Vucic's statement tonight is extremely dangerous. Saying terrorists "rebelled because they no longer wanted to suffer Kurti's terror" seems to excuse a terrorist act (as referred to by EU-) & encourage others to continue since for Vucic this makes sense.
Shameful display of racism in Bucharest today as Kosovo is playing against Romania, for
@UEFA
Euro qualifers
@EURO2024
. This is an EU member state, & providing platforms for far-right groups in Euro qualifiers is a disgrace.
Fantastic day in DC w/
@AmilaKaracic
@vladisavljev_s
as part of
@IRIglobal
WB Task Force on Threats against Democracy. Important discussion
@StateDept
on malign foreign influence as well as 🇽🇰 & 🇷🇸 normalization dialogue. 🇺🇸is a pillar of security & stability for our region.
I'm writing the draft chapter on conclusions (🤞) for my
#PhD
thesis, while Leka, 1st grade, is writing the letter D for his homework. Good luck to both of us 😁
13yrs ago NEWBORN was covered to protest the isolation of 🇽🇰from EU's visa liberalization process, after positive decisions for🇲🇪🇲🇰🇷🇸 in 2009 (🇦🇱🇧🇦 in 2010). It has been over a decade of isolation of a single population from the Southeast Europe.
1/3 EUSR Lajcak posted from a meeting held with NCEU, hours before reporting to PSC on the normalization dialogue between Kosova and Serbia, but decided not to mention that it is about NCEU in Serbia.
Heading back home after a productive week in DC. W/
@vladisavljev_s
&
@AmilaKaracic
we had good discussions on malign foreign influence in WB, develop. in 🇧🇦, & 🇽🇰-🇷🇸 normalization dialogue. Our message-clarity in positions & US-EU coordination vital. Thnx
@IRIglobal
#WBtaskforce
After 12yrs, visa lib finally enters into force next month. A timeline of perseverance: 2008 visa begins w/ WB. 2009/10: visa free 4 🇷🇸🇲🇰🇲🇪🇦🇱🇧🇦, 2012: Visa dialogue starts w/🇽🇰, 2016: Commission proposes visa-free 4🇽🇰, 2018: All requirements✔️, 2023 decision, 2024 reality!
From today's presentation of the
@KCSSQKSS
survey: 65% of Kosovars believe that prejudices against 🇽🇰 among some EU member states & discrimination are the reasons for lack of visa liberalisation.
@FQehaja
@MentorV
@PlatorAvdiu
Everyone is in good spirits at the team meeting for Kosovo's Peace and Democracy Summit
#KPDS22
taking place tomorrow & day after supported by
@NEDemocracy
@RockBrosFund
.
I had a great seminar with students from the University of Turin's "Region Europe" International Program as part of the "EUrope from Outside Seminars." I spoke about how the EU is seen from the WB & 🇽🇰, & about 🇪🇺 as a statehealer. Thank you for having me.
Brilliant discussion with the
@sbunker
@KCSSQKSS
conference on the challenges of building liberal democracy, foreign influence in the region & public space.
In
#Tirana
for the next conference of the
@IRIglobal
Western Balkans Task Force on Threats to Democracy. In Albanian parliament we are talking about the response of the region to hybrid warfare. Another great event, kudos to the IRI BiH team,
@AmilaKaracic
@iamanesa
👏
It was a great honour to have Ambassador Byrne Nason of
@irishmissionun
🇮🇪 present on Ireland’s important work at the UN Security Council for Politics of the UN module
@LawGovDCU
@DCU
. Also grateful to our Head of School Prof Iain McMenamin
@imcmenamin
for joining us! 🇮🇪
With a brilliant group of young researchers from 🇽🇰 & 🇷🇸 discussing about research process and how to examine major concerns in our societies. Thank you so much for having me & for the impressive exchange.
Very happy to see this out. We finalised the draft of paper in April w/
@ElshaniDonika
, mapping some of the key vulnerabilities in 🇽🇰 to malign foreign influence. A timely reading.
Foreign Influence and Kleptocracy:
@Danlazi
&
@ElshaniDonika
analyze Kosovo's vulnerabilities to malign foreign influence & kleptocracy by focusing on the finances of political parties, beneficial ownership & media organizations.
@IRIglobal
Download here:
@DrRadchenko
Worst episode of mass murder within Europe since World War II in the Srebrenica genocide in 1995, & ethnic cleansing of approx. 1-mil Albanians in Kosovo are "lesser sins"? Not sure it is the right way to try to help one suffering people by undermining the suffering of others.
Spoke at the
@csf_wb
panel on "Breaking Barriers to Regional Security Cooperation". Shared findings & recommendations from the consultation process. Unresolved bilateral disputes & lack of reconciliation present a major challenge to greater sec. cooperation & integration of WB6.
As always, great experience w/ this year's generation of
#Kosova
School of Politics
@ShkollaPolitike
. Discussed how different forms of radicalization, including ethno-political radicalization & political extremism, undermine social cohesion to the detriment of democratic values.
At the Balkans Dialogue Initiative in Podgorica, spoke about malign foreign influence in the Western Balkans & noted that 🇽🇰 represents a meeting point for EU's far-right & Russia, who seek to undermine resolution of bilateral disputes & Euro-Atlantic integration process.
Spoke yesterday
@AJEnglish
Inside Story about the recent developments in the north of 🇽🇰, & stressed the urgency for the
#EU
to deliver a sequenced based action plan for implementation of the Agreement on the Path to Normalization, as the way forward for sustainable solution.
Pleasure to attend & speak at
#Balkans360
event of
@Marshall_Center
@gmfus
'Geopolitics & International Relations in Southeast Europe. Main takeaway 🇩🇪🇺🇸🇪🇺partnership is imperative to prevent malign influence of external actors & keep the
#WB6
on track of Regional & EU integr.
Good discussion today at Europe House in North Mitrovica about interethnic relations, integration policies, and the Ibër/Ibar bridge. Maintaining the status quo is not an option; we must work together to implement sustainable solutions. Thanks for hosting me,
@sharenao
,
#Dialogue
Positive news from 🇽🇰 as media report that the government has accepted the most recent plan presented to PM Kurti in his meeting with representatives of 🇺🇸🇪🇺🇩🇪🇫🇷🇮🇹 . This is a good decision🤞
"Kosova pranon planin “modern” të BE-së për Asociacionin"
Signed a letter with
@KryeziuLeonora
to
@coe
@MarijaPBuric
on behalf of Kosovo Civic Alternative, endorsing Kosovo’s membership application. KCA, a multiethnic civil society platform, advocates for peacebuilding and supports dialogue for normalization of relations between 🇽🇰&🇷🇸
Thanks
@ShkollaPolitike
@KryeziuLeonora
for the opportunity to moderate this important discussion on how (IF) we turn a new page on relations between 🇽🇰&🇷🇸
.
@PACE_News
has just recommended the Committee of Ministers to invite Kosovo to become a member of the Assembly! Important decision! I have been raising this question for more than one year! And finally, one more step has been taken! Congratulations to Kosovo on this decision!
This is an important grassroots project that promotes interethnic reconciliation & cooperation in🇽🇰, including through innovative ideas that prepare youth for today's market. Imlemented by
@KCSSQKSS
&
@NSIMitrovica
with
@GermanAmbKOS
support
#FIERCproject
Inspiring and beautiful places in
#Kosova
. Enjoyed visiting
#Korishe
and
#Kabash
today. The ruins of the ancient church of Shën Pjetri are visible, but we couldn't get there because of the fog.
A joint appeal, signed by 19 members of civil society organizations, to leaders from Kosovo and Serbia on their upcoming meeting on March 18, to accept the proposed agreement by the European Union (EU) and reach a compromise.
Check out these recommendations from consultations with security experts across all Western Balkan countries within the Thematic Working Group on Security and Geopolitics. Discussions focused primarily on how to foster regional security cooperation. 👉
#Istanbul
is stunning. The view from the hotel where Agatha Christie is said to have written her famous mystery novel "Murder on the Orient Express." Here for an important discussion on the future of 🇽🇰&🇷🇸 relations organized by CIG who does great work on Track II Diplomacy
🌐 In our 4th Session of the „Digitalization & Democracy“ conference, we tackled the rising cyber threats in the Western Balkans.
@Danlazi
led discussions on strengthening resilience, countering threats, and enhancing regional cooperation💻🔒
#AspenWB
#SetMeFree
#VisaLib4
🇽🇰. It's been 6yrs since the visalib recommendation by EC, & 4yrs since the confirmation of fulfillment of all conditions by 🇽🇰, and 12yrs since everyone else in the Balkans was granted visa lib by EU.
@DUALIPA
@sunnyhill2022
Today at the
#SEEDEM
Summit in Sarajevo:
'Kosovo's media scene is diverse but also subject of heavy political interference. Therefore, the media often fail to rise above the political polarization and some outlets even foster the malign narratives'
@NEDemocracy
@IRIglobal
Join our webinar on March 29 for a critical discussion on the rise of the far-right in the EU and the Balkans, with a panel of distinguished experts. This is hosted by
@KCSSQKSS
as part of the
@SmidgeProject
,
#NoToFarRight
. Register & secure your spot👉
In this op-ed with Miodrag Marinković we try to highlight some positive examples of cooperation between Albanian & Serbian communities in Kosovo in a context of growing ethno-political radicalization.
@cbmitrovica
@YIHRKosovo
@NSIMitrovica
@USAIDKosovo
Perspective: For a decade now, 90% of the population of the six countries of the Western Balkans (16.1mil) enjoy visa free regime with the EU, while 10% (1.8mil) remain isolated.
Important discussion today on citizen perceptions on regional issues in 🇦🇱 🇽🇰 🇷🇸 by
@KCSSQKSS
. Good news- overwhelming support in all countries for four freedoms (persons, goods, capital, services). Less positive results on normalization dialogue-only 5% in KS see improvements
Great to be back w/
#CIG
roundtable on 🇽🇰 & 🇷🇸 dialogue "Changing the momentum and preventing escalation." The EU facilitated process shld change or adjust so that the 🐘 can leave the room :). The already agreed CRM for
#WB6
is common sense.
#Solothurn
Is EU membership good? 84% of Kosovars believe so. Big difference w/the rest of the region. While being pro-EU is not a condition, shame though that the most pro-Europeans in the WB still can't travel freely to the EU, a decade after most citizens of WB were granted visalib.
Very soon we
@rccint
will publish the new Balkan Barometer the most impressive survey on region’s
#SEE
perceptions of today&what citiziens expect x tomorrow.
@MunSecConf
some of our datas were released. Keep in mind the following while expecting x the New Balkan Barometer😉
"The suffering was unimaginable." Kosovars marked the 20th anniversary of the wartime expulsion by Serbian forces of hundreds of thousands of ethnic Albanians from
#Kosovo
.
#Kosova
needs to avoid becoming embroiled in domestic politics in DC & a reason for attacks between Dems & GOP. Bipartisan support it enjoys is vital & should b protected. Worrying signs that this is being risked. I wrote a piece on the subject last week.
Fantastic two days w/
@AspenGermany
#AspenSEE
conference on the role of Parliaments on the Reform Process & Enlargement agenda in
#Balkans
. Some EU-MS not ready/willing 4 important decisions 4
#WB6
> region helping this w/ lack of proper reforms (RL) & regional cooperation
Pleasure to speak at
@NSIMitrovica
conference on peacebuilding at community level.
@LTLKosovo
has done an impressive job. I noted political discourse, lack of awareness/exchange between communities & competing narratives about the past as major challenges to everyday peace in 🇽🇰
Yesterday's panel on Collaborative Strategies for Community Empowerment was powerful! Ramadan Ilazi, Jasmina Živković, and moderator Milica Andrić Rakić shared firsthand experiences, highlighting challenges and successes in their impactful community work.
Delighted to have contributed to today's discussion by
@InstitutiD4D
on the intersection of disinformation, security, and malign foreign influence. I noted that elected officials hold a particular responsibility not to encourage viral deceptions or malign information.
After almost one year of waiting, the Committee of Ministers has finally referred
#Kosova
's application to the Parliamentary Assembly. Now we at PACE have the important task to write an "Opinion" and pave the way for the last European democracy to join this important institution.
Happy to share this paper, written with
@Leuretalumi
@KCSSQKSS
for
@NewlinesInst
Western Balkans Observatory on Kosovo's 🇽🇰 security posture. Thank you
@tanyadomi
for the including us and the opportunity to write on this topic. Download the paper👉
It has been a great experience participating in
@Marshall_Center
Seminar on Regional Security. Impressive program, lineup of speakers & participants. Important opportunity 2 rethink conflict management approaches considering pressing security challenges in Europe & MENA region