Albanian Language Media:

• Kurti is optimistic about building trust between Serb community and government (RTK)
• Osmani from Tirana to Albanians in the Valley: You are not alone (Reporteri)
• CoE report for the region: Confront a violent past or risk a return to conflict (Koha)
• Assembly voted international agreements (media)
• German ambassador reacts after passage of international agreements in Assembly (media)
• The prosecution requests suspension of visits to Thaci, Veseli and Selimi (RTK)
• ​Krasniqi: The EC's report on Kosovo reflects poverty and scarcity (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Palatova: Kosovo needs to form ASM, and implement legal framework for protection of minorities (KoSSev)
• The Hague: Prosecutor requests visits to Thaci, Veseli and Selimi be suspended (Tanjug)
• Milivojevic: By banning Serbs from voting, Kurti and those who support him violating all agreements (TV Most, Kosovo Online)
• Burazer on Coordination Directorate passports: It makes no sense for them not to be visa-free after Kosovo was granted liberalization (KoSSev)
• Milenkovic: Letter from Albanian NGOs proves that there is a lack of understanding for Serbs in Kosovo (Kosovo Online)
• Assistants to Office for KiM Director banned from entering Kosovo (Kosovo Online, Vecernje Novosti)
• Petkovic: Some kind of "silent alliance" between Kurti and part of the Serbian opposition is clear (Kosovo Online)
• Obradovic: Government should request UN SG to provide conditions for voting of Serbs in Kosovo (Kosovo Online, Danas)
• Vucic: Memorandums signed with Cyprus to further strengthen our cooperation (Tanjug)
• CoE Human Rights Commissioner warns of failure to deal with past (N1)

International:

• Janjevo: The Picturesque Town In Kosovo Losing Its Best And Brightest To Migration (RFE)

Humanitarian/Development:

• Gender-related killings of women and girls: Global estimates of female intimate partner/family-related homicides in 2022 (reliefweb.int)

 

 

Albanian Language Media  

 

Kurti is optimistic about building trust between Serb community and government (RTK)

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti held a meeting with Christoph Luettmann and Simone Ceresa from the organization CSSP - Berlin Center for Integrative Mediation.

According to the Prime Minister's announcement, the topic of the discussion was the activities developed within the internal dialogue and the steps taken during these 32 months of governance, for building trust between citizens from the Serb community and the government.

"The process of resuming the verification of diplomas and the creation of the legal basis for the verification of high school diplomas was considered successful. Also, the meetings held by the Prime Minister with the Serbian civil society in Kosovo and his visits to the localities inhabited mainly by the Serb community have been positive," the announcement states.

It is further announced that the government of Kosovo, through the Ministry of Communities and Return, has allocated in September of this year a fund of three million euros for NGOs, small businesses, and farmers, and some of them that the prime minister met during the signing of contracts for grants.

"During the conversation, the appointments of Serbs to high positions in institutions were also mentioned, such as the case of Srdjan Sentic, elected as Deputy Ombudsman and the election within the board of Trepca of a member from the Serb community, Dragisa Krstovic", it is emphasized in the announcement. .

Prime Minister Kurti emphasized that the budget for 2024 for the Ministry of Communities and Return has increased by 51%. He was optimistic about the development and building of trust between the citizens from the Serb community and the government, because according to him the government is there for them, and with full readiness to continue with the activities of the internal dialogue and to listen to the demands and proposals of all citizens without distinction.

Osmani from Tirana to Albanians in the Valley: You are not alone (Reporteri)

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani spoke at the Diaspora Summit which is being held in Tirana, where she emphasized that Albanians have left their mark around the world, with their contribution, skills and knowledge in various fields. She said that the Albanian diaspora has served as a bridge between countries.

"Our migration is the culmination of long efforts for freedom, independence and state building. Despite the challenges, the diaspora has remained deeply connected to the homeland", she said.

Osmani also spoke about the Albanians of the Valley in Presheva, saying that they are facing discrimination and ethnic cleansing through administrative means.

"While we are all gathered here today, let's not forget that our brothers in Medvegja, Presheva and Bujanovc are still facing ethnic discrimination and ethnic cleansing through administrative means. Today I tell you from here: you are not alone. We are with you to protect your rights. The historical role of the Albanian emigrants is extraordinary. Throughout challenging times, they were staunch supporters of our national aspirations. It is the pillar for the national movement for freedom and independence of Albanians. They have been a source of strength for us. In the 90s, our emigrants were our voice in all decision-making centers", added Osmani.

CoE report for the region: Confront a violent past or risk a return to conflict (Koha)

The failure of the countries of the former Yugoslavia to address their violent past has had devastating consequences for human rights and could lead to a return to conflict in the region, according to a Council of Europe report.

The report, published by the commissioner for human rights, Dunja Mijatovic, says that the region has for many years suffered a setback in the search for justice and responsibility for the brutal wars of the 1990s in Croatia, Bosnia and Kosovo, where more than 130,000 people were killed.

The impact of legal progress after these wars, such as the creation of the war crimes tribunal at The Hague and the arrest and conviction of many political and military leaders responsible for mass killings, is beginning to fade and impunity is returning, the report said.

It was hoped that national courts would continue to prosecute thousands of perpetrators, but they have slowed drastically. Ethno-nationalists are politically dominant throughout the region, promoting hate speech and denial of genocide and other crimes against humanity.

"After the trials in The Hague, most of the people who were convicted and recognized as war criminals returned to their communities as heroes," said Mijatovic.

The report concludes: “Time is running out and the victims have been waiting for too long. Worse still, the divisive and hateful narratives that drove the wars in the 1990s are back and gaining power."

"This not only threatens reconciliation but also peace. Failure to fully confront the region's violent past has devastating consequences for respect for human rights and the rule of law."

The areas inhabited mainly by Serbs in the north of Kosovo have recently proven to be hot spots for tension. On September 24, near the Orthodox monastery in the village of Banjska, there was an exchange of fire between a heavily armed Serb paramilitary group and the Kosovo Police. A policeman was killed during the attack by the armed group, three attackers were also injured. The government in Pristina blamed the Serbian leadership in Belgrade for the attack.

Assembly voted international agreements (media)

The MP of the Assembly of Kosovo voted for the international agreements which had remained on the agenda for months. This was made possible with the participation of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) and the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) in the vote.

With 83 votes in favor, the Financing Agreement between Kosovo, represented by the Ministry of Finance, Labor and Transfers and the European Investment Bank for the project "Rehabilitation of railway line 10 B" was approved.

With 83 votes in favor, the draft law for the ratification of the loan agreement and the project between the Kosovo, represented by the Ministry of Finance, Labor and Transfers, KOSTT and KFW, Frankfurt Am Main, was voted in favor of the Project - Development of the energy sector VII - improvement of the transmission network.

With 83 votes in favor, the draft law was voted for the ratification of the loan agreement between Kosovo and the European Bank for reconstruction and development for the "Solar Heating Plant of Pristina" Project.

With 84 votes in favor, the draft law was voted for the ratification of the Agreement for the co-financing of higher education scholarships at the master's level between the Ministry of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation and the French Embassy in Pristina.

With 83 votes in favor, the bill was voted for the ratification of the Agreement between Kosovo, represented by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Development and Deutsche Gesellschaft für Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, for the support project for the sustainable development of the agricultural sector in rural areas through diversification of activities.

The draft law for the ratification of the loan agreement for the program of public finances and economic growth between Kosovo and the OPEC Fund for International Development has not passed.

The other agreements that are expected to be put to the vote are still being discussed in the Assembly.

German ambassador reacts after passage of international agreements in Assembly (media)

The Assembly of Kosovo, after many failed attempts, today managed to pass some of the international agreements. This became possible after the AAK decided to vote for the same, enabling the party in power to pass them.

The German ambassador in Kosovo, Jorn Rohde, reacted to this, saying that the agreements are for the benefit of the citizens.

“Good news for Kosovo!

Finally green light for important international agreements, reached through cross-party consensus in parliament today. These will benefit the people and the whole country,” Rohde wrote on X platform.

The prosecution requests suspension of visits to Thaci, Veseli and Selimi (RTK)

The Office of the Specialized Prosecutor has requested on Thursday that the accused Hashim Thaci, Kadri Veseli and Rexhep Selimi have their visits and all communications suspended, except with the team of lawyers.

According to the Office of the Special Prosecutor, they have violated the court's orders by revealing the identity of the protected witnesses and/or distributing the contents of the confidential testimony to the persons who visit them in the Detention Center.

Investigations and the Specialized Prosecutor's Office, according to the announcement, have discovered further attempts to obstruct the proceedings by the accused, as it is alleged that they talked to visitors, instructing them to talk to potential witnesses, and telling them what to talk about.

Also, the Prosecution has ordered that there be active monitoring of all non-privileged communications of the three accused and the preservation of those data until the end of the trial.

​ Krasniqi: The EC's report on Kosovo reflects poverty and scarcity (media)

The leader of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) Memli Krasniqi has published today the statistics that the European Commission published in the report on Kosovo regarding poverty and scarcity in Kosovo during the last year.

Krasniqi, through a video published on the Facebook social network, described this statistic as alarming, while the current government responsible for this situation he described as regressive.

According to the report of the European Commission, about 18% of the population of Kosovo lives below the poverty threshold of 45 euros per month.

 

 

 

Serbian Language Media

 

Palatova: Kosovo needs to form ASM, and implement legal framework for protection of minorities (KoSSev)

The EU is committed to providing the support needed to speed up the membership processes for this region. For Kosovo, it comes with a clear expectation to adopt the Association or Community of Serb Majority Municipalities, on the one hand, and adequately and fully translate into practice its well-established legal framework for the protection of non-majority community rights, Eva Palatova, deputy head of the EU Office in Kosovo, said at the UNMIK trust-building forum held in Thessaloniki.

In her speech, Palatova underscored that accession to the EU is a merit-based process.

“We need to see tangible progress, starting with the fundamentals, and that includes fundamental rights and indeed non-majority community rights”, she added. She underlined that everyone will benefit from “a secure and thriving multi-ethnic Kosovo”.

“A vibrant multi-ethnic and multi-cultural Kosovo is a key goal in our work. On the policy side, we engage with the GoK, its institutions, various local and international partners to advice and support advancement of non-majority communities’ language rights, access to health and education, participation in society and institutions, security and access to justice”, she added.

Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/4fnp265v

The Hague: Prosecutor requests visits to Thaci, Veseli and Selimi be suspended (Tanjug)

The Specialist Prosecution Office requested today that visits to defendants, former leaders of KLA, Hashim Thaci, Kadri Veseli and Rexhep Selimi are suspended, including all the communication while in detention, apart with their legal teams.

The request that all visits and all communications be suspended was made because they violated court’s orders by revealing the identity of protected witnesses and conveying content of confidential testimonies to the persons visiting them in the prison.

The Prosecution also said that investigations of the Specialist Prosecution found further attempts of defendants to obstruct the proceedings, because they instructed visitors to talk to potential witnesses and told them what they should discuss about.

Milivojevic: By banning Serbs from voting, Kurti and those who support him violating all agreements (TV Most, Kosovo Online)

“By saying that without a ‘bilateral treaty’ with Belgrade, holding of Serbian elections in Kosovo will not be permitted, Albin Kurti, as well as all those who support him in the West, violate Resolution 1244 of the United Nations Security Council and all agreements reached”, former diplomat Zoran Milivojevic said.

He told Kosovo Online portal there is no dilemma that Kurti’s conditions for the voting of Serbs in Kosovo in the snap Serbian parliamentary elections due on December 17 were unacceptable.

“According to what Kurti is asking for, there are no conditions for these elections to take place. Bearing in mind that he has the support of the western power centers, we will have the same thing as in the last elections and Serbs from Kosovo will have to go to central Serbia to exercise their rights in this election process. It is quite clear that what Kurti is asking for is not acceptable for Serbia and is unattainable. This shows that he is not changing his political strategy and that his only political goal and strategy is for Serbia to recognize Kosovo”, Milivojevic said.

“This”, he added, “is a maximalist goal, which not only makes it impossible for elections to be held, but also the entire process of normalization and calls the dialogue into question”. 

Burazer on Coordination Directorate passports: It makes no sense for them not to be visa-free after Kosovo was granted liberalization (KoSSev)

"They stand for discrimination only because it serves the interests of Kosovo", political scientist and European Western Balkans (EWB) portal editor Nikola Burazer said reacting to the letter of civil society organizations from Kosovo requesting withdrawal of the proposal on visa liberalization for Coordination Directorate issued passports, reported KoSSev portal.

He says he is disappointed with this move.

Burazer recalled that passports of the Coordination Directorate, which require visa, were issued to citizens of Serbia from Kosovo in agreement with the European Union, namely: "In order to prevent all residents of Kosovo from taking (Serbian, author's note) passports and bypassing the visa requirements".

Now, when visa liberalization has been granted to Kosovo, "this no longer makes sense and represents discrimination", Burazer said.

At the same time, he asked on what basis holders of Serbian passports in Kosovo should require a visa to enter the EU: "While holders of Albanian or any other non-Kosovo passports should not".

Last week, the European Commission proposed to the European Parliament to abolish the regulation, i.e. visas for citizens in Kosovo whose passports are issued by the Serbian MIA Coordination Directorate.

KoSSev recalls that after the non-governmental organizations sent the letter, Kosovo deputy prime minister Besnik Bislimi made similar statements.

Passports issued by the Coordination Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Serbia are "illegal" and should be treated as such by the European Union, as well as all other "parallel documentation", he said. At the same time, he turned to the European Union with a request to review the proposal, which, he said, contained several violations.

Milenkovic: Letter from Albanian NGOs proves that there is a lack of understanding for Serbs in Kosovo (Kosovo Online)

The letter from non-governmental organizations that called on the EC to withdraw the proposal to include Serbian MIA Coordination Directorate issued passports in the visa liberalization reflects a lack of understanding for Kosovo Serbs and the need for a broader dialogue, Marko Milenkovic from the NGO 'New Social Initiative' told Kosovo Online.

Milenkovic emphasized they had been surprised by this letter, which had come primarily from NGOs in Pristina.

“This reflects a lack of understanding of the position of Kosovo Serbs, especially the Serbs living in northern Kosovo, but also in general. These positions of misunderstanding required a reaction from our side, so this letter, our statement, arrived in that sense, and we tried to explain that the position in Kosovo is specific and that this situation with documents, passports, and visa liberalization is specific and should be treated as such. I really think that the letter did not consider the views of the Serbs living here, and the problems that the Serbs face every day, as well as the problems related to obtaining Kosovo documents and the integration of the Serbs, as integration is not fully completed. Many Serbs still have problems obtaining Kosovo documents, ID cards, and passports. This issue is not just an integration issue, but it is broader and should be seen from that perspective, and it should be looked at from that angle", he said.

Milenkovic emphasized that the tone of the letter addressed to the EC was in line with the political representatives in Pristina.

“We saw that at the same moment, the letter-statement issued by NGOs coincided with the position of the Kosovo Government, and this proves that there is a lack of understanding and a lack of dialogue with the Serbs, not only when it comes to the government in Pristina but also for certain NGOs, or the broader circle of NGOs, which do not have a dialogue with and information from the community. They don't know the specific problems of the Serbs living here”, he said.

Speaking about the cooperation they have with colleagues in Pristina, Milenkovic says there is a difference in attitudes.

“This somewhat shows us the need for dialogue, broader dialogue, not just dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, but dialogue with local Serbs, and with other aspects, civil society, and the international community. That's why we need to have some ongoing dialogue process that we are trying to overcome all the differences we have in attitudes and problems. I will remind again, the problems of the Serbs, especially in northern Kosovo, are very specific and require such treatment, a specific one”, Milenkovic believes.

Assistants to Office for KiM Director banned from entering Kosovo (Kosovo Online, Vecernje Novosti)

Portal Kosovo Online reported, citing Vecernje Novosti daily, that assistants of the Director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija, Svetlana Miladinov and Igor Popovic were not allowed to enter Kosovo, where they were supposed to attend the Day of the Municipality of Kosovska Mitrovica. 

''While Pristina has been denying the entry into the territory of Kosovo to the director of the Office for KiM, and the main negotiator in the dialogue, Petar Petkovic, also banning on Tuesday and the assistant director of the Office for KiM, Milena Parlic, the same ban was issued on Monday, November 20, to assistant director Jelena Stojkovic, who was supposed to visit two socially vulnerable families,'' said the Office for Vecernje Novosti, reported Kosovo Online. 

According to the portal, all assistant directors of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija were told that their entry to the territory of Kosovo was prohibited until December 31, but without any explanation or basis.

According to the agreement on freedom of movement reached in Brussels, assistant directors do not announce their visits to Pristina, but they are provided with unimpeded entry into the area of Kosovo, reported Kosovo Online. 

Belgrade will inform the EU mediator in the dialogue, Miroslav Lajcak, about this violation of the agreement, writes the portal.

Petkovic: Some kind of "silent alliance" between Kurti and part of Serbian opposition is clear (Kosovo Online)

The member of the presidency of the Serbian Progressive Party, Petar Petkovic, announced that it is indicative that Bosko Obradovic blames Belgrade for the impossibility of organizing the upcoming parliamentary elections at the polling stations in Kosovo, and not Albin Kurti, who, as he stated, occupied municipalities with a Serb majority and is doing everything to cut every connection of our compatriots in Kosovo with Belgrade, reported Kosovo Online. 

Petkovic said that it is now clear that there is some kind of "tacit alliance" between Kurti and part of the Serbian opposition, because "while Dragan Djilas praises Kurti as a great intellectual", the same Kurti recognizes President Aleksandar Vucic as the main and most dangerous opponent of his Great Albanian policy.

"Obviously, by amnestying Kurti, Obradovic actually agrees to his conditions for holding elections in Kosovo and Metohija, and I will remind you that he is asking Belgrade to recognize the unilaterally declared independence of the so-called ``Kosovo'' as a condition for organizing elections," said Petkovic.

He pointed out that Kurti's prevention of Serbian elections in Kosovo was, among other things, an act of support for opponents of Serbia's current political course and reminded that it is no secret that Serbs in Kosovo strongly support President Vucic and the policies of the Government of Serbia.

"It will be the same this time because the Serbs know very well that a vote for Obradovic is actually a vote for Dragan Djilas and the policy of an independent 'Kosovo''. That's why the people don't want them," said Petkovic.

Obradovic: Government should request UN SG to provide conditions for voting of Serbs in Kosovo (Kosovo Online, Danas)

The President of the Dveri Movement, Bosko Obradovic, called on the Government of Serbia to send an urgent request to the Secretary General of the UN, who is the superior of the head of UNMIK, that this mission enable the organization of parliamentary elections in Kosovo, reported Kosovo Online. 

"We refer to Resolution 1244 of the UN Security Council, which recognizes the territorial integrity of Serbia. The OSCE is not the right address for solving this issue, since the OSCE is not competent to implement Resolution 1244. The OSCE, like Kurti, offers 'good services' to realize the right to vote abroad, but Kosovo and Metohija is not a diaspora for Serbia," said Obradovic, according to the statement of the Dveri Movement.

Obradovic assessed that the inability of the current government to enable the holding of elections in Kosovo, best speaks of the fiasco of the Serbian Progressive Party's Kosovo policy.

As stated in the announcement, Obradovic adds that this shows that "every day of that anti-constitutional and wrong policy brings new defeats for the state of Serbia and the Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija".

In addition to addressing the Secretary General of the UN, Obradovic believes that the Government of Serbia should send extraordinary requests to the Russian Federation and China to initiate the convening of a Security Council session due to the significant violation of Resolution 1244 - the impossibility of conducting the parliamentary elections of the State of Serbia in Kosovo.

He states that the citizens of Serbia in Kosovo are discriminated against to exercise their right to vote and that the territorial integrity of Serbia, guaranteed by Resolution 12 44, is being denied.

"Since the SNS came to power in 2012, the status of Serbs in the southern Serbian province of Kosovo and Metohija is getting worse every day. Before coming to power, they promised to cancel the unconstitutional agreements that the former regime made in Brussels, and after coming to power, they not only didn't do that, but they also went much further in handing over Kosovo and Metohija," says Obradovic among other things. 

Vucic: Memorandums signed with Cyprus to further strengthen our cooperation (Tanjug)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on Thursday memorandums signed with Cyprus earlier in the day would further strengthen the cooperation between the two countries.

"I am proud our country has signed with Cyprus memorandums on cooperation in science, education and diplomacy", Vucic wrote in an Instagram post.

He added that the signed memorandums would "further strengthen our cooperation and friendly relations to the benefit of our peoples".

CoE Human Rights Commissioner warns of failure to deal with past (N1)

Council of Europe (CoE) Commissioner for Human Rights Dunja Mijatovic warned on Thursday of the devastating consequences of failure to deal with the causes of the wars of the 1990s in the Western Balkans, reported N1.

“The failure to fully deal with wartime atrocities and the root causes of conflicts in the 1990s continues to have devastating consequences on respect for human rights, the rule of law and social cohesion in the region,” a press release quoted Mijatovic as saying at the presentation of a report on transitional justice efforts in the former Yugoslavia.

“Time is pressing to achieve effective justice, reparations and truth for the victims… The notable backsliding of the processes to deal with the past coincides with negative human rights trends on hate speech, freedom of assembly, media freedom and civic space, and ultimately threatens hard-won peace,” she said.

The Commissioner said a lack of political will led to stagnation in the prosecution of war crimes, the search for missing persons and reparations for victims and added that other crucial measures have not been implemented. Mijatovic warned of negative trends that have undermined efforts to deal with the past.

“The Commissioner stresses that the ethno-nationalist discourse which has regained strength in the region, along with the rise in denial of war crimes and glorification of war criminals seriously impede efforts towards reconciliation and threaten peace,” the press release said adding that “divisive and hateful narratives and actions have become a generalized political strategy”.

Mijatovic urged regional governments to revive efforts to deal with the past in terms of justice and reconciliation.

Read the Commissioner for Human Rights press release at: https://tinyurl.com/3d4ddv9w

 

 

 

International 

 

Janjevo: The Picturesque Town In Kosovo Losing Its Best And Brightest To Migration (RFE)

First mentioned in 1303, the small, multicultural, and multiethnic town of Janjevo in eastern Kosovo was once widely known for its merchants and craftsmen. Today, it is struggling with population loss as its best and brightest leave the picturesque community behind.

In the narrow streets of Janjevo, a sense of tranquility prevails, occasionally broken by the ringing of the church bell or the call to prayer from the village mosque.

The Catholic church, built in 1856 and devoted to St. Nicholas, lies a few hundred meters near the 400-year-old mosque, where their followers coexist peacefully.

In Janjevo, part of the municipality of Lipljan, one can experience a diverse community that embraces a harmonious coexistence with various ethnic groups that include Croats, Albanians, Turks, and Roma.

Read more at:https://tinyurl.com/2fep7wda

 

 

 

Humanitarian/Development

 

Gender-related killings of women and girls: Global estimates of female intimate partner/family-related homicides in 2022 (reliefweb.int)

More women and girls killed in 2022 even as overall homicide numbers fall, says new research from UNODC and UN Women

New York/Vienna — Nearly 89,000 women and girls were killed intentionally in 2022 across the globe, says a new research paper, “Gender-related killings of women and girls (femicide/feminicide)”, from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and UN Women.

The figure represents the highest yearly number recorded in the past two decades. Data currently available for 2022 suggest that the increase in female homicides occurred despite a drop in the overall number of homicides.

Fifty-five per cent (48,800) of all female homicides are committed by family members or intimate partners, underscoring the disturbing reality that home is far from a safe haven for women and girls. This means that, on average, more than 133 women or girls were killed every day by someone in their own home. In contrast, 12 per cent of homicides against males are perpetrated in the home.

Moreover, the true scale of femicide may be much higher, as information on gender-related motivations is insufficient in roughly four out of ten female homicides.

Read more at:https://tinyurl.com/yc3pcy76