Albanian Language Media: 

• Osmani and Prattipati discuss developments and security in Kosovo (media)
• PDK: Early elections the only solution to political crisis (media)
• KFOR Commander meets North Macedonia’s Minister of Defense (media)
• Special Prosecution launches investigation into attempted murder of EU official (media)
• Bislimi: EU notes violation of Albanians’ rights in Serbia (media)
• Kurti visits Selimi’s family on fifth anniversary of his arrest (media)
• RTK trade unions to organize protest today over unpaid wages (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Fatherland movement on Kosovo Serbs support of Vucic: “Compliciit in betrayal” (KoSSev) 
• Djuric: Kosovo is Serbia’s key national matter, we are satisfied with the US change in approach toward Kurti’s regime (Kosovo Online, Tanjug)
• Vucic: Russians working on finding partner to solve NIS issue, I am not pessimistic (Tanjug)
• Vucic speaks by phone with Zelenskyy (Tanjug, Kosovo Online)
• UN high commissioner demands accountability for canopy collapse, condemns arrests of protesters, journalists (FoNet, N1)

Albanian Language Media

Osmani and Prattipati discuss developments and security in Kosovo (media)

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani discussed with the U.S. Embassy’s Chargé d’Affaires in Pristina, Anu Prattipati the latest developments in Kosovo including the issues related to security. The Presidency of Kosovo announced on Wednesday that the meeting took place a day earlier. “As always, President Osmani reaffirmed Kosovo’s commitment to further advancing cooperation between the two countries, valuing the partnership with the U.S. as strategic and essential for Kosovo’s success,” the presidential statement reads.

PDK: Early elections the only solution to political crisis (media)

The Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) held its regular Presidency meeting on Wednesday, where discussions focused on the current political developments in Kosovo, the results achieved in the first round of local elections, and continued engagement for the runoff. In the statement released after the meeting, PDK emphasized that giving the mandate once again to Vetevendosje (LVV) would constitute a waste of time, unnecessary delays, and a deepening of the institutional crisis, since it is now clear that no party has a majority to form a government in the current legislature.

During the meeting, it was unanimously reiterated that PDK will not vote for any candidate nominated by LVV, and that holding early elections is the only solution to overcome the deadlock returning to the people of Kosovo the right to decide Kosovo's future direction and to provide legitimacy to new institutions. According to the party, the prolonged crisis throughout this year, caused by the VV, has not only created political damage but has also affected every sector. Furthermore, the risk that the state budget might not be approved on time, and that people could go without salaries next year, makes it even more necessary to accelerate the process toward new elections.

KFOR Commander meets North Macedonia’s Minister of Defense (media)

KFOR Commander, Major General Ozkan Ulutas, met on Wednesday with North Macedonia’s Minister of Defense, Vlado Misajlovski, and Chief of Defense, Major General Sashko Lafchiski, in Skopje. According to KFOR’s statement, during the meeting the parties discussed KFOR’s ongoing and important role in supporting long-term security in Kosovo and regional stability. “Major General Ulutas emphasized KFOR’s unwavering commitment to ensuring a safe and stable environment for all citizens of Kosovo, and commended the professionalism of North Macedonia’s personnel serving within the KFOR mission,” the statement reads.

Special Prosecution launches investigation into attempted murder of EU official (media)

The Special Prosecution of Kosovo has confirmed that it is investigating the stabbing of an official from the European Union Office in Kosovo. “The Special Prosecution informs that from the moment it received the case, it began undertaking investigative actions in accordance with the Criminal Procedure Code and applicable laws. In coordination with the relevant units of the Kosovo Police, the Special Prosecution is taking all necessary investigative measures in order to fully uncover the facts. Since the case is in the initial stage of investigation, and in order to preserve the integrity of the process, we cannot share further information at this stage,” the spokesperson for the Special Prosecution, Arbnora Luta declared.

Bislimi: EU notes violation of Albanians’ rights in Serbia (media)

Besnik Bislimi, caretaker Deputy Prime Minister,  stated that this year’s European Commission report on Serbia confirms that Belgrade continues to fail in respecting the rights of national minorities, including Albanians in Presheva, Bujanoc, and Medvegja. “The report highlights that the institutional framework for the protection of minorities remains incomplete, and that Albanians continue to face discrimination, underrepresentation, and the deactivation of their addresses. As we have denounced throughout our mandate, it is now being proven that these practices represent the articulation of policies aimed at the ethnic cleansing of Albanians through administrative means,” he wrote.

According to Bislimi, it is significant that the European Union has finally recognized and included the issue of address deactivation in the official European Commission report.

Bislimi further noted that the action plan for improving the representation of Albanians in institutions has not yielded results, while access to public administration, police, education, and employment remains limited, and in some cases entirely absent. “The report also states that broadcasting in minority languages on public television is insufficient, while hate speech against minorities in Serbia, from politicians and in the media, has persisted,” Bislimi wrote.

He concluded that Kosovo will continue to raise these issues at every international level until equality, dignity, and the rights of Albanians in Serbia are fully guaranteed.

Kurti visits Selimi’s family on fifth anniversary of his arrest (media)

The leader of the Vetevendosje Movement, Albin Kurti, has visited the family of Rexhep Selimi on the fifth anniversary of his arrest and transfer to The Hague. In VV’s statement, the movement called for Selimi’s immediate release. “Today marks five years since our MP, Rexhep Selimi, has been unjustly held in detention in The Hague. Since 2010, when our Movement first participated in elections, Rexhep Selimi has always been among the victors, among the liberators, one of the strongest and most righteous voices of our political representation.

Today, Kurti, together with the Deputy Speaker of the Assembly, Albulena Haxhiu, the organizational secretary, Alim Rama, ministers, MPs, and activists, visited the family of Rexhep Selimi in Pristina, our MP, former KLA fighter, and Selimi’s wife, Shqipe Mehmeti-Selimi.

Rexhep Selimi is deeply missed. We hope and demand that he be released as soon as possible, return among us, and continue his work for the country he loved and to which he gave everything,” the Vetevendosje statement reads.

RTK trade unions to organize protest today over unpaid wages (media)

The Union of Workers of Radio Television of Kosovo (SPERTK) will hold a protest today at 11:00 a.m. in front of the entrance of RTK’s First Channel, due to delays in the payment of employees’ salaries. The union stated that this is the second time in three months that RTK workers have gone without pay, facing economic insecurity and risking the normal functioning of the institution.

SPERTK emphasized that the protest is legal and non-political in nature, calling on all RTK employees to participate in defense of their dignity and their right to receive fair compensation. According to the union, if the situation does not improve, it will consider boycotting RTK’s public events as a form of pressure to resolve the crisis. SPERTK also called on media outlets across Kosovo to cover the protest and show solidarity with the workers.

Serbian Language Media

Fatherland movement on Kosovo Serbs support of Vucic: “Compliciit in betrayal” (KoSSev)

The opposition People's Movement from Kosovo "Fatherland" said that "there is no example in history of glorifying and celebrating a traitor", reacting to the organized arrival of Serbs from Kosovo to Belgrade to support Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic in ''Ćaciland'' - 'a wild tent' settlement in Pionirski Park, reported KoSSev.

"There is no such example in history of glorifying and celebrating a traitor and thanking him for his betrayal because he handed over 16% of the territory of the state of Serbia to our opponents," the announcement stated.

The movement added that they gave "full support to Diana Hrka in realizing the right to find and punish those responsible for the death of her son Stefan", while regretting that "the mother has to go on a hunger strike in order to determine the culprit of a serious crime under the canopy at the Novi Sad railway station", adding that it was said that a mother has to go on a hunger strike in order to find justice for the death of her child. 

The movement condemned with disgust the behavior of the gathered from Pionirski Park, who, according to their statements, "played loud folk music on the mother's grief with the desire to mock her".

Fatherland believes that "Diana Hrka's demands are absolutely justified", but that they are "difficult to achieve while this government is on the throne", because, as they stated, "responsibility would have to be established at the very top of the state".

At the end of the statement, Fatherland expressed a "bitter impression" regarding the fact that "individual Serbs from Kosovo are walking to Belgrade to support Vucic".

"You and Serbs like these, praising and glorifying the traitor, become complicit in the betrayal and build the foundations for the creation of a great Albania. History will never forgive them. Forgive them God but they do not know what they are doing," the statement concluded.

Djuric: Kosovo is Serbia’s key national matter, we are satisfied with the US change in approach toward Kurti’s regime (Kosovo Online, Tanjug)

Serbian Foreign Minister Marko Djuric stated that Kosovo is a key national matter for Serbia, representing the essence of its identity and not merely a part of its territory. He also expressed satisfaction that the United States has changed its approach toward Albin Kurti’s administration.

Speaking on the program “Dan na Dan” on TS Media, Djuric announced continued support for Serbs in Kosovo.

“Kosovo and Metohija is our key national matter, which for us is not merely 13 percent of our state territory. For us, Kosovo and Metohija is not just a piece of land. Kosovo and Metohija answers the most important question for every human community, which is – who we are, because the seat of the Serbian Orthodox Church, the Patriarchate of Pec, is located there. In the Middle Ages, our kings, emperors, and empresses lived and were buried in Kosovo and Metohija. Today, there are 10 municipalities with a Serbian majority and many other places where Serbs live. We have sought understanding for the position of the Serbs, which has been catastrophic over the past three years, and as a result of these discussions, I can say I am pleased that the US has changed its approach toward Kurti’s regime,” Djuric said.

Commenting on the European Commission’s annual report on Serbia’s progress toward EU membership, Djuric emphasized that Serbia has made significant progress in reforms that are criteria for EU accession.

“Anyone who wants to be even slightly objective can and must see that the main message of yesterday’s report is that Serbia is ready to open Cluster 3. That is the conclusion of the progress report compiled by the European Commission. This report clearly states that Serbia has advanced in many areas. But not only that – the conclusion is that Cluster 3 should be opened and that Serbia should move forward formally as well. Serbia has made significant progress in reforms, including those related to the REM and the Law on the Unified Voter Register. Before that, comprehensive judicial reforms were carried out. So, if meritocracy truly applies to evaluating Serbia’s progress toward Brussels – yes, absolutely, it should advance,” Djuric said.

Read more at:https://tinyurl.com/ujarrhap

Vucic: Russians working on finding partner to solve NIS issue, I am not pessimistic (Tanjug, RTS)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on Wednesday the Russian side was working on finding a partner to solve the issue of Serbia's Russian-majority owned oil company NIS - which is now under US sanctions - and noted that, although he was not an optimist by nature, he was not pessimistic in this case.

"That might not be bad news for the citizens," Vucic told Informer.

He said Serbia would have to agree to a solution offered by the Russians - a potential deal by Russia, the US and a third party.

Vucic said he believed the Russian side would find a solution, which he noted would be a relief to both the citizens and the government of Serbia.

"Then we could devote our attention to the most important task - EXPO," Vucic said.

Vucic speaks by phone with Zelenskyy (Tanjug, RTS)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on Wednesday that, in a telephone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, he had agreed that there was space for mutual support on which the two countries would continue to work together.

In a post on his buducnostsrbijeav Instagram profile, Vucic wrote that he had had an open and substantial discussion with Zelenskyy about Serbia-Ukraine relations, the European perspective of the two countries and the international agenda for the coming period.

"We agreed to keep communication channels open in the coming period," Vucic posted.

UN high commissioner demands accountability for canopy collapse, condemns arrests of protesters, journalists (FoNet, N1)

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk on Wednesday urged renewed efforts to ensure accountability for the canopy collapse and the deaths of 16 people at Novi Sad Train Station on November 1, 2024, saying it was crucial to restore public trust in institutions and uphold the rule of law.

“There has been no meaningful process to uncover the truth and seek justice for the tragedy that resulted in the deaths of 16 people at the Novi Sad railway station. This, despite the ongoing demands from tens of thousands of individuals who have taken to the streets, calling for justice,” The UN Human Rights Office quoted Turk as saying.

He added that, “even worse, many allegations of violent attacks and arbitrary arrests of peaceful protesters and journalists during demonstrations have not been investigated and remain unpunished. On the contrary, such incidents continue to recur.”

The Human Rights Chief reiterated the need for prompt, transparent, independent, and effective investigations into the collapse of the Novi Sad train station canopy to be pursued to conclusion, as legal proceedings against those allegedly responsible have stalled.

He also emphasized the importance of prompt and impartial investigations into all allegations of arbitrary arrests and detentions, and the unnecessary or disproportionate use of force by law enforcement during demonstrations.

Turk stressed Serbia's obligation to uphold the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, and thereby ensure that measures to maintain public order go no further than the strict limitations on them set out in human rights law.

“The full enjoyment of rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly are fundamental to a well-functioning, democratic society, and become especially vital in a deeply polarized environment,” the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights emphasized.