Albanian Language Media:

• COVID-19: 521 new cases, ten deaths (media)
• UK to support Kosovo in dialogue with Serbia (RTK/Klan)
• Varhelyi: EU remains committed to Western Balkans (Klan)
• MP Demiri joins AAK parliamentary group (media)
• Daka: Final results for Podujeva, Mitrovica North elections to be announced Thursday (media)
• “ContourGlobal” takes Kosovo to court over power plant (media)
• Appeals court reduces war crimes sentence to former member of Serb forces (media)
• Journalist association condemns language of LDK member, Termkolli (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• 102 new cases of Covid-19, two deaths and 15 cures in Serbian communities in Kosovo (Kontakt plus radio)
• Montenegro is not withdrawing its decision to expel the Serbian Ambassador (B92)
• BCBP: Serbia’s people don’t give up Kosovo (N1, FoNet)
• Exhumation of mortal remains found in mine near Raska started (Kontakt plus radio)
• Criminal report filed against Popovic over statements regarding billboard “Freedom has a name – KLA” (KoSSev)
• Spahiu: After winning against PDK and LDK, what remains for Vetevendosje is to defeat Haradinaj in Decani (TV Most, Kosovo-online)
• Pristina arming KSF? (B92, BETA)
• Fabrizi, Popovic: Rule of Law central point in accession talks with EU (BETA, N1)

Opinion:

• Kosovo is Crimea: Pro-Russian narratives in Serbia driven by domestic politics? (EWB)

International:

• Kosovo Local Election Sends Ruling Party a Warning Shot (Balkan Insight)
• EU Ambassadors agree to delay EU talks with Albania and North Macedonia (EWB)

Humanitarian/Development:

• Remittance flow to Kosovo increases during pandemic (Klan)
• WHO: Worsening of the epidemic situation in Serbia decreasing (Beta, N1)
• Kosovo has not been carrying out HIV tests during the pandemic (RFE)
• PM: Serbia negotiates production of anti-coronavirus vaccines (BETA, N1)
• UNDP: More women in Serbia report domestic violence, trust institutions (N1)
• Schools close in defiance of government decision (Prishtina Insight)

Albanian Language Media 

COVID-19: 521 new cases, ten deaths (media)

Kosovo’s health authorities have confirmed 521 new cases of COVID-19 and ten deaths from the virus in the last 24 hours.  

585 patients have recovered from the virus during this time. 

UK to support Kosovo in dialogue with Serbia (RTK/Klan)

On behalf of the Government of Kosovo, Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti signed a memorandum of understanding with the United Kingdom’s Ambassador Nicholas Abbot for dialogue with Serbia.

In a Facebook post, Hoti said that according to the agreement the United Kingdom will provide support to the Council of Experts from the Kosovo Prime Minister’s Office in the process of dialogue with Serbia which is taking place under the facilitation of the European Union. 

Varhelyi: EU remains committed to Western Balkans (Klan)

European Enlargement Commissioner Oliver Varhelyi said in a video message posted on his Twitter account that the European Commission remains committed to the Western Balkans region. 

Underscoring the profound effect of the COVID-19 pandemic, Varhelyi said that the European Commission stood by the Western Balkans as well as the neighbours in the East and South. “Despite the crisis, we were also delivering on our long term priorities,” he said.

“First we reinforced our commitment towards our Western Balkan neighbours, a priority for this Commission, and clearly for the European Union as a whole,” Varhelyi said mentioning in this respect the green light for start of accession negotiations with Albania and North Macedonia and the adoption of an economic and investment plan for the Western Balkans whose aim he said was to change the landscape of the region by the end of the Commission’s mandate.

“As this Commission marks its first year in office, we continue to deliver for Europe and respond to all challenges while helping our neighbourhood to grow stronger and even closer,” Varhelyi said. 

MP Demiri joins AAK parliamentary group (media)

MP Rasim Demiri has joined the parliamentary group of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK), said head of the group Daut Haradinaj.

Demiri, MP from the Vakat party, was part of the 6+ parliamentary group which was dissolved after MP Adem Hoxha joined the Serbian List.

Daka: Final results for Podujeva, Mitrovica North elections to be announced Thursday (media)

Head of the Central Election Commission (CEC) Valdete Daka said she believed the final results of mayoral elections in the municipalities of Podujeva and Mitrovica North will be announced on Thursday.

Daka said the counting of conditional votes is expected to begin tomorrow after which point the parties can file their potential complaints. 

“ContourGlobal” takes Kosovo to court over power plant (media)

Kosovo’s Ministry of Economy and Environment announced it has received a notification from the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes stating that the the company “CountourGlobal” has taken Kosovo to court over the contract for construction of the “Kosova e Re” power plant.

The Ministry said the Government of Kosovo has taken steps to defend the issue in the best way possible. 

Earlier this year, the company commissioned to construct the new power plant had announced it was suspending plans to go ahead with the project, citing the “political situation” in Kosovo as the reason for its cancellation. Soon after, it requested more than 20 million euros from the Government of Kosovo as compensation for the project’s expenses. 

Appeals court reduces war crimes sentence to former member of Serb forces (media)

The Appeals Court has reduced the prison sentence for Darko Tasic, convicted to 22 years for war crimes.

The court has partially approved the request of the defendant’s attorney as a result of which Tasic will now have to serve 11 years in prison. 

Tasic was initially found guilty by a court in Prizren for his role as member of Serbian forces reserve units in war crimes against Albanians in the village of Krusha e Vogel in March of 1999. 

Journalist association condemns language of LDK member, Termkolli (media)

The Association of Journalists of Kosovo has condemned the language employed by the member of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK), Melihate Termkolli, towards a journalist of T7 media outlet, Arsim Lani.

Termkolli is said to have sent a text message to Lani following a show where she was a guest calling him ‘trash’ and ‘insolent’ for not notifying her in advance who the other guests in the studio would be. She is also reported to have threatened the journalist.

“AJK finds it concerning that journalists are still victims of such insults by political officials. Such denigrating language used by Termkolli is completely unacceptable and violates the freedom of expression and the media. AJK calls on political officials to recognize the role of journalists in a democratic society and to refrain from insulting them,” the Association of Journalists of Kosovo said in a statement.

Serbian Language Media

102 new cases of Covid-19, two deaths and 15 cures in Serbian communities in Kosovo (Kontakt plus radio)

The North Mitrovica Crisis Staff announced today that in Serbian communities in Kosovo, according to the latest data, two people died as a result of Covid-19, while 102 new cases of infection and 15 cures were recorded, reported Kontakt plus radio. 

The deceased are from Strpce and Leposavic.

Out of 241 processed samples, positive cases were recorded in the municipalities: North Mitrovica (45), Zvecan (12), Zubin Potok (12), Leposavic (9), Gracanica (9), Priluzje (6), Kosovska Kamenica (2), Strpce (3), Prizren (2), Pec (1) and Gnjilane (1).

Fifteen patients were recovered: North Mitrovica (8), Leposavic (4), Strpce (2) and Zvecan (1).

71 people were hospitalized in the Health Center in North Mitrovica, and two patients are in the Nic Hospital.  The measure of home isolation was determined for 981 people. There are currently 1054 active cases.

Montenegro is not withdrawing its decision to expel the Serbian Ambassador (B92)

Montenegrin Foreign Affairs Ministry announced it’ll not withdraw the decision on the expulsion of the Ambassador of Serbia to Montenegro Vladimir Bozovic, B92 reports.

The outgoing Montenegrin government welcomed Serbia’s decision not to expel Montenegrin Ambassador to Belgrade Tarzan Milosevic in accordance with reciprocity measures, and said that they would not give up on the decision to expel Serbian Ambassador to Podgorica Vladimir Bozovic.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that there was no reason to expel the Montenegrin Ambassador Milosevic.

“Ambassador Tarzan Milosevic represents his country respecting the Republic of Serbia, not interfering in its internal affairs, with restraint towards the host country even when Montenegro was rudely insulted and humiliated from various addresses in Serbia, Montenegrin state symbols were desecrated, causing condemns of various international institutions”, it was announced from the department of Srdjan Darmanovic.

See at: https://bit.ly/2JmsW5W

BCBP: Serbia’s people don’t give up Kosovo (N1, FoNet)

Half of the polled people in Serbia, support the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, and more than 90 percent do not feel any benefit from, while almost three quarters believe the dialogue has not changed anything, the Belgrade Center for Security Policy (BCBP) opinion poll has shown on Monday.

The BCSP said the opinion of the polled was characterized by opposing views on the Kosovo issue – they supported the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, but did not see the possibility of coexistence of Serbs and Albanians; supported agreements from Brussels and Washington, but did not see any benefit from them.

It showed one-fifth of those taking part in the poll thought the ultimate goal of the Government is to preserve the territory of Serbia following the UN Resolution 1244, while half believed that would be the ideal outcome of the negotiations.

The research showed that the citizens would not give up Kosovo, while at the same time, they wanted reconciliation and normal relations, but they did not think that such negotiations would lead to that.

Also, half of the citizens believe that an agreement would never be reached, and a quarter that it would happen in the next three to five years.

Two-thirds of the polled believed there would be no normalisation of relations soon, regardless of the outcome of the dialogue, while the rest saw the agreement as a precondition for that.

As many as three-quarters of people would not accept Kosovo Albanians to be public officials in Serbia or to be married to a member of their family, and two-thirds refuse to have the Albanians as their bosses at work.

See at: https://bit.ly/3lsH6j3

Exhumation of mortal remains found in mine near Raska started (Kontakt plus radio)

The Office for Cooperation with the Media of the Government of Serbia announced yesterday that the exhumation of the bodies, which are presumed to be from Kosovo, from the location near the Kizevak mine near Raska, has begun.

“As part of the activities of the Commission for Missing Persons of the Government of the Republic of Serbia and the Working Group for Missing Persons in AP Kosovo and Metohija, and based on the order of the High Court in Belgrade, War Crimes Department, the process of exhumation of remains has begun in connection with the conflict in the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija, at the location of the Kizevak mine near Raska,” stated the announcement of the Office for Cooperation with the Media of the Government of Serbia, reported Kontakt plus radio. 

According to the statement, this location has been the subject of research and trial excavations for the past five years, based on the order of the War Crimes Prosecutor’s Office.

In addition to the competent state bodies and the team of forensic experts from Serbia who manage the forensic aspect, experts from the International Commission on Missing Persons (ICMP), EULEX, representatives of the ICRC and the Pristina delegation of the Working Group for Missing Persons are present at the location as observers.

Samples for DNA analysis will be taken from all exhumed remains from this location that will enable their identification, which will be carried out by the ICMP.

The exhumation at the location of the Kizevak mine is of special importance for the families of missing persons, who have been trying for years to find and bury the remains of their loved ones with dignity, quoted Kontakt plus radio.

Criminal report filed against Popovic over statements regarding billboard “Freedom has a name – KLA” (KoSSev)

Gracanica Municipal Assembly Deputy Chairperson Granit Gashi filed a criminal report against Gracanica Mayor Srdjan Popovic, KoSSev portal reports, citing Pristina-based Klan Kosova.

Gashi filed a criminal report over Popovic’s statements regarding the billboard “Freedom has a name – KLA” placed in Gracanica. According to Gashi, Popovic committed “a criminal act of misuse of the official position or authority” and “causing discord and intolerance”.

“Who dared to place such a provocation at the entry of one of the biggest Serbian municipalities? This should be investigated. A particularly concerning fact is that the billboard was placed only dozens of meters away from the homes of some Serbian families who remained living in the mining settlement of Kisnica. And without this they were exposed to a constant fear for their safety”, Gracanica Mayor Srdjan Popovic said regarding the billboard, KoSSev portal recalled. 

Spahiu: After winning against PDK and LDK, what remains for Vetevendosje is to defeat Haradinaj in Decani (TV Most, Kosovo-online)

Political analyst and university professor Nexhmedin Spahiu told Kosovo-online portal that the results of snap mayoral elections in Mitrovica North and Podujevo were an indicator of strengthening of Vetevendosje Movement (LVV), which would be reflected in the next parliamentary elections in Kosovo as well.

“The victory in Podujevo, where there was a stronghold and where no one had power except the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK), and victory over Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) in Mitrovica means that what remains for Vetevendosje is to beat the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) in Decani and to win completely”, Spahiu said.

“Victory of Milan Radojevic, candidate of the Serbian List in Mitrovica North, was expected”, Spahiu added, “but better results of LVV than PDK is a big surprise”.

He opined that the corruption scandals cost the LDK in Podujevo and that it would cost them much only in the upcoming parliamentary elections.

 “If there would be any elections now, Vetevendosje would be the absolute winner, but I still think that there will be parties left in the coalition in order to prevent LVV from coming to power. If LVV did not come to power now, in the local elections that will be held next year, they will overcome all political opponents”, Spahiu concluded.

Pristina arming KSF? (B92, BETA)

The Kosovo Security Force (KSF) will increase its numbers by 403 uniformed personnel next year, reaching the total number of 4.039, B92 reports.

This was announced today by the Balkan Security Network portal, which states that “Pristina is thus trying to strengthen its armed forces and plans to procure additional combat equipment, but not offensive means or weapons of great firepower”.

“The plan to strengthen the KSF is defined in a package of defense documents voted by the Pristina parliament in December 2018. The Law on the KSF defines that the goal is to reach 5.000 people in active composition”, it is further stated.

The portal adds that this year the number of KSF reached 3.636 people, and that in 2021, with the planned increase of 11 percent, that number will be 4.039 formation places. Of that, the KSF will have 3.813 seats and the administration of the ministry will have 226 people.

“The larger number of people is a direct consequence of Pristina’s ambition to have a stronger armed force. The previous three battalions with commands in Gjilane, Istok and Mitrovica were reformed into three regiments without a major change in the number of people… Basically, regiments are light infantry battalions, basic weapons being automatic rifles. Mechanized companies are transported on US made HMMWV and Otokar Cobra off-road armored vehicles procured from Turkey”, it is said.

See at: https://bit.ly/36sKvu5

Fabrizi, Popovic: Rule of Law central point in accession talks with EU (BETA, N1)

Head of the European Union Delegation in Serbia Sem Fabrizi and Minister of Justice Maja Popovic agreed on Tuesday that the rule of law was a strategic point in any state’s accession negotiations with the Union, BETA news agency reports.

Marking the beginning of the second phase of the ‘The EU for Justice – Support for Chapter 23’ project, they also reiterated that Serbia’s progress in negotiating the chapter 23 related to the rule of law was essential to the entire process.

Popovic said the project empowered the rule of law in Serbia and reiterated the EU membership was Serbia’s foreign policy’s priority.

“Our aim is not mere membership and the fulfillment of the technical criteria, but the strengthening of the modern state based on the rule of law and creation of a credible future member country. The precondition is an efficient judiciary trusted by the public”, Popovic said.

Fabrizi added the rule of law, as a critical element in joining the EU, meant: “legality, transparency, pluralism and accountability”.

He said the rule of law “spills over a series of essential reforms from the courts’ system, anti-corruption and fight against organized crime, freedom of media and expression”.

Opinion

Kosovo is Crimea: Pro-Russian narratives in Serbia driven by domestic politics? (EWB)

By Nikola Burazer

Russia can be considered Serbia’s long-term international ally, especially with regard to the sensitive case of Kosovo. A year-long media research looking for pro-Russian territorial narratives and their effects on local political discourses – in Serbia, Romania, Hungary, Slovakia, Poland and Ukraine – has revealed, however, that Serbian domestic media plays the most important part in the dissemination of the Kremlin’s messages. Russian leverage over Serbia and its politics is rather cemented by a significant pan-Slavic electorate and diplomatic ties than direct influence by the Kremlin’s media.

It is a dominant discourse among Western experts that Russia is meddling in domestic political arenas, influencing elections and promoting anti-liberal, anti-EU or anti-Western narratives. Within this discourse, Kremlin-controlled or Kremlin-influenced media are an important source of these narratives and a threat to liberal democracy and Euro-Atlantic orientation of the countries in which they operate. At first glance, Serbia is a perfect example of this logic, as dominant media narratives are indeed pro-Russian and anti-Western, often bordering blatant propaganda.

However, the analysis of media content within the project titled “Revealing Russian disinformation networks and active measures fuelling secessionism and border revisionism in Central and Eastern Europe” questions the applicability of this discourse in the case of Serbia.

First of all, Russian media outlets and fringe media with suspected Russian ties are not nearly as numerous or influential as could be suspected based on dominant media narratives. The only influential Russian media in Serbia is Sputnik Serbia, Serbian-language version of the Sputnik News Agency, whose content gets republished by both mainstream and fringe, as well as by both pro-government and anti-government media. However, despite its influence, Sputnik cannot singlehandedly push certain narratives, nor was it proven to be the source of any of the dominant narratives about the Russian role regarding Kosovo.

See more at: https://bit.ly/3fRcAOI

International

Kosovo Local Election Sends Ruling Party a Warning Shot (Balkan Insight)

Local elections held on Sunday in two municipalities are a warning to the main governing party in one – and a worrying sign of Belgrade’s grip on the Serb-majority north in the other, experts conclude.

Extraordinary local elections held in the municipalities of Podujeve/ Podujeva and North Mitrovica are seen as sending two signals; in one, they confirmed the growing popularity of Kosovo’s biggest opposition party, Vetevendosje – and, in the other, Belgrade’s continued influence in the Serb-majority north.

The two municipalities held extraordinary elections on Sunday after their previous mayors took up central government positions.

Agim Veliu, former mayor of Podujeve/ Podujevo, from the Democratic League of Kosovo, LDK, who has become Interior Minister, will be succeeded by Shpejtim Bulliqi of the Vetevendosje Movement, after he won 51.64 per cent of the votes cast.

The Vetevendosje win was a political shock as Podujeve/ Podujevo was considered a bastion of the LDK, which has governed the area for 20 years. The change, therefore, sends an important signal to parties at the central level, the LDK above all, experts told BIRN.

See at: https://bit.ly/3g0tjz5

EU Ambassadors agree to delay EU talks with Albania and North Macedonia (EWB)

BRUSSELS – The EU ambassadors have disagreed on starting EU talks with Albania and North Macedonia in December, Euronews reported.

The Permanent Representatives Committee (Coreper) agreed in their draft conclusions that Albania is not yet ready to hold the first intergovernmental conference with the EU, as there is still work to be done on the conditions set since March 2020.

The ambassadors praised Albania’s work on reforms, but stressed it should show more progress in meeting the conditions.

Regarding North Macedonia, the document stated that the date for the first conference will be set once the country solves its issues with Bulgaria.

Bulgaria has blocked the start of accession talks with North Macedonia. It claims that the Macedonian language is a dialect of Bulgarian and that there is no Macedonian minority in Bulgaria. Both statements are required to be included in the final document allowing for the start of talks.

Prime Minister of North Macedonia Zoran Zaev has so far refused to cede to the requests.

Italy reportedly tried to soften the language of the text of the conclusions for Albania, but the request was rejected.

The draft conclusions reached today by the EU ambassadors will be adopted by the General Affairs Council, consisting of ministers of foreign and European affairs of EU member states, on December 8.

The start of negotiations with Albania and North Macedonia may be approved in March 2021.

See at: https://bit.ly/39Dp9vI

Humanitarian/Development

Remittance flow to Kosovo increases during pandemic (Klan)

Despite the situation with the COVID-19 pandemic, the members of the Diaspora have continued to send money to Kosovo, Klan Kosova reports.

According to recent figures from the Kosovo Central Bank, the January-October period saw an increase of the money remitted to Kosovo compared with the same period of last year.

“The amount of money sent from the Diaspora during the period between January and October 2020 reaches €795.6 million or €90 million more compared to the same timeframe of 2019 when the total of remittances was €705.6 million,” said spokesperson for the Kosovo Central Bank Kushtrim Ahmeti.

He said that the funds remitted to Kosovo come mostly from the German-speaking countries such as Germany, Switzerland, Austria, followed by the United States and France.

WHO: Worsening of the epidemic situation in Serbia decreasing (Beta, N1)

Marijan Ivanusa, the head of the World Health Organisation (WHO) office in Serbia, said onTuesday that “worsening of the epidemic situation in the country was decreasing.”

However, speaking to the state RTS TV, Ivanusa warned that in the next several weeks “hospitals could be under pressure, especially the intensive care units.”

“I hope that the peak of this wave will arrive as soon as possible,” he said, adding December would be “difficult” particularly for medical staff.

Ivanusa also said that Serbia was “intensively” preparing for vaccines.

“More vaccines mean the quantity will be higher since there won’t be enough for everyone and that’s why the priorities are being set. I believe we can put the epidemic under control with vaccine and (preventive) measures,” he added.

Kosovo has not been carrying out HIV tests during the pandemic (RFE)

On World AIDS Day, Radio Free Europe reports that Kosovo has not confirmed any new cases of HIV this year but underlines at the same time that no tests have been carried out since the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Alban Gjonbalaj, head of the Kosovo associations of persons living with HIV, said that the last HIV tests were performed in March and that no case was confirmed by that time. “There was treatment although an alarm was raised that we could be left without therapy. However, fortunately, a supply was delivered and we had no lack of medicaments. At present, one medicine is missing but I believe we will be supplied with it shortly,” he said.

Doctor Murat Mehmeti who works with persons infected with HIV at the Infectious Clinic in Pristina admitted they faced challenges in testing for HIV during the pandemic. He said he hoped this will change in December, depending on the epidemiological situation.

RFE reports that there are 40 persons living with HIV in Kosovo.

PM: Serbia negotiates production of anti-coronavirus vaccines (BETA, N1)

Serbian Prime Minister said on Tuesday the state was negotiating the production of ‘some’ anti-coronavirus vaccines in the country, BETA news agency reports.

She added that the state authorities, ‘as a team,’ worked on securing the vaccine and that Serbia would be among the first countries in the world to get a vaccine.

“We want to secure the people a choice of vaccines since some will accept only Frazier’s vaccine, some the one from Moderna, while other wouldn’t take any other but those produced in Russia or China”, Brnabic told TV Pink.

She added that “thanks to President Aleksandar Vucic and the respect the Chinese experts have for him”, Serbia is the only country which will get the Chinese vaccine immediately, despite it (the country) hasn’t taken part in studies.

“We have already agreed with the Russian partners that our experts, to put it simply, could ‘open’ their vaccine and see what it is made of”, Brnabic said.

She added that Serbia “has so many ventilators that there will be enough of them regardless of how the situation could be catastrophic”, and said that 700,000 Euro were spent daily for tests only.

“We are testing many more people than any other country in the region. We have 25,540 tests per 100,000 people, and the results are available in 12 hours at the latest. Slovenia and Romania are behind us”, Brnabic said.

See at: https://bit.ly/3qkn91I

UNDP: More women in Serbia report domestic violence, trust institutions (N1)

The Director of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in Serbia Francine Pickup said on Monday the new legislative framework for the prevention of violence against women in the country had already given good results and that she was glad that the number of women who reported violence was increasing, N1 reports.

She added it was a good signal of female victims’ trust in the institutions.

Pickup told a news conference about the new phase of ‘Integrated Response to Violence against Women and Girls’ project worth USD 1.5 million, that more than 1,000 police officers and professionals working in health care institutions, advocates and judiciary were trained.

She added that the number of incidents related to violence against women both in Serbia and globally increased significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic.

See at: https://bit.ly/3mr0GgJ

Schools close in defiance of government decision (Prishtina Insight)

Despite a decision taken by the Kosovo Government declaring that Monday is a working day, many schools across the country did not hold classes.

On November 27, the Kosovo Government announced that Monday, November 30, will be a regular working day, calling on all state and educational institutions to work on a regular basis.

However, the Union of Education Science and Culture, SBAShK, stated that, based on the calendar for the 2020/21 school year, November 30 should be a day off in honour of Albanian Independence Day, November 28, which this year fell on a Saturday.

According to Rrahman Jasharaj, the President of SBAShK, around 90 percent of schools in Kosovo have backed the Union and closed their doors on Monday.

See at: https://bit.ly/2KNctYS