UNMIK Media Observer, Morning Edition, September 30, 2025

Albanian Language Media:

US: Door open to resume cooperation, concrete steps required from Kurti (Koha)
Kurti: In region where Russian influence exploits divisions, Kosovo stands firmly with U.S. (media)
Kurti thanks McGovern for advancing Kosovo – US relations (media)
British Foreign Secretary speaks on Britain’s role toward Kosovo (media)
Osmani visits the University of Pittsburgh (media)
Kurti: Albanian diaspora in US a historic part of important achievements (media)
Montenegro sends verbal note to Kosovo embassy after shots at border (RFE)

Serbian Language Media:

Vucic, Russian ambassador discuss energy security, situation regarding NIS (Tanjug, media)
Selakovic: UNESCO a priority for Serbia (Tanjug)
Bisevac: Parandilovic on a tourist visit, the purpose of his visit is division among the Serbs (KiM radio)
Parandilovic in North Mitrovica: “No progress for Kosovo Serbs until they free themselves from Vucic and Radoicic” (KoSSev)
The German Embassy after accusation that GIZ favors Rasic: We do not support political parties and candidates (KoSSev)
SNF: The Serbian List uses the mechanisms of force, pressure and blackmail (KiM radio, KoSSev)

International Media:

Police raid water supply company and CEO’s home following Kallxo investigations (PI)
Serbia welcomes back army general sentenced for Kosovo war crimes (BIRN)

Albanian Language Media

US: Door open to resume cooperation, concrete steps required from Kurti (Koha)

A spokesperson for the US Embassy in Pristina said that the US have their door open to improve relations and resume cooperation with the Kosovo government, but under the condition that the caretaker government engages in reducing tensions. “As we have made clear to the caretaker government, the door is open to improve relations and resume cooperation. However, this requires concrete steps from caretaker Prime Minister Kurti to reduce tensions and to push forward our shared objective for strengthening peace and stability as the basis for mutual economic prosperity. We will continue to assess the actions of the caretaker government,” the spokesperson said.

Kurti: In region where Russian influence exploits divisions, Kosovo stands firmly with U.S. (media)

Kosovo’s caretaker Prime Minister, Albin Kurti, as part of his visit to the United States, participated on Monday in a discussion organized by the Hudson Institute in New York titled "The Growing Kosovo–U.S. Partnership in Defense and Development."

According to the Prime Minister’s Office, during the discussion Kurti also addressed the alignment of Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic with Russia and his refusal to impose sanctions on the Russian state. “President Vucic in Belgrade is trying to buy time by exploiting divisions within EU institutions and member states, while refusing to sanction Russia and maintaining close security and economic ties with Moscow. Weekly criticisms of his regime rarely translate into decisive EU action,” Kurti stated, adding that a Russian victory in Ukraine would embolden Serbia’s revisionist ambitions in Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Kosovo.

Kurti emphasized that Kosovo stands firmly with the United States in both words and actions. “Kosovo does not seek to be seen merely as a beneficiary of NATO and U.S. support. We are a security contributor, a development partner, and a steadfast ally. In a region where Russian influence exploits division, Kosovo stands firmly with the United States, in words, in policies, and in actions,” Kurti said.

Kurti thanks McGovern for advancing Kosovo – US relations (media)

Kosovo’s caretaker Prime Minister Albin Kurti said in a post on X on Monday that he had a warm and positive meeting on Capitol Hill with US Congressman Jim McGovern. “I updated Congressman McGovern on recent developments in Kosova and thanked him for his tireless advocacy for justice for the Bytyqi Brothers, and for his commitment to advancing relations between Kosova and the United States. We also agreed to work together to find ways of enhancing economic cooperation between our countries, especially by increasing business investment,” Kurti said.

British Foreign Secretary speaks on Britain’s role toward Kosovo (media)

British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper spoke about how Britain stood by Kosovo in its darkest days. Speaking at a Labour Party conference, she recalled how Kosovars honored the English flag in Kosovo during a football match. According to her, a flag on the side of a military truck made the difference between life and death for people facing massacres in Kosovo.

“And if anyone doubts this, let them go back six years, when the England men’s football team played a qualifying match in Kosovo, and the players lined up for the national anthems. When ‘God Save the Queen’ began to play, every Kosovar fan in the stadium raised the English flag high, and among them a banner that read: ‘you gave us hope for freedom.’ And they waved our flag with pride, applauded our anthem warmly, and sang the name of our Queen. Because they remembered how Britain had stood with them. That is what our country represents around the world, and that is what we must always continue to be,” the British secretary said.

The Foreign Secretary said every person has the right to live free from fear. “After the war in Kosovo and the crisis in the Balkans, we hoped we would not see war again in Europe. You will hear people on every continent speak with admiration for our Royal Family and our Parliament, our heritage and culture, our armed forces and universities, literature, music, film and sport that we have given the world, British inventions that have changed history. But more than that, they will tell you that our flag stands for justice, honesty, tolerance and dignity,” she said.

“At this conference, thirty years after the horrific use of rape and sexual violence during the war in Kosovo, we must also ensure much stronger protection for women and girls in Sudan, Myanmar and other conflicts happening today,” she said at the Labour conference being held in Liverpool.

She therefore warned all those responsible for orchestrating sexual violence that one day they will face justice, no matter how long it takes, “as we seek an end to the use of rape as a weapon of war,” Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said.

Osmani visits the University of Pittsburgh (media)

Kosovo President, Vjosa Osmani, visited the University of Pittsburgh in the United States, where she once studied and later taught. “It was a special honor to return to the University of Pittsburgh in the U.S., where I first studied and later lectured for several years, to express my deep gratitude for their contribution in supporting outstanding professionals who today are making a valuable contribution in Kosovo. Investing in education is an investment in the future, and for Kosovo, U.S. support in this field has been crucial in our journey toward democracy, development, and international integration,” said Osmani.

Kurti: Albanian diaspora in US a historic part of important achievements (media)

Kosovo’s caretaker Prime Minister Albin Kurti said after meeting the Albanian diaspora in New York that “our diaspora in the US is a historic part of important achievements of our country, starting from organization, advocacy and the fight for freedom, to the economy, wellbeing, democracy and development in peace. We welcome them whenever they come to Kosovo. And they welcome us whenever we go wherever they are”.

Montenegro sends verbal note to Kosovo embassy after shots at border (RFE)

Montenegro’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs sent on September 17 a verbal note to the Kosovo embassy in Podgorica about gunshots that are suspected to have come from the Kosovo side towards the Montenegrin skiing center Hajla-Shtedime. “The competent authorities of the Republic of Kosovo have been asked to identify and initiate proceedings against the authors of these incidents, and to notify Montenegro about all measures and actions that are undertaken,” the Montenegrin ministry told Radio Free Europe.

At least two cases of damages to the infrastructure on the Montenegrin side have been recorded. In both cases, Montenegrin authorities suspect that the shots were fired from Kosovo’s territory. “We believe that the isolated cases do not reflect the clear commitment of both our countries to strengthen regional cooperation and to further bilateral relations,” the ministry said.

Faton Gashi from the Kosovo Police in the Peja region told Radio Free Europe that they have no information about security incidents along the border with Montenegro, adding that the regional police is engaged “to maintain public order and quiet”.

Serbian Language Media

Vucic, Russian ambassador discussed energy security, situation regarding NIS (Tanjug, media)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic met with Russian Ambassador to Belgrade Alexander Botsan-Kharchenko on Monday to discuss energy security and the situation regarding Serbia's Russian majority-owned oil company NIS.

"I spoke with the ambassador of the Russian Federation about bilateral relations, regional stability and energy security. We especially assessed the situation regarding NIS and steps towards maintaining secure supplies and the company's orderly operations, with full respect for Serbia's international obligations," Vucic posted on Instagram.

A policy of peace, stability and protecting the interests of all citizens remains Serbia's path, he noted.

Selakovic: UNESCO a priority for Serbia (Tanjug)

“UNESCO is a priority UN agency for Serbia, above all, when it comes to safeguarding the Serbian cultural and historic heritage in Kosovo-Metohija,” Serbian Culture Minister Nikola Selakovic said in Barcelona, where he was attending the MONDIACULT 2025 UNESCO World Conference on Cultural Policies and Sustainable Development.

"A hundred and sixty-four delegations are present here in Barcelona at this time, mostly at ministerial level. By itself, UNESCO is a priority UN agency for us, primarily when it comes to preservation of our cultural and historical heritage in Kosovo-Metohija," Selakovic said.

He said that he had met with many culture ministers from other countries, including Romania, North Macedonia, South African Republic, Cuba, Venezuela and Ecuador, and that he had had bilateral meetings with the culture ministers of Azerbaijan and Greece, Adil Gabil Karimli and Lina Mendoni.

Bisevac: Parandilovic on a tourist visit, the purpose of his visit is division among the Serbs (KiM radio)

The purpose of Milos Parandilovic's arrival is to create divisions among Serbs, thus, Serbian List commented on the visit of a member of the Assembly of Serbia to Kosovo.

The member of the Presidency of the Serbian List, Nemanja Bisevac, announced that Parandilovic, who was visiting Kosovo yesterday, wants to weaken (Serbs) and thus most directly help the acting Prime Minister Albin Kurti, who, as he emphasized, was working against the interests of the Serbian people.

"These days, on the occasion of the upcoming elections, and only for that reason, Milos Parandilovic's circus group is in Kosovo and Metohija as a tourist with the blessing of Albin Kurti's regime, whose members of the police are providing him with security. From whom are Kurti's policemen guarding Parandilovic in Serbian municipalities, and how is it that our officials are prohibited from coming to Kosovo and Metohija, and a red carpet is being rolled out for him and security is being provided," Bisevac asked in a press release.

Bisevac accused Radoica Radomirovic, who is on the "New Face - People's Justice" list, of being "a follower of Lulzim Hetemi (current mayor of Leposavic) and Nenad Rasic (Minister of Communities and Return in the Government of Kosovo), i.e. the Government of Kosovo, which, he said, was responsible for the attempted ''ethnic cleansing of the Serbian people and the difficult position of the Serbs''.

"There was no Parandilovic before the election, he will not be there after, and the Serbian List was and will be with its people, sharing the fate of its people and fighting for every workplace, every street, every house, every family..." said Bisevac.

Parandilovic in North Mitrovica: “No progress for Kosovo Serbs until they free themselves from Vucic and Radoicic” (KoSSev)

Serbian MP Milos Parandilovic visited North Mitrovica on Monday, warning that Kosovo Serbs will see no real improvement in their lives until they distance themselves from Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and controversial businessman Milan Radoicic.

“Vucic has handed over all institutions in the north of Kosovo — even things that, it seems to me, no one had asked him to give up,” Parandilovic said in a press statement. Speaking at the monument to Prince Lazar, he urged local Serbs to “listen to their hearts and minds rather than submit to blackmail.”

Parandilovic, a member of the Serbian parliament with the “Narodni pokret Srbije – Novo lice Srbije” group, traveled from Gracanica to North Mitrovica together with candidates from the “Narodna pravda – Novo lice” initiative, which is competing in Kosovo’s upcoming local elections on 12 October. He walked through the city center alongside the candidates, greeting residents and lending them his support on the ground after previously announcing it publicly.

“Terror of Serbian List harder to bear”

Parandilovic told reporters that Kosovo Serbs find themselves “between a rock and a hard place” — squeezed between Albin Kurti’s government on one side and Serbian List and Milan Radoicic on the other. According to him, the latter two are “exponents of Aleksandar Vucic” and impose “even harsher terror” on Kosovo Serbs than Pristina does.

Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/32rp5364

The German Embassy after accusation that GIZ favors Rasic: We do not support political parties and candidates (KoSSev)

"Germany does not promote, support or favor any political party or candidate in the current election campaign in Kosovo," the German embassy in Pristina told Kossev, regarding the accusations by the Serbian Democracy (SD) that the GIZ organization was involved in the political promotion of the Minister for Communities and Return, Nenad Rasic.

Dr. Payam Ghalehdar, Policy Adviser and Head of Protocol at the German Embassy, stated in a written response to KoSSev:

"The project in question is a government program, fully funded by the Government of Kosovo, which GIZ implements. Its goal is to improve access to the labor market and increase employment opportunities for non-majority communities in rural areas of Kosovo. As a technical cooperation project, the program does not include the distribution of German grants or other financial resources. GIZ has always had a mandate to strictly maintain political neutrality and impartiality."

The office of GIZ for Kosovo in a written response for KoSSev said:

"We kindly ask for your patience until we get back to you with our official response."

Accusations of Serbian Democracy against Rasic

On September 25, Serbian Democracy accused Nenad Rasic of "using donor funds and grants for political purposes" during the pre-election campaign for the local elections scheduled for October 12.

Serbian democracy claimed that it was about "buying votes" and "misuse of public and international resources", especially pointing to the information session of the Ministry of Communities and Return in Leposavic, which was organized at the time, in the middle of the election campaign, where, as they say, GIZ representatives were also present.

"Citizens were promised fabulous sums in the form of grants and aid in the middle of the campaign," SD said, wondering why grants were promoted at a time when the minister was in a technical mandate and, as they said, had no authority to launch new programs.

SD candidate for mayor of Leposavic, Vladimir Radosavljevic, also published a video from the event, directly asking a question about "political favoritism" to the GIZ representative, who presented the program together with Rasic.

KoSSev recalled that this was not the first time that GIZ and Rasic have been the target of similar criticism. In February of this year, just a week before the general elections, Rasic signed a contract worth 7.5 million euros together with the director of GIZ for Kosovo, David Oberhuber - a move that also drew criticism for its timing.

SNF: The Serbian List uses the mechanisms of force, pressure and blackmail (KiM radio, KoSSev)

The Serbian National Forum Gracanica accused Serbian List of ''forcing citizens to participate in rallies and threatening them with the loss of their jobs''.

As stated in the announcement, KiM radio reported, it was ''an abuse of power and political monopoly'' before the upcoming local elections in Kosovo.

"The Serbian List has for years been using mechanisms of force, pressure and blackmail in order to preserve power at all costs, to the detriment of its own people. Citizens are forced to participate in rallies organized by the Serbian List, often under the threat of losing their jobs, social benefits or other existential benefits. There have been recorded cases of blackmailing employees - from workers in public institutions to teaching staff - where school principals are asked to compile lists of "safe votes", professors and employees ready to attend party meetings," claimed the Serbian National Forum.

They added, those who refused to join the campaign of the Serbian List were exposed to sanctions and consequences, and even dismissal.

"Unfortunately, examples from the municipality of Ranilug these days confirm our allegations: some people lost their jobs because they were on opposition lists or refused to follow orders from the Serbian List. Their employment contracts were not extended, which represents a classic form of political retaliation and a flagrant violation of basic human and civil rights."

They also accused Serbian List of not offering any resistance to the shutdown of Serbian institutions in Kosovo for years, but, as they added, this party applied "a model of fear and blackmail towards its own people".

For now, the Serbian List has not commented on the accusations coming from the SNF. Radio KiM requested a comment from Igor Simic, the vice-president of this party and a member of the Assembly of Kosovo, but no answer arrived until the publication of the news.

International Media

Police raid water supply company and CEO’s home following Kallxo investigations (PI)

Authorities conducted raids at the premises of the Regional Water Supply Company “Gjakova” and the private residence of its Chief Executive Officer following KALLXO.com investigations on misuse of procurement procedures.

On Monday, the Kosovo Special Prosecution, in cooperation with the Kosovo Police, carried out raids at the offices of the Regional Water Supply Company “Gjakova” and the home of its CEO Hasan Krasniqi, on suspicion of abuse of office, after KALLXO.com investigations found evidence of misuse of procurement procedures.

“The raids were carried out under a search warrant issued by the Basic Court in Prishtina,” reads a joint statement from the prosecution and the police.

During the operation, investigators seized a range of material evidence, including documents that are expected to serve as key evidence in the case.

“The investigation focuses on several allegations, including: abuse of official position or authority, forgery of official documents, evasion of mandatory customs, conflict of interest, and misuse and fraud in public procurement,” the statement further reads.

KALLXO.com learned that the raids are linked to three specific contracts under suspicion for document forgery, abuse of office, conflict of interest, and procurement fraud. One of the contracts is for the purchase of a boat worth 24,500 euros—a case previously reported on by KALLXO.com.