Albanian Language Media:

• LDK presidency to meet on Monday, not today (Telegrafi)
• Historians write to Konjufca: Declare null and void laws from 1989-1999 (media)
• Court acquits from charges all defendants in “Pronto” affair case (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Dacic: We are for continuation of dialogue, we do not accept unilateral acts (Kosovo-online, RTS)
• Vucic: Serbia will cooperate with EU as well as with Russia and China (N1, Happy TV)
• Albania takes over OSCE Presidency (FoNet, N1)
• Two Serb houses burned down in Orahovac, residents feeling distressed (Radio KIM, KoSSev)
• Together in 2020 – The Year of Challenges (KoSSev)

International:

• The Irish Times view on Croatia’s EU presidency: A chance for growth (The Irish Times)

Humanitarian/Development:

• Balkan Cities Rock into 2020 (Balkan Insight)

   

 Albanian Language Media

  LDK presidency to meet on Monday, not today (Telegrafi)

The Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) presidency will not meet today but on Monday, the news website reports. LDK spokesman Besian Mustafa told the news website that the meeting will be held on Monday at 09:00. Several media had reported on Thursday evening that the LDK presidency would meet today to discuss further steps in terms of negotiations with the Vetevendosje Movement for forming a new government.

Historians write to Konjufca: Declare null and void laws from 1989-1999 (media)

Several news outlets report that the League of Kosovo Historians, the branch in Decan, sent a letter to new Kosovo Assembly President, Glauk Konjufca, asking him to promulgate a special law that would declare null and void all decisions, laws and other legal provisions that Serbian authorities made on Kosovo during the period March 1998 – June 1999.

Court acquits from charges all defendants in “Pronto” affair case (media)

All news outlets report that the Basic Court in Pristina today has acquitted from charges all defendants in the “Pronto” affair case. Several former Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) officials and other individuals were tried in the case for alleged unlawful appointment of party members to state agencies and institutions. Shasivar Hoti, a judge overseeing the case, said today that there was insufficient evidence to prove that the defendants were guilty of the charges. 

   

Serbian Language Media

  Dacic: We are for continuation of dialogue, we do not accept unilateral acts (Kosovo-online, RTS)

Serbian First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Ivica Dacic told Kosovo-online portal that today 93 states recognize Kosovo while five years ago that number was 113, adding 95 states do not recognize Kosovo which tells Kosovo no longer has majority support in the UN General Assembly.

“What I say is documented not only by official notes but also with the statements of the highest state officials of these countries. So, there is no room there even for the slightest doubts, speculations or claims of Kosovo officials that (de-recognitions) were a lie,” Dacic said.

Dacic termed as “cynical” requests of western states and Quint that Serbia should cease its de-recognition of Kosovo campaign.

“Since the Brussels dialogue has started, and I was involved in it since October 2012, 23 countries recognized Kosovo. How come it did not bother Serbia then, or why they haven’t said let’s stop the process of recognizing Kosovo. Also, all these countries Great Britain, USA urge other countries to recognise Kosovo at every UN Security Council session. Vlora Qitaku at every session urges states to recognize Kosovo as well. Organization of Islamic States does the same. So, they should keep working on that, and we should stop? Then they would revoke the tariffs, and we should end with retraction of recognitions,” Dacic said, adding that President Vucic made the most correct proposal, which was – if you want a moratorium, the same should apply to the campaign to recognize Kosovo and campaign to revoke recognitions.  

Dacic further said Serbia is ready to continue the dialogue and compromise, but the process has not ended. He underlined the decision must be made at UN SC.

“Whoever wishes the dialogue and agreement – this agreement must be reached with Serbia. We are ready for it, but we can’t accept unilateral acts,” Dacic noted.  

Vucic: Serbia will cooperate with EU as well as with Russia and China (N1, Happy TV)

President Aleksandar Vucic told Happy TV that Serbia would not stop cooperating with the European Union with which it had 67 percent of total trade, but that Belgrade also would not cut its ties with Moscow and Beijing, BETA news agency reports.

In an interview aired on Thursday, Vucic recalled that only German companies employed 62,000 people in Serbia. On the other hand, he said, Serbia exported a good part of its agricultural products to Russia, while China invested in Serbia. "You say we don't need the EU. I cannot say that. We need both Russia and the EU and everyone else. It's tremendously difficult because neither side will ever be satisfied, but we want to be ourselves, nothing more," Vucic noted. 

He added the Western countries criticize Serbia's openness to Chinese investments but says that won't change.

"They ask me why we let Chinese (into the country)? Well, because you would let them (into your country) if everything can remain in Washington. The whole Volkswagen factory is based on parts made in China. I want the money to stay in Serbia," Vucic said.

He added that "you, who send 500 delegations annually (to China) won't decide on my behalf. Only them (the West) should benefit while we should decay slowly but surely. Well, you won't watch that film. 

Speaking about comments on Serbia's purchase of Russian weapons and military equipment in 2019, Vucic said that everyone would be critical about "whether you buy a single rifle, one bullet or planes on either side. However, the main issue is whether Serbia is now more powerful or not." 

See at: https://bit.ly/2rPl3gG Albania takes over OSCE Presidency (FoNet, N1)

Albania and its Prime Minister Edi Rama will preside over the OSCE for a year, FoNet news agency reported, adding Tirana said one of its main priorities will be efforts to solve the conflicts.

Rama said that the presidency "is a historic moment for Albania, which, after being under cruel Communist regime, is honored to have that role," TV N1 reports.

"The presidency over the OSCE is the peak of our significant transformation," he added. The Albanian Presidency will cover three dimensions for the OSCE concept, Rama noted.

"The efforts in solving conflicts will top our priorities since it's unacceptable that long-lasting clashes in the region covered by the OSCE still claim lives," he added. He further elaborated one of the priorities would be the fight against corruption which, as he put it, undermined democracy and negatively influenced the prosperity and safety in the region and worldwide.

He stressed the OSCE would continue fighting against human trafficking and hate speech across Europe.

Tirana will formally take over the OSCE Presidency on January 9, in Vienna, when Rama would present priorities for 2020.  

Two Serb houses burned down in Orahovac, residents feeling distressed (Radio KIM, KoSSev)

A house of deceased Sretana Baljosevic in Orahovac town caught on fire on the first day of the new year, Radio KIM reports. The fire also spread to the next house owned by Toma Baljosevic, Jedinstvo weekly newspaper Oliver Radic said. Police are investigating the cause of the fire.

There was no electricity in the Serb-populated part of Orahovac town on the first day of the new year either. Radio KIM recalled there are around 300 Serbs remaining to live in Orahovac after the 1999 conflict.

Meanwhile, KoSSev portal reports that Serb residents of Orahovac town spent the New Year’s morning in fear that the fire which caught the house of Sretana Baljosevic would spread to their households, given that houses in this area lean against each other. The fire, according to the residents, spread to the house of Misa Baljosevic due to “belated reaction of firefighters” causing grave material damages.

“We got out at around 3 a.m. and I saw a huge blaze, we did not know what it was about. We came here, called firefighters, they were late, we do not know what happened, whether someone set the house on fire intentionally or not, they told us it was due to fireworks. People feel distressed, something like this did not happen for the last couple of years. Thanks God, there was no strong wind, if there would be one the fire would catch the house next to it, which is inhabited,” Slavisa Grkovic said.

“The police came, firefighters, the houses were still burning. I was outside until 7 o’clock, in front of my gate while firefighters were extinguishing the fire. They did not it extinguish it completely, it was still burning, also during the night and the day after. They are simply not interested in it, one of the firefighters said the beams are large, that fire is difficult to extinguish. We were afraid, we did not know what to do,” Vesna Baljosevic said.

Djakovica regional police directorate said the cause of fire is unknown, while more information would be available after the investigation is completed. It was said that the police station in Orahovac investigates this case.

Together in 2020 – The Year of Challenges (KoSSev)

We welcome 2020 in a similar way we did the previous year – Pristina’s taxes on imports of goods from Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina are still in force and the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue does not seem likely to continue any time soon, KoSSev portal reports.

Serbian-Montenegrin relations are also increasingly worsening due to the adoption of the Religious Freedom Act – which the Serb people in Montenegro, led by the Montenegrin Metropolitan, assess as discriminatory and as an attack on religious heritage and identity.

In a local context, the possibility of the Self-Determination party forming a government in Pristina places the future of the Kosovo Serb community in an uncertain position as they fear further administrative favoring of ethnic majorities.

See at: https://bit.ly/2QKoE82    

International

  The Irish Times view on Croatia’s EU presidency: A chance for growth (The Irish Times)

While Croatia is at the helm, the EU should peer through the fog of Brexit and set a bold course for future growth rather than drifting aimlessly towards decline.

Croatia, the newest member of the European Union, took over its presidency on January 1st, at a time when the bloc’s approach and commitment to the Balkans are once again in question. Ten countries joined the EU in 2004 and two more followed three years later, but by the time Croatia was admitted in 2013 the “big bang” of enlargement had become a whimper, and now further expansion is effectively on hold.

See at: https://bit.ly/2ZMdYKk    

Humanitarian/Development

  Balkan Cities Rock into 2020 (Balkan Insight)

New Year’s Eve was celebrated in true Balkan style across the region, with cities from Zagreb to Istanbul putting on extravagant firework displays and open-air events, which saw regional and international stars come out to perform.

See at: https://bit.ly/39ufDsB