• Kurti expects EU to move on chapters of final agreement with Serbia (Koha)
• Kurti meets Sarrazin, discuss need for Kosovo and Serbia agreement (media)
• Abdixiku and Sarrazin discuss dialogue and visas (RTK)
• Haradinaj: Dialogue gained, time to conclude with recognition (media)
• Svecla reacts to Vucic about uniformed people in north, publishes video (media)
• Union of Education Trade Unions of Europe supports SBASHK (Albanian Post)
• Kosovo to establish agency for cyber security after recent attacks (BIRN)
• Prosecutors seek ‘long’ prison term for Kosovo ex-guerilla (BIRN)
• Energy Regulatory Office: Elektrosever has not met any criteria (RFE)
• Rama: Keep the Balkans safe from threats (Euronews Albania/Die Presse)

Kurti expects EU to move on chapters of final agreement with Serbia (Koha) 

The daily reports on its front page that Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti told a press conference on Wednesday about the chapters of a final agreement with Serbia that he presented to EU Special Representative Miroslav Lajcak and to the advisors of the German and French presidents. Kurti highlighted bilateral relations based on mutual recognition, dealing with the past, future cooperation, minority rights, the agreements reached so far, and mechanisms that will address eventual disagreements in the future. “This was my proposal, and they are looking into it with great attention. I believe they will move in this direction, but I cannot say what impressions and discussions they had in Belgrade, because I don’t know them,” Kurti said.  

Kurti meets Sarrazin, discuss need for Kosovo and Serbia agreement (media) 

Prime Minister of Kosovo Albin Kurti met on Wednesday with Germany’s special representative for the Western Balkans, Manuel Sarrazin. "We discussed the need for a legally binding agreement between Kosovo and Serbia, centered on mutual recognition in the Brussels dialogue and the implementation of the common regional market within the Berlin process," Kurti wrote on Twitter.

Abdixiku and Sarrazin discuss dialogue and visas (RTK) 

Leader of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) Lumir Abdixhiu, met on Wednesday with the special envoy of the German government for the Western Balkans, Manuel Sarrazin. They discussed the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue process while Abdixiku expressed appreciation for the increased commitment of the German government in the dialogue process as well as in the issue of visa liberalization. Abdixhiku also reconfirmed LDK’s support for the Berlin Process.

“LDK remains dedicated and ready for cooperation with international allies for the country's vital processes," reads the press release of this party.

Haradinaj: Dialogue gained lot of energy, time to conclude with recognition (media) 

Leader of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) Ramush Haradinaj, visited Ferizaj on Wednesday, within his recent initiative of ‘conversation with the citizens’. "At the time of the economic crisis, but also at the time of important decisions for the country, consultation with the people is necessary. Today's conversation with the citizens of Ferizaj was also in this spirit. We agreed that the dialogue has taken a lot of time and energy and that now is the best moment for this process to end, with mutual recognition between the two countries, for the benefit of all," Haradinaj wrote. He added that they also discussed the teachers' strike, the energy crisis and various current topics.

Svecla reacts to Vucic about uniformed people in north, publishes video (media) 

Kosovo’s Minister of Internal Affairs Xelal Svecla has presented a video where several people are seen transporting long guns in Mitrovica. Referring to a statement by the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic in the Serbian Parliament, about masked groups in the north of Kosovo, Svecla said that these groups have largely infiltrated Kosovo from the territory of Serbia.

Vucic, in his speech to the Serbian Parliament, said that for the first time "Serbs in new and old uniforms appeared in the north to protect the local residents from the aggressors [Kosovo Police]". According to him, despite the fact that they were unarmed, they were greeted by Serbian men and women and were seen as "saviors".

But Svecla said that the truth is that between July 31 and August 1, long weapons were distributed in northern Mitrovica and the Kosovo Police were attacked with deadly ammunition.

"Intensive investigations are being carried out on these issues, so I would be a little reserved about it. However, we have continuously said that all the groups which are organized in the direction of fighting the extension of sovereignty and preserving the territorial integrity of the institutions of Kosovo, are not only created, but also financed and led by Aleksandar Vucic and the government of Serbia. And we have evidence of the presence of armed groups, uniformed with masks on the night of July 31. Our institutions are committed to identifying all of them. It is the first time that even the president of Serbia himself confirms something that we said some time ago," Svecla stated.

Union of Education Trade Unions of Europe supports SBASHK (Albanian Post) 

General Director of the European Trade Union Committee for Education (ETUCE) Susan Flocken, held a virtual meeting with SBASHK leader, Rrahman Jasharaj. Flocken reportedly condemned the actions of the government of Kosovo in relation to the general strike in education, saying that the language that was used against the head of the SBASHK, is a language of pressure and blackmail, mentioning here the lynchings of the last days against the head of the unions.

Flocken was also told that the government, instead of dialogue, has chosen the language of pressure and blackmail against the chairman Jasharaj, who is now forced to have limited movements to escape the excesses that can be staged by sympathizers of the ruling party. She stated that she will alert the European Commission and the relevant sectors in the EU and in coordination with them she will travel to Kosovo to provide strong support for the SBASHK and SPAK.

"Stay steadfast in defense of your membership despite all these pressures, I convey my support to you and the entire membership of the Education Unions of Europe for the membership of SBASHK and President Jasharaj," she is quoted as saying.

Kosovo to establish agency for cyber security after recent attacks (BIRN) 

A cyber-attack on Kosovo Telecom on Tuesday was only the latest in a wave of cyber-attacks on Kosovo institutions, and in the region in general. After suffering a series of cyber-attacks, Kosovo’s government is to propose the establishment of an Agency for Cyber-Security.

The government on Wednesday approved a draft law on cyber security, which will include forming an agency.

Minister of Interior Xhelal Sveçla said the new law aimed to prevent cyber-crime.

“We have recently faced cyber-attacks. In this direction, through this law, a legal basis for the prevention of cyber crime will be created. Regulation of the cyber field is also related to the government’s program,” he said.

The law is expected to strengthen computer security in Kosovo, including establishment of the State Authority for Cyber ​​Security. Numerous other measures include the establishment of a contact point in the police which will operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

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

Prosecutors seek ‘long’ prison term for Kosovo ex-guerilla (BIRN) 

Closing statements are continuing this week in the Hague trial of former KLA commander Salih Mustafa. In its closing statement on Tuesday, the prosecution in the trial of former Kosovo Liberation Army commander Salih Mustafa asked the trial chamber to give the defendant a “long prison sentence” for crimes committed against civilian detainees during the 1998-99 Kosovo war.

Mustafa, a commander in the KLA’s wartime Llap Operation Zone of northeastern Kosovo, is charged in The Hague with arbitrary detention, cruel treatment, torture and murder of civilians.

According to the indictment against him, in April 1999 detainees were held at a KLA compound in the village of Zllash/Zlas, deprived of food, water, sanitation, hygiene, bedding and medical care, and subjected to “beatings with various instruments, burning and the administration of electric shocks.”

Requesting a lengthy prison sentence, special prosecutor Jack Smith told the Kosovo Specialist Chambers in The Hague: “The reality of the charges and the crimes charged, including the very large effect they have had on the lives of the victims and their families, is an important aspect to consider.”

“The dual role of the accused as commander and participant constitutes a major aggravating factor for his conviction,” he said.

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

Energy Regulatory Office: Elektrosever has not met any criteria (RFE) 

Elektrosever, a Serbian company licensed to supply the north of Kosovo with electricity, has not yet met the conditions set out by the roadmap for the Energy Agreement between Kosovo and Serbia, mediated by the European Union. Although there are less than three weeks left, Kosovo’s Energy Regulatory Office (ERO) told the news website that based on the information they have, “none of the defined criteria has been met”. The energy agreement provides that the residents in the north of Kosovo will pay for the electricity they use starting in autumn this year - for the first time in over two decades. The news website also asked Elektrosever about the implementation of the criteria of the agreement, but it received no response.

Rama: Keep the Balkans safe from threats (Euronews Albania/Die Presse) 

Prime Minister of Albania Edi Rama expressed concern over Russian influence in the region, but at the same time, he has shown understanding for Serbia’s stance against Russian sanctions, saying that pressure should not be exerted on the latter. In an interview with the Austrian news agency Die Presse, Rama said the Balkans should be kept safe from possible threats. He also said that Russia has a strong influence in some parts of the Balkans, when asked if the war in Ukraine threatens stability and peace in the Balkans.

Excerpt from the interview:

Prime Minister, how much does the war in Ukraine threaten stability and peace in the Balkans? 

It is a potential threat to our region. Because in parts of the Balkans, Russia traditionally has had a strong influence. This is especially true for Serbia, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Republika Srpska in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

What does this mean for EU sanctions policy against Russia? 

We must do everything we can to keep the potential threat out of the Balkans. Therefore, no more pressure should be exerted on Serbia to impose sanctions on Russia. Such sanctions are not possible, because without Russia, Serbia cannot survive. Moreover, the government and President Aleksandar Vucic would not politically survive the sanctions against Russia. Serbia has already taken a stand. We must not forget that Belgrade has already voted three times against Russia at the UN. This is a big surprise. It is also a sign that there is a strong will in Belgrade to integrate into the EU.