Albanian Language Media:

• EU: Parties to respect the agreement on official visits (media)
• Osmani: Serbia wants tensions (media)
• LVV MP asks to postpone deadline for licence plates for another two months (Koha)
• The opposition demands licence plate issue coordinated with internationals (EO)
• “Let’s solve issue of licence plates in partnership with U.S.” (Gazeta Express)
• Besnik Bislimi will participate online in the conference held today in Serbia (media)
• Szunyog: Kosovo is on the right track (RTK)
• Zemaj: Kurti-led government incapable of managing healthcare sector (Koha)

Serbian Language Media:

• Official Kyiv – Goncharenko is not authorised to represent the position of Rada in Kosovo (Politika, Tanjug, Interfax Ukraine)
• Mojsilovic met with Bauer (Tanjug)
• Vucic meets Bauer (Kosovo Online)
• Hovenier: Important to postpone implementation of new rules on licence plates (Kosovo Online)
• Bishop Teodosije: We are facing a serious crisis, we appeal to everyone to preserve peace (Kosovo Online)
• European Commission: Deadline for re-registration expires in three days, we hope for solution (Tanjug)
• People in northern Kosovo complain of mistreatment by special police, Kosovo police say its officers do not provoke but ensure safety (KoSSev)
• Police confirms stoning of bus transporting Serbs in Mitrovica South (KoSSev)
• Dacic: There will be no pogrom, do not force us to defend ourselves (TV Pink, Danas, FoNet)
• Trajkovic on Bislimi’s cancelled visit (Kosovo Online)

Opinion:

• Trajkovic: “CSM last stone in foundation of independent Kosovo, yet Kurti doesn’t want it either, but emigration of Serbs”
• How Karadzic tried to dodge justice, claiming US ‘immunity deal’ (BIRN)
• Jovana Radosavljevic: In Kosovo, there is silence, and not the good kind of silence (Insajder)
• Mijacic: “If the decision on the plates is not postponed next week, a conflict in Kosovo is possible” (N1)

International:

• EU revisits Balkans to win friends, seek more influence (AP)
• Open Balkan and Berlin Process for successful regional cooperation (EWB)
• ‘I never imagined this could be done also to men’ (Kosovo 2.0)
• To US Concern, Turkish-Russian Trade Flourishes in Face of Sanctions (Balkan Insight)

Albanian Language Media  

EU: Parties to respect the agreement on official visits (media)

European Union officials stated that official visits between Kosovo and Serbia play an important role in advancing the normalisation of relations and understanding between the parties, and that they should not be politicised.

These statements come after the Serbian police prevented the Deputy Prime Minister of Kosovo Besnik Bislimi from visiting Belgrade to participate in two conferences, citing security concerns.

In this regard, Peter Stano, spokesperson for the European Union, underlined that both parties are required to resolve any such disputes and misunderstandings in dialogue and in good faith, using the established communication channels of the Liaison Officers.

“Both parties must respect all past agreements and implement pending obligations, including official visits,” Stano underlined.

On Thursday, the Deputy Prime Minister of Kosovo, Besnik Bislimi, was on his way to Belgrade to participate in two conferences. However, a few kilometres before arriving in the Serbian capital, he was stopped and returned by the Serbian police, under the pretext that they could not provide him with security. 

Deputy Prime Minister Bislimi stated that the visit was planned according to the agreement of both parties with the Brussels agreement.

Osmani: Serbia wants tensions (media)

The President of Kosovo Vjosa Osmani has said that they are in close contact with international allies in relation to the issue of vehicle license plates, the conversion of which from those issued by Serbia to those issued by the RKS (Republic of Kosovo) has until October 31.

“Tensions are, of course, the goal of Serbia, but we are working with our partners to prevent them,” Osmani said on Friday when asked by if there is a risk of tensions in the north of the country.

Meanwhile, regarding the relations with Washington, from where there are more and more calls for the Kosovo government to postpone the deadline for changing license plates, President Osmani said that they are strong.

“As Secretary Blinken has said, the relations with the USA are steadfast and will remain so. I assure you,” Osmani said.

She further noted that she has nothing to add to her positions, which she has said in the last two to three days, on the issue of license plates.

“I believe that you can discuss with the prime minister about the conversations he had,” Osmani emphasized when asked to comment on the calls of U.S. officials with PM Albin Kurti.

LVV MP asks to postpone deadline for licence plates for another two months (Koha)

The MP of the Vetevendosje Movement (LVV) Haki Abazi has proposed to postpone the deadline for licence plates by another two months. Abazi said that the principle for licence plates is right but added that Kosovo’s position should be returned in favour of the national interest.

“More than the licence plates of the Serbs, we need the free movement and the return of the movement of our citizens towards Sarajevo. For more than two decades, our citizens have been banned from travelling to Bosnia and Herzegovina. I propose that the date for licence plates be December 31. This is how we prevent anyone from sabotaging the Berlin process and the possibility of creating tensions in the north”.

Abazi added that they are trying to sabotage his press conference with the meetings of the committees in the Assembly of Kosovo. Abazi’s press conferences have become weekly since October 7.

He also spoke about the Green Group, which he formed at the Assembly.

“It was intended to drown out all the voices within the parliament that demand the green transition to happen and not to focus on coal energy. For a year and a half, the Green Group has been sabotaged and prevented from forming, and the same people who today make threats against the members of the Green Group are the ones who prevented it from forming. Surprisingly, the chairperson of the Environment and Agriculture Committee is the one who threatens the members of the Green Group, and one of the members has left because of these threats. But we will continue”.

The opposition demands licence plate issue coordinated with internationals (EO)

The Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) and the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) have called on Prime Minister Albin Kurti that any decision on the licence plates of Serbs be made in international coordination.

LDK MP Valentina Bunjaku said that it is the responsibility of Prime Minister Albin Kurti that the agreements and their applicability be in coordination with the international community.

“We as an opposition party have made our position clear. It is Kurti’s responsibility that all these agreements and the applicability of these processes should be done in coordination with the international community because it is thanks to them that we are here today and the approach of Prime Minister Kurti against our allies is not good. He must make decisions that are in favour of the Republic of Kosovo,” she said.

Shemsedin Dreshaj, MP of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK), said that all policies should be coordinated with the international ones and that according to him.

“Kosovo is the fruit of local contribution and international contribution, I think that local policy should be coordinated with our friends, there is no place for leadership, we must act in accordance with the interests of the country without taking into account individual leadership. The Prime Minister is responsible for the organisation of life in the country, he has taken responsibility, he has an organisational plan, he has very frequent contacts and he knows what our duties are. It is not in the interest of the country to take arbitrary action for individual interests, so the country comes first, not the decisions,” Dreshaj said.

“Let’s solve issue of licence plates in partnership with U.S.” (Gazeta Express)

Executive Director of the Pristina-based research institute KIPRED, Lulzim Peci, said today that the Kosovo government should extend the deadline for the conversion of licence plates as requested by Kosovo’s international partners.

“We need to resolve the issue in full partnership with the United States and the European Union, there is no other or smarter way. If we act differently, I am confident we will be faced with a situation similar to September last year, but this time around it will be more unpredictable. We don’t need to risk the lives of our police officers, when issues can be resolved even without police measures, and in cooperation with the West,” Peci wrote on Facebook.

Besnik Bislimi will participate online in the conference held today in Serbia (media)

The first deputy prime minister of Kosovo Besnik Bislimi after returning to Kosovo, will participate online in the conference on security in the Western Balkans that will be held today in Belgrade. Bislimi announced this last night through the social network Twitter. Last night Bislimi told the media he was physically unable to participate in the conference as he was ordered to return to Kosovo by the Serbian police, with the justification that Serbia cannot provide security.

“I will participate online at the conference tomorrow. Apologies to the entire diplomatic corps, civil society organisations and organisers, for not being able to be there and show our point of view on the processes we are in. For today’s events, we have also informed international actors,” Bislimi tweeted.

Szunyog: Kosovo is on the right track (RTK)

The head of the EU Office in Kosovo, Tomas Szunyog, said that Kosovo is on the right track.

“Congratulations to Kosovo in the ranking of the Rule of Law Index for 2022. Kosovo is on the right track, the Rule of Law Index Report shows progress, and that the EU will continue to support Kosovo in improving this role,” he wrote on Twitter.

Zemaj: Kurti-led government incapable of managing healthcare sector (Koha)

Former Minister of Health and MP from the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK), Armend Zemaj, said today that the Kurti-led government has neither a plan nor the skills to manage the healthcare sector. He told a press conference in Pristina that investments in this sector are almost nonexistent and pointed out the resignations of two ministers.

“He [Kurti] removed a minister in the middle of the pandemic in order to gain more power. The first failed minister he later proposed for Mayor of Pristina. Kurti then appointed another minister who lacked the basic knowledge about the reality in Kosovo. That minister spent most of his time in press conferences. The resignation of yet another minister and the appointment of an executive team are proof that the Prime Minister and his government have admitted they have failed in the healthcare sector,” Zemaj said.

Serbian Language Media 

Official Kyiv – Goncharenko is not authorised to represent the position of Rada on Kosovo (Politika, Tanjug, Interfax Ukraine)

The press service of the Verkhovna Rada (Supreme Council of Ukraine) – the Ukrainian Parliament announced today that it did not authorise MP Oleksiy Goncharenko, who was in Pristina yesterday, to represent the Parliament’s position on Kosovo, reported daily Politika. 

“Oleksiy Goncharenko’s trip to Kosovo is of a purely private nature,” reads the statement, reported daily Politika, citing Interfax Ukraine. It is added that the Supreme Rada of Ukraine or any of its bodies has not authorised a single member of parliament to represent the position of the Ukrainian parliament in Kosovo or anywhere else. 

It is emphasised that the position of the Ukrainian parliament on international issues is taken collectively, by voting in the session hall.

“Permanent parliamentary delegations in international organisations are also elected collectively, and they represent the interests of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine at the international level,” the Rada pointed out.

It is added that the dissenting opinion of the MP of Ukraine, even if he is a member of the parliamentary delegation, is not the opinion of the legislative body of the state.

Ukrainian MP Oleksiy Goncharenko, who is known for lobbying for Pristina, was in Pristina yesterday and addressed the deputies of the assembly of temporary Pristina institutions, reported Politika.

He wrote on Telegram that he pointed out ”the importance of recognizing Kosovo”, adding that his resolution is already in the Supreme Rada and should be put to a vote.

Ukraine does not recognize the unilaterally declared independence of Kosovo, recalled the daily.

Mojsilovic met Bauer (Tanjug)

Serbian Armed Forces Chief of General Staff Gen Milan Mojsilovic met on Thursday in Belgrade with NATO Military Committee Chair Adm Rob Bauer, who is on an official visit to Serbia.

Mojsilovic and Bauer discussed the current security situation in the region and worldwide and overall mutual ties, with emphasis on the cooperation between the Serbian Armed Forces and KFOR.

Bauer, who is on his first visit to Belgrade, said Serbia, as the regional leader, was an important partner to NATO, especially when it comes to security, and added that the Western military alliance remained open to any level of cooperation Serbia opted for.

He thanked Mojsilovic for the close and professional cooperation between the Serbian Armed Forces and KFOR on maintaining peace and security in Kosovo-Metohija.

Speaking about the situation in Kosovo-Metohija, Mojsilovic said that, in line with UN SC Resolution 1244 and all signed agreements, Serbia saw KFOR as the only legitimate security actor in the province and expected the mission to ensure security to citizens and protect the Serbian national, cultural, historical, and religious heritage there.

He noted that support for the development of a so-called Kosovo Security Force, provided by some NATO member states – in particular, states contributing troops to KFOR – was not in line with the signed international agreements and was not helping to calm tensions and maintain peace in the territory of Kosovo-Metohija.

The Serbian Armed Forces-NATO cooperation, underway with full respect of Serbia’s policy of military neutrality, is helping to build peace and stability in the region, Mojsilovic and Bauer said, concluding that cooperation mechanisms established as part of the Partnership for Peace programme ensured further development of mutual ties.

Vucic meets Bauer (Kosovo Online)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic met today with NATO Military Committee Chairman Admiral Rob Bauer and discussed with him cooperation with NATO within Serbia’s military neutrality, Kosovo Online portal reports.

Vucic said it was important to have a regular dialogue between Serbian state and officials of political and military structures of the alliance, that contributes to strengthening mutual trust.

He also said that members of KFOR have an important role in maintaining peace and stability, as well as in protecting Serbs and other non-Albanian communities in Kosovo and Metohija. The two interlocutors also agreed it was important to avoid further escalations.

Admiral Bauer said NATO appreciates Serbia as a partner and respects its military neutrality. 

Hovenier: Important to postpone implementation of new rules on licence plates (Kosovo Online)

US Ambassador in Pristina, Jeff Hovenier wrote on Twitter last night it was important to postpone implementation of new rules on licence plates and avoid tensions, Kosovo Online portal reports.

He wrote that post on Twitter soon after State Department Advisor Derek Chollet said he spoke with Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti about the importance of avoiding tensions and postponing implementation of new rules on licence plates.

“Important to avoid tensions and postpone implementation of new licence plate rules.  We also condemn actions to intimidate or retaliate against those who have changed their plates”, Hovenier wrote on Twitter. 

Bishop Teodosije: We are facing a serious crisis, we appeal to everyone to preserve peace (Kosovo Online)

Due to the situation in which the representatives of the Kosovo institutions insist that all citizens in the north of Kosovo re-register their vehicles on RKS registration plates and the attitude of the vast majority of citizens of Serbian nationality to remain with the existing registrations, we are facing a serious crisis that can lead to a serious disruption of public order and of peace, especially in the case of an attempt to seize vehicles by the police, Bishop Teodosije of Raska-Prizren said in a statement, reported portal Kosovo Online. 

Bishop Teodosije further pointed out that “the escalation of this crisis is not beneficial to anyone and would seriously threaten the efforts of citizens in this area to live in peace and respect, regardless of ethnicity”.

“As the bishop of Raska-Prizren, I use this opportunity with my clergy to appeal to the Kosovo institutions to accept the unanimous proposal of the European Union mission in Kosovo, the ambassadors of the Quinte countries and the US special representative for the Western Balkans, Mr. Escobar, to avoid any kind of confrontation over registration plates and that this issue be resolved through the dialogue of the competent parties with international support within the next 10 months in accordance with the earlier agreements in Brussels or other models that are agreed upon in the dialogue. We also appeal to all citizens in the north of Kosovo and Metohija to preserve peace, restraint and composure and to fight for their rights in a dignified and Christian manner, without giving any reason to those who would like to provoke or cause violence in any way, thus endangering the lives, health and property of anyone in this area,” stated Teodosije.

The Bishop of Raska-Prizren also stated that “we expect a responsible, wise and decisive approach from international representatives that would help to solve this issue in the process of dialogue and with respect for the rights and freedoms of all citizens”.

“We pray to the lord peacemaker that peace and readiness for dialogue will be preserved in these areas in accordance with all the principles that exist in democratic societies, and by no means with the demonstration and use of force, threats or God forbid, endangering people’s lives,” Bishop Teodosije concluded in a statement.

European Commission: Deadline for re-registration expires in three days, we hope for solution (Tanjug)

The European Commission Spokesperson said both sides should make necessary progress in dialogue and normalisation of relations, Tanjug news agency reports.

The European Commission once again called for a calmness regarding implementation of the decision on re-registration of licence plates in Kosovo and Metohija. The EU Spokesperson Erik Mamer said the situation is very serious, adding there were talks on this topic for a long time. 

People in northern Kosovo complain of mistreatment by special police, Kosovo police say its officers do not provoke but ensure safety (KoSSev)

Mitrovica North-based informative portal KoSSev writes today that with reconstruction of Kosovo special police bases in northern Kosovo and their frequent patrolling in that area, the portal started receiving frequent complaints of people from northern Kosovo over the conduct of the special police. They told almost identical experiences over behaviour of the special police units – that while entering Kosovo via Brnjak crossing point they were suddenly stopped by officers carrying long barrels arms, mainly at nights with a rough attitude demonstrated. They also said that members of the Kosovo special police forces communicated with them in Albanian language, that in most cases they didn’t understand what police was telling them, describing those situations as mistreatments. Also, they said it was not a rare occurrence that children present in the vehicles during the stops were crying.

The portal said the latest complaint came on Sunday evening when according to L.N. a vehicle she was travelling with her family from Brnjak to Zubin Potok was stopped by “up to teeth armed police”.

“At around 100 metres from Brnjak crossing point, under full darkness, I was stopped by up to teeth armed persons with guns pointed – Kosovo police. Utterly aggressively and arrogantly they insisted on controlling the documents and searching an entire vehicle. There were children in the vehicle and they suffered great trauma. They were provoking and insulting all the time. They spoke in Albanian”, she told the portal.

N.T voiced similar allegations four days ago. According to him, members of the special police units stopped him at 23.30 in Gazivode and during the search assaulted him, also physically.

“In the evening hours, around 23.30 in Gazivode, Kosovo special police unit ROSU stopped me, took me out of the car, placed next to it and hit me in the legs, although I complied. Afterwards, given that I had no driving licence with me, two members of ROSU physically assaulted me, hitting me twice in the stomach and once in the head, and after the other car approached, they pushed me into mine”, a resident, who wished to remain anonymous told the portal.

What does police say

KoSSev portal said over the last period it addressed Pristina institutions on a number of oaccasions to hear their comments on those allegations, adding the last enquiry to Kosovo police was sent on Monday, and then to the Kosovo Ministry of Internal Affairs.

The portal asked whether they received complaints over behaviour of the police, are they aware of any incident, what do the rules of the service stipulate, do the members of those special police units have the right to ask for documents near Brnjak instead of border police.

The response came from Kosovo police saying that “no police units have intention to provoke or create uncertainty”, on the contrary, according to the police “they are present across Kosovo in line with operational needs and risks, in order to ensure security of all citizens”. They also said their duties include controlling the vehicles in line with the fight against crime and smuggling.  

The portal however recalled that concrete answers whether there were reported incidents and complaints about conduct of the police were missing.

The portal further said that while police say their main task is to ensure safety, northern residents, in particular those in Zubin Potok, according to an opposition municipal councillor, see the presence of special police units as “occupation under the pretext of fighting organised crime”.

Milija Bisevac, the councillor in Zubin Potok spoke about it in September. He said people in the municipality feel intimidated by the reconstruction of Kosovo special police bases in this municipality.

“We are facing big problems, people live in uncertainty, people are intimidated, we do not know what will come next”, he said back then. 

Police confirms stoning of bus transporting Serbs in Mitrovica South (KoSSev)

Kosovo police said that the driver of the bus, owned by 31 May Company from Osojane, pelted with stones two nights ago in Mitrovica South reported the incident to the police.

“The driver reported that while driving the bus, with RKS licence plates in Mitrovica, the window on the bus was damaged. There were no reports on injuries”, Mitrovica South region police said in reply to KoSSev inquiry. They added that the prosecutor proposed to initiate the case as “damage to property”.

Earlier, the Office for Kosovo and Metohija reacting to the incident said the windows on the bus were broken and the bus carried around 30 passengers, including children. The Office also said it was not about an isolated case but rather about “organized terror threatening out citizens in the province”.

Dacic: There will be no pogrom, do not force us to defend ourselves (TV Pink, Danas, FoNet)

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ivica Dacic, said today that at this moment it is very important to maintain political stability and peace, and regarding the situation in Kosovo, he said that “there will be no pogroms, and do not force us to defend ourselves, and we are not going to attack anyone”.

“As for Serbia, we believe that it is necessary to participate in the dialogue, and there is no need to provoke and give an opportunity for someone to say that Serbia is a disruptive factor, but what steps will be taken by the Western countries, that is the question, as well as what is the role of NATO or KFOR,” Dacic told TV Pink

He stressed that NATO and KFOR should ensure peace and that no one can violate the security of citizens, including Serbs in the north.

“Our messages are that we will do everything for peace, but of course we will do everything to protect the Serbs – but what are the consequences? What are the consequences for Kurti and Pristina if they do not agree to the postponement of the deadline for re-registration – Kurti knows that he will not suffer the consequences, unlike Serbia, which is threatened with ‘beatings’,” said Dacic.

He assessed that there is no peace without a just solution, and that by putting Serbia under pressure, “they” (Western countries) are disrupting stability in the region because they want to solve the Kosovo issue through Ukraine, “so that we become, that’s what they’re used to – a collateral damage”.

He announced that the “recognition withdrawal action” will continue.

“For a while we didn’t deal with it, because we respected the Washington Agreement – but we continued, and a number of countries withdrew their recognition of Kosovo. The number of countries that recognize Kosovo in the UN is now far below 110, they have less than 90 (countries that recognize Kosovo),” Dacic said.

“And they (Kosovo) are working in parallel to get some to withdraw their decisions on non-recognition, but Western countries will certainly not withdraw their recognition, and now they are working on imposing a solution from ‘their plan’ on Serbia,” said Dacic.

He also said that “there is a danger” that Ireland will initiate the procedure for Kosovo’s admission to the Council of Europe on November 3, that a two-thirds majority is required for admission, and that there is an “unfavourable situation for us” in that organisation, considering how many member countries recognize independence of Kosovo

When it comes to allegations that the Deputy Prime Minister of the Kosovo government, Besnik Bislimi, was banned from coming to Belgrade yesterday, where he was supposed to participate in two conferences yesterday and today, Dacic replied that he did not know anything about it, nor where or why Bislimi was going.

“Bislimi is our citizen, and I cannot deal with those internal issues, I am no longer the Minister of Internal Affairs,” said Dacic.

“There is a mechanism (for announcing visits) precisely so that there are no such problems,” Dacic said.

Trajkovic on Bislimi’s cancelled visit (Kosovo Online)

I feel sorry that we missed a chance to hear in a public event what Pristina leadership, given that Besnik Bislimi is close to Albin Kurti, has to say, European Serb Movement from Kosovo President Rada Trajkovic said, Kosovo Online portal reports.

“I do not think he is gentle towards Serbs in his stances. However, at those joint gatherings they would have to change”, she added, commenting that Besnik Bislimi, Kosovo Deputy Prime Minister had to return back to Kosovo, after being told that police can’t guarantee his safety. Bislimi was supposed to attend a conference in Belgrade.

She also said she was certain the visit would not take place after the Office for Kosovo and Metohija Director Petar Petkovic cut his visit in Kosovo short saying that Pristina didn’t approve 80 percent of his planned program.

“(…) I would love for him to come to Belgrade and say what he really thinks of Serbs who live in Kosovo in front of so many people. Do they perceive them as humans, and not talk about what the Albanian project is. We all know what are the projects of Albanians, but we do not know what is the chance for the Serbs to survive in that area”, she added.  

Opinion 

Trajkovic: “CSM last stone in foundation of independent Kosovo, yet Kurti doesn’t want it either, but emigration of Serbs”

By Momcilo Trajkovic, President of Serb National Forum

In all crises, the Serbian people in Kosovo remained decapitated because their leaders would always run away. The emigration of the Serbian people, especially in the south, must be urgently put to a stop, the president of the Serb National Forum, Momcilo Trajkovic, said. The situation is reminiscent of 1998, he warned.

“Who did we send to the Kosovo Parliament? The demi-monde, the poor ones who want to take as much as possible from the budget. On the other hand, among Albanians as well – the first elite is not in the parliament either, but that elite is much stronger than ours – economic, intellectual, and political. That’s why ours don’t participate. ‘Let’s go to the parliament and see what politics is, how people go behind the rostrum and oppose with arguments and laws. I don’t have to win, but it has to be recorded.’ They have been going for years, and (in fact) they are just filling their pockets, manipulating these unfortunate people“, Trajkovic said at a forum held in North Mitrovica.

The political initiatives “Srpski Opstanak” and “Za Zubin Potok” organized a public debate last week on the topic of the Association of Serb Municipalities. Srpska Lista representatives, as the organisers reveal, did not respond to their invitation.

Read more at: https://bit.ly/3Wbf0wf

How Karadzic tried to dodge justice, claiming US ‘immunity deal’ (BIRN)

Analysis by Hamza Karcic, associate professor at the Faculty of Political Science at the University of Sarajevo. This article is published as a part of the Enhancing Accountability and Memorialisation Processes in the Balkans project, financed by the Matra Regional Rule of Law Programme.

While trying to avoid trial at the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, ICTY, for crimes committed in Bosnia and Herzegovina during the 1990s war, former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic attempted to argue that a diplomatic deal with the US gave him immunity.

ICTY records and other archival records show how Karadzic and his defence team argued that the US diplomat Richard Holbrooke promised him immunity in 1996 in exchange for leaving politics and enabling Bosnia’s peaceful transition.

The episode revealed the indirect diplomatic negotiations between Karadzic and Holbrooke, but also demonstrated how the interpretation of events by the Bosnian Serb politician, who had a long track record of outright lies, lacked any factual evidence to support his story, which he was trying to use to evade justice.

This article represents a summary of my research paper on Karadzic’s attempt to challenge the jurisdiction of the ICTY. By using the ICTY’s archives and US sources – memoirs and other literature – my research inquired into Karadzic’s claim that he had an immunity agreement with Holbrooke.

Read more at: https://bit.ly/3SO9sF0

Jovana Radosavljevic: In Kosovo, there is silence, and not the good kind of silence (Insajder)

Director of the New Social Initiative, Jovana Radosavljevic said in the Insajder TV Show that “there is a silence, and not the good kind of silence”, on the situation to the issue of re-registration of license plates in Kosovo.

“There is tension. We are talking about a kind of silence that is not that positive silence. I mean people are getting ready for something, but they don’t know what it is. On the other hand, we have several cases of cars that were set on fire or burning of properties of people who have re-registered their vehicles in the meantime. That is not a big number. Likewise, it cannot be claimed 100% that this is the case, but all things indicate that in the case of those individuals, re-registration was the cause” Radosavljevic explained.

When asked by Insajder for whom these tensions were suitable, Radosavljevic replied that they were not suitable for anyone now.

“The main question is why the re-registration process now, why the reciprocity measures now. What we hear from foreign officials is that it is a legitimate decision, and that Kosovo has the right to it, and no one disputes that, but the manner is disputed. The implementation period is very short, and there was no information campaign, but the most important thing is that there is no support from the Serbian List, that is, official Belgrade. If that would be the case, perhaps there would be a larger number of people who would go through the re-registration process,” Radosavljevic said.

“Somehow it seems that at one time the international community had more influence on the representatives of the authorities in Pristina,’’ and Radosavljevic pointed out that it was very interesting. 

“Kurti is a person who does not have a criminal past in that sense, so there is no room for him to be pressured or cornered in any way and forced to make certain decisions. He sees it as if he has free reign and that he simply has room to make decisions that are not in accordance with what the international community sees as right,” Radosavljevic pointed out.

Also, all other officials in Kosovo have a firm position when it comes to vehicle re-registration.

“What essentially makes the situation worse is what is heard in the public space in Kosovo: his statements, the statements of the President of Kosovo and other Kosovo officials who are quite radical and firm regarding the re-registration process, which reduces the space for them to change direction in this regard because now if they were to refute what they said, they would face the fact that they would lose credibility with their electorate,” she pointed out.

Radosavljevic concluded that there was no interest in vehicle re-registration because even when there was the possibility to choose between RKS or KS plates and when the Serbian List called for re-registration, only 400 people re-registered their vehicles.

Mijacic: “If the decision on the plates is not postponed next week, a conflict in Kosovo is possible” (N1)

Dragisa Mijacic from the Institute for Territorial Economic Development and coordinator of the National Convention for Chapter 35 (negotiations between Belgrade and Pristina) warns that if the decision on re-registration is not postponed, “as early as next week we could have a war in the north of Kosovo”, reported N1.

“We will have armed conflicts between the local population and the Kosovo police. Tensions are at an extremely high level… We have the same situation as it was in Kosovo from ’93-96. years. Let us not let the ’97-98 happen, when Albanian terrorists started killing Serbian police officers,” said Mijacic in N1 Studio Live.

When asked whether Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic is calming tensions with today’s talks with Serbs from the north of Kosovo, he believed that “both the president and Serbian List sent a clear message, SL announced peaceful protests, and that Vucic said he would not be the first to react, but that he will stand by the Serbs from Kosovo”.

He reminded that the President of Kosovo, Vjosa Osmani, accused the Serbian side of threatening with illegal measures, because Kosovo is enforcing the law, and of using Russian methods.

“The Kosovo side thinks that by including Russia and Russian aggression in the whole narrative, it will be able to gain the attention of international actors to solve the situation in the north of Kosovo by force. This is such a game that one expects the reactions of the other. I don’t believe that Belgrade will send the army and tanks to the north, but I am sure that it has mechanisms that will either calm the situation or facilitate its resolution by other means,” Mijacic assessed for N1.

He pointed out that he was waiting for the move of Kosovo’s Prime Minister Albin Kurti, adding that the Brussels summit will be held on November 3, where several agreements should be signed, then in the middle of the month visas for citizens of Kosovo will be abolished, and all of this will not happen if there is instability in the north.

“We also have a Franco-German proposal that in some way tries to resolve the issue of Kosovo in the foreseeable future. All this will be destroyed if Kurti does not withdraw now… Any instability in the north will set Kosovo back a few years,” Mijacic believed.

He added that no one knows how Kurti will react, and that the reactions of Vucic and the Serbian List are reactive, not proactive.

Stating that Kurti was an unpredictable politician, Mijacic recalled that this year he made two autonomous decisions – not to allow the holding of a referendum and elections in Kosovo, and he did not even register the land of the Visoki Decani monastery in the cadastre, which even American President Joseph Biden asked him to do.

“He is trying to round off his sovereignty… The decision on re-registration is not against the laws of Kosovo, but everyone is asking for it to be resolved peacefully, not overnight as it could happen on November 1,” he said. 

He pointed out that “it is very important to preserve the peace”, because, as he stated, the situation was very serious and complicated and there are a lot of messages that worry the public both in the north of Kosovo and here.

“There is international pressure to postpone that decision for another 10 months. If this measure is implemented, it will certainly mean riots and instability in the north of Kosovo. It is not easy to predict what the conflict between the local population and the Kosovo police would look like”, said Mijacic and added he believed that mechanisms of resistance to the authorities from Pristina would be used, through blockades that they have used before.

Pristina also has developed scenarios, he belived, and “the question is who will react first to the situation”.

“The question of plates is not so simple, on the one hand it is a technical question, and on the other emotional… Now it has reached an emotional level, where this question boils down to whether you are for Serbia or for Kosovo”, Mijacic believes.

He reminds that the majority of citizens changed their license plates in 2018, because RKS license plates are necessary for travelling to central Kosovo, and that the Serbian government reacted only when KS license plates expired.

International 

EU revisits Balkans to win friends, seek more influence (AP)

BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union is in the midst of yet another goodwill trip through the Western Balkans to drum up support for the bloc and to make sure that Europe’s historical tinderbox is not about to pick the side of hostile Russia or strategic rival China in the world of geopolitics.

EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will have a stop during her whirlwind six-nation tour in Serbia on Friday, by far the most important nation in the southern region, and one that has shown scant regard for solidarity in joining EU sanctions against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine.

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

Open Balkan and Berlin Process for successful regional cooperation (EWB)

BELGRADE – For successful regional cooperation, it is necessary to include all the countries of the Western Balkans and to use all good practices from existing initiatives, the Berlin Process, and Open Balkan, it was concluded during the panel “Open Balkan and Berlin Process – Labyrinth of Regional Cooperation”, at Belgrade Security Conference.

The Minister of European Affairs of Montenegro, Jovana Marović, stated that the countries of the Western Balkans should focus on the Berlin process and within it use the good practices of the Open Balkan initiative.

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

‘I never imagined this could be done also to men’ (Kosovo 2.0)

Male survivors of wartime sexual violence seek help after two decades.

One day around five years ago, Arben stopped in front of a residential building across from Prishtina’s City Park and looked up toward the balcony of the first floor where the offices of the Kosova Rehabilitation Center for Torture Victims (KRCT) are located.

Just take a deep breath, he thought, walk a few steps, knock on the door and that would be it — an end to two decades of isolation.

Arben, who is in his late thirties, approached the door while trying to put order to the words in his head. He hadn’t yet decided whether to introduce himself with his real name or a pseudonym.

He looked around the unfamiliar neighbourhood and at the unknown faces passing in the street who took no notice of him. He was far from his village, but he was terrified that someone might recognize him, that his secret would be revealed (Arben is a pseudonym, granted to protect his privacy).

Then he panicked. He ran into the park, sat on the first bench he came across, waited for his rapid heartbeat to slow down, and returned home. 

After a few months he tried again. The same scene unfolded: cold sweat on his forehead, trembling and shaking, his heart racing, an escape to the same bench and back to the village. 

On his third try he finally made it inside the centre’s doors.

Read more at: https://bit.ly/3fkU4Cl

To US Concern, Turkish-Russian Trade Flourishes in Face of Sanctions (Balkan Insight)

Russian companies are flocking to Turkey while trade between the two countries has skyrocketed since Ankara’s refusal to join Western sanctions on Moscow.

Turkey “acts very carefully within the international financial system,” Finance Minister Nurettin Nebati said on October 25, but the United States is not so sure, at least when it comes to trade with Russia.

Five days earlier, US Assistant Secretary for Terrorist Financing and Financial Crimes Elizabeth Rosenberg visited Istanbul and Ankara to discuss, among other things, “sanctions and export controls imposed on Russia by a broad coalition of over 30 countries, energy security, anti-money laundering policy, and countering the financing of terrorism,” according to a US Treasury statement.

The meetings “affirmed the importance of close partnership” between the NATO allies in tackling the risks posed by sanctions evasion.

Regardless of Nebati’s assurances, the cause of the US concern is clear.

According to official TurkStat data, trade between Turkey and Russia has skyrocketed since the West imposed sweeping sanctions on Moscow over its February invasion of Ukraine and the ongoing war.

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