• Escobar confident that agreement on Association will be implemented (media)
• Lajcak: If parties committed, agreement can be reached within weeks (media)
• Lajcak will visit Kosovo and Serbia next week (Kanal10)
• Osmani: Membership in EU and NATO, pillar of peace and stability (media)
• Kurti to Pack: Kosovo to apply to the EU this month (media)
• Kurti: Entire chain of irresponsibility must resign (media)
• Haxhiu: Ready to resign if my responsibility for murder case is proved (teve1)
• UNMIK chief stands in solidarity with the women of Kosovo, calling for an end to gender violence (KosovaPress)
• ‘Resignation isn’t enough’: protest after murder of pregnant woman (Euronews)
• Vucic says he will not attend EU-Western Balkans summit in Tirana (media)
• “Vucic’s hysteria is failed attempt to true reasons for refusing summit” (media)
• Hasani argues Rasic’s appointment violates the Constitution (Koha)
• PDK leader Krasniqi meets Viola von Cramon (media)
• Kosovo’s Low-Quality TV Debates Deter Real Experts (Prishtina Insight)

Escobar confident that agreement on Association will be implemented (media)

United States Special Envoy the Western Balkans, Gabriel Escobar, said on Thursday that Kosovo has an obligation to form the Association of municipalities with a Serb majority and if this issue is not resolved, there will be a continuous cycle of crisis.

"I think that the government in Pristina should see this issue as an opportunity. There are models in Europe that ensure rights for minorities. And they are already in the European Union. There are ways to create opportunities for both countries."

He made these statements in a discussion organized by the Atlantic Council - an American institute based in Washington.

Asked if there are deadlines for the formation of the Association, he said that this matter should be completed as soon as possible. "The frozen conflict does not help anyone in the region. This is the only such conflict in Central Europe".

Escobar, has reiterated U.S. support for Kosovo, saying that there is no country in the world that supports Kosovo more than the U.S. "Our commitment to Kosovo, its sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity and security, is strong. It is a partnership with the people of that country, and we will not abandon them," Escobar said.

See the discussion here: https://bit.ly/3gQ2SkB

Lajcak: If parties are committed, agreement can be reached within weeks (media)

EU Special Representative for the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue, Miroslav Lajcak, in an interview with TV 21 on Thursday was asked about the possibility of serious confrontations on the ground regarding the situation in the north, which was confirmed in a way by Prime Minister Albin Kurti. "As some of these deadlines approached in the past months, we saw signs of preparation for serious confrontations," Lajcak said.

He said that the early spring of 2023 could be a deadline for reaching an agreement between Kosovo and Serbia. "Deadlines or ultimatums never work, or they work against you, but there is something like a soft deadline, as we announced in the document adopted last Wednesday, that our goal is to inform the member states about the results of the special group for normalization with Kosovo, and the next chapter 35, update for Serbia, and both of these meetings will be held in the early spring of next year, so you can take this as a deadline," Lajcak said.

He added that the proposal for the final solution is a European proposal with the involvement and strong support of Germany and France. "It is a joint product, it is a European proposal, with the involvement and strong support of Germany and France. We are a team, we work together, there is no conflict between us. There may be different names on the paper, but the team is working in unity, and my visit to Pristina and Belgrade on September 9, accompanied by Mr. Jens Plotner and Mr. Emmanuel Bonn, was the best evidence of this unity," Lajcak said.

He stressed that the aim is for the full normalization of relations between Kosovo and Serbia to be carried out by the beginning of 2024 and what is not done by this period, he said, may not be done at all.

"We are here to help, to mediate, we, I am speaking on behalf of the European Union but I also believe on behalf of the USA, we cannot want normalization more than Kosovo and Serbia, so if the parties do not agree then there will be no normalization, and therefore no progress on the European road, and you will continue to deal with issues like license plates, or others, instead of moving towards European integration, and I don't think that it would be a very encouraging prospect."

"Therefore, I believe that normalization can wait, but I see no reason to wait, so let's do our best to use the remaining time, make a call on this occasion, let's use this unique and very favorable moment, all the elements are available, we have the full support of both the EU and the US, this situation should end before 2024, because then the EU has European elections and the United States as well, so they will not have time and opportunity to focus on the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue. What will happen after the elections, especially the American ones, is difficult to predict, so I say that what is not done until the beginning of 2024 may not be done at all. So let's use this opportunity and all the support of the international community, and achieve as much as we can, for a complete normalization of relations," he said.

Lajcak will visit Kosovo and Serbia next week (Kanal10)

EU Special Representative for the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia, Miroslav Lajcak, said on Thursday that he will visit Kosovo and Serbia next week. In an interview with the TV station, Lajcak said he is scheduled to meet Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic to get assurance that both sides are respecting the deal on vehicle plates.

Watch full interview at: https://bit.ly/3H4olAL

Osmani: Membership in EU and NATO, pillar of peace and stability (media)

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani said on Thursday that the membership of the Balkans in the European Union and NATO would be a pillar of peace and stability throughout Europe. During a speech at the University of Sofia, Osmani said that a time when security in Europe and beyond is under threat because of the war in Ukraine, the geostrategic interest of the EU and NATO is for the Western Balkans to join the two alliances.

Kurti to Pack: Kosovo to apply to the EU this month (media)

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti received on Thursday former member of the European Parliament from the ranks of the German CDU and the former president of the Women of the EPP, Doris Pack.

According to a government communiqué, Prime Minister Kurti and Pack, who have known each other for 25 years, talked about the latest developments in Kosovo, the region and Europe.

Kurti informed Pack about the government's priorities, with emphasis on foreign investments and plans for the submission of Kosovo's application to the European Union this month.

"They also discussed the geopolitical situation after the Russian Federation's aggression against Ukraine. Pack was today honored by AAB College with the International Prize for Democracy and Integration. Congratulating her for the award and thanking her for her invaluable and continuous contribution to our people and country, Prime Minister Kurti said that she is always welcome to Kosovo,” the press release said.

Kurti: Entire chain of irresponsibility must resign (media)

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti said on Thursday that “the entire chain of irresponsibility” in the murder case of the pregnant woman by her husband in Pristina must resign. Kurti wrote in a Facebook post: “I have approved the requests of the Inter-Ministerial Coordination Group against Domestic Violence. Among the requests he mentioned allocation of an urgent budget for implementation of the Law on electronic monitoring of the people whose movement is restricted at the court’s order. “The chain which needs to be dismissed. On Thursday afternoon I have approved the requests of the Inter-Ministerial Coordination Group against Domestic Violence, following their meeting today, after killing of Hamide Magashi and her unborn child. Based on the responsibilities of relevant institutions are taken the following steps: Inspection of the work of police officials, including implementation of the restraining order; Inspection of the work of the officials at the Social Labour Centre; Inspection of the work of the officials at the gynaecological ward of the University Clinical Centre of Kosovo; urgent allocation of budget for implementation of the Law on electronic monitoring of people whose movement is restricted at the court’s order; and, in cases where restraint orders are issued to carry out searches of the houses of the suspected persons.”

Haxhiu: Ready to resign if my responsibility for murder case is proved (teve1)

Kosovo’s Minister of Justice, Albulena Haxhiu, said in an interview with the TV station on Thursday that she is ready to resign her post if her direct or indirect responsibility is proven regarding the murder of the pregnant woman by her husband in Pristina. “I am doing my best every day to fight femicide. It seems that it is an extremely difficult effort, but I am convinced that this challenge will not be able to stop us,” Haxhiu said.

UNMIK chief stands in solidarity with the women of Kosovo, calling for an end to gender violence (KosovaPress)

As Kosovo continues to mark the annual 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence, hundreds took to the streets in Pristina to call for an urgent end to violence against women in the wake of two femicides within five days.

In solidarity with Kosovo women, SRSG Caroline Ziadeh took part in the march:

"We stand with all those committed to ending senseless violence against women and girls this 16 Days of Activism. We need a safer world where all members of society are free to live with dignity and work towards a better future.  We must collectively say: End Violence Now.”

SRSG Ziadeh expresses her outrage and joins other members of the Security and Gender Group (SGG) in condemning the murders: “Immediate action is needed to address ongoing violence against women and ensure their protection. My heartfelt condolences are with the family and loved ones of the women whose lives have been tragically taken as a result of gender-based violence,” she said.

‘Resignation isn’t enough’: protest after murder of pregnant woman (Euronews)

“Resignation is not enough, resignation is not enough.” “Don’t let the rapists of women go free”. These are the calls that come from the protesters in Pristina on Thursday afternoon for the serious event that happened in the maternity hospital of Pristina.

The protesters demand justice for the murder of the 35-year-old pregnant woman and do not spare their criticism of the government.

The Kosovo Police is asking for help from the citizens to provide information if they know where the author of the murder of the 35-year-old woman in Pristina’s maternity hospital is located.

Since yesterday evening, the police have been looking for Sokol Halili, who is suspected to have left the country. The 35-year-old Hamide Magashi was shot dead last night by her ex-husband Sokol Halili, 31, in the maternity yard of Pristina. The victim was pregnant on the last day of her pregnancy, when the 31-year-old killed her with 1 bullet in the head and 2 in the body. The 35-year-old had a protection order since September and was in the process of divorcing the 31-year-old.

Vucic says he will not attend EU-Western Balkans summit in Tirana (media)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic reacted on Thursday against the appointment of Nenad Rasic as Kosovo Minister for Returns and Communities and the appointment of Rada Trajkovic as his advisor. Telegrafi notes that Vucic insulted Rasic and Trajkovic and criticised the EU reaction about the appointments calling it shameful. He also said that no one from Serbia will attend the EU-Western Balkans Summit in Tirana, Albania, on December 6, because of the EU’s reaction to the appointments.

“Vucic’s hysteria is failed attempt to true reasons for refusing summit” (media)

Blerim Vela, Chief of Staff to Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani, took to Twitter on Thursday to say that Serbian President Aleksandar “Vucic’s hysteria is a failed attempt to hide true reasons for refusing to attend EU-WB summit in Tirana: Distract the attention from the appointment of Vulin, a Russian lackey, as head of the secret service, and Summit declaration asks the Western Balkans Six, including Serbia, to align with EU sanctions on Russia”.

Hasani argues Rasic’s appointment violates the Constitution (Koha)

Former President of the Constitutional Court of Kosovo, Enver Hasani, said on Thursday that the appointment of Nenad Rasic as Minister for Communities and Returns is a violation of the Constitution of Kosovo.

Hasani told Koha that the appointment of ministers and deputy ministers that are not members of the Assembly requires the approval from the majority MPs that represent that community. “In the constitutional aspect, this appointment has serious flaws, because the appointment of ministers and deputy ministers that are not members of the Assembly requires the formal approval from the majority of communities that have stated that they represent that community which is a minority in Kosovo. This did not happen, and it is wrong … Beyond this, consultations are required every time, and this cannot be done without consultations with the political forces of those minority communities,” he argued.

The Serbian List has already said it will complain to the Constitutional Court and Hasani said that the case can be won because the Constitution does not allow for the majority to appoint ministers from minority communities.

PDK leader Krasniqi meets Viola von Cramon (media)

Leader of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) Memli Krasniqi, who is in Brussels, met with the Rapporteur for Kosovo in the European Parliament, Viola von Cramon.

In a status on his Facebook account, Krasniqi said that he and von Cramon discussed the developments in Kosovo and the political situation in the country.

“On this occasion, we agreed on the importance of the recent approval by the European Parliament of the recommendation for the EU's New Enlargement Strategy," Krasniqi wrote. "Thanking her for her support for Kosovo so far, I asked MEP Cramon to continue her consistent advocacy for the completion of visa liberalization for the citizens of Kosovo, especially now after the positive recommendation from the ambassadors of the EU countries”.

Kosovo’s Low-Quality TV Debates Deter Real Experts (Prishtina Insight)

Professionals with real knowledge of topics are increasingly absent from public debate in the Kosovo media, where the hunger for ‘infotainment’ encourages vulgar populism, half-truths, and disinformation.

On nine main TV channels in the country, the evening is reserved for political debates. During the week, 30 political debates are broadcast in which the protagonists are political analysts, and sometimes politicians.

In most cases, they are the same people talking about any topic. From the daily political developments, the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, the violence of nurses against an elderly woman to problems in the electricity supply.

The frequency of political debates has caused a decline in quality and in the criteria for selecting guests. A small country, such as Kosovo, cannot afford to produce quality debates on so many topics and offer the needed number of people to fill the rooms to debate every night.

To satisfy this need, the opportunity is often given to people who do not possess the expertise or even basic knowledge on the topic of the debate. In the absence of arguments and facts to use in these debates, many do not hesitate to libel anyone who has a different opinion.

Read more at: https://bit.ly/3uAwTZ3