Albanian Language Media:

• Visa liberalisation for Kosovo on the EU agenda on October 13 (Radio Free Europe)
• Strike in education continues; Jasharaj: Regrettably there is no movement (RTK)
• An elementary school in Prishtina decides to end strike (Kallxo)
• Hoxhaj: Solution must be found for pupils to return to schools (Telegrafi)
• Haradinaj to Kurti: End the strike, or resign (media) 
• Croatian Foreign Minister: Next months crucial for Kosovo-Serbia deal (Albanian Post)
• Selimi: Kosovo leadership should think a bit (media)
• EU concerned over strengthening Serbia-Russia relations (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Office for KiM: Incursion of KFS to north is direct threat to Serbian people (Radio KIM)
• Serbian List: The incursion of the KSF into the Zubin Potok territory a gross violation of the agreement, whose guarantor is NATO (Radio Mitrovica sever)
• EU: Serbia cannot strengthen relations with Russia in the circumstances of aggression and crimes in Ukraine (Beta)
• Vucic to Lavrov: Serbia committed to UNSC Resolution 1244 (N1)
• What did Serbia and Russia sign – a scandal or continuation of a technical matter from 1996? (N1, media)
• Brnabic visits family of Nikola Nedeljkovic (Radio KIM)
• US Ambassador wants explanation of Serbia-Russia document (N1)
• Serbian FM: We can not accept results of referendums in Ukraine (N1)
• The Party of Freedom and Justice (SSP) delegation in the US for talks on Kosovo and Serbia’s foreign policy (FoNet, N1)

International:

• Russian Mobilization Prompts Exodus to Serbia, Turkey (Balkan Insight)

Albanian Language Media  

Visa liberalisation for Kosovo on the EU agenda on October 13 (Radio Free Europe)

Citing diplomatic sources in the EU, the news website reports that visa liberalisation for Kosovo will be on the agenda of the working group of the European Council on October 13. The Czech presidency of the EU has already sent a letter to the member states informing them about discussions on the topic. Radio Free Europe claims to have seen the document and that it clearly expresses the wish of the Czech Republic for all EU member states to reach an internal consensus and support visa liberalisation for Kosovo. “As the Czech Presidency believes that reasons related to foreign policy about visa liberalisation for Kosovo are convincing, it hopes that all member states of the EU will reach an internal political consensus on this matter,” the document notes. “The geopolitical approach of the EU toward the Western Balkans is necessary. The region needs a clear sign that the EU enlargement process is trustworthy and that the EU is ready to reward the reform efforts of countries of the Western Balkans.”

Strike in education continues; Jasharaj: Regrettably there is no movement (RTK)

The strike in the education sector has entered its fifth week despite many calls from representatives of institutions and the Parents Council to the unionists to end the strike. The Union of Education, Science and Culture (SBASHK) says that they will continue the strike until the government meets their demands.

SBASHK leader Rrahman Jasharaj told RTK today that they have received no invitation from the government and that the strike will unfortunately continue. “Regrettably there is no movement, and no invitation to a meeting or an offer that we can present to the membership … We hold meetings with the legitimate representatives of the strikers every night and we don’t have anything new to offer to them. Their voice is respected and will be respected in the future too,” he said.

Hoxhaj: Solution must be found for pupils to return to schools (Telegrafi)

Vice President of the Kosovo Assembly from the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK), Enver Hoxhaj, said today that the Kurti-led government and the unions must find a solution to the strike in the education sector so that classes can begin. Hoxhaj told reporters after today’s meeting of the assembly presidency that the law on wages must enter into force on January 1. “We had a parliamentary session and debate about the strike and our position [PDK] is for the government and the union to find a short-term solution and for the Law on Wages to enter into force on January 1, and it is expected to resolve this problem,” Hoxhaj said. “Our request is for the strike to end, for pupils to return to classes and to meet the minimal demands of SBASHK [Union for Education, Science and Culture]. We as a political party do not play the role of spokesperson of the union, but we think that many days in the learning process have been lost”.

An elementary school in Prishtina decides to end strike (Kallxo)

An elementary school in Prishtina, “Hasan Prishtina”, has decided to end the strike and will start holding shorter classes from Tuesday. The directory of the school said they support the strikers until their demands are met but that classes in this school will be held.

The news website notes that the strike in education and other sectors started on August 25 and is ongoing. The Union of the Trade Workers Unions of Kosovo (BSPK) said the strike will continue until the government meets their demands, despite calls from the Ministry of Education to start the new school year. The unionists are asking for an additional monthly payment of €100 until the law on wages is adopted.

Haradinaj to Kurti: End the strike, or resign (media) 

Leader of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK), Ramush Haradinaj, called on Prime Minister Albin Kurti to find a solution to the ongoing strike in education, or submit his resignation. “There is no other case in times of peace that schools remain closed for a month. The Prime Minister must either find a solution immediately, or admit that he is incapable and make way for others,” Haradinaj wrote on Facebook.

Croatian Foreign Minister: Next months crucial for Kosovo-Serbia deal (Albanian Post)

Foreign Minister of Croatia, Gordan Grlic-Radman, said in an interview with the news website that the next months will be crucial for an agreement between Kosovo and Serbia. He said that whatever solution is agreed upon must contribute to regional stability. “When there is a will, there is a way,” he said, adding that “the active cooperation between the United States of America and European diplomacy on this matter is without a doubt encouraging”.

“We expect the dialogue to result in a legally binding comprehensive agreement that will normalise relations between Kosovo and Serbia. We support solutions that would contribute to overall stability and prosperity in the region and which would lead to mutual recognition.”

“Our position is that the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia does not relate to the status of Kosovo but to the normalisation of relations between the two countries.”

Grlic-Radman also said that the agreements reached in the EU-facilitated dialogue in Brussels, including the Association of Serb-majority municipalities, must be implemented. “All the agreements reached in Brussels must be respected. The Association certainly must be in line with the Constitution of Kosovo, and it must not have any powers that could threaten the sovereignty and functionality of Kosovo,” he said.

Selimi: Kosovo leadership should think a bit (media)

Former Foreign Minister of Kosovo and Head of the Millenium Foundation of Kosovo, Petrit Selimi, said in a Twitter post today that “the election results in Italy are obviously an internal issue for Italy but Kosovo leadership should think a bit”. “The theories that we can wait and we are not in a hurry in dialogue with Serbia are null and void because the world events don’t wait for Kosovo. As Italy shows. For the first time since the 1999 war in Kosovo and 2008 Declaration of Independence, a political party in Europe is set to govern which has in the past declared that “Kosovo was snatched from Serbia”. In the past they also looked at Kosovo mainly through the prism of “danger from Islamism”. Now, opposition is not governance. One hopes that amicable relations between Rome and Prishtina will continue, however the tectonic shifts around Europe, from Sweden to Italy and further away show it’s a fundamental, indisputable interest of Kosovo to achieve a deal with Serbia,” Selimi writes.

EU concerned over strengthening Serbia-Russia relations (media)

Several news websites report that the European Union has expressed concern over the strengthening relations between Serbia and Russia, after the two countries signed an agreement to cooperate on foreign policy.

EU foreign policy spokesman, Peter Stano, said today that the agreement comes at a time when Russia is continuing its aggression against Ukraine and is “violating international law, with its forces committing crimes against civilians, and organising illegal referendums in the occupied territories”.

“If in these circumstances we see that Serbia’s Foreign Minister signs an agreement for consultations with a country that commits such acts, then this is a sign that Serbia is strengthening its relations with Russia. And this raises serious concerns. Relations with Russia cannot be as if nothing has happened. We take this very seriously,” he said.

Stano called on the leadership in Serbia to assure, as part of the EU membership process, “a stronger coherence between its foreign policy initiatives and support for international values and the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine”.

Serbian Language Media 

Office for KiM: Incursion of KFS to north is direct threat to Serbian people (Radio KIM)

Serbian Government Office for Kosovo and Metohija said on Sunday that incursion of the fully armed Kosovo Security Forces (KSF) members to northern Kosovo which happened a day ago runs contrary to all signed agreements, Radio KIM reports. The Office added the move represents a direct threat to the Serbian population in northern Kosovo.

“This is about a direct breach of 2013 agreement with NATO Secretary General, according to which members of any military formation coming from Pristina have no right to be present in northern Kosovo and Metohija without double approval – that of the KFOR Commander and four northern mayors, who have not give such a consent”, the Office said in a statement.

The Office also said there are no basis whatsoever for KSF’s incursion there, nor justification for it, adding this is a new in a series of acts that Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti is undertaking aiming to create tensions, conflicts and destabilisation of the situation on the ground.

“There is no doubt that such militant acts undertaken by Albin Kurit represent continuation of his warmongering policy aiming to silent but violent occupation of northern Kosovo and Metohija, because Kurti is aware he can’t force Serbs to ever accept him in any other way. Reconstruction of illegal bases of the special units in northern Kosovo and Metohija, and frequent ROSU incursions to the Serbian areas from Strpce to Leposaivc serve that purpose”, the Office added.

It also said that Serbs from Kosovo feel disturbed “by such threats and arms rattling”, however, they are determined not to fall prey to provocations.

Serbian List: The incursion of the KSF into the Zubin Potok territory a gross violation of the agreement, whose guarantor is NATO (Radio Mitrovica sever)

”The illegal incursion of members of the Kosovo Security Forces into the territory of the municipality of Zubin Potok is a gross violation of the agreement from 2013, guaranteed by NATO, and which guarantees that no armed formations of Pristina can intrude into  Serbian municipalities in the north without the approval of the mayors of these municipalities and the commander of KFOR,” said Serbian List in a statement, reported Radio Mitrovica sever.

As stated, ”Serbian List responsibly asserts that the mayors did not approve this brutal violation of the agreement and endangers the peace in these areas and demands an urgent and decisive reaction of the KFOR command to this provocation”.

“At a time when Pristina is trying to militarise the north and occupy the municipalities in the north with weapons, such incidents are inadmissible and require the reaction of all those responsible for the safe and secure environment of all citizens, above all KFOR, EULEX and UNMIK,” the statement read.

It was added that ”it is obvious that Albin Kurti, at the moment when his plan on registration  is not working among the Serbs, is trying to intimidate peaceful and honest Serbian citizens in the municipalities in the north and by raising tensions to divert the public’s attention from the burning problems that are piling up in Pristina”, reported the radio. 

“Once again, we call on the authorities to act preventively, and to warn Kurti that this kind of behaviour will not be tolerated. Irresponsible behavior in these moments for the sake of gaining cheap political points is a characteristic of incompetent politicians and manipulators who are currently at the head of the institutions in Pristina,” concluded the statement of the Serbian List.

EU: Serbia cannot strengthen relations with Russia in the circumstances of aggression and crimes in Ukraine (Beta)

European Commission (EC) spokesperson Peter Stano said today in Brussels that the EU believes that Serbia, as a country that is negotiating membership with the EU, cannot strengthen relations with Russia because Russia has intensified the conflict, aggression, and wrongdoing in Ukraine, reported Beta news agency. 

Stano told Beta agency that the EU calls on the Serbian leadership to, in the process of Serbia’s accession to the EU, ensure stronger compliance of its foreign policy initiatives and Serbia’s support for international values and the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine within internationally recognized borders.

When asked by journalists in Brussels about the agreement between the Serbian and Russian foreign ministries on the continuation of consultations, Stano pointed out that it “causes serious concern”.

“We keep that in mind very seriously and are now monitoring it,” Stano emphasised.

According to Stano, “Serbia, by its own decisions, determined the accession to EU membership as its strategic priority… and those decisions mean alignment with EU policy, including the foreign and security policy of the Union”.

He underlined that “the EU was very clear when it comes to its partner countries, especially countries that are in negotiations for membership with the Union, such as Serbia, that relations with Russia cannot proceed in the usual way under these circumstances, that is, with a regime that commits so many crimes and omissions”.

Stano reiterated the EU’s position that Russia has committed illegal aggression against Ukraine and that Russian forces are committing crimes against the Ukrainian population and have further intensified the conflict with partial mobilisation and illegal referendums for the annexation of parts of Ukrainian territory.

“In such circumstances, we are witnessing that the Serbian Ministry of Foreign Affairs signed an agreement on regular consultations with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the country that commits these acts, which is a very clear sign that it wants to strengthen their relations and to further strengthen the relations between Serbia and Russia, and this causes serious concern,” Stano pointed out, reported the agency.

Vucic to Lavrov: Serbia committed to UNSC Resolution 1244 (N1)

President Aleksandar Vucic said Friday he told Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov that Serbia is committed to abiding by the UN Charter and Security Council Resolution 1244, N1 reports,

An Instagram post said that he thanked Moscow for supporting Serbia’s territorial integrity and sovereignty. Speaking to TV Pink from New York later, Vucic said that Serbia will never give up its territorial integrity and would continue down its European path.

He refused to comment on reports that the US and Great Britain are arming Kosovo but added that “Albin Kurti has asked for artillery pieces with a range of more than 10 kilometres”. Vucic also said Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani’s efforts to convince more countries to recognize Kosovo were not about Pristina’s struggle but about Belgrade’s battle “against what the great Western powers are doing”.

What did Serbia and Russia sign – a scandal or continuation of a technical matter from 1996? (N1, media)

The agreement penned by Serbian and Russian foreign ministers, Nikola Selakovic and Sergey Lavrov on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session in New York caused reactions in both, Belgrade and Brussels, N1 reports today.

Some European Parliament representatives termed the signing of the agreement as “a scandal”, while Selakovic said such criticism represented attempts to undermine Serbia.

The plan signed on September 23 is a plan of consultations between two foreign ministries for the period of two years. Explaining the agreement, Selakovic noted it is about a technical matter, ongoing since 1996.

“As far as I am personally concerned, I think that the Government was certainly in a position to reject such a plan due to such situation and relationships, but I would not see anything fundamentally objectionable in that plan, especially when it is attacked by those who have not even seen it at all, but are looking for a sufficient reason, as I said, to attack Serbia or attempts that continue on other occasions and in other ways to discipline Serbia”, Selakovic said.

He added the plan contains consultations on bilateral relations and multilateral activities, and there is no security policy in it.

Brnabic visits family of Nikola Nedeljkovic (Radio KIM)

Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic visited the family of Nikola Nedeljkovic, a young Serb man from Belgrade, arrested by Kosovo police on Saint Vitus Day (June 28) at Gazimestan for allegedly inciting ethnic hatred and discord and kept in detention ever since, Radio KIM reports. Nedeljkovic was then sentenced by the first-instance verdict to eight months in prison.

An appeal to the first-instance verdict in Nedeljkovic’s case will be filed today, Radio KIM said. 

“He was arrested on June 28, at Gazimestan and then sentenced to eight months in prison, without any evidence, with false testimonies saying that he chanted some slogans inciting religious and ethnic hatred and intolerance”, Brnabic said during the visit. 

She also said she came to visit the family to draw attention to Nedeljkovic’s case adding his case is yet another in a series of examples demonstrating that there is no rule of law nor justice when it comes to the Serbs in Kosovo.

“Nikola Nedeljkovic is not a criminal, he is a socially responsible person, a humanitarian. What is even more interesting is that last year in a similar or almost identical manner a citizen of Montenegro, Risto Jovanovic was arrested. Risto Jovanovic was arrested based on the report of the very same police officer who arrested Nedeljkovic this year and who got convicted based on that testimony. It is clear what this is about”, Brnabic said.

She also noted that since Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurit came to power the number of incidents against the Serbs in Kosovo and their properties has increased by 50 percent, and that last year 128 incidents were recorded.

US Ambassador wants explanation of Serbia-Russia document (N1)

US Ambassador to Serbia Christopher Hill said that Washington wants Belgrade to explain what the Serbian and Russian Foreign Ministers signed in New York last week, according to N1.

No one should be signing anything with Russia at present, Hill told reporters at a regional conference on good management and anti-corruption policies. We find this hard to understand but we want to hear an explanation, he said about the 2-year plan for consultations between the two ministries signed on the margins of the UN General Assembly by Serbian Foreign Minister Nikola Selakovic and his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov. He added that no one has seen the plan because it is not a public document.

According to Selakovic, the plan is a technical issue which has been in place since 1996. He explained that it includes steps to be taken in consultations on Kosovo within the UN, bilateral and multilateral activities and added that it does not include any aspect of security policy.

Serbian FM: We can not accept results of referendums in Ukraine (N1)

In accordance with the norms of international law, Serbia can not accept the results of the referendums in the Ukrainian regions of Donetsk and Lugansk, Foreign Affairs Minister Nikola Selakovic said, N1 reports.

“That would be completely contrary to our national and state interests, the preservation of sovereignty and territorial integrity and the inviolability of borders“, Selakovic said in a press conference.

When asked about the cooperation plan with Russia signed at the UN, he said that it is a technical matter which has been carried out since 1996. He explained that the plan contains future activities regarding consultations in the UN on the issue of Kosovo, bilateral relations and multilateral activities and that it does not involve security policies.

Selakovic also spoke about the recent meetings in New York, saying that President Aleksandar Vucuc discussed politics, as well as energy issues with US officials, including the construction of solar panels, a hydroelectric plant, as well as gas interconnectors to Bulgaria and North Macedonia.

The Party of Freedom and Justice (SSP) delegation in the US for talks on Kosovo and Serbia’s foreign policy (FoNet, N1)

The delegation of the Party of Freedom and Justice (SSP), which includes President Dragan Djilas, Deputy President Borko Stefanovic and Vice President Marinika Tepic, travelled to the USA, where they will have meetings in Washington at the State Department, the National Security Council, Congress, and the Senate, announced this party, reported N1.

The SSP delegation will present its position to the American partners on advocating that the foreign policy of Serbia be urgently harmonized with the foreign policy of the European Union, it was stated in the announcement.

They will also present to the interlocutors the advocacy for creating a framework for talks with the Albanians through the formation of a Parliamentary Commission, which expresses, with the willingness to respect the Constitution of Serbia and the resolutions of the Security Council, with commitment to peace and the renunciation of the use of force, to discuss all open issues under the auspices of the EU, except for the recognition of Kosovo.

The SSP delegation “will also present to the American partners the party’s views on the state of democracy, ways to fight corruption, as well as media freedoms in Serbia,” the SSP press release stated, reported N1.

International 

Russian Mobilization Prompts Exodus to Serbia, Turkey (Balkan Insight)

Using open source data, BIRN has calculated that since Russia ordered a partial mobilization, more than 30,000 people flew from Moscow to Turkey and more than a thousand to Serbia – many of them likely fleeing the war.

Read more at:https://bit.ly/3C9wlxx