Albanian Language Media:

• Kurti on Association: Those who wanted it, lost their chance on October 26 (media)  
• Konjufca: There is no draft statute of Association that Kosovo must implement (Klan)
• Osmani welcomes journalists: You are guardian of truth and integrity (RTK)
• Kurti to journalists: It has been both a successful and challenging year (media)
• Serbia does not respond to the request to open archives (Koha)
• Government requests from north municipalities €12 million for electricity debt (media)
• Indictment filed against a person for murder of Oliver Ivanovic (media)
• Police raid eight locations in Leposaviq suspected of smuggled goods (media)  
• Petkovic: Kurti tried to blame Belgrade for failure of dialogue (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Petkovic: Kurti trying to shift blame for failure of dialogue on Belgrade (Tanjug, RTS)
• Businessmen from the Kosovo north and citizens sign a petition for the lifting of the ban on Serbian goods (KiM radio)
• The Prosecutor’s Office filed an indictment against M.M. in the case of the murder of Oliver Ivanovic (KiM radio, KoSSev)
• Lawyer: Nedeljkovic’s autopsy findings have not arrived yet, I have contacted the Special Prosecutor’s Office (Kosovo Online)
• The 10th protest ended yesterday in Belgrade: the opposition invited to a ProGlas rally on Saturday (N1)
• EC: Complaints of election irregularities need to be properly investigated (N1)
• CoE representative to visit Belgrade over serious election irregularities (N1)

International Media:

• Kurti Cautious as Serbia Moves to Allow Kosovo Licence Plates (Balkan Insight) 

Albanian Language Media

Kurti on Association: Those who wanted it, lost their chance on October 26 (media)  

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti has said that the Association of Serb majority municipalities is not taking place due to the lack of signing by Serbia. Thus, according to Kurti, the international factor should be “dealing with” the party that withdrew and not with Kosovo. He made such a statement at the press conference after the last meeting of the government for this year.  

“Those in the European Union who were very interested, for example, in the Association of municipalities with a Serb majority, namely in the proposed draft statute, had the chance. The President of Serbia, who constantly mentions the Association, had the chance. So, it wasn’t for lack of willingness on my part, so there’s no point in you continuing to ask me more. So, one must ask them there why they missed such a good chance. I was ready to sign, the Serbian side was not serious enough to sign it”, Kurti said, referring to the June 26 meeting in Brussels with French President Emmanuel Macron, Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. about the signing of agreements reached with Serbia within the dialogue in Brussels.  

He further stated that the letter of the Serbian Prime Minister, Ana Brnabic, is an obstacle to normalization. 

“And the second is the problem of Brnabic’s letter. They have to deal with that, what should they do with that letter, with it Serbia withdrew from the Basic Agreement. I should not be dealing with it, let Brussels deal with the party that withdrew from the Agreement. On March 18, I proposed to write the draft statute with three principles, but I was told not to. It was the time when it was said that the two parties must come to terms. Now there is another new position that the draft appears to be an internal issue of Kosovo. Why did we mention it in the talks in Brussels then? I wanted to sign but they said no. What should I do now?” Kurti said at the press conference. 

Asked if the former head of the Serbian secret service Aleksandar Vulin was in Banjska of Zvecan on the night of the attack, Kurti has stated that he is not aware of this. 

“I can’t confirm because I’m hearing it for the first time. As far as I know, it is not true”, Kurti said. “Let those who claim such a thing provide the evidence, the information.” 

Kurti at the press conference spoke about the achievements of his government during 2023.  

Konjufca: There is no draft statute of Association that Kosovo must implement (Klan) 

The Speaker of the Assembly of Kosovo, Glauk Konjufca, has stated in an extensive interview with the Rubikon show in Klan Kosova that the draft statute of the Association cannot be considered a fait accompli. According to him, until now there have been different drafts, the last  one is different, but it is not a fait accompli. 

“This is due to the fact that the position of the Republic of Kosovo – as it seemed to me the most fair and clearest position, should be that the EU does not have that competence – the competence to write the draft of Kosovo. We told them continuously that they do not have this right. Let’s say that there is no draft which is a fait accompli that Kosovo must implement”. 

“It is not true that the EU draft is an official draft that Kosovo must implement! Why should Kosovo implement it? Kosovo has no obligation to the EU draft. I consider it so, because the EU cannot take a competence from Kosovo!”, Konjufca said. 

Further he said that the EU has accepted the competence for Kosovo to write the draft statute, but added that “why do we have to write it, because we owe it to 2013?” This approach is a mistake”.

He has said that the Kurti government has no agreement with Serbia. 

“I think we don’t have an agreement with Serbia. We do not have an agreement with Serbia and this makes the situation even more complicated”, Konjufca said. 

“In every action and every step, Serbia is violating the obligations it has taken. It is violating the Ohrid agreement, the basic one”. 

He further said that Serbia was involved in the attack of September 24th, declared a day of mourning for the terrorists, which according to him, shows that the state itself is behind this group right up until the submission of the letter of the Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic to the EU that does not respect the territorial integrity of Kosovo. 

“Do you know what it means for a country to submit a letter to another country that says it does not respect territorial integrity. I think that that country is showing that it is ready to start the war”, Konjufca said. 

The Speaker of the Assembly said that Serbia has not been deservedly punished after the attack that took place in Banjska on September 24 by the Serbian terrorist group. 

Konjufca emphasized that the impunity of the president of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, is a signal for him to attack Kosovo again. 

Osmani welcomes journalists: You are guardian of truth and integrity (RTK) 

President Vjosa Osmani, at the reception organized for the media, thanked the journalists, especially the journalists who have bravely reported from the northern municipalities during the riots there. Osmani said that journalists continue to have their noble duty, to be not only guardians of the truth, but also of integrity. 

“I have said several times before that this has not been an easy year for Kosovo. The developments in the north showed that the state is strong, and the media are brave. Tonight, I congratulate and thank each of the journalists who reported from there, because the truth is a patriotic mission and it is a service to the country”, Osman saidi.  

After congratulating the journalists, she said that “there was no possibility for such a mission to go wrong, because most of those who reported from there (the north) were women and girls. 

“So, a bravo to every woman and girl who reported from the north. The goal is common to work together”, President Osmani said at the end. 

Kurti to journalists: It has been both a successful and challenging year (media) 

The Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, held on Wednesday a year-end meeting with journalists. f 

“This year, in addition to being successful, has also been challenging for all of us. For you, for us, and for the citizens of the Republic. And a special thanks to the field journalists, cameramen and support teams, who have reported from the field even in difficult situations, especially in the north of our country”, Kurti said. 

Prime Minister Kurti said that “It has not been easy for us as the government either, but we have continued our work with maximum commitment to strengthen the security aspect, and we have moved forward with new achievements, now that we have passed the 2/3 of the governing mandate”. 

“Perhaps you are thinking of some kind of criticism or suggestion, which are always welcome. What I often hear is “why aren’t you appearing in interviews more often”. We are doing our best to be present everywhere, even in your studios, when we can in the shows, but the work is going on at a high pace, and often we cannot do something like this. But, as the prime minister of the Republic of Kosovo, I have been very interested during these three years, that as many ministers are at the forefront of their duties as possible, and I, as the prime minister, am the first of the ministers to coordinate rather than replaces them”, he said. 

The opposition, on the other hand, Kurti said, “has a lot of free time, while I hear that they are not appearing that often on shows either, and maybe this is worth studying what they are doing in their free time”. 

“At last year’s reception, some of you were not present, because you were on duty north of Iber. I am glad that today we are together with the journalists who reported from there,” Kurti said. 

He further added that “at the end of this year, as we reflect on the year we are leaving behind, let’s appreciate each other’s presence, and let’s look after each other as much as possible in the new year”. 

“The year 2024 will follow us with the same volume of work. We wish and work for as many new successes as possible, and development and progress for the country and for our citizens. Meanwhile, I wish you good work in your mission so important for democracy, correct and fast information. Thank you for the work you continue to do in public service. Happy 2024!”, concluded Kurti. 

Serbia does not respond to the request to open archives (Koha) 

According to a Government report, which the news website claims to have seen, Serbia has not offered any response even to the request for the opening of the army archives related to the crimes of the “Motorized Brigade 37”.   

The agreement reached with Serbia for the missing persons during the war in Kosovo has been accompanied by numerous delays in implementation, the government report on the matter states. 

The solution to the problem was considered as urgent in the Brussels Basic Agreement and in the Annex for its implementation, reached in Ohrid on March 18. But after the adoption of the Joint Declaration on May 2 of this year, all meetings between the working groups have been suspended since July. The meetings were canceled after the authorities denied entry to Kosovo to the head of the Serbian Commission for the Missing, Veljko Odalovic. 

So far, the Serbian side has not even responded to Kosovo’s request for access to state archives to identify the locations where the bodies of Albanians killed during the war are suspected to be buried.  

The head of the government Commission for Missing Persons, Andin Hoti, says that despite the agreement in Brussels, the Serbian side never showed readiness for cooperation. 

Based on the government document, this year excavations were made in 15 locations in Kosovo, while in the territory of Serbia, there were excavations only in Shtaval. 

Government requests from north municipalities €12 million for electricity debt (media) 

The government of Kosovo has decided to ask the municipalities inhabited by Serb majority in the north for €12 million to pay part of the debt of KOSTT as a result of the diversion of energy in the European transmission network ENTSO-E. 

The proposal was presented by the Minister of Finance, Labor and Transfers, Hekuran Murati, who said that the request for financial support from KOSTT was made on the grounds that liquidity is at risk from penalties. 

According to him, the government has said that energy should be paid by those who spend it. 

The Minister of Finance, Hekuran Murati, has said that the unpaid amount from the northern municipalities will be transferred to the treasury and will be executed as a payment to KOSTT on behalf of the accumulated debt. 

Indictment filed against a person for murder of Oliver Ivanovic (media) 

The Special Prosecutor’s Office of Kosovo filed on Wednesday an indictment against a person with the initials M.M., related to the case of the murder of the Serb politician from Kosovo, Oliver Ivanovic. 

In the notification of the Prosecution, it is stated that the indictment against M.M has been filed because he is suspected of having committed the criminal offences: “Participation or organization of an organized criminal group”, “Obstruction of evidence or official procedure”, “Intimidation” and “Forgery of documents”. 

“The case is about the murder of the now deceased Oliver Ivanovic, where the defendant, as part of the group, took actions after the murder, obstructing the criminal procedure and after the investigation, he used forged documents and threatened official people, who have initiated criminal proceedings against him”, it is emphasized in the announcement. 

Police raid eight locations in Leposaviq suspected of smuggled goods (media) 

The Kosovo Police conducted several raids in the north of Kosovo, in which case they found that six businesses were unregistered. This was announced by the deputy director of the Kosovo Police for the northern region, Veton Elshani. 

“Of these businesses, two were registered and six unregistered. The suspicion was of smuggled goods, in which case the Anti-Smuggling Unit of the Customs, the Economic Crimes and the Tax Administration of Kosovo were also called to the raid. There are no arrestees, while the confiscations of the goods have been managed by the Anti-Smuggling Unit of the Customs”, he said. 

Furthermore, he has asked the citizens of the North of Kosovo to register their businesses and not to put smuggled goods into the market because, according to him, the legal consequences for them are serious. 

Petkovic: Kurti tried to blame Belgrade for failure of dialogue (media) 

The Head of the Office for Kosovo in the Serbian Government, Petar Petkovic, said on Wednesday that the Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti “unsuccessfully tried to throw the ball in Belgrade’s court for the failure of the dialogue”. This statement by Petkovic comes after Kurti asked the European Union why the formation of the Association of municipalities with a Serb majority has been discussed for several years in the Brussels dialogue “if the draft statute is an internal issue of Kosovo”. 

Petkovic said through a statement that Kurti “is the one who violates all possible agreements reached in Brussels and destroys every attempt to normalize relations with Belgrade”. 

He emphasized that the agreements reached “clearly state” who writes the Association’s statute, what it should look like, but Kurti “does not want” to form it. 

According to the announcement, Serbia’s red lines have not changed: the non-recognition of Kosovo and its non-membership in international organizations. 

Serbian Language Media 

Petkovic: Kurti trying to shift blame for failure of dialogue on Belgrade (Tanjug, RTS)

Office for Kosovo and Metohija Director,  Petar Petkovic said yesterday that PM Albin Kurti had again tried, unsuccessfully, to shift the blame for the failure of dialogue on Belgrade, reported Tanjug.

Petkovic said Kurti was deceiving the public as he himself was the party violating all possible agreements reached in Brussels and thwarting all attempts of normalisaiton of Belgrade-Pristina relations.

The entire international community knows very well Kurti is the one who remains unwilling to establish a Community of Serb Municipalities after as many as 11 years, and the only one who is hiding from dialogue because he knows he must meet his commitments, Petkovic said.

The reached agreements clearly state who should write the Community’s statute and what it should look like, Petkovic said, noting that Kurti should write “his lists of New Year’s wishes” to someone else because, evidently, he “still believes in fairytales.”

“Once he gets back to reality, he will see that the Community of Serb Municipalities needs to have clearly defined powers prescribed in the 2015 Agreement on General Principles,” Petkovic said.

Kurti will also see “an unequivocal message from President Aleksandar Vucic, who has told representatives of the international community and the entire public, too, where our red lines are and that there is no recognition of the so-called Kosovo and no membership for it in the UN or UN agencies and organisations,” Petkovic noted.

Businessmen from the Kosovo north and citizens sign a petition for the lifting of the ban on Serbian goods (KiM radio)

In the center of Mitrovica North a stand was set up yesterday where citizens can sign a petition requesting the lifting of the ban on the entry of Serbian goods into Kosovo, reported KiM radio. 

As Dusan Gasic, one of the entrepreneurs who started the petition, told Radio Kosovska Mitrovica, the stand will be set up by 3 pm.

“We will be there until the end of this working week, that is until Friday, every day from 12:00 to 15:00. There is no online petition, we are only going with this type of signature collection,” said Gasic and underlined that the petition does not have any political character, but that it is a normal request for the smooth flow of goods in the 21st century.

As a reminder, businessmen from the north of Kosovo held a protest in the center of Kosovska Mitrovica on Monday, December 25, demanding the repeal of the Kosovo government’s decision to ban the import of Serbian goods into Kosovo.

Goods produced in Serbia, by decision of the Kosovo government, from June 2023 was benned from entering Kosovo, recalled KiM radio.

The Prosecutor’s Office filed an indictment against M.M. in the case of the murder of Oliver Ivanovic (KiM radio, KoSSev)

The Special Prosecutor’s Office of Kosovo filed an indictment against a person with the initials M.M. for participating in an organized criminal group for the murder of Oliver Ivanovic, the leader of the SDP, reported KiM radio.

As reported, M.M. is charged with committing the criminal offense of “participation or organization of an organized criminal group”, “obstructing evidence or official proceedings”, and “intimidation” and “falsification of documents”. As they state, the case relates to the murder of Oliver Ivanovic, where the defendant, as part of a group, took actions obstructing the criminal proceedings after the murder, and after the investigation used a forged document and threatened officials.

Lawyer: Nedeljkovic’s autopsy findings have not arrived yet, I have contacted the Special Prosecutor’s Office (Kosovo Online)

Lawyer Milos Delevic told Kosovo Online that the autopsy report of Stefan Nedeljkovic, killed by the Kosovo Police during the conflict that took place in Banjska, has not yet arrived and that he has turned to the Special Prosecutor’s Office.

Three months after three Serbs were killed in Banjska, the autopsy findings have not yet been delivered to the families, although the law stipulates that they be completed after 15 days.

“The Nedeljkovic family and I, as their representative, have not been contacted regarding the autopsy report until today, although it should have been completed 15 days after the event. I sent an email to the Special Prosecutor’s Office; however, I did not receive a response. I plan to leave with the competent special prosecutor to take over the findings, if it has been completed at all,” he said.

The 10th protest ended yesterday in Belgrade: the opposition invited to a ProGlas rally on Saturday (N1)

The tenth protest of citizens and the opposition gathered around the “Serbia against violence” coalition was held last night in Belgrade. Citizens gathered in front of the building of the Republic Election Commission (REC), and then headed towards the Radio Television of Serbia (RTS) building, with the message that “one million people voted for this coalition, but the Public Media Service ignored them”.

This protest was preceded by a student protest that was organized yesterday in the city center.

As a reminder, activists from the informal group Struggle (Students against violence) again submitted to the Ministry of State Administration and Local Self-Government the request to open the voter list as part of the request to investigate the events of the December 17 election and to cancel them, reported N1.

EC: Complaints of election irregularities need to be properly investigated (N1)

The European Commission (EC) urges for calm and dialogue, it told N1 when asked to comment on a series of events that took place in Serbia following the December 17 early elections.

“While the right of peaceful demonstration is to be upheld, violence is not the solution and is unacceptable. Police action must be proportionate and respect fundamental rights within the rule of law,” said the European Commission when asked to comment for N1 on the election irregularities in Serbia, attacks against international observers, protests over election fraud, violence at the protests, police brutality, opposition leader Marinika Tepic’s hunger strike and Serbia’s cooperation with the Russian intelligence services.

The EC added that “complaints of election irregularities need to be properly investigated and addressed.”

European Union (EU) foreign policy chief Josep Borrell and Commissioner for Neighborhood and Enlargement Oliver Varhelyi issued on December 19 a joint statement on behalf of the EU in which they concluded, “with concern” that “the electoral process requires tangible improvement and further reform, as the proper functioning of Serbia’s democratic institutions is at the core of Serbia’s EU accession process.”

As they said at the time, the EU looks forward to the final OSCE/ODIHR report and recommendations for future elections, stressing that they “should be implemented as soon as possible and well in advance of the next elections.”

CoE representative to visit Belgrade over serious election irregularities (N1)

Following the serious irregularities observed by international observers during Serbian local and parliamentary elections on 17 December 2023, and the ongoing protests in the Serbian capital city, Council of Europe Congress President Marc Cools has asked Congress spokesperson on electoral matters, Stewart Dickson, to carry out a visit to Belgrade early in the new year to meet with the authorities of Serbia.

Read more at:http://tinyurl.com/3nhtk8p8

International Media

Kurti Cautious as Serbia Moves to Allow Kosovo License Plates (Balkan Insight) 

Kosovo’s Prime Minister, Albin Kurti, on Wednesday said Kosovo will wait to see the implementation of Serbia’s decision to allow use of Kosovo license plates in Serbia before his government approves similar measures on Serbian vehicle plates.  

Kurti spoke three days after Serbia’s government decided to allow Kosovo official “RKS” licence plates in Serbian territory from January 1, 2024, putting an end to a long dispute over the issue, which often stirred tensions in the Kosovo’s volatile Serb-majority north. 

“We will take our equivalent decision as a matter of inter-state relations as soon as our border police documents and verifies that Serbia is implementing its decision in full,” Kurti said on Wednesday. 

Read more at: http://tinyurl.com/ye25m8pa