About: Kosovo
Summit debrief with Viola Von Cramon: ‘A disastrous signal for the Western Balkans’
EURACTIV debriefed with MEP Viola Von Cramon-Taubadel from the 23-24 summit, its highlights being a meeting with the leaders of the Western Balkan countries and a decision to grant candidate status to Ukraine and Moldova.
Germany urges Serbia to apply sanctions against Moscow
Germany's Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Friday (10 June) urged EU candidate Serbia to join the European Union in imposing sanctions against Russia over the war of Ukraine.
EU-mediated Kosovo-Serbia dialogue on license plates fails
Kosovo and Serbia have failed to agree on the issue of license plates, an issue that sparked unrest along the border in September 2021, after the deadline expired on Thursday, 21 April.
Kosovo police attacked with grenade and AK-47 by Serbian border
Two Kosovo police cars were attacked on Friday (15 April) with a hand grenade and an AK-47 near the border checkpoint with Serbia in the north of the country.
Vucic claims victory in elections ‘without suspense’
Serbia’s strongman Aleksandar Vučić claimed a landslide victory in general elections Sunday (3 April) paving the way for another term as president and extending his decade-long rule in the Balkan nation. Official results were set to be announced late Monday...
Kosovo snubs recognition of same-sex civil unions
Kosovo lawmakers on Wednesday rejected a law that would recognise same-sex civil partnerships, failing to become the first Muslim-majority country to adopt such legislation.
EU to nearly double its police force in Kosovo
The European Union police and justice mission in Kosovo said it will deploy another 92 special police officers to support NATO troops and local police.
The long decline: mass migration batters Balkans
Abandoned shops and mostly empty streets offer few signs of life in North Macedonia's Valandovo, where young people are fleeing in large numbers hoping to find a better life abroad.
2022: Enlargement on life support
Enlargement is stalled, and EU governments can barely agree on a common strategy to bring in the six membership hopefuls -- Serbia, Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Albania, and North Macedonia.
Residents fire up generators as Kosovo energy crisis escalates
As Kosovo endures its worst energy crisis in a decade, Xhelal Gashi is considering closing down his bakery in Pristina because he is struggling to cover fuel costs for a generator since authorities introduced power cuts.
One Serb shot, 6 policemen injured in Kosovo clashes
One Serb was shot and six police officers injured on Wednesday when police fired tear gas to disperse a crowd that became hostile after raids on suspected smugglers in a volatile area of Kosovo populated by the Serb minority.
Kosovo and Serbia diffuse tensions through EU brokered deal
After ten days of tensions between Kosovo and Serbia that prompted concerns of a renewed conflict in the region, a temporary agreement has been brokered to de-escalate the situation, Miroslav Lajčák, EU Special Representative for Belgrade-Pristina dialogue, announced on Thursday (30 September).
EU no longer agrees on Balkan membership guarantee, diplomats say
The European Union, fearing a political backlash in member states, can no longer agree to give a guarantee of future membership to the six Balkan countries once promised a place in the club, according to four diplomats and an internal...
Albanian prime minister criticises Serbia’s ‘theatrics’ in Kosovo
Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama voiced support on Monday (27 September) for Kosovo’s decision to require Serbian vehicles entering its territory to display temporary Kosovo plates, a move that has sparked fresh tensions in the region and prompted international calls for a swift de-escalation.
Albania’s prime minister comes to Kosovo in the midst of escalation with Serbia
Kosovo’s political parties have rallied together as Serbian troops gather along the border, following an alleged attack on two Kosovo interior ministry offices on Saturday 25 September.
EU removes US, Western Balkan countries from COVID safe list for non-essential travel
The European Union on Monday (30 August) recommended that its member states reimpose travel restrictions on US tourists over rising covid infections in the country.
Albania, Kosovo say ready to temporarily house Afghan refugees
Albania and Kosovo have accepted a US request to temporarily take in Afghan refugees seeking visas to enter the United States, the country two countries said on Sunday (15 August).
Political scientists say EU has lost the battle for the Balkans
The EU has lost the battle for the Balkans, where Russia and China are offering bonuses without asking for reforms, geopolitical experts told an online conference organised by EURACTIV.bg this week, proposing increased cooperation and a Balkan common market as the best way forward.
Kosovo parliament elects Vjosa Osmani as new national president
Kosovo's parliament has appointed a 38-year-old US-educated female law professor and candidate of the ruling Vetevendosje party as the country's new president, following an election in February.
Former Kosovo commander arrested in Belgium
A former commander of the disbanded Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) has been arrested in Belgium for alleged war crimes committed during the country's war with Serbia in the 1990s, an international court said Tuesday (16 March).
Kosovo opens embassy in Jerusalem
Kosovo said Sunday (14 March) it had officially opened its embassy in Jerusalem after becoming the first Muslim-majority territory to recognise the city as Israel's capital.
Bring Western Balkans back on the agenda, urge nine EU member states
Nine EU member states have called on the EU’s chief diplomat, Joseph Borrell, to have a strategic discussion on the Western Balkan countries and their prospects when EU foreign ministers meet in April, according to a letter made available to...
Kosovo anti-establishment party set for landslide win
Kosovo's left-wing reformists were headed for a landslide victory in parliamentary elections, initial results showed Monday (14 February), handing them a strong mandate for change from voters fed up with the political establishment.