Albanian Language Media: 

• Osmani meets U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in New York (media)
• Osmani’s advisor: Vucic and Marko Djuric’s “fake-news factory” running overtime (media)
• Caretaker PM Kurti travels to the United States (media)
• Osmani meets Finnish President Stubb, discusses security and cooperation (media)
• Svecla accuses Serbia of violating Kosovo’s airspace with drones (Reporteri)
• Osmani: No aggression from Serbia can stop the truth of Kosovo (media)
• Gervalla: 2023 aggression organized and financed by Serbia (media)
• EU concerned that Banjska perpetrators take part in protests in Serbia instead of facing justice (Koha)
• Orav honors Afrim Bunjaku, urges Serbia to prosecute attackers (media)
• EULEX calls for justice for fallen sergeant Afrim Bunjaku (media)
• Italian Embassy urges justice on second anniversary of Banjska attack (media)
• Spiropali: EU must lift sanctions against Kosovo (Indeksonline)

Serbian Language Media:

• Vucic at the UN: ''Kosovo and Metohija is an inseparable part of Serbia, we expect all countries to respect our territorial integrity'' (Kosovo Online, KoSSev, RTS, Tanjug, media)
• Vucic: Osmani can only go to the UNGA hall for a tourist tour and will stay that way “for a long time” (Kosovo Online)
• Petkovic: Kurti attacks Serbia out of powerlessness (KiM radio, Kosovo Online, Radio Mitrovica sever) 
• EU on Banjska anniversary: We are concerned by participation of offenders during demonstrations, we expect Serbia to prosecute them (N1)
• Mijacic on the Banjska case: Serbia losing credibility by not solving this case (N1)
• Manojlovic: On the anniversary of Banjska, the regime not fighting for Serbian faculties and healthcare in Kosovo (KiM radio, KoSSev)
• “Banjska mystery” two years on: Analyst says Radoicic could not act alone, sees US satisfaction with Vucic (KoSSev)

International:

• Kosovo arrests seven in major drug raid following ‘Sky ECC’ decryptions (PI)

Albanian Language Media

Osmani meets U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in New York (media)

Kosovo President, Vjosa Osmani, met with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio during a reception hosted by President Donald Trump in New York. Osmani shared a photo of the meeting on Facebook, describing it as a “substantive conversation.” She is currently in New York attending meetings as part of the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly.

Osmani's advisor: Vucic and Marko Djuric’s "fake-news factory" running overtime (media)

Advisor to Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani, Rinor Nuhiu, reacted to a statement by Serbian Foreign Minister Marko Djuric about Osmani allegedly obtaining a pass from another delegation to enter the UN General Assembly. Nuhiu wrote in a post on X that “Vucic and Marko Djuric’s fake-news factory is running overtime. Lie after Lie. President Vjosa Osmani was not ‘smuggled’ into the UN by ‘another’ country, nor did she enter as a ‘tourist’. She is accredited in line with standard UN procedures… like any other Head of State. Serbia can scream all it wants. The facts don’t change. Kosovo is here. And it’s here to stay. Forever”.

Caretaker PM Kurti travels to the United States (media)

Several news websites reported on Wednesday evening that Kosovo’s caretaker Prime Minister Albin Kurti has travelled to the United States of America. No other details were announced.

Osmani meets Finnish President Stubb, discusses security and cooperation (media)

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani met with Finnish President Alexander Stubb in New York, where they discussed recent security developments in Europe and the next steps to deepen cooperation between Kosovo and Finland.  "A productive discussion with President Alexander Stubb on recent European security developments and our next steps in deepening bilateral ties," Osmani stated, thanking him for Finland’s continued support and unwavering backing of Kosovo’s Euro-Atlantic aspirations.

Svecla accuses Serbia of violating Kosovo’s airspace with drones (Reporteri)

Caretaker Interior Minister Xhelal Svecla has accused Serbia of breaching Kosovo's airspace using drones. In an interview with KTV, Svecla stated that unauthorized drone activity has been detected on multiple occasions, describing it as a violation of Kosovo’s sovereignty. “We’ve identified several instances where Serbian drones have entered our airspace,” Svecla said, adding that the cases are under investigation in cooperation with KFOR and international partners. While reassuring the public that there is no immediate cause for concern, he emphasized that all Kosovo institutions are on alert.

Osmani: No aggression from Serbia can stop the truth of Kosovo (media)

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani said in a Facebook post on Wednesday that Kosovo Police sergeant Afrim Bunjaku fell a hero in Banjska in September 2023 while protecting the freedom and dignity of Kosovo. “September 24 reminds us that freedom requires sacrifice but also that Kosovo is invincible. No terrorist attack or aggression from Serbia can stop the truth. Kosovo, a sovereign, free and inseparable state, will remain an irreversible and eternal reality,” Osmani said.

Gervalla: 2023 aggression organized and financed by Serbia (media)

Kosovo’s caretaker Minister of Foreign Affairs, Donika Gervalla, said in a post on X on Wednesday that Serbia’s act of aggression against Kosovo in September 2023 raised alarm across NATO, US, EU and the West and that “Vucic regime’s attempts to manipulate the truth are right out of the Moscow playbook: his ally Lavrov, the Serbian foreign minister is unsuccessfully trying to cover up the 2023 aggression that was planned, trained, organized and financed by Serbia. The evidence laid out in the indictment in the ongoing trial is overwhelming”.

Gervalla argued that “like Moscow, Serbia is not retreating from its aggression and its lies. On top of that, it is hosting and protecting the top terrorist who publicly claimed responsibility as commander of that military aggression”.

Gervalla said that “Kosova and its government are among the most pro-Western in the world, with about 90 percent support in favor of NATO and the U.S. The bond between Kosova and the United States is as rock-solid as the bond between Serbia and Russia”.

Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/54hauwzf

EU concerned that Banjska perpetrators take part in protests in Serbia instead of facing justice (Koha)

The European Union has reiterated its calls for the perpetrators of the terrorist attack in Banjska to be brought to justice, expressing concern that, instead of standing trial, they are participating in protests in Serbia. The EU has also indicated that the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, will personally ask Serbia’s President, Aleksandar Vucic, in New York, to take measures to ensure those responsible are brought to justice.

A spokesperson for the EU told this to Koha news website when asked about the measures that the EU has taken to make sure that the Banjska attackers face justice. “The attack two years ago, on 24 September 2023, in the village of Banjska, by armed Kosovo Serb assailants against the Kosovo Police, seriously endangered security in the region. That horrific attack left one police officer dead and two injured. The EU reiterates its calls for accountability for those responsible for carrying out this attack,” the spokesperson said.

Orav honors Afrim Bunjaku, urges Serbia to prosecute attackers (media)

European Union Ambassador to Kosovo, Aivo Orav, paid tribute on Wednesday at the gravesite of Kosovo Police officer Afrim Bunjaku, who was killed during the attack in Banjska two years ago. Orav emphasized that the perpetrators must be held accountable and reiterated the EU’s expectation that Serbian authorities apprehend and prosecute those responsible who are currently in Serbia. He also called for Serbia to respond to Kosovo’s request for mutual legal assistance through the established legal channels.

EULEX calls for justice for fallen sergeant Afrim Bunjaku (media)

The Deputy Head of the EU Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo (EULEX), Emily Rakhorst, took part on Wednesday in the memorial ceremony honoring Kosovo Police Sergeant Afrim Bunjaku, who was killed in the line of duty two years ago. In a statement, EULEX reiterated the European Union’s call for justice and accountability for those responsible for the attack. “We echo the EU’s calls for accountability for those behind this attack,” the statement reads.

Italian Embassy urges justice on second anniversary of Banjska attack (media)

Marking the second anniversary of the deadly attack in Banjska, the Italian Embassy in Kosovo has reiterated its call for justice over the killing of Kosovo Police Sergeant Afrim Bunjaku on September 24, 2023. “Two years have passed since the criminal attack in Banjska and the tragic killing of police sergeant Afrim Bunjaku. Justice must prevail; the perpetrators must be held responsible for their crimes,” the embassy stated.

Spiropali: EU must lift sanctions against Kosovo (Indeksonline)

Albania’s Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Elisa Spiropali said on Wednesday that the European Union must remove sanctions against Kosovo, and also said it is regrettable that the Assembly in Kosovo is not formed yet. “It is unfortunate that [the formation of] institutions in Kosovo are lagging. It takes political readiness from all sides to overcome these difficulties. The sanctions against must be lifted, but the institutions in Kosovo must be more responsible too. The sovereignty and territorial integrity must be respected,” she said.

Commenting on the attack in Banjska in September 2023, Spiropali said it was clearly a terrorist attack and that those responsible must be brought to justice. “The attack in Banjska was unacceptable and no alibi can conceal the responsibility of those that carried out the attack. As far as security in Kosovo is concerned, the US has made it clear that the UNMIK mission should no longer be there. KFOR, EULEX and Kosovo’s authorities can guarantee security. Guaranteeing sovereignty and wielding sovereignty throughout the territory must go hand in hand. An agreement must be found that guarantees time for the withdrawal of UNMIK,” she argued.

Serbian Language Media

Vucic at the UN: ''Kosovo and Metohija is an inseparable part of Serbia, we expect all countries to respect our territorial integrity'' (Kosovo Online, KoSSev, RTS, Tanjug, media)

The President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, in his address yesterday  to the General Assembly of the United Nations, said among other things, that ''Kosovo and Metohija is inseparable part of Serbia'', stressing that he ''expects all UN member states to respect its sovereignty and territorial integrity, with thanks to the majority of countries that do so''. 

First, he spoke about global events, focusing on the two current conflicts, in Gaza and Ukraine.

On several occasions, with the latter, he repeated that Serbia has consistently, from the very beginning of the war in that country, respected its territorial integrity and sovereignty, but also pointed out that he expects all UN member states to respect Serbia's sovereignty and territorial integrity, with thanks to the majority of countries that do so.

He believes that history, especially in the case of Serbia, has shown that it is not good when it is violated or applied selectively.

"Territorial integrity is not a principle that is measured by force, it is a measure that restrains force. If the principle of territorial integrity is selectively applied, then it is better not to apply it because a violation in one place becomes a justification for conflicts elsewhere. Undermining it does not create exceptions, but, as in the case of Serbia, creates precedents, dangerous precedents."

He called on the international community to take concrete measures to stop the violence against Serbs in Kosovo.

"Serbia will never forget its history, its people and its sanctuaries. Kosovo and Metohija are an inseparable part of Serbia, the main pillar of our identity, culture and spiritual heritage. For us, it is not a piece of land, but the cradle of our spirituality and proof of our existence on that land for centuries," said Vucic. 

He pointed to the difficult circumstances in which Serbs live in Kosovo today, where, as he stated, their rights to life, free movement, education, health care, access to work and property are being violated day by day.

"They live in isolation. Their situation is not only a local problem, but it also concerns the international community. We see the ethnic violence that Serbs suffer every day, on a terrifying scale. They are arrested, intimidated, their property is seized, their rights to language, education, and culture are violated. Serbs are discriminated against, their lives are made difficult, services are denied, and all this is aimed at creating fear, so that they are forced to leave Kosovo," warned Vucic. 

He called on the international community to take concrete measures to stop all that, but with protection mechanisms.

"Compassion is not enough, we need actions," appealed the President of Serbia.

Regardless, he added, of the constant violations of Resolution 1244 of the UN Security Council - Serbia still believes in the Dialogue mediated by the European Union.

Vucic emphasized that ''the UN is not a relic of the past, but a compass for the future, but that after 80 years it is a moment for reflection''.

Vucic emphasized that in the past 80 years, the UN has provided a framework for dialogue and solidarity between nations and pointed out that only joint efforts can create a common future that will be dignified and safe.

He underlined that five essential principles represent the pillars of Serbian foreign policy.

"The first is that the UN is not a relic of the past, but a compass for the future. After 80 years, this is a moment for reflection. The UN should not be a stage where giants wrestle, but a round table where all members are important," emphasized Vucic. 

He pointed out that Serbia's engagement with all partners did not mean blindly agreeing to everything but respecting territorial integrity and sovereignty.

He underlined that reciprocity was important and that Serbia will defend autonomy, as well it defends cooperation.

"The UN Charter was written not to serve a moment in history, but to stand the test of time. The world is facing major geopolitical changes, and the UN Charter is the only framework that can hold us together," he said.

Vucic offered Belgrade as a place of dialogue for all conflicts around the world.

Vucic: Osmani can only go to the UNGA hall for a tourist tour and will stay that way for a long time (Kosovo Online)

The President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, said yesterday, regarding the evaluations and messages of Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani in New York, that the representatives of Pristina are clearly nervous, because they had almost no influence during the session of the UN General Assembly. He pointed out that Osmani can enter the UN building, but she cannot enter the main hall, except for a tourist tour, and that it will stay like that for a long time.

"I think they are quite nervous. Apart from the open receptions, to which anyone who wants can come, like the Trump one, but also some others, they had almost no influence anywhere. If you look at who we talked to, Marco Rubio and he only met here with representatives of three European countries. Trump, it seems to me, only with Zelensky. This is the result of nervousness, that they cannot talk to many people, they only talked to Hanrahan," Vucic told reporters when asked how he understood Osmani's claim that Serbia was the main source of instability in the region.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Serbia, Marko Djuric, continued and said that Osmani "smuggled" herself into the UN, that is, he clarified that she received a permit from another country for entry, which is why Serbia submitted a note to the United Nations.

Vucic pointed out, however, that it will not be easy for Serbia either.

"We will be pressured from different sides, because everyone wants us to decide and see where whose trenches are. And we will not go into the trenches, but to protect our country and people. We had, and were, unfortunately, champions in the number of wars we had during the 20th century. It is time for us to protect our people, our children, our future, and that is why we do not rush into their trenches," underlined Vucic. 

An honest and open meeting with Rubio, hard to get a new postponement of the NIS sanctions

Regarding the meeting with the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Vucic said that the conversation was honest, open and meaningful, and added that it will not be easy that the US make a decision on postponing sanctions against the NIS again and that, if that happens, the reason will be precisely because Rubio carefully listened to his pleas.

He added that he invited the US president to visit Serbia.

He stated that there will be many more meetings and talks in New York, noting that the world is not going in the right direction and that no one came to the UN General Assembly to listen, to hear, but everyone is going into their trenches...

He announced that he will also have meetings with the President of Finland, Alex Stubb, with the President of Georgia, Mikheil  Kavelashvili, then with the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Berset, and with the American Minister of Finance, Scott Bessant, about the American tariffs on Serbia and ways to find a solution for the future.

Referring to the presentation before the UN General Assembly, Vucic said that he tried to point out great dangers, to speak the truth bravely, without creating new enemies for Serbia.

"To preserve stability and peace in our region as well, because it is not going very well in other parts of the world," stated the president.

Petkovic: Kurti attacks Serbia out of powerlessness (KiM radio, Kosovo Online, Radio Mitrovica sever)

The director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija, Petar Petkovic, said yesterday that the Prime Minister of Kosovo in technical mandate, Albin Kurti, was attacking Serbia out of powerlessness because, as he pointed out, while the US was interrupting the strategic dialogue with Pristina, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic was deepening cooperation with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

"Kurti is obviously very angry because of the meetings of President Aleksandar Vucic in New York, so out of powerlessness he attacks Serbia! Kurti's nervousness is understandable. While the USA is interrupting the strategic dialogue with Pristina, Vucic is deepening cooperation with State Secretary Rubio!", wrote Petkovic on the X network.

Acting Prime Minister Albin Kurti, after paying his respects at the grave of Kosovo Police Sergeant Afrim Bunjaku, on the occasion of the second anniversary of his murder in the attack in Banjska near Zvecan, highly rated his heroism and dedication in the defense of Kosovo, stressing that he was the first to face "Serbian terrorists". Kurti appealed to the international community not to consider Serbia a normal country until it extradites, as he stated, "criminals led by Milan Radoicic".

EU on Banjska anniversary: We are concerned by participation of offenders during demonstrations, we expect Serbia to prosecute them (N1, Danas)

“We expect the authorities in Serbia to apprehend and prosecute” those responsible for perpetrating the attack in Banjska, and “we remain concerned by reports of the participation of alleged offenders of the Banjska attack during demonstrations,” a spokesperson for the European Union (EU) told N1.

“Two years ago, the attack in Banjska on 24 September 2023 by armed Kosovo Serb assailants against Kosovo police seriously threatened the security in the region. The hideous attack on that day left one police officer dead and two injured… We expect the authorities in Serbia to apprehend and prosecute those found in Serbia, with appropriate charges, in front of a Court in Serbia,” the EU spokesperson said yesterday in a response to N1’s inquiry.

The EU also said it was concerned by “reports of the participation of alleged offenders of the Banjska attacks during demonstrations.”

Individuals named in the indictment, whom the Kosovo Special Prosecutor’s Office identified as perpetrators of the attack on the Kosovo police and who are sought by Kosovo authorities, were seen at a protest that was cordoned off by police in the center of Belgrade – in Cacilend (a pro-regime tent camp in downtown Belgrade). Using facial recognition tools, RFE was able to identify Vladimir Vucetic, from North Mitrovica, as being among the group. Vucetic is one of the 45 people named in the Kosovo prosecutor’s indictment.

Also, Milan Radoicic, former deputy leader of the Serb List party, a man on Interpol’s wanted list, and a person responsible for the Banjska attack, has made threats to Kosjeric residents who support students.

In addition, the EU spokesperson said, in October 2023, the EU Special Representative in Kosovo transmitted a request for mutual legal assistance from the Kosovo authorities to the Serbian authorities on the same matter. No response has been received yet by the Serbian authorities, the EU told N1.

“We expect Serbia to fully cooperate on those requests through the established mutual legal assistance channel. The HR/VP has personally raised the issue with President Vucic. She will continue to raise it further in the margins of her meeting with the Western Balkans leaders in New York,” the EU spokesperson said.

September 24 marks the second anniversary of the armed incident in the village of Banjska in northern Kosovo, in which a Kosovo police officer was killed in an attack by a group of uniformed Serbs, after which three Serbs were also killed in an exchange of fire. The incident took place when a Kosovo police patrol encountered two trucks blocking a bridge in Banjska.

Mijacic on the Banjska case: Serbia losing credibility by not solving this case (N1)

Director of the Institute for Territorial Economic Development, Dragisa Mijacic spoke to N1 yesterday about how Belgrade treats the Banjska case and what consequences it all had.

As he pointed out, "we don't know if there is an investigation at all when it comes to the case of Banjska".

"The perpetrator of that act himself admitted the crime by his public statements, we can give the qualification that in this case the legal system and Serbia as a rule of law failed, we have an armed incident, some people died, we have a man who confessed to the act, and the prosecution did not react, nor it came to a judicial epilogue," he said, adding that "in this case, the mere glorification of those people is irrelevant, the issue is the state of Serbia and the legal system of the state of Serbia".

"In order for Serbia to prove itself as a country governed by the rule of law, it must initiate court proceedings on this issue. The case is very interesting both to the authorities in Kosovo and to the international community. By not prosecuting this case, you lose credibility in the direction of dialogue, and as a country that joins, that is progressing towards the EU. We know that there is no progress without the rule of law, and this is one of the proofs of why there is no rule of law in the Republic of Serbia," said Mijacic. 

Speaking about international actors and the public, he said that "we are witnessing that there are very big problems in the world".

"The key international factors will not deal with one single incident, such as the case of Banjska, but Serbia is losing credibility by not solving this case," he said.

"There is no indictment, no indictment, no court process, these people can move freely in different formats, at events, we should not be surprised why these people walk freely. The question for the authorities is whether there are people who are outside the law, even when the international factor demands that these people be prosecuted," he stated.

When asked about the consequences, he said that "the consequences for the Serbs in Kosovo are catastrophic".

"Because you have a situation where after that the Kosovo Serbs lost the possibility to solve any of their problems with non-violent resistance, you opened the space for Albin Kurti to unilaterally implement the law through special police forces in a way that threatens the existence of Serbs in the north of Kosovo. Serbia lost on two fronts, it failed to prove itself as a legal state and it failed to protect its interests and its citizens in Kosovo," concluded Mijacic.

Manojlovic: On the anniversary of Banjska, the regime not fighting for Serbian faculties and healthcare in Kosovo (KiM radio)

The leader of Kreni-Promeni (Start-Change) movement, Savo Manojlovic, said on the anniversary of the event in Banjska that "Vucic's regime is not fighting for Serbian faculties and healthcare in Kosovo and Metohija", reported KiM radio.

According to Manojlovic, while Serbia fulfills its obligations from the Ohrid Agreement, the Albanian side does not respect the Brussels Agreement either.

He particularly criticized the involvement of Milan Radoicic, stating that he "left three dead comrades in Banjska, and now he is breaking into people's houses and threatening them in cafes in Kosjeric in order to secure the gathering of SNS".

He described Banjska as an "agreed showpiece of the international community and the Serbian and Albanian political elites, which left behind corpses and displaced families."

Manojlovic added that the current policy leads to the loss of Serbian positions and a new wave of displacement of Serbs from Kosovo.

Leader Kreni-Promeni stressed the need for modern and realistic Serbian politics, based on "knowledge, expertise and clean hands, not on patriotic robbery, nepotism and party interests".

“Banjska mystery” two years on: Analyst says Radoicic could not act alone, sees US satisfaction with Vucic (KoSSev)

Two years after the deadly attack in Banjska, the case remains an unresolved mystery with serious implications for Serbia’s political system, political analyst Mladen Mrdalj told KoSSev portal.

Washington’s silence on the anniversary, he argues, signals that the United States is “essentially satisfied” with Belgrade’s current policies.

In his commentary, Mrdalj draws attention to the timing of President Aleksandar Vučić’s meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in New York — held on the very day of the second anniversary of Banjska — which he sees as another sign of continued rapprochement between Washington and Belgrade.

“The Vučić–Rubio meeting almost on the anniversary of Banjska is just one more proof that the US, even under Trump, continues its policy of drawing closer to Serbia, regardless of the unresolved circumstances of the case. We can conclude something similar about the Bytyqi brothers’ case, which gradually fell into oblivion as Vučić got closer to the US,” Mrdalj said.

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

International

Kosovo arrests seven in major drug raid following ‘Sky ECC’ decryptions (PI)

Kosovo authorities arrested seven individuals in a raid targeting two major drug trafficking networks that allegedly used the encrypted messaging app Sky ECC to coordinate heroin and cocaine smuggling.

In a large-scale police operation early on Wednesday morning, Kosovo authorities targeted two major drug trafficking networks across 25 locations in the Prishtina and Peja regions, resulting in the arrest of seven individuals and the seizure of drugs, firearms, and significant assets.

The coordinated action, codenamed “Broken Sky,” was conducted under the direction of the Special Prosecution of Kosovo and ordered by the Basic Court in Prishtina. 

The Kosovo Police and the Special Prosecution released a joint statement: “The suspects are under investigation for participation in an organised criminal group, unauthorised possession and distribution of narcotics, and money laundering.”

Authorities believe the suspects used SkyECC, an encrypted communication app often linked to organised crime, to coordinate their criminal activities.

Read more at: https://shorturl.at/eJpqg