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UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, October 21, 2019

Albanian Language Media:

  • 12 CEC officials admitted to hospital for allergic reaction, discharged (RFE) 
  • Vote recount continues, 220 polling stations still to be counted (Telegrafi)
  • Bahtiri: LVV – LDK coalition will be signed first week of November (Gazeta Blic)
  • Ramadani: New Kosovo government to continue path to NATO (media)
  • Thaci meets PM Abe, express pleasure on Kosovo-Japan rapprochement (Klan)

Serbian Language Media:

  • “Russia will not permit to be excluded from resolving Kosovo issue” (Tanjug, B92, Radio kontakt plus)
  • Serbian List: To resolve, not misuse Ivanovic’s murder (RTS)
  • Simic: There is no single point of Brussels agreement which Albanians did not evade to fulfil (TV Most)
  • Haki Rugova: Serbian List will have place in Kosovo Government (Danas, Kosovo-online, Gazeta Expres)
  • Vucic: Two infections hit Albanians (Prva TV, B92)
  • "As long as Vucic is in power, Serbia will not be part of NATO pact" (BETA, B92)
  • Medvedev: Russia supports peaceful Kosovo solution, in line with Resolution 1244 (BETA, N1)
  • Serbia and Japan relations much better, Brnabic thanks Abe for balanced stance on Kosovo (BETA, TV N1)
  • Vucic thanked Thabane for support on Kosovo (Tanjug, B92)
  • Court of Appeals confirmed: Milorad Zajic from Klina acquitted of war crimes charges (KoSSev, Kontkat plus radio)
  • Less than half of Serbia citizens see EU membership as foreign policy priority (BETA, N1)
  • CEC: Still no decision on counting votes from Serbia (TV N1, Kosovo-online)
  • Early elections in North Macedonia in April 2020 (BETA, N1)

Opinions: 

  • What happened sends a message to Serbia and Montenegro - you're not welcome (Jutarnji List)
  • France is Undermining Balkan – and EU – Stability (Balkan Insight)
  • Why was a Nobel Prize awarded to a man who celebrated a war criminal? (WAPO)

International:

  • 'The EU is running scared from fascism' – Kosovo's likely new PM (The Guardian)
  • Russia, Serbia vow to boost ties despite Belgrade’s EU bid (Washington Post)
  • Macron’s veto undermines Balkan stability, Greek MEP says (EURAKTIV)
  • Unsafe Haven: Balkans Sees Rise in Turkish Asylum Requests (Balkan Insight)
  • Russia & Kosovo will not meet because of 'security risks' - Uefa (BBC)

Humanitarian and Development:

  • 10th anniversary of Crime Victims' Rights Week marked in Kosovo (Telegrafi/Klan)
  • The long road to becoming captain (Prishtina Insight)

Albanian Language Media

12 CEC officials admitted to hospital for allergic reaction, discharged (RFE) 

Twelve officials from the Central Election Commission who sought medical assistance after suffering allergic reaction while verifying ballots that arrived from Serbia have been released from the Infectious Diseases Ward at the Kosovo University Clinical Centre.  

Acting director of Infectious Diseases Ward, Linda Ajazaj-Berisha, said the patients left the hospital in a good medical condition. “We have excluded infectious diseases or causes. Investigative authorities can deal with other aspects,” she said. 

RFE reports that the Kosovo Prosecution is continuing investigations into how these persons suffered allergic reactions after opening the envelopes containing ballots from Serbia. Meanwhile, the samples of ballots from Serbia, have been sent for laboratory tests in a European country. 

Vote recount continues, 220 polling stations still to be counted (Telegrafi)

The recounting process of ballots from 530 polling stations is continuing at the Counting and Results Centre with almost 60 percent having so far been recounted.

Spokesperson for the Central Election Commission (CEC) Valmir Elezi said: "There are 220 polling stations left to be recounted so that we can then continue counting of conditional votes and those of persons with special needs." 

Bahtiri: LVV – LDK coalition will be signed first week of November (Gazeta Blic)

Mitrovica South Mayor and member of Vetevendosje (LVV), Agim Bahtiri, told the news website today that a coalition agreement between LVV and the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) will be signed early next month. “It is done and the coalition will happen. I call on analysts and the media not to speculate on this matter any further because it is a done deal. The coalition is expected to be formed the first week of November,” Bahtiri said.

Ramadani: New Kosovo government to continue path to NATO (media)

Kosovo's acting Deputy Minister of Defence, Burim Ramadani, said the new government of Kosovo should continue path towards NATO membership and added that this should be treated as an issue of top strategic priority.

"Our journey to NATO, regardless of how challenging it may be, is easier than that to EU. This is mainly due to the EU's unclear position on future enlargement and NATO's greater clarity in respect to the necessity of Western Balkan countries becoming part of the Alliance," Ramadani wrote on social media.

Thaci meets PM Abe, express pleasure on Kosovo-Japan rapprochement (Klan)

The President of Kosovo Hashim Thaci, was received at the commencement of his official visit to Japan, by the Prime Minister of Japan, Shinzo Abe, during which he will also attend the enthronement of Emperor Naruhito.

President Thaci and Prime Minister Abe at this meeting confirmed the good bilateral relations between Japan and Kosovo.

“Opening of the Embassy of Japan in Pristina early next year and the successful summit of the Japanese, Kosovar and Austrian businesses in Vienna at the beginning of this month, are a confirmation of this advancement,” Thaci said.

“Opening of our embassy in Pristina, the successful business summit and the Week of the Japanese Culture which will be held next month are a confirmation of our rapprochement,“ Prime Minister Abe stated.

President Thaci also pointed out that Kosovo supports Prime Minister Abe in regional issues and in conclusion of open issues such as kidnaping of Japanese citizens by North Korea.

Serbian Language Media

“Russia will not permit to be excluded from resolving Kosovo issue” (Tanjug, B92, Radio kontakt plus)

One of the crucial messages sent during the visit of the Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev to Serbia is that Russia will not permit to be excluded from resolving the Kosovo issue. This is according to the Serbian diplomat Zoran Milivojevic, Serbian media report.

“This message is of particular importance at the moment, given the US initiative to appoint a special envoy and efforts to speed up the process and restore the negotiations, however, based on the platform that does not suit Serbian state and national interests, respectively it encompasses realization of the Western interests and recognition of Kosovo, Milivojevic told Tanjug news agency.

According to him, Medvedev’s visit confirms Russia would remain consistent in supporting Serbia, it would not permit to be excluded from resolving the Kosovo issue, nor would it allow the issue to be resolved outside of the international law framework and the UN SC Resolution 1244.  

Meanwhile, Stanislav Sretenovic Institute for Contemporary History Associate commenting on Medvedev’s visit to Serbia told RTS that three messages have been sent during this visit. First one is that Russia offers support to Serbia in preserving its territorial integrity and sovereignty, second that economic and political cooperation continues, and the third one is that symbolic marking of something that has happened 75 years ago, e.g. liberation of Belgrade with the support of the Soviet Union Red Army is happening.

Sretenovic also assessed that “political support of Russia is very important because Russia is one of the five permanent UN SC members.”

Serbian List: To resolve, not misuse Ivanovic’s murder (RTS)

Serbian List has welcomed and supported the call of the USA representative in Pristina that Kosovo prosecution and police speed up the investigation and bring culprits for the murder of Oliver Ivanovic before the justice, RTS reports.

Serbian List, in a press statement also urged Pristina institutions to present to the public evidence they possess, since, as they said, the prosecutor said several times there are none.

“Prolongation of this process opens up the room to politically misuse the murder of Oliver Ivanovic even after 21 months in order to intimidate and without grounds criminalize the Serbs, entire north of Kosovo and the state of Serbia, as well as excuses for move-like intrusions of some armed special formations to the north of Kosovo and to the family houses, mistreatments, slandering and persecution of reputable and honorable Serbs who were not ready to be obedient to Pristina,” Serbian List said in a statement.

The List added if Pristina prosecution and the police turn a deaf ear to the request of the US Embassy, it would once more confirm that they are under political pressure in the function to intimidate and expel the Serbs, and that their aim is not to resolve this heinous crime, RTS reported.

Simic: There is no single point of Brussels agreement which Albanians did not evade to fulfil (TV Most)

Vice President of Serbian List Igor Simic said on Saturday that Albanians were changing the structure of the police and court staff in northern Kosovo in every way, TV Most reports.

“There is not a single point of the Brussels Agreement which Albanians did not evade. One of the results of the intimidation of Serbs in northern Kosovo and Metohija is the change in the ethnic structure of Kosovo police force”, Simic said.

“This structure is reflected in the fact that every police officer who is suspended or otherwise eliminated from his/her position is replaced by an Albanian. The situation is similar with the number of employees within the administration of Court in the northern part of Mitrovica. According to the Agreement, the number of Serbs and Albanians ought to be equal, but today this ratio is two to one in favor of Albanians, i.e. more than 60% are Albanians,” Simic emphasized, TV Most reported.

Haki Rugova: Serbian List will have place in Kosovo Government (Danas, Kosovo-online, Gazeta Expres)

Serbian List will have a place in the government, because this is in line with the Kosovo Constitution, but will not be a part of the ruling coalition of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) and Self-determination, member of the LDK presidency Haki Rugova said, Danas daily reports referring to Pristina-based Gazeta Express.

According to Rugova, LDK is open to all the parties, except for the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) and the Serbian List. He emphasised that the Serbian List would have a place in the government only within competencies it is entitled to based on the constitution, but it is not crucial in forming the government.

“There is no need for coalition with the Serbian List. They will, in line with the Kosovo Constitution have the place in the government, however, coalition with them is neither wanted nor it must happen,” Rugova noted.

Vucic: Two infections hit Albanians (Prva TV, B92)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic told Belgrade-based Prva TV that he is concerned about the possible destabilization and escalation of conflicts in the region and that Serbia is doing everything to prevent it, as well as that our country must arm itself, as all the countries around us do.

"I am always concerned, and we are doing everything we can to prevent destabilization in the region. This Novi Sad initiative with Albania and North Macedonia is very important to us as it is also a peace and political initiative, but also economically important for us,” Vucic added.

He said Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, Croatia and other smaller countries are arming themselves in accordance with their capabilities. "We see who is also arming Albanians in Kosovo and what helicopters are being marketed by Montenegro and we are closely monitoring all that," the Serbian President said.

"You have to think about radar - electronic warfare and interference, everything is working on a different level now. Why is everyone arming themselves in the world - there is no longer one police officer in the world, and there are many players", Vucic said.

"Everyone cares about themselves and knows that there is no more unity, as it was when 19 countries invaded Serbia and everyone is looking at how to protect themselves. Will this be a source of conflict in the future (...)? We must not be weak because someone will always find the 'Leibniz principle of sufficient reason' if we present an easy prey,” Vucic concluded.

"Kurti is an open threat, but no one will endanger Serbs in Kosovo"

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said he understood Albin Kurti's statement that he would solve Pristina's biggest problem - Serbia's presence in the north, as an open threat, but said no one, not even Kurti, would be able to threaten Serbs.

"I do not want to respond with offensive vocabulary. I can only say that it will not endanger the Serbs," Vucic underlined. He noted that Albanians are terribly nervous because they see that things are not going as planned. President of Serbia also said that "two infections hit Albanians".

"It was an infection caused by the votes obtained by the Serb List, which seemed so infectious that they had to do it, and the other that they made calculations as to whether and how to include Pacolli's party into the government. That's why they made a scandal", he explained.

According to him, there is neither poison nor any infectious reaction, adding everything is nonsense that shows the level of nervousness and what everyone is prepared for. "It shows that they are very dangerous, and that's why I said that something like 2004 when the DOS regime allowed pogrom of the Serbs, as well as the operation "Storm" will never happen again,” he said.

"For Maja Kocijancic, I always had another question concerning the rights of Serbs in Slovenia. I made a joke because the whole world saw the story of poisoning, the pro-Albanian media wrote about poisoning from Serbia, now they are dead silent,” he explained.

See at: https://bit.ly/2W1rbwR

"As long as Vucic is in power, Serbia will not be part of NATO pact" (BETA, B92)

Serbian Defense Minister Aleksandar Vulin said during a meeting with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu that Serbia would remain military neutral, B92 reports. According to Minister Vulin, while President Aleksandar Vucic is in charge, Serbia will not join NATO or any other military alliance.

Thanking Russia for celebrating the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Belgrade in Moscow, Vulin noted that “Serbia has never been on the wrong side in history, and many big countries could learn from us,” a statement from Serbian Ministry of Defense said, adding the two officials have met in Beijing at the sidelines of the Shangshan Forum.

Army general Shoigu reiterated the invitation to Vucic and the members of Serbian Armed Forces to take part in the parade in Moscow next year on the 75th anniversary of the victory in WWII.

He congratulated Belgrade on the 75th anniversary of the liberation in World War II, stating that Russia and Serbia had suffered heavy casualties in the fight against fascism and that they value the country not for its size but for its contribution to history. The two ministers also agreed that the army and military-technical cooperation between Serbia and Russia are very productive and would develop further.

See at: https://www.b92.net/eng/news/politics.php?yyyy=2019&mm=10&dd=21&nav_id=107409

Medvedev: Russia supports peaceful Kosovo solution, in line with Resolution 1244 (BETA, N1)

Russia supports Serbia and is ready to provide any assistance in safeguarding its territorial sovereignty and integrity, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said during the visit to Belgrade on October 19, BETA news agency reported.

He noted that his country favors a peaceful solution regarding the issue of Kosovo which is in line with the UN Security Council Resolution 1244. "We want a stable Balkans and cooperation with all countries in the Balkans," Medvedev said in his address to the Serbian Parliament.

He recalled that he was in Serbia ten years ago and that even then relations between Serbia and Russia were at a high level but are also improving further. "We highly appreciate that Serbia did not impose sanctions against Russia, despite great pressure," PM Medvedev underlined.

Medvedev announced that Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic will visit Moscow on October 25th to sign a free trade agreement with the Eurasian Union, which operates on an equal footing and pursues pragmatic interests of its members.

Russian Prime Minister also spoke about the European Union, saying that countries should not be forced to choose between East and West, but should be left to act according to their own interests. He added that Russia is interested in partnership based on mutual respect with the EU as well, Serbian media reported.

Serbia and Japan relations much better, Brnabic thanks Abe for balanced stance on Kosovo (BETA, TV N1)

Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic said in Tokyo on Monday that the relations between Serbia and Japan were “much better than ever before, both economically and politically,” BETA news agency reports

Brnabic pays a three-day visit to Japan and will attend the coronation of the Emperor Naruhito on Tuesday, along with 2,600 guests.

Following the meeting with her Japanese counterpart Shinzō Abe, Brnabic said the economic cooperation included “several most important Japanese investors who are already doing business in Serbia,” as well as “an additional interest” in agriculture and food products.

Brnabic also thanked Abe for, as she said, “a balanced attitude toward Kosovo,” since Tokyo recognized Kosovo, but regarding Pristina’s Interpol and UNESCO membership Japan was “restrained, meaning on our side.”

She also said that Abe praised Serbia’s reforms and that Belgrade was the most significant Japan’s partner in the Western Balkans. Brnabic also said the two countries’ respective ministers were working on the abolishment of the double taxation which would, she added, lead to new investments, BETA news agency reported.  

 Vucic thanked Thabane for support on Kosovo (Tanjug, B92)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic welcomed today the Prime Minister of Lesotho Thomas Thabane, Tanjug news agency reports.

Vucic thanked PM Thabane for the support of his country to the Serbia’s territorial integrity and sovereignty, proven by the decision of Lesotho last year to revoke recognition of Kosovo. Vucic also expressed hope the support would continue in the international organizations.

The Prime Minister Thabane said the support of Lesotho to Serbia is unconditional and based on the respect of the UN.

The two officials also discussed possibilities for cooperation between Serbia and Lesotho, and it was assessed the highest possibilities for that exist in areas of agriculture, mining and tourism, as well as defence and education, Serbian President press service announced.

Court of Appeals confirmed: Milorad Zajic from Klina acquitted of war crimes charges (KoSSev, Kontakt plus radio)

The Court of Appeals in Pristina has confirmed the verdict of the Basic Court in Pec to acquit Milorad Zajic from Klina, due to lack of evidence for committing a criminal act of “war crimes against the civilian population,” Kontakt plus radio reports.

This is the first trial for the war crimes of accused Serbs in Kosovo before the local judiciary, following the closure of EULEX Mission, the radio added.

The Special Prosecution from Pristina accused Zajic of taking part, as a member of the Yugoslav Army, in clashes near the village of Disevic, Klina municipality, where three members of the Murmlaku family were murdered.

He was arrested on March 19, 2018 after going to the police station to report the theft and burglary of his house in Klina town. Zajic spent one year under house arrest, KoSSev portal said.

Less than half of Serbia citizens see EU membership as foreign policy priority (BETA, N1)

According to the latest poll by Bureau for Social Investigations (BIRODI) 45.5 people in Serbia see the European Union membership as the most acceptable foreign policy priority, while 17.6 percent believe the country should join the Euro-Asian Union (EAU), BETA news agency reported on Monday.

The survey, conducted by phone between April 22-25 and May 2-5 on a representative sample of 1,006 people across Serbia, showed that only two percent of the polled supported Serbia's membership to both NATO and the EU.

The EU membership is the most important foreign policy priority among the respondents with secondary school education, while those with the higher educational level think Serbia should stay outside both eastern and western integrations, BIRODI said.

"Results throughout Serbia show that those living in eastern and southern parts support the EU membership the most," BIRODI added. However, these parts of the country, according to the survey, show statistically smaller support for the non-alignment.

Belgrade residents are more in favor of Serbia's non-alignment position but are mostly against county's membership of the EAU.

Among people who support the ruling coalition of the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) and the Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS), 45.1 percent are in favor of the EU, 29 percent for the non-aligned policy and a quarter for joining the EAU.

The opposition Alliance for Serbia (SzS) voters are in favor of the EU membership with 53.5 percent, while 38.6 said would prefer the non-alignment of the country.   

CEC: Still no decision on counting votes from Serbia (TV N1, Kosovo-online)

Kosovo Central Election Commission (CEC) Spokesperson Valmir Elezi told TV N1 the CEC has made no decision yet regarding the envelopes with votes from Serbia.

Earlier Kosovo-online portal reported the CEC announced that envelopes with votes from Serbia will not be counted and the ballots received from Serbia, in total 3,700 envelopes will remain in the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport.

The envelopes with votes from Serbia will remain in the ministry building because of an investigation conducted by the Kosovo police and the prosecutor’s office, the portal said.

Early elections in North Macedonia in April 2020 (BETA, N1)

Zoran Zaev, North Macedonian Prime Minister said on Sunday his county would hold an early vote on April 12 next year, after the European Union failed to set a date for the opening of accession negotiations with Skopje, BETA news agency reports.

The decision was made in a meeting of the leaders of all ruling and opposition parties with the country’s President Stevo Pendarovski. The media also speculated that Zaev would resign, but he said though the EU decision left him with bitterness, he did not have the right to give up and added it was up to the people whether they would give him another term to continue leading the country as he had done so far.

The agreement among the parties and Pendarovski says a technical government will be formed on January 3, when Zaev will officially resign.

“We are united that our goal remains to continue with the Euro-Atlantic integrations, and we don’t accept any alternative. We are staying on the road of democracy and the rule of law,” Zaev said. The first task Skopje is facing is its full membership to NATO expected by December this year.

The leader of the largest opposition party VMRO – DPMNE, Hristijan Mickoski supported the early elections since “Zaev’s government suffered a debacle.” Mickoski and his party strongly opposed the name deal with Greece which opened the door to North Macedonia international integrations after 27 years of the Greek blockade due to the country's old name.

Opinions

What happened sends a message to Serbia and Montenegro - you're not welcome (Jutarnji List)

Like many times before, arrogant Croatian public did not even look back at a recent event that has strongly shaken the "region", Robert Bajrushi wrote for Zageb-based Jutarnji List.

It is a decision of the European Council not to open membership talks with North Macedonia and Albania. The decision, which deeply compromises the EU, as an institution that can be trusted as much as Donald Trump, but also a decision that puts Croatia in a terribly embarrassing position, Bajrushi added.

"Whether we like it or not - Croatia is in the 'region', and the turmoil that may ensue because pseudo-liberal Emmanuel Macron, in order to show that he has an impact in European politics, has failed to keep all the promises the EU has made to Macedonians and Albanians, may not be felt in Denmark and Portugal, but it certainly will here. It is yet to be seen how intense the aftermath of this decision will be", the author states in a text in Jutarnji list.

See at: https://bit.ly/2VXXCfV

France is Undermining Balkan – and EU – Stability (Balkan Insight)

France’s dishonest refusal to state its real policy – that it doesn’t want any EU enlargement – is damaging the EU’s credibility, as well as the democratic prospects of the Balkans, Jasmin Mujnovic, political scientist writes.

We have been here before. In June 2018, when North Macedonia’s reformist government had already made major strides towards turning the country back on to a genuine Euro-Atlantic path – not least by initialling of the landmark Prespa Agreement with Greece – France, the Netherlands, and Denmark said: “No, Skopje has not done enough to warrant opening EU membership negotiations, and nor has Albania.”

See at: https://bit.ly/35TtNlh

Why was a Nobel Prize awarded to a man who celebrated a war criminal? (WAPO)

Mehmet Kraja, president of the Kosovo Academy of Arts and Sciences, wrote in an op-ed for Washington Post that the Nobel Committee's decision to award the literature prize to Austrian writer Peter Handke, who has denied documented war crimes in the Balkans and publicly supported former Serbian leader Slobodan Milosevic, was "dumbfounding".

"The implications of this decision bode ill for all humanity, for they embolden other leaders and writers with such gruesome motivations and tendencies. Handke was not on the right side of history in Kosovo or the Balkans; he was not on the side of noble ideals; instead, he found shelter on the dark side of the tragic events in the Balkans," Kraja writes. 

Kraja recalls that the will of Alfred Nobel specified that the prize should go to authors who produce "the most outstanding work in an ideal direction.” 

"It is hard to see how the Nobel Committee’s decision to give the award to Handke conforms in any way to this standard.”

https://wapo.st/2MXL9or

International

'The EU is running scared from fascism' – Kosovo's likely new PM (The Guardian)

In exclusive interview, leftwinger Albin Kurti condemns the bloc’s decision to halt Balkan enlargement talks. The leftwinger set to become Kosovo’s surprise new prime minister has condemned the EU’s decision to halt further Balkans enlargement, saying it showed western leaders had forgotten the lessons of two world wars and instead were in retreat in the face of fascism and populism. Albin Kurti said the stance could damage the chances of Kovoso reaching a deal with Serbia, which has refused to recognise it as independent since the end of the 1998-99 war, as Belgrade has less incentive to act without the prospect of EU membership. France caused dismay in the region at an EU summit last week by blocking Northern Macedonia and Albania from starting accession talks, so destroying Serbia’s chances of reaching the EU in the foreseeable future. French president Emmanuel Macron insisted that Europe needed to focus on its internal reforms. “The EU was formed as a response to fascism, but is now running scared in the face of populists and fascism,” Kurti told the Guardian. Criticising Macron, he said: “You cannot say first we need internal reform in the EU and then external enlargement – they go hand in hand. Europe is such an important historical project that no one man can be its author, directing or leading it. We have always seen that when [the outgoing EU Commission president] Jean-Claude Juncker said there would be no further expansion in the next five years, the situation in the Balkans got much worse. 

https://bit.ly/2P2fCEp

Russia, Serbia vow to boost ties despite Belgrade’s EU bid (Washington Post)

BELGRADE, Serbia — Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev on Saturday vowed to further strengthen ties with Balkan ally Serbia, whose president described relations with Moscow as the best in decades despite the country’s efforts to join the European Union.

Serbia remains Russia’s key ally in Europe. Belgrade has refused to join Western sanctions against Russia over Ukraine and plans to sign a free trade agreement with a Russia-led economic bloc next week.

During his visit, Medvedev attended a military show marking the 75th anniversary of the liberation of the Serbian capital from Nazi occupation by Soviet and Yugoslav communist-led troops. He addressed Serbian lawmakers and oversaw the signing of several agreements boosting economic and other ties.

See at: https://wapo.st/2MUVYrc

Macron’s veto undermines Balkan stability, Greek MEP says (EURAKTIV)

French President Emmanuel Macron’s veto against the accession of North Macedonia to the EU will open the door to external influence in the Western Balkans region, according to Syriza’s MEP Stelios Kouloglou.

“When Macron decided to exercise his veto, he took into consideration neither the political stability of the Western Balkans, the importance of external influence, nor the people of North Macedonia. He just played his game with Germany,” Kouloglou said, speaking to North Macedonian television over the weekend.

“I understand the frustration, but you have to wait, because I believe that the EU’s position will change,” he added. “At the very least, we can achieve the decoupling of the candidacies of North Macedonia and Albania.” Kouloglou’s  leftist Syriza party signed a name change agreement with North Macedonia’s Prime Minister Zoran Zaev earlier this year.

See at: https://bit.ly/2P3vE0D

Unsafe Haven: Balkans Sees Rise in Turkish Asylum Requests (Balkan Insight)

Hundreds of Turkish citizens have applied for asylum in the countries of the Balkans since a failed 2016 coup, seeking protection from a crackdown being waged well beyond the borders of Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s Turkey, BIRN has discovered.

If it was once rare for Turks to seek asylum in the countries of the Balkans, since mid-2016 it has become a regular occurrence, according to an investigation by the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network.

See at: https://bit.ly/2qrWvcw

Russia & Kosovo will not meet because of 'security risks' - Uefa (BBC)

Uefa will not allow Russia and Kosovo to meet in European competitions because of "security risks".

Russia has not recognised Kosovo as an independent country since it declared independence from Serbia in 2008.

https://bbc.in/35WwXor

 Humanitarian and Development

10th anniversary of Crime Victims' Rights Week marked in Kosovo (Telegrafi/Klan)

Activities to mark the tenth anniversary of the Crime Victims' Rights Week are this year organised under the auspices of the Kosovo chief prosecutor, Aleksander Lumezi, and supported by the U.S. Embassy and UN Women.

Speaking at an international conference "Justice restores victims' dignity", Lumezi said rights of victims of crime are guaranteed by the Constitution of Kosovo and applicable legislation. 

"I want to assure citizens today that we will undertake all necessary actions to treat victims of crime. I expect all the prosecutors and victims' protectors to support the victims anytime they knock on your door. Justice requires professionalism, but its provision depends on the moral integrity of prosecutors and judges," Lumezi said. 

The long road to becoming captain (Prishtina Insight)

Edona Kryeziu joined her first football club at the age of 12, travelling for four hours between a village in Kamenica and Prishtina for training sessions and matches. More than a decade on, she is at the top of the women’s game in Kosovo.

On the football field Edona Kryeziu has always competed fiercely with her rivals, but outside of the white lines of the pitch she has also had battles to overcome.

See at: https://bit.ly/35NUlEh