Albanian Language Media:

 

• Kurti: Our relations with US not broken, but we have some differences (media)
• Murati: We believe in the innocence of former KLA combatants (EO)
• Caretaker government allocates €3 million for roads in the north of Kosovo (AP)
• Prosecution files in absentia indictment against two Serbs for war crimes (media)
• US Embassy: A new chapter in US – Kosovo trade (media)
• Bislimi hosts UNDP head in Kosovo, discuss cooperation (media)
• Hargreaves: UK committed to Kosovo and security in Western Balkans (media)
• Rohde “promises to keep Kosovo close to his heart” (media)
• Satriani “humbled and honored” by mural in Mitrovica North (Koha)

Serbian Language Media:

 

• Vucic: Good news soon regarding withdrawal of recognition of Kosovo’s independence (Kosovo Online, Blic TV)
• Serbian Minister of Health: “Kurti's raids with long pipes endanger our healthcare in KiM”, Varhelyi and WHO informed (RTS, Kosovo Online, KiM radio)
• A vehicle with Serbian licence plates confiscated from Gracanica resident Vladica Cirkovic (RTS, Kontakt plus radio, Kosovo Online)
• Kosovo Alliance’s reaction to the confiscation of vehicle (Kosovo Online)
• The Kosovo police searched the security house in the area of the Health Center in N. Mitrovica (Radio Mitrovica sever, Tanjug, Kontakt plus radio, Kosovo Online)
• Health workers protested the raid of the Kosovo Police into CHC of N. Mitrovica and the Health House (Kosovo Online)
• Petkovic: “I informed Quint and Sorensen about the invasion of the Kosovo Police in CHC Kosovska Mitrovica” (KiM radio, Kosovo Online, Tanjug)
• The implementation of the law on foreigners as of October 1 in the Kosovo north: What awaits students, tourists, temporary employees... (Alternativna, Zubin Potok INFO)

International:

 

• Why did the US suspend its strategic dialogue with Kosovo? And what’s next? (The Atlantic Council)
• Brewing battle: coffee booms in tea-loving Kosovo (AFP)

Albanian Language Media

Kurti: Our relations with US not broken, but we have some differences (media)

Kosovo’s caretaker Prime Minister Albin Kurti said today that his government has “some” differences in positions with the United States but that relations between the two sides are not broken. Addressing the caretaker government meeting today, he said that differences between him and the United States “often relate to our positions vis-à-vis Serbia and actions towards its illegal structures in Kosovo”. “Although the opposition [representatives] are exaggerating in a negative light everything related to our government’s relations with the US government, I don’t want to minimise the latest development. I assure our citizens that our government seriously treats the statements and positions of the US Embassy,” he said.

Radio Free Europe notes that Kosovo’s relations with the US were hit last week, when the US announced on September 12 that it had suspended the planned Strategic Dialogue with Kosovo, citing the actions of the caretaker government and increased tensions and unsustainability in Kosovo. Commenting on the US decision, Kurti said he wants to clarify that “it relates to the suspension of the planned strategic dialogue, and not the strategic dialogue as an initiated process”. He also said that “this does not mean the stopping of the regular communication we have”.

Kurti said that while there are “sometimes” disagreements with the US government about operational and tactical issues, “we agree on values, interests and objectives”.

Kurti also said that Kosovo and the US continue to have strong relations in two pillars, defense and development. “Military cooperation is ongoing, and the purchasing of military equipment and ammunition with the current administration is going even better. In terms of developments, our government lifted the 10 percent tariff on US goods, and the administration there continued the Millenium Challenge Corporation (MCC) program for the Republic of Kosovo,” he argued.

Murati: We believe in the innocence of former KLA combatants (EO)

Kosovo’s caretaker Minister of Finance, Hekuran Murati, said today that the government believes in the innocence of former KLA leaders who are on trial in the Hague. “The Vetevendosje Movement has been consistent in its position towards the Special Court … We were against the process. We opposed and rejected it, and it is not true what was said then it would be only to clean the name. We hope, we believe, and we wish that the court will rule that all those who are on trial are innocent and for them to return to Kosovo. And then the issue of previous governments is another matter. But as far as the Special Court is concerned, we have said even then and we maintain the position that it is an unfair court and we believe in the innocence of KLA combatants,” Murati told a press conference.

Caretaker government allocates €3 million for roads in the north of Kosovo (AP)

Kosovo’s caretaker government decided in a meeting today to allocate an additional €3 million from the economic revival package for the reconstruction or rehabilitation of roads in the north of Kosovo. “This relates to the request of the Ministry of Infrastructure for the reconstruction or rehabilitation of roads in the northern part of the country and from the economic revival package we are allocating an additional €3 million,” caretaker Minister of Finance Hekuran Murati is quoted as saying in Albanian Post. 

Prosecution files in absentia indictment against two Serbs for war crimes (media)

Most news websites report that the Special Prosecution of Kosovo filed today an in absentia indictment against two Serbs for war crimes against civilians in 1998-1999 in the city of Gjakova. The two suspects are charged with participating in the killing, mistreatment, arrest and destruction of the property of Albanian civilians. 

US Embassy: A new chapter in US – Kosovo trade (media)

The United States Embassy in Pristina said in a Facebook post today that a new chapter has started in the US – Kosovo trade. “Kosovans can receive American goods in only one week. Thanks to Paketos, customers in Kosovo have direct access to over 1 billion American products from Amazon, BestBuy, Walmart, Ebay, and more. This milestone highlights the strength of U.S.-Kosovo private sector cooperation in bringing global markets closer to Kosovan families. #PreferredPartnerUSA,” the post notes.

Bislimi hosts UNDP head in Kosovo, discuss cooperation (media)

Kosovo’s caretaker Deputy Prime Minister Besnik Bislimi met on Thursday with the head of the UNDP in Kosovo, Nuno Queiros, and discussed cooperation between the government and the UNDP. Queiros informed Bislimi about developments related to the implementation of projects financed by international partners and the government. Bislimi thanked Queiros for the information and the efficiency in bilateral cooperation.

Hargreaves: UK committed to Kosovo and security in Western Balkans (media)

UK Ambassador to Kosovo, Jonathan Hargreaves, visited the officers and soldiers of The Scots Guard at Camp Bondsteel this week. “Here to rehearse an operational deployment as KFOR’s Strategic Reserve Force, their deployment proves the British Army’s ability to meet this NATO commitment and demonstrates UK commitment to Kosovo and security in the Western Balkans,” Hargreaves wrote in a Facebook post.

Rohde “promises to keep Kosovo close to his heart” (media)

Several news websites report that outgoing German Ambassador Jorn Rohde said at a farewell event that he promises to keep Kosovo close to his heart and stay connected. The German Embassy said in a Facebook post that “grateful for five meaningful years, Ambassador Jörn Rohde expressed his deep appreciation for the support he received and the connections that were built over the past years at a reception at the residence on Wednesday. As a special guest, President Vjosa Osmani also highlighted the strong connection that was formed and the close relationship Germany and Kosovo have furthered over the past years. Although Ambassador Rohde’s official mission ends next week, he promises to keep Kosovo close to his heart and stay connected. At his farewell event, Ambassador Rohde shared heartfelt thanks as he looked back on his time in Kosovo. He spoke of the incredible hospitality, the joy of hiking and the camaraderie on the football field—highlighting the Kosovo team’s recent victory over Sweden with several German-born players proudly representing their roots. He celebrated the visa liberalization in 2024 as a hopeful step toward closer ties with Europe and praised the strong bonds between Kosovo and Germany, especially through the inspiring Kosovo diaspora—entrepreneurs, politicians and artists”.

Satriani “humbled and honored” by mural in Mitrovica North (Koha)

World-famous American rock guitarist Joe Satriani said in a Facebook post that he was honored and humbled by a mural depicting him in Mitrovica North, the news website reports. “Wow! I’m so very humbled and honored by this amazing work of art! Much love and heartfelt thanks to the Futja Ngjyrë artists Dea Gaxha, Bardhyl Dobroshi and Albion Mehmedi for creating this stunning mural in North Mitrovica, Kosovo. I wish I could be there to see it in person and give you all a big hug. Thank you!” Satriani said.

Serbian Language Media 

Vucic: Good news soon regarding withdrawal of recognition of Kosovo’s independence (Kosovo Online, Blic TV)

President of Serbia Aleksandar Vucic, ahead of his trip to New York for the UN General Assembly, said that good news could soon be expected regarding the withdrawal of recognition of Kosovo’s independence, reported Kosovo Online in English.

Vucic told Blic TV that in New York, he would meet with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, European Council President Antonio Costa, as well as with 22 other presidents and prime ministers from various countries.

“Among them will also be some African leaders, and you can expect good news soon regarding the withdrawal of recognition of Kosovo’s independence,” Vucic underlined.

He said he hopes to attend the gathering organized by EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, but at that time, he is scheduled to address the UN General Assembly.

Vucic stressed that the talks in New York are very important and that he expects a lot from them.

Asked about the lifting of US tariffs, he said he fears there will be no further delays and that Serbia will find itself in an extremely difficult situation.

“If we resolve the tariff issue, one Japanese company has announced an additional €500 million investment. I am generally very pessimistic and don’t make optimistic forecasts. But I believe we will resolve this problem, we are on the right track and not far from a solution, I hope,” he explained.

Vucic said resolving the tariffs is not just about 1 billion worth of exports, but also about the investment climate, which is why it is crucial to settle it as soon as possible.

For Serbia, the signal that the US wants a strategic dialogue is important

Speaking about the announced strategic dialogue between Serbia and the US, President Vucic emphasized that it is very important for Serbia that the United States wants such a dialogue, despite disagreements on some issues.

He recalled that the US suspended its strategic dialogue with Pristina due to recent actions by the Kosovo authorities and the attitude of Albin Kurti, who, as Vucic said, does not respect even his closest allies.

“For us, that dialogue is very important. We don’t have to agree on everything. We haven’t and won’t agree on the issue of Kosovo and Metohija. Serbia is a militarily neutral country and will not join either NATO, CSTO, or any military bloc, because it wants to defend its own sky and land. From this, it is clear that we have a somewhat narrower path of dialogue compared to other countries, but it is important for us that the US wants a strategic dialogue with Serbia. That is important for all other investors worldwide, as well as for security and stability,” Vucic explained.

Military parade – showing strength as a deterrent to any potential aggressor

Vucic invited citizens to attend tomorrow’s military parade, where, as he noted, they will be able to see the major changes and progress made over the past 13 years.

“This is now a different country, not only with higher salaries and pensions, kilometers of highways and railways, and science and technology parks, which didn’t exist before but now there are five. Our army and police are today incomparably better equipped and stronger,” Vucic said.

He pointed out that the official decision to hold the parade was made back on May 1 and that it is not being prepared “hastily” for daily needs.

“This will be Serbia’s pride. We want to show what we have achieved but also provide a deterrent response. Let’s not pretend to be naive, the military alliance of Pristina, Tirana, and Zagreb wasn’t formed because of Austria, Greece, Slovenia, or Romania, but because of Serbia. The military alliance of Zagreb and Ljubljana, in which they speak against Serbia and the Republic of Srpska, wasn’t formed because of Austria, but against Serbia. Our military parade is a show of our strength as a deterrent to any potential aggressor. We are not going to attack anyone, we want peace. We want to preserve peace. And peace and stability cannot be preserved through weakness, but only through strength,” Vucic stressed.

He added that this is why the parade is being held under the name “Strength of Unity,” since both strength and unity are vital for Serbia.

“For us, this is the way to survive. If we didn’t have a strong army, they would trample us. They would invent something and crush us. Today, no one can crush Serbia. Serbia is a stable country,” Vucic concluded.

Serbian Minister of Health: “Kurti's raids with long pipes endanger our healthcare in KiM”, Varhelyi and WHO informed (RTS, Kosovo Online, KiM radio)

Regarding the raid by Kosovo police into the security facilities of the Clinical hospital center (CHC) in Nort Mitrovica and the Health Center North Mitrovica (Kosovska Mitrovica), Serbian Minister of Health Zlatibor Loncar stated that this is an attempt to cause a humanitarian catastrophe and represents a red line that Pristina wants to cross. 

Loncar said that long pipes have no place “in our healthcare institutions, where patients of all nationalities are treated, without any ethnic discrimination, emphasizing that last night's bandit raid was carried out on the orders of Albin Kurti”. 

"Let me be very clear - the healthcare system in Kosovo and Metohija (KiM) operates within the system of the Republic of Serbia and is in accordance with the signed and valid agreements from Brussels in 2013 and 2015, whose guarantor is the EU. There is no basis for Kurti's dirty intentions to seize our healthcare institutions. I want to send a message to our doctors, medical and non-medical staff that we will not allow anyone to endanger their jobs and livelihoods," Loncar stressed. 

He also noted that he had informed the European Commissioner for Health, Oliver Varhelyi, and the Director of the World Health Organization for Europe, Hans Klunge, about Kurti's "violent actions and efforts to use long pipes to seize and shake the Serbian healthcare system in KiM". 

"Our health institutions in KiM are functioning flawlessly in relation to the difficult existing conditions on the ground and provide medical services to everyone equally, both Serbs and Albanians," concluded Minister Loncar.

A vehicle with Serbian licence plates confiscated from Gracanica resident Vladica Cirkovic (RTS, Kontakt plus radio, Kosovo Online) 

A vehicle of a Serb from the Gracanica area, on the Mitrovica-Pristina regional road, was confiscated, reported RTS this morning. 

The vehicle driven by Vladica Cirkovic was stopped by a customs officer in Pristina.

On that occasion, Cirkovic was asked to show documents, based on which the customs officer concluded that Cirkovic was driving a vehicle for which he had authorization, along with a valid ID card and a driver's license issued by the Pristina Police Department (issued by Serbian relocated police administration from Kosovo).

Even though he also has a valid driver's license issued by Kosovo authorities, the customs officer decided that the vehicle must go through customs and send it to the customs terminal, where it was confiscated.

Cirkovic said that he heard from the media that the government in Pristina decided that, as of November 1, a new regulation will be implemented, prohibiting the movement of vehicles with license plates from cities in central Serbia without the presence of the vehicle owner.

However, he pointed out that he did not know that the decision had already begun to be implemented.

"I have been driving that vehicle for eight years, with those plates and with authorization. I have never had a problem at border crossings, from the Kosovo police, they have always been understanding. But today I really do not know what happened. Today they took my car, will they take my child tomorrow, will they expel me – I really do not know. I want to live in the territory of Kosovo and Metohija. I live here, I work here, I have a family of eight, I used that vehicle as a family vehicle," said Cirkovic.

"I have a sick sister, with seven stents implanted. Her condition worsened tonight, and I don't have my own vehicle, so I have to beg my neighbors and wait for an ambulance. A sick mother, three children and a wife. I don't really know what this is leading to, whether anyone sees this, whether anyone knows about this," said Cirkovic.

At the time of the stop, Cirkovic was also in the vehicle with his daughter, who experienced stress due to the whole situation.

He was given a report from the customs officer about the confiscated goods and a verbal notice that he would have to pay a fine of between 500 and 1,000 euros.

Kosovo Alliance’s reaction to the confiscation of vehicle (Kosovo Online)

Kosovo Alliance party, running in the local elections in Gracanica and the north, announced on FB: 

“Kosovo Alliance strongly condemns the latest move by the KP and customs services, which hit our fellow resident Cirkovic and his family yesterday. Yesterday, our fellow citizen, Vladica Cirkovic, who was using the vehicle exclusively for personal needs, was stopped on his way home in the presence of a minor child. His documents and vehicle keys were taken from him, in reference to a decision which, according to publicly available information, has not yet entered into force.

We consider this kind of procedure inadmissible, arbitrary, and directly aimed at intimidating the Serbian population in Kosovo and Metohija. Taking away a vehicle from a parent with a child, without a clear procedure and prior notification, is a gross violation of basic human rights and freedom of movement, as well as existing agreements. The Kosovo Alliance demands:

immediate return of the seized vehicle to our fellow resident, suspension of such practices by the Kosovo police and customs services, determination of responsibility and sanctioning of all officials who in this case took the law into their own hands and acted outside the regulations, the urgent reaction of international representatives and institutions that guarantee the rights and freedoms of all citizens. The Kosovo Alliance will continue to monitor the situation and provide support to all its fellow citizens who are facing such pressures,” read the FB post of the Kosovo Alliance. 

The Kosovo police searched the security house in the area of the Health Center in N. Mitrovica (Radio Mitrovica sever, Tanjug, Kontakt plus radio, Kosovo Online) 

Last night, the Kosovo police searched the security house in the area of the Health Center in North Mitrovica, the deputy director of the Kosovo Police for the North region, Veton Elshani, confirmed for Radio Mitrovica sever. 

Elshani stated that the search was carried out due to a tip-off that there were weapons inside the facility.

"We searched the cabin located at the entrance to the Health Center. We had a tip that there was some kind of weapon inside. We didn't find anything, and we left," Elshani said.

The search of the facility followed immediately after the PM in resignation Albani Kurti was in Mitrovica, around 10 p.m.

A protest by health workers has been announced for today at 11 a.m. in the area of the hospital in North Mitrovica.

Tanjug reported that the Serbian List contacted the embassies of all Quint countries, the EU Mission, UNMIK, OSCE and KFOR. 

It was requested that members of KFOR and EULEX be deployed in the immediate vicinity of health and educational institutions as a matter of urgency and thereby prevent such incursions that threaten the work of institutions and the treatment of citizens.

The Prime Minister of Kosovo in the technical mandate, Albin Kurti, said last night that "the dualism of the health and education system is not sustainable" and that "the incorporation and unification of the same is necessary."

The Serbian List, following his address, announced that threats about some kind of integration of health and education into the Kosovo system were not part of any negotiations or agreements.

However, Vice president of Serbian Democracy Stefan Veljkovic asked today on social network X, writing: “Last night, the KP asked for identification of the security of “CHC of Kosovska Mitrovica”. We ask KFOR and EULEX to immediately deploy their units throughout the North and to prevent actions that would endanger our health and educational institutions,” adding, “I don’t know if Albin Kurti knows, but in this way he is also increasing the rating of the Serbian List”.

Health workers protested the raid of the Kosovo Police into CHC of N. Mitrovica and the Health House (Kosovo Online) 

Health workers employed at Clinical Hospital Centre (CHC) in North Mitrovica and health centres in the north organized a protest rally in connection with last night’s raid by members of the Kosovo Police into the security house of CHC North Mitrovica and Health House in North Mitrovica.

The workers carried banners that read: “We want to be treated freely”, “Our doctors, our patients, our CHC”, “Hands off the hospital”, “America react, Serbs are disappearing” and “Europe, protect our rights”.

Zlatan Elek, director of CHC N. Mitrovica, pointed out that there is no mention anywhere of the integration of the health and education system of Serbia into the Kosovo system.

“Last night, Kurti’s police forces raided the security premises at CHC and the Health Centre. Honest workers work here, who earn an honest salary providing help to everyone who needs that help. They harassed the security workers, asking them for ID and information about the number of workers at CHC. We send a special call to international representatives to stop these raids, if they don’t do it, it will be clear to everyone whose side they are on. There is no integration of Serbia’s health and education system into the Kosovo system. This is not in Ahtisaari’s plan, nor in the Brussels or the Ohrid agreement, said Elek. 

He asked the workers to remain calm.

“If they raid our institutions, I ask you to be calm and patient and that we all come together and be there for our patients. We have nowhere to go, this is our house, and it is our duty to be with our patients. This is a message to international institutions that these are the red lines that they have guaranteed will not be crossed. It is finally time, gentlemen, to move from words to actions, and everyone’s rights are clear, and from here we are saying that we have our rights and that we will not integrate into the Kosovo system. Go to the polls on October 12 and show with a pencil that we will return our municipalities to our hands. Long live the health system, long live our institutions and the country of Serbia,” Elek added.

The deputy director of CHC North Mitrovica, Dragisa Milovic, pointed out that everyone is treated in that health institution.

“This is the only multi-ethnic hospital in Kosovo and Metohija where all peoples are treated, regardless of religion and nation, unfortunately some people don’t like that. Members of international institutions were also treated in this hospital; they had confidence in the expertise of our doctors. Last night, in the late evening hours, a man came, along with 150 armed members of special units, who called us a fascist rabble. He doesn’t like the monopoly of one party, and yet he likes that the Albanians all join one party to take over power in Gracanica. What kind of multi-ethnicity is this, where there are no Serbs in any city? What kind of multi-ethnicity it is when there are not a single Serb among a hundred notaries. Every day, some Serb is being arrested and indicted for war crimes. They have closed, as they say, the parallel institutions, the latest raid on the premises of the Pension and Disability Fund and Health Insurance Fund is the best evidence,” Milovic pointed out.

He added that the institution will continue to provide health services, and for the sake of unity.

“Our citizens come and ask us for advice on how to get treatment and who to turn to now because all the institutions are closed. Albin Kurti’s intention is for the Serbs to leave the area on their own, but you, dear colleagues, are the pillar of survival in these areas. We will continue to provide everyone with the help and services offered by our health system, but please, brothers and sisters, let us be united. Kurti praises Rasic, that the Serbs have lived better since he was minister, and we can all see that the Serbs never had a more difficult time,” Milovic pointed out.

The gathering of healthcare workers ended without incident, and after the gathering the workers returned to their workplaces.

Petkovic: “I informed Quint and Sorensen about the invasion of the Kosovo Police in CHC Kosovska Mitrovica” (KiM radio, Kosovo Online, Tanjug)

The Director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija, Petar Petkovic, stated that he immediately informed Quint and the mediator in the dialogue, Peter Sorensen, about last night's incursion by the Kosovo Police into the Clinical Hospital Center north Mitrovica, reported KiM radio. 

"Health and education in Kosovo and Metohija according to all valid agreements are part of the Serbian system, despite the desperate attempts of the dictator from Pristina who is losing power," Petkovic wrote on the X social network.

Last night shortly before 10 p.m., the Kosovo Police, allegedly following a tip, searched a security house in the area of the Health Center in North Mitrovica.

The implementation of the law on foreigners as of October 1 in the Kosovo north: What awaits students, tourists, temporary employees... (Alternativna, Zubin Potok INFO)

As of October 1, the Law on Foreigners will be implemented in the north of Kosovo. This implies reporting residence to the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Kosovo. From the Kosovo Police for the North Region, they state that from October 1, rigorous measures will not be implemented, but that they will work together with the citizens for a period of one month so that the procedures are understood.

The residence application is valid for all foreign citizens who plan to stay in Kosovo for more than three days, the deputy commander of the Kosovo Police for the North region, Veton Elshani, specified yesterday for Alternativna and Zubin Potok INFO.

"It's not that from October 1, for example, we will go with punishments, rigorous measures, because we need to teach people slowly. It will take a month to learn everything," said Elshani. 

When it comes to students who, for example, come to study in Northern Mitrovica, they will also have to register their residence.

"Yes, they should contact us. We will start on October 1, we will go together for about a month, as I said, so that we can learn the process together with them. They should go to the offices of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, near the municipality, and there they will tell them how they can apply, what documents they should have with them. All this then is sent to Pristina and Pristina gives an answer. If it is negative, then they have time to appeal. So, everything is written into the law," Elshani. 

Employees who, for example, occasionally work in health care at the University of Pristina, married couples when one spouse is not from Kosovo, those who plan to work in Kosovo, and even tourists will also have the obligation to register their residence.

"Yes, if, for example, someone enters by bus, for tourism, goes via Gracanica, to visit churches, in a group - since they come with a list of people to the border police, then that list is delivered to the main command in Pristina. That way we get everything from the main command. If someone comes as a tourist, for example, to a hotel, then the hotel, as a legal entity, should notify the police that it has a list of people who stay for more than three days. It is up to them to submit that to the police.''

In the case of those who do not have Kosovo documents, but only documents from displaced Serbian police administrations, a solution will be found for them, Elshani believes.

"We will find another solution for that, because we are still talking to the Ministry of the Interior about how to treat it. We can treat them as stateless people, for example. But they live here, we know they live here, there are no problems verifying it, because there are not many of them. Maybe a solution could be found... But we will see that when the process starts, that is, over time, because for us those cases - we know where they are. When it comes to that, we will go through the process together with them," Elshani added.

International

Why did the US suspend its strategic dialogue with Kosovo? And what’s next? (The Atlantic Council)

Why did the US suspend its strategic dialogue with Kosovo? And what’s next?

On September 12, the Trump administration suspended its strategic dialogue with Kosovo, citing unspecified actions and statements from caretaker Prime Minister Albin Kurti. The suspension comes seven months into a political crisis in Kosovo, with the country being unable to inaugurate a new parliament since February’s elections.  

What will this suspension mean for US-Kosovo relations? And what does the timing of recent US-Serbia talks say about the Trump administration’s approach to the Balkans? For answers, we initiated a dialogue with our experts below.  

1. What is a strategic dialogue and why does it matter?

A strategic dialogue is a diplomatic tool used by the United States to advance bilateral relations with various countries. It involves high-level discussions on an agreed, broad agenda. The United States has engaged in strategic dialogues with several countries in southeast Europe, including Bulgaria, Romania, Greece, Croatia, and North Macedonia. It has used these dialogues to strengthen partnerships on issues such as defense, energy security, trade, investment, cybersecurity, and people-to-people ties. The overall goal of these dialogues is to promote stability, prosperity, and enhanced participation or integration into Euro-Atlantic institutions for the countries involved. They also serve US strategic interests by helping to counter the influence of other global powers and secure a more stable and secure Europe. 

—Jeffrey Hovenier is a nonresident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Europe Center and a former US ambassador to Kosovo. 

2. Why did the United States suspend the strategic dialogue? 

The US announcement did not point to a specific cause prompting the suspension. Rather, it cited “concerns about caretaker government actions that have increased tensions and instability.” Although the suspension closely follows Kurti’s comments on September 7 criticizing Kosovo’s Constitutional Court, it could be that this was simply the final straw in a series of frustrations with Kurti’s government.

Over the past two years, Kurti has faced sharp rebukes from the European Union, United States, and NATO allies for unilaterally installing ethnic Albanian mayors in Serb-majority municipalities after boycotted local elections, for defying Western calls to de-escalate, and for deploying armed police units in the north despite warnings that these moves could provoke instability. The US decision to suspend talks could, therefore, be a calculated move to pressure Kurti to be a more constructive partner with Washington and transatlantic allies. 

—Lisa Homel is an associate director at the Atlantic Council’s Europe Center. 

3. What are the implications for Kosovo? 

The US decision to suspend the strategic dialogue with Kosovo carries immediate and troubling implications for Kosovo and its minority communities, particularly ethnic Serbs in the north. Strategic dialogues are not merely symbolic exercises; they provide a structured framework for advancing stability, fostering institutional accountability, and promoting inclusive governance in a multiethnic country. 

With Washington stepping back, Kosovo’s minorities risk being left more exposed to unilateral policies from local authorities and illegal activities that could deepen marginalization, heighten local tensions, and constrain their already limited avenues for meaningful political participation. 

The timing of the suspension is unfortunate and will have negative implications for Kosovo. The suspension comes at a juncture of heightened political volatility, with Kurti’s government under sustained international criticism for actions to shut down or impede support provided by Serbia to the ethnic Serb community in Kosovo. The United States and Europe have characterized these actions as unilateral, uncoordinated with US and international partners, and unnecessarily adding to tensions. At a time when international cooperation and reassurance could significantly advance Kosovo’s trajectory and standing, the government of Kosovo instead now confronts the consequences of a loss of confidence from its most significant partner.  

—Ilva Tare is a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Europe Center and the host of the Center’s Balkans Debrief video series. 

4. How does Serbia play in to this? 

US administrations have always rejected the zero-sum dynamic that Pristina and Belgrade prefer, making clear that policy toward one is distinct from the other. That being said, this decision comes just five weeks after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Serbian Foreign Minister Marko Đurić met in Washington and agreed to hold a bilateral strategic dialogue between Serbia and the United States this year. 

While the forthcoming US-Serbia strategic dialogue should be considered separately from the developments with Kosovo, it does merit some consideration whether the United States should be deepening its ties with Serbia, even symbolically, at least for the time being. 

The past few months have seen widespread anti-government protests throughout Serbia, which have been met with increasingly brutal police responses with the approval of Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić. The violence has become so significant that European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos publicly questioned the “sincerity of Serbia’s commitment to the EU path” and said that the European Union has a “problem in Belgrade.” Moreover, there are concerns that the Serbian government may opt to divert attention from its domestic crisis by manufacturing a flare-up in ethnic tensions with the Serb-majority areas in the north of Kosovo. 

Strategic dialogues are as much about signaling as tangible results, so it is incumbent upon Washington to evaluate if this is the right time to send the signal that it wishes to promote the relationship with Belgrade. 

—Lisa Homel

Brewing battle: coffee booms in tea-loving Kosovo (AFP)

At dawn, bleary-eyed workers pour into a traditional teahouse in Kosovo nestled under the minarets of the local mosque, seeking a rich amber brew that has outlived empires and continues to draw devotees.

But Kosovo's prized teahouses, or "cajtores", face growing competition from Western-style cafes and a burgeoning coffee scene vying to be among the finest in the world.

In the northeastern city of Vushtrri, the Balkan "capital of tea", locals love the traditional version of the drink, brewed slowly in two stacked kettles and sipped from tulip-shaped glasses.

"We open the door just after 4:00 am so we are ready for the workers who stop by before the morning shift," said Nebih Gerxhaliu, the proprietor of the Fisi teahouse.

Dubbed "Russian tea" by locals, the beverage is more widely known as Ceylon tea and is prepared similarly to Turkish-style brews, usually consumed with a sugar cube or a slice of lemon.

Its arrival in Kosovo is murky, possibly dating back to Ottoman rule or Russian occupation.

But the town's passion for the black tea is clear, with an annual festival devoted to it and around one cajtore for every 1,000 locals.

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