Kosovo Albanians

Major successes in only a few years

Kosovo football fans celebrate the win against Bulgaria ibn Prishtina bars, on 10 June 2019. Photo: Atdhe Mulla

Along with tiny Gibraltar, the Kosovo team is the youngest in Europe, having been admitted to the world football federation, FIFA, and to Europe's UEFA, only three years ago.

Bill Clinton was honoured by Kosovo on Tuesday for his role in ordering the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia, which led to the end of the war 20 years ago.

The Kosovo Anti-Corruption Agency's report on the declaration of wealth of public servants, published on Thursday, revealed that Rrustem Mustafa, popularly known as 'Remi', has been an adviser to Kosovo President Hashim Thaci for the last four months, unknown to the public.

Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj removed Sylejman Selimi as his political adviser on Monday, four months after his controversial appointment, which drew criticism from Kosovo's Western allies.

On Monday, commemorating a battle between Serbian forces and the Kosovo Liberation Army, KLA, in Pashtrik, Thaci went further by asking the Kosovo and Albania parliaments to take action.

"New circumstances are being created, and the best solution would be that two parliaments, of Kosovo and Albania, approve the statements of people's wish to live in a single state," he said.

Kosovo has banned Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic for life for what it has called her racist comments about Kosovo Albanians, while also declaring Russian UNMIK staffer Mikhail Krasnoshchenkov persona non grata.

This is Pristina's obligation under the 2013 Brussels Agreement, reached under EU's auspices and mediation.

As he said, the ban will last "as long as she follows the racist and sick ideology against the Kosovo population and the nationalities living there."

A 60-km highway connecting the Kosovo capital of Pristina to the border of North Macedonia was officially opened on Wednesday. "If yesterday we dreamed of a Kosovo like this, today it is a reality," President Hashim Thaci of Kosovo said at the ceremony held close to the border with North Macedonia.

Kosovo Police said that the 19 policemen who have been arrested will be held in custody for 48 hours after Tuesday morning's operation, which sparked outbreaks of unrest in Serb-majority northern Kosovo and triggered angry reactions from Belgrade.