• Kurti: With help from U.S. and EU, we can reach agreement with Serbia (CNN)
• Borrell hosts meeting with leaders of Western Balkans (media)
• Osmani in NY calls for urgency in finalising visa liberalisation (media)
• Osmani meets Chollet and Escobar in New York (media)
• Lajcak meets Vucic and Rama in New York (media)
• Denmark: Agreement with Kosovo on prison cells is in force (RFE)
• In 20 days, five vehicles converted their plates to RKS (Koha Ditore)
• Deadline for converting license plates extended to October 31 (media)
• Union leader: Strike in education continues (Klan Kosova)
• LDK senior member says they will win new elections (Kanal 10)
• Specialist Chambers President cancels visit to Kosovo (media)
• Several arrests in Prishtina in relation to Brezovica case (Indeksonline)

Kurti: With help from U.S. and EU, we can reach agreement with Serbia (CNN)

All media cover an interview that Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti had with the CNN, most of them highlighting Kurti’s remarks that he is optimistic that with help from the United States and the European Union, an agreement can be reached for the normalisation of relations between Kosovo and Serbia.

Kurti said that in the EU-facilitated talks in Brussels, he always tries to be constructive and creative, by making different proposals aimed at finding a solution. “I hope that Brussels will appreciate it and finally in the coming weeks and months we will move closer to an agreement based on mutual recognition. Kosovo’s independence is also being confirmed by most of the countries in the world that recognize us, but also by the International Court of Justice. The debate about the legality of our independence is over. What needs to be fixed is the abnormal relationship between Kosovo and Serbia. Serbia is not a democracy, where people that did not take part in the atrocities of the 1990s can lead. There is the Prime Minister of Serbia, but Serbia is still a one man show, where the President decides on everything,” Kurti is quoted as saying.

Kurti said he allowed the visit of Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic to Kosovo to show her that Kosovo is a normal and democratic country. “I have allowed the Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic to visit the north of Kosovo and I hope that they see that Kosovo is a normal and more democratic country than Serbia itself,” he said.

Kurti also argued that Kosovo will not allow the formation of a Serbian republic in its territory. “Kosovo will not allow some kind of a Serbian Republic in Kosovo. I have no desire to get involved in an agreement to compensate Serbia’s losses in the Milosevic regime, but instead I want to improve the lives of Kosovo Serbs. I hope that Brussels will appreciate this and we will reach a legally recognized agreement, centered on mutual recognition,” he said.

He added that even though Kosovo is not part of NATO, its troops are present in Kosovo.

“Serbia refuses to accept the crimes committed during the war in Kosovo. Serbia is not a democratic country, it is a regime. The situation in the Western Balkans is in danger. We are strengthening our defense system by allocating more budget for the Kosovo Security Force,” Kurti said.

Borrell hosts meeting with leaders of Western Balkans (media)

High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Vice-President of the European Commission Josep Borrell hosted an informal lunch with Western Balkans leaders on Tuesday in New York, in the margins of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). These informal gatherings take place twice a year in Brussels and New York, and serve as an informal opportunity to exchange views about the challenges in the region and about the region’s European future, a press release issued by the EU notes.

The discussion focused on the global and regional impact of Russia’s illegal and unprovoked war against Ukraine. High Representative Borrell and the Western Balkans leaders discussed how to jointly address the damaging consequences of this war on food and energy prices and on stability and security in Europe and globally.

High Representative Borrell highlighted the support that the EU is providing to the Western Balkans to enhance energy security and to address hybrid threats, including on cyber and foreign information manipulation and interference.

The EU and the Western Balkans will continue to stand together in facing the challenges that Russia’s unprovoked war on Ukraine imposes globally. The EU fully associates the Western Balkans to its initiatives to mitigate the impacts of the war.

Osmani in NY calls for urgency in finalising visa liberalisation (media)

President of Kosovo, Vjosa Osmani, stressed the urgency of finalising the visa liberalisation process for Kosovo, at a meeting that EU High Representative Josep Borrell hosted for leaders of the Western Balkans in New York. “During today’s HR @JosepBorrellF meeting, I spoke about Kosovo institutions’ commitment to peace and Euro-Atlantic integration. I also emphasised the urgency of finalizing visa lib. process and advancing our European Union path, as well as the need to support Kosovo in overcoming energy challenges,” Osmani wrote on Twitter.

Osmani also reiterated that Kosovo has joined the sanctions against Russia and argued that no one in the region should serve as a proxy of Russia to destabilise the region.

Osmani meets Chollet and Escobar in New York (media)

President of Kosovo, Vjosa Osmani, met with U.S. State Department Counselor Choller and Deputy Assistant Secretary Escobar during her stay in New York. They discussed Kosovo’s Euro-Atlantic integration, which Osmani said is crucial for “enduring stability”. Osmani also said she thanked the United States for their active role in supporting the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia.

Lajcak meets Vucic and Rama in New York (media)

Special Representative of the European Union for the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia, Miroslav Lajcak, had separate meetings with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama in New York.

“After my meeting with Prime Minister Kurti in Pristina last week, I also continued my conversation with President Vucic in New York today. In the margins of #UNGA, we spoke about the way forward in the normalisation of relations with Kosovo,” Lajcak tweeted after the meeting.

Lajcak also said he had a useful meeting with Albanian PM Rama. “Had a very useful meeting with @ediramaal in the margins of #UNGA. We discussed the situation in the Western Balkans. Grateful for his insights and support to the EU-facilitated Dialogue,” he tweeted.

Denmark: Agreement with Kosovo on prison cells is in force (RFE)

The Danish Ministry of Justice confirmed on Tuesday that the agreement with Kosovo on renting prison cells is still in force. In a response to the news website, the Ministry said that Denmark has not suspended or withdrawn the agreement. “Any media report suggesting otherwise is based on misunderstandings,” the Ministry said.

In 20 days, five vehicles converted their plates to RKS (Koha Ditore)

The daily reports on its front page this morning that since September 1 when the deadline started to convert license plates issued by Serbia into plates issued by the Republic of Kosovo, a total of five vehicles were registered in line with the decision of the Kosovo government”. It also notes that two Serbs, who had converted their plates, were targeted by illegal structures in the north, Kosovo’s Minister of Interior Affairs Xhelal Svecla said that Serbia is trying to destabilise Kosovo. KFOR officials meanwhile have expressed readiness to intervene in the event the situation deteriorates, while Serb political commentators believe that the Kosovo government cannot implement the decision on license plates without an agreement with Belgrade.

Deadline for converting license plates extended to October 31 (media)

Several news websites report that the Kosovo government issued a press release on Tuesday evening announcing the latest decisions it has made, among them to extend the deadline for converting license plates issued by Serbia to RKS plates until October 31.

Union leader: Strike in education continues (Klan Kosova)

Leader of the Union in Education, Science and Culture of Kosovo (SBASHK) Rrahman Jasharaj, said in an interview with Klan Kosova on Tuesday evening that the strike of teachers continues. He refuted reports in some media according to which the unionists have backed down on their demand for additional €100 until the law on wages is adopted. “Our position remains the same. We have received no offer and if there is no acceptable agreement the strike will continue,” Jasharaj said.

LDK senior member says they will win new elections (Kanal 10)

Senior member of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK), Xhafer Tahiri, said in an interview with Kanal 10 on Tuesday, that he is confident that this party will win the general elections whenever they will be held. “One thing is certain, whenever the new national elections will be held, the LDK will win the elections and bring the qualitative and merited change in Kosovo,” he argued.

Specialist Chambers President cancels visit to Kosovo (media)

Most news websites report that the President of the Specialist Chambers of Kosovo, Ekaterina Trendafilova, has cancelled her planned visit to Gjilan and will hold an online meeting with representatives of civil society. PSD leader Dardan Molliqaj and acting leader of the KLA War Veterans Faton Klinaku took to social media to say that the visit was cancelled as a result of the protest they were planning to hold against it on Wednesday.

Several arrests in Prishtina in relation to Brezovica case (Indeksonline)

The news website reports that special units of Kosovo Police, in coordination with the State Prosecution, have carried out a search operation in several neighborhoods in Prishtina and that several people have been arrested in relation with the Brezovica operation.

Montenegrin President Proposes Election in Absence of New Majority (BIRN)

Three political blocs appeared to have sealed a deal to form a new government just before Monday’s midnight deadline, but one party withheld its signature

Montenegrin President Milo Djukanovic proposed a snap election on Tuesday after three political blocs put forward a consensus candidate for prime minister but one of them failed to formally sign the deal.

Following the collapse of Prime Minister Dritan Abazovic’s minority government, parties in parliament had until midnight on Monday to cobble together a new majority or face a snap election.

Three political blocs – who joined forces in late 2020 to form a government and push Djukanovic’s Democratic Party of Socialists, DPS, into opposition for the first time in three decades – said on Monday that they had agreed to put forward former diplomat and foreign minister Miodrag Lekic as prime minister-designate.

Together, the three control 41 of parliament’s 81 seats, so enough to form a government.

But the presidency of Abazovic’s URA movement refused to formally sign off on Lekic’s candidacy until confirmation of a full political pact between the three blocs.

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