14 December 2021
1 year has passed since the signing of the Washington agreement for economic normalization between Kosovo and Serbia.
PIPS has evaluated and analyzed the implementation of 5 key points from this agreement as follows:
(1) designation of Hezbollah as a whole as a terrorist organization
(2) participation in Mini-Schengen (Open Balkans)
(3) compliance with the moratorium which suspended Kosovo's applications for membership in international organizations
(4) mutual recognition and the establishment of diplomatic relations with Israel for Kosovo, namely the relocation of the Embassy in Jerusalem for Serbia; and
(5) working with other countries to promote the decriminalization of homosexuality
Kosovo has met 4 of these points, while Serbia only 2 of them.
This publication clarifies the political context and the actions taken by both parties to realize these points.
15 November 2021
In our latest paper, PIPS analyzed Kosovo's approach and its role in the global fight against misinformation. Similar to other parts of the globe, in recent years the Western Balkans has seen an increase in disinformation and hybrid wars.
In the Western Balkans, the main purposes of fake news include, among other things, undermining the legitimacy and sovereignty of Kosovo's statehood, changing the narratives of war and war crimes, and undermining the West's credibility regarding state-building in Kosovo. News about Kosovo, in addition to being a dominant topic in the Serbian media, is often the subject of inaccurate reporting. Narratives spread by biased media also focus on weakening support for Euro-Atlantic institutions.
Such developments are an obstacle to regional integration and cooperation, which is why in this policy analysis PIPS has listed opportunities and recommendations for the government of Kosovo and the EU to address this phenomenon.