Albanian Language Media:

• Kurti says that Borrell and Lajcak were in sync with Serbia in September 14 meeting (media)
• Hoti: Kurti's reporting, lament and evidence of inability to lead dialogue (media)
• Osmani took part in marking the 10th anniversary of Women Leaders (RTK)
• Abdixhiku publishes the promises of the "New Road" (media)
• Tahiri: This mandate is the last one for Kurt as prime minister (media)
• Kumnova files a criminal complaint against Veljko Odallovic (Koha)

Serbian Language Media:

• Vucic this week in NY at the UN GA (Beta, Danas, KiM radio)
• Serbian List: Serbian people understood Kurti’s threats, KFOR and EULEX to be vigilant (Kosovo Online, social media)
• Petkovic: Kurti had it all out in open, so that everyone could see he does not want to negotiate (media)
• Serbian National Council asks bishop to allow gathering be held in Gracanica monastery (KiM radio)
• Covic: Repression against Serbs foundation of Kurti’s democracy (Kosovo Online, TV Pink)
• Opposition SSP adopts Declaration on Preventing Serbia’s Decline (N1, KoSSev)
• Kurti confirms he will respond to eventual court’s summon in case of D.M. from Gracanica (KoSSev)

Opinion:

• Surlic: The CSM (ZSO) not the priority need of Serbs in Kosovo (KiM radio, Slobodno srpski)

 

 

 

Albanian Language Media  

 

Kurti says that Borrell and Lajcak were in sync with Serbia in September 14 meeting (media)

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti said that he went to the September 14 meeting with a concrete proposal. According to him, the proposal was based on the principle of inclusiveness which means that every article should be included in the sequencing implementation plan. He said that the principle of inclusiveness is not unusual in the implementation plans of international agreements.

He said that there was coordination and synchronisation of positions between the High Representative for Foreign Policy of the European Union, Josep Borrell, the emissary for dialogue, Miroslav Lajcak, and the Serbian President, Aleksandar Vucicat the September 14 meeting in Brussels.

"In the annex, it is defined in three specific clauses that each article of the basic agreement must be implemented and also that the parties must not express obstructions in any article. In the first bilateral meeting with Borrell and Lajcak, I was asked to immediately proceed to a negotiation process of the statute defined by Article 7 of the basic agreement concerning Article 10. It became clear that such a step could not be undertaken without fully agreeing on the sequenced implementation plan. All the more because Vucic has been stating for some time that he has not accepted an agreement with Kosovo and will implement it only in accordance with Serbia's red lines," he said.

Kurti said that he informed Borrell and Lajçak that the first step should be the agreement of a sequencing step, which includes the signing of the basic agreement.

He added that in the first meeting, they did not reach even a minimal agreement, because, according to him, "the position of Mr. Borrell and Mr. Lajcak was that the sequencing of the implementation of the agreement should be done in such a way that it would be acceptable also for Serbia, which wanted the Association as a priority and the removal of the articles of mutual recognition".

He said that in the trilateral meeting, "I was exposed to a scenario that Lajcak had designed long ago". 

He said that after proposing a sequencing plan drafted by Kosovo, the president of Serbia and Miroslav Lajcak reacted with the same opinion and with the same coordinated disregard. Both, according to him, said that this plan is very unrealistic.

"I had not invented or added anything to the plan. After being rejected in synchronicity by Vucic and Lajcak, I asked them a basic question: 'Since you are rejecting my proposal, tell me if Serbia has ever made any proposal of any sequencing plan'. Lajcak said yes, with full conviction, Serbia also said yes. I asked them for some document, but they didn't give it to me. After many insistences, he brought me a document that he told me is Serbia's proposal for the sequencing plan", he said. 

"After the meetings ended and after my appearance in the media, the mediator issued a sequencing document that he said Vucic accepted, and Kurti rejected. Such information is untrue... Such a document of Lajcak was rejected on July 19 by Deputy Prime Minister Bislimi. Why this nonsense of information from Lajcak's office... On September 14, there was a clear positioning of the mediator against Kosovo in general and against the agreement in general... Either we will implement the basic agreement in full or we cannot implement what Serbia wants. This logic is dead."

According to him, the warnings of the president, Aleksandar Vucic, were included in the comprehensive plan, while he added that information nonsense has been created in Lajcak's office.

Prime Minister Albin Kurti has stated that the measures imposed by the European Union against Kosovo should be lifted, as according to him, the de-escalation of the situation in the north has occurred to a considerable extent.

"The de-escalation has taken place to a considerable extent, there have been no incidents or violent protests for 2 months. The address for re-escalation is not in Pristina, but in Belgrade and in the Kopaonik hotel... The de-escalation should be enough to reconsider the lifting of the measures", he said.

Kurti emphasised that there is a clear path for holding early elections in the four municipalities in the north.

"We have made the roadmap to be followed in order to have early elections in the four municipalities. Add here the reduction of the Police twice to 25 percent, the measures have no reason to be", he said.

Hoti: Kurti's reporting, lament and evidence of inability to lead dialogue (media)

Avdullah Hoti, MP of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) has called the report of Prime Minister Albin Kurti to the media regarding the last meeting in Brussels, "mourning and proof of his inability to lead this process".

"Unfortunately, Kurti has done great damage to Kosovo by degrading the dialogue from: 'Dialogue for final, legally binding agreement, for mutual recognition and normalisation of relations', to 'Dialogue for crisis management'. It must be said that the crises were provoked by Serbia, but they were managed badly and without coordination with the allies by the Government of Kosovo", Hoti wrote among other things.

Osmani took part in marking the 10th anniversary of Women Leaders (RTK)

The President of Kosovo, Vjosa Osmani, who is staying in New York where the 78th Session of the United Nations Assembly is being held, participated in a ceremony marking the 10th anniversary of Women Leaders in Politics.

In an address to other women leaders, President Osmani spoke about the commitment and prominent role of women in different eras of the country's development history. She emphasised that Kosovo, in the 15 years of its independence, stands out for the leadership of women in politics, as she emphasised the importance of continuous cooperation and networking in order to empower women in public life.

In her address, President Osmani emphasised that Kosovo is proving to be a leading country in the leadership of the Agenda for Women, Peace and Security, and emphasised that the empowerment of women in the field of security, as well as in other fields, is the best opportunity for them to advance society as a whole, announced the Presidency.

Abdixhiku publishes the promises of the "New Road" (media)

The Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) presented the "New Road" program on Monday, which was said by this subject to contain 100 commitments. 

The head of the opposition party, Lumir Abdixhiku, said that economic growth, the increase in the salary coefficient, the gasification of Kosovo, the construction of the Hospital Center in Pristina, the construction of the highways of Gjilan and Peja, as well as other roads, are some of the commitments. of this initiative.

Abdixhiku said that the projects are elaborated in a voluminous and detailed program which will be fully presented at the great program Convention of the Democratic League during the months of October and November of this year.

He invited the people of Kosovo to read them, make remarks and suggestions. ‘The final 'New Road' will be a living guide with additions all the time.’

I have spent the last 2 years listening. 'LDK listens to you' has been the only political platform in the country that has developed direct communication with citizens. I have gathered over 200 professionals from the country with whom we have jointly built an ambitious plan for the Republic. I held meetings with media and journalists, civil society, university professors and businesses that make up over 80% of our economy. I got their opinions; I have revealed our way forward. I have visited big family entrepreneurs, individuals with spectacular achievements, representative groups and tireless workers of our country. I got the best of them - the knowledge, the views and the visions they have,” Abdixhiku wrote among other things.

Tahiri: This mandate is the last one for Kurt as prime minister (media)

The head of the Parliamentary Group of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) Abelard Tahiri has said that this is Albin Kurti's last term as Prime Minister.

Tahiri stated this in a press conference held after the meeting of the Presidency of the Assembly of Kosovo. 

"He will have neither the numbers nor the opportunity to create a second government. He tries every day to postpone the mandate and you can see what a mess the country is in", Tahiri said.

The head of PDK MPs added that the biggest favour that Albin Kurti can do for Kosovo is to resign.

"The very fact that the opposition comes to his mind, shows that he is afraid of this opposition and one thing is certain that in the next term, whenever the elections are held, be them as soon as possible or more distant, he will not be able to create the government," he said.

Kumnova files a criminal complaint against Veljko Odallovic (Koha)

The leader of the "Mothers' Calls" association, Nesrete Kumnova, has submitted a criminal report to the Special Prosecutor's Office of Kosovo, against Veljko Odallovic, who during the war held the position of the head of the District of Kosovo.

Through a post on Facebook, she wrote that the same person is suspected of being involved and bears command responsibility for the commission of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

According to Kumnova, Odallovic, who currently holds the position of the chairman of the Serbian Government's Commission for missing persons, must answer for the crimes committed by the Serbian forces during the war in Kosovo.

 

 

Serbian Language Media

 

Vucic this week in NY at the UN GA (Beta, Danas, KiM radio) 

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic will be in New York this week, where he will participate in the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly, reported media. 

During his stay in New York, from September 18 to 22, Vucic will meet with UN Secretary General António Guterres, President of Switzerland Alain Berset, President of South Korea Yoon Suk Yeol, President of Suriname Chandrikapersad Santokhi, Vice President of the European Commission Maros Sevcovic, as well as others officials of participating countries at the session of the UN General Assembly, it was announced from the office of the President of Serbia, cite Serbian media. 

Vucic will also attend the reception organised for the participants of the General Assembly by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, and a separate meeting with the EU's special representative for dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina and other regional issues of the Western Balkans Miroslav Lajcak is planned, as well as an informal lunch for the leaders of the Western Balkans the invitation of the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, the statement added.

The President of Serbia will address the participants of the 78th session of the UN General Assembly on Thursday, September 21.

Serbian List: Serbian people understood Kurti’s threats, KFOR and EULEX to be vigilant (Kosovo Online, social media)

Serbian List said today that “pile of uttered untruths Albin Kurti made in Pristina today cannot conceal the anti-Serbian character of his regime”, adding that Serbian people understood his threats from Brussels and urged KFOR and EULEX to be vigilant and undertake preventive measures so that those threats do not materialise, Kosovo Online portal reports.

"This is not a story, but a fact proven by activities of his regime, parapolice units and false mayors, which are carried out against Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija, particularly in the north in the last couple of months", Serbian List said in a statement.

The statement also recalled that the decision of the Serbian List and all citizens to leave Pristina institutions in the north was made absolutely independently and as a consequence of "the maltreatment that the regime of Albin Kurti continuously carried out with the aim of persecuting the Serbian people".

Serbian List further listed number of incidents against Serbian people in the north and Kosovo, carried out by Kosovo police and institutions, including as the statement said, shootings at innocent citizens, beatings and mistreatments, appropriation of the Serbian properties, construction of illegal basis, militarization of the north, brutal arrests and detention measures imposed without evidence, bans on holding Serbian elections and referendum, vaccination and medical treatment of Serbian people in Kosovo, rhetoric that incites ethnically motivated crimes against Serbs and Serbian Orthodox Church, lack of results in resolving attacks against them and many other.

Serbian List also said that Kurti instead of de-escalating the situation, continues to raise tensions and endangers already fragile peace in order to, as they said, conceal the fiasco of his politics among his constituents, to the detriment of Serbian people. 

Petkovic: Kurti had it all out in open, so that everyone could see he does not want to negotiate (media)

Office for Kosovo and Metohija Director Petar Petkovic said Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti by saying that even he does not want to start drafting the statute for the Community of Serb Municipalities (CSM), has it all out in the open, so that everyone could see he is the one who does not want negotiations, dialogue, and compromise.

Petkovic told a press conference everything that Kurti does, he is doing to cover up the fact that EU High Commissioner Josep Borell clearly said in Brussels the only culprit for the failed talks was Pristina, which has refused to implement the CSM for over 10 years.

 "No one asks him to give CSM, because he says he can't give coffee without a cup. Negotiations are not drinking coffee. Kurti made the life of Serbs in KiM so miserable that they did not want to see him, let alone drink coffee with him, except for, say, Rasic, who sided with him'', said Petkovic.

According to him, Kurti does not want CSM, he does not want to talk about de-escalation either.

"(President Aleksandar) Vucic is clearly ready for compromise, dialogue, because that is the only way to protect the Serbian people in Kosovo and Metohija. Since June 3, when the EU demanded immediate and urgent de-escalation, we have had 22 escalating moves by Pristina against the Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija. Kurti, instead of listening to what the EU is asking for in the announcement from June 3, that the Kosovo police withdraw, to enter the procedures for holding elections and start with the formation of the CSM, he is not thinking of going in that direction", Petkovic said.

Petkovic thanked Kurti for accusing Belgrade at today's conference of being responsible for the failure of the dialogue in Brussels by making it a condition for the establishment of the CSM, because it showed that President Vucic is sincerely and strongly fighting for the rights of the Serbs in Kosovo, while Kurti refuses what his obligation is. 

Petkovic also said he is worried about the situation on the ground because Kurti's brutal threats indicate that he will not stop attacking the Serbian people. He also pointed out that President Vucic will continue the fight for the Serbian people in New York, where he will discuss the necessity of de-escalation with representatives of the international community.

"For us, dialogue and compromise is not an ugly word, but a way to preserve the lives of Serbs, to go in the right direction of de-escalation and to preserve peace in the area of the entire Western Balkans", he said.

Petkovic believes that Kurti will continue to ''use tricks'', to pretend to participate in the dialogue, but everyone, he says, saw that he did not want to form the CSM. He also mentioned that Pristina is moving in the direction of additional escalation with the idea of false expropriation of land in Leposavic, detention of Serbian goods at crossings and the desire to shut down MTS.

Serbian National Council asks bishop to allow gathering be held in Gracanica monastery (KiM radio)

The organising board of the Assembly of the Serbian National Council of Kosovo and Metohija (SNV KiM) yesterday sent a request to Bishop Teodosije to bless the holding of the Assembly in the gate of the Gracanica monastery and allow the organisers to set up tents for that purpose, reported KiM radio.

According to the organisers, 400 guests should attend the event. 

SNV reminds that "30 years ago" Milosevic's government "forbade all halls in Kosovo and Metohija to hold the National Council organised by the Serbian Resistance Movement".

"Then, Bishop Artemije, gave his blessing to set up tents in the gate of the Gracanica Monastery. The meeting was held on May 20, 1995 (under tents near the monastery), and Metropolitan Amfilohije and Bishop Atanasije blessed the meeting and addressed it, considering that they were not participating in the work of a political meeting, but in the struggle of the Serbian people for survival, where the Church has played an important role throughout history," SNV announced.

SNV says that they expect the bishop to respond positively "taking into account that you, as our bishop and as a part of this nation, feel and live our common tragedy", they invite him to "bless this historic meeting" and "take part in his work".

The organising committee of the SNV KiM Assembly expects an answer "by September 22 at the latest" and announces that in case of its absence, they will consider their request rejected.

The SNV stated that the meeting was scheduled for August 26 this year, but that it could not be held due to, as they state, alleged "misunderstandings" and the "busyness" of the Cultural Center in Gracanica, reported KiM radio. 

From the SNV, they again addressed the House of Culture in Gracanica, but also the houses of culture in Leposavic, Zubin Potok, Strpce, Silovo, Ranilug and the Technical School in Kosovska Mitrovica. By September 15, according to their statements, only the House of Culture from Zubin Potok responded negatively and without explanation to their request.

Covic: Repression against Serbs foundation of Kurti’s democracy (Kosovo Online, TV Pink)

Former head of the Serbian Government Coordination Center for Kosovo and Metohija, Nebojsa Covic reacting to the statement of Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti in Brussels that Serbian List needs “to suffer and pay” for the mistakes they made, said it indicates that Kurti’s goal is “to ethnically cleanse Serbs from Kosovo”, and that he had not given up on the idea of creating “Greater Albania”, Kosovo Online portal reports.  

Covic said that “(…) we are in a phase in which implementation of “Greater Albania” is being attempted. His (Kurti’s) democracy and the rule of law as foundation have lasting repression and pressure against the Serbian community in Kosovo and Metohija (…)”, Covic said.

He assessed that foreign diplomats dealing with Kosovo are now facing problems as they do not know how to “reach out” to the Kosovo Prime Minister.

“Obviously they no longer know what to do with (Albin) Kurti. They did not impose sanctions because unanimous decision was needed for that, they imposed measures instead, but those measures did not yield results. They have some instruments at disposal, such as revoking the visa-free regime, but Germany is opposing it”, Covic opined.   

Opposition SSP adopts Declaration on Preventing Serbia’s Decline (N1, KoSSev)

The Serbian opposition Freedom and Justice Party (SSP) unanimously adopted at its Main Board session on Sunday a Declaration on Preventing Serbia’s Decline, SSP leader Dragan Djilas said, N1 reports.

An SSP press release quoted Djilas as saying that the eight-point Declaration defines the most important issues – a joint strategy against violence, appealing again for all to join in, both politicians and non-partisan organisations, proposal on how to curb the prices increase, reduce credit interest, not only for housing loans but also for consumer and cash loans.

Serbia is sliding irreversibly into self-isolation, isolation, misery, conflicts. People are leaving Serbia to seek their fortune, dignity. In ten years’ time there will be a million fewer of us. Only 11 percent of young people say that they will definitely stay in their homeland, all others are either planning to leave or thinking of leaving, reads the introduction of the document adopted by the SSP.

“Every day of this government is a day closer to the complete ruin of Serbia. It is our obligation to prevent the disappearance of the state and the people”, the Declaration reads.

KoSSev portal in its report on SSP Declaration recalled that it did not mention the Kosovo issue.  

Kurti confirms he will respond to eventual court’s summon in case of D.M. from Gracanica (KoSSev)

Kosovo special prosecution, at the beginning of this month, has approved a request that current Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti is interviewed as a defence witness in the case of Dragisa Milenkovic, Serb from Gracanica who is accused of allegedly committing war crimes, KoSSev portal reports. 

According to the portal, Kurti said today if the court invites him he will respond to that summon.

Milenkovic was arrested on June 21, in the village of Kisnica, near Gracanica under accusations of allegedly committing war crimes. Following the arrest, Kosovo Interior Minister Xhellal Svecla said Milenkovic, who worked as a prison guard in Lipljan, was accused of allegedly “carrying out torture and inhumane treatment of Albanian prisoners, in cooperation with other persons”.

Milenovic’s defence lawyer Dejan Vasic said Kurti was detained at the time when his client worked in a district prison, adding that Milenkovic “was bringing him books, making him company” and on August 10 filed an appeal for Kurti to be a witness in this case.

“He was making him company while he was in a cell, bringing him books to read and spending lots of time with him in conversations….I hope that this way we will remove the doubt and prove that Dragisa Milenkovic did nothing bad while working for the District Prison in Pristina. I think Kurti will remember this and will say that”, Vasic said ahead of filling an appeal.

 

 

Opinion 

 

Surlic: The CSM (ZSO) not the priority need of Serbs in Kosovo (KiM radio, Slobodno srpski)

Assistant professor at the Faculty of Political Sciences in Belgrade, Dr. Stefan Surlic, said in the Slobodno srpski (Free in Serbian) TV Show that the survival and normal life of Serbs in Kosovo is an absolute priority and that this interest must coincide both as regards to the authorities in Belgrade and the Serbs living in Kosovo, reported KiM radio. 

"It is logical that for Serbs, the normality of life is something that is basic, but when we talk about Serbia, we can define that it has two goals. One goal is the survival of Serbs in Kosovo, even declaratively, and the second goal is how to challenge Kosovo's independence on the international level. Somehow it seems that the process of normalisation of relations cannot but suffer in one of those two goals, because certainly if Serbia insists on a confrontation with the authorities in Pristina, then the authorities in Pristina use the Serbian community in Kosovo, diminishing the rights of the Serbs, and vice versa, if the focus is only on the Serbs, their rights, then Serbia is expected to make concessions on the international level regarding Kosovo, so those two goals are something that forces Belgrade to balance, but at the end of the day, without Serbs in Kosovo, there is no normalisation relationship," said Surlic.

On the other hand, he said, the interest of the Kosovo Albanians is above all the full international recognition of Kosovo's independence.

In the organisation of the Center for Alternative Social Actions, Surlic is participating in a project that should look at the position of Serbs in Kosovo and make certain recommendations to key actors. This week, the publication "Interests of Serbs in Kosovo in the process of normalising relations between Pristina and Belgrade" was published. In the opinion of those surveyed, there is no survival of the Serbs unless there are institutions of Serbia, primarily in the field of education and health.

"So, the vast majority of Serbs south and north of the Ibar River believe that if education and healthcare are not according to Belgrade's system, they no longer have a perspective of life in Kosovo," said Surlic.

In the last two years, a thousand fewer students in Serbian communities

However, the research published information that the number of students in primary and secondary schools in Serbian areas in Kosovo has decreased by about 40% in the last decade, i.e. from 25,000 to 15,000 students, which speaks of the "silent exodus" of Serbs from Kosovo almost a quarter of a century after the cessation of armed conflicts and the arrival of international missions.

"When we follow migratory trends, we see that mostly the young population, the most productive population, between 20 and 50 years of age leave. They do not see a perspective for their family and want to offer better living conditions, first, to their children, and this is some motive that determines them to leave Kosovo permanently. This can be seen through the numbers of students in primary and secondary schools. In the last two years alone, that number has decreased by a thousand, which is drastically less compared to the period before 2021," said Surlic.

When asked why young people are leaving, Surlic says that in the survey respondents from the north emphasised the issue of security, a sense of insecurity, permanent tensions that never end and which bring restlessness, a sense of permanent uncertainty. In the central part it is different because people see perspective.

"The reason for security is not so present, but the Serbs from central Kosovo believe that nothing more important will change over time. They are not satisfied with the current status. It should also be borne in mind that many people moved away from the cities to live in smaller communities and created, conditionally speaking, an urban core from Gracanica. But over time they see that this environment simply cannot offer all the facilities they were used to before the war, and they wanted to bring them back over time,'' said Surlic and added that the economic factors and the problem of unemployment that affect the emigration of Serbs are no less important.

"When you see that the kitchen is actively working for those who can't even afford a hot meal, or that you constantly have different organisations that send or organise charitable aid, you wonder if it is possible that the Serbs as a nation, and even the country of Serbia, cannot support 80,000 - 90,000 souls on the 'holy land' to ensure a decent life for its citizens," asked Surlic and emphasised that demographers and state institutions should assess the situation in which direction it is going and how to stop it and offer some answers, because for now there is no strategy how to stop that process".

Prioritise the protection of cultural heritage and legitimise ties with Serbia

The research also shows that the Community of Serbian Municipalities is not a priority need of the Serbs in Kosovo, and that there are, in the opinion of the respondents, more important issues such as the protection of cultural heritage and how to legitimise the ties of the Serbian community with Serbia.

"One of the reasons is that the citizens are not even aware of what the CSM actually entails and what its responsibilities would be. However, the psychological moment is also important that there is a legal and political framework in which they can function within the Kosovo system," said Surlic.

On the other hand, Pristina does not see any interest in implementing it if there is no recognition from Serbia. He believes that tomorrow, without resolving the status issue, the CSM will be just another instrument, a kind of "Trojan horse", where Serbs will challenge Kosovo's institutions. And that is why they still do not see the Community as something that is in their interest.

"Let's achieve something that is acceptable both for Pristina and for the Serbs in Kosovo and that it is permanent, and that we no longer think about whether it will be, whether it will work, whether textbooks will pass at the crossing or not. The same with health care, whether the medicines will pass or not. Let's get those licences signed once and for them to last and for people to have certainty that their therapy will actually be realised. For the Serbs to remain there and to integrate, but not integration that will mean assimilation, but integration that will mean that Serbs, like other peoples throughout Europe, have the right to their autonomy and uniqueness," Surlic said in a guest appearance on the show Slobodno srpski.