LOCAL PRESS

 

Vucic to Quint Ambassadors: KFOR should take over from police (N1)

 

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on Tuesday that he told Quint Ambassadors that KFOR should take over from the police in the north of Kosovo. “I reiterated Serbia’s views on the latest events in Kosovo and asked for KFOR to take over all security issues in the north of Kosovo instead of Kurti’s police,” Vucic wrote in an Instagram post following his meeting with the ambassadors of the US, Great Britain, France, Itay, Germany and the EU Delegation chief. Vucic said that he also asked why the Kosovo Police refused to allow an EULEX presence in the operation in northern Kosovo. The meeting comes after the armed incident at the Banjska monastery when a Kosovo Police sergeant and several members of an armed group of Kosovo Serbs were killed.

 

Pristina used the event in Zvecan as a reason for terror (B92)

 

The Head of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija Petar Petkovic said that Pristina used the event in Zvecan on Sunday as an occasion for "the most naked terror in the north of Kosovo and Metohija where Kurti's special forces are harassing Serbian civilians throughout the day" and sent his condolences to the families of the killed Serbs and the killed Albanian policeman. "If KFOR and EULEX have been passive in the past year against Kurti's terror, regardless of the fact that we warned almost daily that the situation could get out of control, now is the last moment for them to take decisive measures to stop the rampage of the Albanian police in the north of Kosovo and Metohija", the announcement states. He appealed to the international community to urgently take concrete steps so that, as he stated, "Kurti's war and occupation policy would be curbed, and the region would be spared another setback to the hard-won peace". A group of religious worshipers who were in the Banjska monastery in the north of Kosovo, while it was under siege, arrived in Novi Sad last night, where they were welcomed by the mayor Milan Djuric.

 

Vucevic: Kurti is sole culprit for the current situation in Kosovo and Metohija (Tanjug/Politika)

 

Serbian Defense Minister Milos Vucevic said yesterday, commenting on the events in Kosovo and Metohija, that the position of the State of Serbia is that the head of the provisional Pristina institutions Albin Kurti is the sole culprit for everything that is happening in Kosovo and Metohija. During the opening of the international arms and military equipment fair "PARTNER 2023" Vucevic said that our country faces big challenges. "It is not easy for us to organize all this in the circumstances, to pretend to be naive, that everything that happened yesterday is not happening or that it did not happen. But what has been happening for days, weeks and months in Kosovo and Metohija - these are serious and big challenges for our country," stated Vucevic. According to him, the Serb people in Kosovo and Metohija find themselves in an almost impossible situation. "I will briefly summarize the position of the state of Serbia - that Albin Kurti's policy, he himself, is the sole culprit for everything that is happening in Kosovo and Metohija," said Vucevic. According to him, Serbia expects a much more active role from KFOR, instead of "allowing the Serbs to be hunted down until the extermination of the last of them".

 

Opposition criticizes authorities over clashes in Kosovo (Beta)

 

The Freedom and Justice Party cautioned on Monday that the incompetence of the Serbian Progressive Party’s cadres and President Aleksandar Vucic left the Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija at the mercy of Kosovo Premier Albin Kurti’s insane regime, exposing the Serbs in Kosovo to outright terror. “Kurti’s refusal to set up the Community of Serb Municipalities, a move to carry out illegitimate elections, and repression against the Serbs bound to step up their displacement, have also created an open path to tensions and clashes. On the other hand, Vucic’s ridiculous decision that Serb police officers should leave the Kosovo police force has left our people without any protection against not only Kurti’s repression, but also the criminals who broke into the Banjska monastery fully armed and held the priests at gunpoint,” the party said in a press release. The president of the Serbian Center (SRCE) party Zdravko Ponos said that the armed clashes with tragic consequences in Banjska made it clear that Serbian security structures had been “demolished” and that Belgrade was unable to control the situation in Kosovo and Metohija. “The Kosovo police operation caught the authorities in Belgrade unprepared, which makes it clear that Serbia has been demolished security-wise,” Ponos said for Beta, blaming the tragic events in Banjska on the authorities in Pristina headed by Albin Kurti, the international community and the government of Belgrade, which, as he put it, left the Serbs in Kosovo to their own devices. The Democratic Party said that “it is absolutely clear that Kurti and his cabinet bear a lion’s share of responsibility for the ongoing crisis, for which they deserve every bit of criticism”, but that it was extremely important for the citizens of Serbia and Serbs in Kosovo that the actions by the current Serbian government are explained. The president of the New Democratic Party of Serbia, Milos Jovanovic, said that repeated concessions to Pristina’s secessionists, coupled with the systemic disintegration of the Serbian state structures in Kosovo and pulling further back the lines of defense “for some imagined better ‘European’ future”, had only strengthened the legitimacy of Albanian secessionists and their forces.

 

Hill says steps being considered after Banjska (Beta)

 

US Ambassador Christopher Hill said on Tuesday that the armed incident at the Banjska monastery in Kosovo was “a tragic event”, adding that steps are being considered. He told a debate on altered geopolitics and international law that everyone has to condemn the killing of a Kosovo police sergeant but that the political process has to continue. According to the ambassador, efforts are being invested to get the dialogue moving. Hill said the diplomatic process has to be reinforced. The situation is being treated as very serious with talks on the next steps, he said.

 

Stano: EU demands that tensions be eased, dialogue continued, awaiting results of investigation (Beta)

 

The lead spokesperson for the European External Action Service (EEAS) Peter Stano said that the EU believed that the latest surge of violence in Kosovo had confirmed the view that a way out of permanent crisis had to be found, together with a normal framework for resolving problems though the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue, whereas tensions had to be diffused promptly, so that the focus could switch back to peace and normalization of relations between the two sides. Stano said that an investigation was underway into tragic events in the north of Kosovo on Sunday, and that clear findings were yet to be published. Without them, it would be difficult to provide for any proper assessment, he added. The EEAS spokesman also said that “the terrorist attack” against the Kosovo Police had been condemned, which, as he put it, EU High Representative Josep Borrell had underscored in a press release and during a telephone conversation with Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic. Borrell’s spokesman also pointed out that “the EU measures” towards the authorities in Pristina had been taken over “one party’s inability to take steps to reduce tensions, and they may be reduced or tightened depending on the situation. They have been taken towards Kosovo, and if required, they may be introduced against Belgrade, too”.

 

Botsan-Kharchenko: Kurti wants to capture north of Kosovo with support from West (TASS/Beta)

 

Russian Ambassador to Serbia Aleksandr Botsan-Kharchenko said on Monday that a police operation near the village of Banjska clearly revealed the desire of Kosovo Premier Albin Kurti to capture northern Kosovo, but also the support of the West to those plans. After a meeting with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, which included Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic, Botsan-Kharchenko told Russian reporters that the violence of Pristina authorities continued, TASS reported. Botsan-Kharchenko said that Kurti openly took the line of capturing the part of Kosovo inhabited by Serbs, and that the West was obviously encouraging this. He went on to say that the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue was being used as a front for what was really going on in Kosovo, and that dialogue was producing no results, nor were the diplomatic contacts with representatives of leading Western countries. In response to the Sunday clash between an armed group of Serbs and the Kosovo police near the village of Banjska, northern Kosovo, Botsan-Kharchenko said the members of the KFOR mission, lead by NATO, had not only not failed their task, but also helped the police forces commit violence against civilians.

 

US strongly condemns attack on Kosovo police (Beta)

 

The US has strongly condemned the "coordinated violent attacks on the Kosovo Police" near the Banjska Monastery and urged the governments of Kosovo and Serbia "to refrain from any actions or rhetoric which could further inflame tensions" and work on de-escalation, reads a statement by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken released by the US State Department on Monday. The statement expresses condolences to the family of the Kosovo police officer killed "in the line of duty", and states that the perpetrators "must be held accountable via a transparent investigative process". The statement further calls on the governments of Kosovo and Serbia "to immediately work in coordination with international partners to de-escalate the situation, ensure security and rule of law, and return to the EU-facilitated dialogue." "The Kosovo Police have full responsibility for enforcing the rule of law in the Republic of Kosovo. The United States recognizes and respects the Kosovo Police’s role as first responder in emergency and crisis situations," the statement reads.

 

Tajani: I have spoken with Vucic, Kurti, KFOR presence to be boosted (Tanjug)

 

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said on Monday he had spoken with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Pristina's PM Albin Kurti, adding that KFOR presence at administrative crossings between Kosovo and Metohija and Serbia proper would be boosted.

"Italy is a factor of peace in the Balkans. I have spoken with President Vucic and PM Kurti. I asked both of them to encourage dialogue between the two sides," Tajani wrote in a post on the social media network X, formerly known as Twitter. He said an agreement to work on boosting KFOR presence "at the border between Serbia and Kosovo and preventing further conflicts" had been made with Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto.

 

Government declares Day of Mourning over tragic events in Kosovo and Metohija (Tanjug)

 

The government of Serbia declared, at today's extraordinary session, 27 September 2023 as the Day of Mourning on the occasion of the tragic events in Kosovo and Metohija. The government of Serbia is asking all the media and organisers of public events to adapt their programmes to the Day of Mourning on 27 September and thus pay respect to the victims of Kosovo and Metohija.

 

Three-day mourning due to the tragic events taking place in Kosovo and Metohija (B92)

 

''On the occasion of the tragic events and the death of our fellow citizens in Banjska, in the municipality of Zvecan, 26, 27 and 28 September are declared Days of Mourning'', Serb List announced. In Serbian communities on the territory of Kosovo and Metohija: All entertaining events organized by local self-government bodies and institutions will be cancelled; National flags of the Republic of Serbia at all state institutions will be lowered to half-mast. "On behalf of Serb List and the Serbian people from Kosovo and Metohija, we express our deepest condolences to the families of the victims, and we wish the injured a speedy recovery," they announced in a statement.

 

International course for UN military observers organised (Tanjug)

 

The Ministry of Defence announced that an international course for United Nations military observers was held at the "Jug" base near Bujanovac, which was attended by officers of the Serbian Armed Forces and armed forces from eight African and European countries. The training was carried out in accordance with the procedures and standards of the United Nations, in order for the officers to be fully qualified to work as military observers in peace operations under the auspices of this international organization. During the three-week training, participants were introduced to valid standard operating procedures and the most important aspects of the functioning of peacekeeping missions, and they had the opportunity to get practical training for work at observation posts, reconnaissance from land and from the air, and to improve negotiation skills and techniques. The organiser of the course is the Centre for Peace Operations, and the teaching was carried out by a team of instructors from the Ministry of Defense and the General Staff of the Serbian Armed Forces, with the support of the operational command of the Serbian Armed Forces and the engagement of instructors from partner training centers from Austria, Greece, Hungary and Germany, as well as guest lecturers from the International Committee of the Red Cross, the Red Cross of Serbia and specialised United Nations agencies for refugees and children.

 

REGIONAL PRESS

 

State-level coalition partners meet in Mostar, discuss changes in Law on B&H CC, changes in B&H Election Law related to B&H CEC election, Law on Foreign Affairs of B&H, but reach no concrete agreements (Hayat)

 

State-level coalition partners, leaders of HDZ Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H), SNSD and ‘The Troika’ held a meeting in Mostar on Monday. According to SNSD leader Milorad Dodik, partners did not agree on referring any decision for adoption, however progress has been made. “Optimistic” HDZ B&H leader Dragan Covic said that “an enviable level of agreement has been reached” with regard to the B&H Election Law, and SDP B&H leader Nermin Niksic said there is always time “for arguments”, but expressed hope it will not come to that. The reporter notes that, based on the statements after the meeting, everything was agreed, but only in favor of individual political parties, while citizens would notice further ethnic divisions. The reporter goes on to say that the state-level coalition partners discussed amendments to the Law on the B&H Constitutional Court (CC) that imply elimination of foreign judges, strongly advocated by Dodik, and Niksic said that such change is impossible in the current circumstances, but he is aware of the fact that B&H cannot become an EU member with foreign judges in the B&H CC. The reporter comments that Niksic’s indirect message was that B&H “will get rid of foreign judges sooner or later”. Hayat reports that Dodik also requested changes in the B&H Election Law with regard to the B&H Central Election Commission (CEC) in a way that the B&H CEC members are elected in the B&H parliament, following which Niksic reiterated he is against such changes. The reporter notes that Covic, “an eternal optimist”, said partial changes in the B&H Election Law have been agreed. The reporter goes on to comment that if Covic is satisfied with the changes, it means that HDZ B&H will permanently have its member in the B&H Presidency. Addressing the press conference after the meeting, Niksic said: “We have our positions and vision of the B&H CC. We cannot join the European Union (EU) with foreign judges, that is absolutely clear. What timeframe will it be? When will we resolve it? I am of view this is not the time (…) Just like we are very clear about being willing to work on the Law on the (B&H) CC with all standards, for SDP as a social democratic party it is unacceptable to introduce ethnic voting in the (B&H) CC”. Covic said that there is “an unenviable level of agreement’’ with regard to a segment of the B&H Election Law “which may very soon, perhaps as early as on October 3, be discussed at the level of the (B&H) Council of Ministers, and then referred to parliamentary procedure. Similar situation is with the Law on the Court of B&H. I think that with the agreement on key topics – we still need to check activities and the seat of this court (Court of B&H) – in such an option, we may also go toward the (B&H) Council of Ministers. There is also agreement, if necessary, to prolong the session for two or three days, to create an environment. If that happens, it will be OK”. Dodik said that the partners discussed amendments to the B&H Election Law “which refers to the positioning of the B&H CEC. The B&H CEC was elected in a very suspicious way, it was not elected in accordance with the law, and the law was not adhered to. In order to make changes, the law must be amended so that the B&H CEC is changed by the end of the year. We are working on that issue in relation to the (B&H) Election Law, and we are not raising any other issue in that regard”. Hayat reports that leaders of the ruling political parties allegedly agreed on ten amendments to laws, some of them should be on the agenda on 3 October, whilst others should be finalized by the end of the year. The reporter comments that leaders of the ruling political parties basically did not agree on anything concrete, except on the plan of future activities. The reporter notes that the state-level coalition partners also discussed the Law on Foreign Affairs of B&H, and Covic and Dodik strongly criticized B&H Presidency Chair Zeljko Komsic. Covic reiterated his earlier opinions and criticized Komsic’s speech at the UN General Assembly session, calling him “the Bosniak member of the (B&H) Presidency”, and Dodik said that a B&H Presidency member can address the UN General Assembly only if positions are harmonized. State-level coalition partners also discussed the Court of B&H, and it seems that the biggest progress has been made in that regard. Furthermore, they also discussed the PA III instrument, and expressed hope that B&H can convey a positive message to the European rapporteurs so that it can access pre-accession funds. The reporter notes that Niksic was particularly optimistic in that regard, saying that several laws adopted recently are a good basis to continue in the same pace, however, it is very clear there are many “stumbling blocks”, including the B&H CC, the state property that was not discussed on Monday, or many laws of crucial importance for B&H.

 

Dodik comments topics discussed at the meeting of the state level ruling coalition (ATV)

 

The party leaders of the coalition at B&H level held a meeting in Mostar to discuss the current political situation. Republika Srpska (RS) President and SNSD leader Milorad Dodik commented on the topics they discussed at the meeting. The meeting was assessed as constructive, and it was said that certain shifts in attitudes were made. Dodik said that earlier they adopted the package that they made based on the 14 priorities, that they also worked on the Berlin Process, and it was agreed that it should be completed. A positive atmosphere prevailed at the meeting and the press conference, and conciliatory tones were sent, commented the reporter. It was said they discussed 10 laws, and they did not reach the ‘red lines’. The most talked about was the Law on the Constitutional Court of B&H and the B&H Central Election Commission (CEC). Dodik stated: “The law on amendments to the law on Election Law refers to the positioning of the CEC. The CEC was, first of all, very suspiciously appointed. It was not appointed in accordance with the law and the law was not respected. In order to bring about changes, the law must be amended, so that the CEC can be changed by the New Year. Difficult issues about the election reform await us. We in the RS believe that, unjustifiably, in defiance of the regulations and the Constitution, the CEC has allowed itself to conduct elections, for example for the election of the President of the Republic, for the election of representatives to the National Assembly, for election at the local level, and some other elections, and that it will have to be defined through a new reform of the election system, because they have no right to that”. Dodik said that they are discussing changes to the law in order to make it possible to reach the formal and legal prerequisites for the formation of a new CEC before the New Year, so that they do not end up in the position of having to do something again in the election year. Dodik stated: “We have a problem there. Both the HDZ, that is, the Croat side, and we from the RS, believe that the House of Peoples at the B&H level should be involved in the decision-making of the CEC. Bosniaks believe that it is not necessary, and we have not harmonized that law in its entirety. It is largely agreed, except for that part. As for the Court of B&H, we have been warning for years about the fact that neither the Court nor the (B&H) Prosecutor's Office have a constitutional basis for their formation and that they were nevertheless formed by illegal decisions of High Representatives, and that some kind of practice has been established. We believe that we should approach a new decision on this matter, in such a way as to give legitimacy to those procedures. We have some agreement that an appeals council should be formed at the level of the Court of B&H. We think that the headquarters of that appeals council should be in Banja Luka. HDZ also thinks that it should not be disputed. The Bosniak side thinks that there are some problems, so we will wait about that, and not only that, but also the part about jurisdiction. As for the Constitutional Court, and those matters surrounding the Constitutional Court, I believe, that is, we are talking, and we see some kind of obstruction. We from the RS have submitted proposals for a working group, proposals from the Croat people have also been submitted, and we are still waiting, there is still no (proposal for a) working group from Bosniak representatives. We said that this month is when we will have that law, on the Constitutional Court and foreign judges”. Dodik pointed out that there are various stories and obstructions in the public, but he considers it correct that the representatives of all should create some initial document.

 

It is not excluded that coalition partners on B&H level could make step forward according to Dodik’s proposal on declaration of sovereignty of B&H; Dodik: We must agree to eliminate any other decision-making except for domestic institutions (ATV)

 

If the promising atmosphere is maintained, it is not excluded that the partners in the authorities at the B&H level could make a step forward according to the RS President Milorad Dodik's proposal on the declaration of sovereignty of B&H, according to which B&H should be without a High Representative and foreign judges in the Constitutional Court of B&H, noted the presenter. Dodik stated earlier: “That is, if you want a sovereign B&H, if you do not, then admit that you are poltroons and subjects, that you are not sovereign”. The reporter commented that those in the Federation of B&H constantly mention sovereignty and territorial integrity of B&H, putting aside the fact that foreign judges still sit in the Constitutional Court of B&H, as well as the fact that the Office of the High Representative (OHR) still exists. Christian Schmidt is recognized as the High Representative in the FB&H, while those in the RS constantly point out that Schmidt was appointed illegally and that he cannot impose any laws, added the reporter. It is constantly being said in the RS that the time of foreign dictation has passed, and that after all these years B&H should finally become a sovereign country in the legal sense of the word. Therefore, sovereignty means complete rule, which is actually done by foreigners and not by people who live here, who have the right to vote and who were elected to positions in democratic elections, added the reporter. The declaration on the sovereignty of B&H is something that Dodik mentioned on Sunday. He said that he will propose it to his partners from the FB&H. However, there are more important things that need to be solved right now, but that is certainly one of the things that will surely come up soon. Dodik said that B&H should have complete sovereignty “and decide on all issues, and that in these matters, we must agree to eliminate any other decision-making except for domestic institutions”.

 

Viskovic says time has come for foreigners to withdraw from B&H and that they cannot impose laws (ATV)

 

Foreigners are obstacles for many things in B&H, even those that they themselves demand to be done in B&H, commented the presenter. It is also clear to the coalition partners in the Federation of B&H (FB&H) that B&H cannot join the EU as long as there are foreign judges in the Constitutional Court of B&H, and this is something that could be heard from the SDP leader Nermin Niksic, commented the reporter. However, they avoid that whole story on sovereignty of B&H by saying that it is not yet the time for something like that, added the reporter. The Constitutional Court of B&H is yet to be discussed in the coming period. Bosniaks have still not proposed working groups that should work on drafting the Law on the Constitutional Court of B&H. On Monday, the RS Prime Minister Radovan Viskovic said that after 30 years, the time has come for foreigners to withdraw and that they should host foreigners in B&H exclusively as guests, tourists, but that they cannot in any way impose and enact laws and say how life in B&H should be lived. Viskovic stated: “30 years after the war in B&H, you have unelected officials who give themselves the right to say: 'From today I am the authority here, I make laws, and everyone who does not like me will be criminally responsible’. I think that this is an insult to the common sense and intelligence (of people) in B&H, and that an initiative like this, if we were all responsible, as we are not, this should be an initiative from the level of B&H, to say once to foreigners: 'We thank you. You can come here as our dear guests, but the future of this country should rest with the holders of power who were legally and legitimately elected in the elections”.

 

Stevandic: Draft law on immovable property withdrawn from agenda of RS parliament’s session on Tuesday (ATV)

 

The speaker of the RS parliament Nenad Stevandic said that the draft law on immovable property used for the functioning of public authorities has been withdrawn from the agenda of Tuesday's session of the RS parliament for additional harmonization. Stevandic explained that the right of the government is to propose materials, withdraw them or postpone their discussion for the next session. The proposal of the law on immovable property used for the functioning of public authority, which was supposed to be on the agenda of Tuesday’s session of the RS parliament as a matter of urgency, regulates the ownership of that property that serves as an instrument of exercising and enforcing public authority, and is used by entities that exercise that authority since the signing of the Dayton Peace Agreement, it was stated in the explanation of this draft law.

 

RS opposition comment on withdrawal of draft law on immovable property from agenda of RS parliament’s session (BNTV)

 

Speaker of the RS parliament Nenad Stevandic informed that the RS Law on Immovable Property Used for Functioning of Public Authority proposed by the RS government has been withdrawn from the agenda of the RSNA session scheduled for Tuesday for additional harmonization. BNTV reminds that SNSD leader Milorad Dodik said that “immovable property” is one of the topics he will insist on in negotiations with his state-level coalition partners. Commenting on this, Head of RS PDP Caucus Igor Crnadak said withdrawal of the law from the agenda is a very bad message. “I think it is another trade, because it is clear that in talks with foreigners and with ‘The Troika’, exactly before their meeting on Monday, it has been withdrawn without any explanation. I think it is another humiliation of all MPs”, said Crnadak and added after repeating for days that the RS’ lands, forests and rivers would not be handed over “and suddenly withdrawing it one day before the session, it only conveys a message that someone is playing with the RS, which is very dangerous. It is a very arrogant and dangerous move by the authorities”. SDS leader Milan Milicevic said that it is clear that the law was withdrawn from the agenda “after the trade in the meeting with ‘The Troika’ and HDZ”. He went on to say that for SDS, the issue of state property is defined and resolved, noting that terms “state property” and “common good in public use’’ cannot be interchangeable, i.e. “the RS owns natural resources and that cannot be the issue to discuss with anyone. However, the fact that this law was supposed to be on the agenda for the third time, I think, on the agenda only indicates trade Milorad Dodik uses to show he is allegedly taking care about the state property, whilst in fact, by referring that law (to parliamentary procedure), they are giving legitimacy to Christian Schmidt because the Law on non-implementation and non-publication of the High Representative decisions was earlier adopted”.

 

PM: B&H and Serbia should harmonize visa regime with EU (HRT)

 

Serbia and B&H should harmonize the visa regime with the EU, and the problem of illegal migration should be solved at the external border of the bloc, primarily at the borders of Greece and Bulgaria with Turkey, said Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic in Pazin, where he participated in the celebration of Istria County Day. He emphasized that "a stricter policy of the visa regime is necessary, which B&H and Serbia should harmonize with the visa policy of the EU". “You cannot come to the airport in Belgrade or Sarajevo and then turn from a tourist into an illegal migrant,” Plenkovic said. He dismissed the possibility of a wire fence on the border with neighboring B&H. “Croatia has over 6,000 police officers on the border, they guard the border, there is no need for a wire fence on the border with B&H and we will not have one because on the other side there are also Croats and all citizens of B&H,” said the Prime Minister. Interior Minister Davor Bozinovic said on Thursday that a criminal investigation is being carried out, which should shed light on the circumstances of the shooting from the territory of B&H, which was witnessed by police officers in the border area near Rakovica on Wednesday after they prevented a group of migrants from entering Croatia. The minister assessed that the pressure of illegal migrants has intensified in the last few weeks and added that the police notice nervousness among smugglers and migrants on the other side of the border.

 

Abazovic on Kosovo: This situation can easily spill over into a larger-scale conflict, a continuation of the disastrous Balkan policy (CdM)

 

Prime Minister in the technical mandate Dritan Abazovic, commenting on the events in the north of Kosovo, said that such a situation "can easily spill over into a larger-scale conflict", and appealed to the Albanian and Serbian sides to try to reconcile. "Tragedy and the continuation of a catastrophic Balkan policy from which, unfortunately, we as a region cannot get out," said Abazovic in a statement to the media after a lecture held at the Faculty of Political Sciences in Belgrade. He strongly condemned the violence and murders. “We were all really shaken. This kind of situation can easily spill over into a larger-scale conflict, with catastrophic consequences for everyone. Even this is a disaster, we have what we didn't want to have, which is blood on the streets. Montenegro stands by what it has advocated until now - we think that the politics of the 90s must end. The peoples of this region have tried everything except reconciliation," said Abazovic. He appealed to the Serbian and Albanian people to finally try to reconcile. "You've tried everything, try to reconcile. I believe that everyone will like it, everyone will be happy. Try what you've never tried, otherwise we'll all be in some big trouble," stressed Abazovic. Commenting on the process of forming the 44th government, the Prime Minister in the technical mandate says that if they succeed, he will congratulate them, and if not, he will offer new solutions. "We are in the process of forming a new government. The initiative is not and should not be with us. People have the right and legitimate to choose their partners. If they succeed, we are here to congratulate them, if not, we will offer new solutions", he said.

 

Milatovic: No one can be excluded from the government in advance (Vijesti)

 

The President of Montenegro Jakov Milatovic announced that during the meeting in New York, he conveyed the expectation that the constituents of the future government will act in the direction of reform and Euro-Atlantic priorities. He, however, did not directly answer the question of whether he agrees with the position that there is no place in the government for those who do not share the US position regarding Russia. "With all due respect to Mr. Escobar, in New York I had meetings with several American officials who, in a hierarchical sense, are in higher positions in their administration, such as Secretary of State Blinken, Special Adviser of the State Department Chollet and Special Adviser to the US President for European Affairs Sloat," Milatovic told Vijesti. According to him, it is worrisome that the dialogue about the formation of the Government is not conducted on a programmatic basis, which he considers more important than which parties will form the government. "For me, it is fundamentally unacceptable that any political entity that has received the trust of a certain number of citizens, including ZBCG, can be excluded in advance from participating in government," he said, among other things. Yesterday, Milatovic met with the representative and president of the Europe Now Movement, Milojko Spajic. Spajic announced after the meeting that he is optimistic that the government will be formed. He said that there have been obstructions since the beginning, but that he is trying to form the government as soon as possible.

 

Those who wish unrest in region behind Kosovo incident, says Kovachevski (MIA)

 

Prime Minister Dimitar Kovachevski condemned Sunday’s events in Kosovo and reiterated Monday that there is no danger regarding the security situation in North Macedonia.   “There is no basis for any fears regarding the security situation in the country, however, I must voice concern and condemnation over what happened in Kosovo, because of the killing of a police officer – a part of the security structure. It was an act of violence that no one needs, and we all saw that it brings nothing good, except for unrest, not only in Kosovo, but also in the entire region,” said Kovachevski in answer to a journalist’s question. According to Kovachevski, someone’s agenda to once again portray the region as a region of unrest hides behind the events in Kosovo. “It is certain that someone’s agenda to once again portray the region as a region of unrest, a region of fighting neighbors, hides behind the events that happened in Kosovo yesterday. Fortunately, there are politicians like the ones in our country and in Albania, who want to see the region integrated within the EU, and I believe they also exist in all countries of the region too,” said Kovachevski. The Prime Minister joined EU Commissioner Oliver Varhelyi’s call for an investigation.

 

Knight: Here to ensure stability in Kosovo, promote political solutions (MIA)

 

I express my condolences to the family of the deceased police officer, I was also a police officer once, I am aware of the dangers that come with this line of work; however, I know that such actions are not a solution, said Vermont National Guard Adjutant General, Major-General Gregory Knight at a joint press conference with Defense Minister Slavjanka Petrovska on Monday. In response to a reporter's question regarding the developments in Kosovo, Knight said that it was a serious situation. "We have been there for 23 years, I can say that there is a solution. We are there to ensure stability so that we can make way for a political solution, however, this is not the way to do it," he said. Police sergeant Afrim Bunjaku was killed on Sunday in north Kosovo in an attack by an armed group. The country's president Vjosa Osmani declared 25 September a day for mourning. At another joint press conference with Norway's Defense Minister Bjørn Arild Gram, Minister Petrovska said that the situation in Kosovo was being closely monitored, considering that Army troops are deployed in the KFOR mission, noting "it is not easy for anyone in the region when an incident occurs, especially when the police of a country is attacked." Prime Minister Dimitar Kovachevski also condemned the events and reiterated that there was no danger regarding the security situation in North Macedonia. According to him, this was someone’s agenda to once again portray the region as one of unrest and disputes between neighbors. The Kosovo police sergeant Bunjaku was killed and another border officer was wounded in the attack by, according to the Kosovo Ministry of Internal Affairs, around 30 masked and uniformed assailants, carrying heavy weapons, in the village of Banjska, Leposavic, in north Kosovo. Following the response of Kosovo special police, the country's Public Prosecutor's Office confirmed on Monday that they found the body of another suspected attacker in the north, bringing the number of assailants killed to four. Kosovo authorities, Prime Minister Albin Kurti, President Osmani, Minister of Interior Xhelal Svecla and others, pointed directly to Belgrade and Serbian president Aleksandar Vucic, as "orderer, inspirator, organizer and executor" of the attack, whose goal, according to Pristina, was to destabilize Kosovo.

 

Ministers Balla and Hasani in Pristina to pay their tributes in honor of the martyr Afrim Bunjaku (Radio Tirana)

 

The Minister of the Interior of Albania Taulant Balla, as well as the Minister of Foreign Affairs Igli Hasani, have left for Kosovo, where they will participate in the tributes in honor of the police officer who fell in the line of duty, Afrim Bunjaku, during a Serbian attack in the north of Kosovo. The incident occurred yesterday morning, which shocked the entire region. The Kosovo Special Forces responded swiftly to the armed group, resulting in the elimination of three Serbs and the apprehension of six others. The President of Kosovo Vjosa Osmani, right after the attack declared 25 September as a day of national mourning in honor of Bunjaku, who is now recognized as a martyr of the homeland. Therefore, today in Kosovo is a day of mourning in honor of police officer Afrim Bunjaku, who was killed a day ago in the north of Mitrovica after a gun attack by an armed Serb group. Tributes to him are expected to occur throughout the day, followed by a final procession.

 

Fell in the line of duty in front of the Serbian forces, tributes are held in Tirana in honor of Kosovan Officer Afrim Bunjaku (Radio Tirana)

 

Many citizens have lit candles in the Mother Teresa Square in Tirana to honor the Kosovo officer Afrim Bunjaku, who fell in the line of duty during the gunfight with the Serbian groups on the morning of 24 September. Meanwhile, at the tributes held in Pristina in honor of Bunjaku, President Vjosa announced that Bunjaku will be awarded with the Order of the "Hero of Kosovo". "We have gathered at this funeral ceremony to say a final farewell to Sergeant Bunjaku. From today he is a hero of Kosova. He defended the order, territorial integrity and sovereignty of Kosovo. Therefore, today, on behalf of the citizens of Kosovo, I will share the highest Order of the Republic, the "Hero of Kosovo," said Osmani. As it was declared a day of mourning in Kosovo, Bunjaku was given a farewell where he will be laid to rest in the cemetery of the village of Samadrexhe in Vushtrri, while he was escorted with a state ceremony. During the funeral ceremony, Kosovan Prime Minister Prime Minister Albin Kurti said that Kosovo will make compromise with crime and terror. "The resignation of Sergeant Afrim Bunjakut, dressed in the uniform of the Kosovo Police, is a sacrifice in Kosovo's battle for law and constitutionality, justice and rights for every citizen of Kosovo, without distinction. In the face of these hostile structures, Kosovo will fight with its legitimate effort for order and law and sovereignty in the entire territory of the Republic of Kosovo and all its citizens", said Kurti. In the early hours of Sunday morning, the Kosovo Police was attacked by a group of masked and armed persons, as a result of which policeman Afrim Bunjaku lost his life, and several others were injured. The armed group took refuge in the monastery of Banjska, while there were exchanges of fire with the Kosovo Police for several hours. According to Kosovo authorities, four attackers lost their lives, while six people were arrested. Currently, the situation in the north appears calm.