Albanian Language Media:

• Minister calls on MPs to support emergency measures in energy sector (media)
• Kosovo's energy sector experiencing one of major challenges in last twenty years, KEDS says (media)
• Kurti: Sustainable progress brings together democracy and science (Koha)
• COVID-19: 13 new cases, no deaths (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• "Sad indicator of religious and ethnic intolerance" (KiM radio, KoSSev)
• 17 cases of COVID-19 in Serb areas (KoSSev)
• Borrell: The rhetoric of divisions in 2021 hampered the Western Balkans' path to the EU (Danas, Beta)
• Vulin, Petkovic with Teodosije on the position of Serbian people in Kosovo (Radio Mitrovica sever)
• Balkan Security Network: Serbia has largest army of all ex-Yugoslav republics (Beta, N1)
• Holiday message to negotiators in Pristina, Belgrade, and Brussels (KiM radio)

   

Albanian Language Media  

  Minister calls on MPs to support emergency measures in energy sector (media)

Kosovo's Minister of Economy Artane Rizvanolli urged legislators to support the motion for emergency measures in the energy sector. 

She said the difficulties with regular power supply have become evident particularly in December due to defects in the Kosova A and B power plants "and we also had an increase of the electricity consumption, considering that around 80 percent of consumers are households whose use of power increased significantly as a result of temperature drop." 

Rizvanolli argued that the emergency measures would include a 60-day period and foresees the setting up of a technical committee, chaired by the Ministry of Economy and consisting of main energy sector actors and experts, to take measures depending on the need in order to facilitate the overcoming of the crisis. "Such a decision enables the government to take measures related to the imposition of restrictions on the supply of the consumers or the imposition of special obligations on energy enterprises."

Rizvanolli made the comments at an extraordinary session of the Assembly, called to discuss the energy crisis. 

The opposition parties have meanwhile blamed the Government for the crisis. 

Leader of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) Memli Krasniqi said the party has called on the government to declare an emergency situation more than two weeks ago but not one that would be a "blank cheque to switch off power to citizens whenever the government institutions see fit."  

Leader of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) Lumir Abdixhiku said all countries in Europe are facing energy crises but that they acted swiftly while the Government of Kosovo, he added, is six months late in addressing the situation. Abdixhiku accused the Government of not dedicating sufficient attention to the energy in its programme: "When you cover the energy in half a page text of course you will not be able to overcome the crisis with a blanket, this is why we hear populist complaining fairytales."

Meanwhile, Besnik Tahiri from the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) accused the Government of Kosovo and Prime Minister Albin Kurti of displaying "a total lack of responsibility" by what he said was ignoring the energy crisis.

Kosovo's energy sector experiencing one of major challenges in last twenty years, KEDS says (media)

Kosovo Energy Distribution Services (KEDS) issued a statement concerning the current power supply situation in Kosovo saying that while it understands the protest held yesterday against power cuts, "the energy sector in Kosovo is experiencing one of the greatest challenges since the end of the war" and that it sympathises with all affected by recent measures.

"This year we are facing a global crisis of price increase, enormous increase in consumption and production drop. These factors affect the entire electricity system," KEDS said.

It added that the company has managed to maintain a system free of restrictions in the past years which, KEDS noted, shows that the privatisation was successful. "We have invested almost 200 million euros and our overall operation at present is much more efficient. These investments have tangibly increased the quality of services for the citizens and businesses across Kosovo."

KEDS said it is time for all energy to be channelled on overcoming this situation, "through concrete actions", and not spend it on "attacks that undermine the credibility of the company inside and outside the country and deny the company's progress throughout the years."

Kurti: Sustainable progress brings together democracy and science (Koha)

Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, said today at a seminar on electrical and computer engineering underway in Pristina that qualitative education is key to sustainable economic and social development and that this requires transformation in all levels of the education sector.

Kurti said that digitalisation is one of the crucial components of the reform process adding that such an undertaking calls for joint efforts on the part of the public and private sectors. "In addition to improving and advancing the education system, through digital transformation and e-governance, we are aiming to increase transparency, accountability and improve all our services towards citizens and businesses. Sustainable progress is what brings democracy and science together," he said.

 COVID-19: 13 new cases, no deaths (media)

13 new cases of COVID-19 have been recorded in Kosovo in the last 24 hours, the Ministry of Health said in its daily report. Six persons recovered during this time.

There are 350 active cases of COVID-19 in Kosovo.

     

Serbian Language Media

  "Sad indicator of religious and ethnic intolerance" (KiM radio, KoSSev)

On the desecration of the Orthodox cemetery in Kisnica near Gracanica, the brotherhood of the monastery Visoki Decani also announced.

As stated on the official Twitter account of the monastery, this "latest crime is a sad indicator of ethnic and religious intolerance."

"Media both in Serbian and Albanian report on desecration of the Serbian Orthodox cemetery in Kisnica, central Kosovo. Several tombstones have been damaged in the last days. This latest crime is now an indicator of ethnic & religious intolerance. Police investigation is expected," tweeted the monastery, cited KiM radio.

17 cases of COVID-19 in Serb areas (KoSSev)

In the Serbian communities in Kosovo, according to the latest data, another 17 people became ill with coronavirus, the Crisis Staff of the municipality of Kosovska Mitrovica announced.

A total of 143 samples were tested. New cases by municipalities: North Mitrovica and Strpce 4 each, Zubin Potok - 3, Zvecan and Leposavic 2 each, and Gnjilane and Gracanica 1 each.

Currently, 86 cases are active in Serbian communities in Kosovo, 62 people came out of the fourteen-day isolation.

Borrell: The rhetoric of divisions in 2021 hampered the Western Balkans' path to the EU (Danas, Beta)

The head of European diplomacy, Josep Borrell, stated that the growth of moves and rhetoric of divisions across the Western Balkans in 2021 hampered efforts to bring the region closer to the European future, reported daily Danas.

In his New Year's blog, in which he referred to the most important events in the last year, in connection with the EU's foreign policy, Borrell stated that this was especially true of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

"Rising rhetoric and divisive actions across the Western Balkans, especially in Bosnia and Herzegovina, have hampered efforts to bring the six countries closer to their European future," Borrell said.

He also wrote that while the hybrid conflict was spreading, the EU must continue to support Ukraine or Moldova "in resisting Russian pressure" and maintain an "uncompromising approach" to Belarus.

He defined 2021 as "the year of transition", stating that "geopolitical changes have" intensified with the policy of power that has repeatedly called into question the EU and its values. "

"We must respond with all the determination we can muster," said the EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.

Borrell pointed out that the coronavirus pandemic lasted longer than expected a year ago, stating that the omicron strain again requires the introduction of large restrictions and threatens recovery.

"However, we know that vaccines make a big difference. Most Europeans received at least two doses. Since December 2020, the EU has been exporting vaccines against the coronavirus without interruption," he said.

However, Borrell added, unequal vaccination rates across continents highlight the need to accelerate donations and develop local vaccine production capacities, especially in Africa.

He said the pandemic had stopped developing countries from keeping up with the developed world, adding that it had led to an increase in world hunger and poverty.

"The World Bank estimates the number of people, who have fallen below the poverty line due to the coronavirus, at around 150 million. We must do more to reverse this trend and tackle growing inequalities," Borrell wrote.

He stated that, in addition to facing the pandemic, the EU agenda and the international level, numerous crises have dominated, in Belarus, Ukraine, Mali, Sudan, Afghanistan, Ethiopia and Venezuela.

"Being in a permanent crisis management regime sometimes weakens our capacity to deal with long-term issues that should be at the heart of our foreign policy, such as revitalizing multilateralism, or balanced migration management, or the energy and climate crisis or digital transition rules," Borrell pointed out.

In addition to many setbacks and challenges, there were positive developments in 2021, Borrell said, citing the leading role of EU diplomacy in the fight against climate change at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow.

In the years to come, the relations between the EU and the USA were renewed under President Joseph Biden, Borrell estimated.

"The new direction of the American administration has enabled us to make progress, for example in terms of climate change, negotiations on Iran's nuclear program and corporate taxation," he said.

He stated that the EU and the USA held "close consultations" on China and the Indo-Pacific region at the end of the year and agreed to start a dialogue on security and defense.

When it comes to China, the unity of the EU was maintained, which recognized that it sees that country as a partner, competitor, and systemic rival at the same time, Borrell added.

Vulin, Petkovic with Teodosije on the position of Serbian people in Kosovo (Radio Mitrovica sever)

Minister of Internal Affairs, Aleksandar Vulin, met yesterday with the Bishop of Raska and Prizren, Teodosije, and the Director of the office for KiM, Petar Petkovic and discussed the position of the Serbian people in Kosovo and thanked the church for “persistent struggle for the survival of the Serbian people”.

Vulin pointed out that Serbia “takes exceptional care of its people in Kosovo and Metohija, and that all human and religious rights of the Serbian people must be protected and respected, as well as their holy shrines”, it was said in the statement.

He called on the international community to “finally start abiding by its competences and mandate and force the provisional authorities in Pristina to start respecting and implementing agreements and to return the confiscated land to the Serbian Orthodox Church in Kosovo and Metohija”, reported Radio Mitrovica sever.

Balkan Security Network: Serbia has largest army of all ex-Yugoslav republics (Beta, N1)

Serbia still has the most significant armed forces among the countries of former Yugoslavia, making up about 40 percent of the number of all armies created by the disintegration of the SFRY, the Balkan Security Network website reported on Tuesday.

The country has 22,500 people under arms, followed by Croatia with 14,836 and BiH with 14,431. North Macedonia has 6,850 members, Slovenia has 5,889, and Montenegro has 1,720 members.

“Among those 22,500 people in the Army of Serbia (VJ), there are some 4,200 officers, 6,500 non-commissioned officers, 8,200 professional soldiers and about 3,500 civilians. Unlike others, Serbia has many institutions for education, military medical protection, arms research and development, and logistics,” the website added.

Besides Serbia and BiH, the other four former Yugoslav republics are NATO member states.

Earlier on Tuesday, Serbia's Defense Minister Nebojsa Stefanovic announced a larger budget for the Army and said that the country would invest 1.25 billion euros in the next five years in military equipment.

See at: https://bit.ly/3mDD3DZ Holiday message to negotiators in Pristina, Belgrade, and Brussels (KiM radio)

Civil society organizations and the media gathered around the Open platform wished  a happy New year to the negotiators in Brussels, Belgrade, and Pristina, reported KiM radio.

"We wish you enough strength for the solutions you strive for, enough responsibility for them to be for the benefit of ordinary citizens and in that process enough wisdom not to deepen intolerance and animosity among people," the congratulatory message reads.

The congratulations were signed by: New Social Initiative (NSI), Human Center Mitrovica, Communication for Social Development (CSD), Institute for Territorial Economic Development (InTER), RTV Kim, Aktiv, Center for Affirmative Social Action (CASA), Forum for Development and Multiethnic Cooperation (FDMC), Center for Minority Rights (CRMC), Black and White World, Caglavica Media Center.