Kosovo

Shehu is one of scores of Albanian army officers who joined the Kosovo Liberation Army, KLA in its war against the Yugoslav Army and Serbian police and paramilitaries in 1999.

The Kosovo Liberation Army War Veterans' Organisation branch in the town of Has said on Tuesday evening that former guerrilla Nezir Cocaj, who is running for re-election as an MP next month, has been called for questioning by the Specialist Prosecutor's Office in The Hague.

Kosovo Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti, in coordination with acting Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani, on Thursday dismissed the chief of the Kosovo Intelligence Agency, KIA, Kreshnik Gashi, allegedly for trying to obtain confidential documents from the President's office.

The Kosovo Specialist Chambers published on Monday a redacted decision by a pre-trial judge confirming an indictment against former President Hashim Thaci and three former fellow guerrilla commanders accusing them of crimes against humanity and war crimes during and after the 1998-99 Kosovo war.

Kosovo Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti on Thursday promised to respond to a letter from the EU Special Envoy to Kosovo-Serbia dialogue, Miroslav Lajcak, criticising his government's decision not to allow Serbia's President, Aleksandar Vucic, to visit Kosovo.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic reacted warily on Tuesday after Richard Grenell, US president Donald Trump's special envoy for Serbia-Kosovo dialogue, announced talks at the White House on June 27 and said that Pristina and Belgrade had offered temporary concessions.

After more than 20 years spent in Kosovo's political arena, President Hashim Thaci on Thursday announced that he will no longer be involved in politics once his mandate ends in April next year.

A French journalist and an American academic have told BIRN that they were lobbied to write positively about "border corrections" and a potential land swap between Kosovo and Serbia.

Reciprocity replaces 100 pct tariff

Under Saturday's decision, Kosovo's Food and Veterinary Agency is now obliged to use the emblem and name 'Republic of Kosovo' on all sanitary and veterinary certificates, while economic operators from Serbia must now obtain an entry permit from Kosovo's Liaison Office in Serbia for each vehicle transporting goods entering Kosovo.

The report states: "The reopening of peace discussions has been quickly focused on territorial border modification and has put on the table the debate/taboo on possible reconsideration of Balkans' map."