• Osmani: U.S. never asked for agreement without mutual recognition (media)
• Kurti: We do not tolerate touching sovereignty and integrity of Kosovo (media)
• As Deadline Looms, Kosovo Licence Plates Push Falls Flat (BIRN)
• President Osmani held meetings with high officials of several countries (media)
• Vetevendosje Movement elects the new leadership (media)
• Lajcak: Up to Kosovo, Serbia to decide on final deal (Albanian Daily News)
• EP Rapporteur for Kosovo to hold press conference today in Pristina (media)
• EU-Balkans Summit will be held in Tirana (Gazeta Express)
• “UNMIK, EULEX criticised for doing little in addressing war crimes” (Koha)
• Serbia’s Electronic Registration to Legalise ‘Passivation’ of Albanians (Exit)

Osmani: U.S. never asked for agreement without mutual recognition (media)

Support for Kosovo’s European agenda was given on Sunday by the president of Malta, George Vella, during his visit to Kosovo.

In a joint press conference, the two presidents called on the European Union to open its doors to the citizens of Kosovo.

“We must understand that the European Union has some rules for the protection of its borders, it is not in their interest to allow people from some specific regions to travel freely in their territory, but since Kosovo has fulfilled all criteria, which was also confirmed by the European Commission four years ago, I don’t understand what prevents the European Union from opening up to the citizens of Kosovo,” Vella said.

Speaking about the final agreement between Kosovo and Serbia, President Osmani said that the United States of America has never asked Kosovo for a final agreement with Serbia without mutual recognition.

“However, there was no request either from the United States, or from our partners from the European Union, never for Kosovo to give up the request for mutual recognition, as everyone understands that it is a necessity that closes a painful chapter,” Osmani said.

Osmani has responded negatively to the call of internationals to postpone the deadline for the conversion of vehicle license plates set for October 31 for another 10 months.

Osmani said that the Serbs had enough time to convert the license plates of their vehicles to RKS, stressing that this “is a matter of the rule of law”. According to her, “over 90% of Serbs living in Kosovo have already converted the license plates of the past into legal ones.”

During Sunday, the Maltese president also met with Speaker Glauk Konjufca, Prime Minister Albin Kurti and participated in the Forum for Women, Peace and Security.

Kurti: We do not tolerate touching sovereignty and integrity of Kosovo (media)

Prime Minister of Kosovo Albin Kurti said at the Meeting of the General Council of the Vetevendosje Movement (LVV) that in the international aspect, Kosovo is doing its duty, joining the ranks of countries that condemned Russia and that support independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine.

Kurti, in his speech at the 49th meeting of the LVV General Council, said that the KLA was and is right and will come out clean, even from the trials imposed unjustly by politicians who lacked vision.

“We thought that with the end of the wars that Serbia caused in the Balkans, a lasting peace came to Europe, but it appears that just how Serbia acted yesterday, Russia is acting today. These two states have a historical and cultural connection with each other, along the lines of autocracy, despotism, aggression, and genocide,” Kurti said.

According to him, Kosovo in the international aspect is doing its duty, lining up immediately and without any conditions in the ranks of the countries that condemned Russia and that support the independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine.

“Of course, let everyone know, when we ask to respect the independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine, it is out of question to think that we will tolerate touching the independence, sovereignty, or territorial integrity of Kosovo. These are never a matter of discussions to us,” he said.

According to Kurti, the Vetevendosje Movement is the only parliamentary party that embraces a progressive, social-democratic policy, active against discrimination, active for a developmental state.

Kurti said that the government allocated 300 million euros in 2021, as part of the economic revival package. This year, together with the inflation package, they provided support of around 350 million euros and promised that the support will continue.

As Deadline Looms, Kosovo Licence Plates Push Falls Flat (BIRN)

Very few have heeded a call to give up illegal vehicle licence plates in Kosovo, raising questions about what will follow the end-October deadline.

With a week left for citizens of Kosovo to legally register their vehicles with RKS – Republic of Kosovo – licence plates, only 13 have done so.

Thousands are believed to be driving in Kosovo on plates that authorities consider illegal, including some Serbs who, for one reason or another, refuse to take the plates of a state they do not consider their own.

The issue has become heavily politicised and marred by intimidation, including at least three acts of arson against Serbs who made the switch against the instructions of local Serb politicians.

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

President Osmani held meetings with high officials of several countries (media)

President of Kosovo Vjosa Osmani, within the framework of the first edition of the Forum for Women, Peace and Security, held a series of meetings with high officials of several countries.

In a meeting with the German Minister of State for Europe and Climate at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Germany Ana Luhrmann, she thanked her for the support given to Kosovo for visa liberalization and membership in the Council of Europe. She also welcomed the progress achieved in the last ministerial level meetings of the Berlin Process in Berlin towards the finalization of several agreements that contribute to regional cooperation and in particular the free movement without visas between the six countries of the region and the creation of the Common Regional Market. According to Osmani, this process that has just started should continue alongside Germany’s support for the Western Balkans.

Osmani reiterated that Kosovo has already met all the criteria for visa liberalization and that she expects the lifting of visas to happen by December, not being conditioned with ETIAS.

During the meeting with Anita Vandelbeld, secretary at the Ministry for International Development of Canada, President Osmani stressed the support of this country in the Euro-Atlantic path of Kosovo.

She also met with Ilhan Kyuchuk, co-chairman of the Liberal-Democratic Alliance of Europe (ALDE), at the same time  member of the European Parliament. They discussed visa liberalization and Kosovo’s membership in the Council of Europe. MEP Kyuchuk confirmed support for visa liberalization for Kosovo, as well as for membership in the Council of Europe.

Meanwhile, with the former president of Estonia Kersti Kaljualid, she emphasized that Kosovo has always had a Euro-Atlantic vision and that the majority of Kosovars not only share the same values ​​as European countries but are also the majority in favor of EU integration.

In a meeting with Eric Nelson, resident ambassador at the George C Marshall Center for Security Studies, President Osmani discussed the fulfillment of the WPS agenda, thanking the U.S. for its support in organizing this year’s Forum. A part of the meeting was dedicated to cyber-attacks and threats, which Kosovo is facing recently. Ambassador Nelson has promised support to Kosovo against cyber-attacks.

President Osmani, as part of the activities of the Forum for Women, Peace and Security, also met Ruth Gaby Vermot, co-chair of the organization Peace Women Across the Globe.

Vetevendosje Movement elects the new leadership (media)

The Vetevendosje Movement (LVV) held on Sunday the meeting of the General Council which elected the fourth leadership that will lead the party for the next four years.

Albin Kurti will be the chairman, Glauk Konjufca the first vice-chairman, Mrika Limani Myrtaj will be the second vice-chairman, while Alim Rama will be the secretary.

LVV has also elected the Governing Council: Chairperson of the General Council – Arberie Nagavci, Deputy Chairman of the General Council – Boiken Abazi, Coordinator of Committees – Dejona Mihaili, Head of the Secretariat for International Relations – Hajrulla Ceku, Head of the Secretariat for Media and Communication – Arlind Manxhuka

Members of the leadership who were voted on Sunday: Mrika Limani Myrtaj, Dejona Mihaili, Alban Hyseni, Arben Vitia, Arber Zaimi, Besnik Bislimi, Elvis Hoxha, Fatmire Mulhaxha Kollcaku, Fitore Pacolli, Hekuran Murati, Mytaher Haskuka, Saranda Bogujevci, Tinka Kurti, Vlora Haxhimehmedi, Xhelal Svecla.

Lajcak: Up to Kosovo, Serbia to decide on final deal (Albanian Daily News)

Miroslav Lajcak, European Union envoy for Kosovo-Serbia talks, said on Saturday that it is up to Kosovo and Serbia to decide what the agreement for the normalization of relation between them will look like, while underlining that it is very important that there are no tensions as October 31, the deadline set by government of Prishtina for the conversion of license plates issued by Serbia to those of Kosovo, approaches.

Lajcak made these comments after the meeting with the Prime Minister of Kosovo Albin Kurti in Prishtina, with whom he said that he also discussed the Franco-German initiative for the Kosovo-Serbia agreement, but without giving details.

“The meeting with Mr. Kurti has been very constructive and useful and we are making progress in our discussions,” he said.

Lajcak said that he has not seen any document about the Association for Serb municipalities published a few days ago in the local media in Kosovo, claiming that it was drawn up by German experts and refers to the 2013 agreement reached in the Kosovo-Serbia talks in Brussels.

He said that he is trying to find a solution to the vehicle license plates issue that would avoid any possibility of tension in the situation.

“We are in the process of discussions about this, and it is up to the prime minster and the government of Kosovo to make a decision. We are trying to help and as we have said, our concerns are so that there are no tensions and violence on the ground, this is important because I think it is not in the interest of Kosovo, especially at this important time where very important processes are taking place: discussions on visa liberalization, discussions on membership in the Council of Europe, so the last thing Kosovo needs would be violence here on the ground,” he said.

EP Rapporteur for Kosovo to hold press conference today in Pristina (media)

The European Parliament’s Rapporteur for Kosovo, Viola von Cramon, will hold a press conference this morning in Pristina. According to Gazeta Express, Von Cramon is expected to talk about visa liberalisation and the state of the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia.

EU-Balkans Summit will be held in Tirana (Gazeta Express)

President of the European Council, Charles Michel, said that the next summit of the EU and the Western Balkans will be held in Tirana. “We will hold the next EU-Western Balkans Summit in the region – on 6 December in Tirana, Albania, to reaffirm our reinforced engagement. Western Balkans are a key priority for the European Union. The EU and the Western Balkans need each other,” Michel wrote on Twitter.

“UNMIK, EULEX criticised for doing little in addressing war crimes” (Koha)

The missions of UNMIK and EULEX have been criticised for not doing enough in addressing war crimes in Kosovo, the daily reports on page three. The head of the Department for War Crimes, Drita Hajdari, said on Sunday at the Forum for Women, Peace, and Security, that the work of local prosecutors and judges was made difficult by the fact that in the beginning they were not allowed to work on such cases. “They have done very little, unfortunately very little, despite the great possibilities they had as two powerful missions for the rule of law. Many cases have remained unresolved after the end of the mission of EULEX; there are around 900 files and around 2,000 files on missing persons. This was an exceptional burden for the Prosecution of Kosovo,” Hajdari is quoted as saying.

Serbia’s Electronic Registration to Legalise ‘Passivation’ of Albanians (Exit)

Only a few days remain before the deadline for the electronic registration of population in Serbia (October 1st to and October 31, 2022). The deadline is expected to mark a sad end for those Albanians whose residential addresses have been made “passive”, as they are eventually excluded from the process of registration, thus losing civil rights guaranteed by the Constitution of Serbia.

The Helsinki Committee, who describes the passivisation of Albanians as “administrative ethnic cleansing“, has received a number of complaints from Serbia’s citizens of Albanian ethnicity regarding the ongoing registration process, as they are unable to register because the “registration system” does not accept them.

Individuals excluded from registration by the system are all of Albanian ethnic background. They live either in the country or abroad, but their residential addresses in Serbia have been made passive and most of them do not have any identification documents.

Haki Hajminovic has been living as an immigrant in Switzerland for several years, and since three weeks he has returned to his village Tupalle in Medvegja to register himself and his family as Serbian citizens.

Like many other “passivized” Albanians, Haki was rejected registration for thr same reason.

Faced with the denial of his fundamental right to registration, Haki got frustrated while speaking with the government official in charge of the process, and was subsequently reported to the police for allegedly threatening her.

Read more at: https://bit.ly/3TQSVB1