Kosovo Prime Minister feels no pressure on rescinding tax
Kosovo’s Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj reiterated Friday that introduction of 100 percent tax on Serbian and Bosnia-Herzegovina tax, helped domestic businesses to increase their production and capacities. Haradinaj says the tax will remain into place regardless pressure of international community asking him to suspend the trade measure. Original post Here
Tax on Serbian goods not conditioned with visas, says Kosovo EU Minister
Kosovo’s Minister of EU Integration, Dhurata Hoxha, said she has no official confirmation the European Union is conditioning suspension of tax on Serbian and Bosnia-Herzegovina goods with visa liberalization despite EU’s repeated call to rescind the tax. Original post Here
Kosovo Negotiation Team Briefs Ambassadors on Dialogue Process
Kosovo Negotiation Team in dialogue with Serbia met Friday Ambassadors accredited in Kosovo to inform them on their informing them on the role the state delegation will play in final phase of dialogue with Belgrade. Original post Here
Kosovo Air Traffic Controllers end strike
Kosovo’s Minister of Infrastructure and Transport, Pal Lekaj, and head of the trade union of the Air Traffic Controllers, Artan Hasani, signed Friday a Memorandum of Understanding ending the strike which caused cancellation and delay of many flights in and out of Pristina International Airport over the last two weeks. …
Serbia’s Vucic with threatening tone: No one touches Kosovo Serbs
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on Friday that Serbia will not let anyone touch the Kosovo Serbs. Original post Here
Ex-KLA member tells Hague prosecutors ‘Kosovo war was just’
Former Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) member, Isuf Gashi, after two days questioning by the Specialist Prosecutor’s Office prosecutors in Pristina, said the KLA war was about liberation, and accused Serbia of committing war crimes. Original post Here
Tax won’t be suspended next week, says Besnik Tahiri
Besnik Tahiri, senior member of Alliance for the Future of Kosovo, AAK, headed by Ramush Haradinaj, said Thursday the 100 percent tax on Serbian and Bosnia-Herzegovina goods will not be rescinded any time soon. Original post Here
Kosovo-Serbia negotiations moving forward despite obstacles, says EU’s Mogherini
The EU foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini, who facilitates Pristina-Belgrade high level dialogue, said Thursday that “despite difficulties, we are moving forward the negotiation between Serbia and Kosovo.” Original post Here
Kosovo mayor says Serbs have signed a petition on unification of Mitrovica
Mayor of Albanian-run municipality of Mitrovica South, Agim Bahtiri, told T7 television that a petition launched by his office on unification of this ethnically-divided town has been signed also by Serbs. Original post Here
Kurz after meeting Trump: Austria supports Kosovo-Serbia land swap
Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz supports the idea on exchange of territories between Serbia and Kosovo. Original post Here
Energy suppliers in southeastern Europe are heavily politicized and sometimes nefarious. The US can aid democratic stability through energy engagement. By David J. Kostelancik When Congress passed the Western Balkans Democracy and Prosperity Act as part of the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), it sent a clear signal: energy security in Southeastern …
New changes to the Albanian criminal code that only partially abolish defamation as an offence have been criticised by media freedom organisations, citing concerns over freedom of speech. Original post Here
Catch up on the weekend’s most important developments with Balkan Insight’s digest of news from countries across the region. Original post Here
Tirana Times, January 26, 2026 – Albania’s attempted entry into the Peace Board has become a revealing episode, not because of the significance of the initiative itself, but because of the way Albania’s leadership chose to stage and communicate it domestically. The Peace Board represents a new and ambitious international …
Tirana Times, January 25, 2026 – Albania has joined the Peace Board, a newly established international mechanism initiated by U.S. President Donald Trump, aimed at overseeing peace agreements and post-conflict stabilization efforts, with an initial focus on the Gaza Strip. The Peace Board was formally launched during the World Economic …
The crisis deepens as the government shields Deputy PM Balluku and a criminal network emerges in AKSHI Tirana Times, January 25, 2026 – Albania’s main opposition party returned to the streets on Saturday with a second national protest against Prime Minister Edi Rama, challenging the legitimacy of his fourth term …
Forty-one environmental organisations from 28 countries have called for a halt to the planned development by Jared Kushner of Albania’s Sazan island as a luxury resort, saying it threatens the valuable biodiversity of the area. Original post Here
Kosovo, Bulgaria and Turkey have signed the Board of Peace Charter, under Donald Trump’s auspices, but several other Balkan countries are still pondering whether to join the initiative. Original post Here
Balkan countries are continuing to sacrifice their remaining clean river stretches to development and pollution, a new assessment warns. Original post Here
The Bulgarian mystic’s doomy predictions continue to grab headlines in Albania and elsewhere – even though many seem fabricated and sometimes appear to serve Russian geopolitical narratives. Original post Here