• Decani Monastery between the judiciary and the executive (RFE) 
• Opposition slams performance of Kurti’s government (euronews.al) 
• Krasniqi: Behind 14 February elections, no vision, only propaganda (media) 
• Hovenier reconfirms to Rakic the US support for independent Kosovo (Koha) 
• Kosovo tells citizens to leave Ukraine now (BIRN) 
• Police arrest Molliqaj and 12 PSD members over action at ERO (media) 
• COVID-19: 247 new cases, two deaths (media)

 

 

Decani Monastery between the judiciary and the executive (RFE) 

Although the property issue of the Decani Monastery - which is located about 100 kilometers west of Pristina - has been "legally resolved" for almost six years, the problem still stands. For years, the issue has been caught between between Kosovo's judiciary and executive.

On February 4, Prime Minister Albin Kurti reiterated his position that the decision of the Constitutional Court of Kosovo, to force the local authorities of Decan to return 24 hectares of land and forests to the monastery, is based on the "discriminatory policy" of the Government of Serbia in 1997.

Serbian leader at the time, Slobodan Milosevic, decided to donate the property to the Monastery.

Kurti said his government will try to preserve the legitimate rights of the Monastery, but added that religious leaders must do their part, namely seek solutions through dialogue and agreement with the local population in Decan.

The local authorities in Decan believe that the 24 hectares of land and forests belong to the socially owned enterprises "Apiko" and "Iliria" and persistently reject the implementation of the decision of the Constitutional Court, which was taken in May 2016 and is final and binding for all parties.

The municipal authorities argue that the Constitutional Court legalized Milosevic's decision.

The Diocese of Raska and Prizren reacted harshly to the recent statement of Prime Minister Kurti, arguing that Kosovo authorities are conducting a "systematic campaign of discrimination and open hostility towards the Serbian Orthodox Church."

The diocese said that the implementation of the Court decision on the property of the Decani Monastery is "a condition to show that the dialogue is not just a show for cameras and for foreign officials".

According to this diocese, the Serbian Orthodox Church in Kosovo is treated as a political institution or as something through which political influence is exercised, which, as stated in the statement, has no basis.

"We believe that there is no procedure, since 2000, that has been followed so much and is so politicized, not by our Church, but by local institutions," said the Diocese of Raska and Prizren.

Opposition slams performance of Kurti’s government (euronews.al) 

One year after the Vetevendosje Movement (VV) swept the general elections, the ruling majority and the opposition clashed over the performance of the government of Prime Minister Albin Kurti.

VV MP Armend Muja said the government has successfully managed to fulfill the four main pillars outlined in its program.

“The government presented four main pillars on its program. Vaccinations, opening jobs in the context of an economic crisis, restoring law and order, combatting crime and corruption, and lastly raising Kosovo’s dignity in the area of foreign policy”, said Muja.

But for Abelard Tahiri, the head of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) parliamentary group, Kurti’s government has been the weakest since Kosovo declared its independence.

“We’ve seen the weakest governance since the declaration of independence. On the other hand, the work of independent and state agencies, who have performed extremely well, shouldn’t be tied to governance. As the latter should bring on the table new projects, investments and strategies for the country’s development”, he said.

Besnik Tahiri, head of the parliamentary group of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) shared the position. “Unfortunately, we’re dealing with a terribly weak government. One that hasn’t produced anything apart from bringing up energy bills and prices and lacking a foreign policy vision,” he said.

The remarks came after a meeting of the Kosovo Assembly Presidency which also decided to have a solemn session in honor of Kosovo’s 14^th anniversary of independence.

Krasniqi: Behind 14 February elections there is no vision, only propaganda (media)

Leader of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK), Memli Krasniqi, said on Monday that the victory of the Vetevendosje Movement and Prime Minister Albin Kurti on February 14, 2021, produced an impulse behind which he argued there is no vision, program, agenda, development, integration or employment, but only propaganda.

Krasniqi further argued that during the previous year, prices have gone up making more difficult the lives of people, salaries have decreased and that Kosovo families have recently been overburdened with increased electricity bills.

Hovenier reconfirms to Rakic the US support for independent Kosovo (Koha)

The United States Ambassador to Kosovo, Jeff Hovenier, met on Monday with Goran Rakic, leader of the Serbian List and Minister for Communities and Returns.

“With Minister Goran Rakic, reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to a multi-ethnic, sovereign, and independent Kosovo where all citizens from every community enjoy equal rights and an equal voice in advancing Kosovo’s European future,” Hovenier tweeted after the meeting.

Kosovo tells citizens to leave Ukraine now (BIRN) 

Foreign Ministry urges citizens to get out of Ukraine as soon as possible, citing the possibility of a Russian invasion.

Amid escalating tensions and the growing likelihood of fresh Russian aggression in Ukraine, many countries have urged their citizens to leave Ukrainian territory.

On Sunday, the Foreign Ministry called on Kosovo citizens not to travel to Ukraine, and urged those who are there to return as soon as possible.

“After the dramatic increase in tensions between Russia and Ukraine, caused by the presence and large movements of Russian troops near the border with Ukraine, the beginning of an open armed conflict can no longer be ruled out,” the ministry wrote on Facebook.

For current information and concrete assistance, Kosovo nationals currently in Ukraine can contact the embassy in Prague on: + 420 257 217 775 or at the email address: embassy.cz.republic@rks-gov.net, writes MFA.

Dozens of countries have urged their citizens to leave Ukraine.

The United States, Britain, Germany, North Macedonia and Serbia are among the many countries that have asked their citizens to leave. Some countries have also withdrawn diplomatic personnel from the capital, Kiev.

On Saturday, the United States announced it was withdrawing most of its embassy staff. Australia and Canada have since followed the US example.

The White House has warned that an invasion could happen at any time and could start with an aerial bombardment.

Russia has described the allegations as “provocative”. It has denied any plans to invade Ukraine, despite having deployed about 100,000 troops on Ukraine’s borders.

On Monday, Ukraine called for a meeting with Russia and other members of the European security group over the escalating tensions on its border.

Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said Russia had ignored official requests to explain the deployment of its troops, the BBC reports. He said the next step was to request a meeting within the next 48 hours, seeking transparency regarding Russia’s plans.

Ukraine has asked Russia through the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, OSCE, to explain the deployment of its troops.

However, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, has also criticized the “panic” being spread about an invasion, and said he had seen no evidence of a planned attack in the coming days.

Tensions between Ukraine and Russia, both former Soviet states, escalated in 2013 when violent protests erupted in Kiev over a historic trade deal with the European Union.

In March 2014, Russia annexed Crimea, an autonomous peninsula in southern Ukraine, on the grounds that it was defending its own interests and those of Russian-speaking citizens. It has also sponsored the creation of two small unrecognised republics in eastern Ukraine.

According to OSCE, there have been more than 3,000 conflict-related civilian deaths in eastern Ukraine since March 2014.

Police arrest Molliqaj and 12 PSD members over action at ERO (media) 

Kosovo Police arrested on Moday the leader of the Social Democratic Party (PSD) Dardan Molliqaj and 12 party activists over their action at the premises of the Energy Regulatory Office (ERO). Police intervened after ERO staff complained that their work was being obstructed. The activists had cut off the power supply to the ERO premises. They also demanded explanations from the ERO chief about the increase in energy tariffs. The head of the ERO Board, meanwhile said that the decision on changing the energy tariffs will be made public within 30 days.

COVID-19: 247 new cases, two deaths (media) 

247 new cases with COVID-19 and two deaths from the virus were recorded in the last 24 hours in Kosovo.

There are 10,800 active cases with COVID-19 in Kosovo.