• French-German plan gets support from 27 EU member states (Koha Ditore)
• Borrell urges Kosovo and Serbia to de-escalate after latest clashes (Reuters)
• Kurti meets Escobar; “barricades must be removed immediately” (media)
• Osmani meets Escobar, discuss urgent need to remove barricades (media)
• Escobar meets the Serbian List, discuss political and security situation (media)
• PM advisor: French-German plan is a good basis for discussions (KTV)
• Hovenier and Escobar meet Kosovo civil society representatives (media)
• France ‘concerned’ by attacks in Kosovo (Euractiv)
• Court orders 30-day detention for Pantic, suspected of terror act (media)
• President’s Chief of Staff reacts to closure of schools in north (media)
• Does Nenad Rasic’s appointment violate Kosovo’s constitution? (BIRN)
• Protest in Belgrade in support of Kosovo Serbs (Radio Free Europe)

French-German plan gets support from 27 EU member states (Koha Ditore)

EU chief diplomat Josep Borrell confirmed on Monday that the updated French-German plan for the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia has the support of 27 EU member states, the daily reports on its front page this morning. After the meeting of EU foreign ministers, Borrell stressed the need for Kosovo and Serbia to urgently negotiate in line with this plan.

“Parties must return to the dialogue, once again, a tasking from the General Assembly of the United Nations to the European Union, and to me as facilitator of the dialogue.  This is essential for both Serbia and Kosovo on their European path,” Borrell said. “After the last incidents during the summer, we put on the table a proposal to both leaders … And we updated this proposal in the last weeks, after the last agreement - which was supposed to be a definitive one to put aside the tensions related to licence plates and another issue related to the Serb municipalities in north Kosovo. We presented this proposal and now we must take it forward as a matter of urgency. I am very glad of the strong support that I received from all Ministers for this initiative, which is implementing a tasking of the United Nations but now has become a proposal of the 27 member states. It is not my proposal only. It is becoming a proposal of the EU27.”

In a different article published by Koha news website, Borrell is quoted as saying, “I asked the member states to be ready to send additional reinforcements for our EULEX mission. Many of them agreed and are ready to send more capacities, more effective support, more people to this mission if needed.”

Borrell urges Kosovo and Serbia to de-escalate after latest clashes (Reuters)

Kosovo and Serbia must de-escalate a tense situation in the region, the European Union's foreign policy chief said on Monday, after Serb protesters in northern Kosovo blocked main roads for a second day on Sunday. In recent weeks Serbs in northern Kosovo have responded with violent resistance to moves by Pristina that they see as anti-Serb.

"I know the two parts are willing to de-escalate and I strongly call on the two of them to do it," Borrell said as he arrived at a meeting of EU foreign ministers. "They have to come back to the dialogue, they have to overcome this tendency to fighting in the street."

The latest protests were triggered by the arrest of a former police officer on Saturday. He was part of a mass resignation of Serbs from the force last month, after Pristina said it would require Serbs to scrap Serbian licence plates dating to before the 1998-99 Kosovo War that led to independence.

For a second day on Sunday, trucks and other heavy-duty vehicles blocked several main roads leading to two border crossings with Serbia. Both crossings were closed to traffic.

EULEX, the European Union mission tasked with patrolling northern Kosovo, said a stun grenade was thrown on one of its armoured vehicles on Saturday evening, but no one was injured. Borrell said that was unacceptable.

Kurti meets Escobar; “barricades must be removed immediately” (media)

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti met on Monday with the U.S. Special Envoy for the Western Balkans, Gabriel Escobar. Counselor to the U.S. State Department, Derek Chollet, who was scheduled to visit Kosovo cancelled his trip after resulting positive for COVID-19.

Kurti and Escobar discussed the current situation and latest developments, especially in the north of Kosovo. It was said that barricades on the roads must be removed immediately. “The meeting also discussed relations between Kosovo and Serbia, the process of dialogue and the road ahead toward full normalisation of relations between the two countries,” a press release issued by Kurti’s office notes.

Osmani meets Escobar, discuss urgent need to remove barricades (media)

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani met on Monday with the U.S. Special Representative for the Western Balkans, Gabriel Escobar, and discussed developments in the north of Kosovo and the urgent need to remove the barricades there.

“President Osmani expressed gratitude for the clear message from the United States of America announced yesterday about the latest developments in the north of the country and the request for the immediate removal of barricades and stopping the threats and intimidation against local citizens, as well as attacks against Kosovo Police, municipal election officials and the EULEX mission in Kosovo. Osmani also said that attacks against the institutions of the Republic of Kosovo and international institutions are crimes and that the perpetrators of these attacks must urgently face justice,” a press release issued by the Office of the President notes.

Osmani also said that Kosovo remains a constructive party in the process of dialogue and that Serbia’s actions are aimed at undermining the dialogue on mutual recognition.

News websites report that Escobar did not give any statement after the meeting.

Escobar meets the Serbian List, discuss political and security situation (media)

U.S. Special Representative for the Western Balkans, Gabriel Escobar, and US Ambassador to Kosovo, Jeff Hovenier, met with representatives of the Serbian List on Monday. SL leader Goran Rakic also attended the meeting. A press release issued by the SL notes that the meeting discussed the political and security situation.

PM advisor: French-German plan is a good basis for discussions (KTV)

Advisor to Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti, Jeton Zulfaj, said in an interview with the TV station on Monday that the French-German plan is a good basis for discussions and that the Kosovo Government wants to discuss the plan as soon as possible.

“We have said that the French-German plan is a good basis for discussions. It is advancement compared to what was presented to Kosovo earlier, and it includes values like equality, territorial integrity, independence; the document contains values that are a good basis for discussions. We might not agree with everything that is there, but it is a good basis for discussions,” he said.

Asked about the agreement for the Association/Community of Serb-majority municipalities, Zulfaj said there are 30 agreements that were reached in the dialogue with Serbia but that only the agreement on the Association was turned down by the Constitutional Court.

He said that within the French-German plan the Kosovo government said it can discuss minority rights in general. “In discussions for the EU plan backed by France and Germany, we said that we can discuss minority rights, not the Serb minority in particular. We strongly believe that our constitution is the most advanced in terms of protecting minority rights, but if there is a European model and there can be even more rights, then we can discuss,” he said.

Hovenier and Escobar meet Kosovo civil society representatives (media)

United States Ambassador to Kosovo, Jeff Hovenier, said on Monday that together with the U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary, Gabriel Escobar, they met representatives of civil society in Kosovo. “Deputy Assistant Secretary Escobar joined me for great discussions today with diverse civil society representatives from across Kosovo. Civil society has an indispensable role to play in holding institutions accountable and advocating and building a better future for all,” Hovenier wrote in a Twitter post.

France ‘concerned’ by attacks in Kosovo (Euractiv)

France strongly condemned the attacks on EU law enforcement officers in northern Kosovo over the weekend and expressed concern over rising tensions in the country, a Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said on Monday.

The EULEX mission, the EU law enforcement agencies deployed in Kosovo’s northern region, said it had been attacked with grenades but no injuries were reported. In a statement by the Foreign Ministry spokeswoman published on Monday, France said it “strongly condemns the unacceptable attack” on the EU mission “as well as all acts of violence on the ground.”

Tensions have risen in northern Kosovo after attacks on local police, road blockades, gunfire and explosions. Local elections have been postponed and the Serbian president said he will ask NATO for permission to send in 1000 Serb troops and police.

The French Foreign Ministry spokeswoman “strongly calls on the parties to exercise the utmost restraint and responsibility in order to reduce tensions.” The words used are more or less the same as those used by the US the day before, as quoted by EURACTIV’s partner, exit.al.

Read more at: https://bit.ly/3FJzlm9

Court orders 30-day detention for Pantic, suspected of terror act (media)

The Basic Court in Pristina has ordered a 30-day detention for former Serb police officer, Dejan Pantic, who was arrested by Kosovo Police on December 10 in the north. The court said in its decision that there is doubt that Pantic carried out the criminal act of terror according to the Kosovo legislation.

Several news websites note that following Pantic’s arrest, Serbs had blocked roads in the north of Kosovo and threw shock bombs at Kosovo Police and EULEX.

President’s Chief of Staff reacts to closure of schools in north (media)

Chief of Staff to Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani, Blerim Vela, took to Twitter to comment on the closure of schools in the north of Kosovo saying that “another blatant violation of the Brussels agreements by Serbia: closure of schools in four municipalities in north of Kosovo!” Vela went on to say that “Serbia instructed/coerced local Serbs to resign from Kosovo institutions; Serbia illegal and criminal structures erected barricades” and that “Serbia was misusing schoolchildren”.

Does Nenad Rasic’s appointment violate Kosovo’s constitution? (BIRN)

Experts and government disagree on whether Prime Minister Kurti has violated the constitution by appointing Nenad Rasic as a government minister.

Read more at: https://bit.ly/3hmbVdk

Protest in Belgrade in support of Kosovo Serbs (Radio Free Europe)

Hundreds of people gathered on Monday in Belgrade to protest “as sign of support for Serbs” in Kosovo, the news website reports. The call for the protest was announced on the social network Telegram in the channels of several right-wing organisations in Serbia. One of the organisers – with a mask on his face – told the crowd that he didn’t want to reveal his identity but said that he is from Kosovo. He said that he doesn’t want “an association of Serb-majority municipalities” and that Kosovo is part of Serbia.

The news website further notes that protesters sang songs about Kosovo and insulting songs for Albanians in Kosovo. They chanted “Serbs and Russians, brothers forever” and “no to divisions, Kosovo is part of Serbia”.

Protesters burned the Kosovo flag in front of the Office of the President of Serbia, and said they are awaiting “a response from the state”.