Albanian Language Media:

•    The head of the CIA meets Kurti (media)
•    Osmani: Alliance with USA, guarantee for security, peace, and success (RTK)
•    Kosovo govt. on Kurti’s meeting with head of CIA: Historical moment (media)
•    Haradinaj: Meetings of CIA head with heads of state, good news (RTK)
•    LDK: Krasniqi and Berishaj lead of energy mafia (RTK)
•    The KSF continues with training in the United States of America (Klan)
Serbian Language Media:  

•   “Bridge over Ibar will not be opened, actors of Banjska attack will be held accountable”: What visit of NATO officials       brings to Belgrade and Pristina? (Danas)
•    FM Djuric: Germany one of Serbia’s most important political, economic partners (N1, FoNet)
•    Trifunovic: Representatives of Pupin Initiative to visit Kosovo, get firsthand information about situation (Kosovo          Online)

Humanitarian/Development:

•    Market near Saint Nikola Church in Gnjilane place where Serbs sell their products (RTV Puls, media)

 

Albanian Language Media:

 

The head of the CIA meets Kurti (media)

The leader of the American Central Intelligence Agency, CIA, William Burns, has visited Kosovo. Burns came to Kosovo after visiting the states of the region. He visited the Presidency of Kosovo on Thursday afternoon. The U.S. Ambassador to Kosovo Jeffrey Hovenier and the director of the Kosovo Intelligence agency Petrit Ajeti, also participated in the meeting with the president.
On Friday morning, he was received in a meeting by the Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti. According to the media, the meeting lasted for an hour.
According to the media, the visit took place under strict security measures, where the police forced journalists to keep a large distance from the area where Burns, who is also a member of the President Joe Biden’s cabinet, was moving
So far, none of the parties has made a statement to the media about his visit.

Osmani: Alliance with USA, guarantee for security, peace, and success (RTK)

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani, wrote in a post on Facebook social media about the meeting with the head of CIA, William Burns. Attaching photos from the meeting, she wrote that the alliance with the United States is a guarantee for security, peace and success!
“The pleasure of welcoming yesterday to the Republic of Kosovo the Head of the American Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), Ambassador William Burns. The alliance with the United States is a guarantee for security, peace and success” Osmani wrote on Facebook.

Kosovo govt. on Kurti’s meeting with head of CIA: Historical moment (media)

Kosovo Prime Minister, Albin Kurti, received the Director of the CIA, William Burns, in a meeting today. "This visit represents an important historical moment in the bilateral relations between Kosovo and the United States", stated Kurti.
A communique issued by the government said that Kurti assessed the visit of the head of the CIA as evidence of stable relations between the two countries, including security in the region and beyond.

"This visit represents an important historical moment in the bilateral relations between Kosovo and the United States, where the commitment of the Government and security and intelligence institutions of Kosovo, headed by the KIA, to advance cooperation with the CIA was highlighted. The historic visit of the Director of the CIA, Mr. William Burns, in Kosovo, is highly valued by the Government of the Republic of Kosovo. It is proof of the strong and stable relations between the two states and is a golden opportunity to deepen strategic cooperation, for peace and security in the region and beyond," the communiqué states.
According to the communique, the Prime Minister informed Burns about economic growth and development in Kosovo, stressing that all internal security challenges are being successfully managed with the strength of the state's fair law.
“Kurti informed Director Burns of the economic growth and development as well as the social and democratic progress of Kosovo, emphasizing that all internal security challenges are being managed successfully with the strength of the just law of our democratic state. In these last three years, he added that the Gross Domestic Product of Kosovo has increased by 33% and the state budget by 35%, in which case 11.1% (or 1/9) of the annual budget is dedicated to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Ministry of Defence", the communiqué further states.

At the end of the meeting, Kurti thanked the director of the CIA for his continuous support to Kosovo, thus reiterating the commitment to deepening cooperation in areas of common interest.

Haradinaj: Meetings of CIA head with heads of state, good news (RTK)

The leader of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK), Ramush Haradinaj, has commented again on the visit of the head of the CIA William Burns to Kosovo and his meetings with Kosovo officials. Haradinaj, who had said that Burns would not meet Prime Minister Albin Kurti because of the blockade imposed by American institutions, reacted again after the meeting of the head of the CIA with Kurti.

"The visit of the director of the Central Intelligence Agency Mr. Burns in Kosovo, is a great honor for Kosovo and good news for our security. For us, integration into the Euro-Atlantic family is vital, and the alliance with America is eternal", Haradinaj wrote on Facebook.
According to him, the institutions of Kosovo must remain steadfast for the alliance with America. "Meetings of the director Mr. Burns with the leaders of the institutions are good news for Kosovo. As for Kurti and his agenda, let time prove it, but no one can endanger Kosovo's alliance with America. It is eternal and vital", Haradinaj wrote.

LDK: Krasniqi and Berishaj lead of energy mafia (RTK)

Visar Azemi, member of the leadership of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) spoke in a media conference about the indictment against the former director of KEK, Nagip Krasniqi. According to him, his installation as head of KEK was problematic. He accused members of the government for coming to his defense and ‘trying to exonerate him.’
“They protected and defended him because they knew that this person was suspected and accused of negotiating a secret tender in the amount of €3.4 million,” he said. 

He also spoke about the ambassador of Kosovo in Croatia, Martin Berishaj. “This infamous couple has been at the head of the energy mafia. Nagip Krasniqi making sure that electricity is bought even in violation of the law and negotiating secret tenders with his cronies and those in power, while the leader of the mafia, Martin Berishaj, who was rewarded with millions of euros by GEN based in Belgrade, mediating. Both of them, Nagip, the same as Martin, were at the head of the energy mafia, both of them were protected by their friend Albin Kurti", Azemi stated.

He has said that the LDK will continue to produce every evidence, until justice does its work without being influenced by the government's attacks, and added that he expects that on February 9, together with the energy mafia, the populist government, which is harmful for Kosovo, will fall.

The KSF continues with training in the United States of America (Klan)

Members of the Kosovo Security Force, Lieutenant Colonel Liridon Poroshtica and Major Ardian Ramadani have successfully completed the "War Game Designer Course" in the United States of America.

This course, according to the announcement of the KSF, aims to develop strategic designers of the war game which will be used for the needs of the Armed Forces and the Ministries of Defense in the creation and development of strategies resulting from the planning and development needs of strength.

"During this course the officers in question have gained special knowledge in the theories and techniques of creating a war game in a professional manner. At the end of the course, the participants create their own game, where our officers have created a strategic game with a focus on the defense of the territory of Kosovo, which has been selected as the best game designed and developed for this generation", the announcement states.

 

Serbian Language Media

 

“Bridge over Ibar will not be opened, actors of Banjska attack will be held accountable”: What visit of NATO officials brings to Belgrade and Pristina? (Danas)

During his visit to Belgrade and Pristina, the Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs and Security Policy of NATO, Boris Ruge, reminded Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic of the obligation to prosecute those responsible for Banjska attack, while during the meeting with Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani it was stressed it is necessary to refrain from unilateral moves such as the potential opening of the Ibar River bridge. While highlighting Banjska represents a repetition of the existing demands of the West, the bridge over the Ibar River will most likely not be opened, according to Milos Pavkovic from the Centre for European Policies, Danas daily reported.
Pavkovic told Danas that messages sent by Ruge to Vucic were just a repetition of a request that has been in place since last year. “Regarding the incidents in Banjska and the protests in the municipality of Zvecan, both NATO and all other Western partners have clearly emphasized at every opportunity that all people involved in the incidents are expected to be held accountable, as well as that Serbia is expected to prosecute them”, Pavković pointed out.

He highlights the conflict in Banjska as a particularly important turning point because it represents something completely unacceptable for the international community. “For this reason, Serbia will be expected to be cooperative in order to be able to count on any support and cooperation with the NATO pact”, he explained.

On the other hand, Pavkovic perceived Ruge’s emphasis on the harmfulness of unilateral moves, such as the potential opening of the Ibar bridge, an equally clear attitude of the international community towards Kosovo authorities.

“When we talk about the meeting with Osmani, there is certainly a focus on the opening of the bridge on the Ibar and the efforts of the Kosovo government to do it without coordination and without the consent of both the Serbian community and Serbia, but also the international community. The international community was quite clear in its condemnations and the fact that it is against such moves”, Pavković stated.

However, he opined that this time things are not the same as after the previous unilateral moves by Pristina, such as the abolition of the dinar and the closure of post offices, because the reaction of the international community was not limited to condemnations only.

“Specifically, the KFOR Mission strengthened its presence on the bridge and sent an additional contingent of soldiers. That is why at this moment it is more difficult, and almost impossible, for (Albin) Kurti to open the bridge, unless he wants to enter into some direct confrontation with the KFOR forces and the NATO”, Pavkovic said, adding that, no matter how “hot-headed” Kurti is, he believes that he is not ready for that move.

Pavkovic perceives KFOR’s preventive reaction as opposed to merely reacting after the government in Pristina makes a move. “Now concretely, I think that the issue of the bridge is finished and that it will not be opened”, Pavković said, noting that this is a somewhat ungrateful prediction.

Because of this, according to our interlocutor, Pristina’s room for maneuvering is really reduced, and if they decide on such an extreme move, he concluded, it would automatically lead to a higher degree of confrontation, first of all with the NATO pact, but also with the Western allies.

FM Djuric: Germany one of Serbia’s most important political, economic partners (N1, FoNet)

Serbian Foreign Minister Marko Djuric met Thursday with German Ambassador Anke Konrad and reaffirmed that Germany is one of Serbia's most significant political and economic partners, said a Ministry press release, N1 reported. He expressed hope that the two countries will continue their collaboration in advancing the development of the Western Balkans and maintaining regional stability, it added.

The Ministry quoted Djuric as saying that Serbia is clearly committed to full membership in the European Union, which will remain its strategic goal, and that, on this path, as well as in the process of realizing its reform agenda, it counts on Germany’s support. He also underscored the importance of the Berlin Process in boosting regional cooperation and accepted an invitation to participate in a ministerial meeting of this process in Berlin at the start of October.
Djuric said Serbia will remain a steadfast pillar of regional stability. Through a positive and credible foreign policy, in partnership with international allies, Serbia will strive to contribute to the advancement of the entire Western Balkans while focusing on its own development and fostering good-neighborly relations, said the press release.

Trifunovic: Representatives of Pupin Initiative to visit Kosovo, get firsthand information about situation (Kosovo Online)

Representatives of the Pupin Initiative, American and Serbian citizens, will depart for Kosovo today to observe the situation on the ground, as we are concerned about the Serbian population and their current situation in Kosovo based on what we read in the press, Ivan Trifunovic, a member of the Pupin Initiative's Advisory Board from Pennsylvania, said in a statement to Kosovo Online.

"This will be a 'fact-finding mission,' as it's called in English, to see what is happening on the ground, but we also want to help improve the situation and promote dialogue between the Albanian and Serbian sides. To that end, we will have discussions with both Serbian and Albanian organizations, and we will also visit the US Embassy in Pristina to meet with US Ambassador Hovenier", Trifunovic added.

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

Humanitarian/Development

 

Market near Saint Nikola Church in Gnjilane place where Serbs sell their products (RTV Puls, media)

A market near the Serbian Orthodox Saint Nikola Church in Gnjilane for the last two decades serves as an important spot where Serbs from neighboring villages sell their agricultural products, RTV Puls reported.
The market takes place on Tuesdays and Thursdays, the offer is various and it starts very early. “We come here at 6:00 in the morning, to take our spot, and arrange the goods. The customers are waiting already”, one the biggest agricultural producers from Kmetovce village, Dragan Markovic told RTV Puls.
“The plums are five euros per kilogram, red onion one euro, black onion 50 cents per kilogram, garlic is five euros, tomato costs 80 cents, paper one euro and a half”, he said.
Nada Simic from Koretiste village is selling cheese, seven euros per kilogram, milk for one euro per liter. She is happy with her customers, she sold everything that she brought at the market on that day.

The sale is over by 10:00 because of the heat. In addition to the small number of Serbs who still live in Gnjilane, customers also include Albanians and Turks. They were happy with the quality of the goods and became regular customers.

Sinan Osmani from Kravarica village said he is buying cheese, milk and vegetables here all the time. He is content with the quality of the products, although prices are a bit high for his pension that amounts to 180 euros monthly.