Albanian Language Media:

• Kurti signs MoU with EBRD for €400 mil in investment funding (media)
• CBK leaders to represent Kosovo at meeting on Serbian Dinar in Brussels (media)
• Hoti: Government didn’t want agreement with allies in Pristina (media)
• Citaku: Instead with allies, our institutions coordinating with Belgrade (media)
• Buland hosts US – Kosovo bilateral defense consultations (media)
• KFOR: We don’t interfere with freedom of movement of individuals (media)
• Gervalla meets Hovenier, discuss efforts to strengthen security, stability (media)
• Ukrainian MP message for Kosovo: Arm yourself, no one will defend you (media)
• “Radoicic brutally beats opponents” (RTK)

Serbian Language Media:

• Trend Analysis: The majority of surveyed Serbs concerned about security (KiM radio, KoSSev)
• The Office for KiM: The auxiliary building on the property of a returnee near Klina set on fire (RTS)
• SL: The international community must prevent the expulsion of the Serbs from their ancestral homes (Kosovo Online)
• KFOR denies that it forbade certain Pristina officials to visit the North (KiM radio, KoSSev)
• Vucic, Sarrazin discuss upcoming Brussels meeting, situation in Kosovo (Tanjug) 
• Brnabic at Western Balkans Investment Summit (N1)

Albanian Language Media

Kurti signs MoU with EBRD for €400 mil in investment funding (media)

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti said in a post on X on Monday that he signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) Director for €400 million in investment funding. “Kosovo’s partnership with the EBRD is stronger than ever. Just signed a milestone MoU w/ President Odile Renaud for €400 mil in investment funding for our priority sectors for 2024–27—more than the €340 mil in sovereign loans & grants in the entire 11 years since Kosovo became a Member State,” Kurti said.

CBK leaders to represent Kosovo at meeting on Serbian Dinar in Brussels (media)

Koha Ditore reports on its front page this morning that the European Union confirmed on Monday that delegations from Kosovo and Serbia will attend the meeting on the Serbian Dinar in Brussels today. The Central Bank of Kosovo responded positively to the invitation, while Radio Free Europe learned that CBK Governor Ahmet Ismaili will attend the meeting in Brussels. Serbian media meanwhile reported that Serbia’s chief negotiator in the EU-facilitated talks with Kosovo, Petar Petkovic, will attend the meeting.

The Central Bank of Kosovo said in a statement to several media on Monday that it will take part in the meeting called by EU Special Representative for the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia, Miroslav Lajcak. The CBK said the meeting will be “informative” and not negotiating in terms of the amended regulation of the CBK and that they are willing to discuss with the National Bank of Serbia too on “facilitating the selection of the easiest option for the process of transfer of funds through bank channels to beneficiaries accounts (in Euros)”. “In this respect, it answers all invitations when they are necessary, for such informative meetings, as it has done continuously with the international presence in the country,” the statement said.

Hoti: Government didn’t want agreement with allies in Pristina (media)

MP from the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK), Avdullah Hoti, said in a Facebook post on Monday that Kosovo government officials did not want to agree with the allies in Pristina about the Serbian Dinar. “Two weeks ago, Kosovo was criticized at the [United Nations] Security Council for uncoordinated decisions. There was criticism not only from China and Russia, but also from Kosovo’s allies that secured its borders. In the last two weeks, the allies have insisted on coordination in Pristina to avoid consequences for the Serb citizens of Kosovo. They haven’t asked for anything else. The ‘illuminated’ government officials of Kosovo did not want to reach an agreement with the allies in Pristina, but they agreed to discuss this issue with Serbia in Brussels as part of the dialogue. This needs no comment. These are the consequences when state decision-making submits to electoral interests,” Hoti argued.

Citaku: Instead with allies, our institutions coordinating with Belgrade (media)

Deputy leader of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK), Vlora Citaku, said on Monday that “instead of coordinating with the allies on the use of foreign currencies in Kosovo, our institutions have now expressed readiness to coordinate with Belgrade in Brussels.”

Buland hosts US – Kosovo bilateral defense consultations (media)

The U.S. Department of Defense said in a post on X on Monday that the Principal Director for European & NATO Policy Alton Buland co-hosted the US – Kosovo Bilateral Defense Consultations with Kosovo’s Minister of Defense Ejup Maqedonci. “The leaders met to advance security cooperation & transform the Kosovo Security Forces into a multi-ethnic, NATO-interoperable, territorial defense force subject to civilian control,” the post notes.

KFOR: We don’t interfere with freedom of movement of individuals (media)

NATO’s peacekeeping mission in Kosovo, KFOR, said in a statement on Monday that it does not interfere with the freedom of individuals in Kosovo. “The NATO-led KFOR mission would like to clarify that rumors circulating on social media alleging that KFOR is banning some Kosovar officials from travelling to northern Kosovo are unfounded. KFOR never interferes with the freedom of movement of individuals across Kosovo,” the statement notes.

Gervalla meets Hovenier, discuss efforts to strengthen security, stability (media)

Kosovo’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Donika Gervalla, met with U.S. Ambassador Jeffrey Hovenier to Kosovo, on Monday, and said they “discussed current events, our Euro-Atlantic perspective, and the common efforts of Kosovo together with its allies in NATO and the European Union to strengthen security and stability for this crucial part of Europe”.

Ukrainian MP message for Kosovo: Arm yourself, no one will defend you (media)

Most news websites cover an interview that Ukrainian MP Oleksiy Goncharenko gave to Tirana-based A2CNN, highlighting his message for Kosovo to arm itself as much as possible. “My advice is very simple: Kosovo must be ready to defend itself, because no one else in the world will defend you except yourself. This is the lesson we have learned in Ukraine. Only if you show stamina the way you did when you fought for your independence, then the allies from other countries will come to your aid. But first and foremost, you need to be ready,” he said.

“Radoicic brutally beats opponents” (RTK)

RTK reported on Monday that “Milan Radoicic, leader of the aggression of the armed group on September 24 in the village of Banjska in the north of Kosovo, is waging a violent campaign against Serbs that oppose the policies of Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic”. The TV station claims to have secured a video material, which it will publish very soon, showing Radoicic brutally beating a Serb from the north of Kosovo. According to unnamed sources, the incident happened at hotel Grey in Kopaonik which is owned by Radoicic. Citing sources in senior security institutions, the RTK also reports that the hotel has turned into “a place of torture for Serbs from Kosovo that do not obey Vucic’s instructions and orders”. The RTK article has been picked by other news websites too.

Serbian Language Media

Trend Analysis: The majority of surveyed Serbs concerned about security (KiM radio, KoSSev)

Political instability was the main problem in Kosovo in 2023, according to 69.2% of those surveyed in the “Trend Analysis” survey conducted in Serbian communities in Kosovo by the NGO Aktiv. The increase in political tensions and the feeling of insecurity influenced this mood of citizens of Serbian nationality, reported KiM radio.

The perception of the security situation in Kosovo by citizens of Serbian nationality has changed significantly compared to the previous three years. As many as 61.4% of the respondents believe that they were threatened, and the percentage increased significantly in the north of Kosovo, where almost 89% of the respondents stated that they had the experience that their safety or that of their family members was threatened.

Read the full NGO Aktiv publication at:http://tinyurl.com/mry39tk2

The Office for KiM: The auxiliary building on the property of a returnee near Klina set on fire (RTS)

The Office for Kosovo and Metohija announced that the auxiliary building on the property of returnee Ljubisa Doncic, in the village of Klina, was set on fire two nights ago, and as a result, several hundred hay bales stored burned, and the building itself was destroyed.

According to the statement, Doncic was not at home when the fire was set, and he discovered the damage this morning, which he reported to the police.

“This attack on his home, as well as on his livelihood, has caused distress to the Doncic family and other Serbian returnees in Klina,” the statement emphasizes.

The Office will assist the Doncic family in recovering from the damage suffered.

“The frequent and continuous attacks on private properties, arson, house break-ins, and other provocations by the Albanian extremists clearly demonstrate their intention to show the Serbs that they will not give them peace until they are expelled from their homes. The Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija only wish to live in peace in their ancestral homes, not harming anyone, but merely seeking what rightfully belongs to them, yet all their human rights are being violated,” it is emphasized.

The office stated that it was “undoubtedly a direct consequence of Kurti’s rhetoric and the only policy he enforces, a policy directed against the Serbs”.

The statement expresses regret that the international community has failed to put an end to Kurti’s policy of violence against the Serbs in Kosovo.

SL: The international community must prevent the expulsion of the Serbs from their ancestral homes (Kosovo Online)

The Serbian List reacted to the auxiliary building set on fire to the returnee in Klina and stated, among other things, that the fact that “the number of ethnically motivated attacks increases every month since Kurti’s regime came to power, and that no attack on the Serbs receives a judicial conclusion, thus encouraging criminals to continue oppressing the Serbs”.

“We demand that international representatives react. To put an end to the lynching atmosphere to which everything Serbian is exposed, and to prevent Kurti from expelling the Serbs from their ancestral homes,” they conclude, reported portal Kosovo Online.

KFOR denies that it forbade certain Pristina officials to visit the North (KiM radio, KoSSev)

”Rumors that KFOR prohibits certain Kosovo officials from traveling to the North of Kosovo are unfounded,” this NATO mission announced last night.

They announced after the journalist Fitim Çeku, two days ago, came out with these allegations on the social network “X”, reported KiM radio. Çeku announced that he came into possession of documentation, that is, a list with the names of politicians in Pristina to whom KFOR allegedly issued this ban.

“Exclusive: NATO MPs of Self-Determination and certain ministers have been banned from entering the north of Kosovo!”, Çeku wrote, inviting journalists to contact KFOR for more information.

To confirm the authenticity of the list and allegations of Çeku, KoSSev portal addressed this mission two nights ago, announcing last night.

“The NATO-led KFOR mission wants to clarify that the rumors circulating on social networks that KFOR is banning some Kosovo officials from traveling to the North of Kosovo are unfounded,” KFOR said. They state that this mission never interferes with the freedom of movement of individuals throughout Kosovo.

“We continue to provide a safe and secure environment for all communities living in Kosovo, in accordance with our UN mandate, at all times and impartially,” they emphasized.

KFOR is the third line of security response in Kosovo, after the Kosovo Police and EULEX. And last night, the NATO mission said that they “closely cooperate” with them.

“We continue to cooperate with the institutions in Kosovo on a daily basis,” the announcement emphasized, reported KoSSev.

Vucic, Sarrazin discuss upcoming Brussels meeting, situation in Kosovo (Tanjug)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic met with the German government’s special Western Balkans envoy Manuel Sarrazin on Monday to discuss topics including the upcoming meeting in Brussels, the situation in Kosovo, and Serbia’s EU integration.

“A good meeting with Manuel Sarrazin. We discussed a wide range of topics, from regional and international relations to the upcoming meetings in Brussels and developments in the situation in Kosovo-Metohija,” Vucic wrote in a post on his buducnostsrbijeav Instagram account.

He said they had also exchanged views on the cooperation between Serbia and Germany as well as Serbia’s EU integration and challenges facing the country on that path.

Vucic added that it had been his special pleasure to present to Sarrazin the vision of a modern Serbia and numerous projects the country was working on, especially as part of hosting EXPO 2027.

Vucic speaks with Netanyahu

Vucic spoke with Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday about advancement of bilateral relations in a telephone conversation, reported Tanjug, citing buducnostsrbijeav Instagram account.

“A good conversation with Israeli PM Netanyahu about further advancement of bilateral relations,” Vucic wrote. He said all major issues had been raised during the discussion and expressed the hope both sides would benefit from it in the future.

Brnabic at Western Balkans Investment Summit (N1)

Prime Minister Ana Brnabic told the Western Balkans Investment Summit on Monday that the conditions are increasingly better for foreign investors.

She added that she wants the Serbian economy to be moved forward by innovation. “We want to be an economy that is important for the entire Western Balkans,” she said.

The investment summit is being hosted by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) at its London headquarters.

Brnabic said that Serbia’s GDP stood at 33 billion Euro in 2012 compared to about 70 billion this year, the Serbian state TV (RTS) reported her as saying. According to her, the government’s plan is to have a GDP of almost 100 billion Euro by 2027.