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"Telekom Serbia" announced that it has received notification of the decision from the Business Registration Agency (ARBK) of the Government of Kosovo, stating that the company MTS d.o.o.'s business license has been revoked due to the reason that "a member of the company's management has a passport issued by the Republic of Serbia."
However, on August 1st, the Ministry of Industry, Entrepreneurship, and Trade of Kosovo published a list of dozens of companies with contested addresses in their registration documents, to which it stated that their business licenses will be revoked, local media say.
Among these companies is also MTS d.o.o. - the sister company of the state-owned telecommunications operator of Serbia, "Telekom Serbia," which was founded in 2015 based on the Brussels Agreement, reached between Kosovo and Serbia in the framework of the dialogue for the normalization of relations.
MTS d.o.o. is registered in North Mitrovica as an operator within the Serbian system, specifically at the address "Mitrovica e Kosovës, Republika e Serbisë."
The headquarters of this company is in North Mitrovica, a municipality in northern Kosovo predominantly inhabited by Serbs. This company also has branches in other Serbian settlements in Kosovo: Leposaviq, Zubin Potok, Gračanica, Štrpce, and Ranilug.
On the other hand, "Telekom Serbia" emphasized that the decision to revoke the business license cannot be implemented because it is "factually and legally unfounded and in contradiction with European standards and international law."
The company added that they will appeal this decision.
"Telekom Serbia will do everything to protect the interests of all citizens in Kosovo and Metohija who use the company's services and more than 250 employees," the announcement stated.
The license for operation was initially revoked from the private national television station, Klan Kosova, as in the registration documents, two cities in Kosovo - Peja and Gjakova - were listed as part of Serbia.
The Ministry of Industry accused Klan Kosova of "violating the Constitution of Kosovo," but the media outlet rejected the accusations, emphasizing that a technical error had occurred and was rectified.
Klan Kosova then appealed to the Commercial Court of Kosovo, which on August 3rd postponed the execution of the decision of the Ministry of Industry, Entrepreneurship, and Trade until a final decision is made.