• Kurti meets Lajcak, Borrell, insists on agreement on mutual recognition (media)
• Osmani expresses concern over Russian influence in Western Balkans (media)
• Osmani and Kurti meet Greek PM Mitsotakis (media)
• Albania, Kosovo, Bosnia deny sending ‘mercenaries’ to Ukraine (BIRN)
• Kosovo reacts to Russia's claims of involvement in recruiting mercenaries (Koha)
• Sarrazin to become German Representative for Western Balkans (EWB)
• Mehaj: Kosovo to sign security information agreement with U.S. (media)
• Why does the business community think Kosovo has failed? (euronews.al)
• COVID-19: 183 new cases, two deaths (media)

Kurti meets Lajcak, Borrell, insists on agreement on mutual recognition (media)

Prime Minister of Kosovo Albin Kurti, in Germany for the Munich Security Conference, met the EU Special Representative for Kosovo-Serbia dialogue Miroslav Lajcak. He also met the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell.

Kurti said that with Lajcak they discussed a range of issues pertaining to the process of dialogue with Serbia. “Legally binding Agreement for full normalization of relations centered on mutual recognition is a democratic, peaceful and European solution,” he wrote on Twitter.

At the same time, a press release from the Government of Kosovo quotes Kurti as saying that Kosovo’s territorial integrity, sovereignty, state functioning, constitutional and legal order should remain intact.

Lajcak said on Twitter: “We had a detailed and concrete discussion on next steps in the Dialogue on normalisation with Serbia ahead of Tuesday’s meetings with the Chief negotiators of both Parties.”

The dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia was also discussed in the Kurti-Borrell meeting. "Prime Minister Kurti said that the Government of the Republic of Kosovo is a constructive party engaged towards a legally binding agreement centered on mutual recognition," a statement issued by the Government of Kosovo said. It quotes Kurti as saying that he is ready to attend meetings of leaders if there is readiness from the Serbian side. "He also said he welcomed the close coordination between the European Union and the United States in this important process."

Borrell on his part said that in the meeting with Kurti and Foreign Minister Donika Gervalla, they exchanged views on the current geopolitical challenges and regional implications on the Western Balkans. "We also discussed next steps in the Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue. Looking forward to concrete progress soon," he wrote on Twitter.

Osmani expresses concern over Russian influence in Western Balkans (media)

President of Kosovo Vjosa Osmani was a speaker at the Munich Security Conference roundtable focusing on the Western Balkans. She spoke there about Kosovo's progress in different fields and also of challenges it faces with "an aggressive and destabilizing neighbour."

"In the context of recent developments in Europe, the President stressed the need for a coordinated effort of the international community in relation to the security situation in the Western Balkans. Madam President pointed out that Russia's influence through Serbia is evident and that Serbia should be treated as a state that is not based on European values. President Osmani stressed the need for continued engagement in the dialogue process and that Kosovo has always demonstrated its constructiveness in the process. Kosovo has always contributed to long-term peace and security and in the dialogue process it has shown active commitment by providing concrete proposals, said President Osmani, adding that the process should focus on mutual recognition as the only solution that ensures long-term peace and stability in the region," a statement issued by Kosovo's presidency reads.

Osmani and Kurti meet Greek PM Mitsotakis (media)

Kosovo’s President Vjosa Osmani, Prime Minister Albin Kurti, and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora Donika Gervalla met with Prime Minister of Greece Kyriakos Mitsotakis at the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference.

According to a statement issued by the government of Kosovo, “the heads of state stressed the importance of advancing relations between the two countries. They also stressed the importance of the recognition of the state of Kosovo by Greece, as a natural next step towards further deepening of relations.”

Albania, Kosovo, Bosnia deny sending ‘mercenaries’ to Ukraine (BIRN)

Officials in Tirana, Pristina and Sarajevo said they were baffled by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov's claim that 'mercenaries' from these countries were heading to the frontlines in Ukraine.

Officials of Albania, Kosovo and Bosnia and Herzegovina have rejected claims made by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov that these countries are sending “mercenaries” to fight in Ukraine, where there are fears of a Russian invasion.

Moscow-based news agency Russia Today quoted Lavrov on Friday as saying that they are working to verify information about “mercenaries” from Albania, Kosovo and Bosnia going to Ukraine.

“Kosovo and some other parts of the Western Balkans are becoming a hotbed of crime. There are terrorists, drug dealers. Mercenaries are recruited there for military conflicts ignited by the US, among others,” Lavrov said.

“There is information that militants from Kosovo, Albania, and Bosnia and Herzegovina are being recruited to knock Russia off balance, which includes sending them to Donbass [in eastern Ukraine],” he added.

In all three Balkan countries, Lavrov’s comments baffled and outraged officials.

Blerim Vela, chief of staff to the President of Kosovo, on Twitter dismissed the comments as a “fake news alert”.

“Russian FM Lavrov’s false accusation that Kosovo is providing mercenaries to Donbass is part and parcel of a disinformation campaign that seeks to justify military aggression against Ukraine. Kosovo stands with its allies and Ukraine in defending freedom and democracy,” Vela wrote.

In Albania, ruling Socialist MP Pandeli Majko, a former Prime Minister, said the comments were “unprecedented”. He also noted: “Indian TV Channel WION has done a chronicle about the map of the ethnic background of volunteers who have gone to help Ukraine.”

BIRN asked the Kosovo and Albania governments to comment on Lavrov’s allegations but neither replied by time of publication.

Bosnia’s Security Ministry said that, according to available data, no citizen of Bosnia had gone to fight alongside Ukrainian forces.

“We will send an official inquiry to Russia’s embassy in Sarajevo about this statement. If Lavrov has some information on such activities in Bosnia, I hope that, before revealing it, he shares them with our security services,” Bisera Turkovic, Bosnian Foreign Minister, said ironically on Friday.

Kosovo reacts to Russia's claims of involvement in recruiting mercenaries (Koha)

Kosovo's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora has refuted allegations made by Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov that mercenaries are being recruited in Kosovo and other parts of the Western Balkans to fight in Ukraine.

The Ministry said Kosovo legislation bans participation in foreign conflicts and accused Russia of waging "a brutal" campaign against Kosovo so as to "draw the attention of the entire democratic world away from the anxiety created by Russia's hegemonistic policy." It added that the "campaign against Kosovo and other countries of the Western Balkans, among other things, aims to increase tensions in Kosovo and elsewhere in the region through the Russia's proxy in the Balkans, Serbia."

Kosovo's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora went on to express full solidarity of the people of Kosovo with the people of Ukraine. "The Republic of Kosovo joins the democratic world in condemning Russian hegemonistic and expansionist policy to the detriment of the independent and sovereign state of Ukraine."

Sarrazin to become German Representative for Western Balkans (EWB)

According to the German media, former member of Bundestag for the Alliance 90/The Greens Manuel Sarrazin will be appointed as the Representative for the Western Balkans of the new Government of Germany.

Local media report that this is a new position in the state administration. The current German government was formed in December by the Social Democratic Party, Free Democratic Party, and the Greens, which have taken over the Foreign Ministry.

The new Western Balkans Representative should support the EU accession process of the countries in question and promote the ecological transformation in the industrial and energy sectors of the region, Flash-up portal reports.

Manuel Sarrazin, who is a historian by profession, was a member of Bundestag from 2008 to 2021. He is currently the President of the Southeast Europe Association (Südosteuropa-Gesellschaft), which specialises in Germany’s relations with the region.

Read more at: https://bit.ly/3JDfeFt

Mehaj: Kosovo to sign security information agreement with U.S. (media)

Kosovo's Minister of Defense, Armend Mehaj, said a preparatory stage for signing the General Security of Information Agreement (GSOIA) with the United States is underway and that the deal is expected to be finalised in the near future.

"The security of our defense technology, as well as the balanced protection of the confidentiality, integrity and availability of data, is the system aimed with the support of the Defense Technology Security Administration of the U.S. Department of Defence. We will continue together with our American friends towards the finalization of this agreement."

Why does the business community think Kosovo has failed? (euronews.al)

According to various high-ranking members of the business community, Kosovo has failed considerably when it comes to its economic diplomacy.

No economic attaché has been appointed in any of the diplomatic representatives, thus exempting Kosovo from any chance of lobbying in terms of attracting foreign investments or establishing economic relations with more developed nations. The ministry of foreign affairs in Kosovo has decided to remain silent and not react to these recent remarks.

In addition, the executive director of Kosovo’s American Chamber of Commerce, Arian Zeka, said that he believes that economic diplomacy should be a top priority for the Kosovo government because it would help local investors meet new associates.

According to Zeka, now is the very last chance for the government to actually do something. “This shouldn’t only remain on the declarative level. I believe that we have all the human capacities and financial ones in order to enable or grow the activation of Kosovo in the field of economic diplomacy. We need to appoint economic attaches in the cities and countries that have the greatest presence or which generate the greatest economic activities at a global scale. Time is running out and this is our last chance to actually do something in this aspect,” – he said.

Head of the board of Kosovo’s Chamber of Doing Business (OAK), Skender Krasniqi, criticized the fact that Kosovo is the only country without economic attaches.

“We need to have economic attaches in all of our embassies and our business offers should be presented by these economic attaches. We are the only country that doesn’t have a single economic attaché in a single country around the world,” Krasniqi said.

Head of Kosovo’s Economic Chamber Berat Rukiqi told KosovaPress that thorough economic diplomacy would greatly alleviate all other processes for the country’s development like our political relations, visa liberalization, and even Kosovo’s recognition as an independent state.

“This would have a great impact on many other countries which are still skeptical about the different processes in Kosovo like visa liberalization. In addition, if we were to have better economic communication, more trade deals, more foreign investments then they would surely look at Kosovo differently. The same thing goes for those countries which have yet to recognize us,” Rukiqi said.

COVID-19: 183 new cases, two deaths (media)

183 new cases of COVID-19 and two deaths have been recorded in Kosovo in the last 24 hours, the Ministry of Health said. 713 persons recovered during this time.

There are 4,541 active cases of COVID-19 in Kosovo.