Albanian Language Media:

• Greater dynamic in dialogue: Five internationals in Pristina on Friday (Koha)
• PM Kurti interview for Swiss newspaper Blick (media)
• Lajcak meets Kurti in Davos; talk next steps in dialogue and pressing issues (media)
• FES: Draft statute of Association, good basis for discussion (RFE)
• Kurti meets Vice President of Switzerland Viola Amherd (media)
• Hoti criticises Kurti: Calls for investors and warnings for war do not go together (Klan)
• Supreme Court reinstates measure on permits for Decan hydropower plants (Telegrafi)
• The judge in KLA leaders’ case: The trial will be long, about 5 years (Nacionale)

Serbian Language Media:

• Vucic’s meetings in Davos (RTS, media)
• Petkovic meets Botsan-Kharchenko, discuss situation in Kosovo (Radio KIM)
• Bilcik: I see goodwill of Belgrade in dialogue, Pristina has to establish ZSO (Tanjug, RTS)
• Former Slovenian PM asks for parliamentary investigation of Berishaj affair (Radio KIM)
• Peach: Sides should not see implementation of agreements as threat (Radio KIM)
• Dacic, Peach discuss bilateral ties, Kosovo, Ukraine (Tanjug)
• European Court of Justice annuls EC decision on Kosovo (N1)
• Lajcak to visit Pristina and Belgrade on January 20 (Radio kontakt plus)
• European Parliament calls Belgrade to align with EU policies (N1)

Albanian Language Media  

Greater dynamic in dialogue: Five internationals in Pristina on Friday (Koha)

Senior representatives of the European Union and the United States of America are expected to arrive in Pristina on Friday in a phase that represents a new dynamic in the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia, the European Union confirmed today.

U.S. special envoy Gabriel Escobar, EU special representative Miroslav Lajcak, foreign and security police advisors of Germany (Jens Plotner) and France (Emmanuel Bonne) and Italy, will stay in Kosovo on Friday.

EU foreign policy spokesman, Peter Stano, confirmed the visit of the delegation to Kosovo and Serbia. “The visits by our representatives are announced by EU institutions. Lajcak will travel to the region this week, as part of efforts to advance the EU-facilitated dialogue. Lajcak will visit Kosovo and Serbia on Friday. In Pristina, he will meet Prime Minister Albin Kurti and in Belgrade, President Aleksandar Vucic, to discuss further steps in the normalisation of relations between Kosovo and Serbia. During the visits, Lajcak will be accompanied by the foreign policy advisors of the President of France, the Chancellor of Germany and the Prime Minister of Italy, and by U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State, Gabriel Escobar,” Stano told a press conference today.

PM Kurti interview for Swiss newspaper Blick (media)

Most local news websites cover an interview that Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti gave to Swiss newspaper Blick. Kurti said that Kosovo and Serbia must normalise their relations. “I am optimistic that an agreement [on normalisation of relations] can be reached within months if there is readiness to reach an agreement – and with support from the democratic West, namely the EU, NATO, the US and UK. I have expressed my readiness to reach an agreement. But an agreement requires both sides,” Kurti is quoted as saying.

Read full interview at: https://bit.ly/3ZKTYqg

Lajcak meets Kurti in Davos; talk next steps in dialogue and pressing issues (media)

EU Special Representative for the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia, Miroslav Lajcak, said in a Twitter post today that he met with Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti in Davos, Switzerland. “Started my day in Davos at #wef23 with an in-depth discussion with Prime Minister Albin Kurti. We spoke about next steps in the Dialogue on normalisation of relations and pressing current issues,” Lajcak tweeted.

FES: Draft statute of Association, good basis for discussion (RFE)

Friedrich Ebert Stiftung confirmed to Radio Free Europe that it has prepared a draft statute for the Association of Serb-majority Municipalities. Rene Schlee from the EFS said believes the draft “is a good basis, which after publication, deserves to be discussed by government and non-government actors”. “We will organise a public discussion on the draft in due time,” he said, without disclosing further details.

The authorities in Kosovo have not commented on the news, while Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said that the drafting of the statute of the Association is the job of the managing team, based on the agreement between Kosovo and Serbia, and not the job of a non-governmental organisation.

In an interview for TV Happy in Serbia, Vucic asked how a German NGO can talk about the competencies of the association. “Who are you to deal with this? This is a matter for Serbs and Albanians … Why should you interfere in what Serbs do in their municipalities,” he said.

Petar Petkovic, head of the Serbian government’s office for Kosovo, too said this week that the statute should be drafted by the managing team and not an NGO. “The attempt of a non-governmental organisation to take over responsibility for drafting the statute of the association loses the meaning of the dialogue and violates the agreement that determined this issue,” he said.

FES representative for Kosovo, Rene Schlee, told RFE that the statute was drafted based on public information on topics of public importance and added that this was not requested by the EU, the German government, the U.S., or any other party.

In October last year, several media in Kosovo published the draft statute of the association, saying that it was drafted by German experts. Schlee confirmed that the FES, in cooperation with the European Institute of Peace, worked on that version of the draft but added that when it was published last year it was an outdated document. Schlee also said that he did not want to reveal any parts from the new version of the draft statute but said that it is in line with the Constitution of Kosovo. “One of the required results of our work is drafting a statute that is in compliance with the Constitution of Kosovo,” he said.

Kurti meets Vice President of Switzerland Viola Amherd (media)

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti met today with the Vice President of Switzerland, Viola Amherd, and Minister of Economy, Guy Parmelin, during the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Kurti expressed deep gratitude for Switzerland’s contribution to Kosovo and their continuous aid for programs for the development of the economy and democracy. The meeting discussed possibilities for greater cooperation in the economy and defence, with special emphasis on sharing experiences in information technology and education. A press release issued by Kurti’s office notes that he reiterated the commitment of the Kosovo government for structural reforms in economy, politics, rule of law, and a functional democracy in line with European standards.

Hoti criticises Kurti: Calls for investors and warnings for war do not go together (Klan)

The former Prime Minister of Kosovo Avdullah Hoti has reacted to Prime Minister Albin Kurti’s meetings with political and economic leaders at the Economic Forum in Davos.

“He goes to Davos and organises a mini-conference for investments, for which he pays a consulting company 58,341.10 Swiss francs without any procurement procedure.

But in the other room, he is seeking for 70 more KFOR troops from Finland, even though KFOR increases and decreases the number of soldiers overnight, according to its needs,” Hoti wrote on Facebook asking further who is advising Kurt in such a manner of promotion of investments.

Supreme Court reinstates measure on permits for Decan hydropower plants (Telegrafi)

The Supreme Court of Kosovo has reinstated a temporary measure on permits and licences for the construction of hydropower plants in Decan. The information was announced by the NGO for environmental protection “Pishtaret”, which said in a statement that in November last year, the Constitutional Court removed the temporary measure on the operation of the hydropower plants and returned the issue to the Supreme Court. 

“We have been notified that in its new decision, the Supreme Court has reinstated the temporary measure, arguing that the operation of hydropower plants can cause irreparable damages to public interests and the citizens of Decan,” the NGO said in a Facebook post. “Moreover, we hope that this decision will move Kelkos and the entire chain of Kosovo institutions, starting with the Municipality of Decan, the Ministry of Economy and Environment, the Energy Regulatory Office, and the Office of the Prime Minister, to act with transparency from now on and to respect the rights of the citizens of Decan and civil society in protecting the environment. Lumbardhi belongs to the people, and no one has the right to make behind-closed-doors deals with our water and lives.”

The judge in KLA leaders’ case: The trial will be long, about 5 years (Nacionale)

The chairman of the court, Charles Smith spoke at the session which is being held in the case of the KLA leaders in The Hague.

Speaking about the duration of the trial, he asked the Prosecutor’s Office to reduce the number of hours planned for the trial.

Smith has said that the trial will be long, adding that the period is 5 years, reports Nacionale.

“We are concerned about the time that the Prosecutor’s Office has requested regarding this case. Let it consider shortening its arguments in order for the trial to be fast and fair. If this works, it will take 600 hours of testimony in a year, and I will say from experience that nothing is perfect, and it may take longer than we hope,” Smith said .

“We will evaluate the way you present your arguments and see if there is a need to speed up the proceedings. We expect this trial to be a long one, the 5-year period that is foreseen has great concerns. We will make cuts if this is necessary to protect the rights of the accused,” said Chief Justice Smith.

Serbian Language Media 

Vucic’s meetings in Davos (RTS, media)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic met on the sidelines of a World Economic Forum in Davos with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, RTS reports. He also met with a founder and executive director of Affinity Partners Company, Jared Kushner, who is also son-in-law of a former US president Donald Trump.

“Always significant meeting with a great friend Pedro Sanchez following his address to the World Economic Forum and an excellent opportunity to exchange opinions on the topics of this year’s forum. I am looking forward to the economic successes of Spain, Pedro Sanchez spoke about and we continue strengthening relations between Serbia and Spain!”, Vucic wrote in a post on his official Instagram account.

Previously Vucic also met Jared Kushner, and said he had an excellent conversation with him about the potential of Serbia for large and long-term investments in a safe and attractive business environment.

Vucic took part in a panel on strengthening European industry organised by Belgium Prime Minister Alexander De Croo, and attended an official reception hosted by King of Belgium Phillipe and Queen Mathilde.  

On Wednesday, Vucic met EU Special Envoy for Belgrade-Pristina dialogue, Miroslav Lajcak and said he continues talks with Lajcak about the situation in the region and Belgrade-Pristina dialogue. 

Afterwards, Vucic met Luxembourgish Prime Minister Xavier Bettel and thanked him for believing in Serbia’s European future.

“A brief meeting with Luxembourgish PM Xavier Bettel and another opportunity to invite him to visit Serbia again. I especially thanked him for believing in the European future of our country”, Vucic wrote in an Instagram post.

Serbian media also reported that across the hotel where Vucic is staying while in Davos flags of “Great Albania” and Kosovo were hung on the wall. The flags have been consequently removed.

Petkovic meets Botsan-Kharchenko, discuss situation in Kosovo (Radio KIM)

Office for Kosovo and Metohija Director, Petar Petkovic met Russian Ambassador to Serbia, Alexander Botsan-Kharchenko and informed him about latest events in Kosovo, in particular of incidents that took place recently, Radio KIM reports.

“Pointing out to series of ethnically motivated incidents against the Serbian people, arrests, usurpation of properties, desecration of Serbian churches and monasteries, which are daily occurrence in Kosovo and Metohija, Petkovic in particular referred to the attacks on Serbian children, that took place during Christmas holidays”, reads the statement from the Office for Kosovo and Metohija, following the meeting.

According to Petkovic, since Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti took power 282 ethnically motivated incidents took place in Kosovo and Metohija.

He added it was particularly concerning, that as he said, international missions whose task is to help establish conditions for peaceful life and rule of law for all Kosovo residents have not done so.  

He noted that the Serbian side has always demonstrated a constructive approach and readiness to resolve all open issues within dialogue, and recalled that Belgrade has fulfilled all undertaken obligations, while Pristina for almost ten years refuses to implement agreement on Community of Serb Majority Municipalities.

At the end he thanked the Russian Ambassador for the principled stance his country has in supporting territorial integrity and sovereignty of Serbia, as well as respecting UN SC Resolution 1244. 

Bilcik: I see goodwill of Belgrade in dialogue, Pristina has to establish ZSO (Tanjug, RTS)

European Parliament Rapporteur for Serbia, Vladimir Bilcik said leaders of the both sides must encourage Belgrade-Pristina dialogue, adding Belgrade shows a goodwill in this process and the same should be demonstrated by Pristina, Tanjug news agency reports.

In a statement to Tanjug, Bilcik said it was necessary to reach an agreement and a compromise solution, adding it must be understood this is not something where “one gets it all”, but that everyone has to commit to fulfilling what has been agreed, including obligation of Pristina to establish Community of Serb Majority Municipalities, while on the other hand Belgrade must implement all other reached agreements.

He also said he was shocked to hear about shooting at two young Serb boys at Christmas Eve in Gotovusa, near Strpce adding only a sheer luck prevented the worst from happening and that no one was killed.

“We have to make sure that violence has no place in the relations between Belgrade and Pristina, no matter how difficult those relations are. We have to make sure that violence is not the solution, no matter how difficult the relations are”, Bilcik said ahead of his two-day visit to Serbia, due on January 26.

He added there are difficult issues in the dialogue, but that progress is seen, and that progress in the process of enlargement is also seen.

Speaking of the enlargement process he said Serbia should fulfil three crucial matters – dialogue, reform and alignment with EU sanctions on Russia. According to him, if Serbia does not meet crucial EU’s requests it could stay “at the back of a moving train”.

Asked to comment on the Pristina EU application bid he said Pristina authorities used the opportunity but assessment of the European Commission was needed.

“(…) And we know what reality is. That five EU member states do not recognize Kosovo. Still, the EU, including those five states, are determined for the European future of the region”, he said.

Former Slovenian PM asks for parliamentary investigation of Berishaj affair (Radio KIM)

Former Slovenian prime minister Janez Jansa posted on Twitter several journalists’ reports on a large financial affair, in which media claim Kosovo ambassador in Zagreb, Martin Berishaj is also involved and once again called to launch a parliamentary investigation into this matter in Slovenia, Radio KIM reports.

Jansa recalled that since May he has been waiting for three signatures the current ruling coalition, as he said, has promised for establishing an investigative commission regarding this financial affair.

“Apparently, all the parliaments in the Balkans will form investigative commissions on suspected corruption in connection with GEN-I before the Slovenian National Assembly does so. Since May, we have been waiting in vain for the 3 promised signatures of the coalition NovaSlovenia”, Jansa said in a post on Twitter.

Peach: Sides should not see implementation of agreements as threat (Radio KIM)

The UK Special Envoy for the Western Balkans Stuart Peach said neither Belgrade nor Pristina should see implementation of existing agreements as concession or threat to their position, but rather as a constructive and responsible participation in the dialogue, Radio KIM reports.

He said both sides should implement all obligations undertaken during the dialogue, adding the Community of Serb Municipalities is one of them.

“Both Kosovo and Serbia should fulfil their obligations undertaken during the dialogue. Community of Serb Municipalities is one of those unfulfilled elements, and it should not inhibit implementation of others. What the Community will look like once it is established, this is the question for the parties in the dialogue”, he said.

He noted he expects a comprehensive, final, legally binding agreement on normalisation of relations between “Serbia and Kosovo as two neighbouring countries”, adding both sides have responsibility towards their residents to continue talks and work on practical steps for normalisation of relations.

“It is most important that this agreement must be acceptable for the citizens of Kosovo and Serbia and must bring long-term benefits to them, and an entire region. It is on the leaders of Serbia and Kosovo to agree on the precise format and content of that agreement”, he said, adding that a sustainable agreement requires “political will and courage”.

Dacic, Peach discuss bilateral ties, Kosovo, Ukraine (Tanjug)

Serbian First Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic met with the UK’s Special Western Balkans Envoy Stuart Peach in Belgrade on Tuesday to discuss bilateral relations, advancement of economic and energy cooperation, Kosovo issue, the Ukraine war and other current international affairs.

The two officials expressed interest in the advancement of political dialogue at high and the highest levels in the period to come, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.

They welcomed a continuation of consultations between Serbian foreign ministry and defence ministry officials and their UK counterparts on the security policy and defence, scheduled for January 23 in London. They agreed there were additional possibilities for boosting the cooperation between the two countries, the statement adds.

Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic also met Peach. Speaking about the relations with Pristina, Brnabic reiterated that dialogue, including implementation of previous agreements, was the only way of overcoming open issues and achieving a mutually acceptable solution. She also noted that maintaining peace and stability was the fundamental priority for Belgrade.

European Court of Justice annuls EC decision on Kosovo (N1)

The European Court of Justice annulled a European Commission decision allowing Kosovo to participate in the Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications (BEREC) but allowed the current arrangement to remain in place pending a new one.

The Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications (BEREC) was formed in 2009 to develop the internal market for electronic communications networks and services and ensure the implementation of European Union regulations. The European Commission allowed Kosovo to participate in BEREC in March 2019 under a stabilisation and association agreement.

Spain requested an annulment of the decision in June 2019 claiming that under BEREC regulations Kosovo cannot be regarded as a third country cooperating with that body. Spain’s request was accepted on appeal. Spain is one of five EU member states that do not recognize Kosovo.

Lajcak to visit Pristina and Belgrade on January 20 (Radio kontakt plus)

EU Special Envoy for Belgrade-Pristina talks, Miroslav Lajcak will visit Pristina and Belgrade on January 20, Radio kontakt plus reports citing N1.

Lajcak will first meet Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti in Pristina, and then Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic in Belgrade.

According to the Serbian media Lajcak will be accompanied by US State Department official, Gabriel Escobar and advisers to the French president, German chancellor and Italian prime minister.

European Parliament calls Belgrade to align with EU policies (N1)

The European Parliament adopted a resolution on Wednesday calling Belgrade to align with European Union foreign policy. The resolution on the implementation of EU common foreign and security policy underscored the importance of alignment with EU sanctions policy towards third countries and expressed regret that Serbia’s alignment with EU policies is at a low level, especially regarding Russia.

This is the second time that the European Parliament wants Serbia’s progress towards EU membership stopped until Belgrade meets several key requirements.

European Parliament resolutions are not legally binding for EU member states or institutions.