• Trump selects Grenell as special envoy for Serbia, Kosovo peace talks (The Hill)
• Thaci: We are confident that we will reach recognition from Serbia (Klan)
• Osmani: When I sit at table with Vucic, I will be every mother from Gjakova (Klan)
• Haradinaj says he favors national unification, calls Kurti a cheater (T7)
• Kurti: I did not think I would come out alive of Serbian prison (T7)
• U.S. State Department: Whitaker does not represent President Trump (Koha)
• On eve of Kosovo elections, Vucic to meet candidates of Serbian List (Klan)
• Serbian officials tried to enter Kosovo as pilgrims (Koha)
• Promises by political parties, hardly implementable (Koha)
• Daka: CEC instructions obligatory for all commissioners (Zeri)
• KWN: Judiciary fails yet again in legal protection of gender equality (media)
• Trajkovic interviewed by Special Prosecution of Kosovo (media)
• Serbia purchases drones from China to observe Kosovo (media)
• RTK criticised by union staff for bias (Koha)

Trump selects Grenell as special envoy for Serbia, Kosovo peace talks (The Hill)

U.S. President Donald Trump has selected the U.S. ambassador to Germany, Richard Grenell, as the Trump administration’s envoy for ongoing peace talks between Serbian and Kosovan officials, the White House announced Thursday night. Grenell, who will remain as ambassador to Germany in addition to his new duties, will lead U.S. efforts to assist Serbia and Kosovo to reach a formal peace agreement that could result in Serbia’s recognition of Kosovo as an independent nation.

Thaci: We are confident that we will reach recognition from Serbia (Klan)

Kosovo’s President Hashim Thaci said today he welcomes nomination of the U.S. Ambassador Richard Grenell as President Trump’s envoy for the Pristina-Belgrade dialogue. Thaci said that this nomination is yet another proof that President Trump, U.S. Administration, the entire American state, stand close to Kosovo at every important step.

“We are more confident now in the process of the dialogue and possibility to reach recognition by Serbia as well as UN membership, concluding in this manner international consolidation of our state,” Thaci said.

“This is also good news for the region as well as all those who engage for sustainable peace, development, for better life for all South-East European states. We have always said it and we always believe that we are lucky that we have the support of the United States of America,” Thaci wrote on his Facebook account.

Osmani: When I sit at table with Vucic, I will be every mother from Gjakova (Klan)

Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) candidate for Prime Minister, Vjosa Osmani, said in a debate on Klan Kosova on Thursday that Kosovo’s compromise on its internal arrangements ended with the Ahtisaari Package. “Another compromise is that we are sitting at the table of talks with Serbia despite the fact that it has not apologised for crimes committed against Albanians in Kosovo and it has not paid for war reparations. The fact that we are sitting at that table and reaching out for dialogue and cooperation, we are honest, unlike Serbia which burns bridges and good neighborly relations … When I sit at that room and talk about the missing, I will speak on behalf of every mother from Gjakova and Kosovo. I will speak on their behalf because it is my duty to defend Kosovo’s interests and not talk about what the Serbian President wants to talk about,” Osmani said.

Speaking about a possible coalition with Vetevendosje, Osmani said LDK will enter a coalition with those parties that accept the pillars of their programme and emphasized red lines towards the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK).

“We are not ready to negotiate our programme that deal with development and employment. We are not ready to negotiate education and health because we believe that only by investing can we bring back investment… We are not ready to negotiate partnership with our strategic allies because for us it is crucial to have the support of the U.S. and the EU not only in protecting international entity but also in the development of our country. Therefore, we will have a coalition with Vetevendosje only if they accept these pillars,” she said.

Osmani further said that she is convinced the U.S. has never asked nor will it ever ask for implementation of the land swap idea between Kosovo and Serbia. She said such a scenario is dangerous not only for Kosovo but the regional stability as well. “Despite efforts by some to push forward this idea by justifying it that allegedly have been pushed by the U.S., I am convinced they will not come up with such an idea but of course they will ask for the parties to be flexible in the process,” Osmani added.

Haradinaj says he favours national unification, calls Kurti a cheater (T7)

Kosovo’s outgoing Prime Minister and AAK-PSD candidate for Prime Minister, Ramush Haradinaj, said in a debate on T7 on Thursday evening that Vetevendosje leader and candidate for PM, Albin Kurti, is a cheater and that his party has a communist approach. “I assure you that Kurti is a cheater, I cannot trust him,” he said. Haradinaj however acknowledged that Kurti has recently “evolved”.

Asked to comment on LDK candidate for PM, Vjosa Osmani, Haradinaj said: “Vjosa has brought novelties in these elections. But let us be honest, the promises she is making are not realistic. She claims she will free the state, but the LDK itself is part of the capturing of the state”.

Asked if he favors national unification between Kosovo and Albania, Haradinaj said, “yes”.

Kurti: I did not think I would come out alive of Serbian prison (T7)

In an interview with T7, Vetevendosje leader Albin Kurti spoke about the time he spent in Serbian prison saying he never expected to come out of it alive. Kurti was arrested in April 1999 by Serbian forces and consistently refused to recognise the judicial system of then Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. “When I was sentenced to 15 years of imprisonment, I didn’t think I would come out of it alive,” Kurti said.

Kurti also addressed allegations by the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) candidate for prime minister Vjosa Osmani that he resembles the former Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez. Kurti says he has never been compared to communist revolutionaries, not even at the time of President Ibrahim Rugova. “What Vjosa said is undignified,” he said.

Kurti, then commented on the statement of Ramush Haradinaj, who called him a cheater. “This is more or less like the story of Richard III, who sold his kingdom for a horse and then the horse ran away. Haradinaj passed demarcation only for a seat. He also resigned two years after this,” Kurti underlined.

U.S. State Department: Whitaker does not represent President Trump (Koha)

A spokeswoman for the U.S. State Department told Vice News that Matthew Whitaker does not represent the U.S. Government, the paper reports on page three. “Mr. Whitaker is a private citizen. He does not speak on behalf of the U.S. Government,” the spokeswoman said.

On eve of Kosovo elections, Vucic to meet candidates of Serbian List (Klan)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic will meet today with the Serbian List’s candidates for MPs in the October 6 parliamentary elections. The meeting is set to take place at 13:00 hours at the Presidency building in Belgrade. The meeting comes only two days before the early parliamentarian elections in Kosovo.

Serbian officials tried to enter Kosovo as pilgrims (Koha)

The paper reports in one of its front-page stories on “increased pressure from Belgrade on Kosovo Serbs to vote for the Serbian List” in the Sunday parliamentary elections. Representatives of Kosovo’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs told the paper on Thursday that they have turned down every request by Serbian officials to enter Kosovo during the election campaign and that despite this they tried to enter the territory as pilgrims.

Jetlir Zyberaj, advisor to Kosovo’s Foreign Minister Behgjet Pacolli, said the decision not to allow Serbian officials to engage in the campaign in Kosovo was made after Belgrade’s intimidation of Kosovo Serbs. “Belgrade officials cannot and will not be allowed to campaign in the Kosovo elections. We will also not tolerate Belgrade’s threats against the Kosovo Serb community,” Zyberaj said.

Promises by political parties, hardly implementable (Koha)

The paper reports on its front page that “the whole energy of the future government will be focused on the topic of dialogue with Serbia”. Political commentators in Pristina told the paper on Thursday that although political parties have stepped up “the dose of promises” they will be hardly implementable as the dialogue for normalisation of relations with Serbia will be the main issue.

Daka: CEC instructions obligatory for all commissioners (Zeri)

Head of the Central Election Commission (CEC) Valdete Daka has reacted to the statement of Marko Djuric, director of the Serbian Government’s Office for Kosovo, that election commissioners in municipalities with Serb majority will accept any identification document of voters.

Daka said instructions sent out by the CEC regarding which identification documents can be used to vote are obligatory for all commissioners, without exception. “Commissioners that do not respect this Instruction will face legal consequences,” Daka said.

KWN: Judiciary fails yet again in legal protection of gender equality (media)

Kosovo Women’s Network issued a statement to the media saying it got informed about the decision of the Basic Court in Pristina on the lawsuit filed by the Ombudsperson against the Central Election Commission (CEC) for not respecting the Law on Gender Equality regarding women’s participation in election lists.

KWN expressed “deep indignation” over what it said is lack of will on the part of justice institutions to cooperate with the Ombudsperson to address issues of gender inequality. It said that the court’s argument in its rejection of the request to temporarily suspend the election process so as to verify lists of candidates and make sure they are in line with the provisions of the Law on Gender Equality saying the Ombudpserson’s lawsuit was not concrete is groundless. “With refusing the temporary measure, the court has in fact prejudiced elections regarding the main issue of the lawsuit in question,” KWN said in the statement.

Trajkovic interviewed by Special Prosecution of Kosovo (media)

Soon after Kosovo Serb politician Rada Trajkovic announced she was offered video footage showing the murder of Oliver Ivanovic, leader of the Civic Initiative, the Special Prosecution of Kosovo called her for interview.

According to prosecutor Syle Hoxha, authorities know the identity of the person that offered Trajkovic the footage as well as the whereabouts, Koha reports. Hoxha meanwhile told Gazeta Express that the person in question is believed to be from Mitrovica and that he has instructed investigators to locate the person.

Serbia purchases drones from China to observe Kosovo (media)

Several media outlets are quoting reports from Skopje-based Alsat-M saying that Serbia has purchased last month “Pegasus” armed drones from China which it plans to use for observation of Kosovo. The nine drones are expected to be delivered to Serbia in the coming months.

RTK criticised by union staff for bias (Koha)

Kosovo public broadcaster RTK has been accused for bias by its staff union, KTV reported. The union representatives said the editorial independence of the public broadcaster is guaranteed by law and cannot be undermined.

“The Public Broadcaster can under no circumstances become a party, not to mention make conclusions, in faovuring one party and undermining another, as was the case with RTK website which stated that all parties except the PDK have had opposing stances against the U.S.,” Fadil Hoxha, head of the RTK staff union said.

Independent Media Commission at the same time said they have not observed so far that RTK has given PDK more space while RTK director Ngadhnjim Kastrati said in a Facebook post recently that RTK is not biased to any particular party and called such allegations political pressure.