Albanian Language Media:

• Kurti appoints Nenad Rasic as Minister for Communities and Returns (media)
• Osmani: WB membership in the EU and NATO, pillar of peace and stability (Koha)
• Rada Trajkovic, advisor to the new minister of the Kurti government (Koha)
• Steinmeier praises Lajcak, says that author of agreement proposal is not important (Express)
• Kurti reacts again to killing of pregnant woman by her husband (media)
• Haxhiu: There will be resignations, dismissals, and criminal responsibility (EO)
• Abdixhiku to Kurti: State has failed in every direction, take measures and act (media)
• AAK’s Lekaj calls for resignation of Justice Minister and Acting Health Minister (EO)
• Szunyog horrified by last night’s murder (RTK)
• CDHRF: Killing of pregnant woman, failure of state protection mechanisms (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Serbian List announces complaint to Constitutional Court over Rasic’s appointment, says it is anti-constitutional (Kosovo Online)
• Petkovic: Nenad Rasic and Rada Trajkovic do not represent Serbian people in Kosovo (media)
• Rada Trajkovic, advisor to Minister Rasic (KiM radio) 
• Rasic: It won’t be difficult to be better than the predecessor (KiM radio)
• Dacic: Kurti lives in parallel reality (Radio KIM)
• UNS: “The Black Peony” award goes to Kurti for worst cooperation with journalists (N1)
• Petkovic: Everyone saw Kurti’s true intentions (Kosovo Online)
• Dacic: Rewarding Pristina counterproductive, EU demonstrates double standards (Tanjug)
• Petkovic: ZSO obligation that Kurti undertook (Kosovo Online)
• Kosovo PM: We won’t allow establishment of another Republika Srpska in Kosovo (N1 Sarajevo)
• Dodik on Kurti’r remarks about Republika Srpska (Kosovo Online)
• Bosnia and Herzegovina border police says Kosovo residents may enter country with visa only (Kosovo Online)
• Lopandic: Kosovo stands no chances of obtaining candidate status for EU membership (Kosovo online, Danas)
• Petrides: Cypriot position on Kosovo unchanged, ties with Serbia strong (Tanjug)

International:

• Kosovo Authorities Failed Second Woman Murdered in Week (BIRN)

Humanitarian/Development:

• Employment of women from non-majority communities remains a challenge (RTK)

Albanian Language Media  

Kurti appoints Nenad Rasic as Minister for Communities and Returns (media)

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti appointed Nenad Rasic as the Minister for Communities and Returns today, a government press release notes. Kurti congratulated Rasic on his new duty and responsibilities in the Republic of Kosovo.

Osmani: WB membership in the EU and NATO, pillar of peace and stability (Koha)

The membership of the Western Balkans in the European Union and NATO is not only in interest, it would be a pillar of peace and stability for our entire continent, said the President of Kosovo Vjosa Osmani in her speech held at the University of Sofia. She emphasised that when the security architecture in Europe and beyond is under threat due to the war in Ukraine, the geostrategic interest of the EU and NATO is for the Western Balkans to be part of both alliances.

Osmani, who is on an official visit to Bulgaria, was honoured with the Badge of Honor of the University of Sofia in a ceremony at the Rectorate Hall of the University. The award was given at the suggestion of the Faculty of Law and was given in connection with her activities as a leading jurist in her country with international recognition.

“For centuries, it has been in Russia’s interest to ensure that they succeed in spreading their malign influence in the Western Balkans, unfortunately, using one of the countries of our region as a representative, as a liaison,” Osmani said.

She added that this Russian interest continues even today, according to her, not because they are specifically interested in Kosovo, but because they believe that by attacking what has been achieved in Kosovo, by attacking stability in the Western Balkans, they are attacking the values ​​and systems on which EU and NATO are based.

“These are attacks on the EU and NATO, because they know, like us, that a destabilised Western Balkans means a destabilised Europe,” Osmani said. For this reason, she added, it is important that ‘the Western Balkans, our democratic countries, believe in the rule of law, human rights and democracy, and be able to join the EU and NATO.’ She added that this means that Europe will be whole, united and free, which will not be possible if a part of Europe is destabilised because the Western Balkans is always under threat, even if a part of the Western Balkans is closed in a vacuum.

She emphasised that there is never a vacuum, there is always someone to come and take the remaining free space. The President of Kosovo said that the Euro-Atlantic axis and the close cooperation between the EU and the USA is the key to ensure that this space is not left to malicious actors, this is the key to long-term stability in the region and beyond.

Rada Trajkovic, advisor to the new minister of the Kurti government (Koha)

Rada Trajkovic, chairperson of the European Movement of Kosovo Serbs,  will be an advisor to the new Minister for Communities and Return of the Kurti Government, Nenad Rasic.

Rasic himself confirmed this information for the Media Center on Thursday.

“She is the right one to be appointed because she has a lot of experience and knowledge. It is certain that much can be learned from her and she will make a great contribution to the work of the ministry. In addition, she was one of the candidates on the list and thus took responsibility and had the courage to be part of our party’s list,” Rasic said.

In the last parliamentary elections in Kosovo, Rada Trajkovic was on the list of the Freedom, Justice and Survival Civic Initiative, but this initiative did not win enough votes to enter the Kosovo Assembly.

Steinmeier praises Lajcak, says that author of agreement proposal is not important (Express)

The German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier in a media conference in Tirana together with President of Albania Bajram Begaj, spoke about the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue.

Begaj said that Albania welcomes the French-German proposal and any effort that leads to finding a solution to the Kosovo-Serbia conflict.

“The French-German proposal or the recently mentioned Brussels proposal for the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue is welcome. Every effort for dialogue and finding a solution between Kosovo and Serbia and every proposal related to it is welcomed by us and we have always been in favor of this dialogue.”

After him, Steinmeier said that the contribution that leads to the reduction of tensions is more important than the sender of the proposal, while praising the work of the special emissary, Miroslav Lajcak. 

“The sender of the proposals is not important. Any contribution that reduces the escalation of conflicts is welcome. Otherwise, I can say a lot of respect for my colleague and friend Lajcak, who has turned it into his passionate mission. With experience, knowledge and great patience, he handled exactly this process of dialogue.”

Today Steinmeier stayed on a state visit to Tirana and this marks the first visit of a German president to Albania in 27 years.

Kurti reacts again to killing of pregnant woman by her husband (media)

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti took to Facebook today to react again against the killing of a pregnant woman by her husband in front of the maternity hospital in Pristina on Wednesday. He said that the fight for gender equality is not a private matter.

“When a woman is killed it is too late. Societal awakening is happening late, and it lasts for a short time. A protest or two the next day and then farewell until the next killing. Women that are killed in their families are those that resisted against the violence of their husbands. Women that are killed are women that did not keep silent. Our society is in general silent toward the killed voice of those women. Women (and their children) are fighting inside their private homes without the required public support,” Kurti said.

“Kosovo’s citizens, in particular Albanians that consider themselves patriotic, must raise their voices against men that raise their hands against women. Kosovo has less than 10,000 police officers and more than 300,000 families.”

Haxhiu: There will be resignations, dismissals, and criminal responsibility (EO)

Kosovo’s Minister of Justice, Albulena Haxhiu, said today that in relation to the killing of a pregnant woman by her husband in front of the maternity hospital in Pristina, that if it is confirmed any of the sectors of the system failed, there will be resignations, dismissals, and even criminal responsibility. 

After the inter-ministerial meeting, Haxhiu accused the prosecution because the suspect had been released earlier. “Two women killed by their husbands in two days. We have discussed inter-institutional actions and according to information from the police, in July this year the victim had reported the suspect for mental and physical violence and the prosecution had released him in regular procedure. This is irresponsibility from the institution and the prosecutor of the case, because we are continuously calling for the protection of women and girls,” she said.

Abdixhiku to Kurti: State has failed in every direction, take measures and act (media)

Leader of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK), Lumir Abdixhiku, reacted today to Prime Minister Albin Kurti’s statement after the killing of a pregnant woman by her husband, saying that Kurti is talking like an analyst and opposition member and that he has yet to realise that he is the leader of the state.

“A pregnant woman had a protective order. The state led by him [Kurti] has failed in every direction … You should ask for responsibility, Prime Minister! Take measures and act. That is why you are there,” Abdixhiku wrote in a Facebook post.

AAK’s Lekaj calls for resignation of Justice Minister and Acting Health Minister (EO)

MP from the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK), Pal Lekaj, said in an interview with the news website today that Justice Minister Albulena Haxhiu and Acting Health Minister Dafina Gexha-Bunjaku should resign after a pregnant woman was killed by her husband in front of the maternity hospital in Pristina on Wednesday. “What happened has shocked everyone and for this to happen in an institution such as the Kosovo University and Clinical Centre where people seek medical treatment and to suffer the worst fate, the government must reflect and someone must resign … First the Acting Minister of Health and Minister [of Justice] Haxhiu, because this concerns justice, and this government is slipping towards a point that no one has expected,” Lekaj said.

Szunyog horrified by last night’s murder (RTK)

The head of the EU Office in Kosovo, Tomas Szunyog, through a post on Twitter, reacted after the murder of the 35-year-old woman who was killed last night in the yard of the Clinical University Center of Kosovo.

“I am horrified by the murder of a woman and her unborn child last night. She was the second woman killed since the 16 Days of Activism against #VAW campaign began. This is unacceptable! My condolences to the families & full support to the march organised today by women CSOs,” Szunyog wrote. 

CDHRF: Killing of pregnant woman, failure of state protection mechanisms (media)

The Council for the Defence of Human Rights and Freedoms (CDHRF) issued a statement today reacting to the killing of a pregnant woman by her husband last night in Pristina and claiming that the crime is a direct consequence of the failure of state protection mechanisms.

The Council appealed to the people to help police if they have any information about the whereabouts of the perpetrator and strongly opposed inciting and abusing statements by politicians who want to score political points.

“The CDHRF also calls for investigations that will reveal which part of the institutional chain of command that was responsible for the life of the victim, failed and to undertake concrete measures … The biggest mistake was that an electronic tag was not placed on the suspect, although the legal basis for this exists and is foreseen in a law that was adopted two years ago. The chain of responsibility is long, and the issue cannot be closed with the arrest of the suspect.”

Serbian Language Media 

Serbian List announces complaint to Constitutional Court over Rasic’s appointment, says it is anti-constitutional (Kosovo Online)

Serbian List said that anti-constitutional decision to appoint Nenad Rasic as Minister for Communities and Returns in Pristina government, without consent of the Serb MPs, reflets at its best “autocratic, dictatorship, anti-constitutional and anti-Serbian actions of Kosovo prime minister Albin Kurti”, Kosovo Online portal reports.

Serbian List said in a statement following continuous violation of the Brussels agreement, Kurti now demonstrated that he does not respect even the legal acts of Pristina, if they go to the favour of the Serbian community.

“By this appointment Albin Kurti violated Article 96, point 5 of the Constitution which says that consent of the majority of the Serbian MPs must be sought for the appointment of a minister from the Serbian community, who is not an MP, which Albin Kurti did not do, and Rasic has no support of our MPs”, Serbian List said in a statement.

They also said that the anti-constitutional appointment of Nenad Rasic was a product of Kurti’s acts to “have loyal Serbs by his side, whose personal interests would come before national interests, and who have no support from the Serbian people in Kosovo and Metohija”.

The Serbian List also said it will file a complaint to the Constitutional Court that must confirm, without delay, if this is violation of the Constitution and violation of the rights of the Serbian people.

“This also demonstrates how strategically important it was to verify mandates of Serbian List MPs in the Assembly in Pristina, and not allow some Kurti’s Serbs to come to the position to decide on interests of the Serbian people instead of Serbian List”, the statement concluded.

Petkovic: Nenad Rasic and Rada Trajkovic do not represent Serbian people in Kosovo (media)

The Director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija, Petar Petkovic, reacted to the appointment of Nenad Rasic as Minister for Communities and the Return, by the Kosovo PM Albin Kurti, reported Serbian media. 

“Kurti’s puppet Nenad Rasic, together with Rada Trajkovic, does not represent the Serbian people in Kosovo and Metohija, the Serbs did not vote for him in the last elections, but he represents Albin Kurti and his militant policy towards everything Serbian in Kosovo and Metohija,” Petar Petkovic said in a statement.

Petkovic pointed out that this is also shown by the results of the last elections in Kosovo, where the list created by Rasic, won 0.173 percent of the votes, in contrast to the Serbian List, which was voted for by almost 96 percent of the Serbian people.

“Even the internal so-called highest legal act of Pristina in Article 96, point 5, stipulates that the election of the minister of temporary institutions of self-government must have the support of the majority of deputies of the Serbian community, in this case, the Serbian List, and Kurti would never have received such support from the deputies of the Serbian List for the election of his puppet to the ministerial post,” said Petkovic, the Office for Kosovo and Metohija announced.

Petkovic also assessed that the election of Rasic is the biggest proof of what they are warning about all the time, “that there are Kurti’s Serbs in Kosovo who are ready to do anything for the sake of personal interest and a deal with Pristina”.

“That’s why Serbian List, as a barrier of the stay and survival of the Serbian people in these areas, is the only one that has the support of official Belgrade and its country and will never serve the authorities in Pristina and Albin Kurti, but only its own people,” Petkovic said, announced the KiM Office in its statement for the media.

Rada Trajkovic, advisor to Minister Rasic (KiM radio) 

Rada Trajkovic, a former MP in the Assembly of Kosovo, and president of the European Movement of Kosovo Serbs, was appointed this morning as an advisor to the Minister for Communities and Return in the Government of Kosovo, Nenad Rasic. 

“They took my data this morning and I was appointed this morning,” Trajkovic told KiM radio.

When asked how she would advise Rasic, Rada Trajkovic said that “the priority is to see the Serbs from Kosovo and Metohija as a whole”.

“I think too much emphasis is placed on the north of Kosovo and somehow the Serbs in the enclaves are neglected. That is one thing, and the other is that we will encourage the voice of the Serbs, which is authentic, which was suppressed by the mental occupation, which came from the Serbian list, and the criminal elements within that list, I mean first of all their vice president,” Trajkovic told KiM radio. 

Trajkovic said that ”the time is coming when Serbs will begin to express themselves freely again”.

“There will be free indignation, free disagreement and free expression of one’s views. Our freedom has now been revoked by the institutions that are currently operating,” said Trajkovic, emphasising that ”this freedom is limited by the Serbian List and the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic”, reported KiM radio.

Reacting to the announcement by the Serbian List that they will appeal to the Constitutional Court due to what they said was the illegal appointment of Rasic, Trajkovic said that the appointment was legal and legitimate.

“Our political entity entered the parliament, regardless of the fact that it entered and left through us, that is, joined the Serbian List. So, our political entity is part of the parliament,” said Trajkovic.

Rasic: It won’t be difficult to be better than the predecessor (KiM radio)

The newly appointed Minister for Communities and Return, Nenad Rasic, told KiM radio that he expects to have the full support of Kosovo’s Prime Minister Albin Kurti in his new task, and that his task is to be better than his predecessor (Goran Rakic), which, he says, will not be a hard job. 

The decision to appoint Nenad Rasic to the position of Minister for Communities and Returns was signed this morning by Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti.

“We had a long meeting, like yesterday too, about our plans and how he thinks our cooperation should look like. I also had my own proposals. The very act of signing means to me that we will definitely try to make better relations, which were in an unfavourable position according to me, because of all these circumstances that we have had in recent months,” Rasic told KiM radio. 

The new minister expects to have the strong support of Prime Minister Albin Kurti.

“It is really important that we get a representative who would be an authentic Kosovo Serb and who would sincerely work in the interests of the citizens, primarily Serbs and other communities, but not to the detriment of Albanians. There is one task and that is to be a better minister than previous ministers. Considering their results or rather their bad results, my job will not be difficult in the sense of being better than them. Those are my general expectations. We Kosovo Serbs have to follow for once, what the old proverb says, ”self-do, self-have’,” Rasic concluded.

Dacic: Kurti lives in parallel reality (Radio KIM)

Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic reacting to the statement of Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti that Belgrade-Pristina agreement will be reached in spring next year, said that no deadlines were mentioned nor were part of some agreement that has been made, Radio KIM reports.

Dacic also told B92 TV that Kurti “lives in a parallel reality”.

“It takes two to dialogue, and sometimes also three. If they do not need Serbia, then the dialogue does not have to be held”, Dacic said.

Asked if the French-German proposal was acceptable for Serbia, Dacic said this proposal “could be a good starting point to reach agreement between Belgrade and Pristina, if there is no membership (of Kosovo) in the UN”. 

UNS: “The Black Peony” award goes to Kurti for worst cooperation with journalists (N1)

The Association of Journalists of Serbia (UNS) has decided to award “The White Peony” to Gordana Djoric, the president of women’s business Association Avenija for the best cooperation with the media, while “The Black Peony” for the worst cooperation with the media goes to Kosovo Prime Minister, Albin Kurti, the UNS said in a statement, N1 reports.

Journalists, members of UNS in Kosovo voted online, and this year there were 12 candidates for “The White Peony” and nine candidates for “The Black Peony”.

Of political officials, only the mayor of Pec, Gazmend Muhaxherri was nominated for the best cooperation with the media.

“The White Peony” candidates this year included Stanislav Kojic, cultural worker and author of dozens of monographs, and the archpriest Stevo Miric from Novo Brdo Parish. Candidates from the academic community included director of Kosovo-Metohija Academy, Milan Misic, rector of Pristina University in Mitrovica North, Nebojsa Arsic and professor at University in Mitrovica South and political analyst Nedxmedin Spahiu.

The candidates for the best cooperation with the media also include director of Mitrovica North Clinical and Health Center, Zlatan Elek and director of a national employment bureau, Verica Ceranic.

The candidates for “The Black Peony”, in addition to Albin Kurti, included his deputy Besnik Bislimi, and the entire Kosovo government.

Others include the Serbian List, while individual candidates from this list were its president Goran Rakic and his deputy Igor Simic. Mayor of Kamenica Kadri Rahimaj, and Gracanica police station commander Bratislav Trajkovic were also nominated.

“The White and Black Peony” award was established in 2014 by the Association of Journalists of Serbia in Kosovo, aiming to point out positive and negative examples of cooperation by institutions, individuals and organisations in Kosovo with media and journalists.

Petkovic: Everyone saw Kurti’s true intentions (Kosovo Online)

Director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija, Petar Petkovic, said that yesterday everyone could see the true face of Kosovo PM Albin Kurti and his ”true militant intentions when it comes to the normalisation of relations between Belgrade and Pristina”, reported portal Kosovo Online. 

Petkovic told TV Pink that everyone in the Kosovo parliament heard that Kurti was not interested in forming the ZSO, that he would never form it and that he was never interested in the issue.

“It just shows what kind of attitude Pristina has towards dialogue and that they don’t want to agree on anything and respect the agreements. It also shows how right the Serbs were when they left Pristina’s institutions, precisely because they insisted on the formation of the ZSO,” he stated.

Petkovic pointed out that Kurti was right when he said that he was not interested in dialogue.

“He is simply using dialogue so that he can say in front of the international community that he is participating in that process, but he is not actually doing anything about it. That is why it is important for everyone to understand Belgrade’s position in this process. Every agreement is a small step to preserve peace, stability, and the lives of people in Kosovo and Metohija,” Petkovic said.

He added that there were no sanctions against Kurti by the international community.

“Kurti said today that he is happy because the Serbian List will no longer be the one that will condition the so-called Kosovo. Kurti could not give a higher praise to SL, because it shows that SL was and remains a barrier of the defence of Serbian national interests together with Belgrade. Kurti’s threats on announcing competitions, is an indication that the Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija want to listen and look in the direction of Belgrade,” he added.

Petkovic said that 51 agreements had been reached so far, and not 33 as Kurti said. 

“We know every letter of the agreement, we know what the obligation of Pristina is, but also the EU, which is obliged to fulfil everything that has been achieved. That is why it is important that the EU and international factors exert the necessary pressure on Kurti, because he shows that he does not want to end the implementation of the agreements reached to normalise life, to prevent Serbs from being attacked, and to have ZSO. It is important that we be wise and responsible,” he said.

“We showed that Belgrade does not want to attack anyone but is a constructive factor that wants peace and stability, and the only one who creates a crisis is Kurti,” concluded Petkovic.

Dacic: Rewarding Pristina counterproductive, EU demonstrates double standards (Tanjug)

Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic said Wednesday that rewarding institutions in Pristina with a decision on a start of visa liberalisation would be counterproductive because the Pristina authorities were obstructing a continuation of the dialogue with Belgrade and posing a threat to peace and stability in the region due to their unilateral moves, Tanjug news agency reports.

“That is not good for the EU either because it shows that it (the EU) has no authority and has double standards. I do not know what kind of a message that would be for Serbia, which has been fair and a predictable partner throughout all these years, yet it constantly faces threats, pressure and conditions, unlike Pristina’s representatives, who practically get rewarded for their unfairness and failure to meet their international commitments”, Dacic told Tanjug.

That is not a good message to send, Dacic added, commenting on a report that EU FMs have agreed in principle to take the first step in the procedure for a joint decision to start visa liberalisation for holders of passports issued by Pristina.

“The Republic of Serbia has never been against citizens from our region having the right to travel to EU member countries without visas. This is about something else. A few days ago, we saw that the provisional Pristina institutions pose the main problem in implementation of the Brussels Agreement and a threat to regional peace and stability”, Dacic said.

Petkovic: ZSO obligation that Kurti undertook (Kosovo Online)

Office for Kosovo and Metohija Director, Petar Petkovic said today that Community of Serb-majority Municipalities is an obligation Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti undertook, adding he can’t escape from it, Kosovo Online portal reports.

In a post on Twitter Petkovic wrote that Kurti can’t abolish the UN Charter, Resolution 1244, and Brussels agreement.

“ZSO is an obligation that Kurti undertook, and he can’t escape from it! It is that he illegally chose obedient Serbs to round up independence of the so-called Kosovo and prevent establishment of ZSO, it is the question for the EU. Kurti can’t abolish the UN Charter, Resolution 1244 and Brussels agreement”, Petkovic said. 

Kosovo PM: We won’t allow establishment of another Republika Srpska in Kosovo (N1 Sarajevo)

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti, told N1 on Wednesday that the establishment of a Community of Serb Municipalities will not be allowed because he does not want Kosovo to end up with a political structure similar to Bosnia’s semi-autonomous Republika Srpska (RS) entity.

Kurti spoke about the relations between Kosovo and Bosnia and Herzegovina, mentioning the fact that it is very difficult to enter Kosovo from BiH and vice-versa. He explained that he had to go to the BiH Embassy in Skopje to get a visa and visit the country so he can attend the Srebrenica Genocide commemoration event.

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

Dodik on Kurti’r remarks about Republika Srpska (Kosovo Online)

By spooking the world with Republika Srpska, which is a constitutional category in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Prime Minister Albin Kurti only looks for an alibi not to fulfil his international obligations thus deepens the crisis and postpones solution, Republika Srpska President Milorad Dodik said, Kosovo Online portal reports.

“Republika Srpska has its own authorities it gets in a democratic elections and its policy is not driven from outside, not even by Belgrade as Kurti suggests”, Dodik told SRNA news agency when asked to comment on Kurti’s statement that because of, as he said it, “bitter experience” from Bosnia and Herzegovina he will not allow establishment of Community of Serb-majority Municipalities, adding he does not want that Serbia “copies the model” of the Republika Srpska.

Dodik also pointed out that by signing the Brussels agreement Pristina took an obligation to establish a Community of Serb Municipalities, which Kurti persistently refuses, and it has nothing to do with Republika Srpska or Serbia.

Dodik added that Kurti’s “obsession” with Belgrade and persistent attempts to find a culprit in Belgrade was fully understandable “given that he knows he stole his fake state from Serbia and would now yell around the region ‘catch the thief’”.

Dodik recalled that Republika Srpska fulfils its international obligations and advocates for peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina and in an entire region, thus in no way can be linked with “Kurti’s fake state”.

Bosnia and Herzegovina border police says Kosovo residents may enter country with visa only (Kosovo Online)

Bosnia and Herzegovina border police, reacting to the allegations appearing online that people from Kosovo as of November 3 enjoy visa-free access to Bosnia and Herzegovina and may enter the country with a valid ID card only, said those information were inaccurate, Kosovo Online portal reports citing Radio Sarajevo.

“In line with the decision on visas, stipulating that citizens with travel documents bearing “Republic of Kosovo” markings are obliged to obtain a visa of Bosnia and Herzegovina beforehand, which is not inserted into travel documents but issued in a separate template and under particular proceeding. Taking into consideration what is mentioned above, we inform citizens from the area of Kosovo that they can not use ID cards while crossing the state borders of Bosnia and Herzegovina”, spokesperson of Bosnian border police Franka Vican Boskovic said, the portal reported.

The prime ministers of the Western Balkans in Berlin on November 3, within the Berlin process, signed the Agreement on travelling with ID cards only in the region, however the agreement will be implemented only at the moment it gets approved by states that signed it.

Until that happens, bilateral agreements on crossing the border with ID cards only that Bosnia and Herzegovina reciprocally has with Serbia, Montenegro, Albania and North Macedonia are in force. 

Lopandic: Kosovo stands no chances of obtaining candidate status for EU membership (Kosovo online, Danas)

European Movement in Serbia vice president Dusko Lopandic said there are no minimum chances for Kosovo to enter the EU enlargement process under current conditions because it is not recognized by five EU member states, Kosovo Online portal reports.

According to him, the first phase of the process starts with the decision of the EU Council to forward the request unanimously to the European Commission for opinion, but this is unlikely to happen.

According to Sofija Popovic, European Western Balkans portal journalist the war in Ukraine has revived the debate on enlargement as an instrument of EU foreign policy actions, adding because of that Ukraine and Moldova obtained candidate status, and one could expect that Bosnia and Herzegovina will get the candidate status in December as well.

However, she said, the situation with Kosovo is much more complex.

“In formal and legal terms, the fact that Kosovo is not recognized by five EU member states, is not an obstacle for Pristina to file a candidate status request. But for this request to be approved it is necessary to have the full consent of all EU member states. It is certain that Cyprus and Spain would be against it because of their own internal territorial problems, but I would not exclude the possibility that some other states which formally recognize Kosovo would be against it, such as Hungary”, she said. 

Petrides: Cypriot position on Kosovo unchanged, ties with Serbia strong (Tanjug)

Cyprus’s position of non-recognition of the unilaterally declared independence of Kosovo is unchanged and the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity are inalienable and unquestionable for us, Cypriot Defence Minister Charalambos Petrides said at the end of a two-day visit to Serbia.

In an interview for the RTS, Petrides said Cyprus’s position on the Kosovo and Metohija issue was clear.

“We, of course, support integrity and always abide by the rules and regulations of EU member states: international law and the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) – maritime law. We support Serbia on Kosovo and Metohija”, he said, noting that Serbia supported Nicosia on the Cyprus issue.

He said bilateral relations with Serbia were characterised by stability, a high degree of mutual understanding and trust. “We are countries that think alike. We have had excellent and strong ties for a long time”.

Besides areas such as culture and religion, we also have very good cooperation in the field of military equipment”, Petrides said, noting that Cyprus had recently purchased a Serbian-made Nora artillery system.

International 

Kosovo Authorities Failed Second Woman Murdered in Week (BIRN)

A pregnant woman who had received a protection order from the courts was murdered in front of the Gynecology Clinic in Pristina – in what looks like another institutional failure to prevent femicide.

Kosovo is mourning a second murdered woman in one week. The 35-year-old was killed on Wednesday night while waiting to give birth in the coming days in front of the Gynecology Clinic at the University Clinical Center of Kosovo, UCCK, in the capital, Pristina.

Police are now looking for the suspect, her husband, against whom the victim had taken out a protection order from the court of Ferizaj/Urosevac.

The woman is suspected to have been shot three times; police identified three bullet casings at the crime scene.

The Minister of Justice, Albulena Haxhiu, announced on Wednesday that on Thursday morning, “the interministerial group will gather to report each institutional action” in the murder case.

“The fight against femicide can be difficult but we dare not lose hope but must unite as institutions and as a society to fight femicide that is taking women’s lives,” Haxhiu wrote on her official Facebook account.

Read more at: https://bit.ly/3B1FkQF

Humanitarian/Development

Employment of women from non-majority communities remains a challenge (RTK)

Women from non-majority ethnic groups are faced with multiple challenges in terms of their employment. Several women interviewed by Radio Kosova said they have benefited from EU funds for opening small private enterprises. 

According to the latest data from the Kosovo Statistics Agency, only 21 percent of women in Kosovo are employed. Women from non-majority communities are no exception.

Svetlana Djuric, from the village of Osojane in the municipality of Istog, told Radio Kosova that with help from programs of international organisations she runs a shop for agricultural products and culinary. “We started our business together with four women. This year we received a donation and we started with culinary, but we lack means of transport,” she said.

Zora Bogicevic, who returned to the village of Drenoc in the municipality of Klina in 2011, said she has not yet received any donation. “I have asked for a donation so I can start working by myself but I haven’t received anything yet. I only get promises,” she said.

Atije Hudiqi, a Roma girl from the village of Prilluzhe in the municipality of Vushtrri, said she has finished a sewing course organised by the OSCE and that she is now waiting to get a sewing machine. “I completed the course six months ago. Now I am waiting to get a sewing machine,” she said.

Julia Vitanova, an official with the OSCE Mission in Kosovo, said there are different needs in municipalities and that they are doing their best to make sure that women benefit from their programs. She said they are focused on returnees and vulnerable groups. “For example, in Peja there is more interest in specific equipment, whereas in the region of Gjilan there is a greater need for capacity building and business models,” she said.

Gent Saraqi, from the German organisation “HELP”, said that so far, they have supported women with grants and equipment for their work. “Since 2015 we have given around 2,000 grants. The main areas that we cover are sewing, agriculture, culinary and so on,” he said.

The International Organisation for Migration, through EU funds, has so far helped over 100 women to open new businesses and expand existing businesses.