Albanian Language Media:

• Kurti: I made it clear to Borrell and Vucic, Kosovo does not accept dialogue without a final agreement with recognition (Klan)
• Abdixhiku slams Kurti on French-German plan (Nacionale)
• Krasniqi: Dialogue with recognition, a sentence that sums up our interest (media)
• Haradinaj: I’m in favour of French-German plan; it includes path to NATO (Koha)
• Stano: EU ready to facilitate discussions on Association in future dialogue meetings (Sinjali)
• “Kurti given deadline for final answer on Association, matter of days” (Albanian Post)
• 57th generation of police graduates; Osmani: Diversity reflects safe environment (Koha)
• Rizvanolli reacts to report about situation in one of Trepca mines (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Brnabic: Albin Kurti’s brutal lie (RTS, NMagazin, Beta)
• Kurti: Non-payment of electricity in the North “cost” taxpayers 337 million; Petkovic: Lies and nothing more (KoSSev)
• Petkovic: Nobody will be fooled by Svecla’s attempt to criminalise Serbs (Beta, NMagazin, RTS, KoSSev)
• CSOs demand Kosovo government to stop all projects on expropriated land in north (KoSSev)
• Serbian List: Delevic recently shot at has nothing to do with latest arrests in north (Radio KIM, KoSSev)
• Vacancy for new police officers in north still open, although deadline was February 10 (Euronews)
• Drecun: Our position is clear, fist CSM (ZSO) then the continuation of the dialogue (TV Prva, Kosovo Online)
• Health condition of Sladjan Trajkovic deteriorates again, his wife says (Kosovo Online, RTS, Tanjug)
• Botsan-Kharcenko: The European plan – the EU’s detour for Serbia to recognize Kosovo (N1, FoNet, Vecernje Novosti)

International:

• Kosovo Police Seize Drug Labs in Serb-Run North (BIRN)

Albanian Language Media  

Kurti: I made it clear to Borrell and Vucic, Kosovo does not accept dialogue without a final agreement with recognition (Klan)

The Prime Minister of Kosovo Albin Kurti, has said in the session called by the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) to discuss the developments in the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia that the government of Kosovo has built its strategic approach to the dialogue with Serbia facilitated by the EU, based on two initial goals.

“First, the interruption of the practice of involvement in any potentially contentious issue between the parties in the scope of the dialogue. Our position was that the maximum that could be discussed in Brussels were the problems of the applicability of the existing problems (those that were signed before our arrival in the government). Second, the opening of the chapter of a negotiation process for the construction of good neighbourly external relations,” Kurti said.

Further, Kurti said that as a result of their initial approach and caution to the precedent of 2013 onwards, EU High Representative Borrell for the first time in more than 12 years of dialogue “agreed to take the big step that of the invitation dated August 18, 2022, where he framed the high-level meeting on two central points.”

Kurti said that during that meeting he made it clear to Borrell and Vucic that Kosovo does not accept dialogue without a final agreement with recognition.

“For the first time, it was decided to include the general framework, i.e. that which regulates the relations between Kosovo and Serbia from abroad, internationally in the dialogue format in Brussels. The meeting on August 18 was clearly a direct result of our government’s pressure to move the dialogue to the stage of international regulation of Kosovo-Serbia focused on mutual recognition. In the meeting on February 18, I made it clear to Borrell and Vucic that Kosovo will no longer accept a dialogue that is not for a final agreement on mutual recognition,” Kurti said.

“The second version has addressed two of our comments but has not moved back on any of the principles that the first document contained. The main document this time had an implementation plan. On January 20, 2023, the emissaries who accompanied Lajcak, American, German, French, and Italian, gave several positions. They made it clear to me that the main proposal this time is very close to take it or leave it. It will not be allowed to open or negotiate it. The entire diplomatic and political apparatus of the states has been put in support of Kosovo’s membership in international organisations. A ‘no’ from Kosovo was not expected, because we would enter the path of confrontation with them. Any refusal will be accompanied by adversarial and punitive diplomatic steps for Kosovo. I gave my comments at the beginning of that meeting. Both the first time and the second time I offered them in writing,” Kurti said.

Abdixhiku slams Kurti on French-German plan (Nacionale)

Leader of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) Lumir Abdixhiku, in today’s session of the Kosovo Assembly, slammed Prime Minister Albin Kurti about the dialogue with Serbia. “Over the last couple of weeks, the LDK tried to learn more about the process of dialogue … No one has ever shown such lack of transparency and ignorance toward the representatives of the people,” he said. 

“We learned today from the Prime Minister’s speech that the process of dialogue has been seriously damaged. We need to recall two important documents, first is the government program, and second is the document from August last year … In the first document, the Prime Minister talks about Kosovo’s engagement to reach a final agreement, not a basic agreement. Part of a final agreement would be mutual recognition with Serbia. The recognition from the five EU member states, and Kosovo’s membership in the United Nations. In this document, the Prime Minister also talks about close coordination with the opposition. I reminded you about the content of the second document in the previous session too,” he said.

Abdixhiku argued that Kurti has not managed to accomplish any of his objectives. “None of his six chapters are part of the dialogue that he had agreed to in the beginning. Now we talk about a basic recognition, without the de jure recognition, and this puts Kosovo in a new negotiating platform.”

According to the LDK leader, Kurti made the dialogue platform like a party platform. “One gets the impression that it is more important to confront political rivals in Kosovo than Serbia,” he said.

Abdixhiku also argued that during Kurti’s governance Kosovo is not coordinated with its biggest allies and that as a result “we fall in Serbia’s trap”.

On the Association of Serb-majority municipalities, Abdixhiku said Kurti’s position is “populism” and that he should either repeal the agreement or implement the association in line with Kosovo’s Constitution.

Krasniqi: Dialogue with recognition, the first sentence that sums up our interest (media)

The leader of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) Memli Krasniqi said that the session of the Assembly invited on Monday by the opposition, does not have the character of a clash, but of being informed about what is happening in the dialogue with Serbia.

“It would have been appropriate for the government to have invited us to the Assembly to inform us about the dialogue. It would be good if he asked us for help in case of need…But now we had to invite this debate as the opposition. This invited session does not have the character of a collision, but it has the character of being informed about what is happening in the dialogue. As PDK, we have well known and consistent positions. We appreciate the coordinated commitment of our international partners” Krasniqi said.

Krasniqi asked Kurti to tell what the purpose of the French-German dialogue proposal is and what possibilities does this plan offer.

“Is this proposal a continuation of the current dialogue or is it a new start? What is the final text and content? Does the European proposal envisage mutual recognition between Kosovo and Serbia? Do you have guarantees from international actors that Kosovo will be recognized by the five EU member states, if the agreement is reached,” Krasniqi asked.

Haradinaj: I’m in favour of French-German plan; it includes path to NATO (Koha)

Leader of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) Ramush Haradinaj said in today’s session of the Kosovo Assembly that the agreement with Serbia will be “a final separation between the two countries”.

Haradinaj said that Kosovo has direct confirmation from the United States of America that the French-German plan has the U.S. support for the Partnership for Peace and Kosovo’s path toward NATO. He said he is in favour of the French-German plan as part of a final settlement between Kosovo and Serbia.

“I accept and support the French-German plan as it entails one of our key components, our path toward NATO. Kosovo is not safe until we enter contractual relations with NATO. This [the plan] will also unblock our membership in the Council of Europe and our candidacy for EU membership. As far as the United Nations are concerned, our path can be difficult, but it will be more advanced if we already start our path toward NATO,” he said.

Haradinaj also argued that “in the agreement with Serbia, Kosovo cannot make itself a losing party and be seen as a party that fails to do its job. This is the finale, this is the agreement, there will be no more agreements … To say that there is another agreement here, is wrong. This agreement is the final separation from Serbia”.

Stano: EU ready to facilitate discussions on  Association in future dialogue meetings (Sinjali)

The European Union said it is ready to facilitate discussions on the Association of Municipalities with a Serb Majority within the dialogue in Brussels. The EU spokesman, Peter Stano, said that whatever proposals the parties may have on the issue of the Association should be made within the dialogue. Stano responded to Prime Minister Kurti’s six-point request with conditions for the creation of the Association of Municipalities with a Serb Majority.

“We have taken into account the comments of Prime Minister Kurti regarding the Association/Community of Serbian Municipalities in the Assembly of Kosovo on February 2. The forum to discuss the creation of the Association/Community of Serbian Municipalities, as well as any proposal that the two parties may have, is within the framework of the dialogue,” Stano said.

“The EU is ready to facilitate discussions on the Association/Community in future dialogue meetings,” Stano told Rtv21.

“Kurti given deadline for final answer on Association, matter of days” (Albanian Post)

Citing diplomatic sources, Albanian Post has managed to confirm an article by Serbian opposition TV station Nova, according to which internationals gave Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti a deadline for a final answer on the formation of the Association of Serb-majority municipalities. Diplomatic sources close to the talks between Kosovo and Serbia told the news website that the international community expects that Kurti will join the US-led efforts to find a formula to implement the 2013/2015 agreement on the Association. The failure to implement the agreement and to move forward with the European proposal will undermine the West’s credibility and the pressure it is applying on Belgrade too to accept the French-German plan and to impose sanctions on Russia.

“As [EU spokesperson Peter] Stano in Brussels said recently, all ideas surrounding the Association, including the conditions of Prime Minister Kurti, need to be presented as part of the dialogue in Brussels,” the source said, adding that “we are aware that forming the Association is a process that requires time and patience, namely no one wants the Association to be formed in a matter of days”.

The source also said that internationals are expecting two things. “First, a powerful pledge by the Kosovo government to implement all agreements, and second, an active involvement of representatives of the Kosovo government in serious discussions and talks, within the dialogue in Brussels, about the ways and models of implementation without prejudging the positions of the parties. these two actions would be considered sufficient to unblock the process,” the source said.

Nova had reported that “a refusal by Prime Minister Kurti could result in sanctioning measures, including the possible removal of Kosovo Police special units from the north”. On this part, the source of Albanian Post said “we are aware that in the event of failing to secure the agreement of parties for the French-German plan, the next crisis in the north of Kosovo will be more escalated. Therefore yes, it is realistic to expect that the international community will act in preventive fashion toward both parties. The government of Kosovo, and the government of Serbia, cannot continue to play their war games as if NATO is not in Kosovo at all”.

“Kosovo moreover cannot aspire to continue to have its forces in the north, counting on the absolute support of the West, and at the same time not join Western efforts for the stabilisation of the region”.

57th generation of police graduates; Osmani: Diversity reflects safe environment (Koha)

Over 430 cadets, including 53 women, have joined the ranks of Kosovo Police today, the news website reports. President Vjosa Osmani and Prime Minister Albin Kurti attended the graduation ceremony. Osmani said that among the graduates are 17 Serbs, five Bosniaks, two Goranis, a Turk and a Roma. She said that among the cadets are 53 women, brave, disciplined and committed to serve the people of Kosovo. “You have a double responsibility. First, dear girls, you will serve the country and the citizens in guaranteeing order and security, but you will also be an inspiration to many women and girls that will follow in your path. This participation of women is proof of a serious engagement to increase the number of women in these positions. I strongly believe that the participation of women in the police force and in all the security structures is a necessary investment for security throughout our country,” Osmani said.

Osmani also said that the gender and ethnic diversity in the Kosovo Police reflects the state and a safe environment that Kosovo deserves.

Rizvanolli reacts to report about situation in one of Trepca mines (media)

Kosovo’s Minister of Economy, Artane Rizvanolli, reacted today to reports about the situation in one of the mines of the Trepca mining complex. She argued that the management team was quick to react in repairing an old electric cable and installed a water pump to remove the water from the mine.

Rizvanolli said in her reaction that “to say that this happened due to mismanagement and lack of work is not only a lie but also an insult to all the miners, technicians, engineers and their managers who are working around the block to repair the situation … To say that challenges faced by Trepca are an indicator that it needs to be privatised is again not only an unfounded claim but also an insult to the intelligence of Trepca employees and all the citizens of Mitrovica and the Republic of Kosovo”.

“Over €100 million of taxpayer money was invested in Trepca in the postwar period, but strangely there has been no serious investment since 2008. A large amount probably disappeared. The valuable scraps were sold at ridiculous prices and illegally. The lands of Trepca were leased to private operators for exploitation. Dozens of Trepca’s immovable properties were allowed to be usurped for decades by different operators. Trepca had no work regulation, property management regulation, and almost anything else, because this was in the interest of those that stole and misappropriated Trepca mercilessly through the years,” she argued.

Rizvanolli also said that the mismanagement at the mining complex went unnoticed because previous governments were careful not to leave any documentation or audits. “However, this chapter has been closed once and for all with our governance. As any other public institution and enterprise, I am confident that Trepca has passed its darkest period and a bright future awaits it. Our government is committed to support publicly owned enterprises in their legitimate path for revival, and that this support is conditioned with their commitment to eliminate crime and corruption from within, and to improve their performance,” she said.

Serbian Language Media 

Brnabic: Albin Kurti’s brutal lie (RTS, NMagazin, Beta)

Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic assessed as the brutal lie the assertion made by ”the Prime Minister of the temporary institutions of Pristina, Albin Kurti”, that, as he stated, “parallel structures controlled by Serbia” in the north cost residents, and Kosovo’s taxpayers 320 million euros due to allegedly unpaid electricity bills and 17 million euros for water supply since 1999.

Brnabic stated that Kurtis’s announcement was just one of the lies he told, reported RTS.

“This is just one example of the scale and boldness of Albin Kurti’s lies. Can you imagine the extent to which he lies about things that are more difficult to verify and which are less obvious (and which are less known) than this? Brutal,” wrote Ana Brnabic on Twitter.

She shared the post of the director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija, Petar Petkovic, who pointed out that Albin Kurti should find another excuse for the fact that his cash registers were empty and stop lying and criminalising Serbs, reported RTS.

Kurti: Non-payment of electricity in the North “cost” taxpayers 337 million; Petkovic: Lies and nothing more (KoSSev)

“Pristina to stop with fake news,” the Director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija, Petar Petkovic, announced on Twitter, after the Kosovo PM Minister accused “parallel structures” and Belgrade of non-payment of utilities in the North on the same social network, reported portal KoSSev. 

In a series of announcements, the Kosovo PM said last night that citizens living in the North understood that paying for basic utilities such as electricity and water was normal, but also that they deserved to live “free from organised crime, pressure and threats from illegal structures led by Serbia”, reported the portal.

It was these structures, along with the official Belgrade, that he accused of allegedly “costing” taxpayers in Kosovo 337 million euros due to unpaid bills since 1999.

“Lies and nothing but lies by Albin Kurti”, reacted the director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija, Petar Petkovic, in the meantime.

“For two decades, Belgrade financially supported the consumption of electricity in the north of Kosovo and, for example, from November 2009 to December 2020, we allocated 171 million euros for that purpose,” said Petkovic.

He recommended Kurti to find “another excuse for an empty cash register”, but also ”to stop lying and to criminalise Serbs”.

He also referred to the recent statements of Kurti’s deputy and the main Pristina negotiator for the dialogue in Belgrade, Besnik Bislimi, who accused the company “Elektrosever”, as well as the EU, of not implementing the Energy Roadmap, which was approved by Belgrade and Pristina on June 21 last year. 

“The only one responsible for not implementing the Energy Roadmap is Pristina, which does not want to assign distribution services to Elektrosever. Pristina – to stop fake news,” Petkovic stressed.

KoSSev recalled that previously, Elektrosever also denied Bislimi, also stating that the authorities in Pristina do not want this company to get the right to distribution services, even though, as they claim, this was agreed in Brussels precisely through the Energy Roadmap, but also confirmed by the European Energy Community.

Petkovic: Nobody will be fooled by Svecla’s attempt to criminalise Serbs (Beta, NMagazin, RTS, KoSSev)

The director of the Government Office for Kosovo and Metohija, Petar Petkovic, said yesterday that “no one will be fooled by the attempt of self-proclaimed minister Xhelal Svecla to criminalise Serbs and the entire north of Kosovo and Metohija” by using isolated, individual cases for propaganda, reported portal NMagazin.

“Never have the Serbian people, nor the representatives of the Serbs, nor the official Belgrade, supported any kind of crime, no matter whose name and surname it bears, and there is no dilemma or negotiations, nor anyone opposes it,” said Petkovic, reacting to Svecla’s accusations that he and the President of Serbia are “protecting criminal groups”, saying this on the occasion of the arrest of two Serbs in the north of Kosovo and the discovery of a laboratory for growing marijuana, reported the portal.

Petkovic pointed out that “Belgrade and the entire public have been waiting for 21 days for Svecla to show the surveillance camera footage on the Bistrica Bridge, when his illegal squads shot a Serb in the back and riddled the car from the backside.”

As Petkovic stated, the video would show that “his police officers were actually attackers from an illegal checkpoint where they harass and terrorise the Serbian people in the north of Kosovo and Metohija every day”, cited the portal.

CSOs demand Kosovo government to stop all projects on expropriated land in north (KoSSev)

Ten civil society organisations in Kosovo expressed on Friday great concern over decisions of the Kosovo government to expropriate land in Zubin Potok and Leposavic municipalities, as well as over the public discussions scheduled for February 15 and 21 in these two municipalities, KoSSev portal reports.

“We express our fear that this is only about ticking the box, and not about raising essential issues such as the interests of the local community, which has a justified fear of the presence of police officers heavily armed in the area and on their properties”, Kosovo Serb NGOs said in a joint statement.

They also called on the Kosovo government to stop all projects related to the properties that have been subjected to appropriation, and launch a dialogue with the owners of the parcels in question, community representatives and civil society. There are a total of 138 hectares, both privately and socially owned that the Kosovo government expropriated or intend to in Leposavic and Zubin Potok municipalities.

NGOs also argued that Kosovo government didn’t follow legal procedures regulating expropriations nor took into consideration interest of community and affected private owners. It also said that actions on expropriated properties, including construction of a police base in Gornji Jasenovik, Zubin Potok started although no steps foreseen by the law regulating expropriation have been completed.

Furthermore, they accused the Kosovo government that its decisions on expropriation for the sake of “special public interest“ do not contain a reference to the relevant legal basis. The civil society organisations emphasised that Kosovo government has “a constitutional and legal duty to balance the public interest with individual property rights as guaranteed by the Constitution”.

They also addressed the construction of a border police base on the expropriated land in Dren and Lesak villages, raising two questions – What is the interest in building a border police base in a location that is not close to the border zone? And is there a comparable example of a border police base being planned on an area of as much as 82 hectares, as is the case with the location in Dren in the municipality of Leposavic?

In their words, the interest of the entire community in northern Kosovo is the most important in this case, and the community has the right to its opinion and position and full information about all the plans of the government in northern Kosovo – “to avoid maintaining an atmosphere of fear and mistrust”.

Read the full article at: https://bit.ly/3YICtW7

Serbian List: Delevic recently shot at has nothing to do with latest arrests in north (Radio KIM, KoSSev)

Serbian List reacting to Kosovo Interior Minister Xhella Svecla’s allegations said his attempts to link arrests in Mitrovica North over drug labs with recent wounding of Miljan Delevic were in vain, Radio KIM reports.

“The attempt of Xhelal Svecla to draw a parallel between today’s arrest in northern Kosovska Mitrovica and attempted murder of MIljan Delevic, in order to justify his criminals in special police units’ uniforms who shot at Delevic from the back couple of weeks ago at Bistrica bridge, and are illegally staying in northern Kosovo and Metohija is in vain”, Serbian List said in a statement.

Serbian List also said Delevic has no links with those arrests related to drug labs in northern Mitrovica nor is he arrested “therefore any parallel Svecla unskillfully attempts to create is yet another evidence of a mere politicisation and hidden Pristina’s intentions”.

KoSSev portal reported yesterday that after he kept informing the public via social media on action of Kosovo police in northern Mitrovica in which two persons were arrested and three drug labs discovered, Xhellal Svecla last night also published full names and surnames of alleged owners of those drug labs, but also of other labs discovered previously. He accused the Serbian top state leadership for involvement in “instrumentalization with criminal bands”, and published photographs from hospital taken during the visits of some Serbian ministers and Office for Kosovo and Metohija Director to D.M, wounded by Kosovo police at checkpoint near Bistrica Bridge, whom Svecla also alleges to be one of the owners of the labs.

Vacancy for new police officers in north still open, although deadline was February 10 (Euronews)

The vacancy for new police officers in the northern Kosovo municipalities did not close on February 10, as planned, but will continue until the number is filled, says the article of KoSSev news portal, citing Pristina-based Gazeta Express.

Former Kosovo police director Rashit Qalaj opined that indefinite extension of the vacancy is not legal. He also commented on the fact that the institutions did not disclose the number of the applicants and explained that this is done in order to protect the applicants, as he said, from pressure from Serbia.

However, Qalaj said that those who applied were not from the north.

Media recalled that more than 500 members of the Serbian community collectively resigned from Kosovo police on November 5, 2022 in discontent over Pristina’s decision on the Serbian licence plates. The act was part of a wider initiative to leave all Pristina institutions in northern Kosovo. 

Drecun: Our position is clear, fist CSM (ZSO) then the continuation of the dialogue (TV Prva, Kosovo Online)

Chairperson of the Committee for Kosovo and Metohija in Serbian Parliament, Milovan Drecun, told TV Prva that he did not see the purpose of the meeting between Vucic and Kurti, unless it was not dedicated to the Community of Serb Municipalities (CSM) and its establishment. He underlined that Belgrade’s position was that until the CSM (ZSO) was  established, there would be no continuation of the dialogue, nor consideration of the European proposal, reported portal Kosovo Online.

“It was clearly stated that the CSM must be formed first, to continue the dialogue. Procedurally speaking, according to what is written in the Brussels Agreement, if there is a harmonisation of positions regarding the competences of the CSM, a meeting of top officials must be held, in which the Statute would be presented, and after that the government in Pristina only has to introduce the Community into legal order,” Drecun told TV Prva, when asked whether Vucic and Kurti would meet soon, as  announced by the EU.

Drecun continued as saying that “however, if you look at the EU SR Miroslav Lajcak, he didn’t even respond to the letter of the Management Team sent in April, when it was said that our team has a draft statute ready, which shows that he is not interested in the CSM as provided for in the Brussels Agreement, but a different CSM, more acceptable to Pristina. I don’t see the purpose of organising a meeting in Brussels if it was not dedicated to the CSM, and then the CSM formed,” Drecun said. 

Brussels had a different plan, Drecun opined, saying that the fact that a meeting should be organised in a few weeks, to implement the Franco-German plan, which, he underlined, was not acceptable in key parts for Serbia.

“There is something that is a legal obligation, and that is CSM. Our position is that until this is realised, there is no continuation of the dialogue, nor consideration of the European proposal,” Drecun stressed.

Health condition of Sladjan Trajkovic deteriorates again, his wife says (Kosovo Online, RTS, Tanjug)

Health condition of Sladjan Trajkovic, former Kosovo police member arrested mid-December last year for allegedly committing war crimes has deteriorated again, his wife Suzana told Kosovo Online portal.

She said she spoke with her husband yesterday and he told her that his health was very bad. She also said he has not received medications, and that while visiting the doctor last time, three weeks ago he was not allowed to stay at the hospital, although the attending doctor requested so.

She added she will visit him tomorrow, and hearing of the prosecution’s witnesses was scheduled on Thursday. The hearing was postponed once, as witnesses didn’t attend it, the portal recalled. 

Botsan-Kharcenko: The European plan – the EU’s detour for Serbia to recognize Kosovo (N1, FoNet, Vecernje Novosti)

Russian Ambassador in Belgrade Alexander Botsan-Kharchenko stated for daily Vecernje Novosti yesterday that Russia was consistently committed to Resolution 1244 of the UN Security Council, it did not recognize Kosovo and it remained loyal to the principle of supporting Belgrade, stating that there was no just solution to the Kosovo problem without China and Russia, reported N1.

As a permanent member of the UN Security Council, Russia would only support a solution that corresponded with Belgrade’s national interests, whether it was about normalizing relations with Pristina or calming the current crisis, the Ambassador told the daily. 

Asked if certain claims were true that due to the outbreak of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, Moscow could still make a U-turn and recognize Kosovo, Botsan-Kharchenko said that this was simply not true.

Speaking about the Franco-German plan to resolve the status of Kosovo, which was supported by the entire EU, he said that he thought it was an attempt by the West to find a detour for Serbia to recognize Kosovo and for it to enter international institutions, primarily the UN.

When asked whether Russia would vote for the admission of Pristina to the UN if Belgrade accepted the Franco-German plan and does not prevent Kosovo’s entry into the UN, he replied that he did not want to talk about some things that the leadership of Serbia, primarily President Aleksandar Vucic, rejected.

International 

Kosovo Police Seize Drug Labs in Serb-Run North (BIRN)

Interior Minister says illegal marijuana labs raided by police in Mitrovica North on Sunday are run by the same people who were behind recent disturbances and barricades in north.

Kosovo Police on Sunday said they had raided and seized two laboratories containing narcotic plants and a third with sophisticated equipment for narcotics cultivation in three different locations in Serb-run Mitrovica North. Two suspects were arrested while police said investigations are continuing.

“Police arrested two Serbs as suspects while all police actions are being undertaken in coordination with justice institutions,” police said.

In his first comment, Kosovo’s Interior Minister, Xhelal Svecla, said the owner of one of the laboratories is a person “who attacked the Kosovo police officers last month” and accused him of “being part of gangs who take orders from organised crime in Serbia”.

Svecla later said that in 24 months since he has taken over his post, eight drugs laboratories have been destroyed, including the three seized on Sunday.

“Their owners (…) were all involved in attacks against Kosovo police officers, in setting up barricades and in threats against local Serbs who have refused to cooperate with them,” Svecla said.

“After the attack on police officers, they were visited [in hospital] by Serbia’s Minister of Defence and [Head of Serbia’s Office for Kosovo, Petar] Petkovic and protected by Srpska Lista and [Milan] Radojicic,” he added.

Read more at: https://bit.ly/3Xq7iOq