Albanian Language Media:

• Kurti: “Increasing risk of staging violent attacks by Serbian structures” (Koha)
• Konjufca: Serbia must be sanctioned (Deutsche Welle)
• Krasniqi: Everything has changed since September 24 (media)
• Hoti: Kosovo’s leadership to be careful with conditions about dialogue (media)
• Rizvanolli: Serbia is sabotaging the energy roadmap (RFE)
• Opposition criticises absence of MPs from ruling party in session on police (media)
• Maliqi to Varhelyi: With this level of deterrence, new escalations guaranteed (media)
• Rama: Kosovo’s diplomatic self-weakening is making our efforts difficult (RFE)
• Hoxhaj: My thoughts are with Israel and families of victims (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Petkovic: The only way to build peace is through de-escalation (KiM radio)
• Arsenijevic: Serbs in Kosovo left to themselves, there is a lack of medicine, food, and dinars (NMagazin, Beta, N1)
• Dveri: International community to prevent humanitarian disaster in Kosovo (Danas, FoNet)
• UN SG report on Kosovo: Main priorities are stability and reducing tensions (RTS)
• Hill: Many are telling Serbia to let Kosovo go and turn to future, but I think it's more complicated than that (Danas)
• Protected witness refused to testify against Thaci, said he is “extremely agitated” (Radio KIM)
• Serbian military gets first CASA C-295 aircraft (N1)

International:

• Kosovo Attack Casts Doubt on Future of EU Mediation (BIRN)
• Kosovo to Stop Paying for Energy in Serb-Majority North (BIRN)
• Slovenia Strengthens NATO Peacekeeping Mission in Kosovo with Additional Troops (BNN)
• Serbia’s Vucic Denounces Opposition Calls for EU to Sanction Him (BIRN)

   

Albanian Language Media  

 

Kurti: “Increasing risk of staging violent attacks by Serbian structures” (Koha)

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti warned today that Kosovo’s security and intelligence institutions “have lately noticed an increasing risk of staging violent attacks by Serbian criminal structures in Kosovo”. Kurti said in today’s government meeting in Pristina that “the involvement of at least four layers of the Serbian state, namely, the Presidency, the Intelligence Service, the Ministry of Defense and the Serbian army in inspiring, preparing, supplying and participating in the terrorist attack in the village of Banjska has been documented before the eyes of the world, and this has become additional motives for other destabilising scenarios. The release of Milan Radoičić, less than 24 hours after his arrest, is evidence and a signal of the potential for regrouping and revenge, because on September 24th, official and military Belgrade failed. Our security and intelligence institutions have recently noticed an increasing risk of staging violent attacks by groups of Serbian criminal structures in Kosovo. Their main goal is to blame the Kosovo Police and present it as an oppressive force on the Kosovo Serbs. To achieve this, they have not set a ceiling price. They will not choose means. Unfortunately, the support that the terrorist group has received from Serbia, on the one hand by treating them as heroes and martyrs, and on the other hand, by intensifying the activities of the army along the border with our Republic, has only encouraged it. They tried to change the reality on the ground through organised and coordinated paramilitary actions. They did not succeed. They misused the Banjska Monastery with the aim of giving a religious connotation to the events of September 24th. They failed again. Now, criminal formations sponsored by our northern neighbour are very likely to misuse our ethnic differences for political purposes in their destabilising scenarios. Coincidentally, last week marked the 23rd anniversary of the overthrow of the Milosevic regime. And unfortunately, 23 years after October 5th, the current regime of Serbia has never before resembled Milosevic’s Serbia more than today. In viewpoint, goals, behaviour, methods and actions. Therefore, I appeal to you, especially to you dear fellow Serbian citizens, that in the days, weeks and months to come, to be cautious and self-restrained from the staged and malicious acts of violence. In Kosova, we are all equal citizens because the state is lawful and the society is democratic. There are no undesired communities. Albanians, Serbs, Bosniaks, Turks, Ashkali, Roma, Egyptians, Gorani and everyone else live and work together everywhere in our beloved, peaceful and pro-European Kosovo.”

Read his full address at: https://tinyurl.com/574mb2tt

Konjufca: Serbia must be sanctioned (Deutsche Welle)

Kosovo Assembly President Glauk Konjufca, in an interview with Deutsche Welle, said that Kosovo is alarmed after the September 24th attack calling it “an act of aggression by the state of Serbia against the Republic of Kosovo”. “A large armed group entered our territory from Serbia, killed police officer Afrim Bunjaku, and wounded others, with a clear objective of annexing one part of Kosovo,” he said.

Asked if there is a threat for the conflict to spread and cause a new war in the Balkans, Konjufca said “the threat is always there but you need to understand why. It is not because we are defending ourselves, but because Serbia is on the attack”.

Konjufca argued that after September 24 “everyone is convinced that Serbia has the biggest potential for destabilising Kosovo and the whole Balkans. Because first, it shelters terrorist groups, second, there is a clear link of support for this group by the Serbian army, the training, the camps where they trained, the military bases they used, the weapons they used, there is a direct link with the state of Serbia. Therefore, certain structures of the state of Serbia, in fact I suppose even the President, must have known about the attack against Kosovo”.

According to Konjufca, the European Union should sanction Serbia. “The Serbian army, intelligence, the ministry of defence, the ministry of interior affairs, must be monitored by EU member states, because these institutions go out to other countries and kill people, as happened to us with the September 24 attack”. 

Asked if he agrees with German Ambassador Jorn Rohde’s call to Kosovo and Serbia to continue the dialogue, Konjufca said “if they will invite Vucic and Prime Minister Kurti to Brussels only for a picture, I think this is very unnecessary at this time. Everything Kosovo is thinking about right now is to strengthen police and security institutions in that part of Kosovo in order to avoid another potential attack from Serbia. This is what we are thinking right now. And I think that the time for political dialogue will come sooner or later”.

Konjufca said that Serbia should extradite Milan Radoicic, who claimed responsibility for the Banjska event, to Kosovo’s authorities.

Asked about what aid he expects from the EU, Konjufca said that “the European Union, if we are talking about the department led by Mr. Borrell and Mr. Lajcak, is very clumsy and very understanding toward Serbia. It is easy to condemn a terrorist act, because it happened in broad daylight. Everyone condemned it. But no one is highlighting the responsibility of the Serbian state. Mr. Radoicic was released by the court within 24 hours as if he committed a traffic violation. He was released and is a free citizen there today. The court will summon him once a month, or not summon him at all. The other criminals are free. There are dozens of them that took part in the September 24th attack and they are free. What kind of country is this that is a candidate for the EU?”. 

Krasniqi: Everything has changed since September 24 (media)

Kosovo’s Minister for Local Government, Elbert Krasniqi, said today that “everything has changed since September 24” when asked by reporters about early elections in the northern municipalities. He said that Kosovo has done enough to de-escalate the situation and that Belgrade “sent a group of terrorists to annex the north”.

“Since the signing of the Bratislava agreement, the Government of Kosovo has taken several steps as a pledge to the discussion between the Deputy Prime Minister and [Special Representative] Lajcak to contribute to calming the situation and creating conditions for early elections. The government has said that we are in favour of holding elections but in order to go to elections we need to go through a democratic process,” he said.

According to Krasniqi, the EU measures against Kosovo were and still are unfair. “Kosovo has done everything in its power to support the process and what has Belgrade done? It sent a group of terrorists to annex the north of Kosovo. Whoever thinks that Kosovo has not done enough to de-escalate the situation, I believe they should reassess the situation,” he argued.

Hoti: Kosovo’s leadership to be careful with conditions about dialogue (media)

MP from the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK), Avdullah Hoti, said in a Facebook post today that now there is a new moment in the process of normalisation of relations between Kosovo and Serbia and that “in coordination with allies Kosovo’s leadership must use this moment to reestablish the threatened cooperation with allies and to advance in Euro-Atlantic integration and not only for internal politics as it is doing now”.

“Kosovo’s leadership must be careful in statements and conditions related to the dialogue. Our dialogue is first and foremost with Brussels and Washington. Kosovo’s path to the EU and NATO goes through these centres. There is no other path. Conditions isolate us. I hope that this time Kosovo’s leadership has learned the importance of heeding the advice of allies who at all times are guaranteeing the constitutionality and territorial integrity and sovereignty of the state Kosovo,” Hoti argues.

Rizvanolli: Serbia is sabotaging the energy roadmap (RFE)

Kosovo’s Minister of Economy, Artane Rizvanolli, accused Serbia today of failing to implement the roadmap for the energy agreement in the four municipalities in the north of Kosovo. “We have made it clear to all parties that this cannot function. Our institutions have done their work in accordance with the timelines of the agreement, whereas the other party is sabotaging it,” she said. 

The news website recalls that Kosovo and Serbia had reached an agreement on energy in 2013, but it was never implemented in its entirety. In June last year, the parties agreed on the roadmap for the energy agreement in Brussels. According to the roadmap, the Serbian company – Elektrosever – was supposed to supply and bill the energy in the northern municipalities, but the EU confirmed last year that there have been delays in the implementation of the roadmap. Citizens in the mainly Serb northern municipalities have not paid for electricity since 1999. Through the years their debts were paid by citizens of other municipalities of Kosovo and since 2017 by the government of Kosovo.

Rizvanolli, however, said today that the Kosovo government has not allocated any funds to pay the electricity bills of the citizens of the four northern municipalities. “We had continuous requests from the transmission system operator company – KOSTT – since then, but we in the government have not allocated any funds,” she explained.

Opposition criticises absence of MPs from ruling party in session on police (media)

Head of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) parliamentary group, Abelard Tahiri, called today as unacceptable the absence of MPs from the ruling party in the Kosovo Assembly’s extraordinary session to discuss a draft resolution for financial support for the Kosovo Police. He called on Assembly President Glauk Konjufca to provide explanations for future sessions and to reach an agreement whereby other extraordinary sessions could be held without the presence of 61 MPs, Koha reports.

“It is unacceptable for this majority to not participate and avoid its responsibility. They have over 50 percent of the votes and look at the room today. They are avoiding supporting the police. We need to reach an agreement in the Assembly Presidency for extraordinary sessions that are called by 1/3 of MPs to be held regardless of if 61 MPs are present or not. Let us give them time until Monday next week and then discuss this … Today, this place needs to show greater unity than ever before for the Kosovo Police. Police officers are the first that put their lives at risk. As was the case with Afrim Bunjaku. To avoid such a session today is a great shame,” Tahiri argued.

Assembly President Konjufca said the issue will be discussed at the meeting of the presidency. 

MP from the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK), Armend Zemaj, said it is regrettable, shameful and amoral for MPs from the ruling party not to take part in the session on police. He said that the LDK wants to include in the PDK-sponsored resolution the request to amend and complement the Law on the Kosovo Police. He argued that the debate on police should be held and then for decision-making to wait for the MPs from the ruling party, because the draft resolution cannot be voted without them.

Head of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) parliamentary group, Besnik Tahiri, said the assembly debate makes sense only if Prime Minister Albin Kurti takes part. “We can talk here but I think we need to go back to the Assembly Presidency and discuss and ask them if they want to debate or not, and then if they believe they are so powerful and are telling the people they are so powerful, let us go to elections. But he [Kurti] cannot stand a debate, he only wants to deceive and accuse us but never debates with us. Let him meet the sovereign [people] and see if he will get the majority,” Tahiri argued.

Kallxo reports that the extraordinary session has failed due to lack of quorum.

Several media quote the head of the Vetevendosje parliamentary group, Mimoza Kusari-Lila, as saying that “we believe that the tendency of the PDK and AAK – which do not vote on anything in the Kosovo Assembly – has nothing to do with the position or status of the Kosovo Police, but rather with their claims that the government is allegedly not sufficiently engaged in the matter”.

Maliqi to Varhelyi: With this level of deterrence, new escalations guaranteed (media)

Political commentator Agon Maliqi reacted to a post by EU Enlargement Commissioner Oliver Varhelyi who after a meeting with Serbia’s Minister of European Integration Tanja Miscevic said that he “encourages Serbia to continue show its dedication to deliver on outstanding rule of law issues and to ensure implementation of recent laws. Our meeting confirms that the EU Reform agenda is a top priority for Serbia”. Maliqi wrote in his reaction that “it has been almost three weeks since an armed insurgency by a state-sponsored structure from Serbia was thwarted in Kosovo by the police and NATO. Zero punitive measures taken by the EU, only words of encouragement. With this level of deterrence, new escalations are guaranteed.”

Rama: Kosovo’s diplomatic self-weakening is making our efforts difficult (RFE)

Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama said today that “Kosovo’s self-weakened diplomatic position in the eyes of the U.S. and the European Union” is making Albania's efforts to help resolve the situation in the north of Kosovo more difficult.

In his address at the Albanian Parliament, which is expected to adopt a resolution on Kosovo, Rama said that “Serbia’s diplomatic victimisation thanks to the political gifts generously received from Pristina’s mistakes in the process of dialogue” is also affecting Albania’s efforts.

Rama called on Kosovo not to lose “the historic chance” to sit at the table of negotiations with the French-German plan, and to form the Association of Serb-majority municipalities, which in his opinion “has turned into a rope that is tightening Kosovo’s legs”.

Rama also said that he does not sway from his position that KFOR needs to take control in the north of Kosovo citing “the present threat of escalation into an armed conflict in the north, also through Russian influence”.

Hoxhaj: My thoughts are with Israel and families of victims (media)

MP from the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) and former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Enver Hoxhaj, said in a post on X today that “the terrorist actions carried out by Hamas against Israel and its people are deeply troubling and reminiscent of the horrors perpetrated by ISIS. I firmly believe that there can be no compromise when it comes to combating terrorism. My thoughts are with Israel and families of the victims today”. Hoxhaj also said that “as a friend of Israel and with Kosovo being a strong ally of Israel, we stand firmly alongside Israel in its fight against terrorism and its legitimate right to defend its people, statehood and ensure their security.”

     

Serbian Language Media

  Petkovic: The only way to build peace is through de-escalation (KiM radio)

The Director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija, Petar Petkovic, reacted to the speech of the Prime Minister of Kosovo during the Government session, assessing that Albin Kurti "with a campaign of lies and misinformation" began to prepare the ground "for new terror and persecution of the Serbian people in the north of Kosovo", reported KiM radio.

"It is now clear that he will continue to use unsustainable conspiracy theories and invented threats in order to further intensify the repression of Serbs in the coming period. The occupiers have always tried to present themselves as protectors of the enslaved, but Kurti's tactic `I occupy you for your own good` will not go down well with the Serbian people in Kosovo,'' he said.

Petkovic believes that the only way to build peace and lower tensions is through the necessary de-escalation, which Pristina must implement and immediately withdraw its police forces from the north, stop the daily arrests of innocent Serbs and any other oppression.

"Kurti will not willingly agree to any withdrawal, because his goal is neither dialogue nor normalisation, but a fundamental change of the situation on the ground, through perfidious ethnic cleansing, under the guise of concern for security in the north of Kosovo and Metohija. That is why it is necessary that influential international actors in Kosovo and Metohija should look reality in the eye and stop Kurti's project," concluded the director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija.

Arsenijevic: Serbs in Kosovo left to themselves, there is a lack of medicine, food, and dinars (NMagazin, Beta, N1)

The president of the CI Serbian Survival from North Mitrovica, Aleksandar Arsenijevic, said today that the Serbs in Kosovo have become aware of the fact that they are left to themselves. 

Arsenijevic told the Beta agency that in the Serbian areas of Kosovo there is a lack of food from central Serbia and that there are fewer and fewer dinars in circulation, and that the last reserves of medicines and other medical materials are being used up in hospitals, reported NMagazin, citing Beta agency. 

"Groceries from central Serbia, which people are used to, are getting less and less. We will also have a big problem with money because there are less and less dinars in circulation. In the southern part of Kosovo, bank branches from central Serbia have already run out of dinars. Hospitals use the last stocks of medicines and medical supplies," he said.

According to him, there is still great concern and fear among the Serbian population.

"The goal of us opposition activists is to encourage the people and stoically bear all the problems and fight for our rights. Unfortunately, many cannot bear the pressure, and leave Kosovo with a one-way ticket. We have been left to ourselves for a long time, the majority of people have become aware of that fact now," Arsenijevic pointed out.

Dveri: International community to prevent humanitarian disaster in Kosovo (Danas, FoNet)

The Dveri Movement branch in Kosovo requested today from the international community to prevent humanitarian disaster in the north of Kosovo, which extends more seriously day after day, Danas daily reports.

In a press release the Movement said that the Clinical Hospital Center in Mitrovica North faces serious problems with medications supplies, oxygen and sanitary materials, and that medications are lacking in pharmacies, but also the food in the shops in northern Kosovo.

Commercial Bank and Postanska Stedionica Bank do not have the possibility to deliver the money to their branch offices in Kosovo, therefore salaries can not be paid to the workers neither in economic nor public institutions, reads the statement.

Particular problem relates to impossibility of students and workers to travel to Raska, which is ongoing for two weeks already as Jarinje crossing point is closed to entry from central Serbia.

“People in order to reach Lesak must return via Novi Pazar, Zubin Potok, Zvecan and Leposavic, which is a road of 130 kilometres, and its usual length via Jarinje is 20 kilometres. Not only Serbs from northern Kosovo and Metohija are exposed to this torture, but also Albanians, Gorani and all others who have obligations and jobs in central Serbia”, the statement added.

They also said that every day pressure and terror is being exerted against Serbs by constant raids and searches of their homes. 

UN SG report on Kosovo: Main priorities are stability and reducing tensions (RTS)

United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres in a report on the work of UNMIK in Kosovo said that the main priorities of the Security Council are maintaining stability in Kosovo and reducing tensions in the north, RTS reports. 

It was also stated that SC members are unanimous in the support to the dialogue mediated by the EU, however there are deep divisions among the five permanent member states, those that recognize Kosovo (US, Great Britain and France) and those that do not recognize it (Russia and China) and firmly support position of Serbia.

Among other members that would take part in a session seven recognized Kosovo (Albania, Gabon, Ghana, Japan, Malta, Switzerland and UAE) while three did not (Brazil, Ecuador and Mozambique).

Another issue on which members of the UNSC have different opinions relate to the change of UNMIK’s mandate, Guterres said.

The US requested closure of UNMIK’s mandate and reduced frequency of sessions on Kosovo, similar to Great Britain, while Russia is opposing that idea and advocates for open and regular UN SC sessions on Kosovo.

The report also outlines events in Kosovo from February this year, when as it was said, President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic and Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti accepted the proposal of the European Union for normalisation of relations, until September this year when EU High Representative Josep Borell stalemate in the dialogue attached to the insistence of Pristina that Serbia formally recognize Kosovo.

“Kurti was not ready to move ahead and to initiate a credible process towards establishing a Community of Serbian Municipalities. Kurti insisted that formalisation of de-facto recognition be the first step”, Borell said back then, adding that Vucic accepted the EU proposal on simultaneous implementation of the topics from the agreement.

Hill: Many are telling Serbia to let Kosovo go and turn to future, but I think it's more complicated than that (Danas)

The Ambassador of the United States of America to Serbia, Christopher Hill, said today during the "Belgrade Security Forum" that it is necessary to first understand what happened in Banjska, to prevent such events in the future, and that de-escalation should follow, reported Danas online.  

He mentioned the necessity of a political solution to the crisis, and that in this regard the EU gave a concept - "CSM (ZSO) for the Serbs in the north of Kosovo, in exchange for internationalisation for Kosovo".

The ambassador stated during the panel "Western Balkans in the Global (Dis)order" that it is necessary to first understand what happened in Banjska, because after that it is possible to prevent the repetition of such an event, and that after that de-escalation follows.

Hill said that they are telling Serbia "come on Serbia, it's over, Kosovo is independent, you have to think about the future". "I would like it to be like that, but I think it's more complex than that," he said.

He said it is necessary to encourage both sides to listen to each other, noting that while this is advice for six-year-olds, it is valuable to have mutual understanding.

He also commented that many believe that it is the duty of the US to offer seats in the European Union, even though it is not their job. The country he comes from, he said, supports what the EU is doing and trying to do in the region.

Hill commented that he is trying to forget Rambouillet, in which he was involved, but that the situation has changed between then and now when it comes to the attention that the Balkan situation receives.

At that time, he stated, people woke up and lay down, had nightmares about the Balkans, while today there are many other situations that make it impossible to shift the entire focus to the Balkans.

"I think it is important that the EU and the USA try to find a way to support each other together and that the Balkans be where it belongs geographically. There are many normative conditions and that is understandable because in every good club there must be some standards, that's why I think that all Balkan countries should do everything to achieve them," said the ambassador, adding that these conditions are sometimes difficult indeed.

The special envoy of Germany for the Western Balkans, Manuel Sarrazin, who is also an interlocutor of this panel, said today during the "Belgrade Security Forum" that the Balkans have already decided to follow the European path, but that it has not stopped looking at others, and that Europe, as he said, tries to avoid the region "falling in love" with one of those other paths, because then they will come to "cry on the shoulder" of the European Union.

Protected witness refused to testify against Thaci, said he is “extremely agitated” (Radio KIM)

Protected witness of the defence refused to testify in the process against former KLA leader Hashim Thaci and co-defendants in the war crimes case committed in Kosovo and Albania in the period from 1998 to 1999, Radio KIM reports on Wednesday.

The court-appointed representative of the witness said in the courtroom that "the witness is extremely agitated" and that he is "not willing to testify."

The Court for KLA crimes, officially called Specialized Chambers of Kosovo, has previously stated several times that "an atmosphere of witness intimidation reigns" in Kosovo.

The hearing panel of Judge Charles Smith warned the witness, whose identity is protected by the code 4577, that he may be punished for refusing to testify.

Partially approving the witness' request for adjournment, the panel decided to try to hear the witness again on Monday, October 16, noting that he could receive "psychiatric help" in the meantime.

However, the witness replied that he "needs a month" because he is "in a disadvantageous position".

"If you don't give me a month, you can send me to prison and that's the end of the story", the witness said in Albanian language.

At the beginning of yesterday's session, prosecutor Clare Lawson tried to question witness 4577. However, he denied that he made a statement to the prosecution in 2004. The prosecutor reminded him that he had signed the presented statement, to which the witness responded it was not true and someone scribbled his name.

Witness 4577 was brought before the judges for the first time yesterday afternoon, but then he asked for a break to consult with his lawyer about the procedure, which was "not clear to him".

As he did not have a lawyer at the time, the court appointed him a representative, whose name has not been published. Prosecutor James Pace briefly tried to cross-examine the witness yesterday, and today Prosecutor Lawson took over that job due to, as she said, "consideration for the well-being of the witness".

The next witness 4769 is due to testify behind closed doors. 

Serbian military gets first CASA C-295 aircraft (N1)

The Serbian Armed Forces received the first of two CASA C-295 medium tactical transport aircraft, the Defense Ministry said in a press release on Thursday.

It said that the new aircraft was presented at the Batajnica air base outside Belgrade to Defense Minister Milos Vucevic and Chief of Staff General Milan Mojsilovic.

The press release said that the air crew was trained in Seville, adding that all maintenance will be done within the Serbian military.

“A contract for the procurement of two CASA C-295 transport aircraft, which will be used for the transport of personnel and cargo, was signed with the Spanish Airbus Defence and Space Company in February, 2022”, the press release said.

   

International 

  Kosovo Attack Casts Doubt on Future of EU Mediation (BIRN)

The attack by heavily-armed Serb gunmen in northern Kosovo in late-September has raised serious questions about the future of European Union mediation efforts between Belgrade and Pristina.

The killing of a police officer in Kosovo in late-September by a gang of heavily-armed Serbs, three of whom also died, has underscored the failure of European Union-led talks to resolve relations between Serbia and Kosovo, experts say.

Two weeks since the assault, many questions remain unanswered.

Serbia has denied arming or controlling the Serb gunmen, who were led by a notorious Kosovo Serb business figure and politician with strong links to Serbia’s ruling Progressive Party, Milan Radoicic. 

But the arsenal he amassed, parts of which had passed through Serbian state hands within the past five years, will be of significant concern to NATO, which still has peacekeepers in the country almost a quarter of a century since first deploying them at the end of the 1998-99 Kosovo war.

Majority-Albanian Kosovo declared independence in 2008 with the backing of the major Western powers, but Serbia has not recognised the loss of its former province, and the EU has been struggling to mediate what it calls a "normalisation of relations" almost ever since.

Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/27mvet7j

Kosovo to Stop Paying for Energy in Serb-Majority North (BIRN)

Kosovo’s Minister of Economy, Artane Rizvanolli, after a government meeting on Thursday, said Kosovo will not continue allocating money to pay for electricity used in the Serb-majority north of the country.

Rizvanolli said the government had already agreed that “the last payments made from the budget of Kosovo will be those until the deadline for implementation”, meaning the roadmap on the implementation of energy agreements from 2013 and 2015, signed between Kosovo and Serbia in Brussels on June 21, 2022. 

According to the June 2022 energy road map, if the Kosovo Energy Distribution and Supply Company, KEDS, and Kosovo’s electricity network system operator, KOSTT, do not agree with Drustvo Elektrosever, a subsidiary in Kosovo of Serbian state-run energy company Elektroprivreda Srbije, within 100 days from when the Kosovo Energy Regulator Office, ERO, gives the license for it to operate in the four Serb-majority municipalities in the north, the license can be suspended or withdrawn.

The ERO gave Elektrosever a license to operate on June 24, 2022. On October 20, 2022, the EU confirmed that KOSTT and Elektrosever had reached the technical standards agreement. In accordance with the road map on electricity, Elektrosever also submitted consumer data, which authorities in Kosovo say are not complete.

Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/yc6xc3b6

Slovenia Strengthens NATO Peacekeeping Mission in Kosovo with Additional Troops (BNN)

In a decisive move demonstrating its commitment to international peacekeeping, Slovenia is set to deploy additional soldiers to Kosovo. The decision is a response to NATO’s call for an increase in troop presence in the region, amidst escalating tensions and potential security threats.

Currently, Slovenia has 169 soldiers stationed in Kosovo as part of NATO’s peacekeeping mission. The new deployment will increase this number to roughly 200. The troops’ main task will be maintaining security and stability, a critical mission given the region’s historical and ongoing conflicts.

“Our commitment to NATO and to the peacekeeping mission in Kosovo is unwavering,” a Slovenian government official stated. “We understand the importance of our role in maintaining stability and security in the region, and our soldiers are highly trained and prepared to carry out their duties.”

The decision to deploy more troops has received mixed reactions from the public. While some see this as a necessary contribution to global security and a testament to Slovenia’s commitment to peacekeeping, others have expressed concerns about the potential risks and costs of the mission.

Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/4f9ffaxx

Serbia’s Vucic Denounces Opposition Calls for EU to Sanction Him (BIRN)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has denounced opposition calls for the EU to sanction him and his associates over the September 24 armed incident in northern Kosovo, calling the move unheard-of and a sign of its defeatism.

“They wrote to someone to impose sanctions against the leader of their country because they cannot beat him in any other way,” Vucic said on Wednesday evening.

Several hours earlier, the opposition Democratic Party, the People’s Movement of Serbia, the Movement of Free Citizens, Serbia Center, the Party of Freedom and Justice, Zajedno party and the Green Left Front, sent a letter to EU diplomacy chief Joseph Borell saying the EU should not impose sanctions on Serbia but on Vucic.

In the letter, they said they “deeply oppose” sanctions on Serbia, as this would push the Serbian people further towards an anti-EU stance.

“On the other hand, the political and personal responsibility of Aleksandar Vucic for this situation [in Kosovo] is obvious. Therefore, every possible measure should be imposed on him and his closest political allies,” the letter says.

The opposition claimed Vucic bore responsibility for the September 24 Banjska incident in northern Kosovo, where Serb gunmen killed a Kosovo police officer, but emphasized that Kosovo PM Albin Kurti’s actions, especially in the last year, had undermined the security of the Serb minority in Kosovo.

Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/yck3b4ue