Kosovo

Kosovo so awash with fake euro coins they are accepted as payment

By Fatos Bytyci PRISTINA, (Reuters) - At a cafe in Kosovo's capital Pristina, staff have given up checking whether the 2-euro coins people use to pay are genuine, as such…

Read More Here

EU blames Kosovo over stalled normalisation pact with Serbia

BRUSSELS, (Reuters) - European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell blamed Kosovo this week for a failure to implement a deal with Serbia on normalising relations between the two former…

Read More Here

NATO commander says Kosovo still ‘highly volatile’ after May clashes

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Kosovo remains "highly volatile" even though the security situation has calmed since a major outburst of violence in May, the commander of NATO-led troops in the Balkan…

Read More Here

Bill Clinton tells Kosovo: stop ‘foolishness’ in Serb-majority north

Former U.S. President Bill Clinton, largely credited for ending the Kosovo war more than two decades ago told Kosovo's government to stop its actions in the Serb majority north, where…

Read More Here

No breakthrough as EU’s Borrell holds crisis talks with Kosovo, Serbia leaders

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell proposed steps to end weeks of violence in predominantly Serb areas of northern Kosovo to the leaders of Kosovo and Serbia on Thursday, but…

Read More Here

NATO ready to act to save Kosovo’s peace, calls for de-escalation

NATO forces in Kosovo are ready to face any situation if acts of violence similar to recent encounters threaten the peace, the NATO commander in Pristina said late on Monday.Some 30 NATO peacekeeping soldiers defending…

Read More Here

Kosovo PM presents plan to de-escalate tensions in the north

Kosovo's prime minister on Tuesday (June 12) presented a plan to defuse tensions in its Serb-majority north that would include fresh local elections and cuts in special police, bowing to…

Read More Here

Kosovo must grant Serbs more autonomy to join EU and NATO, US envoy says

BELGRADE, June 7 (Reuters) - Kosovo must give greater autonomy to Serb-majority municipalities in the north of the country if it wants to move closer to joining NATO and the…

Read More Here

NATO says reinforcements arriving in Kosovo after clashes last week

Reinforcements for NATO's peacekeeping force have begun to arrive in Kosovo following last week's unrest in the north of the country, the alliance said on Monday.Violence flared after Kosovo authorities…

Read More Here

NATO member Turkey to send troops to Kosovo amid unrest in the north

ISTANBUL, June 3 (Reuters) - Turkey plans to send commandos to Kosovo on Sunday and Monday in response to a NATO request to join the alliance's KFOR peacekeeping force following…

Read More Here

Kosovo, Serbia presidents meet under EU pressure to defuse crisis

By Andrew Gray and John Irish BULBOACA, Moldova, (Reuters) - The presidents of Kosovo and Serbia held talks on Thursday on resolving a political crisis that has spiralled into violence,…

Read More Here

EU condemns violence in Kosovo, will keep talking to all parties; NATO ready to deploy more troops

CHISINAU, June 1 (Reuters) - EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell repeated on Thursday that violence in Kosovo had to be condemned, adding he would continue to speak to the…

Read More Here

UPDATED: Kremlin: Russia backs Kosovo’s Serbs, their rights must be respected

MOSCOW, May 31 (Reuters) - Russia supports Kosovo's Serbian population and believes their legal rights and interests must be protected, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday. Peskov also told…

Read More Here

‘Large eruption brewing up in centre of Europe’ says Russia’s Lavrov on Kosovo

"A large eruption is brewing up in the center of Europe, in the very place where in 1999 NATO carried out an aggression against Yugoslavia, violating all possible principles of Helsinki…

Read More Here

NATO peacekeepers secure Kosovo town halls in standoff with Serb protesters

Serbs reject new ethnic Albanian mayors after vote boycott Kosovo police repel Serbs trying to break into town hall US rebukes Kosovo for imposing mayors in mainly Serb area LEPOSAVIC,…

Read More Here

NATO urges Kosovo to de-escalate tension with Serbia

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - NATO urged Kosovo to dial down tensions with Serbia, a day after its government forcibly accessed municipal buildings to install mayors in ethnic Serb areas in the…

Read More Here

UPDATED: Former Kosovo president Thaci pleads not guilty to war crimes

THE HAGUE, April 3 (Reuters) - Former Kosovo President Hashim Thaci on Monday pleaded not guilty to 10 charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity as his trial opened…

Read More Here

Serbia, Kosovo reach agreement to implement EU-backed deal normalising ties

OHRID, North Macedonia, (Reuters) - Kosovo and Serbia have reached an agreement on implementing a European Union-backed deal to normalise ties, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said late on…

Read More Here

Thousands in Belgrade protest against Western-backed Serbia-Kosovo deal

BELGRADE, March 17 (Reuters) - Several thousand people gathered in Belgrade to protest against a Western-backed deal to normalise ties between Kosovo and Serbia, which they view as recognition of…

Read More Here

Serbia, Kosovo deal possible this year

BELGRADE, March 16 (Reuters) - An agreement over the normalisation of ties between Serbia and Kosovo this year is "entirely" possible, a U.S. envoy said. Serbia President Aleksandar Vucic and…

Read More Here

Serbia, Kosovo back normalising ties but need more talks -EU’s Borrell

The leaders of Serbia and Kosovo agreed on Monday to a Western-backed deal to normalise relations but more talks are needed on the implementation of the pact, European Union foreign policy…

Read More Here

Kosovo celebrates independence with eye to reaching deal with Serbia

PRISTINA, Feb 17 (Reuters) - National flags waved in Pristina's streets on Friday as Kosovo celebrated 15 years of independence with an eye to reaching a normalisation deal with Serbia,…

Read More Here

Stand-off with minority Serbs holds back Kosovo 15 years after independence

When in December Serbia put forces on highest combat alert in response to increasing violence in Kosovo between police and minority Serb protesters, a shareholder in Pristina's newest shopping mall…

Read More Here

Kosovo increases police patrolling after recent tensions

Kosovo police have stepped up patrols by Rapid Response Units following ethnic tensions last December when local Serbs blocked roads to protest Pristina rule. The area is inhabited by some…

Read More Here

Kosovo says ‘yes’ to EU’s peace deal with Serbia, with caveats – PM

PRISTINA (Reuters) - Kosovo's prime minister Albin Kurti said on Monday he accepted a proposed European Union plan aimed at normalising relations with Serbia despite concerns over Western demands to…

Read More Here

Kosovo re-opens border crossings after Serbs remove roadblocks

PRISTINA (Reuters) - Kosovo opened two border crossings with Serbia in the volatile north on Friday, following three weeks of closure after Serbs set up roadblocks to protest against the…

Read More Here

Serbia removes state of high alert for troops

BELGRADE, Dec 29 (Reuters) - Serbia on Thursday removed a state of high alert for its troops that it had introduced three days ago over tensions in Kosovo, news agency Tanjug reported,…

Read More Here

Serbs in northern Kosovo to start removing barricades from Thursday

By Fatos Bytyci MITROVICA, Kosovo, Dec 28 (Reuters) - Kosovo Serbs who have been blocking roads in northern Kosovo for 19 days have agreed to start removing barricades from Thursday morning, bowing…

Read More Here

UPDATE – US, EU, NATO urge restraint as Serbia-Kosovo border crossings close

Serbia put its army on highest alert on Monday Third major border crossing closed on Wednesday Serbs in northern Kosovo resist moves they see as anti-Serb Kosovo declared independence, with…

Read More Here

Why ethnic tensions are flaring again in northern Kosovo?

PRISTINA (Reuters) - Protesting Serbs in the ethnically divided city of Mitrovica in northern Kosovo erected new barricades on Tuesday, hours after Serbia said it had put its army on…

Read More Here

Kosovan minister says Serbia aims to destabilise the country

MITROVICA, Kosovo (Reuters) -Kosovan Interior Minister Xhelal Svecla on Tuesday said Serbia, under the influence of Russia, was aiming to destabilise Kosovo by supporting the Serb minority in the north…

Read More Here

Shots fired near NATO patrol in Kosovo’s volatile north, NATO says

PRISTINA (Reuters) - Shots were fired near a NATO patrol in the northern part of Kosovo where local Serbs have set up roadblocks to bar police from Pristina from patrolling…

Read More Here

UPDATED: Kosovo formally applies to join EU

PRAGUE, Dec 15 (Reuters) - Kosovo's Prime Minister Albin Kurti submitted a bid for Kosovo to join the European Union on Thursday, launching a process that could take years, if…

Read More Here

EU prepared to send reinforcements to mission in Kosovo

BRUSSELS, Dec 12 (Reuters) - The European Union is ready to reinforce its EULEX mission, tasked with patrolling northern Kosovo, in response to the latest tensions in the region, the bloc's foreign…

Read More Here

EU’s Borrell urges Kosovo and Serbia to de-escalate after latest clashes

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Kosovo and Serbia must de-escalate a tense situation in the region, the European Union's foreign policy chief said, after Serb protesters in northern Kosovo blocked main roads…

Read More Here

Serbs in Kosovo clash with police as ethnic tensions flare

MITROVICA, Kosovo (Reuters) -Serb protesters in northern Kosovo blocked main roads for a second day on Sunday following a nightime exchange of fire with police after the arrest of a…

Read More Here

Serbs in Kosovo block roads, clash with police as ethnic tensions worsen

By Fatos Bytyci MITROVICA, Kosovo Dec 11 (Reuters) - Serb protesters in northern Kosovo blocked main roads for a second day on Sunday following a nightime exchange of fire with…

Read More Here

EU drafts new proposal for Kosovo-Serbia ties – senior EU diplomat

TIRANA (Reuters) -The European Union has drafted a new proposal for normalisation of ties between Kosovo and Serbia with a clear timeline of actions, according to a senior EU diplomat,…

Read More Here

EU police patrol Kosovo’s north after Serb officers quit

MITROVICA, Kosovo, Nov 19 (Reuters) - European Union police officers are undertaking patrols in northern Kosovo after some 600 police officers from the Serb minority quit over a car licence…

Read More Here

Kosovo backs off from Serb car plate rule after West warnings

PRISTINA (Reuters) - Kosovo said it will delay a rule to confiscate cars owned by ethnic Serbs who refuse to use local car plates following criticism by Western countries that…

Read More Here

NATO ready to send more troops to Kosovo

PRISTINA, (Reuters) - NATO is ready to ramp up troops in Kosovo if tensions among minority Serbs flare again as a deadline in a spat with the government over car…

Read More Here

Why ethnic tensions are flaring again in northern Kosovo

PRISTINA (Reuters) - Kosovo began on Thursday a two-month implementation period for a controversial move to oblige Serbs, mainly those living in the northern part of the Balkan nation, bordering…

Read More Here

UPDATED: EU urges Kosovo to give ‘sufficient time’ for car licensing rule

BRUSSELS, Sept 1 (Reuters) - The European Union said on Thursday that Pristina should give sufficient time for the implementation of a rule under which ethnic Serbs living in northern…

Read More Here

EU says Serbia, Kosovo settle dispute over identity documents

BRUSSELS, Aug 27 (Reuters) - Serbia and Kosovo have settled an ethnic dispute over the movement of citizens across their border, European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said on Saturday. "We…

Read More Here

NATO peacekeepers increase presence in northern Kosovo

Peacekeepers in NATO's Kosovo Force (KFOR) have increased their presence in northern Kosovo to be able to react to security challenges, a NATO spokesperson told Reuters on Thursday (August 18). KFOR peacekeepers were seen…

Read More Here

Kosovo starts power cuts as a result of energy crisis

PRISTINA, Aug 15 (Reuters) - Kosovo’s energy distribution company, KEDS, said it would start power cuts at 8 a.m. on Monday because of a lack of domestic production and high…

Read More Here

Kosovo PM warns of possible new conflict with Serbia

PRISTINA, (Reuters) - Kosovo is prepared to stand against a possible attack by Serbia as worsening strife with minority Serbs could result in a new armed conflict, Prime Minister Albin…

Read More Here

Kosovo detains Russian journalist at the border

PRISTINA (Reuters) - Kosovo’s interior minister said it has arrested a Russian journalist at the border on suspicion that she could be a spy, and security authorities were searching “for…

Read More Here

Kosovo starts issuing extra documents to Serbian citizens as protesters block roads

ZUPCE, Kosovo (Reuters) - Kosovo's government on Monday began issuing extra documents to Serbian citizens crossing into its territory, as Serbs living in the north of the country who oppose…

Read More Here

Kosovo hopes to join Council of Europe after Russia’s exit

PRISTINA, May 12 (Reuters) - Kosovo government said on Thursday it will apply for membership at the European rights watchdog the Council of Europe, seizing an opportunity after Russia quit…

Read More Here

Kosovo bans Serbian vote on constitutional changes on its soil

PRISTINA (Reuters) - Kosovo's parliament on Saturday passed a resolution banning ethnic Serbs from voting on Kosovan soil in Serbia's national referendum on constitutional amendments. Serbia will hold a referendum…

Read More Here

Kosovo reports first cases of COVID-19 Omicron

Kosovo's health ministry said it had registered its first nine cases of the Omicron coronavirus variant in the Balkan country. The ministry said that out of 22 people who tested…

Read More Here

Denmark to rent jail cells in Kosovo to ease prison overcrowding

Kosovo has agreed to rent 300 prison cells to Denmark to ease overcrowding in the Scandinavian country's jails. Denmark will pay an annual fee of €15m (£12.8m) for an initial…

Read More Here

Serbs unblock roads in Kosovo as NATO moves to end car plate row

JARINJE, Kosovo - Serbs removed trucks and cars used to block the border with Kosovo on Saturday as NATO troops moved in under a European Union mediated deal to end…

Read More Here

Kosovo, Serbia agree deal to end border tensions

Kosovo agreed to withdraw police units from its northern border with Serbia to end a mounting dispute over vehicle licence plates that briefly escalated into violence and prompted NATO to…

Read More Here

Kosovo PM urges mutual car plate recognition with Serbia to ease tension

PRISTINA (Reuters) - Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti said on Wednesday his country and neighbouring Serbia should start recognising each other's car licence plates to allow free movement of people…

Read More Here

Kosovo to destroy 133,000 AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines

The Kosovo government decided to destroy 133,000 AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines over their expired date of use as the country faces a sharp rise in the coronavirus death rate. The vaccines…

Read More Here