The EU-facilitated verbal deal to implement the ‘normalisation’ of relations between Serbia and Kosovo, reached in Ohrid, North Macedonia in 2023, continues to hang in the balance as the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue remains nearly paralysed. Kosovo’s Prime Minister Albin Kurti and Serbia’s President Aleksandar Vucic have been rarely seen together since a roadmap to implement a…
NATO General Secretary Mark Rutte emphasised the need for leadership and commitment from all parties to secure lasting peace and stability in the Balkans during his visit to Kosovo. Speaking at a press conference with Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani on Tuesday, NATO General Secretary Mark Rutte underscored that dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia remains the…
The President of Slovenia, Natasa Pirc Musar, told BIRN in an interview that her predecessor as president, Borut Pahor, is the right candidate to replace the outgoing EU special envoy for Kosovo-Serbia dialogue, Miroslav Lajcak. “I am supporting him,” Pirc Musar said, adding that her country has often mistakenly not supported Slovenians for high positions…
Embarking on a mission to digitize public services by 2030 is imperative for Kosovo to align with global standards, yet serious challenges lie ahead. Kosovo aspires to shift the majority of its public services online by 2030, leveraging advanced digital infrastructure. The newly approved strategy for the digital agenda, endorsed by the country’s government, seeks…
Critical infrastructure resilience is vital for nations. Given the essential role of energy in all aspects of society, the energy system’s resilience is essential. But where does the Government of Kosovo stand in developing a resilient critical energy infrastructure in light of global threats and risks that are not easily forecasted? Our society is a…
If the last six years hold what the future will look like, then Albania and Kosovo are the first Western Balkans countries set to join the EU. Earlier this month, European Commission published the latest enlargement package. The day the package was presented to the public was indicative of the sea change that enlargement has…
Serbian authorities attempted to legitimize the terrorist attack in the north of Kosovo by presenting it as an effort to protect Serb minorities from the ethnic cleansing in Kosovo. This narrative draws parallels to the Russian Federation’s legitimation attempts for its aggression against neighboring countries, as in the case of Ukraine. In the north of…
Albanian PM Rama is attempting to provide alternative facts for what is happening in Kosovo by exaggerating and trying to present himself as a misunderstood hero in the midst of this exaggeration. However, in the situation in Kosovo, things are too straightforward and clear to create such a fog and use the Rashomon Effect. In…
Three weeks after the terrorist attack in Banjska, North Kosovo, the European Union has refrained from imposing sanctions on Serbia, even as the sanctions against Kosovo, imposed prior to the attack, remain in place. The European Commission has abstained from imposing sanctions on Belgrade in the aftermath of the events that unfolded on September 24….
Regulator tells cable networks to stop carrying Serbia-based sport channels after they showed viewers’ messages praising the Serb gunmen who attacked Kosovo Police on September 24 as ‘heroes’. Kosovo’s Independent Media Commission, IMC, on Tuesday urged a halt to broadcasts of Serbian sport TV channels, days after they carried messages supporting the armed Serbs killed…