UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, June 9, 2025

Albanian Language Media:

Assembly constitution fails again (media)
Haxhiu: Opposition cannot interfere with VV’s right to propose candidate (media)
Krasniqi: It is no longer politics, it is a tendency to blockade (Klan)
LDK’s Haziri calls for a unity government, “best provisional solution” (media)
Mustafa: LDK will publish 15 points of unity government (Telegrafi)
Gervalla: We need unity for state, not unity for power (media)
These are the first penalty measures the EU will lift on Kosovo (Kosovapress)
Gervalla: We are engaged for release of former special police unit member (Koha)
Koci: Former special police member must be immediately released (Telegrafi)
President’s Office reacts to Behrami about extension of EULEX mandate (media)
Serbia violates pledge to cooperate in resolving Iber Lepenci canal attack (Koha)

Serbian Language Media:

26 years since Kumanovo agreement: Between peace, withdrawal and new security challenges (KoSSev)
Serbian National Forum sends letter to international community over treatment of Serbs in Kosovo (N1, BETA)
Residents of Braca Matovic Street in Lesak seek help, following notices from Leposavic municipality to demolish their houses (GracanicaOnline, media)
Veljkovic urges political parties to join Serbian Democracy in opposing Leposavic municipality decision to demolish houses in Lesak (social media)
One more case of sexual harassment reported in Mitrovica North (KoSSev, media)
Two men detained in Gazivode yesterday, then released with a fine; different accounts of police behavior (KiM radio, KoSSev, Alternativna)
Residents of Mitrovica North, critical of municipal authorities' work, claim they have discriminatory attitude towards Serbs (KoSSev. media)
Radakovic: Young people without documents are invisible in system (Radio Gorazdevac, KiM radio)
Lawyers of defendants in Banjska case: First witness did not specifically accuse defendants (KiM radio)
Kosovo trade deficit reaches six billion euros, exports to U.S. drop from 200 to 20 million (Kosovo Online)

International:

Ignoring warnings, Kosovo President plans transitional justice commission (Balkan Insight)

Albanian Language Media

Assembly constitution fails again (media)

The constitutive session that began on April 15 failed to conclude on Monday. In the 29th continuation of the session, it was the 21st time in a row that the MPs did not have a quorum to form the Committee for secret balloting to elect the Speaker of the Assembly. There were 102 MPs in the hall, of whom 53 voted for, no votes were against and no one abstained. The next session is scheduled for Wednesday at 11:00.

Haxhiu: Opposition cannot interfere with VV’s right to propose a candidate (media)

Vetevendosje's candidate for parliamentary speaker, Albulena Haxhiu, spoke after the failure of the 29th constitutive session. "There have been six attempts at an open vote, none of which have been successful. It is not solely up to Vetevendosje to contribute to the constitution of the Assembly—we have taken it upon ourselves to contribute on this point. It is not solely our responsibility. We have responded several times to this matter; the right to propose belongs to VV, as the first political entity. No one can interfere with the right of a political subject—constitutional rights are above individual preferences," said Haxhiu.

Krasniqi: It is no longer politics, it is a tendency to blockade (Klan)

Memli Krasniqi, leader of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK), has said after the 29th failure to achieve the constitution of the Assembly of Kosovo that it is the mentality of the VV that is creating such a blockade. “It is the mentality of the VV that is not allowing the constitution of the Assembly. This is no longer politics, it is a tendency to hold the will of the citizens of Kosovo hostage and in a blockade”.

LDK’s Haziri calls for a unity government, “best provisional solution” (media)

Deputy leader of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) Lutfi Haziri called for a unity government to be formed as a way out of the deadlock and “the best provisional solution for all”. On the anniversary of the Kumanovo Agreement, which ended the war in Kosovo, Haziri said that “today we need to reflect more than ever. It is high time for parliamentarism in Kosovo not to allow one party or one leader to strangle the state. With active, political and parliamentary dialogue, we need to overcome the political agenda and in the interest of the citizens of the Republic”. “Think beyond yourself, beyond your party, and for the Republic. Today is a day of reflection because 26 years ago Kosovo won the war with the help of its friends, to define best the saying of President Rugova that ‘the house cannot be held without friends’. Our proposal for a Unity Government is the best provisional solution for all,” he argued.

Mustafa: LDK will publish 15 points of unity government (Telegrafi)

MP and spokesperson for the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) Besian Mustafa said today that this party will very soon publish the 15 points of the agenda of a unity government they have proposed. “The LDK has publicly made its proposal for a unity government. This week we will publish the 15-point agenda of the unity government,” he said.

Mustafa argued that refusing the idea of a unity government without offering another solution is a misfortune and that early parliamentary elections “is the last thing that Kosovo needs”. “A unity government with a specific agenda and timeline is what the LDK has offered as a solution and it is misfortunate that the Vetevendosje Movement has a priori rejected it,” he said.

Mustafa also said that the LDK does not insist to lead an eventual unity government, “but its nature obliges us to find a unity figure that will unite the political spectrum”.

Gervalla: We need unity for state, not unity for power (media)

MP from the Vetevendosje Movement, Donika Gervalla, blamed the opposition for what she called another meaningless blockade in the Kosovo Assembly. She called on opposition MPs to give up on their “destructive strategy”, “assume responsibility for the people’s vote and take part in the voting process” for the new Assembly Speaker. “We need unity for the state, not unity for power, and unity for the state is proved by constituting the Assembly and not by blocking it,” she argued.

These are the first penalty measures the EU will lift on Kosovo (Kosovapress)

Kosovo’s caretaker government is expecting the European Union, as part of the gradual lifting of penalty measures, to start with holding the meetings of the subcommittees of the Stabilization/Association Agreement with Kosovo, and with technical assistance projects of the Western Balkans Investment Framework, which covers areas like energy, infrastructure and others. EU officials confirmed this to the news agency, adding that further steps for the complete removal of measures depend on sustainable de-escalation in the north of Kosovo.

Klisman Kadiu, advisor to caretaker Deputy Prime Minister Besnik Bislimi said the gradual lifting of measures is good news and that they should be totally lifted completely because they were unjust. “The measures against Kosovo were unfairly introduced in late June two years ago. It has been almost a year since the recommendation of former High Representative Josep Borrell to remove the measures. It is good news, albeit late, that the European Union has started lifting the penalty measures against Kosovo. As announced by High Representative Kaja Kallas they are being gradually removed. From our side, we reiterate that the measures should be removed as soon as possible and completely. As part of the process, the EU will soon start holding the meetings of the SAA subcommittees with Kosovo, as well as technical assistance projects under the Western Balkans Investment Framework, which cover areas such as energy and infrastructure,” he said.

Spokeswoman for the European Union, Anitta Hipper, told Kosovapress that the European Commission has taken the first steps toward lifting some of the measures. “Future steps depend on progress on the ground and are conditioned with a sustainable de-escalation in the north,” she said.

Gervalla: We are engaged for release of former special police unit member (Koha)

Kosovo’s caretaker Minister of Foreign Affairs, Donika Gervalla, reacted to the stopping of a former member of Kosovo Police special units, Arbnor Spahiu, by authorities in Serbia on Saturday. “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, namely the representative of the Republic of Kosovo in Belgrade, immediately contacted Serbian authorities to see if the news is accurate. We have informed foreign diplomatic missions both in Kosovo and in Belgrade and asked for their assistance, and we hope that the matter will be explained today so that he is not held for 48 hours. Also allow me to call for all those travelling through Serbia to have special attention, because there have been increased cases of arbitrary and unreasonable stoppings in the last couple of months and special attention is required. Especially representatives or former representatives of our security mechanisms need to show greater attention when travelling through Serbia,” she said.

Koci: Former special police member must be immediately released (Telegrafi)

Pristina-based attorney, Arianit Koci, said today that Arbnor Spahiu, a former member of Kosovo Police special units, who was detained by Serbian authorities on Sunday is being interviewed today by the Serbian prosecution in Subotica. “This is just another chain of political pressure against the citizens of Kosovo. Arbnor must be released immediately as this is the only solution that would be in line with justice. But knowing Serbia’s positions against Kosovo – including the systematic intimidation against our police officers, activists and citizens – there is a risk that they will ask for his detention. This would not be justice but rather political persecution,” he said.

According to Koci, the outcome of the incident will be in Spahiu’s favor, “because justice – when it is not used as a political weapon – knows only the truth”.

President’s Office reacts to Behrami about extension of EULEX mandate (media)

Several news websites report that the office of Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani has reacted to a Facebook post by Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) MP Artan Behrami who wrote that Osmani had “cowardly and secretly” extended the mandate of the EU Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo (EULEX) and consequently the mandate of the Specialist Chambers. Bekim Kupina, a media advisor to Osmani, said that Behrami’s claims were not true and that Osmani has no legal competencies to extend or impact the mandate of the Specialist Chambers. “MP Artan Behrami should not slander. The President neither sets nor extends the mandate of the Specialist Court. The mandate of this court is set by a constitutional amendment voted by 2/3 of the Kosovo Assembly and it cannot be amended, stopped or extended by the President,” Kupina said.

Kupina also said that Osmani has not yet signed anything related to the mandate of EULEX, although this is within her competencies same as happened before during the mandate of then-President Thaci when he extended the technical mandate of EULEX for mentoring, monitoring and advising. “The extension of the mandate of EULEX was decided by the EU Council on June 5, 2025, and the decision is public,” he added.

Serbia violates pledge to cooperate in resolving Iber Lepenci canal attack (Koha)

Despite a pledge by Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic that Serbian authorities would cooperate with the Kosovo Police to shed light on the attack against the Iber Lepenci water canal in November 2024, Belgrade has not responded to requests from the Special Prosecution of Kosovo.

Spokeswoman for the Special Prosecution, Arbnora Luta, told the news agency that Serbian authorities have not responded to a request to cooperate in the investigation. “The prosecutor of the case, on January 8, 2025, only several days after the terrorist attack, sent a request to Serbian authorities through the International Legal Cooperation Air (through the EU office) to secure evidence that would help resolve the case, but despite repeated requests to secure evidence, we haven’t received any response from Serbian authorities. We note that the request has been made again,” she said.

Luta did not reveal details about the ongoing investigation into the terrorist attack on Kosovo’s critical infrastructure but said they are waiting for the examination of evidence they have sent abroad. “In addition to cooperating with local institutions, the Special Prosecution of the Republic of Kosovo is also cooperating with international institutions. As part of this cooperation, we have sent a number of evidence for examination abroad,” she added.

The news website notes that the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigations was involved in the investigation into the attack. So far two suspects are being held in detention about the attack and the prosecution says that there are other suspects too.

Serbian Language Media

26 years since Kumanovo agreement: Between peace, withdrawal and new security challenges (KoSSev)

Today marks 26 years since the signing of the Military Technical Agreement at the Kumanovo military airbase in North Macedonia, formally ending the NATO bombing campaign against the-then Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY). Yet, the presence of NATO in the Western Balkans and the question of its enlargement remain central issues in Europe’s security and political landscape, KoSSev portal reports.

The agreement followed 11 weeks of air strikes and five days of negotiations. It was signed by representatives of the FRY and NATO-led international security forces (KFOR): Yugoslav Army and Interior Ministry generals Svetozar Marjanović and Obrad Stevanović, and British General Michael Jackson on behalf of NATO.

A day later, the UN Security Council adopted Resolution 1244, which remains the key international legal framework on the Kosovo issue. On June 12, 1999, just two days after the agreement, Russian troops entered the Pristina airport as part of the international contingent, relocating from their base in Ugljevik, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Read more at: https://shorturl.at/UAh0y

Serbian National Forum sends letter to international community over treatment of Serbs in Kosovo (N1, BETA)

The Serbian National Forum from Kosovo sent an open letter to the international community today warning of, as it was said, the alarming situation of human rights and security of Serbs in Kosovo, requesting an independent international investigation of systematic repression against them, N1 reported.

In an open letter the Serbian National Forum warned that “Pristina authorities are carrying out a project of ‘albanization’ of the municipalities with the Serb majority south of the Ibar, and ‘deserbization’ of northern Kosovo”.

“We address you with serious concerns over the latest attempts to evict Serbian families from their homes in Lesak, which are carried under the pretext “of legal procedures” but in fact represent a gross misuse of force and institutional mechanisms for political purposes. It is unbearable to observe how Kosovo authorities oppress and mistreat innocent Serbian families from Lesak, in your presence and indolent attitude, openly demonstrating discrimination of unprotected population”, reads the letter.

They called upon Kosovo Minister for Communities and Returns in technical mandate, Nenad Rasic and his deputy Nenad Vukmirovic “to urgently reconsider or resign from” their roles in executive power (government) which, as they said, are obviously and continuously pursuing policies harmful to the Serbian population.

“Their presence in Albin Kurti’s government only provides for mirage of multiethnicity and democracy, while at the same time, in practice, serious and systematic suppression of any form of the Serbian presence and survival in Kosovo and Metohija are underway”, reads the letter addressed to Quint states, European Commission, UNMIK, OSCE, EULEX and all other relevant international organizations.

Residents of Braca Matovic Street in Lesak seek help, following notices from Leposavic municipality to demolish their houses (GracanicaOnline, media)

Current Leposavic mayor Lulzim Hetemi sent notification letters to household owners at Braca Matovic Street in Lesak, asking them to vacate and demolish their houses within one-month deadline. The notifications to the affected families were delivered by his Serb deputy Marina Bogojevic. The notifications also said if they do not vacate and demolish their homes, it would be done by the contracting company, with costs borne by household owners. The reason for requests for demolition, as it was said, is that their houses were not legalized, Gracanica Online portal writes.

“We have one month-deadline, it falls on Saint Vitus Day (June 28) precisely. We need to take away belongings from our homes, and if we do not do it, they will call a company with machinery from Pristina and remove them alone. It is also requested that we demolish our own houses”, Andrijana Simijonovic from Lesak told the portal.

The residents also said the reason for demolishing, as cited in the notices, was that objects constructed in this street were not legalized. “When these objects were constructed we addressed responsible institutions, those working on legalization of such objects, however, we did not receive feedback”, Jovana Vasovic said.

“We are not running away (from obligation) to pay, let us make it clear, we want to pay, but they did not propose any agreement, they only handed over a paper”, Simijonovic added.

They also said the municipality did not offer them an alternative solution, in a sense that they legalize their homes. The household owners also underlined these houses were constructed two decades ago.

“We see what institutions of the Kosovo system started doing, they took away (sports) halls, post offices were closed, we have no where to pick our packages, do payments, we need to go to Raska for everything, and this is going for a long time now. We were not surprised with this latest decision, but this is beyond any imagination. I mean to evict people on the street, it is not really a solution. If they only offered us a possibility to legalize our objects”, Simijonovic, who feels very embittered, said.

“If this is not ethnic cleansing of the Serbs, I do not know what it is. I mean, they will start with us, and end with who knows where”, she added.

Residents also said there are families in this street with small children and newly born babies.

“We implore and appeal to the international community, to the Serbian state, to help us, because we do not have where to go. If we go out and leave our homes, we are assigned to the street immediately. There are children here, elderly people, and we are forced to seek help”, Jovana Vasovic said.

Gracanica Online portal further wrote that while these families wait for understanding from Leposavic municipality, Kosovo police, whose station is located in the same street, said they will assist during the process of demolishing houses, if Leposavic authorities ask them to do so.

Veljkovic urges political parties to join Serbian Democracy in opposing Leposavic municipality decision to demolish houses in Lesak (social media)

Serbian Democracy Vice President Stefan Veljkovic in a post on his social media accounts urged other political parties to join Serbian Democracy in opposing the decision of current Leposavic municipal authorities to demolish Serbian houses in Lesak settlement.

“We will lie down in front of the excavators if the Kosovo authorities start demolishing Serbian houses in Lešak. Anything less than that is not enough!

I invite the other political parties to join us, even though so far it has been shown that none of them are there when it gets crowded!”, Veljkovic wrote in a post.

One more case of sexual harassment reported in Mitrovica North (KoSSev, media)

One more case of sexual harassment was reported to Kosovo police yesterday by a female complainant, KoSSev portal said.

The chief of Kosovo police operations for the region North, Petrit Fejza could not speak of further details of the case, which was reported to the police yesterday, around 15.00. He confirmed the police took a statement from the female complainant but also from a man, a suspect in this case.

“We took a statement from her, and found that man, a suspect. The case of sexual harassment was opened, and the case now goes to prosecutor”, Fejza said, adding that police will investigate the case.

The new report comes amid the problem of sexual harassment targeting the women in the north by people who come to the northern part of Mitrovica from the south, a topic that garnered significant interest from international agencies and diplomatic missions from Pristina and the region, the portal recalled.

Kosovo police since the beginning of the month are implementing its new operational plan to curb this issue, involving additional patrols equipped with body cameras.

On the other side, group of residents from northern Kosovo announced establishing “Neighbour Watches” respectively presence of the streets in Mitrovica North because of frequented complaints about sexual harassment.

Two men detained in Gazivode yesterday, then released with a fine; different accounts of police behavior (KiM radio, KoSSev, Alternativna)

Two men were detained in Gazivode for disturbing public order and peace and then released - the Kosovo police in Zubin Potok confirmed to the Alternativna portal. The leader of the Serbian Democracy, Aleksandar Arsenijevic, released a video of the detention, along with the claims of family members of those detained that some members of the KP behaved inappropriately.

KP: “There was an argument, they were under the influence of alcohol”

"According to the first information, the police officers saw a person on the ground, they approached him, and then two more persons came who responded to the police officers and they were taken into custody”, Kosovo police deputy commander for the North region, Veton Elshani said, adding that both, person whom the police officers tried to help and the persons who, as he said, prevented them from performing their duties, were intoxicated.

The KP for the region of Zubin Potok confirmed to Alternativna that the two men were released and fined.

"Two people were detained for disturbing public order and peace and released home with a fine" - said the head of operations for Zubin Potok, Milan Djukic, adding that there was a verbal argument between those detained and the police.

When asked how he comments on the allegations about the behavior of members of the Kosovo police, Djukic said that it did not happen as alleged.

"I can only confirm that everything ended with a ticket for disturbing public order and peace and that people were allowed to go home," he said, adding that others who were on the scene could also confirm what happened.

"Unfounded intimidation of the whole family"

However, the testimony about the events in Gazivode of M.J. whose father and uncle were detained, that was conveyed by the leader of the Serbian Democracy, Aleksandar Arsenijevic, was such that it indicated inappropriate police behavior, for which at one point they said they would call Kosovo Police Inspectorate.

M.J. stated that her family came out of the house in order to, at the call of a neighbor, help a neighbor who had collapsed in front of his house, and that police appeared at the moment when they were trying to help him and lift him off the ground.

"One of the policemen, with darker skin, immediately started shouting at us, saying that we must not touch him and that he would call an ambulance. I calmly explained to that policeman that I am a medicine student, that my mother works in a hospital and that we know how to provide first aid. At that moment, I tried with my parents to lift a neighbor. For no reason, the said policeman physically moved towards my father and uncle, pushing them. The situation got even worse when the same policeman took out tear gas and a gun, cocked it and pointed it at my younger sister M.J. (15), who got scared and started crying" - M.J. stated.

"At the same time, another policeman ran towards me with a baton, while we were still trying to stay calm and help the man who was lying on the ground. There was pushing and groundless intimidation of my whole family, the arrest of my father and uncle, even though we were only trying to help in an emergency, without any resistance or inappropriate behavior", it was said in the testimony on Arsenijevic's profile, along with a video.

Residents of Mitrovica North, critical of municipal authorities’ work, claim they have discriminatory attitude towards Serbs (KoSSev, media)

Residents of Mitrovica North have sharply criticized the work of local authorities, claiming they are illegitimate and making political decisions, KoSSev portal reported. In conversation with the portal, they also expressed fear that some future local authorities will not be brave enough to annul decisions they perceive illegitimate and unconstitutional.

With a total of 550 votes, the Self-determination candidate for Mitrovica North mayor, Erden Atiq, took the post in elections boycotted by local Serbs. He assumed the duty in May 2023, after almost a half a year since Serbs collectively left Pristina institutions in the north, including the local authorities. Previously the municipal assembly received a new chairperson, and new 16 municipal councillors following automatic appointments, among them one Serb only.

The staff replacement also followed at all levels – starting from ordinary clerks to directors. Majority of those places are held by Albanians, often lacking the knowledge of the second official language, local context and trust from residents.

The portal asked Mitrovica North residents if they feel that local authorities care about them and how satisfied they are with decisions made over the previous period?

Respondents argued that current Mitrovica North municipal authorities are making mainly political decisions, without consulting the majority. One respondent said the current authorities are illegitimate, but also expressed concern that future authorities will not be brave enough to annul such “illegitimate, unlawful and unconstitutional decisions”. Another respondent expressed discontent over confusion and difficulties to obtain certain documents, adding that people who are not from Mitrovica North came to work in the municipality.

Mitrovica North resident and journalist Branislav Krstic said people receive services much faster in southern municipalities without having to wait, while in Mitrovica North one needs to wait long time for any service requested from it, adding that this is the case because municipalities in the south do not have discriminatory attitude towards the Serbian community.

“The new local government (in Mitrovica North) is actually part of that ultra-nationalist, discriminatory clan of the current government in Pristina”, he said.

Radakovic: Young people without documents are invisible in system (Radio Gorazdevac, KiM radio)

Despite announcements of the Kosovo Government about easing the process of issuing documents, many young people from the Serbian community in Kosovo still remain invisible in the system, said Dušan Radakovic, Advocacy Center for Democratic Culture director from North Mitrovica.

Speaking as a guest on Radio Gorazdevac "Youth in Focus" program, Radakovic mentioned the problems with issuing identity cards, especially when it comes to returnees, internally displaced persons and young people.

"In order to obtain documentation for a child who was born in central Serbia, whose parents are from Kosovo, the procedure is complicated. Those parents are asked for extracts from birth, marriage, citizenship certificates, photocopies of identity cards and passports, for the child to receive a JMBG (unique identification number), and then an identity card. It is a long process that lasts for several months," said Radakovic.

As one of the ways to address documentation problems, the Advocacy Centre for Democratic Culture implemented the "Become Visible" campaign, with the aim of encouraging young people to get involved in the system.

"Young people who are invisible in the system do not see their future here. That's why they leave. And what further worries me is that they often leave without trying to resolve their status. They just raise their hands, pack up and leave. And we could help them, if only they would contact us," said Radakovic.

He pointed out that especially in the municipalities south of the Ibar, young people decide more easily to obtain Kosovo documents, while in the north there is still "great fear".

"It is a political issue, but I always emphasize that having documents does not mean renouncing one's identity", said Radakovic. At the end of the conversation, he urged young people not to wait, but to contact organizations and institutions that can help them as soon as possible: "The document is not a renunciation of identity, but a way to live normally, to plan for the future, to use what is legally theirs".

Lawyers of defendants in Banjska case: First witness did not specifically accuse defendants (KiM radio)

The main trial for the attack in Banjska village on September 24, 2023 continued today at the Basic Court in Pristina with the hearing of the first witness to the case. As defense attorneys said the first witness did not make specific allegations that would incriminate their defendants.

Lawyer Milos Delevic, the defense attorney of Vladimir Tolic, said presentation of the evidence of the Special Prosecution began today and that the first witness gave a "general statement about the events of that day".

"The first victim in this case was heard. He made a general statement about the events of that day. He did not mention the defendants, so we had no questions for him. The main hearing continues with the hearing of other victims in this case", he said.

A similar assessment was given by Jovana Filipovic, Dusan Maksimovic's lawyer, who pointed out that the witness spoke about the event from his point of view and that he could not identify any person, including her client.

"We also saw the prosecutor's attempt to get a certain conclusion from the witness, but the court panel reacted and did not allow an answer to that question. As far as Dusan is concerned, this witness stated that he could not identify anyone, so we, in the capacity of his defense, did not have any question about him. Bearing in mind everything that we have pointed out so far, that Dusan was arrested later and we have witnesses who will confirm his alibi and that he has nothing to do with the specific event, I hope that the court panel will take all the facts into account and be guided by evidence and material truth", she said.

Blagoje Spasojevic's defense attorney, lawyer Ljubomir Pantovic, said the indictment was "very flawed".

"The first witness spoke about the general context of the events in Banjska from September 23, 2023. He did not say anything specific in relation to any of the defendants. That is why we, from the defense, did not have any questions. I think that subsequent witnesses will testify in the same way. I would also like to mention the assessment that I gave in my presentation, that the indictment is absolutely general, a generalized description, without describing any action of any of the three defendants. That makes the indictment very flawed and, I would say, bad. I doubt that any of the witnesses will say anything against the defendants, so there will be identical testimonies in the coming days", he stated.

The trial continues with the hearing of another witness proposed by the prosecution.

Kosovo trade deficit reaches six billion euros, exports to U.S. drop from 200 to 20 million (Kosovo Online)

Kosovo ended 2024 with yet another negative trade balance, as its trade deficit rose by 7.4 percent compared to the previous year, reaching approximately six billion euros, Kosovo Online portal reported citing Pristina-based Index-online.

Data from Kosovo Agency of Statistics (KAS) indicates a continued widening of the gap between imports and exports, while economists warn of serious consequences unless the government changes its economic direction. Economist Medain Hasani views the situation as a direct result of a lack of support for local producers and poor foreign investment attraction.

“The reasons for the trade deficit include a massive increase in imports at the national level. From the start, Kosovo economy has faced an extremely negative trade balance, and in 2024, this deficit reached around six billion euros. Nationally, we must focus on attracting foreign investors, boosting production, and replacing imported goods with local products. The current policy implemented by the Kosovo Government is deeply flawed, and the lack of subsidies for manufacturing companies has led to high import levels. Additionally, the global rise in prices has significantly contributed to this high trade deficit, which is continuing into 2025. These are some of the factors that led to this negative trade balance”, Hasani said.