Albanian Language Media: 

• Osmani has “long and very meaningful conversation” with Trump (media)
• Osmani: In Kosovo’s darkest hours, America stood with us (media)
• Kurti: I cannot make compromises on the rule of law (media)
• Kurti: Kosovo helped its people to face crisis without increasing tax rates or public debt (media) 
• Kurti meets U.S. Congressman, discusses latest developments in Kosovo (RTK)
• Hargreaves: Political stalemate is leaving Kosovo without an international voice; Constitutional Court must be respected (RFE)
• Rama: Hague process not democratic, Albania–Kosovo resolution needed (RTK)
• Turkish NATO reserve troops arrive in Kosovo (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Svecla silent on South Mitrovica weapons cache, speaks out after North Mitrovica raid (KoSSev)
• KFOR: There have been no drone violations that could affect security across Kosovo (Kosovo Online)
• Serbian Democracy filed a criminal complaint against a municipal official in North Mitrovica (Kontakt plus radio, Kosovo Online) 
• Kosovo Special Prosecutor's Office: Slavko Simic and Milos Perovic are not under investigation for the attack in Banjska (Beta, NMagazin, Radio Mitrovica sever)
• Milos Perovic rejects Albanian media reports linking him to Banjska attack (KoSSev, Radio Mitrovica sever)
• Grenell's round table with officials from the countries of the Western Balkans and Croatia in New York (NMagazin, Beta)
• SNP announced a protest in Zubin Potok: Until a just and sustainable solution is found measures to be withdrawn (Alternativna)
• SD: Brussels urgently to solve the issue of identity cards and driving with authorization, the Kosovo government to postpone the implementation (KoSSev)

Albanian Language Media

Osmani has “long and very meaningful conversation” with Trump (media)

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani met with US President Donald Trump in what was described as “a long and very meaningful conversation”. “A protocol-planned meeting with President Trump turned into a long and very meaningful conversation. Thank you President Trump for the special interest he showed about America’s irreplaceable role in Kosovo and our region, and for his tireless commitment to peace! Friendship and alliance with the United States remains an unbreakable axis. Kosovo will always be on the side of democracy, freedom and partnership with the US, because that is where the heart of our freedom beats,” Osmani said in a Facebook post.

Osmani: In Kosovo’s darkest hours, America stood with us (media)

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani said in her address at the US Army War College that she was honored to stand before them “in the institution that has shaped generations of American military leaders and not only American military but leaders around the world. Leaders who not only defended the United States but who also defended freedom far beyond your shores, including in my homeland, the Republic of Kosovo”. 

Osmani said that during the war and in “Kosovo’s darkest hours, America stood with us. It was American soldiers alongside our NATO allies who came to Kosovo and turned despair into hope, fear into safety, and occupation into freedom. Every family, every single family in my country, carries the story of the first time they saw the American flag on the arm of a US soldier. They saw their saviors. For us, that flag is not simply a symbol of another nation, it was the symbol of a promise that even people in the smallest countries would not be abandoned if they were standing for their God-given right to be free. That promise lives on today. Kosovo proudly stands as the most pro-American country on earth. And it is not by accident, it is because your service members, men and women in uniform, kept faith with us when it mattered most, and they do so even today”. 

Osmani said that in 2023, “Kosovo faced a terrorist attack which amounted to an act of aggression against our country, and which was directed and supported by Serbia, Russia’s proxy in our region. This was not only an attack against Kosovo. It was an attack on the values that unite us: democracy, freedom and the rule of law. It was an attack on everything America stood for. It was an attempt to destroy everything American that was achieved in our region. Our response was firm but responsible. We defended our people, and we protected our sovereignty, and we did so in close coordination with our allies, primarily the United States. Because we know that the strength of a democracy is not only in the size of a country’s territory, but most importantly in the size of its alliances”.

See more at: https://shorturl.at/xbJtm

Kurti: I cannot make compromises on the rule of law (media)

Kosovo’s caretaker Prime Minister Albin Kurti in a conversation with students in the US said that the strategic dialogue with United States has been suspended, but the planning for strategic dialogue has been suspended. “This is for two main reasons. One is because of the rule of law in the north of Kosova which turned out to be against the illegal Serbian structures and I cannot make compromises here. I cannot leave this problem to your generation. I think its my generation who should finish this. And our relation with the US is three dimensional, its three Ds: defense, development and diplomacy. To be honest, defense is better than ever. In purchasing armament and ammunition with this current administration is more convenient to us than the previous one. When it comes to development, the MCC Program has not been suspended. We are getting US$202 million grant for better storage for renewable energy and its also very good. We would prefer a bit more American investments but perhaps this will change in the future. Where we are having some obstacles is in diplomacy, because in my view, the US considers very important to take over Serbia from the eastern hemisphere, so to speak, because Serbia is very closely connected with Moscow, and by us being a bit rigid on rule of law, on democracy, on state sovereignty and territorial integrity, some politicians and diplomats in the US consider that we are not helpful to US to take over Serbia from the Russian Federation. But to be honest that shouldn’t be my problem, I’m sorry for being very honest. So I represent the interests of the Republic of Kosova and if you are a bit milder with Belgrade, it never proved to be beneficial, because the better you behave with them, the worse they become, since autocrats and dictators, if you show some generosity, they think that you’re afraid of them, rather than you are being generous. I don’t think that Kosova and the US have differences in terms of values and interests, and principles, but yes we do have differences when it comes to tactics and operations. I am not a Prime Minister who is going to tell to Kosova Police: don’t arrest that Serbian criminal because we might get condemned by Brussels and Washington DC. If they catch him in flagrance, good for our police, bad for him. And I seem to them to be different from my predecessors. So this is the curse of my predecessors who have been very soft. And I’m normal now but I look a bit extreme but that is because of my predecessors who were not normal,” Kurti said. 

Kurti: Kosovo helped its people to face crisis without increasing tax rates or public debt (media)

Kosovo’s caretaker Prime Minister Albin Kurti, in his keynote address at the New School university in New York, said that “as a country and as a government, we are proud to have been ranked by the World Bank as having implemented the largest aid package in the region, as a percentage of GDP, to help citizens cope with the global cost-of-living and energy crisis”. 

“In my address and subsequent interview with Senior Research Fellow Leah Zamore, we discussed how Kosova has managed not only to help its people face the crisis, but also to do so without increasing tax rates or public debt. Through measures targeted toward our most vulnerable citizens, and substantial progress against corruption and waste, Kosova has succeeded in achieving sustainable growth, while reducing social inequality”. 

“It is an honor for Kosova to be held up as a model for other countries. But I also emphasized that the fight for a more just and prosperous society is far from over. During our Government's next four-year mandate, we will continue to build on our existing efforts — both in helping citizens cope with the global rise in prices, and in ensuring that all of our people share in Kosova's economic progress”.

Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/4efcythw

Kurti meets U.S. Congressman, discuss latest developments in Kosovo (RTK)

Kosovo’s caretaker Prime Minister, Albin Kurti, together with the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, Liza Gashi, and the Consul General, Ambassador Blerim Reka, welcomed the American congressman from the Democratic Party, George Latimer, at the Consulate General of Kosovo in New York. They discussed the latest developments in Kosovo and the region, as well as the relations and partnership between Kosovo and the United States of America, according to a statement from the Office of the Prime Minister.

According to the statement, Kurti informed Congressman Latimer about progress in the economic sphere, the results of the fight against corruption, and the improvement of the rule of law, as reflected in international reports. "He thanked him for the historic and active role of the United States of America in our country and for the security and peace of the region, as well as for the continued bipartisan support for the state of Kosovo at every stage of its development," The statement further reads.

Hargreaves: Political stalemate is leaving Kosovo without an international voice; Constitutional Court must be respected (RFE)

British Ambassador to Kosovo, Jonathan Hargreaves, said in an interview with Radio Free Europe, that the political deadlock is damaging Kosovo’s international reputation and is blocking important reforms. 

Hargreaves called on all parties to allow the Constitutional Court to do its work, respect its decisions and enable the functioning of the Assembly, the election of the Government, and the election of the President in early spring next year. He argued that the responsibility is shared – legal and political – adding that if this not achieved, then new elections are an option, but with the condition that local elections are held well and the results are respected.

Hargreaves also said that “it is disappointing and concerning” that the EU-facilitated dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia is running slow because of the lack of new institutions in Kosovo and political developments in Serbia.

Commenting on the condition set by Kosovo’s caretaker Prime Minister Albin Kurti that Milan Radoicic should be extradited to Kosovo before the dialogue with Serbian can resume, Hargreaves said that it is crucial for Radoicic and other authors of the Banjska attack to face justice as soon as possible, because impunity for this attack “cannot continue”.

On the integration of Serbian-run institutions of education and healthcare in Kosovo, Hargreaves said their integration is “exceptionally sensitive” and that a solution needs to be found within Kosovo’s legal framework through the establishment of the Association of Serb-majority municipalities.

Rama: The Hague process is not democratic, Albania–Kosovo resolution needed (RTK)

Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama has strongly criticized the ongoing trial of former KLA leaders at The Hague, calling it “undemocratic” and marred by serious violations of due process.

In a televised interview, Rama highlighted what he described as continuous breaches of democratic standards in the case against Hashim Thaci, Kadri Veseli, Jakup Krasniqi, and Rexhep Selimi. He called for a unified resolution from the parliaments of Albania and Kosovo to formally denounce these violations and launch a coordinated diplomatic initiative.

Rama pointed to issues such as the detention of former Kosovo President Thaci without initial charges, prolonged pre-trial imprisonment based on unproven claims of witness intimidation, and restricted access to evidence by defense lawyers. He described these practices as unacceptable in any democratic justice system.

Turkish NATO reserve troops arrive in Kosovo (media)

NATO's mission in Kosovo, KFOR, has announced that the Turkish Operational Reserve Force has arrived in Kosovo to begin a temporary deployment. According to KFOR’s statement, the Turkish unit has taken over responsibilities from the Multinational Battalion of the Operational Reserve Force as part of a rotation plan overseen by NATO’s Joint Force Command in Naples, Italy.

Furthermore, it was stated that in the coming months, this battalion will carry out activities alongside other KFOR units, remaining ready to respond to any developments in the security situation. "These reinforcements enhance KFOR's operational flexibility and readiness to respond to changing security developments," the statement says.

Serbian Language Media

Svecla silent on South Mitrovica weapons cache, speaks out after North Mitrovica raid (KoSSev)

Acting Interior Minister Xhelal Svecla remained silent after Kosovo Police seized a large cache of weapons in South Mitrovica several days ago — but responded swiftly and publicly following the discovery of arms in the city’s northern part on Saturday, reported KoSSev.

Earlier last week, police investigating a domestic violence case in South Mitrovica confiscated five long guns, one pistol with four magazines and 447 rounds of various calibers from the suspect’s home. Despite the scale of the find, Svecla made no public comment at the time.

On Saturday, however, acting reportedly on a tip-off, police searched the basement of a residential building in central North Mitrovica and seized an automatic rifle, a hunting rifle, 50 rounds of ammunition, a rifle stock, a rifle holder, a pair of handcuffs, a gas mask with a carrying pouch, a pistol holster and five empty magazines. No arrests were made.

Shortly after the northern operation, Svecla posted a statement saying:

“No part of the territory of our Republic is any longer a safe haven for criminals, weapons or other elements that threaten the security of our country.”

He underlined that police had found “two weapons, various types of ammunition, magazines, a gas mask and handcuffs” in the basement of a collective building in the center of North Mitrovica, and concluded:

“We remain committed to law and order, security and stability for our citizens and for our Republic.”

KFOR: There have been no drone violations that could affect security across Kosovo (Kosovo Online)

We have not identified drone violations that could affect security across Kosovo, KFOR responded on Friday to Kosovo Online’s inquiry regarding the claims made by the acting Minister of Internal Affairs, Xhelal Svecla, and the General Director of the Kosovo Police, Gazmend Hoxha, that “drones from Serbia endangered Kosovo’s airspace.”

In their written response, KFOR further stated that the KFOR Commander has authority over Kosovo’s airspace in accordance with United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244 of 1999, and that KFOR regularly monitors Kosovo’s airspace using all means and resources at its disposal.

“It is critical that all activity in the airspace, in particular close to the Administrative Boundary Line, is adequately coordinated with KFOR to prevent tensions and ensure security. KFOR remains in close contact with the Kosovo security organisations and the Serbian Armed Forces, and continues its daily activities, contributing to the preservation of a safe and secure environment for all people and communities living in Kosovo, in accordance with its long-standing UN mandate, at all times, impartially, and in close cooperation with the Kosovo Police and the EU Rule of Law mission (EULEX), in their respective roles as security responders,” KFOR’s response read.

Kosovo Online recalled that on Friday the General Director of the Kosovo Police, Gazmend Hoxha, stated that recently there have been cases of drone flights in the northern part of Kosovo which, as he noted, are suspected to have come from the territory of Serbia.

The same claim was made during the weekend by Kosovo’s acting Minister of Internal Affairs, Xhelal Svecla.

Serbian Democracy filed a criminal complaint against a municipal official in North Mitrovica (Kontakt plus radio, Kosovo Online) 

Serbian Democracy filed a report against Fatir Berzati due to, as they stated, a conflict of interest under the Law on Suppression of Conflict of Interest in the Performance of Public Office, reported Kontakt Plus radio on Sunday. 

As stated in the announcement of Serbian Democracy, "Berzati simultaneously performs the function of director of inspection and the function of director of public services and infrastructure in the local self-government of North Mitrovica," which, as assessed by this party, was an obvious violation of the aforementioned law.

"Berzati became known as the person who closed more than 20 Serbian businesses in North Mitrovica, under the ridiculous pretext that some products had expired or that the commercial building lacked more shelves," SD party said in a statement.

On the other hand, "no business with an Albanian owner in the north of Kosovo was even touched by Fatir Berzati, which is why we suspect that it is the biased behavior of one official," said from this party.

"We expect an immediate reaction from the Prosecutor's Office, i.e. to order the Kosovo Police to detain Fatir Berzati within 24 hours and then file an indictment for a criminal offense punishable by prison terms of up to three years and fines of up to 15,000 euros," Serbian Democracy said in a statement.

Kosovo Special Prosecutor's Office: Slavko Simic and Milos Perovic are not under investigation for the attack in Banjska (Beta, NMagazin, Radio Mitrovica sever)

The Special Prosecutor's Office of Kosovo has confirmed that the member of the Assembly of Kosovo, Slavko Simic, is not under investigation and has not been identified as a suspect for the attack on September 24, 2023, in Banjska, in the municipality of Zvecan.

The Prosecutor's Office confirmed that there is no suspect in the attack in Banjska, in which Kosovo police sergeant Afrim Bunjaku was killed, nor is there an investigation against Milos Perovic, the candidate for the mayor of the Zubin Potok municipality.

In a response to the Kallxo.com portal, the Special Prosecutor's Office announced that the investigation in that case is being conducted in a professional manner, based on evidence and in accordance with the Criminal Procedure Law.

"The Special Prosecutor's Office reiterates its commitment to guaranteeing a fair and lawful process in every case, avoiding any form of misinformation or assumptions that are not based on verified facts," read the response of the Prosecutor's Office, delivered, reported NMagazin on Saturday.

Milos Perovic rejects Albanian media reports linking him to Banjska attack (KoSSev, Radio Mitrovica sever)

Milos Perovic, the Serbian list candidate for mayor of Zubin Potok, strongly rejected on Saturday reports in several Albanian-language outlets alleging he was “suspected of being part of Milan Radoicic’s terrorist group” during the September 2023 attack on Kosovo police in Banjska.

Perovic said he first learned of the reports on Friday afternoon and described them as “staged articles” designed to discredit him in the run-up to the local elections.

“Today I found out that some Albanian media published false news linking me to the events in Banjska two years ago. I want to state clearly: these media articles are orchestrated by those who want to disqualify me from this electoral process and represent an example of fake news,” Perovic said.

He added that the publications amount to “psychological and propaganda warfare” against both the Serbian List and himself personally.

“This is an example of psychological and propaganda war being waged against the Serbian people, Serbian List and now myself. It also proves the correctness of the policy pursued by the Serbian List,” he said, arguing that such attacks reinforce his party’s platform.

“As long as we are attacked by those who want the Serbian people gone from these areas, it shows our policy is the only one protecting Serbian interests,” he stressed.

Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/4pfpjwbn

Grenell's round table with officials from the countries of the Western Balkans and Croatia in New York (NMagazin, Beta)

Officials of the countries of the Western Balkans and Croatia spoke on Saturday at a round table in New York with the special envoy of the President of the United States of America (USA) Richard Grenell and the executive director of the American Exim Bank, John Jovanovic.

This was announced Saturday afternoon by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade of North Macedonia, Timco Mucunski, on his official Facebook account, along with photos from the meeting, specifying that they discussed "regional projects and priorities with a special emphasis on economic and investment cooperation with the USA".

He stated that he attended the round table in New York at the invitation of Grenell and Jovanovic and that the presidents of Kosovo and Albania, as well as the foreign ministers of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Serbia and Montenegro, were also present at that event.

"We talked about regional projects and priorities, with a special emphasis on economic and investment cooperation with the USA - as a driver of development, stability and new opportunities for the entire region," wrote the head of diplomacy of North Macedonia, Timco Mucunski.

SNP announced a protest in Zubin Potok: Until a just and sustainable solution is found measures to be withdraw (Alternativna)

Due to the announcement of the implementation of the Law on Foreigners in the north of Kosovo and the inability to drive vehicles with Serbian license plates with authorization, the Serbian People's Movement (SNP) party called the citizens of Zubin Potok to a protest on Tuesday (September 30), at 1 p.m., in the center of Zubin Potok.

Milija Bisevac, candidate for the mayor of Zubin Potok of the SNP, called, as he stated, all associations, political organizations, but above all citizens, to attend the protest on Tuesday.

"As a symbolic act of protest, we will turn off the engines of our vehicles," said Bisevac.

They said that they ''do not accept measures that limit the rights of freedom of movement''.

"Our request is clear. The measures must be withdrawn until a just and sustainable solution is found in the interest of the Serbian people in Kosovo," he said.

"Let's raise our voice and say that we want to live freely and with dignity in our homes," he said.

SD: Brussels urgently to solve the issue of identity cards and driving with authorization, the Kosovo government to postpone the implementation (KoSSev)

The Serbian Democracy requested that the issue of identity cards and driving a vehicle be resolved as soon as possible in Brussels. Until then, they demand that the Kosovo government indefinitely postpone the implementation of its decisions, reported KoSSev on Saturday.

Serbian Democracy demand that the government in Pristina adopt a special law:

"Which will facilitate the extraction of Kosovo documents and that, at the same time, the administration does not hinder the application of existing rules".

They also asked the Government of Serbia to allow citizens to change their residence to Raska or Novi Pazar under the Serbian system, so that they could re-register and use vehicles in Kosovo as vehicle owners.

"In such a broken Kosovo system, which has systematically attacked the Serbs and other non-majority communities, these two decisions of the Kosovo authorities will lead to the expulsion of the remaining non-majority population", they said at the end.