Albanian Language Media:

• Kurti to take part in the Berlin Process Summit (media)

• Montenegro doesn’t plan to send more troops to Kosovo (media)

• Viola von Cramon reacts to Vucic who compared her to Nazis (media)

• European Parliament to call for penalty measures for Serbia over Banjska (media)

• Kurti: €79 million allocated in one week for Kosovo’s development (media)

• Mesic: Aggression in Banjska was prepared to incite war (Kosovapress)

Serbian Language Media:

• Messages from Brussels ahead of the Berlin Process Summit in Tirana (NMagazin, RTS)

• Petkovic: Kurti deliberately complicated the situation with an administrative instruction (RTS)

• Kurti formed a “special police unit for dressing,” announced Serbian List (Politika, Tanjug) 

• The CI ‘Serbian Survival’ asking for a “fashion prospectus” from the Government of Kosovo (KiM Radio)

• A person detained because of T-Shirt and a knife, then released (KoSsev)

• Office for KiM: Pristina’s policy to evict Serbs from Kosovo (NMagazin, N1)

• Chinese Ambassador Li Ming: After the forum in Beijing, relations between Serbia and China will be raised to a new level (Tanjug)

• NGOs to international public: Abandon policy of cooperating with Vucic regime (Beta, N1)

International Media:

• Romania Sends Reinforcements To KFOR In Kosovo, Says NATO (RFE)

Albanian Language Media

Kurti to take part in the Berlin Process Summit (media)

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti travelled to Tirana on Sunday where he will take part in the Summit of the Berlin Process. On the margins of the summit, Kurti will hold several bilateral meetings, including a meeting with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

Montenegro doesn’t plan to send more troops to Kosovo (media)

Montenegro’s Ministry of Defence said on Sunday that it does not plan to increase the number of troops in NATO’s peacekeeping mission in Kosovo, KFOR. “Montenegro participates in the NATO mission in Kosovo since October 18, 2018. One officer and non-commissioned officer of the Montenegrin Army are currently assigned to KFOR, based on the Decision of the Assembly of Montenegro on participation of the Croatian Armed Forces members in NATO mission in Kosovo, dated July 5, 2018. At the moment there are no plans to increase our involvement in Kosovo, and for any possible change in the plan of contribution to the KFOR forces, it is necessary for the Assembly to make a decision with proposal of the Council for Defence and Security … In addition, as a full member of the Alliance, Montenegro is committed to finding a permanent solution for Kosovo through peaceful means, as well as the return of Belgrade and Pristina to dialogue, under the auspices of the European Union, which is of key importance for the long-term stability of the Western Balkans,” the Ministry of Defence said.

Viola von Cramon reacts to Vucic who compared her to Nazis (media)

European Parliament’s Rapporteur on Kosovo, Viola von Cramon, in a post on X reacted to Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic’s statement who compared her to the Nazis. She said that Vucic knows that “I am the biggest friend of a democratic Serbia. So, everyone contributing to democratize Serbia and bringing it closer to the EU is welcomed in the European Parliament. By comparing me with Nazis in 1943 he shows the weakness of his autocratic regime. A pity. Serbia’s citizens deserve better.”

European Parliament will call for penalty measures for Serbia over Banjska (media)

Several news websites quote an article by N1 as saying that the European Parliament is expected to call for penalty measures against Serbia over the September 24th attack in Banjska in the north of Kosovo where a Kosovo police officer was killed by a Serb armed group. According to N1, the biggest political group in the European Parliament have completed the drafts of their proposals for a resolution on relations between Kosovo and Serbia and the armed attack in Banjska. However, European MPs reportedly have different positions on whether the penalty measures should be imposed with immediate effect or only if it is confirmed that Belgrade is linked to the attack.

Kurti: €79 million allocated in one week for Kosovo’s development (media)

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti said in a post on X on Sunday that last week Kosovo signed three agreements with the KfW, the Swiss Government and the World Bank. “These agreements include €61m for a solar energy park, €9m to enhance water utility efficiency & €9m for irrigation repairs to support farmers. €79m allocated in just one week for Kosovo’s development,” Kurti said.

Mesic: Aggression in Banjska was prepared to incite war (Kosovapress)

Former Croatian President Stipe Mesic said in an interview with the news agency that the September 24th attack in Banjska in the north of Kosovo was aimed at provoking war. He criticized the European Union for its approach after the armed attack and praised the actions of Kosovo’s security institutions. “I think that the whole world should understand that Kosovo is a fact, that Kosovo is a state and that all states have the same rights and the same relations with Kosovo, so one fact must be recognized, that in Serbia they still do not recognize Kosovo, this is a problem that the leadership of Serbia has set for itself. Therefore, Serbia does not have to recognize Kosovo, the whole world will recognize Kosovo, but Serbia does not need to, but must allow the movement of people, the movement of capital, the movement of ideas, so it must allow communication with the world,” he said.

According to Mesic, Kosovo should continue the dialogue for the normalization of relations with Serbia. “Kosovo has always shown interest in resolving all issues in peaceful and diplomatic fashion. I think that Kosovo will continue to have the same positions, so the Government of Kosovo, those who lead in Kosovo, they lead a European policy and in this sense, they should also understand the facts in Serbia and decide according to those facts,” he argued.

 Serbian Language Media

Messages from Brussels ahead of the Berlin Process Summit in Tirana (NMagazin, RTS)

The Berlin Process Summit will bring together EU and Western Balkan leaders in Tirana October 16, at the first such meeting held in one of the countries of the region. Serbia will be represented by Prime Minister Ana Brnabic, and the summit will also be attended by French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Charles Michel. The host of the meeting is Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, and the Pristina authorities will be represented by Albin Kurti.

The main topics of the summit in Tirana will be the strengthening of regional cooperation, connecting the regions for a common European market and economic convergence with the EU. In the political part of the discussion, it is expected that the focus will be on the relations between Belgrade and Pristina and the situation in Kosovo after the Banjska events.

“The call for a return to the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina will be one of the central messages of Macron and Scholz in Tirana, because the recent conflicts in the north of Kosovo were seen by the EU as a wake-up call,” according to diplomatic sources in Brussels.

According to announcements, the list of open regional issues that the leaders will discuss during the working lunch includes the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as the relations between Bulgaria and North Macedonia, which are hindering Skopje’s progress towards the EU.

European sources state that the summit in Tirana is an “important opportunity” to send a message to the countries of the region that the moment has come for progress in resolving bilateral issues and faster progress towards the EU.

“Following Charles Michel’s proposal that 2030 be the target date for admission of new members and discussions on enlargement at the recent EU summit in Granada – the message to the leaders of the region in Tirana will be to seize the opportunity for progress, which includes accelerating the concept of phased integration and access to the common market,” state in Brussels.

On the eve of the summit, the European Commission announced that the leaders of the region will be presented with the elements of the “Plan for the growth of the Western Balkans”, which will be officially announced at the beginning of November. “The goal of the plan is to bring some of the benefits of EU membership to the people of the Western Balkans, through integration into the common market, regional economic cooperation, acceleration of fundamental reforms and increased financial assistance.”

It is expected that a memorandum on the mutual recognition of professional qualifications will be signed at the summit and progress in the implementation of the agreement on freedom of movement, signed in November last year, will be discussed. The summit will also welcome the beginning of the reduction of roaming costs between the EU and the Western Balkans.

The statement of the European Commission points out that the partners from the Western Balkans will support several joint declarations on cooperation in areas such as climate and pollution, digital transition, trade and transport, the plan to join the Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA) and the intention to establish observatories for convergence.

The Berlin Process was launched in 2014 under the patronage of former German Chancellor Angela Merkel, as a platform for strengthening regional cooperation, improving economic relations, solving bilateral problems and bringing the region closer to the EU.

The summit in Tirana is the ninth meeting at the highest political level since the establishment of the Berlin Process.

Petkovic: Kurti deliberately complicated the situation with an administrative instruction (RTS)

Petar Petkovic, Director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija stated that the administrative instruction was nothing more than ”the way Kurti wants to keep the fake mayors and their councilors who occupied the north at all costs”.

“Kurti’s Gauleiter who won 3.5 percent of Albanian votes in the container-elections in the north, do not represent anyone and therefore have no legitimacy,” said Petkovic.

He pointed out that the terror that Kurti has intensified to the point of unbearability, especially after those illegitimate elections, is aimed at the ethnic cleansing of the Serbian people, especially from the north of Kosovo.

“Due to the unprecedented pressure and violence of the so-called Kosovo police towards the Serbs, the only solution for immediate de-escalation is holding elections in the north, as well as the withdrawal of Kurti’s special police,” said Petkovic.

He added that Kurti deliberately complicated the situation with an administrative instruction, introducing a senseless procedure that includes a petition, then a referendum statement, and only at the end the holding of elections, all with long deadlines.

“With this, Kurti most directly lied to the representatives of the EU and the USA, given that he publicly promised to organize elections,” said Petkovic.

Kurti formed a “special police unit for dressing,” announced the Serbian List (Politika, Tanjug) 

On Sunday the Serbian List announced that ”the dictatorial regime of Albin Kurti, after abolishing all human rights of Serbs, continues to invent new reasons for mistreatment of Serbs”, reported daily Politika. 

Now, as stated, they have also established a “special police unit for dressing”, which aims to determine what Serbs will wear when they leave their homes.

“While all over Kosovo and Metohija there are billboards glorifying those who are on trial in The Hague for war crimes, the T-shirt with motifs of Serbian monasteries on the chest of Stefan Spasojevic from Dren is treated as a provocation on an ethnic basis!?” the SL said in a press release. 

As stated, those same monasteries, to which Kurti’s regime denies their Serbian character and belonging to the Serbian Orthodox Church, are obviously next on the list in Kurti’s plan to persecute the Serbian people.

The Serbian list asked ”international representatives to come out of hibernation and respond to the daily mistreatment of our citizens”.

“To demand that normality be returned to the north of Kosovo and Metohija, and in this sense, the persecution of the Serbian people should be stopped as a matter of urgency, the Jarinje administrative crossing should be opened and the free flow of people, goods, medical materials and medicines should be allowed, which will somewhat reduce the pressure on our citizens,” said the SL. 

“The silence of international representatives on the daily harassment of citizens puts them on the same level as the dictator Kurti’s regime, and the responsibility for the position of the Serbian people will be as much on Kurti as it is on them,” the Serbian List concluded.

The CI ‘Serbian Survival’ asking for a “fashion prospectus” from the Government of Kosovo (KiM Radio)

“Whether a ‘fashion’ special unit was formed with the aim of regulating the clothing of Serbs in Kosovo,” asked the CI ‘Serbian Survival’ in the statement delivered to the media, reported KiM radio.

“If such a unit has been formed and has already started such procedures, it would be useful for the Kosovo government and the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Kosovo to issue a fashion prospectus that specifies the clothes and hairstyles that Serbs in Kosovo must wear,” they added in a statement sent to the media.

“Hereby, we also strongly condemn the procedure of detention of Stefan Spasojevic from Zubin Potok,” they concluded in the announcement.

A person detained because of T-Shirt and a knife, then released (KoSsev)

KoSSev portal reported that on Saturday morning in Dren village, the Kosovo police stopped a car driven by a man, whom the police estimated was wearing a T-shirt with the message of “hate and division”.

According to KoSSev, KP found a knife after searching the vehicle. The T-shirt and the knife were confiscated, and after the initiation of the procedure by the decision of the prosecutor, the driver was released through the regular procedure.

They did not specify what was written on the shirt.

In the meantime, the Office for KiM announced the identity of the arrested person, after the same young man had already given a statement to the Kosovo Online portal. According to Kosovo Online, 27-year-old S.S. allegedly had “motifs of Serbian monasteries and a message with the motifs of Emperor Dusan” on the T-shirt.

Office for KiM: Pristina’s policy to evict Serbs from Kosovo (NMagazin, N1)

The Office for Kosovo and Metohija announced that the detention of Serbs because of a T-shirt with motifs of Serbian monasteries was another indicator that “the only policy of the Pristina authorities is a policy of systematic collapse of the basic rights and freedoms of the Serbian people with the ultimate goal of expelling them from their centuries-old hearths.”

“This is supported by the latest arrest of a young Serb, Stefan S. (27) because of a T-shirt with motifs of Serbian monasteries and a message with motifs of Emperor Dusan. He was stopped by Kurti’s police on the way from Zubin Potok to the village of Dren where he lives, detained and held for more than two hours at the police station, threatening to report him for what they called ‘nationally based insults,” the office said among other things.

Chinese Ambassador Li Ming: After the forum in Beijing, relations between Serbia and China will be raised to a new level (Tanjug)

The newly appointed ambassador of China in Belgrade, Li Ming, said on Sunday that he believes that the relations between Serbia and China, although the ladder has been raised high, can be at an even higher level, and the cooperation wider, richer and more innovative, and emphasized that he expects the participation of the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, at the third Forum for international cooperation “Belt and Road” in Beijing, as previously at the two before, to raise Chinese-Serbian relations to a new level.

“The President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, attaches great importance to China-Serbia relations and Belt and Road cooperation, and he attended the first two forums, thereby raising Chinese-Serbian relations to a new level. I believe that our two sides will reach a new consensus and new results in various fields such as politics, economy and trade and culture,” said Ambassador Li Ming in an interview for Tanjug, in which he spoke about the upcoming “Belt and Road” Forum, the relationship of the two countries “which mutually understand and support each other in matters of vital interest”, as well as about the goals and plans he has as ambassador in Belgrade.

The ambassador stated that the Third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation will be held on October 17 and 18 in China and added that the meeting, which will take place in light of the 10th anniversary of the “Belt and Road” initiative. As the ambassador said , the presence of representatives of more than 130 countries and numerous international organizations makes it even more significant.

NGOs to international public: Abandon policy of cooperating with Vucic regime (Beta, N1)

Over ten non-governmental organizations from Serbia called on the European Union (EU), its member states and other Western partners to abandon the policy of cooperating with the regime of Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and immediately engage in a dialogue with the pro-European actors in the country and region aimed at creating conditions for the country’s democratic restoration and liberation.

In the appeal, read out at the end of the three-day Belgrade Security Conference by European Movement in Serbia President Jelica Minic, 12 non-governmental organizations say that “today it has become obvious that the policy of appeasing and cooperating with the regime in Serbia will not bear fruit.”

“It is for this reason that we call on the EU, its member states and other Western partners to reset the policy of engaging in transactional deals with autocratic leaders, to ensure the continuation of the negotiations on normalization of Belgrade-Pristina relations, to immediately engage in a structured dialogue with pro-democracy and pro-EU actors in the country and region, to refrain from introducing sanctions that would affect the Serbian population, support efforts to ensure a level playing field in the December general elections in Serbia in order to enable conducting them as free and fair,” reads the text.

Read more at:https://tinyurl.com/5bb59eca

International Media

Romania Sends Reinforcements To KFOR In Kosovo, Says NATO (RFE)

A fresh contingent of more than 130 Romanian troops has arrived in Kosovo to further boost NATO’s KFOR peacekeeping mission, the alliance said on October 14. The arrival of Romanian reinforcements came after 200 British troops were deployed to Kosovo earlier this month.

NATO said on September 29 that it would beef up its KFOR force in Kosovo amid rising tensions in the ethnic-Serb majority north. It did not say how many more troops it would send.

Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/4nnwx929