Albanian Language Media:

• Kurti: Membership in CoE brings advantages for non-majority community (Koha)
• Rare momentum: Kosovo "to be resolved" before the EU elections (media)
• Presidency and government criticized for lack of  transparency on Association (Koha)
• AAK leadership discusses draft statute of Association (media)
• Tahiri on draft of Association: Assembly is the place where we will discuss it (RTK)
• CEC: We received request for removal of mayors of northern municipalities (RTK)
• U.S. Embassy: Citizens have the right to request withdrawal of mayors 
• SPO raiding house of Salih Mustafa's fellow fighter (media)
• Dugolli: Former head of special unit in the north also wanted by Interpol (RTK)
• Bojan Elek: INTERPOL warrant cannot force Serbia to arrest Radoicic (RFE, media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Group of Mitrovica North citizens officially submitted initiative for removal of mayor, MA chairman has five days to respond to it (KoSSev)
• Andric-Rakic on Mitrovica North MA chair remarks about petition (Kosovo Online, social media)
• Krtinic: Citizens in Leposavic have not manage to submit request for petition to dissolve mayor (Kosovo Online)
• US Embassy: Citizens in northern Kosovo have right to demand withdrawal of mayors (Kosovo Online)
• Petkovic informs von Redecker about political situation in Kosovo, problems Serbs face there (media)
• Serbia’s top security agency gets new chief (N1)
• Djurdjevic Stamenkovski: People to choose between Constitution and ultimatum (Tanjug)

International Media:

• Kosovo Court Jails Three for Attack on Journalist (Balkan Insight)
• Interpol Issues Warrant for Radoicic Over Banjska Attack in Kosovo (Balkan Insight)

Albanian Language Media

Kurti: Membership in CoE brings advantages especially for non-majority community (Koha)

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti has issued a message to the Serb citizens regarding Kosovo's application for membership in the Council of Europe, the liberalization of visas and the increased interest in obtaining passports and license plates of Kosovo.

Through a video published on Facebook, Kurti said in Serbian that Kosovo's membership in the Council of Europe brings advantages, especially for members of non-majority communities, in terms of access to the Human Rights Court in Strasbourg.

He added that for this reason, they have dedicated themselves to applying for membership as the best way to ensure the protection of everyone's rights in Kosovo.

"These visits come at a time when the citizens of Kosovo are accepting their European identity, not only in terms of governance and society, but also with the chance to physically get closer to our European neighbors due to visa liberalization. Citizens of Kosovo who wish to visit their families and see up close the culture of the countries of the Schengen region will be free to travel without visas from January 1. We are pleased that the interest in using this opportunity is spreading throughout the country, from north to south, with an increase of about 30% in applications for biometric passports this year compared to last year", he added.

Regarding the equipment with Kosovo license plates, Kurti said that considering that over 3260 vehicle owners from the beginning of November until now have changed their license plates to those of Kosovo, there is an interest in integration ‘and we understand and we know that the same thing is in the interest of every citizen of Kosovo.’ 

Rare momentum: Kosovo "to be resolved" before the EU elections (media)

The EU Representative Miroslav Lajcak has said that some major issues must be resolved before the European elections, which will be held in June 2024.

"It is very important that all important decisions are made before we enter the election campaign. Then we can have the implementation, through the formation of the new Commission, and all the rest", said Lajcak.

In a debate dedicated to the EU enlargement process that was held in Brussels, Lajcak said that now is the momentum, which according to him will not last long, for the membership of the Balkans in the union. According to him, the normalization of relations between Kosovo and Serbia is key in this process.

"We are seeing progress on some issues. We are ready to close the energy file, there is progress in the issue of vehicle license plates, in the organization of elections in the north. There is progress on the missing persons file, which is very important. We have also made progress in agreeing the steps to implement the Normalization Agreement. I am in daily contact with the parties", he added. 

In the debate organized by the "Friends of Europe" organization, among others, the U.S. ambassador in Belgrade, Christopher Hill, and the general director for enlargement at the European Commission, Jan Coopman, were among the speakers.

Hill, has reiterated the position of the European Union (EU) that without the implementation of the Basic Agreement (Brussels, February 27) and the Implementation Annex (Ohrid, March 18) for the normalization of Kosovo-Serbia relations, neither side can join the European family.

"The EU has in some way created a situation where one party cannot veto the aspirations of the other, that is, if Serbia does what the EU asks, this will undoubtedly help Serbia's European aspirations. It will work in the same way for Kosovo", said Hill during the debate on EU enlargement held by "Friends of Europe" on Thursday.

Presidency and government criticized for lack of  transparency on Association (Koha)

For the Presidency of Kosovo, it is sufficient that the majority and the opposition have seen the draft statute, to start consultations about its content. However, this institution has not spoken about the concerns that President Vjosa Osmani intends to address in the announced meetings with representatives of political parties. Political experts have criticized the Presidency and the government for non-transparency in this proces. 

President Vjosa Osmani has announced meetings with the opposition parties regarding the draft statute of the Association of municipalities with a Serb majority, even though the Kosovar public still does not know the official content of the document.

In the Presidency, they consider it reasonable to debate only with the political parties, which have already stated that they have seen the draft.

"Both the opposition and the majority now have the draft, therefore it is reasonable to have discussions and exchanges of opinions and positions on issues that are of national interest", said Bekim Kupina, advisor to President Osmani.

Such meetings have been held in the past, but it is not that they have produced consensus among the political spectrum about the Association and the dialogue in general. However, Kupina said that "we think that the meetings produce positive results". 

Osmani also mentioned earlier that there are some concerns about the draft statute which will be discussed with the parties. She has warned that she will deposit her comments when the draft goes to the Constitutional Court for interpretation.

Political analysts say that the lack of communication between the political spectrum and non-transparency have raised many dilemmas about the draft statute.

"The isolation and non-transparency shown especially in the last days or weeks has created in the public the opinion that this draft of the Association's statute is the most harmful ever proclaimed by the institutions of the Republic of Kosovo. Even if it were not so, this lack of transparency of the government and the Presidency has implied that practically this draft of the Association is extremely harmful and is no longer even the third or fourth power, but is a parallel system which is placed in the Republic of Kosovo and creates an even more negative approach than it was before for the realization of the Association of municipalities with a Serb majority in Kosovo", said analyst Arbnor Sadiku.

The importance of achieving internal consensus has often been mentioned by foreign diplomats and mediators in the dialogue. But according to Kupina, "it has never been a request of the EU to hold such meetings".

The Serbian president has repeated that he will not implement all the points of the agreement, which strengthen Kosovo's international subjectivity, such as membership in organizations, as well as the recognition of citizenship documents.

"After Ohrid, I came out and said clearly what we accept and what we cannot accept, because even my oral statement is an explicit statement - the position of the state and you cannot cross it. In addition, I told the MPSin the People's Assembly that there is no question of Kosovo's admission to the United Nations. With this, I informed the French, the Germans, the Italians, all the Europeans, all the Americans", said Vucic in an interview for "Nin" television.

He spoke about the possibility that the implementation of the agreement becomes mandatory for Serbia in its contractual relationship with the European Union.

"It exists as a possibility, some of them want it. It's not up to me to say now which two countries are pushing it hard, I'm not sure if others want it too, so we'll see," he said.

Television "N1" in Serbia has reported that the European Council will ask the European Commission to "urgently submit a proposal for changes and additions to the criteria from Chapter 35 of the EU-Serbia negotiations, which would include the Agreement on Normalization of Relations with Kosovo and the Annex for its implementation.

KOHA has reported that the Council of General Affairs of the European Union, at the level of ministers, in the draft prepared for Kosovo, has expressed the expectation that it will implement without delay the obligations from the Agreement reached in Brussels, the Annex in Ohrid, but also other obligations that emerge from the dialogue process. This order was also given in the part of the draft that talks about Serbia. The draft conclusions are expected to be approved on December 12.

AAK leadership  discusses draft statute of Association (media)

The Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) has announced through a communiqué that the leadership of this party has held a meeting on the draft statute of the Association.

"Concerns have been expressed about its content, especially about the reference to Resolution 1244, the arbitration commission, as well as the parallel report of the Association with the institutions of the central government", reads the AAK communiqué.

The communiqué does not specify other details, but it is said that the comments of this party will be published in the following days.

Pal Lekaj from AAK on RTV21 did not rule out the possibility of protests if the draft statute is signed, although he said that they have not yet discussed such a thing as a party.

"Our main democratic struggle will be in the Assembly of Kosovo and if this document happens, it will mean that the government accepts it, I think that then there is nothing left but to protest strongly and ask for support from the citizens because it is causing great damage to the state of Kosovo", said Lekaj. 

Tahiri on draft of Association: Assembly is the place where we will discuss it (RTK)

The head of the parliamentary group of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) Abelard Tahiri in an interview for RTK, said that they will initiate a parliamentary session to discuss the draft of the Association.

"It is already a kind of public secret, the prime minister's tendency to put pressure on the opposition parties for such a harmful draft is unacceptable. This is creating a parallel executive power. The Assembly is the place where it will be discussed, whether it will be next week or the beginning of January, I don't know, since it is in coordination with other parties", Tahiri said.

Further, he stated in "Info Plus" that they will not become part of the agenda of the prime minister and the president.

"I hold the government and the presidency jointly responsible for this case. The weight of the government is greater in this case, but we have never seen the president as having a different agenda than the government of Kosovo", he said.

CEC: We received request for removal of mayors of northern municipalities (RTK)

The Central Election Commission (CEC) has announced that it has accepted the request for the removal of the mayors of four municipalities in the north of Kosovo.

The spokesperson, Valmir Elezi, has confirmed that they accepted this request yesterday.

"As we informed you yesterday, at several official addresses, we received four e-mails, which had attached the completed form for the initiation of the request for the removal of the mayors from office", Elezi said.

He further confirmed that they are considering the request and that soon there will be an answer to the request.

"I can confirm that these letters are being examined and the answer to them is being prepared. It will be sent to those persons or citizens as soon as possible, and of course the answer will also be made public", he said. 

U.S. Embassy: Citizens have the right to request withdrawal of mayors  (media)

The U.S. Embassy in Kosovo has said that citizens have the right to request the withdrawal of elected mayors, based on the administrative instruction issued by the government. This was said by a spokeswoman of the U.S. embassy in Pristina, regarding the process concerning the four mayors of the northern municipalities.

"Citizens have the right to request the withdrawal of elected officials according to this administrative instruction. We respect the rule of law in Kosovo, including the exercise of this special right, based on a democratic and legal process", reads the Embassy's response to Klan Kosova.

"We continue to encourage the government of Kosovo to assure the citizens that they can effectively exercise their rights according to the administrative instruction".

SPO raiding house of Salih Mustafa's fellow fighter (media)

The acting chairman of the Organization of War Veterans of the Liberation Army of Kosovo (KLA), Faton Klinaku, has announced that the Specialized Prosecution is raiding the house of Salih Mustafa's comrade-in-arms, Behar Berisha.

"I have just been informed that the Special Court has started a raid again in the house of Cali's comrade-in-arms, Behar Berisha", Klinaku wrote.

In this regard, the Office of the Specialized Prosecutor has refused to comment, only saying that they are conducting operations continuously. 

"The Specialized Prosecutor's Office is conducting ongoing operations and we have no further comment," their response states.

Berisha's house was also raided on September 14 of this year.

Dugolli: Former head of special unit in the north also wanted by Interpol (RTK)

Enver Dugolli, deputy-chairman of the Committee for Security and Defense Affairs in the Assembly of Kosovo, announced in a post on Facebook that in addition to Radoicic, the former head of the special unit in the north, Uglesa Jaredic, is among the persons wanted by INTERPOL for the terrorist attack against the sovereignty and integrity of Kosovo.

"This was the integration of the Serbs in the north that the 2013 agreement was claimed to achieve!! So, they were paid with the taxes of our citizens while they worked against the Republic of Kosovo and for the benefit of Serbia. Former police officer Uglesa Jaredic was/is like that," Dugolli wrote further.

The international police organization, INTERPOL, has issued an arrest warrant for the former deputy-leader of the Serbian List, Milan Radojicic. The news about the arrest warrant against Radojicic was announced by Nenad Rasic, Minister for Communities and Return in the Government of Kosovo.

Bojan Elek: INTERPOL warrant cannot force Serbia to arrest Radoicic (RFE, media)

Bojan Elek from the Belgrade Center for Security Policy (BCSP), in a statement for "Radio Free Europe" on Thursday, said that Serbia is not obliged to arrest and extradite the Serbian master criminal, Milan Radoicic, despite the fact that INTERPOL has issued an arrest warrant for the armed attack in the northern part of Kosovo.

Elek explained that the INTERPOL arrest warrant is only a notification to the member countries of the world's leading crime-fighting organization that another country is looking for a person, but although Serbia is a member of INTERPOL, according to him, is not obliged to take action for the arrest and extradition of the former deputy-leader of the Serbian List. 

"The arrest warrant of INTERPOL is applied, because the member countries act according to the internal legislation, and according to the internal legislation, Serbia does not recognize Kosovo and there is no extradition agreement", said Elek, while he explained that the arrest warrant of INTERPOL can only prevent Radoicic’s movement out of Serbia, mainly in friendly countries of Kosovo.

Serbian Language Media 

Group of Mitrovica North citizens officially submitted initiative for removal of mayor, MA chairman has five days to respond to it (KoSSev)

A group of citizens who attempted to submit a request for the dismissal of the mayor two days ago, submitted the same request yesterday to the municipality of North Mitrovica. The request was presented to the municipal assembly chairman, who now has five days to decide whether to accept it or not, KoSSev portal reports. 

The same signatories, Sanja Lazarević-Krtinic and Milan Milosavljevic, as well as another person came to the North Mitrovica municipal building, the chairman of Mitrovica North MA, Nedzad Ugljanin, told KoSSev portal.

As he said now there is a deadline of five days, within which he, as the chairman, needs to review the request, after which he will promptly inform the initiators about the outcome – whether it has been approved or not.

Read more at: t.ly/rM1FF

Andric-Rakic on Mitrovica North MA chair remarks about petition (Kosovo Online, social media)

New Social Initiative Program Manager Milica Andric Rakic in relation to the statement of Mitrovica North Municipal Assembly Chair Nedzad Ugljanin that he will consult with the Ministry of Local Government and Administration (MLGA) about petition submitted by citizens demanding withdrawal of mayor, said representative of legislative authority openly admitted that he will ask representatives of executive authorities what to do, Kosovo Online portal reports.

In a post on X, formerly Twitter, she argued that their role is procedural and there is nothing for them to (not)approve. In a post on X she also attached the link to the KoSSev portal article in which Ugljanin spoke about receiving a petition.

“And here comes RoL LOL #4. “I can’t say ahead of time, but I will be in contact with representatives of MLGA, I will talk to them, how to act further”, Ugljanin said. A representative of legislative authority openly admits that will ask representatives of the executive branch what to do”, she wrote.

“The role of both in this case is procedural and relates to informing the initiator of the total number of registered voters in order to count how much 20 percent are.

In other words, there is nothing they should (not)approve”, she added. 

Krtinic: Citizens in Leposavic have not manage to submit request for petition to dissolve mayor (Kosovo Online)

Sanja Krtinic who on behalf of the group of citizens submitted yesterday request to launch initiative to dissolve the mayor in Mitrovica North, told the media that citizens in Leposavic municipality have not managed to submit the same request, as the Municipal Assembly chair was not in the building, and the new mayor did not permit acceptance of the request, Kosovo Online portal reports.

She confirmed requests were submitted in four municipalities, Mitrovica North, Zvecan and Zubin Potok, but that only in Leposavic it was not accepted.

She announced citizens will continue attempting to submit a petition in Leposavic until it is accepted.

US Embassy: Citizens in northern Kosovo have right to demand withdrawal of mayors (Kosovo Online)

The US Embassy in Pristina spokeswoman said that citizens in northern Kosovo have the right to demand withdrawal of mayors based on administrative instruction prepared by Kosovo Government, Kosovo Online portal reports citing Pristina-based media.

“Citizens have the right to request withdrawal of elected officials according to that administrative instruction. We respect the rule of law in Kosovo, including also exercising this special right, based on democratic and legal process”, she said.

She added the US continues to encourage the Kosovo Government to ensure citizens to effectively exercise their rights in line with administrative instruction. 

Petkovic informs von Redecker about political situation in Kosovo, problems Serbs face there (media)

Office for Kosovo and Metohija Director Peter Petkovic met yesterday with the Head of the German Foreign Ministry Western Balkans Division Niels Peter von Redecker and informed him of the difficult situation Serbs in Kosovo face.

As the statement said Petkovic informed him of the political situation in Kosovo and problems Serbs face there because of political and other disenfranchisement as well as of constant attempts to subjugate them to Pristina’s will by violent and undemocratic means, stressing that "because of the terror of Albin Kurti, the survival of the Serbian people, especially in the north of Kosovo has been brought in question".

He also said recent events when Albanian representatives in four northern municipalities refused to accept initiative to dissolve mayors there proves this, adding that Pristina clearly demonstrates it does not intend to de-escalate the situation in the north. He also spoke of other unilateral acts of Pristina, including unlawful arrests and constant violence against the Serbs. He noted that Belgrade remains committed to the dialogue with Pristina, despite the crisis, reads the statement. 

Serbia’s top security agency gets new chief (N1)

Belgrade media reported on Thursday that Serbia’s top civilian security agency got a new chief. Danas and Vecernje Novosti daily quoted unnamed security services sources who said high-ranking police officer Tomislav Radovanovic had been named acting Director of the Security Information Agency (BIA).

Radovanovic headed the Internal Affairs Ministry (MUP) Special Investigation Methods Service and spent some time at the Serbian Embassy in Paris as police attaché. He came to the BIA to head the agency’s technical department, Vecernje Novosti said. Radovanovic also served as chief of the Belgrade police SWAT unit. He has been awarded a national medal for courage and an award by the Serbian Police Union.

Djurdjevic Stamenkovski: People to choose between Constitution and ultimatum (Tanjug)

In the December 17 elections, the people will choose between Serbia and the EU and between the Constitution and an ultimatum, says Serbian Oathkeepers Party leader Milica Djurdjevic Stamenkovski, who heads the opposition National Gathering electoral list, formed by the Oathkeepers and Dveri Movement, Tanjug news agency reports. 

On election day, the citizens of Serbia will "choose their fatherland, their independence, their state, their holy sites, their Kosovo and Metohija and the right to decide about their country on their own", Dveri Movement press release quoted Djurdjevic Stamenkovski as saying in Cacak, central Serbia during pre-election campaign there.

International Media

Kosovo Court Jails Three for Attack on Journalist (Balkan Insight)

Pristina Basic Court on Thursday sentenced three defendants for the attack against a Kosovo journalist to two years of imprisonment each. The first-instance verdict can be appealed.

Lum Dervishi, Okan Hasani and Kemal Hasani were found guilty of causing light injuries to Valon Syla when they assaulted him on April 11 in Pristina’s Bregu i Diellit (Sunny Hill) neighbourhood while he was going home after participating in a TV debate.

None of the defendants was present when the judge announced the guilty verdict, which Syla welcomed. “Today, I know there is justice in this country … that protects the rights of each of us when we do not trade justice and have the patience and courage to wait for justice’s verdict,” Syla said.

“Police reacted and caught the fanatical assailants in record time and justice was rewarded with a deserved verdict,” he added. The prosecution indictment alleged that Syla’s attackers were “motivated by extreme radical Islamic ideologies”.

Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/4aay93bz

Interpol Issues Warrant for Radoicic Over Banjska Attack in Kosovo (Balkan Insight)

The international criminal police organisation Interpol has issued an arrest warrant for Kosovo Serb businessman and politician Milan Radoicic and 18 others over their possible involvement in the attack in Banjska on Kosovo Police on September 24, where one police officer was killed, Kosovo Police sources confirmed to BIRN.

BIRN has learned from these sources that the arrest warrant list is based on Pristina Basic Court’s list of wanted persons on this case, issued on October 3.

One Kosovo Police officer, Afrim Bunjaku, was killed in the September 24 firefight in Banjska by a gang of heavily-armed Serbs. 

The bloodshed revived tensions with Serbia. Kosovo authorities have accused Serbia of directly being involved in this operation. Three Serb gunmen also died in the police operation in Banjska/Banjske.

Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/5arxfxt7