Albanian Language Media:  

• Cameron at UK Parliament comments Banjska attack, commends police (media)
• Krasniqi, Quint representatives discuss civic initiative in the north (media)
• Lajcak: Grateful for strong French support to EU-facilitated dialogue (media)
• Krasniqi: Association statute with executive competencies, unacceptable (media)
• One month detention for former KLA member arrested in Serbia (RFE)
• European Commission: We are following Sandulovic’s case (Koha)
• Saudi Arabia waives visas for Kosovo citizens with diplomatic, official passports (media)
• Kamberi: All those with different opinions in Serbia are being threatened (Koha)

Serbian Language Media:

• Vucic to attend WEF meeting in Davos, Kurti's name ‘asterisked’ (Tanjug, media)
• Krasniqi met EU and Quint representatives, discussed citizens’ petitions to dissolve mayors in four northern municipalities (Kosovo Online, social media)
• Attempted "appropriation" of Our Lady of Ljevis - falsifying history (Kosovo Online)
• Ban on importing Serbian goods in Kosovo still in force (N1)
• State Department said it closely monitors initiative to reinstate obligatory military service in Serbia (Kosovo Online)
• Serbian PM rejects claims of illegal voter registration (N1)

International Media: 

• Share Your Experience: Consumer Rights’ Violations in Kosovo (Balkan Insight)

Albanian Language Media

Cameron at UK Parliament comments Banjska attack, commends police (media)

UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron, during a session of the UK Parliament, commented on the attack in the north of Kosovo in September last year. His report comes after his recent visit to Kosovo and following questions asked by Foreign Affairs Committee chief Alicia Kearns about the situation in the region.

“When we look at the amounts of weapons and the number of people involved, the attack in Banjska had the potential of escalating into a much wider conflict. The operation by Kosovo Police was crucial in preventing a series of possible attacks against security,” he said.

Cameron said the incident attracted international attention about the consequences that could have been caused in the absence of an intervention by the Kosovo Police. “This was more than a local incident; it was a serious test for stability in the region,” he argued. “Our duty is to remain engaged in support of peace and security in Kosovo and all of the Western Balkans”.

Krasniqi, Quint representatives discuss civic initiative in the north (media)

Kosovo’s Minister for Local Government, Elbert Krasniqi, said in a Facebook post on Tuesday that he met with representatives of the Quint countries and the EU Office in Kosovo, and discussed latest developments and the initiatives of groups in the municipalities of Mitrovica North, Leposavic, Zubin Potok and Zvecan. “We remain committed to undertaking all necessary actions and decisions so that the people’s will is implemented based on the administrative instruction,” Krasniqi wrote in the post.

Lajcak: Grateful for strong French support to EU-facilitated dialogue (media)

EU Special Representative for the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia, Miroslav Lajcak, said in a post on X on Tuesday that he wrapped up his first visit for this year, in Paris. “Had very useful and important meetings at the Quai d’Orsay and the Élysée to prepare for the months ahead. Grateful for the strong French support to the EU-facilitated Dialogue and my work,” Lajcak wrote.

Krasniqi: Association statute with executive competencies, unacceptable (media)

Leader of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK), Memli Krasniqi, met on Tuesday with the party chairmanship to discuss political developments and the draft statute of the Association of Serb-majority municipalities, for which it was said that it creates a new tier of government in Kosovo because it has executive competencies. Krasniqi said that the PDK finds unacceptable any kind of statute that foresees the formation of an Association with competencies that are against the Constitution and laws of Kosovo. The PDK also criticized the Kurti-led government saying that its bad governance led to a degradation of the education system, collapse of the healthcare sector, economic stagnation, massive immigration, and sanctions by the European Union.

One month detention for former KLA member arrested in Serbia (RFE)

The prosecution in Belgrade ordered on Tuesday a one-month detention measure for Hasan Dakaj, a former member of the Kosovo Liberation Army, who was arrested on January 5 at the Merdare crossing point between Kosovo and Serbia. Dakaj is suspected of committing war crimes. A legal representative for the suspect’s family told Radio Free Europe that Dakaj told judicial authorities in Serbia that he is not the person wanted by the prosecution. “We believe it is a political detention, and a mistake. The prosecution has not identified who it is searching and neither can the witnesses, for which the prosecution claims they can identify a person who was 19 and who is now around 50,” the legal representative said.

European Commission: We are following Sandulovic’s case (Koha)

A spokesperson for the European Commission, Ana Pisonero, told Koha on Tuesday that they are closely following the case of Serbian opposition politician Nikola Sandulovic. “We have seen reports about the detention and alleged mistreatment of Sandulovic. We are closely following the case and we are in contact with the respective authorities and interested parties. It is important to have full clarity regarding the facts surrounding the case. We expect the rights of all citizens to be respected. Every detention should be based on the reasonable doubt that a criminal offense was committed, and every credible allegation of violence must be effectively prosecuted by the competent authorities,” she said.

The news website reports that Sandulovic was arrested for inciting national, racial, and religious hatred and was ordered to one month in detention by the High Court in Nis, Serbia. Sandulovic, the news website adds, was brutally beaten by Serbian secret police.

Saudi Arabia removes visas for Kosovo citizens with diplomatic, official passports (media)

Kosovo’s Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs, Kreshnik Ahmeti, met on Tuesday with Saudi Deputy Foreign Minister, Waleed Abdulkarim El Khereiji, and signed an agreement whereby Kosovo citizens with diplomatic and official passports won’t need visas to travel to Saudi Arabia.

Kamberi: All those with different opinions in Serbia are being threatened (Koha)

Shaip Kamberi, the only Albanian member of the Serbian Parliament, said on Tuesday that the beating of Serbian opposition politician Nikola Sandulovic and threats by former Serbian Intelligence Service Aleksandar Vulin against political opponents are proof of Serbia’s course. According to Kamberi, all those that have a different position from the official narrative are being threatened and punished. “Threats are becoming hysterical against those that talk about Kosovo as a state or about the crimes that were committed in Kosovo,” he argued in a Facebook post.

Serbian Language Media 

Vucic to attend WEF meeting in Davos, Kurti's name ‘asterisked’ (Tanjug, media)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic is on a list of around thirty political leaders from around the world who will attend the upcoming World Economic Forum (WEF) meeting in Davos, Tanjug news agency reported.

The forum will be attended by more than 300 participants, including Pristina's PM Albin Kurti, while Kosovo is referred to with an asteriks and a footnote.

Chinese PM Li Qiang, US State Secretary Antony Blinken, US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, French President Emmanuel Macron, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, the PMs of Belgium and Spain, Alexander De Croo and Pedro Sanchez, and Argentine President Javier Milei will also be in attendance, among others. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, World Health Organisation Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, Dutch PM Mark Rutte, Greek PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis and other officials will be attending, too. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will address the forum via a video link. 

Krasniqi met EU and Quint representatives, discussed citizens’ petitions to dissolve mayors in four northern municipalities (Kosovo Online, social media)

Kosovo Minister of Local Government Administration Elbert Krasniqi spoke yesterday with Quint states and EU Office in Pristina representatives about current events and citizens’ petitions to dissolve mayors in four northern municipalities, Kosovo Online portal reports.

As Krasniqi said in a post on Facebook, the Kosovo government remains committed to undertaking all necessary actions and decisions in order to fulfill the will of citizens based on administrative instruction. 

Attempted "appropriation" of Our Lady of Ljevis - falsifying history (Kosovo Online)

Falsification and misuse of history, appropriation of Serbian cultural heritage, an attempt to undermine the Serbian Orthodox Church (SOC) – this is how Kosovo Online interlocutors assessed Pristina-based Koha portal article claiming that Our Lady of Ljevis church in Prizren “was built on foundations of a pagan Dardanian sanctuary".

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

Ban on importing Serbian goods in Kosovo still in force (N1)

The ban on importing Serbian goods in Kosovo remains into force for longer than six months, N1 reports. Entrepreneurs from northern Kosovo protested over the ban, while people complained over the lack of Serbian products in the shops. N1 reporter said shortage of Serbian goods is visible in the shops in Mitrovica North, but that some products are still available.

Journalist Branislav Krstic said he thinks it is time to revoke this decision. "If we know that the government's decision to ban the import of readymade products from Serbia had a political background and is a consequence of the existing and growing animosity between (Albin) Kurti and (Aleksandar) Vucic, the fact is that it is the last moment for the government in Pristina to do something called following the interests of its citizens”, Krstic said, adding if it is in interest of Serbs in Kosovo to have goods from Serbia in their stores, there is no logic for Kosovo government to act differently.

State Department said it closely monitors initiative to reinstate obligatory military service in Serbia (Kosovo Online)

The US State Department closely monitors the situation in relation to the initiative of the Serbian Army General Staff to reinstate obligatory military service, Kosovo Online portal reports citing Klan Kosova. It also said the US remains committed to regional stability.

“We saw those reports and we are closely monitoring the situation. We remain committed to regional stability and we encourage countries in the region to be transparent in relation to their internal security policy”, reads the replay, as reported by Klan Kosova.

Serbian PM rejects claims of illegal voter registration (N1)

Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic denied opposition claims of an illegal increase in the number of registered voters, N1 reports.  A statement by the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) said Brnabic rejected claims by Democratic Party (DS) deputy leader Srdjan Milivojevic that 98,135 voters were illegally entered into the electoral roll between 2020 and 2023.

“According to official figures which are available to the public there were a total of 6,584,376 voters registered for the 2020 elections and there were just 6,500,666 voters registered in 2023”, she said, adding that the basis for Milivojevic’s claims were unclear. She also called on the public to report any illegally entered names in the electoral roll.

Milivojevic said on Monday that a DS team of experts analyzed available data and found what they said are illegally registered voters from Bosnia-Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Croatia and other countries. Earlier on Tuesday, opposition Party of Freedom and Justice (SSP) leader Dragan Djilas told reporters that dozens of people were registered as residents in uninhabitable buildings in Belgrade.

International Media

Share Your Experience: Consumer Rights’ Violations in Kosovo (Balkan Insight)

Many Kosovo citizens complain about violations of consumer rights but few companies experience any financial or legal repercussions. We would like to know more about the institutional approach after citizens report consumer rights’ violations in Kosovo.

Hundreds of Kosovo citizens complain each year about violations of their consumer rights. However, few companies experience financial repercussions and most get away with warnings and/or notices to train staff or eliminate irregularities.

Read more at: https://shorturl.at/tvNO6