• Request for international arrest order for Zvonko Veselinovic approved (KTV)
• VV invites opposition to dialogue, AAK responds positively (RTK)
• Borrell: Non-recognition of Kosovo’s independence by Spain does not represent any problem to me (KTV)
• Serbia’s war strategy triggers concerns in the region (Klan Kosova)
• One more vote for new Government confirmed by Kosovo Bosniaks to Kurti  (KTV)
• Man from Kosovo returns from Syria, admits he was ISIS member (N1)
• Heldt: IUNL will support selection of notaries in Kosovo (Klan Kosova)

Request for international arrest order for Zvonko Veselinovic approved

(KTV)

Zvonko Veselinovic, one of those close to the Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, has been declared an internationally wanted person, at the request of the Kosovo Special Prosecution Office.

Veselinovic, former leader of ‘Bridge Watchers’ in Mitrovica/Mitrovicë North, is wanted in relation to events that followed the intervention of special units in July 2011.

At that time, special units intervened in the north, police officer Enver Zymberi was killed while retreating, and Serbs burnt Jarinje border crossing.

Suspected of several criminal offences and as the leader of the organised criminal group in Mitrovica/Mitrovicë, Veselinovic will now be wanted through an international arrest warrant.

For several days, the Special Prosecution Office has requested from the Basic Court in Prishtinë/Pristina to issue an international arrest warrant for Veselinovic.

Although Veselinovic has not been in Kosovo for several years, the Prosecution Office says that in their investigations into murder of the SDP leader Oliver Ivanovic, they found illegal activities carried out by Veselinovic.

Meanwhile, the Basic Court in Prishtinë/Pristina, in a response to KTV, confirmed that it has approved the request of the Special Prosecution Office, and has issued a local and international arrest warrant for Veselinovic, under the suspicion that he has committed several criminal offences, including participating and organising in a criminal group.

VV invites opposition to dialogue, AAK responds positively

(RTK)

More than a year has passed since the Kosovo-Serbia talks have been suspended, and now when new government is expected to be formed, involvement of all parties in the dialogue process is required.

The winning party in elections, Vetëvendosje Movement and its leader Albin Kurti, has stated that he will be leading the dialogue, adding that he would invite opposition parties to be part of the delegation, too.

Ramush Haradinaj, incumbent Prime Minister and chairperson of AAK, says that despite being in opposition, they will support new government in every issue of national interest.

Asked if AAK is willing to cooperate with government and to be part of the state delegation for talks, Haradinaj stated to KosovaPress that they support the country and that when it comes to the issues of national interest, they all should be together.

KosovaPress tried to contact also PDK and Nisma – parties to be in opposition, but officials of those parties did not answer the question whether they will accept to be part of the delegation of talks with Serbia.

Civil society and political analysts have called for consensus and for involvement of all political parties in the dialogue process.

Jeta Krasniqi of the Kosovo Democratic Institute (KDI) says they have continuously asked for the political spectrum to build a broader consensus about the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue.

She told KosovaPress that they have called for Kosovo to have its unified stance, which is supported by all institutions in the country.

Krasniqi added that political parties in Kosovo should get together in the dialogue process. According to her, that would have an impact on Kosovo’s position in the negotiations.

Ramush Tahiri, political expert, also said to KosovaPress that the dialogue process should be inclusive. According to him, dialogue with Serbia is a national issue, and everybody should be involved in it.

Borrell: Non-recognition of Kosovo’s independence by Spain does not represent any problem to me

(KTV)

Former Spanish Foreign Minister Josep Borrell, who as of Saturday has assumed the post of the EU Foreign Policy Chief, said that the fact that Spain does not recognise independence of Kosovo would not represent any issue for him to be facilitator in the talks between Kosovo and Serbia.

In an interview with Vecernji list Croatian newspaper, Borrell says that there are always some who are not satisfied. “If I recognise Kosovo, someone is dissatisfied; if I don’t recognise Kosovo, again someone is dissatisfied,” he said.

“The first thing I will do, after Kosovo forms government, is a visit to Kosovo, where I have never been. I will also visit Serbia, where I have been several times, so that I can speak with both sides about the new approach of resolving problems in the Balkans, which is one of our priorities,” Borrell said in the interview, Koha.net reported.

Asked whether it is a problem for him to deal with the Kosovo-Serbia issue given that Spain does not recognise Kosovo’s independence, Borrell answered “No, why would it be a problem?”

“I do not act now as the Spanish Foreign Minister, because I have new tasks. I understand that people might conclude that if my country does not recognise Kosovo, Kosovars will not like me. Imagine, on the other hand, coming from a country that recognises Kosovo. In that case, they would think that Serbs would not be happy with me. There are several asymmetries. If I recognise Kosovo, someone is unhappy. If I do not recognise Kosovo, someone else is unhappy,” Josep Borrell highlighted.

Serbia’s war strategy triggers concerns in the region

(Klan Kosova)

It seems that Serbia is never enough with wars. Ministry of Defence in Belgrade compiled the new draft strategy of defence, which is expected to be voted as a law in December. The document with compiled with full consent of Minister of Defence Aleksandar Vulin, known otherwise as ‘political sons of Slobodan Milosevic’.

A provision of the strategy reads that Serbia will protect Serbs wherever they are and that Serbian Army might intervene to protect them in case they are at risk.

This formulation is seen as a direct risk for Kosovo, where about 200.000 Serbs live in. Official policy of Belgrade strongly supports the thesis that Serbs in Kosovo are threatened, be it from the Kosovo Police actions where organized crime and corruption are combatted.

“With the intention of theirs to defend a Greater Serbia, although they do not mention it. The greatest risk is that Serbia, as a country of the region, is getting armed instead of orientating itself toward increase of cooperation,” stated the outgoing Kosovo Minister of Defence Rrustem Berisha.

Berisha also said that the state treats local Serbs as equal citizens and the risk projected for them by the Serbian policy does not stand.

“This is not only a concern of ours, but a regional concern. This also has to deal with the increase of Russian influence that is very pronounced in Serbia. All the NATO partner states are aware of this and constantly following the situation,” Berisha considers.

The new defence strategy of Serbia has also triggered major concerns in the region. Leaders of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia, a NATO and EU member state, are also considering this document as a threat for a new war.

 One more vote for new Government confirmed by Kosovo Bosniaks to Kurti

(KTV)

Vetëvendosje Movement leader, who is soon expected to become Kosovo’s Prime Minister, announced that he has met with Kosovo Bosniak MP candidate Emilia Rexhepi.

Kurti says Rexhepi has confirmed her vote for him as Prime Minister, but also for the government.

“Ms. Emilia Rexhepi will once again be a Bosniak MP in the Kosovo Assembly. She confirmed her vote for me as Prime Minister and for our new government. We met again and discussed our government’s challenges for economic development, educational reform, the rule of law, democratization and social equality, which does not exclude anyone. We also discussed strengthening institutional ties with Sandzak and Sarajevo,” Kurti wrote.

KTV portal reminded that few days ago Kurti in a Facebook post said that he also secured votes for the new government and for him as Prime Minister from the leaders of three non-majority communities, Rasim Demiri, Fikrim Damka and Albert Kinolli.

Man from Kosovo returns from Syria, admits he was ISIS member

(N1)

Agon Misini, a 29-year-old from Kosovo town Gnjilane, admitted organising and participating in terrorist activities as the ISIS member, Kosovo media reported on Sunday, citing the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (BIRN) as a source.

The Special Prosecution filed an indictment against the Kosovo national on November 7, who returned from the battlefield in Syria and who fought as the ISIS member.

Agoni pleaded guilty to the terrorism charges.

After establishing the communication with the ISIS terrorists, Misini travelled to Greece in August 2015, using a falsified passport of a Skopje resident. From there, he continued the journey to Turkey.

Upon arrival in Syria, he joined the ISIS ranks and, following a training, he actively participated in the Syrian war. Kurdish forces arrested him on July 26, 2017 and he had been in detention until April 2019, when he was sent back to Kosovo.

Afrim Shefkiu of the Special Prosecution asked the court to sentence the suspect, adding that this should stop others from taking part in or organizing the acts of terrorism.

Misini’s lawyer mentioned mitigating circumstances that he believes the court should take in consideration and his client’s family situation as well as the fact this was the first time he confronted the law and that that he unveiled the names of other ISIS members.

The verdict will be announced on December 2.

Heldt: IUNL will support selection of notaries in Kosovo

(Klan Kosova)

Christian Heldt, the German Ambassador to Kosovo, said that the International Union of Notaries (IUNL) will participate in selection process of notaries in Kosovo.

Heldt announced this in a post in Facebook social network, Klan Kosova reported.

“Good news from International Notaries Union: after talks with all stakeholders here, IUNL confirmed that they will participate in reset selection process of notaries in Kosovo and give further support based on international standards. So no need to rush nominations now,” Heldt wrote.