• Members of Jashari family deny possible candidacies for President (RFE)
• Kurti: Committed to values of Western democracy; want to join EU and NATO (media)
• Second trial for Thaci and others to begin on Friday (Gazeta Express)
• SL: EU to prevent unilateral moves that threaten livelihood of Serbs (Kosovo Online)
• Former KEK CEO will appear before court today (Sinjali)
• Albania, Kosovo and Croatia plan three joint military exercises this year (AP)
• Djuric: Talks in US, toward better understanding of Serbia’s national priorities (Kosovo Online)

Members of Jashari family deny possible candidacies for President (RFE)

Members of the family of Kosovo’s hero, Adem Jashari, denied on Wednesday that they could run for the post of Kosovo President, after Foreign Minister Glauk Konjufca said on Wednesday that if a member of the family would run for the post there would be “automatic consensus” in Kosovo’s society.

Kosovo needs to elect a President until March 4 in order to avoid new parliamentary elections as the mandate of current president, Vjosa Osmani, expires on April 4. The news website notes that Osmani doesn’t seem to have the support of parliamentary elections for a re-election.

Murat Jashari, the son of Rifat Jashari, the brother of Adem Jashari, told VOX Kosova that he does not intend to become President of Kosovo and that “I have made my reasons clear to the political parties, because there is a great burden on my shoulders”.

Bekim Jashari, former mayor of Skenderaj municipality, told Radio Free Europe that he shares his cousin’s position and that “I have nothing to add to this”.

Kurti: Committed to values of Western democracy; want to join EU and NATO (media)

Most news websites cover an interview that Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti gave to Swiss media NZZ, highlighting his remarks that Kosovo is clearly committed to the values of Western democracy and that it wants to join the European Union and NATO.

Kurti said Kosovo’s orientation is clear: the West. “We want to become a member of NATO. NATO is currently in a phase of reorganization, and we want not only to benefit but also to contribute. We are creating a voluntary reserve force, we have doubled the number of soldiers, tripled defense spending, and quadrupled the training of our officers within NATO. Kosovo must and will be able to defend itself. We do not see ourselves as an isolated force, but as part of NATO. That is why we are securing military equipment from NATO states – from anti-tank weapons to drones and mobile artillery. Our army is gaining modern capabilities in these areas,” Kurti said.

“We have won our biggest election victory to date. I feel supported by incredible support from the population. But this also marks the beginning of an extraordinary responsibility for me. On the one hand, this mandate is a mandate for security and protection – on the other hand, I want to invest,” Kurti said during the interview. “We will use one billion euros to support small and medium-sized enterprises in Kosovo – through guarantees and additional investment in jobs – and an additional one billion euros for national defence. In this context, we will create industrial foundations, including with an ammunition factory in Gjakova. A new national stadium with 8000 seats is also planned, as Kosovo will host the Mediterranean Games in 2028 together with European partners”.

Asked if the energy would be more urgent and that two coal-fired power plants near Pristina are still connected to the grid and cause bad air, Kurti said: “We are conducting a feasibility study for a gas connection to Europe. We have large coal deposits that today bear the base load of energy production. But we want to phase out coal in the long term. However, gasification is only a temporary solution. At the same time, we are focusing on renewable energies. Besides, we want to build railway lines”. .

Asked about plans to invest in railways, Kurti said “yes, railways are green and safe. We want to create a rail connection between Pristina International Airport and the capital Pristina. We know that there are 27 direct flights between Pristina and Switzerland during the summer months of July and August – to Basel, Zurich and Geneva … If you look at the railway map of Europe, you can see that Kosovo is structurally disadvantaged in the Balkans. The so-called corridors 8 and 10 run past our country. But the north-south connection in the Western Balkans, railway line 10, can connect us – especially towards Greece. Traffic is increasing again. This time, we don't just want to manage it, we want to invest it in a targeted manner. With Swiss know-how – especially in the railway sector – and with Switzerland as a friendly partner country, we can combine work ethic, expertise and investment very well”.

Read more at: https://shorter.me/JtvYh

Second trial for Thaci and others to begin on Friday (Gazeta Express)

The news website reported on Wednesday that the court hearing for the second case against former Kosovo President Hashim Thaci at the Specialist Chambers in the Hague will be held on Friday. Thaci, together with Bashkim Smakaj, Isni Kilaj, Fadil Fazliu and Hajredin Kuci, are accused of obstructing the administration of justice. Indictments against Kilaj, Smakaj, Fazliu and Kuci were confirmed in early December 2024. Kuci was released pending trial, while Kilaj, Smakaj and Fazliu were held in detention until February of this year. All defendants have pleaded not guilty. 

SL: EU to prevent unilateral moves that threaten livelihood of Serbs (Kosovo Online)

A delegation of the Serbian List met on Wednesday in Mitrovica North with Zuzana Sutiakova, Head of the Western Balkans Division at the European External Action Service, requesting that EU representatives urgently react to prevent unilateral moves by Pristina and ensure respect for the fundamental human and political rights of the Serb people, in accordance with international standards and assumed obligations.

According to the party’s statement, the leadership of Serb List informed the EU representative about serious problems faced by Serbs in Kosovo, particularly the announced implementation of the Law on Foreigners and decisions concerning vehicles. It was emphasized that the implementation of these measures could directly endanger the livelihoods of thousands of Serbs, calling into question their basic right to live and remain in their homes, as well as their rights to education and healthcare. In this context, they demanded the establishment of the Association of Serb-majority municipalities, which they believe would create conditions for addressing key issues affecting the Serb community.

The meeting also addressed numerous problems encountered by Serbian mayors in performing their legal duties and managing municipalities, due to institutional pressure, obstruction, and ongoing political and administrative discrimination. The Serbian List called on representatives of the European Union to urgently intervene, prevent unilateral actions by Pristina, and ensure the protection of the fundamental human and political rights of the Serb people, in line with international standards and previously undertaken commitments.

Former KEK CEO will appear before court today (Sinjali)

Former CEO of the Kosovo Power Corporation, Nagip Krasniqi, accused of abuse of official duty, will appear before a court in Pristina today. The Special Prosecution of Kosovo charged Krasniqi of causing a damage of €3 million to the power corporation by trading energy with a Slovenian company that was not licensed to operate in Kosovo. Krasniqi has pleaded not guilty.

Albania, Kosovo and Croatia plan three joint military exercises this year (AP)

Defense cooperation between Albania, Kosovo and Croatia is being further concretized through the development of three joint exercises during 2026, two of which will be held in Zagreb and one in Tirana, the news website reports.

Chief of the General Staff of the Albanian Armed Forces Arben Kingji said a meeting was held between the three chiefs of staff – of Croatia, the Kosovo Security Force (KSF), and Albania. “At this meeting, all details of the three-year cooperation plan for the development of trilateral joint exercises were elaborated,” he added.

Kingji said that the cooperation plan encompasses not only joint exercises but also the exchange of experience and deeper operational coordination among the three countries. “The three-year cooperation plan consists of training and exchange of experience. Specifically, this year we will have two exercises in Zagreb and one exercise in Tirana involving the special forces of the three countries,” Kingji said during a joint press conference with Albania’s Minister of Defense, Pirro Vengu.

The parties also agreed to invite other countries from the region to participate in these exercises, and it is expected that some of the principal allies will join the cooperation.

Djuric: Talks in US, toward better understanding of Serbia’s national priorities (Kosovo Online)

Serbia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Marko Djuric said on Wednesday that the objective of his visit to Washington was to create a favorable climate for addressing the strategic national issues of the Serbian people, both in Serbia and in the region, through the strengthening of relations with the United States, as well as to further consolidate the positive momentum in U.S.–Serbian relations.

“A successful and substantive week for Serbia in Washington. We held excellent discussions with senior U.S. officials at the White House, the National Security Council, and Congress. We are genuinely working to create a climate conducive to addressing the strategic national issues of the Serbian people, in Serbia and in the region, through the prism of strengthening relations. Our goal is to further solidify the positive momentum in U.S.–Serbian relations and improve our position in Washington,” Djuric told journalists.