Albanian Language Media: 

• Osmani congratulates Trump on swearing in as 47^th President of U.S. (media)
• None of Kosovo institutional leaders at Trump's swearing-in ceremony (Koha)
• Haradinaj meets U.S. congressmen in Washington (Telegrafi)
• EU: Lajcak's mandate until end of January, selection of successor underway (eo)
• Osmani meets with KFOR Commander Enrico Barduani (media)
• Mobilization to increase security (RTK)
• Haliti testifies at Court of Appeal in Brussels on murder of Enver Hadri (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Vucic pleased with Davos meetings (Tanjug, media)
• Serbian Democracy files complaint against Self-determination, says Kurti with statements on ‘Albanian supremacy’ encourages discrimination against Serbs (KoSSev, social media)
• KoSSev: Albin Kurti’s fiery rhetoric raises eyebrows ahead of Kosovo elections
• Marinkovic: Trump's return to power to mark start of new era in Serbia-US relations (Tanjug)
• Trump's initial moves and the region: Balkan (mis)fortunes and Washington's expectations? (Kosovo Online)
• KFOR Commander and Czech Ambassador pay tribute to 42 Slovak KFOR members who died in plane crash in 2006 (Kosovo Online, social media)
• Eight people die in fire at Belgrade elderly home (N1, media)
• Law student hit by car at protest in Belgrade discharged from hospital (N1)

International Media:

• "House of Kosovo" Opens in Davos World Economic Forum (Prishtina Insight)

Albanian Language Media 

Osmani congratulates Trump on swearing in as 47^th President of U.S. (media) 

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani sent a letter to U.S. President Donald Trump congratulating him on his election and swearing in as the 47^th President of the United States. “Your historic victory reflects the profound trust that the American people have placed in your leadership and your vision to safeguard and advance the enduring values of freedom and democracy – principles that bind our two countries together. Kosovo will forever carry a deep sense of gratitude for the historic role the United States played in supporting us during some of the darkest chapters in our history. Your nation’s commitment to defending freedom and human dignity saved our people from a genocidal regime and inspired us to build a resilient and prosperous sovereign Republic. Today, Kosovo stands as a proud ally and partner of the United States, guided by a shared determination to shape a more secure, peaceful, and promising future. Your leadership and dedication to advancing the path for mutual recognition between Kosovo and Serbia is something we appreciate and resolutely support. As President of the Republic of Kosovo, I share your conviction that this will contribute to sustainable and long-lasting peace in the Western Balkans and the entire European continent. We are fully committed to working together with you and your administration to ensure that this goal is achieved, and to strengthen our special relationship moving forward”.  

Read full letter at: https://t.ly/NDLGN 

None of Kosovo institutional leaders at Trump's swearing-in ceremony (Koha) 

Part of the inauguration ceremony of Donald Trump, as the 47th president of the United States, were not the three main leaders of Kosovo. The president, who a few days ago refused to say whether she would be part of the ceremony, announced on Monday the meetings held in Pristina with the ambassadors of the United Kingdom and Turkey. The presidency has not responded to "Koha's" questions regarding this issue. When asked a few days ago, Osmani had refused to talk about attending the ceremony. After meeting with the Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources, Richard R. Verma, a few days ago, Osmani announced the finalization of the Strategic Dialogue agreement between Kosovo and the United States, describing this as an extraordinary achievement.

Neither Prime Minister Albin Kurti nor Parliament Speaker Glauk Konjufca were present at Trump's inauguration ceremony. 

Based on the announcements of the leader of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo, Ramush Haradinaj, and the leader of the AKR, Behgjet Pacolli, they were part of the ceremony. On the eve of the inauguration ceremony, Haradinaj also had a meeting with Richard Grenell, Special Envoy for Special Missions.

Media also report that Kosovo businessman Shkelqim Devolli participated at the ceremony.

In honor of the inauguration of the U.S. president, the “Friends of America” Association has organized several activities in Pristina. The previous flag was replaced with a new flag at the statue of President Bill Clinton, and a reception with various personalities was organized.

Haradinaj meets U.S. congressmen in Washington (Telegrafi) 

Ramush Haradinaj, leader of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) held important meetings in Washington with U.S. congressmen such as Gary Palmer, Andy Harris, Brad Knott, as well as with eminent representatives of the Albanian Diaspora in the United States. 

“The state is maintained with friends. Today, on the day of President Donald Trump's inauguration, I had the pleasure of starting with substantive meetings with congressmen, Gary Palmer (Alabama), Andy Harris (Maryland), Brad Knott (North Carolina), as well as with eminent representatives of the Albanian Diaspora in the United States. Advancing Kosovo's relations with the U.S., coordination and membership in NATO, are vital for the security, democracy and future of our country,” Haradinaj wrote on Facebook.

EU: Lajcak's mandate until the end of January, selection of successor underway (eo) 

European Commission spokeswoman Anitta Hipper has stated that the selection of a new European Union special representative for the dialogue in the process of normalizing relations between Belgrade and Pristina is underway. She did not want to confirm or deny reports that it could be Danish diplomat Peter Sorensen. "The mandate of special representative Miroslav Lajcak lasts until the end of January. The process of selecting his successor is ongoing and we will comment on this topic only when we have more information. Otherwise, we will only repeat ourselves in our statements," Hipper said at a regular press conference in Brussels. According to RFE, the head of European diplomacy, Kaja Kallas, has already forwarded the name of Peter Sorensen to member states as Miroslav Lajcak's successor.

Osmani meets with KFOR Commander Enrico Barduani (media) 

President Vjosa Osmani had on Monday a working lunch with KFOR Commander, Major General Enrico Barduani, at KFOR headquarters. This meeting was described by the Presidency as part of Osmani's commitment to strengthening relations with international partners and promoting security and stability as a prerequisite for the development of Kosovo and the region. 

The announcement stated that Osmani, on behalf of the residents of Kosovo, expressed gratitude for the NATO mission in Kosovo, which has played an important role for more than two decades for peace and stability. It is emphasized that the invitation for the meeting came from Commander Barduani.

Mobilization to increase security (RTK)

Foreign military forces in Kosovo have begun mobilizing to strengthen security. The mobilization to increase security is being done to avoid any possible escalation of the situation during the election period, and in support of the KFOR and EULEX mission. EULEX told RTK that they are monitoring all developments that could affect security. “The Reserve Police Specialist Unit will be deployed to address the Mission’s need for additional forces on the ground to better support Kosovo counterparts, also taking into account the sensitive election period – including acting as a second responder for Kosovo security, if required and necessary. The RFPU will conduct visible patrols and contribute to the Mission’s situational awareness. The security situation in northern Kosovo is stable but fragile. EULEX remains vigilant and closely monitors all developments that may affect Kosovo’s security,” EULEX said.

KFOR announced on January 18 the arrival of Italian troops in Kosovo, and the arrival of more than 200 Italian infantry soldiers in the coming months. 

Security experts say the entire troop increase is temporary in order to keep the situation during the elections under control. “I see it as a positive thing for Kosovo’s security institutions. I see this increase as temporary,” said Arben Dashevci, a security expert.

And according to security expert Avni Islami, Serbia is interested in destabilizing the situation in Kosovo. “Serbia will try to attract the attention of the public in Serbia in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo. The attempt to attract the attention of the international community in these two countries during the elections will probably have indications that some unexpected move may be made,” Islami said.

Haliti testifies at Court of Appeal in Brussels on murder of Enver Hadri (media) 

Former KLA senior leader and PDK candidate for MP Xhavit Haliti, has announced that on Monday he testified at the Court of Appeal in Brussels regarding the murder of the national activist, Enver Hadri. “Today, at the Court of Appeal in Brussels, I gave evidence regarding the murder of the prominent national activist, Enver Hadri,” Haliti wrote in a Facebook post.

He is optimistic that his testimony, together with the evidence and questions raised, may result in an important decision by the court for the suspected perpetrators. “Based on the questions and testimony given, I believe that Bozidar Spasic, Vesel Vukotic and Andrija Draskovic will regain their life imprisonment sentence,” he stressed. 

Haliti recalled another event, underlining that the same order-givers who were behind the murder of Enver Hadri are suspected of having been involved in the assassination attempt against him by the UDB in Switzerland in 1990.

Serbian Language Media  

Vucic pleased with Davos meetings (Tanjug, media)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said he was pleased with his meetings with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and World Economic Forum founder Klaus Schwab in Davos on Monday, adding that he had also met representatives of flying car manufacturer Archer. Vucic is attending the World Economic Forum in Davos, Tanjug news agency reported.

"I met with Ursula von der Leyen and I am very pleased with the brief conversation, and I think I will also have a longer discussion with the EC president tomorrow. I also spoke with the founders and the people in charge of the forum today, from Klaus Schwab to Mirek Dusek. I spoke with the Council of Europe Secretary General, former Swiss president Alain Berset", Vucic told reporters in Davos.

He also noted that Archer was one of the most renowned companies engaging in manufacture of "what we refer to as flying cars, pilotless cars, flying trains and all other things". "We have also signed a kind of memorandum with them and struck a deal for EXPO 2027", Vucic said. "That is why we have held talks and already begun negotiations to buy at least three aircraft with the full safety package and everything else, and we will also speak with our Chinese friends because they do this differently", Vucic said.

Serbian Democracy files complaint against Self-determination, says Kurti with statements on ‘Albanian supremacy’ encourages discrimination against Serbs (KoSSev, social media)

Serbian Democracy has filed a complaint yesterday against the Self-determination Movement over the statements that leader of this party and Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti made during a pre-electoral rally in Gnjilane, which according to Serbian Democracy directly discriminate against and diminish the value of the Serbian people, KoSSev portal reported.

In a post on their official Facebook page Serbian Democracy said on Monday that the party “filed a complaint against the Vetevendosje Movement for violation of Law no. 08/L-228 on General Elections and chapters on the Code of Conduct of Political Entities, Article 34, Paragraph 1.11, as well as Article 35, Paragraph 2. Namely, on January 18, in a meeting in Gnjilane, the president of the LVV, Albin Kurti said “we are stronger and more stable than Serbia, the Albanian people are bigger and more ancient” (in Albanian: “Ne jemi ma të fortë e ma të qëndrueshëm se Serbia, kombi shqiptar asht ma i lashtë e ma i madh”.) Link to the statement, published on the Facebook page of the Vetevendosje Movement: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1Aw7a8D5zt/

With this sentence, Mr. Kurti was clearly comparing the Albanian and Serbian people as a whole, placing the Albanian people in a position of being superior, more valuable and older than the Serbian people, thus inciting discrimination and hatred towards the Serbian people, who also live in Kosovo as people and as citizens of Kosovo. Such an attitude directly encourages the dehumanization of the Serbian people as less valuable, and therefore violence against them”, Serbian Democracy said in a post. 

KoSSev: Albin Kurti’s fiery rhetoric raises eyebrows ahead of Kosovo elections

As Kosovo prepares for its parliamentary elections scheduled for February 9, the campaign trail has taken an unusual turn, with Prime Minister Albin Kurti’s fiery speeches becoming a focal point of public and media attention, KoSSev portal reported on Monday.

Since the start of the pre-election campaign, which officially began on January 11, Kurti’s party, Self-determination, has been relentless in its efforts to engage voters. The party has held at least 15 rallies in just over a week, with Kurti personally addressing audiences in 10 municipalities.

The Kosovo PM is even set to travel abroad to connect with diaspora supporters later this week. His appearances extend beyond traditional campaign events - visiting stores and cafes, chatting with youth, meeting the elderly in parks, and engaging with factory workers.

The campaign trail has also seen Kurti taking aim at opposition parties, particularly the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) and the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK). The harsh rhetoric used by the party has already resulted in penalties for violating campaign rules.

Read more at: https://shorturl.at/AiaXf

Marinkovic: Trump's return to power to mark start of new era in Serbia-US relations (Tanjug)

President of the Congress of Serbian-US Friendship Vladimir Marinkovic said on Monday Donald Trump's return to power would mark the start of a new era in Serbia-US relations and spark bilateral strategic dialogue in all areas, Tanjug news agency reported.

"I think the approach of Trump's administration and the entire team around him will be different, especially when it comes to key geopolitical issues, and I am certain the level of investments by US companies will rise", Marinkovic told Tanjug. He also said the strategic dialogue would focus on the economy, energy, new technologies, education and science.

"We can expect a new era in Serbia-US relations, I am certain that cooperation in the energy sector will be much better and that America will have more understanding for geopolitical issues and when it comes to the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija and Republika Srpska as well as everything that should represent a policy of ensuring stability in the Western Balkans", Marinkovic said.

"The key difference compared to the previous administration that should lead to results at foreign policy level and the level of regional policy is Trump's pragmatic, practical and realistic approach to problem-solving", he added. Marinkovic also said the US would try to back all initiatives aimed at economic connectivity in the region, such as Open Balkan and all other initiatives that could lead to strengthening economic cooperation and creating a common market.

Trump's initial moves and the region: Balkan (mis)fortunes and Washington's expectations? (Kosovo Online)

The stage is set. Donald Trump is officially the 47th President of the USA as of Monday. He has selected key players in the new administration and his initial statements indicate that it will be an interesting term. However, despite expectations in the region, analysts do not believe that the issue of dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, as well as the Western Balkans, will be among his priorities. There will undoubtedly be significant steps, claim sources for Kosovo Online, through the envoy for special missions, Richard Grenell - the former US Ambassador to Germany and an expert on Serbian-Albanian and Balkan affairs.

Better relations with the USA are also expected in both Belgrade and Pristina.

Read more at: https://shorturl.at/glaGT

KFOR Commander and Czech Ambassador pay tribute to 42 Slovak KFOR members who died in plane crash in 2006 (Kosovo Online, social media)

“The Commander of the #NATO-led #KFOR mission, Major General Enrico Barduani, and the Ambassador of the Czech Republic to Kosovo, H.E. Bohumil Mazánek, on behalf of the Slovak Republic, attended a commemoration event in Camp Film City in Pristina to remember and honour the victims of a Slovak aircraft crash in Hejce”, KFOR said in a post on Facebook.

“On 19 January 2006, forty-two soldiers of the Slovak Contingent lost their lives in a plane crash near the Hungarian-Slovak border. The soldiers were on their way home after having concluded their duties as peacekeepers within the KFOR mission. KFOR will continue to honour their memory, be grateful for their service and mourn their loss.

KFOR continues to implement its mandate - based on UN Security Council Resolution 1244 of 1999 - to contribute to a safe and secure environment for all people and communities living in Kosovo and freedom of movement, at all times and impartially. KFOR works in close coordination with the Kosovo Police and the European Union Mission on Rule of Law in Kosovo (EULEX) in their respective roles as security responders”, the statement added. 

Eight people die in fire at Belgrade elderly home (N1, media)

Eight people died and seven were injured Monday in a fire that broke out at an elderly care facility in Belgrade’s Barajevo municipality. Minister for Labor, Employment, Veteran and Social Affairs Nemanja Starovic told Serbian public broadcaster RTS that initial findings suggest arson. He emphasized that the facility had a valid license and met all necessary fire safety requirements, N1 reported.

Serbian Prime Minister Milos Vucevic announced that the Serbian Government will declare Wednesday, January 22, as a Day of Mourning following the tragic fire at the elderly home in Barajevo, which claimed the lives of eight people.

The fire was extinguished following a large-scale response involving multiple firefighting units. Starovic said thirteen residents were safely evacuated from the building and alternative accommodation has been arranged for them. He expressed his condolences to the victims’ families. Luka Causic, acting head of the Interior Ministry’s emergency sector, told RTS that teams are continuing to search the premises to ensure there are no remaining hotspots that could reignite. “This is a big tragedy, but it could have been even worse”, Causic said. Media also reported that three persons have been arrested over the fire at a retirement home that killed 8 and injured 7 people overnight.

Law student hit by car at protest in Belgrade discharged from hospital (N1)

Law student Sonja Ponjavic, the girl hit by a driver during last week’s protest, has been discharged from hospital, her father told Nova.rs.

Sonja Ponjavic was hit by a driver who rammed through the crowd of protesters standing for the daily 15 Minutes of Silence in memory of the 15 people killed when a concrete awning collapsed at Novi Sad Railway Station on November 1.

Ratko Ponjavic said that his daughter faces a long recovery with regular checkups at the Belgrade Emergency Center. He said “the two greatest Serbs were with her – Novak Djokovic playing at the Australian Open and Serbian Orthodox Church Patriarch Porfirije who prayed for her”. Djokovic drew a heart on the lens of a camera with the words “For Sonja” after a match at the Australian Open.

International Media

"House of Kosovo" Opens in Davos World Economic Forum (Prishtina Insight)

At the World Economic Forum in Davos, two Albanian businessmen, Esat Lika and Ertion Axha, give a Kosovo flavor to the Swiss luxury resort. 

Late at night on January 19, against snowy mountains, the Kosovo flag was raised next to the Swiss flag in Davos in preparation for the World Economic Forum, WEF, which kicks off on January 20 in a luxurious ski resort.

From January 20 to 24, while the Davos conference brings together key world economic players and government representatives, Kosovo is opening up a 2000 square meter "House of Kosovo" venue largely thanks to two successful property developers, Esat Lika from Carrabreg village in Kosovo and Ertion Axha from Durres in Albania. These two Albanians deal in property development and have managed to acquire the 100-year-old 11,500 square meter former sanatorium located 800 meters from the WEF Congress Hall, aiming to turn it into a luxury resort. 

Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/4kcfxjpe