• EU Ambassador Orav meets new UNMIK chief Peter N Due (media)
• Emergency Management Agency after the floods: Situation has improved (Express)
• Infrastructure minister says all roads passable, but appeals for caution (RFE)
• Arrests in Kosovo, Kosovo Insurance Bureau said it denounced the violations (media)
• Osmani: Kosovo’s voice is getting stronger everyday (media)
• Haliti: Time for a president from an agreement between govt and opposition (media)
• Kosovo’s gross foreign debt up 16.2% y/y in Q3 (SeeNews)
• Kosovo awards 3.96 mln euro road overhaul deal to local tie-up (SeeNews)
• Serbia deepens military ties with China through drones, air defense systems (RFE)

EU Ambassador Orav meets new UNMIK chief Peter N Due (media)

Several news websites cover a social media post by EU Ambassador to Kosovo, Aivo Orav, about his meeting today with the new Special Representative of the Secretary General and Head of UNMIK, Peter N. Due. “We discussed cooperation between the EU and UN in Kosovo and support for all communities and inter-ethnic trust-building,” Orav said in a post on X.

Emergency Management Agency after the floods: Situation has improved (Express)

Kosovo’s Emergency Management Agency said in a statement today after the recent heavy rainfall and floods, the situation has improved after the rain stopped and snow started falling. The agency also said that the level of water in the main rivers has started dropping and does not represent an immediate threat for new floods.

Infrastructure minister says all roads passable, but appeals for caution (RFE)

Kosovo’s caretaker Minister of Infrastructure, Hysen Durmishi, said today that after the snowfall all roads in Kosovo are passable but also called for increased caution in traffic. “Throughout the night, we have intervened in most of the roads that are within the competence of the ministry. Even this morning we continued to work on cleaning the streets and throwing salt,” he wrote in a Facebook post.

Arrests in Kosovo, Kosovo Insurance Bureau said it denounced the violations (media)

The economic crimes unit of Kosovo Police, in an operation led by the Basic Prosecution in Prizren, started an operation in several parts of Kosovo early this morning, resulting in several arrests, Radio Free Europe reports. The Kosovo Insurance Bureau (BKS) said it had initiated the action as a damaged party “as a result of conclusions identified in the report of the internal auditor”. “As part of the Bureau’s continuous engagement for institutional transparency and integrity and to protect public interest, after evidencing serious violations and suspected abuse, the Kosovo Insurance Bureau took immediate legal action by informing the competent law enforcement authorities about the findings,” the bureau said in a statement today. It also said that it had made available all documents and information to the authorities for further investigation.

Chief prosecutor of the Basic Prosecution in Prizren, Petrit Kryeziu, told Radio Free Europe earlier in the day that “over 40 suspects, in almost all parts of Kosovo” are targeted in the operation.

Betimi per Drejtesi – a specialized website for monitoring the rule of law – quoted sources as saying that among the arrested are former BKS Director Sami Mazreku, and former finance director Valon Berisha. 

According to some news websites, Mazreku and Berisha are suspected of abusing €1 million.

Osmani: Kosovo’s voice is getting stronger everyday (media)

Most news websites cover a Facebook post by Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani today summarizing five years of her work, and visits, meetings and activities abroad, aimed at strengthening Kosovo’s “international standing”. “When Kosovo speaks with dignity, the world listens. Kosovo’s voice is getting stronger every day!” she said.

See more at: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1AhbHqAJqV/

Several news websites note that Osmani was elected President in April 2021 and her mandate will expire in March this year. In recent interviews she has expressed readiness for another term in office. 

Haliti: Time for a president from an agreement between govt and opposition (media)

MP from the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) Xhavit Haliti, in an interview with Indeksonline today, said it is not known yet who will be the candidate for Kosovo President and if there is any agreement on the issue. He said he would act based on the decision taken by his party. “Personally, I think the time has come for the President to be elected from an agreement between the government and the opposition,” he said, adding that he cannot mention a specific name for the post. 

Kosovo’s gross foreign debt up 16.2% y/y in Q3 (SeeNews)

Kosovo's gross external debt amounted to 4.43 billion euro ($5.4 billion) at the end of the third quarter, up from 3.97 billion euro a year earlier, the central bank said. Gross debt in the public sector increased to 1.02 billion euro at end-September, from 872.6 million euro a year earlier, the central bank said in a data release earlier this week. The private sector's gross debt reached 3.6 billion euro, up from 3.1 billion euro at the end of the same quarter of the previous year. On a quarterly comparison basis, gross foreign debt rose 3.2% at the end of September, compared to the end of June.

Kosovo awards 3.96 mln euro road overhaul deal to local tie-up (SeeNews)

Kosovo's infrastructure ministry said it has signed a 3.96 million euro ($4.63 million) contract with a consortium of two local construction firms for the overhaul of a 24-kilometre road segment linking the southeastern village of Doganaj to the village of Gllobocice at the border with North Macedonia.

The companies - NNT ABC and FS C ING - are due to complete works on the road segment within a 160-day period from the start, the ministry said in a contract notice last week. Registered in 2021, FS C ING is owned by Fitim Sylejmani, according to Kosovo's business register. NNT ABC, owned by Mirsad Jetullahu, was founded in 2022.

Serbia deepens military ties with China through drones, air defense systems (RFE)

Amid growing tensions between global powers and continued instability in the Western Balkans, Serbia has intensified its military cooperation with China, acquiring advanced drones and air defense systems that signal a deepening strategic alignment.

While Belgrade continues to proclaim its military neutrality and maintains aspirations for European Union membership, its expanding defense partnership with Beijing highlights the complex geopolitics shaping its security policy.

Customs data reviewed by RFE/RL’s Balkan Service show that Serbia’s state-owned defense industry imported goods worth around $280 million from China in the last two years.

The records do not specify the types of weaponry purchased, but analysts believe the imports likely involve drone technology, air defense systems, and new equipment contracts stemming from previous deals.

From Russian Jets to Chinese Missiles

Serbia’s arms acquisitions in recent years reveal an increasingly diversified procurement strategy. Alongside Russian MiG-29 fighter jets and French Rafale aircraft, Belgrade has turned to Chinese suppliers for cutting-edge systems that are relatively affordable and politically low-risk.

According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), China accounted for 57 percent of Serbia’s total arms imports between 2020 and 2024, ahead of Russia (20 percent) and France (7.4 percent).

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