“Telekom Serbia” announced that its sister company, MTS d.o.o., had its business license revoked by the Business Registration Agency (ARBK) of the Government of Kosovo. The reason cited for the revocation was that “a management member of the company holds a passport issued by the Republic of Serbia”.
On August 1, the Ministry of Industry, Entrepreneurship, and Trade of Kosovo (MINT) published a list of several companies whose registered addresses were contested in their documentation. As a consequence, these companies faced the threat of having their operating licenses withdrawn.
Among the affected companies is MTS d.o.o., established in 2015 as the sister company of the state-owned telecommunication operator, “Telekom Serbia”. Its formation was based on the Brussels Agreement, a milestone reached during the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia aimed at normalizing relations.
According to documents, MTS d.o.o. appears to be registered in North Mitrovica as an operator within the Serbian system, with the address listed as “Mitrovica, Republic of Serbia”.
The company’s headquarters are situated in North Mitrovica, a municipality predominantly inhabited by Serbs in the northern part of Kosovo. Additionally, MTS d.o.o. operates branches in other Serbian-populated areas in Kosovo, including Leposavic, Zubin Potok, Graçanica, Shtërpca, and Ranilug.
On the other hand, “Telekom Serbia” firmly stated that the decision to revoke MTS d.o.o.’s business license is baseless, both factually and legally, and “goes against European principles, standards, and international law”. In response, the company has expressed its intention to appeal this decision and vowed to “protect the interests of all citizens in Kosovo and Metohija who avail themselves of their services, as well as the welfare of more than 250 employees”.
This situation is not without precedent, as another company, private national television station Klan Kosova, had its operating license revoked due to the listing of two Kosovo cities, Peja and Gjakova, as part of Serbia in its registration documents.
Nevertheless, the media outlet has contested the Ministry of Industry’s accusation of violating the Constitution of Kosovo, attributing the discrepancy to a technical error that has since been rectified.
In response to the development, Klan Kosova has appealed to the Commercial Court of Kosovo, which, on August 3, granted a postponement of the Ministry of Industry’s decision, pending a final resolution.
