Albanian Language Media:

• Stano: EU is aware of Serbia’s vote against Kosovo (Radio Free Europe)
• Vela: Serbia’s vote against Kosovo’s CoE application should be penalised (media)
• Serbia violates agreement, threatens countries that support Kosovo (Koha)
• The CEC announces results of extraordinary elections in northern municipalities (Klan)
• Kusari-Lila: End of Serbia’s influence in Kosovo began on Sunday (EO)
• Osmani to visit North Macedonia on Wednesday (Albanian Post)
• Lajcak at Webster Vienna, discussion on normalisation of relations (Nacionale)
• Krasniqi: Monoethnic institutions are not good for us (Kosovapress)
• Delawie: Regrettable, Serbian authorities influenced Serbs to boycott elections (media)
• Details about burning of excavator in Zvecan, belonged to an Albanian (Express)

Serbian Language Media:

• Dacic: President Vucic may attend the UNSC session on Kosovo (Tanjug, RTS)
• Vucic: Foreign policy changes coming (RTS, N1) 
• Lajcak: The road to normalisation is mined, we must avoid mines (Kosovo Online, Blic)
• Dacic: CoE's decision was expected, it will be ashamed of this day (Tanjug, media)
• Dodik: "Srpska does not recognize self-proclaimed Kosovo, the ambassador voted outside the procedures" (Tanjug, RTRS)
• PM Brnabic reacts to Von Cramon’s remarks on elections (N1)
• Jablanovic to Viola von Cramon: Blackmail and threats do not pass with us (Politika, KiM radio)
• Petkovic reacts to Osmani’s remarks on agreement violation (Kosovo Online, social media)
• Vasiljevic responds to Vela (social media, Kosovo Online)
• Dacic and Hill: Continuation of dialogue the only path to concrete results (BETA, N1)
• New law on expropriation - Pristina's new plan to seize Serbian property, says Petkovic (Radio Mitrovica sever, KiM radio, RTS) 
• Foreign Affairs Committee rejects draft resolution to impose sanctions on Russia (BETA, N1)

Humanitarian/Development:

• Kosovo’s economy shows resilience despite slowing growth (worldbank.org) 

   

Albanian Language Media  

  Stano: EU is aware of Serbia’s vote against Kosovo (Radio Free Europe)

Spokesperson for the European Union, Peter Stano, said today that Brussels is aware that Serbia voted against Kosovo’s application to join the Council of Europe on Monday. Stano did not want to answer a question if the EU views this as a violation of the agreement for normalisation of relations that Kosovo and Serbia reached earlier this year. Article 4 of the agreement notes that Serbia will not object to Kosovo's membership in any international organisation. 

Vela: Serbia’s vote against Kosovo’s CoE application should be penalised (media)

Chief of Staff to Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani, Blerim Vela, took to Twitter today to react to a statement by the head of the Serbian Government’s Office for Kosovo, Petar Petkovic. Vela tweeted: “Yesterday Serbia violated article 4 of the Brussels agreement that clearly stipulates that Serbia will not object to Kosovo’s membership in any international organisation. Your vote against Kosovo’s application at Council of Europe should be penalised! When it comes to previous Brussels agreements, the list of Serbia’s violations is very long: customs stamps, University diplomas, IBM and freedom of movement, IDs and car plates, cadaster documentation, energy, and expansion of LO with additional staff.”

Serbia violates agreement, threatens countries that support Kosovo (Koha)

Serbia has violated the Brussels and Ohrid agreement on normalisation of relations with Kosovo by threatening countries that support Kosovo’s membership in the Council of Europe, the news website reports. Serbian Foreign Minister, Ivica Dacic, said today that Serbia’s relations with other countries would depend on their votes on the issue of Kosovo. Article 4 of the Basic Agreement however notes that “Serbia will not object to Kosovo’s membership in any international organisations”.

Serbia has threatened Montenegro after it voted in favour of Kosovo’s application to join the Council of Europe on Monday. Dacic said that Montenegro can no longer count on Serbia’s votes when it needs them. Montenegro was among the 33 member states of the Council of Europe that voted in favour of Kosovo’s application. Seven members voted against, and five members abstained from voting.

“Montenegro could have abstained at least. We need to operate with reciprocity. Montenegro voted in favour of Kosovo’s admission. They will need our vote too sometime, and they won’t be able to count on it,” Dacic is quoted as saying.

The CEC announces results of extraordinary elections in northern municipalities (Klan)

The Central Electoral Commission (CEC) announced today the final results for the extraordinary elections in the northern municipalities of Kosovo.

Kreshnik Krasniqi, chairman of the CEC, announced today that they have also received confirmation from Election Complaint and Appeal Panel that there is no complaint with regards to the 23 April elections in the north. He said that all the conditions for the announcement of the results of these elections have been met.

According to him, the mayor of North Mitrovica is Erden Atic from Vetevendosje Movement (LVV), in Zvecan, the winner is Ilir Peci of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK), Lulezim Peci from LVV is the winner of elections in Leposavic, and Izmir Zeqiri from PDK is the winner in Zubin Potok. 

Kusari-Lila: End of Serbia’s influence in Kosovo began on Sunday (EO)

Head of the Vetevendosje parliamentary group, Mimoza Kusari-Lila, said today that the situation in the north remains complex because of the influence of “criminal groups orchestrated by Serbia”. She argued that the local elections in the north on Sunday are the start of the end of the influence of the Serbian List and Serbia in Kosovo. “It will not be easy to operate in that part, but we will operate in line with the Constitution and laws … The elections were organised as much as there was room. No one’s right to participate was threatened, but a challenge was the security of Serb representatives that are not part of the Serbian List. It is absurd for a minority community to be intimidated and blackmailed by a state that should be protecting its interests,” she added.

Osmani to visit North Macedonia on Wednesday (Albanian Post)

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani will visit North Macedonia on April 26 and is scheduled to meet her counterpart Stevo Pendarovski. “Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani-Sadriu will be received with high state honours in Skopje, then hold a meeting with her counterpart Stevo Pendarovski, meanwhile a meeting between the two delegations is also scheduled,” a press release from Osmani’s office notes.

Lajcak at Webster Vienna, discussion on normalisation of relations (Nacionale)

EU Special Representative for the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia, Miroslav Lajcak, said on Monday evening that he had “a good exchange on the normalisation of relations between Kosovo and Serbia, the next steps and the role of EU enlargement in Vienna tonight”. “Thanks to @WebsterVienna for organising and my fellow co-panelists Wolfgang Petritsch and Stephanie Fenkart for the discussion!” Lajcak wrote on Twitter.

Delawie: Regrettable, Serbian authorities influenced Serbs to boycott elections (media)

Former U.S. Ambassador to Kosovo, Greg Delawie, said in an interview with the Voice of America, that it is regrettable that Serbian authorities influenced the Kosovo Serbs to boycott the local elections in the north of Kosovo.

“The best way for the Kosovo Serb community to improve their position is to elect their representatives – the real representatives of the voters. And for their elected representatives to work with other counsellors on projects to improve their community and the country as a whole,” he said.

Commenting on a statement by Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic that the elections in the north without the Serbian List were “an invasion”, Delawie said that such rhetoric can further tensions in Kosovo and Serbia. “It doesn’t bring any benefits to the citizens of these countries. In the last five years, Serbia has marked a visible setback in democratic order according to the criteria of Freedom House, and in the area of corruption according to reports by Transparency International. Instead of creating problems with Kosovo, Vucic should focus on improving democracy and the rule of law in his country so that he can fulfil the wish of his citizens for greater integration with the rest of Europe,” Delawie said.

Krasniqi: Monoethnic institutions are not good for us (Kosovapress)

Kosovo’s Minister for Local Government, Elbert Krasniqi, said in an interview with the news agency today that Kosovo does not need monoethnic institutions because it is not in the spirit of the Constitution. He argued that associations of municipalities can be formed only based on Kosovo’s laws. “As communities, it is not good if we have monoethnic institutions or organs because this is not in the constitutional spirit of the Republic of Kosovo. At the same time, the Law on Local Self-Government is clear about the rights of municipalities to join in the form of an association, everything on this legal basis,” Krasniqi said.

Details about burning of excavator in Zvecan, belonged to an Albanian (Express)

Deputy Director for the Mitrovica North region in Kosovo Police, Veton Elshani, told the news website today that an excavator which was set on fire in Zvecan on Monday morning belonged to an Albanian that was working in the area for a year. “It belongs to an Albanian, who was there with a contract from the EU to work for the communities. He was working in the zone for a year,” Elshani said, adding that police are investigating the case.

   

Serbian Language Media 

  Dacic: President Vucic may attend the UNSC session on Kosovo (Tanjug, RTS) 

Minister of Foreign Affairs Ivica Dacic said today that he will attend the session of the United Nations Security Council on Kosovo, which is scheduled for Thursday in New York, and that there is a possibility that the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, will also participate, reported Tanjug, citing RTS.

"The session of the UN SC on Kosovo is on Thursday. I will leave today, and there is a possibility that the president will make a decision to participate on behalf of Serbia, but he will decide on that during the day," Dacic told RTS.

He explained that Serbia should continue further dialogue in search of our common interests, and not dictate on what was the interest of Pristina alone, because then this was not a dialogue.

Vucic: Foreign policy changes coming (RTS, N1)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on Tuesday that he discussed changes to the country’s foreign policy at a meeting with the government.

The president took part in a meeting of Prime Minister Ana Brnabic’s cabinet in the Palace of Serbia in New Belgrade, a venue where the government does not usually meet.

“There will be deep, fundamental changes to Serbia’s foreign policy”, he said, commenting on Monday's vote in the Council of Europe (CoE) Committee of Ministers on Pristina’s application to join the organisation. Vucic said he is grateful to all the countries that voted against the proposal, especially Hungary.

“We talked about what we will do and how we will behave at the government meeting”, he added. According to the president, official Belgrade has to show more respect for friendly countries.

“We are talking about a defence and security strategy and we have no coherent foreign policy strategy. We will take care of bilateral policy without stepping out of the framework of reciprocity in foreign policy”, he said, adding that this means a responsible attitude towards the country.

“Why should we protect someone’s territorial integrity if they are opposed to ours”, Vucic said.

Lajcak: The road to normalisation is mined, we must avoid mines (Kosovo Online, Blic)

The EU's special envoy for dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, Miroslav Lajcak, warned in Vienna that the road to the normalisation of relations was mined and that "stepping a mine" must be avoided, portal Kosovo Online reported. 

"We have a path towards normalisation. But this road is mined, and we must avoid stepping on any of those mines. Because that could lead to the explosion of the whole process", Lajcak emphasised during a discussion organised by the Austrian International Institute for Peace (IIP).

Lajcak expressed hope that the process of normalisation of relations between Serbia and Kosovo, which began at the end of February after both sides accepted the European proposal, would continue.

He underlined that the situation in Kosovo was under tension and there was very little mutual trust, reported the portal. 

Lajcak pointed out that Kosovo in 2022 was very close to "dangerous escalation" on several occasions.

"The decision of the Serbs to leave the Kosovo institutions in November created a serious vacuum in the north, which still exists. When the barricades were erected in December, we were very, very close to violence and bloodshed," he said.

He said that this crisis was overcome with the support of the USA, EULEX and KFOR.

Lajcak said that the last six months of 2022 were marked by crisis management, and that negotiations have now led to the fact that Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti accepted the European agreement on the normalisation of relations at the end of February.

The formal signing of the agreement, by which, as he explained, Pristina first of all guarantees the protection of the Serbian minority, and Belgrade recognizes Kosovo's documents, did not take place because Belgrade does not recognize Kosovo, explained Lajcak.

"Vucic could not accept any ceremony in which Serbia and Kosovo were treated equally, and Kurti does not accept a ceremony where he was treated differently from Vucic,'' emphasised the former head of Slovak diplomacy.

However, the document was binding by verbal statements, and now the difficult talks are about implementation, from the sequence to the timelines for the implementation of individual steps.

Director of the IIP, Stephanie Fenkart, criticised the EU, recalling that 20 years after the Summit in Thessaloniki, where membership was promised to the countries of the Western Balkans, only Slovenia and Croatia were accepted.

She pointed out that it was not only Serbia that did not recognize Kosovo, but also five EU countries.

"It is necessary to put pressure on those countries to resolve the situation," Fenkart believes.

The situation regarding the countries that do not recognize Kosovo cannot be resolved at that individual level, but a reform of the mechanisms in the EU is needed, said former EU envoy for Kosovo Wolfgang Petritsch.

He expressed the hope that the EU would be able to achieve compromises in the Balkans with its mediating abilities.

"This year is a year of opportunity, because in 2024 there will be elections in the EU, the USA and elsewhere," said Petritsch.

Dacic: CoE's decision was expected, it will be ashamed of this day (Tanjug, media)

Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic said on Monday a Council of Europe (CoE) decision to launch the procedure of reviewing Pristina’s application for membership in the organisation had been expected but would be detrimental to the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue, Tanjug news agency reports.

Thirty-three of 46 CoE member states voted in favour of the move, seven, including Serbia, voted against, five abstained and one took no part in the vote.

"This is a day the CoE will be ashamed of", Dacic said, adding that the Serbian delegation had left the room after the vote as it had not wanted to take part in "tirades", but that Serbia had not left the organisation.

"This day is definitely also the twilight of the CoE statute because this is the first time an application from something that is not a state and is not recognised by the UN, from a territory that is not a UN member state, is to be reviewed", Dacic said.

He thanked Cyprus, Spain, Romania, Azerbaijan and Georgia for voting against and demonstrating that they are "our traditional friends", and expressed special gratitude to Hungary, which, too, voted against despite recognising Kosovo.

"On the other hand, we are really disappointed with the position and the approach of Greece and Slovakia as EU member states that abstained, above all, because we heard from them that they do not recognise Kosovo independence. I would also like to remind that Bosnia and Herzegovina abstained. Imagine the irony! Imagine if Republika Srpska applied for membership now. What irony and brazenness! And they lecture us that we have an influence in a disintegration of the territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. They are directly participating in a disintegration of the territorial integrity of Serbia", Dacic said.

Noting the position of Ukraine, which also abstained, he said: "Look at how many problems we are having with defending the territorial integrity of Ukraine... while Ukraine abstains in a vote about our territorial integrity. That is absolutely unacceptable".

"Also, Armenia was not in the room during the vote. We did not expect such moves from those countries", he added.

Dacic also said he did not know whether or not he was surprised by Montenegro's vote in favour, and noted that the country had thus once again supported a disintegration of Serbia's territorial integrity.

"I would like to really thank them for that", he said ironically.

"I do not know how Serbia deserved that, and I have to say it will definitely have certain consequences for our relations", Dacic said.

He said the decision made it clear to Serbia it had no right to protect its own territorial integrity and sovereignty but was obliged to defend the territorial integrity of any other country.

Dacic added that this was a lesson to Serbia showing that it must never lose a UN majority that supported it on the Kosovo and Metohija issue.

Dodik: "Srpska does not recognize self-proclaimed Kosovo, the ambassador voted outside the procedures" (Tanjug, RTRS, N1)

The President of Republika Srpska Milorad Dodik said that the vote of the Ambassador of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Council of Europe, when deciding on the request of Kosovo for membership, was a proof of constant violation of the Dayton Agreement and the Constitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina, reported Tanjug agency.

"If the position is clear that the self-proclaimed Kosovo is not recognized, then everyone must treat it that way. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Presidency decides on foreign policy, so that decision also requires the consent of others. They do not respect themselves, and they expect others to respect them," said Dodik last night in Laktasi, reported Tanjug, citing RTRS. 

He said that the BiH ambassador voted without the procedure and consent of the Presidency of BiH, in violation of established procedures.

BiH Ambassador to the CoE explained on whose instructions the vote on Kosovo was made

At the session, the deputy ambassador of Bosnia and Herzegovina in Strasbourg, Tanja Milasinovic Martinovic voted, and due to the fighting between the SNSD and the PDP, of which she is a member, Ivan Orlic, the ambassador of Bosnia and Herzegovina to the Council of Europe, also reacted.

"My deputy voted according to my instructions, based on the instructions of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the divided opinion of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina. I am not an anti-Serb ambassador, and my deputy even less so, and everything we do is in the interest of Bosnia and Herzegovina, including the entity Republika Srpska," Orlic told N1 Sarajevo.

PM Brnabic reacts to Von Cramon’s remarks on elections (N1)

Responding to European Parliament (EP) Rapporteur for Kosovo Viola von Cramon’s statement that the boycott of elections in the north of Kosovo goes against democratic standards, Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic said Von Cramon “should be ashamed”, N1 reports.

“You talk about ‘democratic values’!? After organising elections in containers, under supervision of armed forces, recognizing results of the vote of less than 2% of registered voters”, Brnabic wrote on Twitter.

She said Von Cramon should be ashamed, adding “the fact that you aren’t is a problem unto itself”.

Jablanovic to Viola von Cramon: Blackmail and threats do not pass with us (Politika, KiM radio)

President of the Party of Kosovo Serbs, Aleksandar Jablanovic said yesterday that there were no blackmails or threats from Belgrade, thus replying to the statement of the EP rapporteur for Kosovo, Viola von Cramon, that the Serbs in the north did not go to the elections because, as she claimed, of blackmails and threats, reported daily Politika.

"Today's statement by Viola von Cramon about the intimidation of Serbs in the north of Kosovo is an insult to the Party of Kosovo Serbs and me personally. We are obviously not the people with whom von Cramon used to cooperate and give orders to them. Blackmail and threats do not pass with us, and there were none from Belgrade," wrote Jablanovic in a statement, who withdrew his candidacy for mayor of Leposavic three days before the elections.

He underlined that Von Cramon must get used to the new reality, which, as he stated, was a new true unity among Serbs.

"Calling us out for giving up participation in the elections out of fear and threats shows that you don't know us well enough and that everything you said is the result of a completely wrong image you have of Serbs and their courage," wrote Jablanovic.

He invited von Cramon to visit the north of Kosovo and Metohija and added that thus she would see that there were no threats.

"I invite you to come to the north, meet us and see if we are people who can be threatened, or if everything is the result of your lack of information and the desire to blame someone else for the fiasco of the election process, in order to protect your darling Albin Kurti," stated Jablanovic.

Petkovic reacts to Osmani’s remarks on agreement violation (Kosovo Online, social media)

Office for Kosovo and Metohija Director Petar Petkovic reacting to the statement of Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani on agreement’s violation, said she probably referred to the Community of Serb Municipalities that Pristina has not formed up to date, Kosovo Online portal reports.

“When Vjosa Osmani talks about Brussels agreement violation she probably refers to the Community of Serb Municipalities in Kosovo and Metohija. Pristina’s obligations regarding ZSO are contained in the first six points of the Brussels agreement and up to date, ten years later, the result is – zero”, Petkovic wrote in a post on Twitter.

According to Petkovic the audacity of Osmani to teach someone lessons about the violation of the Brussels Agreement was absurd.

"But absurdity is the word that best describes the political philosophy in Pristina. And yesterday's elections clearly confirmed that”, Petkovic also wrote.

Vasiljevic responds to Vela (social media, Kosovo Online)

Press advisor to the Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, Suzana Vasiljevic took to Twitter to respond to the remarks of Blerim Vela, Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani’s chief of cabinet by saying that someone probably has hacked his Twitter profile.

Vasiljevic this way responded to a post on Twitter, Vela posted in relation to Serbia's vote against Pristina’s membership in Council of Europe, saying the move should be penalised, as according to him, it represents violation of the Article 4 of the Brussels agreement.

Vela also told Office for Kosovo and Metohija Director Petar Petkovic that he “should stop barking” while commenting on Petkovic’s reaction that Vjosa Osmani most probably referred to the Community of Serb Municipalities while talking about violation of the agreements.

“It seems someone hacked the profile of this suave man @Blerim_Vela whose cover picture shows the books. If, however, his account has not been compromised, I ask the gentleman in question to swap out the books for a muzzle”, Vasiljevic wrote in a post. 

Dacic and Hill: Continuation of dialogue the only path to concrete results (BETA, N1)

Serbian Foreign Affairs Minister Ivica Dacic and US Ambassador to Belgrade Christopher Hill discussed on Monday the situation in the region and cooperation between the two countries, Foreign Affairs Ministry said in a press release, BETA news agency reports.

The two officials exchanged opinions on the situation in the region, especially following yesterday’s elections in Kosovo and Metohija, the press release adds.

Dacic said Serbia is committed to political dialogue and to strengthening economic and bilateral relations with the US, adding that it is also interested in cooperation in all other areas that have potential which has not been adequately utilised.

Dacic reiterated Serbia’s commitment to the development of regional cooperation and added that preserving peace and stability remains one of its priorities, said the press release.

Hill and Dacic agreed that the continuation of the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue is the only path that will produce concrete results, the statement says.

New law on expropriation - Pristina's new plan to seize Serbian property, says Petkovic (Radio Mitrovica sever, KiM radio, RTS) 

Director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija, Petar Petkovic said that Pristina authorities, led by Albin Kurti, initiated the procedure for passing a new law on expropriation. According to Petkovic, this way the authorities want to legalise the seizure of Serbian land in the north of Kosovo, reported Radio Mitrovica sever. 

"With the new law prepared by Pristina, literally any Serbian facility or land that Kurti points his finger at, the authorities in Pristina can declare as "public interest” and build illegal police and military bases for their special units in that place''.

He said that specifically, article 7, paragraph 2.3.14, points to this: 

"Legitimate public interest refers to facilities, training grounds, barracks, telecommunications lines for military, police and other state and national security authorities, including the security areas around them."

''There is no doubt that this is a new attempt to seize Serbian land, which Pristina is trying to legalise according to its own laws for the sake of realising the occupation's interests.''

Petkovic also said that Pristina hired ''the so-called Ministry of Environment, Spatial Planning, and Infrastructure to secretly draft a new law on expropriation. What is particularly indicative is that an allegedly public hearing was organised for that document, which was conducted by sending emails, far from the public eye, and the deadline for submitting comments on the proposed document expires today", said Petkovic.

He added that the office for KiM in this particular case together with its representatives on the ground, legal teams and the non-governmental sector, will continue the legal fight to protect the interests and property of the Serbian people in the province and will address all international missions and the EU in order to legal usurpation prevented, reported the radio.

Foreign Affairs Committee rejects draft resolution to impose sanctions on Russia (BETA, N1)

The Serbian Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee rejected a draft resolution on aligning Serbia’s foreign policy with that of the European Union (EU) on imposing sanctions on Russia, BETA news agency reports.

The draft resolution, tabled by Committee chair Borko Stefanovic, was backed by two members of this body, one voted against and 12 abstained.

Deputy leader of the opposition Party of Freedom and Justice (SSP) Borko Stefanovic said that the refusal of the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) and Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS) to back the resolution on aligning with EU’s foreign policy and introducing at least partial sanctions against Russia shows that these two political parties are, as he claims, against Serbia’s membership in the EU.

   

Humanitarian/Development

  Kosovo’s economy shows resilience despite slowing growth (worldbank.org) 

The economies of Albania, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia haves surpassed pre-pandemic levels of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), despite the fallout from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, higher energy and food prices, unfavourable weather conditions, tightening financial conditions, and significant uncertainty, according to the latest Western Balkans Regular Economic Report released today.

The outlook for the Western Balkans remains subdued, with GDP growth expected to moderate to 2.6 percent in 2023, mainly driven by private consumption, exports, and, for some countries, by public investment, the report says.

The region now faces the challenges of rebuilding buffers to prepare for future shocks, and in undertaking supply-side reforms to lay the foundations for more sustainable and greener growth, the report says.

“The Western Balkans have shown remarkable resilience despite significant economic headwinds,” said Xiaoqing Yu, World Bank Country Director for the Western Balkans. “To continue weathering the storm presented by multiple economic shocks, countries can achieve high returns by pursuing reforms that boost productivity over the medium term, such as accelerating regional integration, increasing levels of market competition, attracting higher quality investments, and addressing barriers that limit labour force participation, especially among women.”

In Kosovo, in 2022 growth moderated to 3.5 percent driven by exports and private consumption—which continues to show resilience despite inflationary pressures. The fiscal position continued to improve, supported by sustained positive revenue performance – driven by inflation effects and formalisation gains -, and capital investment underspending. GDP growth is expected to pick up modestly, reaching 3.7 percent in 2023, however there are risks to this positive outlook as pressures could rise in case of an inflation rebound and weaker-than-expected EU growth.

“In this context, preserving macroeconomic buffers to respond to the evolving economic environment is key”, said Massimiliano Paolucci, World Bank Country Manager for Kosovo and North Macedonia. “The World Bank on the other hand will continue to support Kosovo’s efforts to make its economy more sustainable and inclusive, and to provide its citizens with more opportunities for a better life.”

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