Albanian Language Media:

• EU says meetings on Thursday are “support” for dialogue (RFE)
• Kurti: No dialogue if no condemnation and sanctions on Serbia (media)
• Kosovo agrees for plan of envoys to be framework for further discussions (media)
• Konjufca on EU plan: I haven’t read it in detail, but it is in line with Constitution (media)
• Osmani hosted by Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds (media)
• Gervalla: Important to hold Serbia accountable for aggression (media)
• Elshani does not rule out another attack in Kosovo (TeVe1)
• 182 kilograms of marijuana seized at border with Serbia (Telegrafi)

Serbian Language Media:

• New searches in relation to Banjska incident in northern Kosovo (KoSSev, Kosovo Online)
• Odalovic: Kurti made every agreement meaningless; the missing persons investigation neglected (RTS)
• Works on a road passing across old Orthodox cemetery in Mitrovica North halted (KoSSev)
• Brnabic and Rama today with Varhelyi (NMagazin, Beta)
• Drecun: West trying to expedite normalisation and get Belgrade recognize Kosovo (Tanjug)
• Goran Bogdanovic on change of Serbian List leadership (N1, Danas)
• Davenport: Excessive use of detention measure represents problem not only in Kosovo, but wider as well (Kosovo Online)
• Pasalic: ''I am amazed because the international institutions do not react to the evidence about the situation of Serbian prisoners in Kosovo'' (Kosovo Online)
• Former High Court Judge in North Mitrovica Kabasic: Serbs in Kosovo completely disenfranchised (Kosovo  Online)
• Mobile mammograph in Mitrovica North (KoSSev)

Opinion:

• Serwer: “A failed terrorist provocation” (peacefare.net)

International:

• Kosovo’s premier slams Serbia ahead of fresh round of talks (Financial Times)

 

 

Albanian Language Media  

 

EU says meetings on Thursday are “support” for dialogue (RFE)

The European Union said today that the meetings with Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic on Thursday on the margins of the EU summit are “support” for the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia. Kurti and Vucic have confirmed they will take part in separate meetings with top EU leaders.

“The meetings are in support of returning to dialogue and this is the message. We expect both parties to return to implementing their obligations from the dialogue immediately and without conditions,” EU spokesperson Peter Stano said today.

Sources told Radio Free Europe that for now the plan is not to have a joint meeting with Kurti and Vucic. “The course of the meetings that the European leaders will have with the two leaders will determine if there will be a tripartite meeting, including the Prime Minister of Kosovo and the President of Serbia,” an unnamed source said.

Sources also said that Kosovo will be asked to accept the draft statute of the Association of Serb-majority municipalities, while Serbia will be asked to implement without condition the agreement on the normalisation of relations and its implementation annex accorded in Ohrid.

Kurti: No dialogue if no condemnation and sanctions on Serbia (media)

Most news websites cover an interview that Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti gave to the Financial Times highlighting his remarks that “if there is no condemnation and sanctions on Serbia after what they did, there will definitely be no dialogue. We will end up in a failed crisis management and forget altogether about normalisation.”

Kurti accused the armed group that attacked Kosovo Police on September 24 in Banjska of Zvecan that they were “trying to start a new armed conflict, a new war in Kosovo to annex the northern part of our country.” He said that following the September 24 attack, “everything has changed. We cannot go back to business as usual.”

Kurti called on EU Special Representative Miroslav Lajcak to stop “considering Serbia a force of nature, a kind of irrational bear who we have to throw lambs to appease it. This must end for the sake of normalisation and peace and security.”

Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/2s4bxvp5

Kosovo agrees for plan of envoys to be framework for further discussions (media)

The Kosovo Government said today that it agrees for the new plan presented by the five envoys on Saturday to be the framework for further discussions.

Without disclosing any details, the EU confirmed that they made a “modern European proposal” for the Association and that they expect the parties to “move swiftly” on this issue and all other issues from the obligations in the dialogue. 

The government in Pristina said Prime Minister Albin Kurti has agreed for the new EU plan to be the framework of further discussions with allied countries. “Prime Minister Kurti has positively responded to the request of the five envoys for a meeting with the leaders of Germany, France, Italy and the President of the European Commission, on the margins of the EU Council summit. The meeting will be part of discussions that were initiated with the five envoys during their visit to Pristina on October 21, during which they presented a new plan that includes a more comprehensive implementation package of the Basic Agreement together with a proposed draft for the implementation of Article 7. Prime Minister Kurti expressed his agreement for the new plan to be the framework of further discussions with allied countries, the U.S., Germany, France and Italy, which should secure a strong security component and also empower the perspective of membership in international organisations,” the government said.

Kurti is scheduled to meet on Thursday with French President Macron, German Chancellor Scholz, Italian Prime Minister Meloni and the head of EU foreign policy Josep Borrell. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic is expected to have similar meetings.

“The agenda and details of the meeting in Brussels have not been announced. Prime Minister Kurti is however ready to engage in substantial discussions under the condition that they are in line with the principle of inclusion,” the government said.

Konjufca on EU plan: I haven’t read it in detail, but it is in line with Constitution (media)

President of the Kosovo Assembly, Glauk Konjufca, said today that the plan presented to Kosovo by the five envoys does not foresee executive competencies for the Association of Serb-majority municipalities, and that the plan is in line with the Constitution of Kosovo. “I haven’t read it in detail … But yes it is in full compliance with the Constitution of Kosovo and is not another tier of government in Kosovo,” Konjufca is quoted as saying in T7.

Konjufca argued that the Association should not be negotiated. “It is not the central topic of negotiations with Serbia. It is an earlier agreement from 2013 when the government of that time tried to give it shape with Serbia in 2015 it was ruled out by the Constitutional Court,” he said.

Konjufca also said that NATO will come out with a final report about the September 24th attack in Banjska of Zvecan where a Kosovo police officer was killed. According to him, EULEX, U.S. and Germany are also carrying out investigations. 

Koha quotes Konjufca as saying that Kosovo’s institutions should review the legality of the political activity of the Serbian List and its right to run in the elections. He also said that the election of the new leader of the SL was framed. “What happened yesterday was a masquerade. The election of the new leader is a completely framed process, because they believe that the Serbian List can avoid its responsibility from September 24. You cannot hide like that. Radoicic was the de jure deputy leader, but we all know that he was the de facto leader,” he said.

Konjufca also said that announcing new elections in the four northern municipalities is a process that requires time. He added that a process that is more important at this time is security.

Klan Kosova reports that Konjufca said there could be more attacks in the north and that Kosovo’s institutions are being prepared for such a scenario. He said that it is meaningless to meet in Brussels until Serbia is sanctioned for the September 24th attack in Banjska.

“I don’t why this meeting in Brussels has been called. We don’t have time to listen to Vucic’s futile promises that he is peaceful. The Republic and the Kosovo Police are getting ready to respond to new potential attacks. As the Minister of Interior Affairs said, there are groups that are being trained in Serbia,” Konjufca argued.

Osmani hosted by Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds (media)

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani in her meeting with Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds in the U.S., said that Kosovo has no better ally and friend than the United States of America, with which, according to her, they share the same values of democracy, human rights and international cooperation.

Osmani highlighted the signing of the Iowa State Partnership Program some time ago as a crucial aspect of their strategic relations with the United States. “This program plays a vital role in our ongoing military development and capacity building efforts, in line with our national security objectives and aspirations for NATO membership,” she said.

A press release issued by Osmani’s office notes that she informed Reynolds about the latest developments in Kosovo “following the act of aggression committed by Serbia in the Republic of Kosovo on September 24. According to President Osmani, Kosovo will continue to cooperate with its allies, while the perpetrators of the terrorist attack and the aggression against the Republic of Kosovo on September 24 must be brought to justice.”

Osmani also wrote in a post on X after the meeting: “Building on our sister state partnership, we've reaffirmed our shared commitment to continue working intensively together to bring cooperation between our citizens, institutions and businesses to new heights.”

Gervalla: Important to hold Serbia accountable for aggression (media)

Kosovo’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Donika Gervalla-Schwarz, said in a post on X that she met with Amanda Sloat, Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Europe at NSC. “Discussed the current security situation in Kosova and the region, emphasizing the importance of holding Serbia accountable for its aggression,” Gervalla wrote.

Elshani does not rule out another attack in Kosovo (TeVe1)

Kosovo Police Deputy Director for the north, Veton Elshani, said today that he cannot rule out another attack in Kosovo similar to that on September 24 in Banjska of Zvecan. He however said that the current situation in the north is quiet but delicate. “Given the delicate situation we are in, we cannot rule out anything, even a possible attack. In fact, we did not rule out an attack last month too, but we only did not know how the attack would happen. September 24 showed to everyone that the Kosovo Police is capable of handling dangerous situations. The situation in the north of the country is quiet but delicate given the political developments. The September 24 case has aggravated the situation,” he said.

Elshani said that before September 24 “we had started several police operations based on our intelligence and we found different weapons. We are now carrying out raids and different controls,” he said.

Elshani also said that citizens in the north of Kosovo are very close and cooperative with the Kosovo Police.

182 kilograms of marijuana seized at border with Serbia (Telegrafi)

Kosovo Police said in a press release today that it arrested two people and confiscated 182 kilograms of marijuana at the border with Serbia. The value of the drugs seized is believed to be around €400.000. 

 

 

Serbian Language Media

 

New searches in relation to Banjska incident in northern Kosovo (KoSSev, Kosovo Online)

Kosovo police carried out searches on at least three locations in Mitrovica North, KoSSev portal reported. As the police confirmed to the portal, the searches are related to the Banjska incident.

From one of the locations searched the police took away the hardware of the computer, while nothing else could be seen to be taken away. Also, the portal said no arrests were made.

Kosovo Online portal reported later in the day that houses of Vladimir Tolic and Dusan Maksimovic, arrested in Banjska on September 24, were searched. EULEX was present during the searches. 

Kosovo police deputy commander for the region North, Veton Elshani told the media that a total of 8 locations had been searched. Four of them are in Mitrovica North, and four in Zvecan municipality including one in the village of Banjska. He could not tell if anything was found or confiscated during those searches. 

Odalovic: Kurti made every agreement meaningless; the missing persons investigation neglected (RTS)

The President of the Commission for Missing Persons of the Government of Serbia, Veljko Odalovic, points out, regarding the solution of the "big five" that was presented to Belgrade and Pristina, that he is concerned that most of the previous models of the international community were concessions to Pristina. He says there is pressure from Western countries to reach an agreement before the presidential election in the United States. He also states that it is important for countries that have not recognized the independence of Kosovo to hear the truth about the events in Kosovo, referring to the speech of the PM of Serbia, Ana Brnabic, at the UNSC session. He indicates that Kosovo PM, Albin Kurti, persistently ignores the opening of the investigation into the missing Serbs in Kosovo.

Odalovic told RTS this morning that it is still uncertain whether there will be talks between Vucic and Kurti in Brussels after the "big five" recently visited Belgrade and Pristina.

"If they do meet, I assume that they will declare themselves on the documents proposed by the so-called 'big five'. However, I am worried that it is another document of the international community in a sort of hyperinflation of various documents, and we still do not know what the end of the saga will be. They are looking for new models and solutions, and all they have done so far are concessions to Pristina and their project of creating an independent state on the territory of the Republic of Serbia," says Odalovic.

He points out that the "Big Five" is an informal group with good intentions, which represents the interests of five influential countries, and that pressure is being exerted to reach an agreement before the presidential elections in the USA and the European elections.

"The question is which of the current emissaries will have a new mandate and whether the plans will be the same as now," points out Odalovic.

Kurti ignores the agreements and the announcement of elections in the north of Kosovo

Odalovic states that it is dangerous that Resolution 1244 - the first document that practically made official the arrival of the international civil and security mission - was completely devastated, but that it is still alive because of the attitude of Russia and China, which do not recognize Kosovo.

Pristina is not implementing the provisions of the Brussels Agreement from 2013, especially the point related to the formation of the Community of Serbian Municipalities (CMU), indicates Odalovic.

"Kurti also ignores the request to call elections in four Serbian municipalities in Kosovo and Metohija. So far, he has been doing well. We will not be able to organize elections according to the set deadlines in the coming months either. He has made everything meaningless,'' says Odalovic.

It is important to find out the truth about the violence against Serbs

The world learned the truth about the disenfranchisement of Serbs on the territory of Kosovo, Odalovic points out, when referring to the speech of Serbian PM Ana Brnabic delivered at the UNSC session. 

"It was important that those countries that do not recognize the so-called Kosovo hear the truth. The representatives of those countries have the right to find out what is happening there. In fact, to see how the various missions of the international community have not fulfilled their mandate," Odalovic points out.

On the other hand, he states that Pristina used lies according to which it also tried to draw the Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC) into political calculations and thus ignore the topic of missing Serbs on the territory of Kosovo. 

"They are now trying to spread the story that weapons were transported in the vehicles of the clergy or that the monastery in Banjska served as a kind of military base. They conduct that agenda continuously, but no one mentions the missing persons. Kurti does not want to deal with it because, in the case of the investigation, the bodies of Serbs would appear and confirmation of the committed atrocities,'' concluded Odalovic.

Works on a road passing across old Orthodox cemetery in Mitrovica North halted (KoSSev, Tanjug)

Works on a road that was planned to be constructed across now already ploughed over an old Orthodox cemetery have been halted, KoSSev portal said.

Kosovo authorities started road reconstruction that leads to destroyed Albanian houses in the settlements in Mitrovica North, part of the announced program for housing reconstruction of Albanians in Brdjane and Mikronaselje settlements. 

However, the road passed across the old Orthodox cemetery which was damaged by the works and now ploughed over. The portal said it contains tomb stones that could be several centuries old, and that the land plot in question belongs to the Serbian Orthodox Church, which would initiate the issue of protection in the coming days.

New Mitrovica North mayor Erden Atic told KoSSev that the municipality had been informed about this case only last night, adding it was a mistake by the Kosovo Ministry of Infrastructure or companies that won the tender. He also said the instruction was made to halt the works.

Mitrovica North Municipal Assembly Chair Nedzad Ugljnain as announced visited the spot this morning and confirmed that the works have been halted. “The works are halted, we have information that citizens filed a criminal report (…)’, he said.

Tanjug news agency reported that Nikola Kabasic, former president of the Basic Court in Mitrovica North filed criminal reports of behalf of twenty citizens to the court, and told journalists this was not about illegal construction for which the municipality would be responsible, but rather a criminal act of desecrating and digging out graves or mortal remains.

Kabasic said he expects prosecution to launch an official investigation against the order-giver, financier and implementer of the works. He also said this was not a political issue, but a human and civilizational issue as well as an issue of building co-existence with mutual respect.

“The cemetery was clearly marked, there are more than 30 tombstones there. They are old from a few decades to a few centuries. Residents of Suvi Do and Kosovska Mitrovica were buried there until the 1960s”, Kabasic said, adding that Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti often says that legal order must rule, so we submitted an official criminal report to see how this system functions. 

Brnabic and Rama today with Varhelyi (NMagazin, Beta)

The European Commissioner for Enlargement, Oliver Varhelyi, will meet today in Brussels with the Prime Minister of Serbia, Ana Brnabic, the European Commission announced.

The time and topic of the meeting have not been announced.

Today in Brussels, Varhelyi will also talk with Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, it was announced in today's schedule of meetings of the European Commissioner for Neighborhood and Enlargement.

The European Commission should soon publish annual reports on the progress of candidate countries for EU membership.

The two-day EU Summit will start tomorrow in Brussels, and the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, and the Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, have been invited to talk with EU representatives on the sidelines of the summit about the continuation of the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, recalled portal NMagazin.

Drecun: West trying to expedite normalisation and get Belgrade recognize Kosovo (Tanjug)

Serbian Parliamentary Committee for Kosovo and Metohija Chairman Milovan Drecun said on Wednesday the leading Western countries that recognised Kosovo were trying to expedite the normalisation process between Belgrade and Pristina and get Belgrade recognise it, Tanjug news agency reports.

Despite the scarcity of information released following a recent visit to Belgrade by a "big five" of Western envoys, Drecun said certain conclusions could be drawn based on statements by EU spokesperson Peter Stano and the EU's special envoy for the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue, Miroslav Lajcak, who has said the "five" had drawn up a new plan that was supposed to ensure a continuation of dialogue and lead to progress in implementation of an agreement on the path to normalisation of relations, noting that a Community of Serb Municipalities must be established.

"After that, Stano came out with a statement that there are new proposals and ideas and that some of the proposals are even in written form, and that the 'five' brought a new draft statute of the community of majority-Serb municipalities. That shows that discussions are underway about how to make a package that would be acceptable to both Belgrade and Pristina, and that efforts will be made in the period to come to bring the positions of the two parties closer together to potentially reach an agreement", Drecun said.

The request to Pristina is to accept the draft statute and start making concrete steps towards forming the Community and hold elections in the north of Kosovo, while the request to Belgrade is to sway local Serbs into participating in the elections, which Serbian List has accepted, Drecun said.

"The main direction (of action) is towards Belgrade, because they want our side to fully accept and implement that EU agreement on the path to normalisation of relations, but it contains two points that are unacceptable to us. I think that will be a bone of contention now", he concluded.

Goran Bogdanovic on change of Serbian List leadership (N1, Danas)

The vice-president of the Social Democratic Party (SDS), Goran Bogdanović, told the newspaper Danas that “the so-called change of the leadership of the Serbian List (SL) is in fact a new deception of the Serbian people and merely a cosmetic change”.

“Once again, we have people who have very actively participated in all processes since 2013”, Bogdanovic said.

According to him, until the SL does not condemn everything it has done since 2013 until today, there is no future for the Serbian people in Kosovo, adding that “SL has to face all of the grievances it has done in Kosovo and Metohija, from threats, blackmail, through party employment, to crime”. 

Davenport: Excessive use of detention measure represents problem not only in Kosovo, but wider as well (Kosovo Online)

The OSCE Mission in Kosovo presented a Trial Monitoring Report on Detention on Remand at the courts in Kosovo today, Kosovo Online portal reports. The report said that 38 percent of detainees in Kosovo were not convicted, and it looks as if this percentage is increasing, noting that defence, prosecutors and judiciary should be aware that detention on remand is the last measure and should not be rendered routinely.

Read the full OSCE’s report at: t.ly/ADdJH

Head of the OSCE Mission, Ambassador Michael Davenport while presenting the report said that the excessive use of detention measures is a problem not only in Kosovo, but wider as well.

"Based on the monitoring and the data that was collected, we considered, we were concerned, that the vast majority of reports in the prosecutor's office concerned the measure of detention in particular. Prosecutors rarely sought less restrictive measures as an alternative. The second thing is that almost all requests of the prosecution regarding detention measures were accepted by the court. According to international standards of human rights, detention should be, that is, it should be seen as a last measure", he said.

As far as appeals are concerned, the Court of Appeals appears to uphold first-instance detention decisions in most cases, according to the report. Also, previously reported concerns about regular breaches of appeals deadlines persist.

Davenport also said that members of the OSCE Mission monitor trials at all levels, but that they do not have the same mandate and responsibility when it comes to monitoring conditions in detention facilities, adding if there are complaints they address the Ombudsperson institution.

Pasalic: ''I am amazed because the international institutions do not react to the evidence about the situation of Serbian prisoners in Kosovo'' (Kosovo Online)

Serbian Peoples' Advocate, Zoran Pasalic, said that he had forwarded the evidence to all international institutions dealing with the protection of human rights about the fact that the arrested Serbs in Kosovo's prisons are not treated adequately, but that, as he says, he is amazed by the fact that he still has not received no response and almost no one reacted, reported Kosovo online. 

He points out that the families of arrested Serbs in Kosovo must receive real information about the condition of their relatives in detention units, and that there are a number of addresses they can turn to regarding the behavior of the Kosovo Police towards prisoners.

One of them is certainly the OSCE and EULEX, however, the protector of the citizens of Serbia is surprised because the Kosovo Ombudsman does not respond to appeals that Serbs in prisons are in health and physical danger, "which should primarily be concerned with the protection of human rights of all citizens living in Kosovo and Metohija''. 

"According to our knowledge, which we received during the first arrests, the treatment of those arrested was inadequate during the arrest itself, i.e., detention, and also during the stay in detention. We received that information from our liaison officer who is in touch with the EULEX Office in Pristina and he personally visited some of the detainees, which was the reason for us to send a letter to 106 addresses of international institutions, primarily those located in European countries and beyond, that deal with the protection of human rights, that is, those who perform the function that we perform in Serbia," Pasalic told Kosovo Online. 

According to Pasalic, despite all the complaints and appeals to international institutions, there was no response.

"I repeat, we contacted 106 addresses, and I was amazed by the non-response, that is, the non-reaction of international institutions. Practically, only three contacted us, even though we sent not only a letter, but also facts supported by evidence - so that it is not an impression or some speculation, but facts supported by evidence," stresses Pasalic. 

Pasalic says, will not give up the fight for the rights of Serbs from Kosovo until the international community takes action in an adequate manner.

"Our work does not stop until the moment the international community responds adequately to the position of Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija, not only Serbs but all citizens, including those who have experienced torture without belonging to the Serbian community, but torture is dominant over Serbian community. Our steps are to alert the international community everywhere and in every place and in the course of bilateral communications that we have every day, as well as when we have contact with certain institutions, i.e. organizations that gather ombudsmen, i.e. institutions that deal with the protection of human rights at the European and world level and at the UN," Pasalic stated.

He also expressed his concern that there is no longer any "umbrella institution" that could persuade international institutions, as well as those in Pristina, to react.

"Unfortunately, there is no subordination that could force or agree to react adequately. We know that the mouths are full of protection of human rights everywhere in the world, so if it is true for other countries, why is it not true for the position of Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija," he pointed out.

He added that the fact that the international community not only is it unresponsive to the situation of the Serbian detainees and the brutal treatment during the arrest, but also does not speak out about the general situation of members of the Serbian community in Kosovo is a concern.

"Certainly, that there are rules in Kosovo and Metohija regarding the treatment of detainees or prisoners, but we cannot claim with certainty at this moment that they are absolutely respected," Pasalic concluded.

Former High Court Judge in North Mitrovica Kabasic: Serbs in Kosovo completely disenfranchised (Kosovo  Online)

The former judge of the High Court in North Mitrovica, Nikola Kabasic, pointed out for Kosovo Online that the Serbian people are currently in the most difficult position in Europe, ‘’because they are under daily pressure, completely disenfranchised, without personal and property security, and exposed to groundless arrests dictated by the Kosovo police’’. Kabasic said this from Washington while participating in the conference of the Serbian diaspora dedicated to Kosovo. 

"This was a unique opportunity to testify before our diaspora about the very difficult position in which the Serbian people in Kosovo and Metohija find themselves. And the Serbian people are currently in the most difficult position of all the peoples in Europe, because apart from the daily pressures and physical violence to which they are exposed, they are completely disenfranchised in every sense," Kabasic told Kosovo Online. 

According to Kabasic, there are no guarantees in Kosovo for the personal or property security of Serbs.

As he says, lists with the names of Serbs are published without knowing who is or will be responsible for what.

Most of the time, he said, they are accused of "endangering the constitutional integrity" or charged with terrorism or crime. Or for all of it. 

"There are different acts, just as the lists are different, and this creates a degree of insecurity, destabilization of the Serbian community, so a number of them leave Kosovo as a precaution, while on the other hand, we have a wave of arrests of Serbs for war crimes," he said. 

Kabasic notes that from December of last year to September of this year, eight Serbs were arrested for alleged war crimes, five of them in August and September alone.

He indicated that five to four of them have property disputes active before the courts in Kosovo.

"It only shows the true intention of these elaborate political processes, which is to send a message to every next Serb, whoever thinks of returning to protect their property, that they will be arrested and accused of war crimes," Kabasic said.

That is why, he says, the only hope is for the international community to get involved in the judiciary in Kosovo in order to provide an opportunity for the Serbs to have a fair and just trial, because in the current circumstances, under great media pressure on the judiciary, it is slowly giving in, especially the special court and the prosecutor's office , who act "according to the dictates of the police and Xhelal Svecla".

"International judges, if they were to get involved, would provide more opportunities for a fair and just trial. Now there is no justice for Serbs before the judiciary of Kosovo because an accused Serb is a convicted Serb. This is what experience tells us," Kabasic told portal Kosovo Online.

When asked what the role of EULEX is, he answers that EULEX is ''a failed mission''.

"In the last few years, it has had almost no role, it should only subsequently provide legitimacy through para-judicial procedures," he assesses.

He reminds that EULEX does not have an executive mandate, but rather observes and advises.

He believes that there was plenty of room for EULEX to be more directly and concretely involved in court proceedings, especially when it comes to members of the Kosovo police or army, ''who shot at civilians and wounded Serbs'', which is a serious crime, but, he says, ''after, tried to cover it all up''.

"We have witnessed that all the defendants in those cases have been released, not from police but from house arrest, while on the other hand, we have disproportionate treatment when Serbs are accused of minor crimes and spend several months in custody or are released with a large amount of bail," states Kabasic.

All this is illustrated by the example of the Kosovo Police Minister Xhelal Svecla, who a few days ago, dissatisfied with the court's decision to release Dejan Pantic after a year on bail of 30,000 euros, criticized the court, saying that it "let a terrorist to defend pending trial", by which he violated several laws.

"Svecla, who all the time leads the propaganda, not the police, violated the presumption of innocence, declared him a terrorist. He is putting pressure so that the court does not decide differently tomorrow than he thinks it should... He sees all Serbs from the north as criminals, the only question is when it will be the turn of someone from his list to be arrested on an imaginary charge," Kabasic said, reported Kosovo online.

Mobile mammograph in Mitrovica North (KoSSev)

On the occasion of the month of October, breast cancer awareness month, at the bottom of the Mitrovica North pedestrian zone, closer to the main bridge, a mobile mammograph was placed. It will remain there for three days, starting from 9.00 tomorrow morning. This is the initiative of the Kosovo Minister of Health, KoSSev portal reports.

The portal added that all interested women can for free and without an appointment do the examination. They only need identification documents, regardless of who issued it.

Serbian media reported earlier that acting upon recommendation of the Serbian Ministry of Health, Clinical Hospital Centre in Mitrovica North was one of the 150 institutions that started with preventive examinations.

Last week's examinations were devoted to the prevention of breast cancer, while over the weekend, residents could check the health of the thyroid gland with an ultrasound examination and hormonal analysis, the media recalled. 

 

 

Opinion 

 

Serwer: “A failed terrorist provocation” (peacefare.net)

Opinion piece by U.S. commentator on the Balkans, Daniel Serwer, originally published on peacefare.net and covered by Albanian news outlets in Kosovo.

A month ago, the Kosovo police foiled an attempted insurrection near a Serb Orthodox monastery Banjska, in the northern part of the country. A 51-page preliminary investigative report by the Republic of Kosovo is now circulating in the US government. Here is my plagiaristic summary. The original is better.

Conclusions first

A paramilitary group of about 80 cadres recruited, trained and specifically designated for the purpose carried out the attack, with heavy arms Serbia provided.

Belgrade’s goal was to instigate a Kosovo police response to firing from the Banjska monastery that could be used to justify a Serbian military intervention, allegedly to save endangered Serb citizens of Kosovo and pilgrims from Serbia.

The plan entailed challenging, threatening, and potentially killing members of KFOR as well as Kosovo police, who lost one officer to a land mine.

The chain of command included the Serbian state, whose President and security structures are culpable legally and morally. Dozens of perpetrators who escaped to Serbia are now protected from justice by Belgrade. There is a risk of repetition , as evidenced by the continued offensive posture of Serbian security forces surrounding Kosovo as well as the intense pro-invasion propaganda campaign still ongoing inside Serbia.

A few details of the investigation

The Serbian Armed Forces trained the paramilitary perpetrators over a period of two years at army and Interior Ministry bases. US-donated Humvees were used in the training. The Kosovo authorities have captured detailed plans based on military-supplied maps for the paramilitaries to open routes into Kosovo for weapons and supplies from Serbia. Serbian special forces and drones entered into Kosovo in the leadup to the insurrection, and medical ambulances transported weapons into the country.

Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/4kbx2sf8

 

 

International 

 

Kosovo’s premier slams Serbia ahead of fresh round of talks (Financial Times)

Today, Kosovo’s premier tells our Balkan correspondent EU peace talks with Serbia are doomed unless Brussels gets tougher on Belgrade. And we preview today’s international summit dedicated to the Global Gateway — the EU’s alternative to China’s Belt and Road Initiative.

Doomed from the start

The leaders of Kosovo and Serbia are expected to meet in Brussels tomorrow for the first time since a violent stand-off between Serb paramilitaries and Kosovo police left four people dead last month.

But the west should dampen its hopes of getting talks back on track — unless it comes down harder on Serbia, Kosovo’s premier Albin Kurti tells Marton Dunai.

Context: The EU has been trying to mediate between Belgrade and Pristina, after Kosovo broke away from Serbia in 2008. But progress earlier this year came undone following disputed elections, and things deteriorated in September when 30 Serb paramilitaries barricaded themselves into a north Kosovo monastery.

The EU is eager to stabilise the situation in the western Balkans, which comes on top of wars in Ukraine and in the Middle East. But Kurti, who blames the attack on Belgrade, said there will be no movement until the international community condemns Serbia.

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