Albanian Language Media:

• Kurti thanks Prime Minister of Bulgaria for active support (media)
• Maqedonci: In addition to USA, Kosovo also discussing with other countries about purchase of weapons (media)
• The EU appeals to Serbia: Allow Svecla’s visit to the Valley (RTK)
• Szunyog: Elections in the north should be held as soon as possible, participation of Serbs should not be conditioned (Koha)
• Rasmussen: Brussels has an obligation to integrate Kosovo and Serbia into EU, it is basis for peace and stability (VoA)
• U.S. Senator Ricketts meets ambassador Dugolli (Express)
• Opposition with resolution demands reduction of energy price, LVV against (media)
• Krasniqi demands full investigation and responsibility for explosion in Trepca (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Serbian List: By banning dinars Serbs would be expelled from Kosovo (Kosovo Online)
• Krtinic refutes Ugljanin’s allegations: He told us yesterday that everything is fine (KoSSev)
• Collection of signatures to recall mayors in Mitrovica North and Leposavic enters second day (Kosovo Online)
• Zeqiri: Sports hall to be signatures collection spot, collection may start as of tomorrow (KoSSev)
• Vuksanovic says local authorities in Zvecan obstruct initiation of petition to recall mayor (Kosovo Online)
• SNV on possible termination of payment transactions (KoSSev)
• Sekulic: Termination of payment transactions with central Serbia would cause humanitarian disaster (Kosovo Online)
• Covic: Announcements from Pristina on terminating payment transactions additional pressure on Serbs aiming to drive them out of Kosovo (RTS)
• Office for KiM: Two returnee’s houses in Istok robbed (media)
• Swimming for Holy Cross at Gazivode lake to be organized by House of Culture (KoSSev)
• EP debates Serbian elections, Bilcik also expresses criticism (N1)

   

Albanian Language Media  

  Kurti thank Prime Minister of Bulgaria for active support (media)

Today in Davos, on the third day of participation in the World Economic Forum, the Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, held a bilateral meeting with the Prime Minister of Bulgaria, Nikolai Denkov.

According to the prime minister's communication office, they spoke about bilateral relations, about the 13 agreements signed so far between the two countries and 7 others that are in the process of being finalized, about interstate and regional cooperation as well as the security situation in the region.

"Prime Minister Kurti thanked his Bulgarian counterpart for the support that Bulgaria has given to Kosovo in the visa liberalization process, for the active support in the process of membership in the Council of Europe and for the contribution in the field of security and defense through its participation in the mission of KFOR".

Maqedonci: In addition to USA, Kosovo also discussing with other countries about purchase of weapons (media)

Kosovo’s Minister of Defense, Ejup Maqedonci spoke about Kosovo's request to the United States of America to buy Javelin missiles worth 75 million dollars, and about the reports on the danger of war.

"The dangerous situation for war is precisely due to the fact that Serbia continues to have a hegemonic and aggressive approach in relation to Kosovo. All this deployment of Serbian forces in the south of Serbia and along the border with Kosovo is just a military extension of Serbian politics and this keeps the situation in the Balkans in tension", he said.

He added that "threats from the Republic of Serbia may be more visible now due to the fact that we have the presence of the Kosovo army in the north of the country".

"This has brought to the surface all the tendencies of groups that in some form have been operating illegally for many years in the northern part. The threat and danger has always been there. The revealing was made because of the legality that is being put there", said the Minister of Defense.

He also spoke about armaments.

"No weapon system is bought outside the plan we have. The acceleration of the last purchase was due to the budget we have from the government of Kosovo, but also with an additional budget, and this has accelerated the purchase. There is also accelerated training. We are not doing anything outside of the plan we have for the development of the Kosovo Force. Not all of them are known to the public because every army has confidentiality", Maqedonci said.

He has also noted that "Kosovo purchases weapons from NATO countries, such as Germany, Italy, Croatia, Turkey".

"We are also discussing with other countries besides the USA for the purchase of weapons", he said. "Even with the USA, we made other purchases even before the Javelin was made public", said Maqedonci.

Regarding the purchase of "Javelin" missiles, which is expected to receive the green light from the American Congress, Maqedonci expressed optimism that it will soon be approved.

EU appeals to Serbia: Allow Svecla’s visit to the Valley (RTK)

The European Union (EU) has asked the Belgrade authorities to enable the visit of Kosovo’s Minister of Internal Affairs, Xhelal Svecla to Serbia.

In a written response, the spokesperson of the European Union, Peter Stano, has said that the visit of minister Svecla to Serbia was announced in accordance with the dialogue agreement on official visits.

"Therefore, Serbia should allow this visit to happen", said the spokesman Stano.

The Minister of Internal Affairs of Kosovo, Xhelal Svecla, had confirmed at the beginning of January that Serbian authorities have rejected the request made for a visit to the Presheva Valley.

In the framework of the dialogue on the normalization of relations, Kosovo and Serbia already have an agreement on the official visits to the respective countries.

In this regard, spokesman Stano appealed to the parties to fully and unconditionally implement all dialogue agreements, including the Agreements on official visits and freedom of movement.

Szunyog: Elections in the north should be held as soon as possible, participation of Serbs should not be conditioned (Koha)

The EU ambassador in Kosovo, Tomas Szunyog, has said that he is very pleased that the Serbs of Kosovo have used their right to collect signatures for the dismissal of the mayors in North Mitrovica and Leposaviq. He has called to start collecting signatures in Zubin-Potok and Zvecan.

"Satisfied to see the Kosovo Serbs using their democratic right, provided by the legal framework of Kosovo, and have started collecting the necessary signatures for the petition for the dismissal of the mayors in North Mitrovica and Leposaviq. Call on the Kosovo authorities at the central and local level to provide all the necessary documents and allow citizen groups to initiate the collection of signatures also in Zubin Potok and Zvecan. It is key to hold the extraordinary local elections in the north of Kosovo as soon as possible with the unconditional participation of the Kosovo Serbs", Szunypog wrote on X platform.

Rasmussen: Brussels has an obligation to integrate Kosovo and Serbia into EU, it is basis for peace and stability (VoA)

"I will not comment on the specific arms shipments, but in general I would say that I think we should make an additional effort to integrate all the Balkan countries into the Euro-Atlantic structures," said the former NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen.

He made this statement when asked about Kosovo's request for the purchase of 246 Javelin missiles from the USA and whether this is a signal for Belgrade.

"In particular, the European Union has an obligation to try to integrate Serbia, as well as Kosovo, into the European Union. In the past, we have seen that this is the basis for more lasting peace and stability on the European continent," Rasmussen told VoA.

U.S. Senator Ricketts meets ambassador Dugolli (Express)

The U.S. senator, Pete Ricketts, met with the ambassador of Kosovo in Washington, Ilir Dugolli. Ricketts appreciated the meeting and indicated that Dugolli informed him about the efforts being made to normalize relations between Kosovo and Serbia.

“Appreciated meeting with the Ambassador Ilir Dugolli today. He updated me on efforts to normalize relations between Kosovo and Serbia. I emphasized to him the importance of working together to keep Russian & CCP influence out of the Western Balkans,” Senator Ricketts wrote.

Opposition with resolution demands reduction of energy price, LVV against (media)

The political opposition entities have assessed the price of electricity as unaffordable for the citizens of Kosovo. In today's parliamentary session, through a resolution, PDK, LDK and AAK have asked the ERO to cancel the decision to raise the price of electricity. The Vetevendosje Movement has not agreed with this initiative of the opposition.

The head of the Parliamentary Group of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo, Besnik Tahiri, has said that Prime Minister Kurti has no problem with the spread of the social crisis, being at the head of the government which is emptying Kosovo.

The leader of the Democratic Party of Kosovo, Memli Krasniqi, said during the Assembly session that the Kurti government gave the citizens 100 euros and after two days took it back through electricity bills.

The head of the LVV Parliamentary Group, Mimoza Kusari - Lila, in her address to the MPs, called the PDK, LDK and AAK initiative frivolous.

"The resolution is not serious, it does not contribute to the solution. Extraordinary sessions for the energy sector, investigative commissions, you have continuously abstained from voting with non-participation in the development of policies. The constant challenges of this sector are also your responsibility," said Kusari-Lila.She said that this issue should be discussed in a regular parliamentary session.

Krasniqi demands full investigation and responsibility for explosion in Trepca (media)

On Wednesday, 13 miners of the Trepca Mine were injured as a result of an explosion of a canister with sulfuric acid. Of them, 2 suffered more serious injuries, but not life-threatening.

The leader of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK), Memli Krasniqi, has demanded responsibility. He said that it is necessary to conduct a complete and independent investigation to identify the causes and responsibilities in this event "which could have ended in fatality".

In a post on Facebook, he said that despite constant requests to the current government, "the miners of Trepca have experienced the lack of adequate treatment".

"The government of Kosovo must listen to the demands of the miners and must take urgent and concrete actions to guarantee better conditions and safety in the workplace", Krasniqi wrote.

He wished the injured workers speedy recovery and full support.

   

Serbian Language Media

  Serbian List: By banning dinars Serbs would be expelled from Kosovo (Kosovo Online)

Serbian List said today “the decision of Albin Kurti’s regime to ban use of dinars as of February 1 is in fact a decision to expel Serbs from those areas without use of weapons”, Kosovo Online portal reports.

“Following all sorts of institutional violence used against Serbian people by (Albin) Kurti’s authoritarian regime, which had not managed to expel all Serbs from Kosovo and Metohija, it has now decided to ban dinars in Kosovo and this way the most directly endanger physical survival of the Serbian population”, reads the statement.

It added that if one has in mind that dozens thousands Serbs live and survive in Kosovo and all Serbian institutions function thanks to the financial contributions from the Serbian state, then it can be imagined what would happen with the Serbian population if dinars were banned.

The Serbian List warned that implementation of this decision “would cause a classic ethnic cleansing of Serbs and non-Albanians from those areas”, adding it must be an alarm for the international community to urgently react and “stop (Albin) Kurti’s madness before it is too late”.

Krtinic refutes Ugljanin’s allegations: He told us yesterday that everything is fine (KoSSev)

Collection of signatures to recall Mitrovica North mayor continued this morning as well. For Mitrovica North MA chair Nedzat Ugljanin this is about “undemocratic process organized under the shadow of Serbian List”, and that citizens were allegedly blackmailed to sign it, KoSSev portal reports.

One of the initiators of the petition, Sanja Krtinic refuted Ugljanin’s allegations, the portal added.

“Ugljanin visited this place yesterday and spoke with us. He told us the process runs regularly, the way it should. He was on the spot, checked how it goes, I do not know what that statement now is about”, she told KoSSev. She added Ugljanin’s allegations demonstrate “what politics they are pursuing”.

“It is a shame to say that this is not a democratic process if it is a petition launched by citizens themselves. And when it comes to recalling the mayor – if someone won one to two percent of votes, it is an automatic signal that he is an illegitimate representative in our town”, she said.

She also rejected the possibility of annulling the petition based on Ugljanin’s claims that he will report the manner in which the process was organized was allegedly “undemocratic due to pressure and blackmail”.

“Honestly I do not think there is such a possibility, these records are not checked by Ugljanin, but by Central Election Commission”, Krtinic stressed.

Collection of signatures to recall mayors in Mitrovica North and Leposavic enters second day (Kosovo Online)

Sanja Krtinic, from initiators group organizing collection of signatures to recall Mitrovica North mayor, told Kosovo Online portal that the second day of petition’s signing goes in a satisfactory manner. She called upon citizens who have not signed the petition yet to do so today.

“We are satisfied. Today we will be open the same as yesterday, from 9.00 to 16.00 hrs for all citizens and I am using this opportunity to call upon them to come and sign a petition in order to recall illegitimate and illegal mayors from power”, she said.

Collection of signatures is ongoing without problems in Leposavic as well. Unlike yesterday when there were crowds waiting in queues to sign a petition, today smaller groups of citizens were coming constantly, the portal added. The initiators of the petition told Kosovo Online that until 10.00 today, more than 1.500 citizens signed it.

Zeqiri: Sports hall to be signatures collection spot, collection may start as of tomorrow (KoSSev)

Zubin Potok mayor Izmir Zeqiri said the location for collecting the signatures to recall the mayor has been set, adding it is a local sports hall in this town, KoSSev portal reports. He also said the authorization to use the premise will be delivered to the initiators group during the day and they may start collecting the signatures as of tomorrow.

Leader of Civic Initiative For Zubin Potok and one of the presidents of recently established Serbian Peoples’ Movement party, Milija Bisevac told KoSSev portal that there are no indicators yet if and when signing of a petition will commence.

He said he will sign a petition as a citizen, but does not support it as a tool to reach the aim – replacement of a mayor.

“We were also saying before that dismissal of the mayor should have happened, because he is elected in an illegitimate manner, and also his very acts were absolutely not in line with the function he was supposed to perform, he does not serve the people and does not represent the stances of the people. As far as the petition is concerned, initiators and those who brought us to this situation, did not make announcements. Also, not a single reason because of which we left the institutions had been fulfilled. I think this is yet another political manipulation”, he said.

Bisevac recalled that if 20 percent of signatures in Zubin Potok are collected, then a referendum will be organized and in order for the initiative to be successful, dismissal of the mayor must be supported by more than 50 percent of voters.

"It is another torture of the people. I believe that this issue should go through the Brussels dialogue, where the mayors would resign and withdraw from those positions, and only then organize elections. I believe this is just another indication of the crisis ahead. I don't think anything can be changed with this petition, because Pristina, in accordance with the instruction, will always have a way to prolong the decision”, Bisevac emphasized.

Vuksanovic says local authorities in Zvecan obstruct initiation of petition to recall mayor (Kosovo Online)

Zvecan mayor Ilir Peci said today he was not able to receive members of the initiators group to recall the mayor to agree on mechanisms on how to proceed with collection of signatures because MA chair was on a business trip in Glogovac, Kosovo Online portal reports.

Member of the initiators group from Zvecan Darko Vuksanovic accused local authorities of further obstruction to the process. Vuksanovic said they sent several emails to the MA chair, but did not receive a reply and her consent is  needed regarding signatures collection point.

“Let them set the time and the meeting and we will be available. We could hold that meeting also now, but we were not informed, and because the MA chair is not here, we must wait for her to come back in the afternoon hours”, Peci said, explaining that the meeting could take place at around 14.00 today.

Vuksanovic said he received an email yesterday at 17.15 informing him that the meeting was scheduled at 16.30 and he was not aware of it. He responded he was ready to come to the premises at 9.00 this morning but upon getting there, they were told to wait for the interpreter first, and then that the chairwoman would come back at 14.00 only. He said the members are ready to have a meeting at 14.00 hrs today.

SNV on possible termination of payment transactions (KoSSev)

Concession to Pristina as a part of silent implementation of Franco-German proposal on normalization of relations between Belgrade and Pristina – this is how Serbian National Council (SNV) interprets the outcome of the Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic’s statement that Pristina plans to terminate payment transactions and ban use of dinar in Kosovo, KoSSev portal reports.

"Accustomed to such defeatist statements by the President of Serbia, which for the umpteenth time announce an additional worsening of living conditions of remaining Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija, the Serbian National Council interprets them as another in a series of pre-arranged agreements with Pristina, the implementation of which has now come”, SNV said.

Such suspicion, they added, is supported by the “"recommendation" of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija, which, as they claim, was given to employees of Serbian institutions in Kosovo at the end of last year, primarily those in education and health systems - to close their current accounts in NLB-Commercial Bank and open new ones in Postal Saving Bank”.

"The aim of such decision by Belgrade, in further negotiations with Pristina, which, as President Vucic claims announces the abolition of payment transactions with central Serbia and the ban on the use of dinars, could be the announcement of finding a solution for the future financing of employees in the institutions of the Republic of Serbia in Kosovo and Metohija through Ministry of Finance of the so-called Republic of Kosovo", SNV said in a statement.

Sekulic: Termination of payment transactions with central Serbia would cause humanitarian disaster (Kosovo Online)

If termination of the payment transactions with central Serbia and the ban on use of dinars in Kosovo materialize it would cause humanitarian disaster, chair of the Association of Serbian Entrepreneurs from Gracanica Sasa Sekulic said, adding that elderly people receive pensions from Serbia, but also those employed in health, education and many other institutions also receive their salaries in dinars, Kosovo Online portal reports.

“(…) it is bad news, as the news on banning import of Serbian goods was bad, but this is even worse. I appeal to the Kosovo government not to do so, on behalf of entrepreneurs, and I also call upon all Serbian political representatives to talk to international stakeholders, also with government representatives in Pristina not to make this decision”, he said.

According to him, termination of payment transactions with central Serbia would cause humanitarian disaster. “I would mention elderly citizens who receive pensions, it would be a humanitarian disaster, because many of them receive pensions that postmen bring to their home addresses. What will happen with that, where will they receive their pensions? And there is another thing, many Albanians receive pensions from Republic of Serbia, where will they receive them? I still hope that Pristina will not make this decision, but also everything should be done in order not to have it made. Also many entrepreneurs working in the Serbian system use dinars for trade”, he added.

Covic: Announcements from Pristina on terminating payment transactions additional pressure on Serbs aiming to drive them out of Kosovo (RTS)

Former head of the Serbian coordination center, Nebojsa Covic said Pristina’s announcements on terminating the payment transactions with central Serbia and ban on using dinars represents “yet another in a series of provocative measures and a pressure exerted upon Serbian ethnic community”, RTS reports. He opined the act will cause additional pressure aiming at expelling Serbs from Kosovo.

According to him these are all measures of Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti that serve to increase pressure to create so-called “apartheid under supervision of the international community” in Kosovo.

“You saw (the situation) related to the license plates, now to dinar, Serbian Orthodox Church and not to mention permanent pressure, special police forces, long-barreled weapons, usurpation of Serbian properties”, Covic said.

"There is already talk in Brussels circles that the project related to the area of ​​Kosovo and Metohija is such that there will be less than one percent of Serbs there, and obviously this is all being done. I think it is very important to stop this, otherwise, there may be an escalation of new conflict", he added.

Office for KiM: Two returnee’s houses in Istok robbed (media)

Two houses of Serb returnees, Marinko Blagojevic and Tomislav Radivojevic, in the village of Ljubozda, in Istok municipality have been robbed, Office for Kosovo and Metohija said in a statement, adding the spiral of violence against Serb returnee families continues, Kosovo Online portal reports.

“Only a few days ago, during the Christmas holidays two more houses of Zarko Zaric and Radomir Ristic were robbed in this small village. And at the beginning of this year the house of Miodrag Kostic from Plemetina was targeted”, the Office said in a statement.

It added that such frequented attacks on peaceful Serbian population, who only wish to live at their homes, and in particular against returnees who are the most vulnerable group, were “more than clear message of the Albanian extremists that they do not wish to build peaceful co-existence and do everything they can to intimidate and expel Serbs”.

The office said politicians in Pristina do not show willingness to sanction such incidents, on the contrary with their statements they target the Serbs and thus generate violence on the ground.

Swimming for Holy Cross at Gazivode lake to be organized by House of Culture (KoSSev)

Epiphany swimming for Holy Cross will be organized at Gazivode lake, by House of Culture “Stari Kolasin” from Zubin Potok. They said that Epiphany swimming is organized under the auspices of Zubin Potok municipality. Interested participants are invited to register on the spot as of 11.30, while swimming will take place at 12.30.

Previously Raska-Prizren Eparchy cancelled the swimming citing organizational and security reasons.

KoSSev portal said the news on cancellation was met with disapproval from local public on social media, including the comments on the portal.

EP debates Serbian elections, Bilcik also expresses criticism (N1)

The call for competent Serbian authorities to investigate all credible reports of irregularities in the December 17 elections in a transparent manner was repeatedly made at the European Parliament (EP) Wednesday debate on Serbia, while EP Standing Rapporteur on Serbia Vladimir Bilcik also criticized the elections, N1 reports.

European Commissioner for Justice Didier Reynders said these elections were very important, and that they were observed by very international missions.

“Though technically well administered and offering voters a choice of political alternatives, they were dominated by the decisive involvement of the (Serbian) President, which, together with the ruling party’s systemic advantages, created unjust conditions”, he said.

He said it was concluded in the observers’ preliminary report that the electoral process requires tangible improvement and further reform.

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