• Kurti met Lajcak on sidelines of GLOBSEC forum (media)
• Bislimi: Belgrade, Pristina close to energy agreement (N1)
• Albania submits non-paper lobbying for Kosovo’s CoE bid (Klan)
• Escobar: Europe not complete without Western Balkans (media)
• Serbian List reacts to Mehaj and Svecla visit to the north (Kallxo)
• Szunyog speaks of ‘security incidents’, makes no mention of interethnic ones (KP)
• German ambassador to Serbia says Kosovo and Ukraine cannot be compared (Klan)
• Municipality of Decan under investigation over Monastery lands (RFE)
• Kosovo leaders congratulate Begaj on election President of Albania (media)
• Pahor: Open Balkan beneficial for all (Albanian Post)
• Ramush Haradinaj reelected AAK leader (media)
• KLA war veterans to protest today in Pristina (media)
• Security concerns leave Afghan evacuees stuck in Balkan camp (AP)
• How a British Judge Caused Turmoil at the EU’s Kosovo Mission (BIRN)
• Lavrov cancels flight to Serbia after countries close airspace, Interfax reports (Reuters)

Kurti met Lajcak on sidelines of GLOBSEC forum (media)

Prime Minister of Kosovo Albin Kurti met the EU Special Representative for Kosovo-Serbia dialogue Miroslav Lajcak in the margins of the annual GLOBSEC forum in Bratislava.

A press release issued by the Government of Kosovo notes that Kurti and Lajcak were both panelists at a discussion on Western Balkans where Kurti is said to have spoken about the dialogue process, principles, values and the agreement centred on mutual recognition. Kurti and Lajcak also discussed the course of the dialogue so far, the importance of regular communication, and constructive approach.

Lajcak meanwhile said he was glad to have welcomed Prime Minister Kurti to Bratislava. “It was a good opportunity to continue our regular exchange on the Dialogue and the way forward,” he wrote on Twitter.

Bislimi: Belgrade, Pristina close to energy agreement (N1)

Kosovo’s chief negotiator Besnik Bislimi told N1 on Friday that Belgrade and Pristina were close to reaching agreement on energy but had failed to agree on a solution for each others’ vehicle license plates.

Bislimi blamed the Serbian negotiation team in the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue for the failure to resolve the dispute over license plates. Pristina banned Serbia-registered vehicles from entering Kosovo and a temporary solution was found after weeks of talks to use blank white stickers to cover Serbian state insignia.

Bislimi said that the dialogue is not going ahead at the speed that Pristina hoped for. “It’s going slow mainly because of the strategy evidently chosen by the Belgrade negotiators which creates obstacles. That includes the energy agreement and license plates,” he said, adding that he expects the Serbian side to take the final step for the energy agreement.

He said that the Serbian negotiators refused to chose one of the offered options to resolve the license plate dispute. “There were three options and if both delegations chose different options the top officials would merge the two but the Serbian side refused to choose and opted for obstruction,” Bislimi said.

Read more at: https://bit.ly/38UhPy4

Albania submits non-paper lobbying for Kosovo’s CoE bid (Klan)

Albania’s representatives in the Council of Europe have submitted a non-paper on Kosovo to the Committee of Ministers lobbying for Kosovo’s admission to the organisation, Klan Kosova reports quoting Kosovo Online news portal.

The document is said to stress that Kosovo’s request to join the Council of Europe has already been supported by a considerable number of member states and that a positive outcome would not impact on the decisions of the countries that do not recognise Kosovo. The document also stated that Kosovo’s membership in the Council of Europe would empower dialogue with Serbia and re-energise efforts towards a sustainable solution.

Escobar: Europe not complete without Western Balkans (media)

The U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary overseeing policy towards the countries of the Western Balkans, Gabriel Escobar, said that Western Balkans should be part of the European Union.

Speaking to Voice of America, North Macedonia service, Escobar said: “The idea we began in 1989 to create a fully free and peaceful Europe is not yet complete and we need to work for it.” “The Western Balkans is the fastest growing part of Europe. It has the potential to be a regional leader in renewable Energy, liquefied natural gas, transport, technology and almost everything else in the region,” he said, adding that this is why the United States supports any cooperation initiative between the countries of the region.

Serbian List reacts to Mehaj and Svecla visit to the north (Kallxo)

Kosovo’s Minister of Defence Armend Mehaj and Minister of Interior Affairs Xhelal Svecla visited two border crossing points in the north of Kosovo, Jarinje and Bernjak. The Serbian List reacted to the visit calling it a provocation.

“Citizens at the moment are upset and ask in what capacity was the Minister of Defense of Pristina Mehaj in Serbian areas, who called him, were they accompanied by members of the KSF and from whom they received permission to enter the north of Kosovo,” the Serbian List said. “We emphasise that this is no ordinary visit, but a pure provocation that has upset our citizens who rightly seek an end to provocations that undermine peace in this region,” the party added.

About the visit, Svecla said that the engagement of the Kosovo Police in the fight against smuggling is producing results while Mehaj said they saw from close up the work of the Kosovo Police and commended it for professionalism.

Szunyog speaks of ‘security incidents’, makes no mention of interethnic ones (KP)

Head of the EU Office in Kosovo, Tomas Szunyog, was asked to comment on his statement that inter-ethnic incidents have increased in Kosovo recently, something that Kosovo leaders have rejected.

Szunyog said: “The reason for the statement is that in the last two-three years we have noted the increase of the number of security incidents, mostly due to the COVID-19 restrictions but also due to the economic crisis which affected the whole Kosovo and we believe this is something that needs to be addressed by the good work of the police but also needs to be addressed by activities of the different level of government, including municipalities, but also by the government as a whole and this was the basis of the statement.”

German ambassador to Serbia says Kosovo and Ukraine cannot be compared (Klan)

Thomas Schieb, Germany’s Ambassador to Serbia, said no parallels can be drawn between the situation in eastern Ukraine and Kosovo.

In an interview to Belgrade daily Politika ahead of the German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s visit to the region, Schieb said that the message that will be conveyed is to underline the importance of the Western Balkans. “Its integration in the EU remains our goal,” he said.

Municipality of Decan under investigation over Monastery lands (RFE)

The Basic Prosecution of Peja has launched an investigation against the Municipality of Decan for not implementing the 2016 decision of the Constitutional Court which recognises ownership of the Monastery of Decan over 24 hectares of land, confirmed for Radio Free Europe the chief prosecutor of the Basic Prosecution of Peja, Agim Kurmehaj.

“The procedure is with us, that is all I can say at this time. Several actions are being taken in this direction,” Kurmehaj added. RFE notes that the launch of investigations comes almost nine months since the Constitutional Court addressed a letter to then chief state prosecutor, Aleksander Lumezi, saying that it is up to the State Prosecution to take actions concerning non-implementation of court rulings.

Kosovo leaders congratulate Begaj on election President of Albania (media)

Leaders of Kosovo institutions as well as of opposition parties congratulated Bajram Begaj on election President of Albania.

“Together we will work in deepening even further fraternal relations between Kosovo and Albania and bring our countries closer to the EU,” President of Kosovo Vjosa Osmani said. Prime Minister Albin Kurti said: “Challenges our republics and the whole nation face can be overcome when we work together. Therefore, let us engage and coordinate towards our goals for welfare and freedom, justice and security, development and progress, undeterred in our European, western and democratic orientation.” Leader of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) Memli Krasniqi congratulated Begaj noting that an Albania with strong institutions contributes to the stability and development of the region. At the same time, the leader of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) Lumir Abdixhiku expressed readiness for close cooperation in the Euro-Atlantic journey.

Prior to election, Begaj served as Chairman of Albania’s Joint Chiefs of Staff after serving as Commander of Training and Doctrine Command of the Albanian Army.

Pahor: Open Balkan beneficial for all (Albanian Post)

President of Slovenia, Borut Pahor, said that he supports all initiatives that contribute to peace and stability in the Western Balkans.

“I support the Berlin Process, the South East European Cooperation Process (SEECP), the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), but I also support the Open Balkan,” Pahor told Albanian Post. He added that Open Balkan initiative “has the potential of increasing economic cooperation between the countries at a whole new level where everyone would benefit.”

He noted however that Open Balkan cannot be an alternative to European Union membership while asked to comment on reports that he could be replacing Miroslav Lajcak to the post of EU representative for Kosovo-Serbia dialogue, Pahor, whose mandate runs out this year, neither denied nor confirmed reports. “I am President of the Republic of Slovenia. I am focusing on my current tasks and I will think about what I will do in the future once my term in office ends,” he said.

Ramush Haradinaj reelected AAK leader (media)

Ramush Haradinaj got reelected to the post of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) leader for a four-year term.

Haradinaj had no counter candidate and received 528 votes in favour at the party’s convention, two votes were against, three abstentions and five invalid votes.

KLA war veterans to protest today in Pristina (media)

KLA war veterans organisations are planned to protest in front of the Kosovo Assembly building today against what the organisations leader say is discrimination. They claim that this category is not adequately treated in the draft law on salaries which is on today’s agenda of the Assembly.

Two political parties – the Social Democratic Party (PSD) and Movement for Unification (LB) – have said they would join the protest.

Security concerns leave Afghan evacuees stuck in Balkan camp (AP)

or some Afghans who were evacuated as their country fell to the Taliban last summer, the journey to the United States has stalled, and perhaps ended, at a sun-baked cluster of tents and temporary housing on an American base in the Balkans.

While more than 78,000 Afghans have arrived in the U.S. for resettlement since August, the future for those who have been flagged for additional security vetting and diverted to Camp Bondsteel, in the small nation of Kosovo, remains up in the air. The U.S. won’t force the dozens there to return to Afghanistan, where they could face reprisals.

Their frustration is growing. Some Afghans at the base, which has been shrouded in secrecy, took the unusual step this week of staging a protest, holding up signs with messages such as “we want justice,” according to photos sent to The Associated Press.

Read more at: https://bit.ly/3x10g7u

How a British Judge Caused Turmoil at the EU’s Kosovo Mission (BIRN)

Allegations of judicial interference and political pressure convulsed the European Union’s rule-of-law mission in Kosovo as a British lawyer who became a powerful judge despite lacking the required legal credentials was fired for misconduct.

The end of 2017 was also the end of Malcolm Simmons’ career as an international judge in the Balkans.

He had never served as a judge in his home country, as the Judicial Office in the UK confirmed, but had nevertheless managed to make it as far as becoming the president of the Assembly of Judges of EULEX – the European Union rule-of-law mission tasked with establishing rule of law and a justice system in Kosovo.

Simmons had also been the presiding judge in high-profile, politically-sensitive war crimes cases like the Klecka trial, which ended in the acquittal of Fatmir Limaj, a wartime Kosovo Liberation Army guerrilla who went on to lead his own political party and serve as a minister after the war.

Read more at: https://bit.ly/3tgTeKQ

Lavrov cancels flight to Serbia after countries close airspace, Interfax reports (Reuters)

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov’s visit to Serbia has been cancelled after countries around Serbia closed their airspace to his aircraft, a senior foreign ministry source told the Interfax news agency on Sunday.

The source confirmed a Serbian media report that said Bulgaria, North Macedonia and Montenegro had closed their airspace to the plane that would have carried Moscow’s top diplomat to Belgrade on Monday.

“Our diplomacy has yet to master teleportation,” the source said.

Read more at: https://reut.rs/3Q6ErfE