• Steinmeier: German-French proposal achieving success (media)
• Serbia doesn’t want negotiations on French-German plan (Koha Ditore)
• Brnabic reacts to Steinmeier’s remarks about German-French plan (media)
• Russian Ambassador: West is fueling fire with French-German proposal (media)
• Prime Minister Kurti in an interpellation in Assembly today (media)
• What if the elections in the north are boycotted? (RFE)
• Kurti supports Gervalla for her reaction against Dacic (Indeksonline)
• “Judges and prosecutors could submit collective resignations” (KTV)
• Tahiri: Membership in CoE must not be linked to other processes (media)
• Martens explains why he removed part of intw with Kurti (Koha)
• Kosovo President Osmani travels to Bulgaria (media)
• Therapist’s insult to autistic three-year-old stirs Kosovo (Prishtina Insight)

Steinmeier: German-French proposal achieving success (media)

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier said on Tuesday that the German-French plan is achieving success in the process of normalisation of relations between Kosovo and Serbia. During a visit to North Macedonia, he said that the plan is being accepted by both parties.

“As far as relations between Serbia and Kosovo are concerned, I can say that the whole European Union is interested for the normalisation of their relations to happen as soon as possible. Proposals have been made for this. I am glad that the German-French plan has achieved success and is being accepted. This can encourage the parties to continue to cooperate in this area,” Steinmeier was quoted as saying after meeting North Macedonia President Stevo Pendarovski.

Serbia doesn’t want negotiations on French-German plan (Koha Ditore)

The daily reports on its front page this morning that it remains unclear when negotiations on a final settlement, which is based on the French-German plan, could start. While the mediator in the dialogue, the European Union, did not give a date when it could invite the parties to talks, Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic are making contradictory statements.

One day after Kurti said that the next meeting in Brussels will be about the final settlement, Vucic ruled out the possibility. “He (Kurti) has said that the issue of the status is over … The issue of the status has been over for me, too, for a long time in accordance with the UN Charter and 1244 Resolution of the UN. Have a nice time in Brussels,” Vucic said during a visit to Norway.

The paper also notes that although the French-German has not been published yet, Vucic called it unacceptable because it requires the parties to respect mutual territorial integrity.

Brnabic reacts to Steinmeier’s remarks about German-French plan (media)

Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic said on Tuesday that new proposals for Kosovo cannot be discussed until all the agreements that have been reached in the EU-facilitated dialogue in Brussels are implemented.

Klan Kosova reports that Brnabic said that Kosovo must implement the Brussels agreement and form the Association of Serb-majority municipalities and thus she refuted a statement by German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier who said that the parties have accepted the French-German proposal.

“Pristina should start the formation of the Association of Serb municipalities; this is the starting point. Secondly, if the agreement is not implemented and Pristina fails to fulfil its obligations taken in Brussels, I do not know who can guarantee a new agreement,” Brnabic was quoted as saying.

Russian Ambassador: West is fueling fire with French-German proposal (media)

Russian Ambassador to Serbia, Alexander Botsan-Kharchenko, said on Tuesday that the West “is fueling the fire” by insisting on the French-German proposal for the resolution of the Kosovo issue. “In other words: the West reduced the tension of the problem of plates, which Pristina created artificially, but did not do this to normalise the situation in the province. Now they are fueling the fire again,” the ambassador said.

Botsan-Kharchenko also recalled that the United Nations General Assembly gave its approval for European Union mediation in the dialogue and added that Brussels did not consult with UN member states “to include so easily and in commanding fashion the French-German plan in the agenda of the dialogue”.

Prime Minister Kurti in an interpellation in Assembly today (media)

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti will face an interpellation in the Assembly today on the topic: “Urgent measures by the Government of the Republic of Kosovo about the situation created in the country”.

What if the elections in the north are boycotted? (RFE)

The news website reports that according to election and local government experts, if boycotted, the elections for mayors in the four northern municipalities may result in political and not legal problems. The problems, they argue, could then have consequences in the functioning of institutions of local self-government. The Serbian List, the biggest Serb political party, which is controlled by Belgrade, said it will not take part in the elections. SL representatives also said that “95 percent of voters” from this party will also not take part in the voting process.

Several citizens that live in the northern municipalities said in an interview with the news website that they will not vote in the December 18 elections.

Kurti supports Gervalla for her reaction against Dacic (Indeksonline)

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti supported his Foreign Minister Donika Gervalla-Schwarz and expressed solidarity with the conflict-related sexual violence survivors in Kosovo. The news website recalls that during her participation at the international ministerial conference for prevention of sexual violence in conflict, held in London, Gervalla opposed the presence of Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic. Kurti posted on Twitter: “We stand in solidarity w/ Kosova’s brave CRSV survivors, as emphasized by MFA @gervallaschwarz at the #PSVI Conference. Kosova has signed the PSVI’s Political Declaration. Grateful to @FCDOGovUK for the initiative.”

“Judges and prosecutors could submit collective resignations” (KTV)

Ehat Miftaraj from the Kosovo Law Institute said that with its decision to reduce the salaries of judges and prosecutors, the Kosovo government is calling on the rule of law but in fact is doing the opposite. He argued that the consequences of a previous government led by Ramush Haradinaj about their salaries are being felt today. He said that 1,000 court sessions have been cancelled in the last four days and that this should be an alarm for everyone.

According to Miftaraj, the Kurti-led government wants to highlight that it has raised the salaries of judges and prosecutors, whereby with its decision it first reduces the salaries and then with the entering into force of the law on waves, their salaries will be automatically raised. “But if the law on wages enters into force, the salaries of judges and prosecutors will still be lower than they are today,” he said.

Miftaraj also argued that if the government does not take back its decision, the Kosovo Judicial Council and the Kosovo Prosecutorial Council could take a radical measure and submit collective resignations. “It’s not that we have seen any indications, but this is what is being talked about among prosecutors and judges, because there is no other radical measure available,” he said.

Commenting on the resignations of Serbs in the north, Miftaraj said that the EU Office and the Quint countries must engage in dialogue for the return of Serb judges and prosecutors.

Tahiri: Membership in CoE must not be linked to other processes (media)

Head of the parliamentary group of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK), Besnik Tahiri, said on Tuesday that Kosovo’s membership in the Council of Europe must not be linked to other political processes. During a meeting with ambassadors in Kosovo from countries that are members of the Council of Europe, Tahiri said that the Constitution of Kosovo and its most important laws have embodies the values represented by the Council.

“I asked the Ambassadors that this process [Kosovo’s membership] should not be linked with other political processes, such as the dialogue and other issues, but as a civic right and the right of the state of Kosovo to be part of this institution,” Tahiri said.

“Over the years, Kosovo has proved that human rights and the rule of law are part of its primary agenda and that Kosovo’s membership is an imperative of the time. At the same time, we had a very constructive and supporting approach toward one of the members, in this case Ukraine, by undertaking all necessary steps to be alongside the Western world.”

Martens explains why he removed part of intw with Kurti (Koha)

The news website reported on Tuesday evening that Michael Martnes, a reporter with the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, explained why he removed a part of his interview with Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti where the latter said that the U.S. Ambassador warned him about the security situation in the north.

Martens said in a Twitter post on Tuesday that he removed that part because the interview was too long and that there is no need for conspiracy theories.

“Some people seem to consider it a scandal (or want it to turn it into one) that a US ambassador in certain moments might know more about the security situation in a certain region (in this case the north of Kosovo) than a Prime Minister. But is this a scandal? Mr. Kurti made this statement during our recorded conversation and later authorized it in the written transcript of that conversation, which I gave to his team prior to publication as some of the topics we talked about (not the part of the ambassador) were potentially sensitive. As the interview was way too long (keep in mind, Kosovo is not a big issue in Germany), I took certain parts out of the authorized version which were of lesser interest to our readership. Among them was the part on the US ambassador. That’s all. No need for conspiracy theories,” Martens tweeted.

Kosovo President Osmani travels to Bulgaria (media)

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani has travelled for a two-day visit to Bulgaria, following an invitation from her Bulgarian counterpart, Rumen Radev. The two leaders will give a joint press conference after their meeting. A press release issued by Osmani’s office notes that in a special ceremony she will be honored with the Key of Sofia.

During her visit Osmani will also meet the President of Parliament of Bulgaria, Vezhdi Romanov. Osmani is also scheduled to honor the Armed Forces of Bulgaria with the Kosovo Presidential Medal for their contribution within KFOR.

Therapist’s insult to autistic three-year-old stirs Kosovo (Prishtina Insight)

A video recording went viral on Sunday in Kosovo where a speech therapist, identified as I.F., can be heard verbally insulting a three-year-old with autism.

The man was then arrested on suspicion of having committed the crime of unconscionable treatment. About an hour after the session ended, the logopedist was attacked by two family members of the patient.

The Basic Court in Gjilan sentenced the doctor and the two accused of attacking him, I. Sh. and R.V., to 30 days of detention.

According to the Gjilan Prosecution, I.Sh. had sent his three-year-old daughter for treatment to the speech therapist at his private practice. He was then accused of using offensive and derogatory words towards the child.

“There is a suspicion … that the defendant I. F., on November 26, 2022, in the time interval of 10.00-11.00 minutes, in the private practice, in the capacity of a speech-language pathologist, openly used an inappropriate method for treatment and did not implement the rules of the speech therapist profession,” the court said.

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