Latest news with #Serb-majority
Straits Times
4 days ago
- Business
- Straits Times
EU sanctions cost Kosovo 600 million euros in stalled funds, says think tank
ATHENS - Kosovo has lost out on more than 600 million euros of external funding relating to environmental protection and energy projects among others, since the European Union imposed sanctions in 2023, according to a report by the GAP Institute think tank. Kosovo's government disputes the sum, but the report, by a local body, gives one of the first independent assessments of the impact on one of Europe's poorest countries of sanctions for its role in stoking ethnic tensions in its Serb-majority north. "The measures ... have resulted in significant financial and developmental consequences, costing Kosovo around 613.4 million euros in suspended or indefinitely delayed projects," the GAP Institute said in its report. The affected funds relate to various financial instruments that have helped Kosovo's development since it gained independence from Serbia in 2008. The most-hit sectors are environment and energy, where more than 460 million euros have been stalled, the report said. That represents a big blow for a country that desperately needs to reduce its reliance on coal-fired power generation. Earlier this year, Reuters identified at least 150 million euros in stalled funds. The EU has not publicly said how much is delayed. Kosovo's government disputes both figures. Apart from 7.1 million euros that it says have been lost due to contracts expiring, the funds "are neither lost nor at risk" because they will resume when sanctions are lifted, a spokesperson told Reuters on Tuesday. The EU's foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said last week that the bloc would begin to "gradually" lift the sanctions, on the condition that Kosovo de-escalate tensions in the north. A senior diplomat told Reuters that the EU would begin to provide technical assistance for EU-funded projects in the next few weeks but that there was currently no plan to disburse funds. Kosovo is not recognised as a state by some EU members, which makes lifting the sanctions more difficult. The gradual lifting "is not very substantial and it is very unlikely that the EU can move forward with funding," the diplomat said. Kosovo has aspirations to join the EU. However, that process has also been hobbled by Prime Minister Albin Kurti's role in raising tensions in the north by systematically closing Serb-run institutions, banning the use of the Serbian dinar within its borders, and choking trade. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Politico
09-05-2025
- Business
- Politico
Japan, Bosnia hire Continental
With help from Daniel Lippman FARA FRIDAY: Continental Strategy's foreign lobbying work is picking up. The firm is now registered to represent the Japanese Embassy and Bosnia and Herzegovina's Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Washington, according to documents filed with the Justice Department this week. — Continental founder Carlos Trujillo, a former campaign adviser for Donald Trump who was tapped for a diplomatic post in the president's first administration, and Alberto Martinez, the former chief of staff to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, are working on both of the accounts. — So far this year Continental has registered to lobby for the governments of Haiti, Guyana and the Dominican Republic. Last month, the firm was hired by an Albanian political party that is also working with two of Trump's top campaign strategists. — For the Japanese Embassy, the firm will work to 'enhance' Japan's profile in the U.S., as Tokyo works to negotiate a trade agreement with the Trump administration that would stave off a 24 percent so-called reciprocal tariff on all exports to the U.S. Japan has already been hit with 25 percent tariffs on steel, aluminum and auto exports. The country's top steel manufacturer, Nippon Steel, is working to persuade Trump to greenlight its acquisition of American rival U.S. Steel. — At the same time, the Japanese government has no shortage of lobbyists and public relations shops on its payroll. The Japanese Embassy alone retains 19 different firms, according to DOJ filings, including Miller Strategies, Ballard Partners, Navigators Global, West Wing Writers, theGROUP, Tiber Creek Group, Forbes Tate Partners, S-3 Group, Holland & Knight, The Daschle Group, Hogan Lovells, Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, Prime Policy Group and Beacon Policy Advisors. — Trujillo and Martinez's Bosnia work comes as the Republic of Srpska, a Serb-majority territory in the country that is sympathetic to Moscow, has worked to court Trump allies. — The territory last month hired Rod Blagojevich, the former Illinois governor pardoned by Trump, to advance its interests in D.C. The region's ultranationalist leader Milorad Dodik also hosted Trump's former lawyer Rudy Giuliani earlier this year just before Dodik's conviction for defying the country's Constitutional Court. Dodik subsequently fled to Moscow, earning a rebuke from Rubio. — Continental's advocacy is being funded by the Bosnian American Alliance, a diaspora group led by businessmen Mirza Pilaković and Almas Šehić, according to local news reports. TGIF and welcome to PI. Send K Street tips. You can add me on Signal, email me at coprysko@ and be sure to follow me on X: @caitlinoprysko. KNOWING GAIL SLATER: 'Until Trump, Republicans largely embraced a light-touch approach to applying the country's antitrust laws — a tendency seen as part and parcel of the party's generally more business-friendly stances when compared to those of the Democrats,' Nancy Scola writes in POLITICO Magazine. 'Trump himself showed limited interest in aggressive antitrust against the major tech companies until near the end of his first term,' when his DOJ decided to take on Google. — That's shifted now, and Nancy writes that the evolution of Gail Slater, Trump's top trustbuster at DOJ, provides a 'window into how it all changed' for many other conservatives. 'Slater is a longtime Republican who throughout her legal and lobbying career has been known both as a by-the-book enforcer and bipartisan bridge-builder, according to interviews with nearly two dozen people who know her.' — 'But her long-standing disdain for the abuses of monopoly power has positioned her to be the leader of the surging MAGA antitrust movement's legal agenda, overseeing cases that include a pair of lawsuits against Google and another against Apple. She will also serve as an ally to [Chair Andrew] Ferguson as his FTC sues Facebook-parent Meta over its purchase of Instagram and WhatsApp.' SPEAKING OF SILICON VALLEY: The Consumer Technology Association, which represents both tech giants and smaller device manufacturers, flew company executives into town this week for its first fly-in week in an explicit effort to stop Trump's tariff plans — 'a rare direct pushback against the White House that could come with political costs,' POLITICO's Gabby Miller reports. — The weeklong lobbying blitz featured a reception at CTA's Capitol Hill townhome, visits to the Hill itself and meetings with administration officials. CTA has also launched a six-figure ad buy in Beltway news outlets and at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. — 'Its campaign is an attempt to solve a problem facing many once-connected industry groups trying to navigate Trump's Washington: to get the attention of the White House without riling up a president known for lashing back at critics. It also needs to convince Republicans to break ranks with a president who seems committed to jacking up tariffs even if they cause economic harm.' — ''It's a bit of an experiment,' Ed Brzytwa, CTA's vice president of international trade, told POLITICO in an interview ahead of the event. 'We're trying to engage [with the administration] as best as we can.'' — 'CTA, which sponsors the largest tech convention in the country — the annual CES in Las Vegas — has been more overt than most in critiquing Trump's trade policies, with CEO Gary Shapiro publicly swiping at the president's tariffs when they were first announced in the Rose Garden in early April.' But the association 'will have to balance publicly pushing its members' concerns against the tariffs while remaining seemingly aligned with the president.' ANNALS OF MAHA LAND: 'Before taking office, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. vowed to avoid conflicts of interest in U.S. health policymaking, and said food companies and drugmakers exerted too much influence. Now that he is President Trump's secretary of health and human services, some companies run by Kennedy's allies in the Make America Healthy Again movement are getting a boost from the government,' per The Wall Street Journal's Kristina Peterson and Corrie Driebusch. — 'Kennedy has surrounded himself with MAHA activists and entrepreneurs touting alternative health approaches that stand to benefit from his rhetoric, changes in policy, and being publicly linked with the top public-health official.' — 'When Kennedy announced at the Department of Health and Human Services headquarters last month that the agency would work with food companies to strip some artificial food dyes from the American diet, he was joined by Vani Hari, an activist known as the Food Babe who co-founded Truvani, a company that makes plant-based protein powders, snack bars and supplements. Target started selling some of her products in April.' — 'Also speaking was Dr. Mark Hyman, an author of nutrition books and the co-founder of a membership-based health program called Function Health. Hyman has been a 'friend and partner on these issues for 20 years,' Kennedy said, adding that his 'The Blood Sugar Solution 10-Day Detox Diet' was 'a very good book.'' — 'The kinds of appearances that RFK Jr. has been having with MAHA allies might not directly violate ethics rules that prohibit using public office to benefit private individuals or businesses, but they fall in a gray area that such rules were meant to deter, according to ethics experts.' — 'Kennedy 'made a point of the evils of government doing the bidding of business in food and nutrition and medical areas—this starts to look kind of like the same thing,' said Noah Bookbinder, president of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, also known as CREW.' SPOTTED at Cornerstone Government Affairs' spring happy hour for the Democratic Women Communicators Network, which featured remarks from Adrienne Elrod, and was hosted by Cornerstone's Kirsten West, per a tipster: Marnee Banks of Global Strategies Group, Chelsea Koski of Signal Group, Kristen Orthman, Sarah Schakow of Cisco, Leslie Wertheimer of American Express, Stephanie Nye of JPMorgan Chase, Brianna Frias of Instacart, Evelyn Chang of the Gates Foundation and Kemi Giwa of the House Financial Services Committee. Jobs report — Evan Meyers and Tessa Berner are joining the Ingram Group as members. Meyers previously was deputy executive counsel for Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp. Berner previously was director of finance data at the RNC. — Rebecca Fatima Sta Maria is now a senior adviser in Kuala Lumpur at The Asia Group. She previously was executive director of Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation. — Robert Blair is joining WestExec Advisors as a principal. He most recently led U.S. government affairs at Microsoft focused on national security and emerging technology issues, and is a Trump Commerce and White House alum. — Alan Estevez is now a senior adviser at Covington & Burling. He previously was undersecretary of Commerce for industry and security. — Francisco Bencosme has joined the U.S.-China Business Council as government affairs director. He was previously senior policy adviser and China policy lead for the United States Agency for International Development. — Amanda Olear has joined Milbank as a special counsel. She spent the past 17 years at the CFTC, including serving as director of the market participants division. New Joint Fundraisers Majority Fund (Reps. Angie Craig, Pat Ryan, Jake Auchincloss, Joe Neguse, Sen. Ruben Gallego, The Bench) New PACs FIGHT FOR VIRGINIA'S FUTURE (Super PAC) Friends of Sterling Hilton (Super PAC) Get Off the Mat (Super PAC) Take the Money Out of Politics (Super PAC) UPL NA Inc. Political Action Committee (AKA UPL PAC) (PAC) New Lobbying REGISTRATIONS Al Lawson & Associates, Inc: Florida A&M University Cgcn Group, LLC: International Motors, LLC Cgcn Group, LLC: Onebrief, Inc. Continental Strategy, LLC: Consejo Mexicano De Negocios Hallowell Consulting, LLC: Indiana Conservation Voters Miller & Chevalier, Chtd: Blackberry Corporation Monument Strategies, LLC: Hyosung Americas Net Centric Alliance LLC: Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP Obo Learned Hand Sandler, Travis & Rosenberg, P.A.: Therabody, Inc. The Charles Group, LLC: Voyager Technologies, Inc. The Mcmanus Group: Sight Sciences Too Good To Go: Too Good To Go Valcour LLC: Hazim Nada New Lobbying Terminations Bockorny Group, Inc.: Cvs Pharmacy, Inc. Covino Smith & Simon, Inc. (Formerly Simon And Company, Inc.): Salt Lake County Liberty Consulting, LLC: Nj State Ymca Alliance Net Centric Alliance LLC: Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP Obo Allegis Redwood Amergis Public Primacy Strategy Group: Well Done Foundation
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Kosovo in political stalemate as parliament fails to elect speaker
By Fatos Bytyci PRISTINA (Reuters) - Kosovo's parliament failed to elect a new speaker for the fourth time on Friday, prolonging a legislative crisis that has prevented efforts to form a new government more than two months after an inconclusive election. Under Kosovo's constitution, a parliamentary speaker must be voted in before the election winner can form a government, but without cross-party support that is proving difficult, and the stalemate has exposed deep divisions in Europe's newest state. In the February 9 parliamentary election, following an acrimonious campaign in which outgoing Prime Minister Albin Kurti called the opposition "animals" and "thieves", his Vetevendosje party came first but did not secure an outright majority. Opposition parties, who have said they will not enter a coalition with Vetevendosje, partly blame Kurti for escalating the tensions in the country's Serb-majority north that have hobbled Kosovo's chances of joining the EU and triggered sanctions from the bloc. The fractured political scene could result in a snap election later this year if no government can be formed. Kurti's nominee for speaker, outgoing justice minister Albulena Haxhiu, received 57 votes on Friday, unchanged from previous votes and short of a required majority of 61 seats. Parliament must meet again in 48 hours to hold another vote. Opposition parties have asked Kurti to change the candidate if he wants their support. "There is no will from political parties to constitute the parliament," Haxhiu said after the vote. By law, parliament must continue to meet until a speaker is voted in. After that the country's president will give Kurti's party a mandate to form a new ruling coalition. If Kurti fails, the mandate will be handed to the second-placed Democratic Party of Kosovo and, if they do not succeed, the third-placed Democratic League of Kosovo party. If all efforts fail, the president can call snap elections - an outcome many analysts expect.
The Star
25-04-2025
- Politics
- The Star
Kosovo in political stalemate as parliament fails to elect speaker
Lawmakers gather for the plenary session to elect the new speaker of the parliament in Pristina, Kosovo April 25, 2025. REUTERS/Valdrin Xhemaj PRISTINA (Reuters) - Kosovo's parliament failed to elect a new speaker for the fourth time on Friday, prolonging a legislative crisis that has prevented efforts to form a new government more than two months after an inconclusive election. Under Kosovo's constitution, a parliamentary speaker must be voted in before the election winner can form a government, but without cross-party support that is proving difficult, and the stalemate has exposed deep divisions in Europe's newest state. In the February 9 parliamentary election, following an acrimonious campaign in which outgoing Prime Minister Albin Kurti called the opposition "animals" and "thieves", his Vetevendosje party came first but did not secure an outright majority. Opposition parties, who have said they will not enter a coalition with Vetevendosje, partly blame Kurti for escalating the tensions in the country's Serb-majority north that have hobbled Kosovo's chances of joining the EU and triggered sanctions from the bloc. The fractured political scene could result in a snap election later this year if no government can be formed. Kurti's nominee for speaker, outgoing justice minister Albulena Haxhiu, received 57 votes on Friday, unchanged from previous votes and short of a required majority of 61 seats. Parliament must meet again in 48 hours to hold another vote. Opposition parties have asked Kurti to change the candidate if he wants their support. "There is no will from political parties to constitute the parliament," Haxhiu said after the vote. By law, parliament must continue to meet until a speaker is voted in. After that the country's president will give Kurti's party a mandate to form a new ruling coalition. If Kurti fails, the mandate will be handed to the second-placed Democratic Party of Kosovo and, if they do not succeed, the third-placed Democratic League of Kosovo party. If all efforts fail, the president can call snap elections - an outcome many analysts expect. (Reporting by Fatos Bytyci; Writing by Angeliki Koutantou; Editing by Edward McAllister and Hugh Lawson)
Straits Times
25-04-2025
- Politics
- Straits Times
Kosovo in political stalemate as parliament fails to elect speaker
Albulena Haxhiu, nominee of the Self-Determination party for the speaker of the parliament, leaves the plenary session, in Pristina, Kosovo April 25, 2025. REUTERS/Valdrin Xhemaj Outgoing Prime minister of the Republic of Kosovo Albin Kurti arrives for the plenary session to elect the new speaker of the parliament in Pristina, Kosovo April 25, 2025. REUTERS/Valdrin Xhemaj Lawmakers gather for the plenary session to elect the new speaker of the parliament in Pristina, Kosovo April 25, 2025. REUTERS/Valdrin Xhemaj PRISTINA - Kosovo's parliament failed to elect a new speaker for the fourth time on Friday, prolonging a legislative crisis that has prevented efforts to form a new government more than two months after an inconclusive election. Under Kosovo's constitution, a parliamentary speaker must be voted in before the election winner can form a government, but without cross-party support that is proving difficult, and the stalemate has exposed deep divisions in Europe's newest state. In the February 9 parliamentary election, following an acrimonious campaign in which outgoing Prime Minister Albin Kurti called the opposition "animals" and "thieves", his Vetevendosje party came first but did not secure an outright majority. Opposition parties, who have said they will not enter a coalition with Vetevendosje, partly blame Kurti for escalating the tensions in the country's Serb-majority north that have hobbled Kosovo's chances of joining the EU and triggered sanctions from the bloc. The fractured political scene could result in a snap election later this year if no government can be formed. Kurti's nominee for speaker, outgoing justice minister Albulena Haxhiu, received 57 votes on Friday, unchanged from previous votes and short of a required majority of 61 seats. Parliament must meet again in 48 hours to hold another vote. Opposition parties have asked Kurti to change the candidate if he wants their support. "There is no will from political parties to constitute the parliament," Haxhiu said after the vote. By law, parliament must continue to meet until a speaker is voted in. After that the country's president will give Kurti's party a mandate to form a new ruling coalition. If Kurti fails, the mandate will be handed to the second-placed Democratic Party of Kosovo and, if they do not succeed, the third-placed Democratic League of Kosovo party. If all efforts fail, the president can call snap elections - an outcome many analysts expect. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
