Albanian Language Media:

• Osmani announces launch of first edition of Women, Peace and Security Forum (media)
• Germany refutes “new framework” of dialogue: We don’t know who invented it (Express)
• NATO ready to deploy more troops in Kosovo in case of new tensions (RFE)
• Konjufca in Tirana: Serbia is very hostile toward Kosovo (Paparaci)
• Jasharaj: There are solutions … we’re not asking for billions (RFE)
• Svecla: Terrorism and violent extremism on the rise; threat to Kosovo (Telegrafi)
• Rama on Vucic: On Kosovo, we agreed to disagree (Nacionale/Der Spiegel)
• KLA War Veterans to join protest against visit by Specialist Chambers’ President (media)
• LDK MP says Kurti is stubborn and unable to resolve problems (Indeksonline)

Serbian Language Media:

• Non-paper sent on Kosovo’s admission to the CoE (Kosovo Online)
• The new summit of the EU and Western Balkans leaders in December, in one of the countries of the region (RTS)
• Serbian president refused document from EU envoy (N1, Tanjug)
• “Vucic should explain details of letter he has not received” (Radio KIM)
• Vucic, Tenney discuss strengthening of bilateral ties (Tanjug)
• Selakovic held 20 bilateral meetings with foreign ministers in New York (Danas)
• Putin: We continue supporting Serbia in protecting its sovereignty (Kosovo Online)
• Vucic announces formation of movement for Serbia’s survival (N1, FoNet)
• Vasic: Prosecution did not qualify attack on two Serbs in Babin Most as attempted murder (Kosovo Online)

Opinion:

• New Agreement proposal: Trial balloon or beginning of the end? (Beta, Danas, KiM radio)
• Grubjesic: Non-papers as trial balloons used to check the mood of the public (RTS)

International:

• Pristina Says Third Serb Targeted for Taking Kosovo Licence Plates (BIRN)
• In One Corner of Kosovo, Cheers Still Ring Out for Putin (The New York Times)
• Pupils and Parents in Peja March Against Teachers’s Strike (Prishtina Insight)
• Albanian Journalists Condemn Ban on Republishing Hacked State Information (BIRN)

Albanian Language Media  

Osmani announces launch of first edition of Women, Peace and Security Forum (media)

On the initiative of the President of Kosovo Vjosa Osmani, the first edition of the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) will be organised in Prishtina, on October 22-23, 2022. Themed “Building alliances for sustainable peace”, this international forum aims to reflect on the successes and challenges of this agenda 22 years after its adoption, as well as to raise awareness of the need to recognize and promote the abilities of women and girls to actively and substantively contribute to peace and security processes, a press release issued by Osmani’s office today notes.

This first Forum edition will be dedicated to the legacy of the former US Secretary Madeleine Albright. The forum will bring to Kosovo leaders from the region and the world, academics, representatives of international organisations, civil society and personalities responsible for the implementation of this agenda.

The organisation of this international Forum is one of the commitments of the Summit for Democracy. The forum aims to clearly convey the message that women’s peace and security are the central pillars of Kosovo’s vision for sustainable peace at the local, regional and global levels.

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

Germany refutes “new framework” of dialogue: We don’t know who invented it (Express)

The German Federal Government in a response to the news website denied they are behind a four-page document referred to as “the new framework” in the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia. “We have taken note of reports in Albanian media about the so-called leak of a four-page document that was reportedly submitted by France, Germany and Special Representative Miroslav Lajcak to Prime Minister Kurti and President Vucic. The claims are wrong. The letter mentioned in the reports does not come from France, Germany or the Special Representative. We don’t have any information about who invented it and with what purpose,” a spokesperson for the German Federal Government told Gazeta Express.

NATO ready to deploy more troops in Kosovo in case of new tensions (RFE)

NATO is ready to increase the number of its troops in Kosovo if there are increased tensions among the Serb minority with regards to the Kosovo government’s decision to register vehicles with RKS (Republic of Kosovo) licence plates. “We are vigilant and ready to act … if there are increased tensions, but we also increase the number of reserve troops … we can make this decision within a short period of time,” KFOR Deputy Commander, Luca Piperni, told reporters in Prishtina today.

Piperni said the situation is currently quiet but fragile and that NATO does not rule out the possibility of new tensions or violence when the deadline for registering vehicles expires on October 31. “If the situation deteriorates, we are ready to intervene. We are ready to stand between protesters and security organisations,” he said.

“We have enough troops to face any situation. With this number of troops, we can end any kind of tension,” Piperni said, referring to the troops outside Kosovo that NATO can send in as reinforcements.

Konjufca in Tirana: Serbia is very hostile toward Kosovo (Paparaci)

Speaker of the Kosovo Assembly, Glauk Konjufca, said today during his stay in Tirana that Albania and Kosovo must have the same framework in terms of their approach toward Serbia. During a joint press conference with his Albanian counterpart, Konjufca said that Serbia is very hostile toward Kosovo and that Kosovo favours peace and dialogue.

“We [Kosovo and Albania] are two states, but we are a people with a joint interest. Political officials in Kosovo and Albania have always acted with this national conscience. Our achievements and cooperation run deep, but the challenges we face are serious too. After February, the world is more unsafe. At the same time, however, the unacceptable aggression against Ukraine has triggered a unity among the democratic world. Vucic’s Serbia has not changed its political orientation and is only using different tools from those during Milosevic’s time. All Albanians must know that Serbia is very hostile toward Kosovo. It denies our independence and you saw that recently their president did not hesitate to challenge the security framework in the Balkans by threatening Kosovo and sending armed troops within the territory of Kosovo. We want to be in the same framework with Albania in terms of our judgement of Serbia. Kosovo has no other way but to protect its interests. We are in favour of peace and dialogue and we will not yield,” Konjufca said.

Jasharaj: There are solutions … we’re not asking for billions (RFE)

Leader of the Union of Education, Science and Culture of Kosovo (SBASHK), Rrahman Jasharaj, told the news website that he doesn’t feel guilty for the ongoing strike in the education sector because as he said he is “the voice of the teachers”. He argued that the government is guilty that schools remain closed “because they are failing to reflect upon the requests of the unionists”. “There are solutions … we’re not asking for billions,” Jasharaj is quoted as saying.

Svecla: Terrorism and violent extremism on the rise; threat to Kosovo (Telegrafi)

Kosovo’s Minister of Interior Affairs, Xhelal Svecla, said today that terrorism and violent extremism are on the rise and that these criminal acts constitute a threat to the security situation in Kosovo. “In addition to extremism motivated by the misuse of religion that has been present so far, other forms of terrorism and violent extremism, such as the extreme right and ethnonationalism, are also on the rise. These criminal acts constitute a threat to the security situation in Kosovo, including attacks incited by political groups aimed at destabilising the country,” Svecla said during an international conference titled “Building Resilience: R&R programmes for extremists and foreign fighters in Kosovo and Italy”.

Svecla said that Kosovo’s institutions are committed to confront the new forms of extremism and terrorism. “Based on the work that has been done so far in the fight against terror, Kosovo’s institutions have made big steps in addressing this problem, in treating issues based on human rights principles and the need to govern a society without any differentiations,” he added.

“The Republic of Kosovo has been very active in undertaking preventive measures against terrorism and extremism. In this fight, Kosovo has used two main approaches, including investigation, arresting and conviction of those that joined foreign conflicts alongside terrorist organisations”.

Rama on Vucic: On Kosovo, we agreed to disagree (Nacionale/Der Spiegel)

Prime Minister of Albania, Edi Rama, said in an interview with Der Spiegel that he disagrees only about one issue with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic. Although they have good cooperation, Rama said he and Vucic agreed to disagree on the issue of Kosovo. “On Kosovo, we agreed to disagree. I think that Serbia should recognise Kosovo, but Aleksandar Vucic cannot do this. At least we can talk about this issue though. And we cooperate on projects like the Open Balkan,” Rama said.

KLA War Veterans to join protest against visit by Specialist Chambers’ President (media)

Acting leader of the KLA War Veterans Organisation, Faton Klinaku, said today that the war veterans not only support but will also join the protest that will be held tomorrow in Gjilan in opposition to a visit there by the President of the Specialist Chambers of Kosovo, Ekaterina Trendafilova. “Our civil society is educated enough to understand that these are not trials against the crimes and massacres of the invaders, but on the contrary, they are using fabrications to try the KLA,” Klinaku wrote on Facebook. “Our civil society is educated enough to understand what is happening with the political trials in The Hague. Our civil society is educated enough to understand that people are being kept hostage in detention there for two years.”

LDK MP says Kurti is stubborn and unable to resolve problems (Indeksonline)

MP from the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK), Driton Selmanaj, argued in a Facebook post today that the Kurti-led government is totally irresponsible in its approach toward the unions. According to Selmanaj, the ongoing strike in the education sector shows that Kurti is unable to resolve any problem in Kosovo. “They [the government] don’t understand the responsibility of the state. They are experimenting with grave social situations. The children, parents and teachers are in a bad position, and he [Kurti] doesn’t care, as if nothing is happening in Kosovo. This shows there is a high level of irresponsibility in the government,” he said.

Serbian Language Media 

Non-paper sent on Kosovo’s admission to the CoE (Kosovo Online)

Portal Kosovo Online reported today that a non-paper on Kosovo’s accession to the Council of Europe was sent today to the missions of the member states of this organization, with headquarters in Strasbourg, in which, among other things, it was stated that “there are no legal reasons” for rejecting this initiative. 

According to the portal, the non-binding document consists of ten points, and it was submitted to the Council of Europe by the Consulate General of Kosovo in Strasbourg.

As stated in the non-paper, the legal opinion of the Directorate for Legal Advice and International Public Law of the Council of Europe confirms that there were no legal obstacles for Kosovo to become a member of the Council of Europe, reported Kosovo Online.

As it was added, the Committee of Ministers confirmed that previous admission to the United Nations was not a prerequisite for membership in the Council of Europe.

“In the Opinion, it is confirmed that putting membership in the UN as a precondition for joining the Council of Europe would establish an additional condition for membership that is not provided for in the Statute and would also be against the Organization’s practice,” the third point of the non-paper stated.

Among other things, reported the portal, it was stated that the decision of the International Court of Justice on Kosovo confirmed that the Declaration of Independence did not violate any applicable rule of international law.

“Since the declaration of independence in 2008, Kosovo has become a member of two CoE bodies (the CoE Development Bank and the Venice Commission), as well as a member of several other important international institutions and organizations. Without exception, Kosovo has shown its constructivism and commitment, contributing, and cooperating in good faith with all members and partners, in achieving the goals of the organizations it joined. Kosovo will certainly offer the same positive and pragmatic approach as a new member of the CoE,” the non-paper stated.

It was further emphasized that Kosovo’s accession to international organizations in the past did not undermine the unity of those organizations.

“There are great examples of coexistence and cooperation between Kosovo and Serbia and other members within international organizations, including members who voted against Kosovo’s accession to the aforementioned organizations,” the non-paper stated.

As it was added, Kosovo was able to fulfil the conditions for membership in the CoE and was ready to cooperate closely with all the bodies of the Council of Europe and member states.

In point eight, the Committee of Ministers was asked to invite the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe to present its opinion on Kosovo’s membership.

The non-paper stated that Kosovo’s accession to the Council of Europe was not only in its interest and the interest of the people, but also in the interest of the Council of Europe to be able to assert its influence and authority throughout Europe.

“In these turbulent times, when the foundations of peace, the rule of law, democracy and human rights in Europe are under direct attack, it is essential to support Kosovo’s well-intentioned effort to join the Council of Europe family,” the document addressed to the missions of the Council of Europe stated.

The last point stated that by granting membership to Kosovo, the CoE would further strengthen itself by installing its monitoring mechanisms throughout Kosovo.

“Most importantly, the European Court of Human Rights will finally have jurisdiction to hear complaints from individuals and non-governmental organizations in Kosovo. Among other things, minorities and other vulnerable groups in Kosovo would be assured that a supranational court can provide them with adequate redress if the Kosovo authorities ever fail to ensure their basic rights,” the non-paper emphasized.

The new summit of the EU and Western Balkans leaders in December, in one of the countries of the region (RTS)

The new summit of the leaders of the EU and the Western Balkans will be held in early December, for the first time in one of the countries of the region, RTS learned from diplomatic sources in Brussels. 

That meeting should provide a new, strong signal of the EU’s commitment to the Western Balkans, with a message to the countries of the region to take advantage of the newly created political environment in Europe, to improve the process of accession and solving open issues in the region, RTS reported, citing the sources. 

RTS reports that although consultations are still ongoing, European diplomatic circles assess that Serbia has no chance of hosting this meeting at the highest level, primarily due to Belgrade’s inconsistency with the EU’s foreign policy towards the war in Ukraine.

“Serbia’s positions and rhetoric on sanctions against Russia and the war in Ukraine are unacceptable for many member countries”, state European diplomats and assess that the summit “will most likely be held in Albania or North Macedonia”.

In Brussels, they assess that the war in Ukraine has strengthened the awareness in Europe of the importance of the enlargement policy for the stability of the continent, which also demonstrates willingness to make rapid progress in talks with Ukraine and other countries that were not part of the process until recently.

“It is important that the countries of the Western Balkans do not remain on the sidelines and thus miss the momentum for faster progress”, state diplomatic sources and assess that in the coming months, ways will be sought for concrete progress in issues such as the start of negotiations with North Macedonia, more concrete progress in dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, candidate status for BiH and Pristina’s request for visa liberalisation.

At the beginning of October, the summit of the European Political Community in Prague

Before the summit in December, a summit of the so-called European political community will be held in Prague on October 6, at the initiative of French President Macron and European Council President Charles Michel.

This new format should gather to the same table EU members and those countries that do not have, or do not want, the prospect of membership, thus providing a platform for regular debate on issues of common interest to the entire continent, from security and energy to climate change and connectivity.

Along with the invitations to the countries of the Western Balkans, as RTS learned, the President of the European Council Michel and the Czech Prime Minister Fiala, also invited Great Britain, Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Israel to the summit.

German Chancellor Scholz supported the European political community project, with the caveat that it cannot be a substitute for EU enlargement.

At the same time, Scholz announced the “revival” of the Berlin Process and the holding of a new summit within this initiative on November 3 in Berlin, with a focus on the Green Agenda and the common regional market.

RTS reported that many member countries, however, believe that the Berlin Process is an insufficiently inclusive format, as it gathers only a third of the EU members, and that therefore a signal of wider European political engagement in the Balkans is needed, among other things through the summit of the leaders of the EU and the Western Balkans, announced for the beginning of December in the region.

Serbian president refused document from EU envoy (N1, Tanjug)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said that he refused to accept a document that European Union special envoy Miroslav Lajcak tried to give him during his recent visit to Belgrade, N1 reports.

“I can’t say whether the report (on the Albanian Post website) was right because I don’t remember everything that was on the four pages. I only knew I shouldn’t accept the paper”, he told TV Pink from New York where he is attending a session of the UN General Assembly. According to Vucic, the document was not leaked by the Serbian side.

Albanian Post said over the weekend that an agreement to normalise Belgrade-Pristina relations will be signed in 2023 with Serbia practically accepting Kosovo as independent without formal recognition.

Vucic also rejected any possibility of Kosovo becoming a UN member but warned that Serbia will face problems whether it agrees or rejects the possibility of Kosovo getting a seat in the UN. “If we agree, you can never get them out of the UN. If we don’t agree, we will be isolated. Everything has consequences,” he said.

“Some of the ideas from that paper are similar to some I have heard before, and I am experienced enough to know I should not take that paper. There is no chance of us letting Kosovo join the UN. That is giving me a headache and that is why I did not take the paper. The tough pressure will continue and we need to look after how we are going to live, what we are going to eat and how everything will look like,” Vucic said.

“Vucic should explain details of letter he has not received” (Radio KIM)

Document on Kosovo published by Albanian Post, as any other non-paper, aims at testing the public pulse both in Kosovo and Serbia, but also to exert a certain pressure to reduce the appetites regarding agreement, former Kosovo prime minister Branimir Stojanovic told Radio KIM. At the same time, Miroslav Aleksic, deputy leader of the Serbian opposition People’s Party (NS) said he doesn’t fully believe allegations of an Albanian daily, but rather expects that Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic explains details of a letter, offered to him by German and French envoys which he did not accept. Analyst, Dusan Janjic believes publication of this document was done in “an agreement between Serbian President and Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama”.

Commenting on the non-paper, Stojanovic said it is very much inclined to Pristina, and he has not seen many things in this paper that could be problematic for it. “Even when they talk about the Community of Serb Municipality, it says it could be possible but in some future period”, Stojanovic said.  

However, what has been written in this document doesn’t go much to Serbia’s favour. “There is nothing tangible (for Serbia) there, apart from a promise that Serbia would become a leader in the future and someone who will have deciding power. Still, whether one will become a leader in a given region does not depend on political decision only or on someone saying, “you will be the most powerful economically” (…), Stojanovic said, adding that Serbia regardless of some political decisions and declarative statements will be the economically most powerful in this part of the Balkans, no matter what is written in some agreement.

Janjic opined that Kosovo Albanians in this case would need to wait 10 to 30 years to be fully recognized. “It means that first Serbia should recognize Kosovo, then five EU non-recognizing countries will do so, and only then Serbia will be admitted to the EU. This is a cynical shift of responsibility to Pristina and Belgrade as they are to blame because the dialogue is not functioning. Everything is clear, the EU has no strategy, and this paper will now serve Vucic well to build up his campaign, but I think it will shake the Kosovo public more”, he said.

On his part, Aleksic said it is difficult to talk about the authenticity of Albanian Post allegations.

“On the other hand, our experience shows that Aleksandar Vucic is very much prone to agree on certain things concerning the national interests of Serbia in a non-transparent manner, even when it comes to territorial and economic sovereignty. I would not be surprised if there were talks on this topic, one could sense it from him mentioning ‘new framework’ of negotiations with Albanians in the dialogue. Maybe this could be a new framework, only that Vucic stayed on it and did not wish to comment on details mentioned in the media. If this is the case, then it confirms that he works against the interests of the citizens of the Republic of Serbia living in the territory of Kosovo and Metohija, while presenting himself as a great fighter to the public”, Aleksic said.

He added he expects Serbian authorities to take a stance on this non-paper. “I expect Serbian authorities to make a declaration regarding this issue. Albanians are pursuing their own propaganda, this could only be their mere wish for things to happen this way. For me an Albanian Post is not a relevant source, but certainly those allegations should be checked. A man who takes part in all this is Aleksandar Vucic, so let him address the public”, Aleksic said.

Vucic, Tenney discuss strengthening of bilateral ties (Tanjug)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic met on Monday in New York with US Congresswoman Claudia Tenney, co-chair of the Serbian caucus in US Congress and a member of the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee, Tanjug news agency reports.

The meeting with Tenney, which marked the start of Vucic’s visit to New York for the 77th UN General Assembly session, addressed the strengthening of bilateral relations, Serbia’s European path and current regional and global issues.

Vucic thanked Tenney for her commitment in her work in the caucus, which is strengthening further the Serbia-US relations while boosting Serbia’s image in the US, the presidential press office said in a statement. Vucic also said there was ample room for advancement of bilateral cooperation and that it held large, yet only partly tapped potential.

He welcomed US support for Serbia’s European path and said he hoped the US would encourage Serbia’s further efforts aimed at finding a sustainable agreement in the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue.

Tenney noted the significance of the Serbian caucus for boosting interest in Serbia in US Congress and expressed support for Serbia’s stance aimed at maintaining peace and stability in the region, as well as its policy of dialogue, the only way of resolving all open issues. She also backed the Open Balkan initiative and announced that a US Congress delegation would visit Belgrade at the end of the year.

Selakovic held 20 bilateral meetings with foreign ministers in New York (Danas)

Serbian Foreign Affairs Minister Nikola Selakovic spoke on the margins of the 77th UN General Assembly session with 20 foreign ministers, Danas daily reports.

On Monday Selakovic held longer bilateral meetings with foreign ministers of Sierra Leone, Maldives, Algeria, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Eritrea and Jordan, and also a series of brief meetings with his counterparts from El Salvador, Romania, Iraq, North Macedonia, Denmark, Egypt, Indonesia, Cypris, Libya, Ruanda, Tanzania, India and Malesia.

The talks in New York were also an opportunity to once again stress Serbia’s position on the issue of Kosovo and Metohija, as well as underline the values based on which Serbia pursues its struggle for preservation of its territorial integrity and sovereignty.

Selakovic also noted Serbia remains committed to fostering economic relations and exchange of experience with friendly and partner states, adding the meetings were also an opportunity to launch a number of concrete initiatives.   

Putin: We continue supporting Serbia in protecting its sovereignty (Kosovo Online)

Russia will continue deepening cooperation with Serbia and will continue offering to the Serbian friends all-round assistance in a fight for legitimate rights and interests of Serbia and protection of its state sovereignty and territorial integrity, Russian President Vladimir Putin said, Kosovo Online portal reports.

Putin made those remarks in a ceremony of presenting agrément to the foreign ambassadors, adding that Russia and Serbia are bound by strategic partnership. Serbian Ambassador to Moscow, Momcilo Babic also took part in a ceremony.

“Relying on the tradition of friendship, the cultural, spiritual and historical closeness of our fraternal nations. I regularly talk with President Vucic, during personal meetings and telephone conversations, about the key issues of further development of cooperation. We appreciate the efforts of our Serbian friends to implement a balanced, independent policy on the international arena”, Putin said.

Russia and Serbia will continue deepening cooperation in the economic, scientific-technical and humanitarian spheres.

“Within the framework of international law, relying on UN Security Council Resolution 1244, we will continue to provide our Serbian friends with all-round assistance in the fight for the legitimate rights and interests of Serbia, the protection of its state sovereignty and territorial integrity”, Putin concluded.

Vucic announces formation of movement for Serbia’s survival (N1, FoNet)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said a great, state-building and national movement for the survival and progress of Serbia will be formed in the next six months, FoNet news agency reported.

The President said he believes the movement will be strongly supported by the people.

“We have to raise our heads and voice for a normal and strong Serbia that will look after itself, not after others”, Vucic said. 

Vasic: Prosecution did not qualify attack on two Serbs in Babin Most as attempted murder (Kosovo Online)

Lawyer Dejan Vasic, a legal representative of two Serbs, Nemanja and Sasa Mitrovic from Babin Most village in Obilic municipality, attacked and gravely injured by an Albanian neighbour a few days ago, said that Kosovo Prosecutor’s Office classified the case as “inflicting grave physical injuries” instead of attempted murder. He also told Kosovo Online portal the case should have been qualified as “an attempted aggravated murder motivated by ethnic reasons”.

“As a representative of the injured party, Sasa and Nemanja Mitrovic from Babin Most, I submitted to the Prosecutor’s Office a power of attorney for their representation in the criminal proceedings against the persons who attacked them that day, and from the conversation with the prosecutor I heard that the criminal offence was qualified as “inflicting grievous bodily harm”. I do not agree with that and believe that it is a criminal act of “attempted aggravated murder motivated by ethnic reasons”, Vasic said.

He added he will discuss the issue with a competent prosecutor during this week.

“I will also address the chief prosecutor in writing and request that the qualification of the criminal offence be changed”, Vasic said.

He added that two suspects were taken into custody and that they were placed under detention on remand for one month.

“The case is currently in the investigation phase, we will see how far the investigation will take us. When the prosecutor hands me the list of items about the current course of the investigation, I will be able to comment on the case in more detail. The key thing is that I believe that the criminal offence was not properly qualified”, he told the portal.

Opinion 

New Agreement proposal: Trial balloon or beginning of the end? (Beta, Danas, KiM radio)

Journalist and analyst Baton Haxhiu, owner of the Albanianpost media, which published a document on the new direction of negotiations between Belgrade and Pristina, said last night that the government of Albin Kurti will fall if an agreement is not reached in the spring, reported Serbian media. 

“It is as if the Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama did a favour to the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, in order to test the Serbian public,” RTV KiM director Isak Vorgucic told daily Danas. 

In the framework document for the dialogue that was published in his media, according to Haxhiu, the proponents wanted to point out that it is the negotiating parties who are delaying the process.

“The government can be overthrown if this agreement is not accepted. It is a harsh sentence, but it is a draft for those who do not accept the agreement. In the spring of next year, the agreement must be reached,” he emphasized in a statement for Pristina television T7, reported Serbian media. 

Regarding the document published in Albanianpost, Haxhiu said that it was drawn up at the end of April and was given to both sides.

“I don’t know who worked on it, but the experts’ draft shows how an agreement can be reached. There is no agreement here, even though they call it that, but that is the way how Kosovo and Serbia negotiate, specifically Kurti and Vucic,” he said.

According to him, Kosovo and Serbia constructed the narrative of the document differently from the one that was foreseen.

“Why was the document published? Because the parties, especially Kurti, have committed themselves to micro-management, ID cards, which delays the process. The publication of the document is an announcement to the public that the parties are to blame for delaying the process. The process has been at a standstill for a long time,” he said. 

According to the framework published by Albanianpost.com, a second agreement for the normalization of relations should be signed in 2023, by which Serbia “actually accepts the reality of Kosovo as an independent state but would not formally recognize it”.

At a later stage, hypothetically after 10 years, when the EU is ready to expand and include the Western Balkans, there would be an agreement on mutual recognition, as a prerequisite for the membership of both countries in the EU.

According to Albanianpost, this plan was presented in the new framework of the Kosovo-Serbia agreement, which was drawn up after the engagement of advisers to President Macron and Chancellor Scholz.

If the agreement proposal is accepted next year, Kosovo will be recognized by five countries that have not yet done so, while Serbia will benefit in the form of enormous financial and economic aid and will be recognized as a regional power.

“Brother Edi did Brother Alek a favour”

The alleged 13-point agreement proposal, as part of the new dialogue framework between Belgrade and Pristina, published on the Albanianpost portal, for the director of RTV Kim Isak Vorgucic, seems as if the Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama did a favour to the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, to test the Serbian public.

“To me, it all looks like brother Edi did brother Alek a favour, so he released something that would suit Serbia in Albania, so that it doesn’t look too transparent, and like Albanians came to the documents on the agreement. It is actually a trial balloon to test the public in Serbia. It is not the first time. Vucic also did that with Hashim Thaci regarding the delimitation. It started as an idea from Thaci, so we agreed and disagreed,” Vorgucic told Danas.

However, he added that none of the ideas found widespread support among the public.

“The latter, that is, the agreement, has a little more support among the Albanian public, although they are also between the fact that Serbia should immediately recognize Kosovo or that it should wait for those 10 years to recognize the so-called reality,” he said.

Vorgucic believes that the best indicator, that the proposal of the agreement is false, is a part in which it is said that if Serbia accepts it, the five EU countries that do not recognize Kosovo would join the majority in the EU and recognize Kosovo’s independence.

“Spain has internal problems because of which it does not want to do that, and so does Greece regarding Cyprus. And the second illogicality in the agreement is that some sanctions would be imposed in the event that Serbia or Kosovo do not agree to it, so the pressure can be exerted in that way. I think it is crazy, neither the world nor Europe is too interested in imposing sanctions on someone because they did not accept the agreement, especially since it is not a war conflict, but a silent conflict that has been going on for a long time,” he said.

Grubjesic: Non-papers as trial balloons used to check the mood of the public (RTS)

President Aleksandar Vucic said that he refused to receive the paper brought to him by international representatives, and that it was unacceptable for Belgrade that Kosovo and Metohija get a seat in the UN, recalled RTS. Vice President of the Center for Foreign Policy Suzana Grubjesic stated that such papers ”are trial balloons used to check the mood of the public”. 

Grubjesic told RTS that the situation in which the whole of Europe and the world are in is difficult and that every head of state will present what concerns his country at the UN General Assembly in New York.

“More important than the president’s speech are the bilateral meetings that the president will have. He will have a meeting with Borrell, Scholz, Blinken, Victoria Nuland. All those meetings should present Serbia in the best light and point out what kind of problems we are facing in Serbia, and the region. Everyone’s priority is regional peace and stability, and how to maintain that; Serbia, I am sure, has a key role in that,” said Grubjesic.

She reminded that the situation in the UN General Assembly, as far as numbers were concerned, has changed in favour of Serbia, as well as that there were eight more countries that are ready to withdraw the decision on the recognition of Kosovo – according to some calculations, 84 out of 193 countries are with Pristina, reported RTS.

Grubjesic also said that we were witnessing the creation of a parallel dialogue – one led by Miroslav Lajcak in front of the EU, and the other dictated by Germany and France.

“When someone else joins, it can only mean one thing – more and more papers like this (non-paper). I would also like to remind you of the French German non paper, which was published more than a year ago. This paper comes to me as a continuation, that is, a summary of what France and Germany saw as a possible solution to the Kosovo problem,” said Suzana Grubjesic.

RTS recalled that when asked if he was familiar with the proposal for solving the Kosovo problem that appeared in the Albanian media, President Vucic answered that he refused to receive the paper brought to him by the international representatives.

The vice president of the Center for Foreign Policy said that the president has the right to reject such a paper, but it is obvious that he has read it.

“What is the compromise if Serbia is going to let Kosovo into the UN now and recognize Kosovo in 10 years? What does Serbia gain by that, apart from the nebulous means that have been mentioned and an even more uncertain perspective, if in 10 years the EU might be ready and complete internal reforms, which would be compensation for Serbia. At the start that is not acceptable, but such texts serve as trial balloons to check the mood of the public,” said Suzana Grubjesic.

International 

Pristina Says Third Serb Targeted for Taking Kosovo Licence Plates (BIRN)

Kosovo’s interior minister accused parallel structures in northern Kosovo of trying to intimidate Kosovo Serbs, under orders from Belgrade.

Unknown assailants set fire to the car of a Kosovo Serb police officer on Tuesday in an attack that a Kosovo government minister said was revenge for the officer swapping his Serbian-issued licence plates for Kosovo plates.

It appeared to mark the third time that a Kosovo Serb has been targeted for having complied with a Kosovo government decree giving Kosovo Serbs until the end of this month to take Kosovo-issued licence plates.

Interior Minister Xhelal Svecla blamed so-called parallel structures in a mainly Serb pocket of north Kosovo, structures that answer to Serbia.  

“Today, another Serb officer of the Kosovo police has been attacked by illegal structures which burned his vehicle after he registered it with legal licence plates of the Republic of Kosovo,” Svecla wrote on Facebook, accusing Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic of continuing a policy of trying to “frighten” Serbs in Kosovo.

Serbia does not recognise its former southern province as independent and for years has put pressure on Serbs living there to resist integration.

Svecla said that the property of two other Kosovo Serbs, one of them also a police officer, had been damaged in September after they took Kosovo licence plates.

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

In One Corner of Kosovo, Cheers Still Ring Out for Putin (The New York Times)

When Europeans and Americans recoiled in horror this spring at evidence of Russian atrocities in Ukraine, Nebjosa Jovic, a university administrator in northern Kosovo, decided he had to act: He organized a street protest to cheer Russia on.

“We wanted to send a message to the West, especially its headquarters in the United States, to stop persecuting Russians,” Mr. Jovic said.

Only a few people showed up, Mr. Jovic said, because of the “circle of fear” that envelops northern Kosovo, a mostly ethnic Serb region out of step with the rest of the country, where ethnic Albanians, most of whom strongly support Ukraine, make up more than 90 percent of the population.

Viewed from London or Washington, the horrors visited on Ukraine by Russia offer a clear and inescapable moral choice. But, filtered through the prism of grievance and history in places tormented by their own strife, Ukraine’s misery fades in favor of local claims to victimhood.

“Russia is the only glimmer of hope we have left,” said Milos Damjanovic, a local historian in the mainly Serb part of the divided city of Mitrovica, in northern Kosovo, and a fervent believer that the West and its NATO military alliance were responsible for the dismemberment of Yugoslavia, of which Kosovo was part until the Balkan wars of the 1990s.

Read more at: https://nyti.ms/3Um9kyG

Pupils and Parents in Peja March Against Teachers’s Strike (Prishtina Insight)

In the third week of a strike in education, pupils and parents marched in Peja against the delay in starting classes.

Pupils who should have been sitting at their school desks for lessons at 12 midday on Monday in Peja were instead holding banners demanding the restart of the teaching process in schools.

With the motto “Government, Education Union – We want a solution, we want to start the learning process”, pupils and parents marched in Peja against the school strike, as Kosovo entered the third week of a strike in the education sector, which is leaving about 320,000 pupils out of school.

Arta Kollçaku-Gashi, head of the Parents’ Council at the march, demanded that the strike in education stop and classes start. According to her, in the battle between the government and the Teachers Union, pupils should not have to suffer.

“Children should have their place in school, not at home, and let’s not risk children by taking them out on the street for the purposes of the two parties, for the purposes of the government and the Education Union. I appeal to the government and the Teachers Union to make a decision as soon as possible and take the children out of this battlefield,” Kollçaku-Gashi said during the march.

Read more at: https://bit.ly/3Smlg1D

Albanian Journalists Condemn Ban on Republishing Hacked State Information (BIRN)

Emails sent and received by a former police chief are among a mountain of information hacked from state servers in Albania this month.

Journalists and media watchdogs in Albania have condemned a ban on the publishing of information hacked from state servers and posted online, including emails to and from former Police Chief Gledis Nano.

The Albanian Association of Journalists said the ban, announced on Monday, “creates space for censorious influence on media and journalists.”

Flutura Kusari, a media lawyer and legal adviser at the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom, an NGO, said the ban “violates media freedom”.

“Banning the publication of any information resulting from cyber-attacks is prejudicial, censorious, arbitrary and seriously infringes on the freedom of the media to judge for themselves what information they should publish,” Kusari wrote on Facebook.

Albania is one of a number of Balkan states where public institutions have been hit by cyber-attacks in recent weeks.

On Monday, a group calling itself Homeland Justice published its latest trove of hacked Albanian data, this time email correspondence involving Nano, the former head of State Police.

Albanian media quickly picked up on intelligence about an alleged plot by an Albanian citizen to kill Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti and two other senior Kosovo officials in a bid to destabilise the region.

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