Albanian Language Media:

• Kosovo signs agreement for ammunition factory with Turkish company (media)

• Rutte on attack in the north: Stability in Western Balkans fragile (media)

• Costa: Progress in dialogue helps Kosovo on candidate status (media)

• KFOR Commander meets Croatian Defense Minister, talks about security (Media)

• Nenad Rasic's party accuses Serbian List of blackmail and pressure (RTK)

• Maqedonci meets Anusic, informs him about situation in the north (media)

• US soldiers patrol northern Kosovo (Reporteri)

• Behrami: Visit of Special Chambers Chief Prosecutor, interference in justice (Reporteri)

• Richard Grenell is returning to the Balkans, here is his role (Nacionale)

Serbian Language Media:

• Vucic: I hope EU enlargement policy will become clearer, more vigorous (Tanjug)

• Rutte: Attack on water canal in Kosovo underline fragility of the stability in Western Balkans (Kosovo Online)

• US KFOR members conducted routine patrols in northern Kosovo (KoSSev, social media)

• Hetemi defends budget allocation for roads in Albanian-majority villages of Leposavic (KoSSev)

• New round of Belgrade-Pristina dialogue to be held in Brussels Tuesday (media)

• Western Balkans' future is in EU – declaration (Tanjug)

• Internal Affairs Ministry denies Amnesty report on forensic tools (N1)

Albanian Language Media 

Kosovo signs agreement for ammunition factory with Turkish company (media)

Kosovo Prime Minister, Albin Kurti, has announced that a contract has been signed with the Turkish state-owned manufacturer "Makine ve Kimya Endüstrisi" (MKE), to put the ammunition factory in Kosovo into operation. In addition to the production of two types of ammunition, the factory will also design combat drones.

"We have just signed a contract with the Turkish state-owned manufacturer "Makine ve Kimya Endüstrisi" (MKE), with which we are laying the foundations of our defense industry. MKE undertakes to put the ammunition factory into operation, which will serve for the production of various calibers of ammunition according to NATO standards. In addition to the production machinery, this contract also includes staff training, maintenance for a certain period of time, as well as equipment with quality testing and calibration systems production begins, the factory will function as a public enterprise and as a 100% local brand," Kurti wrote on Facebook.

Rutte on attack in the north: Stability in Western Balkans fragile (media)

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, spoke about the November 29 attack on the Iber Lepenc canal, underlining the fragility of stability in the Western Balkans and expressing support for efforts to maintain security in the region.

Rutte thanked the KFOR commander for the rapid response in deploying troops, protecting critical infrastructure from further damage.  "We remain committed to ensuring that KFOR fulfills its UN mandate. It is now essential that the facts are established and that those responsible are held accountable," Rutte said, calling for a full investigation into the incident. The NATO Secretary General made these statements during a press conference with Montenegrin Prime Minister Milojko Spajic.

Costa: Progress in dialogue helps Kosovo on candidate status (media)

The new President of the European Council, Antonio Costa, said that, in addition to the problem of the non-recognizing five, the dialogue is also becoming an obstacle in the possible treatment of Kosovo’s application to obtain candidate status.

Of the six Western Balkan countries, only Kosovo does not have this status, although it had applied two years ago. The application has never been treated, with the justification that there are political implications due to the non-recognizing five. In a conversation with journalists from the region, he said that things can move as soon as there is progress in the dialogue process.

"The most important thing is to continue with the reforms in Kosovo. There must be full implementation of the commitments by Kosovo, because all this helps. Meanwhile, the concretization of the obligations from the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina is essential to create conditions for moving forward," Antonio Costa said. He has promised that enlargement will be a priority during his term as head of the EU Council.

KFOR Commander meets Croatian Defense Minister, talks about security (Media)

KFOR Commander Major General Enrico Barduani met on Monday with the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense of the Republic of Croatia, Ivan Anusic, at the KFOR headquarters in Pristina.

The KFOR statement notes that they discussed KFOR's continued commitment to supporting all efforts of the international community in the function of sustainable security in Kosovo and regional stability. "Major General Barduani expressed gratitude for Croatia's long and sustained contribution to the KFOR mission and in maintaining stability in the region."

"Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister Anusic visited the Croatian contingent deployed to the KFOR Western Regional Command, thanking them for their commitment and valuable contribution to KFOR's efforts," the statement says.

Nenad Rasic's party accuses Serbian List of blackmail and pressure (RTK)

The Party for Freedom, Justice and Survival, which is led by the Minister of Communities and Returns, Nenad Rasic, has expressed deep concern and strongly condemned the pressures and threats being made to its candidates for MPs by political opponents, especially as expressed by representatives of the Serbian List. This party emphasizes that these pressures have intensified after the officialization of the candidacy in the upcoming elections. "With deep concern, we point out the fact that family members of our candidates for MPs are facing pressures at their workplaces. These pressures include premeditated dismissals and blackmail due to the political beliefs of their relatives," the announcement says.

It further emphasizes that these actions constitute serious violations of the rights to freedom of political expression and aim to destroy the democratic spirit in Kosovo. “It is particularly unacceptable that the targets of these attacks are family members who are not directly involved in political activities, but only because of their family ties to our party members,” the statement said.

The entity warned that these actions are illegal, immoral and called for those responsible to be brought to justice. The Party for Freedom, Justice and Survival appealed to the relevant institutions to protect the affected workers and punish those who have undertaken these acts. “We call on human rights organizations and citizens to join in defending freedom and justice. We will not allow threats and pressures to stop us from protecting the rights of every individual to free and independent elections,” the statement concluded. 

Maqedonci meets Anusic, informs him about situation in the north (media)

Defense Minister Ejup Maqedonci received on Monday Croatian Defense Minister Ivan Anusic, along with his delegation. According to a statement, the meeting took place in the spirit of the deep friendship, and the excellent bilateral relations in the field of defense and security in particular.

The Defense Ministry announced that the Maqedonci informed Anusic about the general security situation in Kosovo, with particular emphasis on the north, after the terrorist attack on the water canal in the village of Varage, in the municipality of Zubin Potok.

“During this meeting, a number of important issues for both countries were also discussed, including the education and training of military personnel, the development of defense capacities, and cooperation in joint projects. The Republic of Croatia is among Kosovo's strategic partners, while the excellent relations between the two countries are based on history, values, and a shared future," the announcement reads.

US soldiers patrol northern Kosovo (Reporteri)

U.S. KFOR soldiers, assigned to the Regional Command East, have conducted “routine mounted and dismounted patrols in multiple areas of northern Kosovo,” the NATO peacekeeping mission announced. “These efforts are part of KFOR’s daily mission to ensure a safe and secure environment for all communities living in Kosovo,” the statement said.

KFOR emphasized as usual that it continues to implement its mandate to contribute to a safe and secure environment for all people and communities living in Kosovo and freedom of movement, at all times and in an impartial manner. KFOR also added that it works in close coordination with the Kosovo Police and the European Union Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo, EULEX.

Behrami: Visit of Special Chambers Chief Prosecutor, interference in justice (Reporteri)

The candidate for MP of the Assembly of Kosovo from the ranks of the PDK, Artan Behrami, has commented on the visit of the Chief Prosecutor of the Specialist Chambers, Kimberly West, to Kosovo.

“What is a Prosecutor of the Special Court coming to Kosovo for? To influence the institutions? To intimidate the institutions? To interfere in justice? Or is it just an “attempted intimidation and attempted interference?”, Behrami said through a video on Facebook.

Regarding her meeting agenda, Behrami has asked several questions, as he has described it as interference in justice.

“Isn’t this an influence on the process? Just like Jack Smith once did, Prosecutor West is also meeting politicians, ministers, diplomats to tell them that the leaders of the KLA, at any cost and by any means, must be punished,” he said.

"Why does the prosecutor keep saying that the leaders of the KLA should be sentenced to life imprisonment and we dare not say that they are living heroes? Therefore, we must also continue to talk about the process, to lobby for a fair and impartial trial. To create oversight mechanisms, to investigate whether the court has violated human rights," concluded Behrami.

Richard Grenell is returning to the Balkans, here is his role (Nacionale)

Quoting ‘first hand sources within Donald Trump's transition team’ the news portal  informs that the "Special Missions" in Richard Grenell's presidential mandate will also include the Western Balkans region, namely the "hot spots" in it.

After the official listing of Richard Grenell as "Presidential Envoy for Special Missions" by Donald Trump, his broad scope of action "will also include the Balkans", Nacionale learns.

Specifically, "the dialogue for the normalization of Kosovo-Serbia relations" - the news portal has learned.

"His mandate... will also include the Balkans. Grenell's team will be based in the White House", Nacionale was told by Trump's transition team.

Serbian Language Media  

Vucic: I hope EU enlargement policy will become clearer, more vigorous (Tanjug)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on Monday he hoped the EU enlargement policy would become clearer and more vigorous and that Poland, the next holder of the EU presidency, would set European integration as one of the priorities, Tanjug news agency reported.

Vucic made the statement after a lunch with ambassadors of EU member states, hosted by the Hungarian ambassador to mark the end of Hungary's EU presidency. "In a good and less formal atmosphere, we exchanged views on current topics burdening relationships within the Union, as well as on challenges in the Western Balkans' European integration", Vucic wrote in a post on his official Instagram account.

He added that the discussion had also touched upon the global situation, which he noted was shaping the contemporary world in all aspects. "I especially noted the hope of countries of the region that the enlargement policy will become clearer and more vigorous, which would further encourage stability and development in our states, as well as that Poland, as the next state to assume the difficult and responsible duty of presiding over the EU, will set European integration as one of the priorities", Vucic wrote.

Rutte: Attack on water canal in Kosovo underline fragility of the stability in Western Balkans (Kosovo Online)

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said yesterday that the attack on the water pipeline in northern Kosovo on November 29 underlined fragility of the stability in the Western Balkans, Kosovo Online portal reported. Rutte also thanked the KFOR Commander for, as he said, swift deployment of the troops to protect critical infrastructure.

“We remain committed to ensuring that the KFOR Mission fulfils its UN mandate. It is now essential that the facts are established and that those responsible are held to the account”, he added.

NATO Secretary General Rutte made these remarks during the press conference with Montenegro Prime Minister Milojko Spajic who was visiting Brussels.

US KFOR members conducted routine patrols in northern Kosovo (KoSSev, social media)

“US soldiers assigned to Regional Command East of the #NATO-led #KFOR mission conducted routine mounted and dismounted patrols across multiple areas of northern Kosovo”, KFOR said in a post on Facebook.

“These efforts are part of KFOR's daily mission to guarantee a safe and secure environment for all communities living in Kosovo. KFOR continues to implement its mandate - based on UN Security Council Resolution 1244 of 1999 - to contribute to a safe and secure environment for all people and communities living in Kosovo and freedom of movement, at all times and impartially. KFOR works in close coordination with the Kosovo Police and the European Union Mission on Rule of Law in Kosovo (EULEX) in their respective roles as security responders”, KFOR added in a statement.

Hetemi defends budget allocation for roads in Albanian-majority villages of Leposavic (KoSSev)

“I know that since the post-war period, Leposavic has remained the same. Millions came from Serbia, millions from Kosovo, and from the international community, and I thought there was no poverty here. But when I arrived, there was extreme poverty“, Leposavic mayor Lulzim Hetemi said for “the Jeta in Municipalities” series on Kallxo, led by journalist Jeta Xhara.

During the interview, Hetemi addressed plans to allocate 1.1 million euros to pave Bistrica-Kosutovo road – Albanian-majority villages, as confirmed by Hetemi himself.

“Does this mean that you’re allocating most of the budget to areas where only Albanians live? The majority of residents in Leposavic are of Serbian origin, yet you’ve chosen to send most of the budget to Albanians. Is this a form of discrimination? Is it because Serbs didn’t vote for you, so you don’t want to reward them with paved roads?“, Xhara asked him during the interview.

Hetemi confirmed that the municipality has plans to build parks and playgrounds for children. However, when asked why such projects haven’t been implemented more than a year into his administration, Hetemi explained that the municipality still doesn’t have clear ownership of the land. Hetemi also blamed external interference for delays in municipal projects.

Read more at: https://shorturl.at/Ddrdv

New round of Belgrade-Pristina dialogue to be held in Brussels Tuesday (media)

A new round of the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue at chief negotiators level will take place in Brussels on Tuesday. Belgrade will be represented by the head of the Serbian Government Office for Kosovo and Metohija Petar Petkovic.

European Commission Spokesperson Anitta Hipper has told Tanjug the meeting would address a series of issues, including implementation of an agreement on the path to normalisation of relations. The chief negotiators of Belgrade and Pristina in the EU-facilitated dialogue, Petkovic and Besnik Bislimi, last met in Brussels on October 24, when a trilateral meeting with EU special envoy Miroslav Lajcak was also held.

Western Balkans' future is in EU – declaration (Tanjug)

A declaration due to be adopted at a September 18 EU-Western Balkans summit in Brussels will confirm full and unequivocal commitment to the perspective of EU membership for the Western Balkans and send a message that the region's future is in the EU.

A draft of the declaration, seen by Tanjug, underlines that the EU is a geostrategic investment in peace, security, stability and prosperity and notes that there has been a new dynamic in the enlargement process and substantial progress since the last summit. Accelerating the accession process based on credible reforms by the partners, on just and rigorous conditions and on the principle of merit is in common interest, the draft declaration says.

It also mentions the EU-facilitated Belgrade-Pristina dialogue, and notes that agreements reached in the dialogue, especially an agreement on the path to normalisation of relations and its implementation annex, must be implemented.

It also notes that reconciliation, inclusive regional cooperation and good neighbourly relations are at the heart of the EU, and calls for implementation of international agreements and determined further efforts to encourage reconciliation and regional stability, as well as to find and implement final, inclusive and binding solutions to regional and bilateral disputes between partners and to issues rooted in the legacy of the past.

Internal Affairs Ministry denies Amnesty report on forensic tools (N1)

The Serbian Internal Affairs Ministry (MUP) on Monday denied an Amnesty International report on digital surveillance, N1 reported.

A MUP statement said that the report is “absolutely incorrect” because other police forces use forensic tools in the same way. Amnesty International’s Digital Prison report said that the Serbian police and Security Information Agency (BIA) were using digital tools for surveillance over journalists and NGO activists.

“The MUP wants to inform the public that the National Center for Criminal Forensics and Technical Department uses forensic tools only in line with the law on criminal proceedings”, the statement said.