Albanian Language Media:

• Lajcak: We’ll discuss tense situation in north with US, European partners (media)

• Measures against Kosovo depend on course of dialogue (Radio Free Europe)

• Commentators don’t rule out additional measures against Kosovo (Koha Ditore)

• Kurti meets Ashton, discuss politics and European and regional affairs (media)

• Osmani in New York, scheduled to meet world leaders, including Biden (Koha)

• Kurti, Bislimi to hold press conference today (Gazeta Express)

• Assembly Presidency to meet today, discuss Kurti interpellation (Gazeta Express)

  Serbian Language Media:

• Vucic: West ignoring Kurti's statements from Brussels (Tanjug)

• Lajcak: We hoped for better outcome in dialogue, situation in Kosovo to be discussed with US and European partners (Kosovo Online, social media)

• Vucic talks about upcoming challenges, says Serbian elections on March 4, or week before (RTS, Kosovo Online, Tanjug)

• Orlic thanks Angola for supporting Serbia's territorial integrity (Tanjug, media)

• Vucevic: After failure in Brussels situation on ground tense (Radio KIM, TV Prva)

• Serbia, RS celebrate Day of Serb Unity, Freedom and National Flag (N1, media)

• Visoki Decani Monastery: SOC heritage in Kosovo requires long term protection (Radio KIM, media, social media)

• Rakic-Andric: De-escalation possible with effort of international community or Pristina’s willingness (media)

International Media:

• Balkans’ frustration mounts over Ukraine’s fast-track to EU membership (Financial Times)

Albanian Language Media

Lajcak: We’ll discuss tense situation in north with our US and European partners (media)

EU Special Representative for the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia, Miroslav Lajcak, said in a Facebook post on Sunday that “the tense situation in the north of Kosovo will be a subject of upcoming strategic discussions with our US and European partners”. 

Lajcak wrote: “Before jumping into the whirlwind of the high level week of the 🇺🇳 UN General Assembly in New York, it's good to look back and reflect on the past couple of days.

I spent the last week in Brussels, where together with my team, we prepared for Thursday's High-Level Dialogue meeting hosted by 🇪🇺 HR/VP Josep Borrell. As already expressed in the press remarks by the HRVP, we hoped for a better outcome. The state of play in the Dialogue, together with the tense situation in the north of Kosovo will be a subject of upcoming strategic discussions with our US and European partners to determine our next steps.

After the High-Level meeting, I addressed the ambassadors of 🇪🇺 member states in Brussels. I'm grateful for their interest in the Dialogue and for their strong support. 

I also met with the Director of Political Affairs and External Relations of the Council of Europe Miroslav Papa, whom I updated on the Dialogue. I appreciate the interesting exchange about the developments in the Council of Europe and the confirmation of our continuous cooperation in promoting European standards in the Western Balkans.”

Measures against Kosovo depend on course of dialogue (Radio Free Europe)

An unnamed source in Brussels told the news agency on Saturday that the EU penalty measures against Kosovo could be lifted or increased and that this depends on the course of the situation on the ground and the dialogue on the normalisation of relations with Serbia. The source said that in the latest round of dialogue on September 14, EU High Representative Josep Borrell told Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti that he was willing to recommend the lifting of measures if he could report that the meeting was successful. But the round of dialogue did not result in an agreement, because as the European bloc said Kosovo did not accept the EU proposal for the normalisation of relations.

The EU official told RFE that the measures against Kosovo are flexible, provisional and could be lifted or increased as the 27 member states have agreed on them.

The steps that Kosovo authorities took toward de-escalation in the north were seen as actions in the right direction, but according to an unnamed diplomat, they were not immediate, sufficient, or fully in line with the requests of the EU.

Following the meeting on September 14, the EU Special Representative Miroslav Lajcak notified the ambassadors of member states about the talks. Diplomatic sources said that the call for a balanced approach in terms of measures was repeated at the meeting, but that Lajcak also received support for his work and that “no one questioned the measures against Kosovo”.

Asked why measures were introduced only against Kosovo, an EU official said that “the measures are specific and they have to do exclusively with steps for the de-escalation of the situation in the north of Kosovo”.

Commentators don’t rule out additional measures against Kosovo (Koha Ditore)

The daily reports on its front page this morning that local and international political commentators do not rule out additional measures against Kosovo after the failure of the latest round of dialogue in Brussels. They argue that there is a very likely possibility of additional measures as the facilitators of the dialogue blamed Kosovo for the fact that an agreement was not reached. They also believe that this will damage Kosovo’s position on the international arena.

Kurti meets Ashton, discuss politics and European and regional affairs (media)

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti said on Saturday that he hosted a dinner on Friday for former EU High Representative, Baroness Catherine Ashton, with whom he discussed politics and European and regional affairs. “Although our roles are different today compared to ten years ago, we face many of the same issues,” he said.

Osmani in New York, scheduled to meet world leaders, including Biden (Koha)

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani travelled to New York where she is scheduled to hold meetings with world leaders and representatives of international organisations as part of the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly. Osmani’s office said in a statement that she is expected to take part in the official reception hosted by US President Joe Biden and also a special reception by First Lady Jill Biden. Osmani said in a video address that the meetings in New York will be important and that she will convey Kosovo’s message not only on regional developments but also how it can be a contributing factor in addressing global challenges.

Kurti, Bislimi to hold press conference today (Gazeta Express)

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti and Deputy Prime Minister Besnik Bislimi will hold a press conference today at 10:30. The reason for the conference has not been known. The news website notes that it will be Kurti’s first press conference after his meeting with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, which ended unsuccessfully.

Assembly Presidency to meet today, discuss Kurti’s interpellation (Gazeta Express)

The Presidency of the Kosovo Assembly will meet today to discuss several points, including a possible interpellation between MPs and Prime Minister Albin Kurti about Kurti’s “responsibility in relation with the Ambassador of the Republic of Kosovo in Croatia, Martin Berishaj”.

 Serbian Language Media

Vucic: West ignoring Kurti's statements from Brussels (Tanjug)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said he was concerned over the fact the West was ignoring the statements made by Kosovo PM Albin Kurti in Brussels after the latest round of the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue on Thursday, Tanjug news agency reports.

Speaking to reporters, Kurti said that the Serbian List must "suffer and pay" for the mistakes it made.

"The West is pretending to be naive and not to see what exactly Kurti said. Had I said what he said I would be hanging in Berlin, Brussels or Washington, but that's double standards", Vucic told reporters in Nis.

"He (Kurti) plays some strange games over there in Brussels, it is not quite clear to anyone what it is that he is doing but, all in all, the point of everything he is doing is to avoid the establishment of a Community of Serb Municipalities. His statement that Serbs and the people from the Serbian List must suffer and pay has been met with enormous resentment among the Serbs. We saw his revenge in Gracanica last night, and he will continue to take his revenge on the Serbs, but the Serbs are increasingly strong and increasingly united in their political and democratic resistance and all other forms of resistance", Vucic said, noting that he would continue to support Serbs in Kosovo.

Lajcak: We hoped for better outcome in dialogue, situation in Kosovo to be discussed with US and European partners (Kosovo Online, social media)

EU Special Envoy for Belgrade-Pristina talks Miroslav Lajcak said he hoped for better outcome of Belgrade-Pristina dialogue in Brussels, adding that the situation in Kosovo will be the topic of the upcoming discussions with US and European partners, Kosovo Online portal reports.

“Before jumping into the whirlwind of the high level week of the UN General Assembly in New York, it's good to look back and reflect on the past couple of days.

I spent the last week in Brussels, where together with my team, we prepared for Thursday's High-Level Dialogue meeting hosted by EU HR/VP Josep Borrell. As already expressed in the press remarks by the HRVP, we hoped for a better outcome. The state of play in the Dialogue, together with the tense situation in the north of Kosovo will be a subject of upcoming strategic discussions with our US and European partners to determine our next steps”, Lajcak wrote in a post on Facebook.

Read full Lajcak’s post at: https://t.ly/fDcjC

Vucic talks about upcoming challenges, says Serbian elections on March 4, or week before (RTS, Kosovo Online, Tanjug)

In a guest appearance on Hit Twitt broadcast on TV Pink, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said Serbia must be stronger, firmer and united on crucial issues in the upcoming period, RTS reports. He also announced he will meet demands of those requesting Serbian parliamentary and Belgrade elections to be called by December 31, so that they can be held on March 4 or week before next year. 

He also said Kosovo was his biggest concern, adding it was important for him that after the failed round of Brussels dialogue, Serbia did not turn out to be the culprit, Kosovo Online portal reports.

He also said he expects new pressure from the West in negotiations with Pristina. “Now they will come up with something new. I only wait to see what new thing they will come up with. In essence they agree with what Albin Kurti is doing and this with Community of Serb Municipalities is “must do it” for them, because it had been signed ten and a half years ago, and because we insist on it. We won’t go without it and he (Kurti) does not want to accept it. And they do not know how to get out of that cycle, but they will come up with something it is us to blame, and what it will be is not important”, Vucic said, Tanjug news agency reported. 

Orlic thanks Angola for supporting Serbia's territorial integrity (Tanjug, media)

Serbian Parliament Speaker Vladimir Orlic received Angola's newly-appointed Ambassador to Belgrade Emilio Miguel de Carvalho Sobrinho on Friday and thanked him for his country's principled position and support to the territorial integrity of Serbia, Tanjug news agency reports.

By deciding against recognising Kosovo Angola has not only confirmed its friendship with Serbia but also came to the defense of international law and peace together with Serbia, a statement from the Serbian Parliament quoted Orlic as saying.

He said Thursday's meeting of the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue in Brussels had confirmed Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, as well as Belgrade, was the "most significant factor for maintaining peace and stability in the region and sincerely committed to dialogue (…)," Orlic said.

The meeting also confirmed Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti and Pristina are the main generator of conflicts, the source of the problems and the biggest threat to peace, he added.

Vucevic: After failure in Brussels situation on ground tense (Radio KIM, TV Prva)

Serbian Minister of Defence and leader of the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) Milos Vucevic said, following the failure in the latest round of Belgrade-Pristina talks in Brussels, that there is again tense situation on the ground and Serbian people are exposed to pressure, Radio KIM reports.

Vucevic told TV Prva that incidents in Kosovo immediately followed.

“Two young Serbs were beaten up in Gracanica. (Albin) Kurti is ready for everything. Albanians only want to cause conflicts and Kurti’s goal is to cleanse Kosovo of Serbs”, he said.

He added he is concerned with reaction from international community, whose representatives on the first day, respectively when talks in Brussels were held on September 14, made correct statements, however, on the second day, “as if some invisible hand erased it, one could tell it is Serbs to blame a bit, not only Albanians”. 

Serbia, RS celebrate Day of Serb Unity, Freedom and National Flag (N1, media)

Serbia and Republika Srpska (RS), Serb-majority entity in Bosnia and Herzegovina, celebrated on Friday the Day of Serb Unity, Freedom and the National Flag, N1 reports.

September 15 was chosen because on that day the Royal Serbian Army and its allies broke through Axis forces on the Thessaloniki Front in World War I. The holiday has been celebrated since 2020.

The idea for Serbia and Republika Srpska to introduce a joint national holiday was presented following a meeting between Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Prime Minister Ana Brnabic, and the Republika Srpska leadership in August 2020.

At a sitting held on September 10, 2020 the Government of Republika Srpska adopted a conclusion on celebrating the Day of Serb Unity, Freedom and the National Flag, and the same was done by the Serbian Government a day later.

Visoki Decani Monastery: SOC heritage in Kosovo requires long term protection (Radio KIM, media, social media)

Visoki Decani Monastery brotherhood said in a post on (X) former Twitter that Serbian Orthodox Church shrines in Kosovo require long-term protection because they are “vital pieces in the mosaic of diverse cultural and religious traditions in the Balkan”, Radio KIM reports.

Read the full Visoki Decani Monastery’s post at: t.ly/NuJHJ

Rakic-Andric: De-escalation possible with effort of international community or Pristina’s willingness (media)

Milica Andric-Rakic from Mitrovica North-based New Social Initiative said de-escalation in the north of Kosovo was possible and can be achieved with the strong efforts of the international community or political willingness of Pristina, which is, at this moment, very unlikely. 

Asked if de-escalation in the north was possible under current circumstances, Andric-Rakic said that prior to the September 14 meeting in Brussels, Pristina was not interested in de-escalating the situation in the north of Kosovo and she does not believe that will change.

“De-escalation in the north of Kosovo is possible and it will happen, only the question remains if that would happen under strong efforts of the international community to freeze conflict, respectively to prevent further degradation of the situation in the north, or suddenly a political willingness in Pristina would appear, but this option, I underline, looks very unlikely to me”, she added. 

International Media

Balkans’ frustration mounts over Ukraine’s fast-track to EU membership (Financial Times)

Brussels has handled Kyiv’s accession bid with record speed since Russia’s full-scale invasion last year.

Some western Balkan leaders are growing increasingly frustrated that Ukraine is leapfrogging their countries in the EU accession process, adding further delays to their decades-long efforts to join the bloc.

“I have nothing against Ukrainians,” Serbian president Aleksandar Vučić told the Financial Times. But the EU’s level of support for Ukraine, granting it EU candidate status within a year from its application and potentially starting membership talks next year, “shows to us [such political support] has never been there for us”, he said.

Read more at: rb.gy/2w7yb