Serbia is focusing on increasing technological capacities and strengthening the operational infrastructure for its Intelligence Agency (BIA) for 2026. According to official Serbian draft budget documents, the BIA is expected to have approximately 89 million euros at its disposal, a significantly higher amount compared to recent years.
This budget increase comes at a time when Kosovo has seen a significant increase in arrests for espionage in favor of Serbia over the last three years.
According to the director of the "Octopus" institute, Arben Fetoshi, this financial increase by Serbia towards the BIA carries clear messages about Belgrade's intentions against Kosovo.
Fetoshi told KosovaPress that this approach by Serbia represents an intensification of hybrid activities, considering the activities related not only to the north of the country, but also to the use of the espionage network within the country.
"Unfortunately, greater investment in hybrid activities, not only towards Kosovo, but a more complex agenda of Serbia, within the framework of their hegemonic policy towards the Serbian world. Of course, especially towards Kosovo, considering all the activities related not only to the north of the country, but also to the increasingly aggressive use of the espionage network within Kosovo, within the framework of Serbia's goals to maintain the unstable situation and to continuously incite interethnic tensions, by instrumentalizing the Serbian community in Kosovo," said Fetoshi.
He emphasized that Serbia is facing greater challenges as a result of the work of Kosovo's security institutions.
"Recently, Serbia has been faced with an increasing success of the security institutions in Kosovo, in neutralizing the threats posed by the network of espionage and other hybrid activities against Kosovo. In this context, the Kosovo Intelligence Agency has done an extremely effective job and seems to be continuing, although it is complex, challenging to detect and neutralize the BIA collaborators and the hostile agenda in general. We are also dealing with a counter-reaction against the institutions of Serbia, in order to increase their activities, increase the price and use financial means for more effective operations against Kosovo," he said.
The Director of "Octopus" emphasized that Kosovo remains exposed to hybrid threats and security capacities need to be strengthened. According to him, security institutions, in particular the KIA, need to increase their capacities in terms of additional funds to effectively respond to threats coming from Serbia.
"We are continuously exposed to hybrid threats coming from Serbia, especially given the sensitivity of the situation in the north of our country. Kosovo institutions must respond with increased vigilance and with measures that increase the capacities of security institutions, in particular the KIA, in terms of additional funds and budget, because it is necessary to increase capacities to effectively respond to any threat coming from Serbia, especially in the context of geopolitical clashes," he said.
Fetoshi added that Kosovo must also take urgent measures in the field of cybersecurity.
"We, within the framework of monitoring as an institute, have concluded that it is urgent for Kosovo to undertake everything necessary regarding cybersecurity, closer coordination in the EU and the US, to increase capacities in the field of cybersecurity. With other institutions, such as the KIA, we believe that increasing capacities should consist of a clearer result in neutralizing the espionage network and other activities related to the BIA," said Fetoshi.
We recall that this year, the Basic Court announced the first conviction for espionage, Aleksandar Vllajic, and has filed four other indictments for the same offense. /KP/
