Albanian Language Media:

• Bashkim Jashari appointed new commander of KSF (media)
• KSF commander resigns (Albanian Post)
• EU supports institutions and strengthening of law and order in Kosovo (RTK)
• Gervalla: Approach to visa liberalisation for Kosovo could change soon (media)
• Krasniqi meets Lajcak: Dialogue should end with mutual recognition (Klan)
• PDK mentions new elections as way out of parliamentary stalemate (Telegrafi)
• Konjufca meets Austrian Ambassador: Final agreement, mutual recognition (RTK)
• Kosovo Police special unit surround the Post Office premises (RTK)
• Kosovo and Germany with an agreement to support the KSF with 1 million euros (Klan)
• COVID-19: Eight new cases, one death (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• PM Brnabic and Viola von Cramon correspondence on Twitter (Kosovo Online)
• Von Cramon: Berlin could change approach towards Belgrade (N1)
• Environmental movement calls Vucic to annul controversial laws (N1)
• Northern Kosovo fears that it might be left without power supply; non-compliance with agreements, unpaid bills and Kurti’s ”the day will come” (Euronews Serbia)
• Gracanica: Ljiljana Subaric and members of the Municipal Assembly took the oath (KiM radio)
• Petkovic with Botsan Kharchenko on dialogue (KiM radio)

Opinion:

• Legal framework for Kosovo Serbs tailored to Pristina (part three): What kind of future awaits them? (KoSSev)

Albanian Language Media  

Bashkim Jashari appointed new commander of KSF (media)

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani appointed Major General Bashkim Jashari, as the new commander of the Kosovo Security Force (KSF), following the resignation of Rrahman Rama. Jashari was appointed to the post following a proposal by the Minister of Defense and a recommendation by the Prime Minister. 

KSF commander resigns (Albanian Post)

Lieutenant general Rrahman Rama has resigned from the position of the commander of the Kosovo Security Force.

Albanian Post has learned from the sources within KSF that the lieutenant general has signed his resignation on Tuesday morning.

This news portal informs that after continuous pressure from the political leadership, which was preparing his dismissal, lieutenant general Rama has decided to end his duty ahead of time.

According to the sources, major general Bashkim Jashari will be the new Commander of the Kosovo Security Force.

The Albanian Post reported last week that Rama’s dismissal was being prepared as a result of the political pressure over KSF by the defense minister Armend Mehaj.  

EU supports institutions and strengthening of law and order in Kosovo (RTK)

The Prime Minister of Kosovo Albin Kurti received today in a meeting Francisco Esteban Perez, Commander of Civilian Operations of the European Union, at the same time Director of Civil Planning and Conduct in the European External Action Service (EEAS).

The meeting was also attended by Kauko Aaltomaa, Head of the EUPOL COPPS Mission, at the same time Head of the Operations Division, as well as the Head of the European Union Rule of Law Mission (EULEX), Mr. Lars Gunnar Wigemark.

The importance of cooperation between security institutions and the judiciary was discussed with senior EU officials. They expressed commitment and readiness of the European Union to continue supporting the institutions and strengthening law and order in Kosovo.

Prime Minister Kurti said that during these months of the government, there is  institutional stability, democratic legitimacy and high trust in institutions by citizens which he assessed as a great social progress. He briefed Mr. Perez on the reforms launched in the justice system and the institutional commitment to fighting crime and corruption.

This meeting comes at the time of the adoption of the Rule of Law Strategy, the draft Criminal Procedure Code and the Law on the Anti-Corruption Agency, which were singled out by the Prime Minister as actions that will strengthen and advance the justice system and the fight against crime and corruption.

Prime Minister Kurti stressed that during the eight months of government, the Kosovo Police has conducted about 500 operations, about 900 raids and destroyed 41 criminal groups. 

“At the same time, we have approved the concept document for vetting towards an active and energetic prosecution, as well as an effective and efficient judiciary,” he said.

Gervalla: Approach to visa liberalisation for Kosovo could change soon (media)

Kosovo’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, Donika Gervalla, said today that Kosovo has intensified communication with French authorities on the issue of visa liberalisation for Kosovo. She said the communication is aimed at removing dilemmas that French authorities may have in the process. “We had many communications with the French authorities with the aim of explaining any eventual dilemmas about the rule of law in Kosovo. One cannot rule out that soon this approach to visa liberalisation could change,” Gervalla said.

“We have improved and furthered our cooperation with countries that we are already in contact with and there is progress with countries with which we have had delays. We are also focused on the five non-recognizing countries within the EU. There is an approximation with four of the non-recognizing countries,” she said.

Krasniqi meets Lajcak: Dialogue should end with mutual recognition (Klan)

The Chairman of the Democratic Party of Kosovo Memli Krasniqi met today in Brussels with the Special Representative of the European Union for the Kosovo-Serbia Dialogue, Miroslav Lajcak.

They discussed the progress of the dialogue process between Kosovo and Serbia and the position of the Democratic Party of Kosovo, as the leader of the opposition, towards this important process for both countries and the region.

Krasniqi said that PDK, as a state-building party, supports the continuation of the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue, which should end with the recognition of Kosovo’s independence from Serbia.

“I thanked emissary Lajçak for his commitment to this delicate process and stressed that any possible agreement between Kosovo and Serbia should be in accordance with the Constitution of Kosovo, and does not violate the territorial integrity, integrity and sovereignty of the country,” Krasniqi said.

During his visit to Brussels, the PDK leader also met with the Deputy Director for Europe at the European External Action Service, Marko Makovec, where they discussed the need to deepen Kosovo’s cooperation and coordination with the European Union on political issues, including implementation of the SAA and the recommendations of the Progress Report.

Krasnqi said that the path of European integration for Kosovo is the goal of Kosovo and its citizens, while he called for the European Union to be more proactive in this process in order to integrate the Western Balkan countries into the European family as soon as possible. 

PDK mentions new elections as way out of parliamentary stalemate (Telegrafi)

Abelard Tahiri, head of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) parliamentary group, mentioned today the possibility of early parliamentary elections as a way out of the parliamentary stalemate, the news website reports. “The parliamentary stalemate would be best solved with early elections. As we have entered consequent crises in the Assembly and seeing that the majority is in deep crisis. After November 14, we see that they [the ruling majority] no longer have the will to govern or to be present in the Assembly. You have seen that government ministers and MPs are absent,” Tahiri said after the Assembly Presidency failed to hold a meeting today. 

Tahiri argued that the majority should either govern or return the mandate to the people. “In reality they are abstaining; everything in the country is blocked. We call on this majority to govern and to be more responsible with the mandate they were trusted,” he added.

Konjufca meets Austrian Ambassador: Final agreement, mutual recognition (RTK)

Kosovo Assembly Speaker Glauk Konjufca met today with the Austrian Ambassador to Kosovo Christopher Weidinger.

They discussed further strengthening of partnership and other issues of mutual interest. Konjufca expressed appreciation for Austria’s continuous support to Kosovo. He said that Austria remains an important partner for Kosovo and expressed readiness for intensification of cooperation in joint projects such as the DEMOS project and in the field of legislation and parliamentary diplomacy.

Ambassador Weidinger assessed the partnership as very important and confirmed once again Austria’s support for Kosovo in the process of visa liberalization and Euro-Atlantic integration.

They also discussed the dialogue with Serbia, where Speaker Konjufca reiterated the position that the comprehensive agreement should result in mutual recognition.

Kosovo Police special unit surround the Post Office premises (RTK)

Numerous police officers of the special unit have embarked at the Post Office premises in Mitrovica, however, so far, the reason is unknown.

A few minutes ago, many police officers of the special unit were seen at the main Post building in Mitrovica, while some of them carrying long arms entered the premises.

A few minutes later, a post office vehicle together with elite units of the police, went in an unknown direction.

Initial suspicions are that they were carrying important material. 

Kosovo and Germany with an agreement to support the KSF with 1 million euros (Klan)

Kosovo’s Minister of Defense Armend Mehaj and the German Ambassador Jorn Rohde have signed an agreement within the German Initiative for Enabling and Improving “Ertüchtigungsinitiative” in support of the KSF.

“In order to build Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) and demining capabilities of the KSF up to 10 EOB protective suits including training worth up to 500,000 euros, as well as two vehicles of dangerous goods worth up to 500,000 euros will be procured to increase the ability to eliminate the old dangerous goods of the KSF,” wrote the German embassy.

COVID-19: Eight new cases, one death (media)

Eight new cases with COVID-19 and one death were recorded in the last 24 hours in Kosovo. Nine people recovered from the virus during this time.

There are 320 active cases with COVID-19 in Kosovo.

Serbian Language Media

PM Brnabic and Viola von Cramon correspondence on Twitter (Kosovo Online)

The Prime Minister of Serbia, Ana Brnabic stated that for the European Parliament’s rapporteur for Kosovo, Viola von Cramon, the rule of law is one thing when it comes to Pristina, and in the case of Belgrade, something else, and asked whether such attitude says that Serbs in Kosovo do not have the same rights as citizens anywhere else, reported Kosovo Online.

Brnabic wrote on Twitter, on the occasion of von Cramon’s recent reaction to the events during the incursion of ROSU units into the north of Kosovo, and now, when she commented “the opposition protests for the weekend in Belgrade and other cities”. Brnabic asked what von Cramon’s message is: 

“Case 1: ROSU, contrary to the Brussels Agreement, invades the north of AP KiM. Serbs take to the streets to protest peacefully. ROSU shoots at them and just by sheer luck they don’t kill anyone (Srecko Sofronijevic’s wounds). Viola von Cramon: that is the rule of law, Pristina’s reaction is for ‘full respect’,” Cranic wrote on Twitter, the portal reported.

“Case 2: Hundreds of people, without registering a rally, close the international road and ban the movement of all others throughout Serbia. The state decides not to use force. Viola von Cramon: ‘I am shocked by the reaction of the authorities’, ‘the state’s countermeasures were extremely hard and were not adequate'”, Brnabic added in her Twitter post, on the occasion of the protests in Belgrade and other cities.

PM Brnabic asked:

“What is Viola telling us:

1. That we should shoot at people to show “full respect”, as in the case of Pristina?
2. That the rule of law is one thing in the case of Pristina, and another in the case of Belgrade?
3. That Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija do not have the same rights as citizens anywhere else?” the portal cited Brnabic’s post on Twitter.

The Prime Minister of Serbia, Ana Brnabic stated that for the European Parliament’s rapporteur for Kosovo, Viola von Cramon, the rule of law is one thing when it comes to Pristina, and in the case of Belgrade, something else, and asked whether such attitude says that Serbs in Kosovo do not have the same rights as citizens anywhere else, reported Kosovo Online.

Brnabic wrote on Twitter, on the occasion of von Cramon’s recent reaction to the events during the incursion of ROSU units into the north of Kosovo, and now, when she commented “the opposition protests for the weekend in Belgrade and other cities”. Brnabic asked what von Cramon’s message is: 

“Case 1: ROSU, contrary to the Brussels Agreement, invades the north of AP KiM. Serbs take to the streets to protest peacefully. ROSU shoots at them and just by sheer luck they don’t kill anyone (Srecko Sofronijevic’s wounds). Viola von Cramon: that is the rule of law, Pristina’s reaction is for ‘full respect’,” Cranic wrote on Twitter, the portal reported.

“Case 2: Hundreds of people, without registering a rally, close the international road and ban the movement of all others throughout Serbia. The state decides not to use force. Viola von Cramon: ‘I am shocked by the reaction of the authorities’, ‘the state’s countermeasures were extremely hard and were not adequate'”, Brnabic added in her Twitter post, on the occasion of the protests in Belgrade and other cities.

PM Brnabic asks:

“What is Viola telling us:

1. That we should shoot at people to show “full respect”, as in the case of Pristina?
2. That the rule of law is one thing in the case of Pristina, and another in the case of Belgrade?
3. That Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija do not have the same rights as citizens anywhere else?” the portal cited Brnabic’s post on Twitter.

Von Cramon: Equal treatment for all before the law, whether in Loznica, North Mitrovica or Germany

The European Parliament’s rapporteur for Kosovo, Viola von Cramon, says that the rule of law refers to equal treatment for all before the law, whether in Loznica, North Mitrovica or Germany, reacting to, as she stated, attacks by Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic.

Von Cramon stated on Twitter that she will always defend civil and human rights, regardless of one’s nationality.

“The rule of law refers to equal treatment for all before the law, whether in Loznica, North Mitrovica or Germany. I will always defend civil and human rights regardless of one’s nationality. Next time, instead of attacking me, you might try talking to your people in Nedeljice,” Von Cramon wrote on Twitter.

Von Cramon visited Loznica and Gornje Nedeljice a few days ago, where signatures are being collected for the withdrawal of the Spatial Plan which envisages the construction of the mine of the company “Rio Tinto”, recalled Kosovo Online.

Von Cramon: Berlin could change approach towards Belgrade (N1)

Viola von Cramon MEP told N1 on Monday that she hopes for a change in Berlin’s attitude towards Belgrade when her Alliance ‘90/Greens party takes over the German Foreign ministry.

She said that she hopes for a different approach towards the Serbian authorities when her party takes over the ministry under the coalition government agreement, specifying that she wants to see an approach based on rule of law with a more critical view of events and the results in implementing reforms. She added that the coalition agreement to form a new German federal government focuses on the Western Balkans to a great extent.

According to Von Cramon, the difference in approach could be in whether Germany supports the opening of clusters in Serbia’s accession talks with the European Union.

She voiced hope that a line will be drawn which shows that Germany will not jeopardize its European values. She said that European Commissioner Oliver Varhelyi’s latest report on Serbia’s progress undermined the principles of the European Commission.

Von Cramon said that she was shocked by the way the Serbian authorities reacted to last weekend’s protest by environmental activists against the adopting of laws on referendums and expropriation, saying that everyone has the right to protest.

See at: https://bit.ly/3I9uEBa

Environmental movement calls Vucic to annul controversial laws (N1)

The Ecological Uprising Movement gave Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic a deadline of December 3 to annul the new laws on referendums and expropriation which have been the cause of last weekend’s protests across the country.

The two laws were adopted by parliament last week prompting activists to stage road blocks across Serbia. Environmental activists and the opposition said that they are both being introduced to accommodate the Rio Tinto company’s plans to open a lithium mine in western Serbia. Vucic signed the referendum law the day it was adopted bringing it into force on November 26.

The environmental organization warned that Serbia could slide into conflicts unless the laws are withdrawn. “We are calling you to do everything to prevent Serbia from sliding into an even greater crisis and conflicts,” an open letter said, adding that both laws are in violation of the constitution.

It said that the adopting of law leads to more roadblocks and “a general uprising by people strongly motivated by years of injustice” and warned that the president and his associates “will be held accountable for inciting and organizing conflicts by using para-police formations made up of thugs”.

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

Northern Kosovo fears that it might be left without power supply (Euronews Serbia)

Eight years after the Brussels dialogue, which also envisaged the establishment of companies for billing and distribution of electricity in northern Kosovo, it has not been established yet, while residents are worried about the threat that they could remain in the dark this winter. The residents are additionally worried that due to Kosovo’s membership in the European network, Serbia should not supply them with electricity either, since in that case it is threatened with fines. Until last year, the Government of Serbia paid for electricity instead of the citizens in the north of the province, and in recent months, neither the citizens nor the authorities in Pristina have paid the bills, writes Euronews Serbia.

In 2013, within the dialogue in Brussels, Kosovo and Serbia reached an agreement on energy, which stipulates that Serbia will not prevent Kosovo from becoming a member of the European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity (ENTSO-E).

On the other hand, it was agreed that Kosovo would license two companies to distribute the electricity and billing services in northern Kosovo. Kosovo has become a member of ENTSO, it has separated from the Electric Network of Serbia, but there is no one to collect the bills, because a new company for distribution and payment of electricity for citizens in northern Kosovo has not been formed so far.

Mijacic: A credible threat

“Until December last year, Elektroprivreda Srbije (state-owned power utility company EPS) supplied electricity and sent the bill to the Government of Serbia for the power that was consumed. From December until today, all these costs are to be covered by either the Government of Kosovo or KOSTT will beat the costs,” said Dragisa Mijacic, Coordinator of the National Convention on the EU for Chapter 35.

The Kosovo government does not want or does not have the means to bear the costs, so the situation could be complicated. Mijačić noted that the Government did not bear those costs, but that in this case it ordered a private company to cover them.

“Now another company, KEDC, the one that produces electricity, has said that it cannot provide electricity without charging for it, and thus they2 have made a credible threat that they could cut off electricity in northern Kosovo, which would be tantamount to humanitarian catastrophes in these cold days. Temperatures are already very low for people to have their electricity cut off, without finding some solutions it is simply unacceptable,” Mijacic warned.

In a similar situation, in 2009, the Kosovo Electricity Company suspended power supply to northern Kosovo, but then the supply automatically came directly from central Serbia, via Novi Pazar and the Valac substation. This time, due to the Brussels Agreement, i.e. Kosovo’s membership in ENTSO is almost impossible, because Serbia would face huge fines.

The issue of billing is not easy to solve

Kosovo Electric Power Corporation said that it will no longer pay for the consumed electricity for the citizens in the north, and the Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, is also under great pressure.

“I am doing my best in accordance with the laws and the constitutionality. We are trying and the day will come to bill the citizens in the north for electricity, because that is discrimination for other citizens of this country,” Kurti said.

When, as Kurti said, the bills such as the citizens in the south get, will start arriving in the north and why the company for billing services is not licensed, Euronews tried to find out from the spokesperson of the Kosovo Electricity Distribution Company (KEDS), Viktor Buzhala. There was no reply, but the fact is that the consumed electricity has not been paid for since December last year, and not years ago.

Dragisa Mijacic noted that Kosovo, on the one hand, got what it wanted, but on the other hand, it found itself in a problem that it cannot solve so easily.

Without the company “Elektrosever”, which is the only one that has the possibility of distribution and maintenance of the network and collection of those bills, as he said, there is no other possibility, especially in such a short period of time, to solve the issue of billing.

“For more than 20 years, there has been no electricity billing mechanism in the north. There are many new households, a lot of meters and new buildings, businesses. Someone must first register all those meters, read them, and then start charging and this was supposed to happen in these six months that Kurti got with the decision of the Assembly of Kosovo,” Mijacic explained.

He pointed out that, unfortunately, due to the elections and some other events, the Kosovo government did not enter into resolving those issues at all, and stressed that a six month period has passed, and now the second deadline by the end of the year is passing, and things have not moved from the deadlock. 

“And the energy crisis has added even more fuel to the whole problem, and now we are coming to a situation where we will once again solve an issue that is primarily technical through conflicts, escalations, and some extreme measures,” Mijacic pointed out.

Gracanica: Ljiljana Subaric and members of the Municipal Assembly took the oath (KiM radio)

The councilors of the Municipal Assembly of Gracanica took the oath at the solemn session and thus took over the four-year mandate in the local parliament. The newly elected mayor of Gracanica, Ljiljana Subaric, also took the oath, reported KiM radio today.

The Gracanica MA consists of 19 councilors, 18 from the Serbian List and one from the Albanian coalition.

The session is chaired by the oldest councilor Milos Todorovic. He congratulated the newly elected councilors and pointed out that they have a serious task ahead of them and fulfilling their promises.

The newly elected mayor, Ljiljana Subaric stated that she will be the mayor of all citizens, regardless of political affiliation, religion or nation.

She stated that she would lead the policy of the Serbian List (SL). She thanked everyone for their support, especially the party (SL), the leadership, its president Goran Rakic, and the president of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic. 

Petkovic with Botsan Kharchenko on dialogue (KiM radio)

The Director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija, Petar Petkovic met yesterday  the Ambassador of the Russian Federation to the Republic of Serbia, Aleksandar Botsan Kharchenko, and discussed the last round of technical dialogue in Brussels and the prospects for continuing talks between Belgrade and Pristina, reported KiM radio, citing the statement from this office. 

Petkovic stressed that Pristina has once again shown that it continues the practice of making the dialogue meaningless, and the categorical refusal of the Pristina delegation to discuss the formation of the Community of Serbian Municipalities (CSM) threatens to erode the Brussels Agreement, but also authority of European Union,  which is the guarantor of  its implementation. 

“Due to the obstruction of Pristina, there were no conditions for direct talks between the two delegations, but only for bilateral talks with the special representative of the European Union for dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, Miroslav Lajcak,” reads Petkovic’s statement. 

He pointed to the fact that Pristina went a step further this time, refusing to talk with Belgrade and about the energy issue, which was confirmed at the same time by Albin Kurti in Pristina.

“Belgrade is ready to respond to the call for the continuation of the dialogue at any moment and it expects a series of obstructions to the negotiations to stop as soon as possible, but also that I believe that the time has come to stop tolerating violations of reached agreements, as well as irresponsible and dangerous statements and moves, which come from Pristina,” Petkovic stated. 

He thanked the Russian ambassador for Moscow’s support for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Serbia and pointed out that the fraternal ties between the two nations, as well as the relationship of essential understanding and trust, will continue to be the foundation of extraordinary relations between the two countries, reported KiM radio.

Opinion

Legal framework for Kosovo Serbs tailored to Pristina (part three): What kind of future awaits them? (KoSSev)

By Dragutin Nenezic

It seems as if the Serbian public mostly deals with topics that are currently prominently featured in the context of negotiations between Belgrade and Pristina (such as the ASM and energy), or the ones expected to be resolved within those negotiations (such as the property and status of the Serbian Orthodox Church). On the other hand, other topics that may directly affect the life of Kosovo Serbs in the future are completely disregarded, regardless of how abstract and far-away they may seem at the moment. This is also the case with what could be referred to as, to use modern terminology, Pristina’s public policies, which will be briefly analyzed in this text.

Development strategy by 2030

Under the auspices of the German Development Agency, a document entitled „National Development Strategy 2030“ (hereinafter: the Strategy) is currently being drafted in Pristina. The starting points for the Strategy were published in September 2020, during the Hoti-led government – however, it cannot be ruled out that this document was made during the first Kurti government.

The Pristina government decision from October 2020 put in charge the interim commission for strategic planning within the Prime Minister’s Office, as well as the preparatory team made up of representatives of Pristina institutions, whose work is coordinated by the Strategic Planning Office as a permanent body in the Prime Minister’s Office, for the drafting of the Strategy.

According to the news revealed at the promotional event held at the end of October 2021, it seems that this institutional structure remained unchanged, and it was confirmed that the second Kurti government continued to work on the Strategy.

The Strategy is attempting to establish a hierarchy of policy documents, within which the Strategy itself would be at the very top, trailed by a series of lower-ranking documents, and ending with the government’s action plan. Also, the Strategy defines four key development priorities – the rule of law and good governance, sustainable economic growth, human capital, and equal society, as well as a clean environment and sustainable resources.

See more at:https://bit.ly/3Den84E