visit to Austria, held an open discussion with students and professors, moderated by the IRE Advisor -Policy, Stefan Habock and Arber Thaci from the University of Salzburg.

According to the announcement, Gervalla presented “the successes achieved in the Republic of Kosovo in good governance, development of democracy, rule of law and economic growth and answered the questions of the participants who were interested in learning more about Kosovo, beyond what they have heard or read from the media”.

Next, Minister Gervalla spoke about the aspect of security in Kosovo, informing the attendees in detail about the attack in Banjska, attacks on KFOR, threats and blackmail against Serb citizens in the north by certain illegal groups, as well as the efficient and professional management of the situation in the north by the Kosovo Police.

CBK: Money withdrawal and deposit, according to new Regulation; no additional restriction for the dinar (Reporteri)

The Central Bank of Kosovo (CBK) has denied the claims of “Kosovo Online” which reported that the “authorities of Pristina” have made a decision to limit the withdrawal in the amount of 10 thousand dinars. According to CBK, such a thing is not true.

“We inform you that the withdrawal and deposit of funds is done according to the Regulation in force, the same for everyone, and CBK has not imposed any additional restrictions for this purpose. Therefore, the CBK informes you that such an announcement is incorrect and untrue”, clarified the CBK in a response to the online news website.

“Therefore, as far as the CBK part is concerned, we have already provided clarifications of the Regulation on Cash Operations in the material Frequently Asked Questions and Answers,” reads CBK response, which carries details on the access to their publication.

Macron’s congratulations on independence “with Association inside”, and  “decisive” deadline (Nacionale)

The news website reports that the President of France, Emmanuel Macron in the congratulatory letter for the Independence of Kosovo on February 17 sent to the President of Kosovo, Vjosa Osmani wrote that “the coming weeks will be decisive for the implementation of all the provisions of the agreement reached in Ohrid-Brussels, including the establishment of the Association of Municipalities inhabited by a Serbian majority, which includes in particular the organization of new local elections with the participation of Serbs “.

He reportedly added that he hopes “Kosovo will take the bold decisions that are necessary and that will enable it to advance in the European trajectory”.

The news website argues that this letter was passed in silence, stressing only President Macron’s congratulations and adds that this was also the pledge of the High Representative for Foreign Policy and Security, Josep Borrell, that “both parties will be bound by the agreement on their way to the EU” and that “their non-fulfillment will come with consequences”.

On the other hand, the Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, has hinted that he will not implement the agreement without signing it bilaterally with Serbia; as he also stated that he will go to Brussels “if they invite me to sign”.

Chief negotiator Besnik Bislimi on the other hand, told Radio Gorazdevac that “the moment when we are ready for the establishment of the Association, or whatever name we will give it, Serbia must have completed the de-facto recognition of Kosovo. This is the position of everyone, including Serbia. What they say publicly is only for internal consumption; but what they say in Brussels, they say we will de facto recognize Kosovo “.

“…In their perspective, the first decision they have to make is the recognition of all documents, passports, everything that the Kosovar institutions produce at the moment when we accept the draft Statute”, he said, among other things.

“There are four stages until the Association – the first is the acceptance of the draft Statute, the second is the decision of the Constitutional Court, then the decision of the government, the fourth is the establishment process – in all these four stages, Serbia must provide the elements of de-facto recognition”, he added.

Bislimi, announced that the draft Statute of the Association/Community of Municipalities inhabited by Serb majority will be subject to constitutional revision in the Constitutional Court.

Osmani and Konjfuca, “reserved” on dinar issue, appear more worried after U.S. blow (Nacionale)

The news website reports that the recent statements of the Speaker of the Parliament, Glauk Konjufca, and the President of Kosovo, Vjosa Osmani, gave indications of their distancing themselves from the uncoordinated actions of the head of the government of Kosovo.

During an interview with the “Demos” newspaper, Speaker Konjufca was clear about the statement of the U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Jim O’Brien: ‘It was disturbing. There is nothing to interpret there’. Konjufca said, among other things, that in this case the question is “Why is this happening? Why did it break the relationship between Kosovo and the USA”.

On the other hand, President Osmani called for dialogue and cooperation in the light of growing tensions between the government of Kosovo and international allies. In an interview for Arab television on February 8, President Osmani stated that the recent tensions have come about because of the way of communication regarding the decision to ban the dinar, stressing that it is important to coordinate better with international allies.

Osmani also stated that Kosovo’s successes so far are the result of joint cooperation and commitment with international partners, and for this reason, she emphasized the need to sit down and discuss more to find a solution.

“The challenge was communication, the way it was communicated. Everything we have achieved in this country is the result of cooperation with our international partners” – Osmani said among other things.

“There is room to sit down and discuss between the government and our international allies, to work around this issue.” she said.

Haradinaj: There should not be disagreements with partners on security matters (Koha)

The leader of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK), Ramush Haradinaj, has said that there should be no disagreements  with partners, especially with the United States of America, when security issues are concerned. 

“First, Kosovo is an ally in global security issues and this can never change, regardless of who is at the head of the government. That is, not only determination but also our unchanging orientation. The Prime Minister’s statements that we do not agree with the United States on everything are his desperate attempts to hide his disagreements, exactly where they should not, in the security sphere. For safety, there can be neither differences nor disagreements with partners! The security of Kosovo and the Region is guaranteed only by being united with the allies, especially with the USA and by becoming part of NATO!”, Haradinaj wrote on Facebook.

Osmani: Kosovo, center of innovative ideas (RTK)

Kosovo President, Vjosa Osmani, took part on Tuesday in the certification ceremony of 200 trainees, within the “ICT for Kosovo’s Growth” project. She said that Kosovo is and will continue to remain the center of innovative ideas.

“Innovation is part of the entrepreneurial spirit of Kosovar youth. Kosovo has already become a center of innovation development through business incubators and through other initiatives that are following modern forms of doing business,” Osmani said.

Sandulovic: Borrell and Lajcak should understand Vucic is working against EU and NATO (media)

The opposition leader in Serbia, Nikola Sandulovic, has said that the head of diplomacy of the European Union, Josep Borrell, and the EU’s special representative for the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue, Miroslav Lajcak, must understand that the Serbian president, Aleksandar Vucic, is working against the EU- and NATO.

“Miroslav Lajcak and Josep Borell, you really don’t see and understand that Aleksandar Vucic is working against the EU and NATO, or are you also part of that Serbian-Russian conspiracy in the disintegration of the EU and the end of NATO? How should we interpret this? You have been silent enough, you owe us an answer”, he wrote on the X platform.

In and extensive interview with RTK on Tuesday evening, Sandulovic has accused the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, of being behind his assassination attempt. Last month he was beaten almost to death by agents of the secret service for paying tribute and placing flowers near the grave of a seven-year-old Albanian girl, killed by Serbian forces in the Kosovo war.

Kosovar NGOs pay homage to Russian opposition leader Navalny (media)

Several non-governmental organizations in Pristina have paid tribute to the leader of the Russian opposition, Alexei Navalny, who died recently in prison in Russia. The lighting of the candles took place in front of the Liaison Office of the Russian Federation in the Pristina, where a photo of Navalny was placed. These tributes were organized by The Geopost in Kosovo, and civil society.

Calling Navalny a beacon of hope for millions of people, Kaltrina Kamberi, from the civil society, said that the cruelty towards him was not only an attack on Navalny but on the essence of freedom and democracy.

Serbian Language Media 

Vucic: Consultations on the new Government to start from Monday (RTS) 

The President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, said in the RTS TV Show “Takovska 10” last night, that from Monday he will start consultations with everyone who wants to talk, and after that he will be ready, as he said, to appoint the new Prime Minister of Serbia. We will know whether there will be elections in Belgrade on March 1, he noted.

He said the EXPO is an energy capsule and listed all the infrastructure projects that are part of the EXPO. 

”We have state unity, but unity among the people is not easy to achieve”, said Vucic and noted that he was looking for support for things that were crucial for the future of Serbia.

“I’m not asking for political support so that we could have single-mindedness, I’m asking for support for Serbia. So, do not tell us that everything we want to build is bad,” Vucic said. 

Asked if it is possible to soften the rhetoric when talking about political opponents, Vucic said that he expressed respect for everyone, but that ”he sometimes expressed contempt” for those who put themselves above the rest of the citizens, but pointed out that he was ”trying to change that too”.

Vucic said that he was the creator of the Movement for the State and the People. He pointed out that in four years there will be a big shortage of gas, and there will also be problems with oil. The movement must be something that must understand that ”the protection of state and national interests is vital to our country”. It is a movement that everyone who wants, should join it, said Vucic. 

He underlined that he was only interested in Serbia. “Let’s save the country, let’s not give in on the issue of Kosovo and Metohija, above all on the issue of joining the UN,” said Vucic. 

Vucic commented on the criticism of the EP and said that he “doesn’t think anything of it, the first thing you can read in the report is that I abused the elections”. He noted that the elections were called at the request of the opposition and added that they had asked for Belgrade and republican elections, and that they had also got provincial elections. He pointed out that this is a notorious lie of the European Parliament.

“It says there that the Serbian police brutally overstepped their authority on the street against Serbian students,” says Vucic and explained that ”the police suffered terror for two and a half hours because they were protecting institutions from illegal entry”, adding that it was “important to spill the bag of lies because of geopolitical interests. Those are independent Kosovo, for Serbia to agree to that. Under two – sanctions against the Russian Federation, and under three, even easier realization of other political, economic, and corrupt interests,” reported RTS among other things.

Stano dismisses the claims that Borrell postponed the trip to Belgrade and Pristina: Absolute nonsense (Tanjug, RTS, media)

European Commission spokesperson Peter Stano dismissed as “absolute nonsense” the claims that EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Josep Borrell planned to visit Belgrade and Pristina at the end of February, but postponed the visits after talks with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti in Munich, reported RTS last night. 

“These claims are absolute nonsense. The EU High Representative for Foreign Policy and Security planned completely different visits/activities for these dates long before any meeting in Munich,” Stano told Tanjug agency, when asked to comment on media reports that Borrell postponed visits, reported RTS. The media previously reported that Borrel planned to visit Pristina on February 26, but that the trip was postponed after talks with Kurti and Vucic, and that he planned to visit Belgrade on February 28.

When asked two days ago when the dialogue can be expected to continue after Borrell’s meeting with Vucic and Kurti in Munich and Vucic’s statement that he expects an invitation to Brussels in the next few days, Stano said that the EU has nothing to announce at this stage regarding any upcoming dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina at a high level.

He added that the dialogue continues with the daily work of the EU’s special envoy for dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, Miroslav Lajcak, reported RTS.

Telecommunication interference removed, normalized freight traffic on Jarinje (Kosovo Online)

At the Jarinje ABL, traffic for freight vehicles was stopped yesterday due to telecommunication interference, while passenger traffic proceeded without problems, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Serbia told Kosovo Online last night. 

An hour later, the portal reported that telecommunications interference was removed and that traffic was normalized.  After the “Telekom of Serbia” crews removed the malfunction, the police and customs terminal became functional again.

Vucic, Michel discuss Serbia-EU relations, situation in Kosovo (Tanjug, RTS, Danas)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic spoke by phone with European Council President Charles Michel on Tuesday.

In a post on his buducnostsrbijeav Instagram account, Vucic wrote that he had had a good and important conversation with Michel “about Serbia-EU relations, the situation in Kosovo-Metohija, perspectives for accelerating on our European path, as well as implementation of the EU Growth Plan for the Western Balkans.”

“I reiterated Serbia’s commitment to continue the reform and European integration process and expressed the expectation we will in the coming months be able to take new steps on the path to full-fledged EU membership.” He added that the discussion had also addressed the EU Growth Plan for the Western Balkans as well as continued work on important joint infrastructure projects improving the quality of life of all citizens.

Botsan-Kharchenko: Russia supports the return of the Kosovo issue to the UN Security Council (N1, media)

Russia supports the return of the Kosovo issue to the UN Security Council, Russian Ambassador to Serbia Aleksandr Botsan-Kharchenko said yesterday at the Russian Embassy reception on Russia’s national holiday – Defender of the Fatherland Day, reported N1.

He added that support for Serbia regarding territorial integrity is “one of the most important political positions of Russia” as a permanent member of the UN Security Council.

“Of course, we respect, and it is a great honor that Serbia has not accepted and will not accept sanctions against Russia, despite the attacks, pressures and threats, which gives us the opportunity to move forward and develop relations without any stoppage in all spheres,” said Botsan-Kharchenko and thanked Serbia again for its understanding, reported N1, citing Sputnik Serbia. 

CBK says that there are no restrictions on the withdrawal of dinars, but not whether there are enough dinars for payments (Kosovo Online)

According to portal Kosovo Online,  the Central Bank of Kosovo denied, as it said, – the claims of this portal, with the remark that it is a media that is “controlled and financed by the Government of Serbia and the Russian intelligence agencies”, that “the authorities of Pristina made a decision to limit the withdrawal of money to the amount of 10,000 dinars”. Kosovo Online wrote that ”the text of our portal did not state that it was a decision of the authorities in Pristina”, but the statements of citizens because of the ban on dinars and two failed attempts of delivery of dinars to Kosovo in the last few weeks, that is, due to the limited amount of money – the amount that can be withdrawn by social assistance beneficiaries is also limited.

Portal Kosovo Online reported that CBK stated in its reply to Reporteri that no restrictions have been introduced when it comes to withdrawing money.

“We inform you that the withdrawal and deposit of funds is carried out according to the valid Regulation, the same for everyone, and the CBK has not introduced any additional restrictions for this purpose. Therefore, we inform you that this kind of announcement is incorrect and untrue,” stated the CBK, reported the portal.

Yesterday Serbia paid financial means to the accounts of beneficiaries of social assistance and child allowance, citizens in Serbian areas in the north reported that they could not withdraw more than 10,000 dinars, while those in central Kosovo were unable to withdraw even a limited amount due to non-delivery of dinars to Gracanica for several days, reported Kosovo Online.

Lawyer Arsic: A request submitted to the Constitutional Court for a review of the constitutionality of the CBK decision regarding the dinar (Kosovo Online)

Lawyer Vasilije Arsic told Kosovo Online that yesterday, along with his colleagues, had submitted a request to the Constitutional Court for a review of the constitutionality and legality of Article 35 of the Central Bank of Kosovo Regulation on the prohibition of the use of the dinar in Kosovo’s payment system.

“I believe that this Regulation is illegal and unconstitutional because the Central Bank does not have the authority to make such decisions since the currency in Kosovo is regulated by law in accordance with the Constitution. Kosovo has not yet enacted a law regulating the currency to be used, and there is still a UNMIK regulation in force since 1999 which regulates that the dinar is an acceptable currency functioning in the payment system with certain fees,” Arsic said.

Read more at: http://tinyurl.com/yyp3nu7p

International Media

Economist Democracy Index for 2023: Montenegro advances, Albania declines (EWB)

LONDON – Montenegro improved its democracy in 2023, Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina saw no changes, while Albania and North Macedonia declined, according to Democracy Index 2023 released last week by the Economist Intelligence Unit.

On a scale from 0 to 10, Montenegro scored 6.67, the best score in the Western Balkans. It is followed by Serbia which is at 6.33, Albania at 6.28, North Macedonia at 6.03, and Bosnia and Herzegovina at 5.0. Kosovo is not included in the Index.

Read more at:http://tinyurl.com/2mrkyv3b

Röpke: Inclusion of CSOs from candidate countries in the EESC an important step in gradual EU integration (EWB)

Last week, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) launched the initiative to welcome civil society representatives from EU candidate countries. A total of 131 “Enlargement Candidate Members (ECM)” were selected to constitute the pool of civil society experts participating in the Committee’s work. The ECM initiative is a pilot project enabling representatives from EU candidate countries to engage in the advisory activities of the EESC. As EESC stated, this entails the participation of these representatives in the drafting process of selected EESC opinions, as well as involvement in relevant study groups, section meetings, and selected EESC Plenary Sessions.

Read more at:http://tinyurl.com/5fhvm46d

Kosovo Press Council Updates Code of Ethics to Combat AI Risks (Prishtina Insight)

Kosovo’s Press Council has added new rules to its code of ethics for journalists that aim to promote the responsible use of artificial intelligence by the media, while also warning of the risks of AI-driven disinformation.

The Press Council of Kosovo, PCK said on Tuesday that the new amendments to its code of ethics are intended to foster “responsible use of AI in the media”, which includes “respecting individual liberties, transparency and the fight against discrimination”.

The PCK warned that the increasing use and further development of AI increases the risks posed by fake news, privacy violations, misinformation and discrimination caused by algorithmic favouritism.

Read more at: http://tinyurl.com/3xdj3bn7