• Religious leaders in Kosovo sign declaration against gender-based violence (Koha)

• “The youth have key role in fight against gender-based violence” (EO)

• Hamza: Move toward final agreement and mutual recognition (Gazeta Blic/Nacionale)

• German Embassy on campaigns by foreign officials in Germany (Indeksonline)

• Kurti: Fight against corruption is a daily task (Dukagjini)

• Initial hearing in “state reserves” case fails, caretaker minister absent (RFE/EO)

• KLI: Government is not showing accountability on government scandals (Koha)

• State Department senior official visits Constitutional Court of Kosovo (Reporteri)

• Hoxhaj says some member states vetoed lifting of measures against Kosovo (Klan)

• 22 NGOs condemn VV’s verbal attacks against judges (AP)

• Osmani: Kosovo and Albania will always be shoulder to shoulder (EO)

• Kallxo journalist wins first place for best economic reporting in 2025 (PI)

• Indicted suspect: Radoicic planned another attack in Kosovo in October (Paparaci)

• Will KFOR defend Kosovo? (Koha)

• Vucic, Romanian president discuss bilateral affairs (Tanjug)

• Djuric and OSCE High Commissioner on national minorities Kamp discuss the rights of Serbs in Kosovo (Kosovo Online)

Religious leaders in Kosovo sign declaration against gender-based violence (Koha)

At the closing of the “16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence”, the British Embassy in Kosovo brought together the main religious leaders in Kosovo to sign a Joint Declaration on Gender-Based Violence and Human Dignity, a historic act.

A press release issued by the British Embassy said that under the leadership of Ambassador Jonathan Hargreaves, representatives of the Islamic Community of Kosovo, the Serbian Orthodox Church, the Catholic Church, the Jewish Community and the Protestant Church came together at the same table to signal a clear and unified stance: violence has no room in religion, family or society.

The United Kingdom, which is positioned as a global champion in the fight against gender-based violence, said that promoting equality and human dignity is the pillar of peace and prosperity. Ambassador Hargreaves said that in Kosovo these values play a key role in strengthening social cohesion and stability.

The statement also notes that during the 16 Days of Activism, the embassy worked closely with the religious leaders, highlighting their direct impact on shaping norms and values in the communities. “The signed declaration represents a written commitment and a public promise to protect the most vulnerable and to challenge harmful practices. It sends a message of hope that religious communities in Kosovo are united in saying 'enough' to gender-based violence,” the statement notes.

“The youth have key role in fight against gender-based violence” (EO)

As part of the global campaign “16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence”, Deputy Speaker of the Kosovo Assembly, Albulena Haxhiu, and caretaker Minister of Education, Arberie Nagavci, hosted several students in the assembly plenary room and discussed the important role of youths in the fight against gender-based violence. 

Haxhiu said that “the campaign is not simply a calendar date but an international call for awareness-raising, reflection and action. Violence against girls and women is one of the most spread violations of human rights in the world. It touches many families and communities. Someone can rightfully ask why I am speaking only about the violence against girls and women, and certainly violence against men and boys is also sanctioned and condemnable. But in Kosovo and other countries, around 90 percent of reported cases are against girls and women and this is why we need to fight and engage against this phenomenon”.

Haxhiu told the students about their role in making changes and that it is very important to engage together in this respect. “You have the power to shape the culture of your generation, shape a culture where violence is not accepted, where respect is worth more than force, where girls and women are treated equally as partners, as people with dignity and with equal rights,” she said.

Hamza: Move toward final agreement with mutual recognition (Gazeta Blic/Nacionale)

Leader of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) and candidate for Prime Minister of Kosovo, Bedri Hamza, said in an interview with ATV on Wednesday that the dialogue with Serbia remains one of the most difficult and pressing political issues, but that Kosovo needs to move toward a final agreement with mutual recognition, Gazeta Blic reports. He argued that no government willingly wants to include the topic on their agendas but added that the dialogue is “an irreversible reality and part of Kosovo’s state-forming processes”. “I insist that we should move toward a final agreement, with mutual recognition, and close this topic, which means: not making a step and then leaving space for other steps,” he said.

In its coverage of the interview, Nacionale highlights Hamza’s remarks that the current format of the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia should change and calls for a more active role of the United States in the process. “It is not an easy topic. But this format needs to change. I believe that through intensive and correct work and partnership and trust, the United States should play an active role in the process, but always with respect for the role of the European Union. In my opinion, it is not enough for the United States of America to have a peripheric role. They should be directly involved in the process of dialogue,” he said.

Hamza also said that the draft of the Association of Serb-majority municipalities has several elements that need to be addressed such as the issue of the UNSC Resolution 1244 and the Arbitration. “With regards to the current draft, because we were late and we did not present our own draft, and it was done by others, it is now very difficult to make interventions in the draft, and get to a format which would include a specific measure if Kosovo’s door to integration in the EU and NATO is opened. There are several issues [in the draft] that need to be addressed. Resolution 1244 does not have room in the internal documents of the Republic of Kosovo. And neither does the Arbitration because it de-evaluates the role of the Constitutional Court,” he argued.

German Embassy on campaigns by foreign officials in Germany (Indeksonline)

The German Embassy in Kosovo said in a Facebook post today that “as we have a large Kosovo diaspora in Germany, we would like to remind all candidates, as a rule, election campaign events by foreign officials in Germany are not allowed in the period less than 3 months before elections. Thank you for your understanding”.

Kurti: Fight against corruption is a daily task (Dukagjini)

Kosovo caretaker Prime Minister Albin Kurti said in a Facebook video on Tuesday that the fight against corruption is a daily task and an oath to society and the younger generations. “On Anti-Corruption Week, we reaffirm our engagement for a fair, transparent and accountable state – a state where the law is stronger than the interest, and the truth is more important than the privilege. Let us go on together, with determination and integrity, the path of reforms that will make Kosovo fairer, cleaner and more trustworthy,” he said.

Initial hearing in “state reserves” case fails, caretaker minister absent (RFE)

The initial hearing in the so-called state reserves case at the Basic Court in Pristina today has failed, as caretaker Minister of Industry and Trade, Rozeta Hajdari, who is a defendant in the case, was not present in court. The initial hearing has been scheduled for January 13. The presiding judge said that the court had sent an invitation to Hajdari by mail but that the court did not receive any response if Hajdari got the invitation.

Ekonomia Online reports that Hajdari took to Facebook to say that she received no invitation from the court for today’s session. “The moment I receive the invitation from the court, for the next session, I will be present there,” she said.

Radio Free Europe notes that the Special Prosecution of Kosovo filed an indictment against Hajdari on November 11, charging her with misuse of state reserves. The prosecution noted that Hajdari and two officials Irfan Lipovica and Hafiz Gara are suspected of misusing their official positions with the aim of benefiting wealth for other people and damaged the budget of Kosovo in February and March 2022 by around €3 million. They are suspected of buying an amount of oil and wheat which had never arrived in Kosovo. The fourth defendant – Ridvan Muharremi – is suspected of abetting the commission of the criminal offence of abuse of official position or authority.

KLI: Government is not showing accountability on government scandals (Koha)

The Kosovo Law Institute (KLI) published today a report titled “Accountability in the face of Government Scandals” which looks into how the government of Kosovo has managed cases of suspected corruption and abuse by public officials. The report outlines that a good anti-corruption governance requires proactive action to prevent corruption, report cases, cooperation with judicial institutions and public accountability by respecting the process of investigations. According to the KLA, the current government has demonstrated an opposite approach. “Instead of promoting transparency and cooperation with the judiciary, it often protected the suspected persons and questioned the work of investigative bodies. This then led to lack of public accountability and the threat against principles of good governance,” the report notes.

The report summarizes a series of cases reported in the media that have received major public attention, including the sectors of energy, public procurement, state reserves, diplomacy, public administration, culture, agriculture and infrastructure. Some of the main cases treated are suspicions of abuse in the energy market and political interferences in the Kosovo Power Corporation, abuse with one-source contracts, abuse of illegitimate use of state reserves, political employment in public enterprises, disputed allocation of subsidies and funds and suspected conflicts of interest in major infrastructure projects.

The KLI said that the report was prepared based on information published in the media, and always respecting the principle of presumption of innocence.

State Department senior official visits Constitutional Court of Kosovo (Reporteri)

President of the Constitutional Court of Kosovo, Nexhmi Rexhepi, hosted on Tuesday the US State Department Deputy Director for Western Central Europe, Lyn Debevoise, and discussed the role and the functioning of the Court, its current composition, important decisions, and challenges in the work so far. Rexhepi thanked Debevoise for the continuous US support for the Court in building its professional and infrastructure projects.

Hoxhaj says some member states vetoed lifting of measures against Kosovo (Klan)

Candidate from the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) for MP, Enver Hoxhaj, said on Wednesday that last week an initiative by Germany, Austria, and another two EU member states, to lift the EU measures against Kosovo was vetoed by seven other member states. “Last week, Germany, Austria, and two countries took the initiative to lift the measures against Kosovo. Seven member states vetoed this, and it was not included on the voting agenda. This situation shows how dramatic Kosovo’s international standing is, and President Osmani should speak about what happened,” Hoxhaj said.

22 NGOs condemn VV’s verbal attacks against judges (AP)

22 non-governmental organizations in Kosovo issued a statement on Tuesday condemning what they called continuous denigrating of judges by the Vetevendosje Movement through their representative at the Central Election Commission, Alban Krasniqi.

“On November 9, Krasniqi in a Facebook post insulted and denigrated judges and courts and the Elections Complaints and Appeals Panel (ECAP) with humiliating words. This conduct is aimed at damaging the credibility of the judiciary, incite the public to use a negative discourse against judges and to create a hostile environment towards them,” the statement notes.

The NGOs called on Vetevendosje leader Albin Kurti to immediately stop the attacks against the judiciary, media and civil society organizations. “We remind members of the Vetevendosje Movement, especially those in public functions, that the only way to oppose judicial decisions is through appeals,” it notes.

Osmani: Kosovo and Albania will always be shoulder to shoulder (EO)

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani hosted today Albanian President Bajram Begaj and said they discussed “the unstoppable cooperation and the need for Kosovo and Albania to always be shoulder to shoulder”.

Kallxo journalist wins first place for best economic reporting in 2025 (PI)

KALLXO.com journalist Egzon Dahsyla has been awarded First Place for Best Economic Reporting in 2025 by the Association of Journalists of Kosovo, AJK, for his investigation exposing procurement manipulation within the Gjakova water utility company.

In a ceremony on Thursday, KALLXO.com’s Egzon Dahsyla was awarded AJK’s 2025 economic reporting award after publishing audio recordings that revealed the CEO of the Gjakova Water Utility Company, KRU Gjakova, discussing tender manipulation—evidence that has resulted in Special Prosecution investigations and raids.

The story was broadcast on “Kallxo Përnime” on March 9, 2025.

“Special thanks to the whistleblowers who reported this case and made it possible to bring a clear example of corruption into the public eye. Thanks to them, the Special Prosecution is now investigating three suspected corruption cases within KRU Gjakova,” Dahsyla stated upon receiving the award.

The investigation revealed audio recordings in which Hasan Krasniqi, CEO of KRU Gjakova, discussed contract negotiations for vehicle servicing and stated that he would personally select the company to receive the contract.

Read more at: https://shorturl.at/8GwRm

Indicted suspect: Radoicic planned another attack in Kosovo in October (Paparaci)

Jovan Vicentijevic, indicted by the Special Prosecution of Kosovo for the attack on the Iber Lepenci water canal, said that Milan Radoicic was planning another terrorist attack in Kosovo in October 2024, after the one in Banjska in September 2023. According to Vicentijevic, Radoicic then ordered the attack in October 2024 to be halted saying that the elections in the United States of America should first be concluded. “The defendant, Jovan Vicentijevic, said that in October 2024, there were plans for attack in the Republic of Kosovo (did not specify anything more) but that it was stopped by Milan Radoicic, for whom there is an international arrest warrant, who said that they needed to wait until the elections in the US were over and presidential candidate Donald Trump would win. According to Vicentijevic’s information, Milan Radoicic had financed Trump’s campaign through the Serbian lobby with US$ 30 million,” the prosecution’s file obtained by the news website notes.

Will KFOR defend Kosovo? (Koha)

Opinion by Ade Clewlow and Aidan Hehir

Despite Kosovo’s importance to European peace and security, KFOR has failed to respond effectively to Serbia’s increasingly aggressive actions. KFOR must change strategy before it is too late

Serbia’s aggressive rhetoric and military-related activity – both kinetic and hybrid – have escalated sharply in recent years; as a result, Kosovo’s security is today imperiled to an extent not seen since 1999. KFOR is key to deterring Serbian aggression, but significant doubts now exist about its capacity and willingness to do so.

Serbia’s Increased Aggression

The timeline of incidents over recent years illustrates the severity of Serbia’s actions. In May 2023 KFOR troops were attacked by Kosovo Serbs protesting at the election of Albanian mayors in Kosovo’s four northern municipalities. A month later three Kosovo police officers were kidnapped by Serbian police inside Kosovo and taken to Serbia. In July that year Alicia Kearns MP – the Chair of the UK Foreign Affairs Select Committee – warned that British troops had observed weapons being smuggled into Orthodox monasteries in the north of Kosovo from Serbia; though this was denied by KFOR, two months later a heavily armed Serbian militia attacked the Kosovo police in Banjska, killing one officer, before taking refuge in an Orthodox monastery. The government of Serbia declared a day of mourning for the three militia killed and the leader of the group – Milan Radoicic, a close associate of President Vučić – remains at large despite admitting to having been directly involved. The weapons used by the attackers were supplied from Serbia and the government of Kosovo has uncovered many caches of arms since the attack.

In November 2024 Serbian militia launched what the EU described as a “terrorist attack” against a water canal in Zubin Potok in northern Kosovo. Kosovo’s Police Director and Interior Minister revealed in September this year that Kosovo’s airspace has been violated by drones suspected of entering from Serbia, and last month, Serbian gendarme shot a Kosovo Serb known to be opposed to the Belgrade-controlled Serbian List party and abducted him to Serbia.

Read more at: https://shorturl.at/Uh1ci

Vucic, Romanian president discuss bilateral affairs (Tanjug)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic spoke by phone with Romanian President Nicusor Dan about all bilateral affairs of importance to the two countries. In an Instagram post, Vucic wrote that the two countries were connected by a centuries-long friendship, closeness and cooperation in all areas, and expressed the belief there was still much more space to strengthen political dialogue further and achieve visible progress in dynamically advancing economic relations.

"We are devoting special attention to major energy projects contributing to the security and stability of both states. One of the projects of the greatest significance is the Belgrade-Timisoara motorway, whereby we would connect our two cities with trips taking just an hour, and the route would strengthen our ties further and make life easier for citizens on both sides of the border," Vucic wrote.

He added that EU membership remained Serbia's strategic goal.

"That is why we have set end-2026 as the deadline for carrying out all the necessary reforms, and we are grateful to Romania for supporting this process and for its readiness to share its expertise," the president noted.

Vucic thanked Romania for its consistent and principled support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Serbia, as well as for its position of non-recognition of Kosovo.

"That support is not only respect for international law, but also proof of the sincere friendship between our peoples," Vucic noted.

Djuric and OSCE High Commissioner on national minorities Kamp discuss the rights of Serbs in Kosovo (Kosovo Online)

Serbian Minister of Foreign Affairs Marko Djuric met yesterday with the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities, Christophe Kamp, and expressed particular concern over the situation in Kosovo, where Serbs are facing the systematic violation of fundamental human rights as a result of unilateral actions by the authorities in Pristina, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Serbia announced.

According to the MFA, Minister Djuric provided a detailed overview of recent developments in Kosovo and their consequences, which the Serbian population experiences daily.

He further emphasized that improving the position of Serbs requires a collective effort by all stakeholders, noting that this is the only way to achieve tangible results that will help prevent their departure from their centuries-old homes.

Djuric also underscored the importance of creating a positive environment that would enable Serbian representatives to be adequately and proportionately included in all institutions and at all levels of government.

He highlighted that Serbia attaches special importance to the work of OSCE missions on its territory and considers it essential that they report and react promptly to unilateral moves by Pristina, the statement read among other things.