UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, November 4, 2022

Albanian Language Media:

Kurti: I’ve asked Borrell to condemn burning of vehicles in north (Klan)
Kurti about the drones: I cannot comment on what happens in Serbia’s territory (Klan)
Borell: Let's avoid Russia's intervention in the affairs of the Western Balkans (media)
Government statement on travelling without visas between Kosovo and Bosnia (Zeri)
Weber about French-German plan: You can't get anywhere without recognition (Koha)
MEP: Dialogue is between Kosovo and Serbia and not Pristina and Belgrade (Paparaci)
Abazi: Serbian List and structures created by Belgrade, political and blackmailing instruments against the stability and security of Kosovo (Indeksonline)
Abazi: Government should be more flexible on the licence plate issue (Albanian Post)
Head of IMF mission for Kosovo: 2 to 3 percent economic growth this year (Nacionale)
Protest in Gjakova, support for woman who was mistreated in nursing home (media)

Serbian Language Media:

Vucic talked with Serbs from Kosovo all night, government meeting tomorrow, Vucic to meet the Synod of the SOC; Petkovic to address media today (media)
Petkovic: Suspension of Djuric beginning of an end to Brussels agreement (Kosovo Online)
Vucic to meet Lajcak in Belgrade today (Tanjug)
Dacic: We must continue de-recognition campaign, no solution for Kosovo without verification in UN (KoSSev)
Brnabic: We will respond to French-German plan with non-paper (Tanjug)
Covic: German-French proposal has nothing that Serbia could accept (Kosovo Online)
How serious are the warnings of the Serbian List that they will leave Kosovo's institutions (Danas)
Rosic, Spasojevic, Basara no longer under house arrest (KoSSev)
Former KFOR commander Kajari: I tried to convince Pristina not to send special police to the north (balkansec.net, media)
Kosovo police issued arrest warrants for six Serbs over alleged war crimes (RTS)
NUNS: Serbian List to stop discriminating against independent media (Radio KIM)
Giaufret: EU demonstrating it wants to stand by Serbia in good and bad times (RTS, N1)

International:

Police Chief In Northern Kosovo Suspended Over Alleged Refusal To Implement License Plate Conversion Rule (RFE)
Serbia agrees 2.45 bln euro standby deal with IMF (seenews.com)

Humanitarian/Development:

CEFTA at the Western Balkans Summit: Four agreements await adoption (RTS)
Europe could be hit by similar protests against lithium as Serbia (balkangreenenergynews.com)

Albanian Language Media

Kurti: I’ve asked Borrell to condemn burning of vehicles in north (media)

Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, said today that he asked EU High Representative Josep Borrell to condemn the burning of vehicles of Serbs in the north that converted their licence plates to Kosovo plates.

“I have asked Borrell to condemn the burning of vehicles in the north of Kosovo. This is being done by criminals who are organised in different structures, and what these structures have in common is that they are directed and funded by Belgrade,” Kurti told Serbian media in Berlin.

“We want peace and security for all citizens and the state of the Republic of Kosovo is an independent state, there is rule of law. But we know that Serbia is present in the north of our country and there is no democracy or pro-European values in Serbia because Belgrade has taken the side of the Kremlin and President Putin.”

Kurti about the drones: I cannot comment on what happens in Serbia’s territory (Klan)

Asked to comment on reports that a drone was downed by Serbian forces, Kurti said today in Berlin that it is an issue that Belgrade should comment on. Asked whose were the drones in the border with Serbia, Kurti said: “you should ask them in Serbia, I don’t know. I don’t know whose drones enter Serbia”.

“This happened in the territory of Serbia so you should ask them. I don’t suppose you want me to comment on what happens in the territory of Serbia … Do you think that in a country where the regime is not democratic, everything is rational? There are a lot of irrational actions there”.

Borell: Let's avoid Russia's intervention in the affairs of the Western Balkans (media)

The High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borell during his address at the meeting with the foreign ministers of the G7 member states in Munster, Germany, has asked to avoid Russia's interference in the affairs of the Balkans Western.

"I come from Berlin and there we discussed the situation in the Western Balkans. I think there are two words that sum up what has happened in the Western Balkans: one is resilience and the other is reconciliation. We must avoid Russia's interference in the affairs of the Western Balkans. We should not give any excuse to Russia to interfere in the political and economic life of the Western Balkans, because its future is anchored in the European Union," Borell emphasised.

He has asked to increase the sustainability of the Western Balkans both from an economic point of view, as well as from a political stability and resilience against disinformation, cyber-attacks and hybrid threats. Borell also said that it is necessary to work with the states of the Western Balkans to overcome the legacy of the past and to build reconciliation between them.

Borell also said “we have been working a lot on that with my Special Representative [for the Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue], Miroslav Lajčák. Before the summer, we presented the plan to both parties – to Serbia and Kosovo – in order to overcome the permanent crisis mood in which we have been working and look for a comprehensive normalisation of their relation. And I am very grateful for the support from Germany and France to this proposal. We got answers from both parties. We are studying them. And I think this is a good occasion that has to be used in order to make the relationship between Pristina and Belgrade more – let’s say – normal, because, in order for both of them to advance in their European path, this normalisation of relations is very important. In the coming days, we will see which is their answer to this proposal, and I hope it will represent a breakthrough and a leap forward in this process.”

https://bit.ly/3Uuj49r

Government statement on travelling without visas between Kosovo and Bosnia (Zeri)

Kosovo has signed three agreements within the Berlin Process, in order to implement the common regional market.

Among the signed agreements is the one with Bosnia and Herzegovina, which enables citizens of both countries to move without visas and only with ID.

The government announced that this agreement entered into force after ratification.

"After the ratification of this agreement in both countries, our citizens will be able to travel to Bosnia and Herzegovina without visas," says a video published by the government of Kosovo regarding the agreements signed in Berlin.

Weber about French-German plan: You can't get anywhere without recognition (Koha)

Bodo Weber, from the Council for Democratisation Policy in Berlin, expressed his scepticism that the French-German plan would be the right solution for the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue.

In an interview on KTV's Interaktiv on Thursday, Weber said that there can be no lasting peace since no agreement can be reached without mutual recognition.

"...the launch of the plan leaving aside the issue of recognizing Kosovo, I highly doubt that it will be something that can be acceptable especially for Pristina and that this will pave the way for the discussion of some issues that we know about that your prime minister and president have a rejecting position, such as the issue of the Association of Serb-majority Municipalities...", he said.

Weber has stated that he does not believe that a plan that does not include recognition "cannot save anyone".

He assessed the agreements signed on Thursday within the Berlin Process as important progress. Weber also said that Russia always poses a risk of instigating a new war front in the Balkans.

MEP: Dialogue is between Kosovo and Serbia and not Pristina and Belgrade (Paparaci)

Austrian member of the European Parliament Lukas Mandl has criticised the agenda which mentions Pristina and Belgrade dialogue. According to him, this dialogue is not between two cities and the European Union should make this clear.

"It is an honour and a pleasure to speak in the heart of the democracy of the youngest state in Europe and clearly the strongest democracy in the Western Balkans, in the Parliament of the Republic of Kosovo. This is not a dialogue between two cities, the mayor of Belgrade is not talking to the mayor of Pristina, but it is a dialogue between two states. This should be made clear. The EU has every reason to emphasise that this is a dialogue between two states. It is important that the EU mediates the dialogue and we will be constructive but critical of how this dialogue flows. We do not underestimate the support of the USA for the dialogue".

Abazi: Serbian List and structures created by Belgrade, political and blackmailing instruments against the stability and security of Kosovo (Indeksonline)

MP from the Vetevendosje Movement, Haki Abazi, told reporters today that internal challenges especially in the north of Kosovo are the last attempts to prevent the European Agenda from becoming a reality.

Abazi argued that it is being confirmed again that the Serbian List and artificial structures created by Belgrade do not strive to represent the interests of Serb citizens but are rather political and blackmailing instruments against the stability and security of Kosovo.

“Therefore, we need a careful and very wise position in order not to allow these structures to find excuses for taking hostage the citizens of the north of Kosovo and to create circumstances that will shift the attention away from the implementation of the European Agenda and the Berlin Process,” he said.

Abazi: Government should be more flexible on the licence plate issue (Albanian Post)

Vetevendosje Movement MP Haki Abazi who is also chairman of the Committee for Foreign Affairs in the Assembly of Kosovo, considers that the French-German proposal should be taken seriously by the government of Kosovo.

Abazi said that he has seen parts of the proposal and advised that the government should constructively examine and discuss it ‘and why not, at a certain moment also throw it out to the public for discussion.’

"The public must see this proposal, if it is not accepted by the citizens of Kosovo, it is difficult to implement," Abazi said in a media conference.

He also spoke about the decision on licence plates, saying that making the issue so problematic is directly related to the tactical manoeuvring of the special envoy of the European Union for the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue Miroslav Lajcak.

"Lajçak with the licence plates is trying to delay the process of normalising relations with recognition in the centre, I don't know for what interest he has done this," he said.

He said that the government of Kosovo should be more flexible in the issue of licence plates based on the U.S. proposal and postpone the decision on licence plates for at least 10 months.

"The licence plate issue is not important, it is an important issue in the implementation of the law, but for 20 years this implementation of the law has often become part of the negotiations, trying to maintain stability in the Balkans," he said.

Abazi also requested from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to open the Embassy of Kosovo in Pakistan.

"The reason for our representation there is that the Islamic countries that have not recognized Kosovo have strong representation in this country and the possibility of pushing the recognition agenda becomes real if we have representation in Islamabad," he emphasised.

Head of IMF mission for Kosovo: 2 to 3 percent economic growth 2 this year (Nacionale)

Head of the IMF mission for Kosovo, Gabriel Di Bella, said today that economic growth in Kosovo for this year could vary from two to three percent. In a joint press conference with Kosovo’s Minister of Finance Hekuran Murati, Di Bella said that next year the economic growth could go up to four percent. “There is data, they are preliminary, and they are being reviewed. For the first quarter the data show a 3.4 percent growth and for the second quarter 2.3 percent. To be realistic, we are forecasting a 2-3 percent growth by the end of the year,” he said.

“There can be an increase in the implementation of investments that can increase this percentage, but we have to wait and see until the end of the year. For this year it is 2-3 percent and for next year 3-4 percent.”

Protest in Gjakova, support for woman who was mistreated in nursing home (media)

Another protest was held today in downtown Gjakova in support of the elderly woman who was mistreated by nurses in a nursing home in Peja. Protesters called for a merited punishment for the nurses, who have been placed in detention, and also said that the nursing home should be closed.

Serbian Language Media

Vucic talked with Serbs from Kosovo all night, government meeting tomorrow, Vucic to meet the Synod of the SOC; Petkovic to address media today (media)

Daily Blic portal reported this morning that Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic had talks with Kosovo Serbs last night, and that one of the conclusions after the meeting was that ''the next 72 hours will be the most difficult in the last 10 years when it comes to Kosovo'', wrote Blic about its findings.

- Live and by phone, the conversations lasted until 5:30 this morning. Serbs are outraged. The final straw was the dismissal of the regional director of North Mitrovica, Nenad Djuric, for which Albin Kurti has no authority. He cannot be dismissed - said a Blic source familiar with the details of the conversation.

According to the Blic interlocutor, Kurti said yesterday that he was not interested in the Community of Serbian Municipalities.

- The Serbs want to abandon all institutions, because they do not have anything else to do - said Blic's interlocutor.

According to Blic information, a meeting of the Government of Serbia will be scheduled for Saturday, which will be attended by the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic. He will inform the members of the Government about the situation in Kosovo.

Serbs from Kosovo will also have a series of meetings, and on Saturday a large gathering is expected in Kosovska Mitrovica where they will reveal their plan to the people.

- This will be the most difficult 72 hours in the last 10 years, and in the next few days many things will become clearer - concluded interlocutor of Blic.

Daily Vecernje Novosti reported this morning that after a government session tomorrow at 10 a.m., Vucic will submit a report to the ministers on talks with representatives of Serbs from Kosovo, who announced their withdrawal from all Pristina institutions, ''outraged by Albin Kurti's latest move''.

The daily reports that Vucic will meet the ambassador of the People's Republic of China, Chen Bo, at 11 a.m., and then at 11.30 the diplomatic representative of the Russian Federation in Belgrade, Alexander Bochan Kharchenko.

Vecernje Novosti wrote that ''the president will inform the ministers about the developments in Kosovo, after the decision of Kurti, and the EU top to practically throw the Brussels agreement under the carpet, and an attempt to push for the Scholz and Macron plan through the back door into the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, which foresees that Serbia is not opposed to membership of fake state of Kosovo in the United Nations''.

Vucic with the Synod of the Serbian Orthodox Church tomorrow

The President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, will meet with the Synod of the Serbian Orthodox Church tomorrow in the Patriarchate, it was confirmed to Tanjug in the Patriarchate.

Vucic will inform the Patriarch and the Synod about the latest situation in Kosovo, reported Serbian media.

Petkovic to address media at 3pm today

Serbian media announced during the day that the Director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija, Petar Petkovic, will hold an extraordinary media conference at 3 p.m. He will address the media in the Press Room of the Government of the Republic of Serbia, announced the Office.

Petkovic: Suspension of Djuric beginning of an end to Brussels agreement (Kosovo Online)

Office for Kosovo and Metohija Director Petar Petkovic said last night that Kosovo Police Inspectorate made a recommendation to suspend the director of the Region North Directorate Nenad Djuric, Kosovo Online portal reports. Kosovo police acting director general accepted the recommendation and suspended Djuric from his duty yesterday afternoon.

Petkovic added (PM) Albin Kurti made the decision to depose Djuric from duty only because he stood in defence of the Serbian people in northern Kosovo.

“The reason why they replaced Djuric was that he stood yesterday in defence and protection of his Serb colleagues and commanders who made a decision with northern mayors and Serbian List not to issue reprimands to the drivers of vehicles with KM licence plates. There is nothing more natural than that decision of Djuric because what he said at the press conference was a real truth and by doing so he wanted to preserve authorities of his regional directorate but also to preserve the order of the Brussels agreement, in particular part reffering to the police. In addition to that they accuse Djuric of a criminal offence of sabotage”, Petkovic said. He asked what was wrong there, adding that not a single Serb police officer wishes to take part in violent acts of Albin Kurti.

“Kurti’s idea was to trample over everything we agreed in Brussels with this decision. We told this to Miroslav Lajcak. I told him we are at beginning of decomposition of the Brussels agreement. This what Kurti did represent trampling over everything agreed in Brussels. Kurti has no right to replace the director (of the police) because he is chosen by Serbian people in Kosovo and Metohija, he is proposed by four mayors from northern Kosovo and Metohija”, Petkovic told a press conference.

He added that Belgrade is in contact with Serbian people in northern Kosovo and the Serbian List. “Of course with cold minds in the upcoming hours and days we will consult, but also make decisions in the interests of Serbian people. It is unacceptable when Pristina is guilty of something that Brussels says – both sides were responsible. Kurti is directly responsible in this case”, he said.

Vucic to meet Lajcak in Belgrade today (Tanjug)

Serbian Government will hold a session tomorrow, at which President Aleksandar Vucic will submit report on his talks with Serb representatives in Kosovo and Metohija, who have announced withdrawal from all Pristina institutions because of latest decisions of Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti, Tanjug news agency said it was confirmed to it.

Meanwhile, Vucic will also meet this evening with EU Special Envoy for Belgrade-Pristina dialogue Miroslav Lajcak. The meeting will take place at 18.30, Vucic’s press office confirmed.

Tanjug also said Vucic cancelled all his visits abroad due to the situation in Kosovo and Metohija.

Dacic: We must continue de-recognition campaign, no solution for Kosovo without verification in UN (KoSSev)

First Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister Ivica Dacic told broadcast Interview on Insajder TV he was absolutely certain Serbia will not lose its visa liberalisation for the travels to EU because it didn’t align its visa regime with the third countries with that of the EU, and whose citizens travel to the EU via Serbia, KoSSev portal reports.

He noted a lack of principled approach on this issue saying that most migrants going from Serbia further to the EU did not come to Serbia by planes but rather from other EU member states, such as Bulgaria and Greece.

Recently the EU criticised Serbia over its visa regime with third countries such as Tunisia, Burundi, Cuba and India.

“We have abolished the visa-free regime for Tunisia, but this was the agreement from 1965. Burundi – also, but they revoked recognition of Kosovo, and perhaps this is not important to some, but to me it was when I signed it. Then, Cuba, should we reintroduce visas just because two or three thousands Cubans from the Western Balkans go to the EU. I have not heard anyone (from the EU) mentioning Turkey. Why has no one mentioned Turkey? Most migrants come from that state and no one is mentioning it”, Dacic said.

Possible membership of Pristina in Council of Europe reason for other separatist regions to attempt the same

Asked to comment on Pristina's bid to join the Council of Europe, Dacic said Ireland told him they will not launch the issue of membership during their presidency, but it does not mean that some other country will not do so.

“There are two disputable issues here. It is true Kosovo has a majority for membership to the Council of Europe, however it will be for the first time that someone is admitted without consensus. This is the reason for some other, different separatist regions, that have not verified their status in the UN, such as Kosovo, to do the same. That would be an invitation to all separatists in Europe to attempt something similar”, he warned.

He also said there are still no state instructions available on how Serbia will act if Kosovo becomes a member of the Council of Europe.

Talking about Pristina’s decision on licence plates he said it is a continuation of unilateral acts of Pristina. “It is very important that Serbia avoids being a factor that can be accused of lack of constructiveness or to be a disruptive factor. At this moment it is obvious there is a rhetoric about Pristina by some Western countries that is unusually sharp”, he said.

Asked what Serbia could do for Serbs in Kosovo in this situation, he responded that Serbia has no intention to use Serbs there as a weapon in political struggle.

“It is in our interest that the situation on the ground remains calm. It is in our interest not to have any disruption of normal life and that is why we are against those unilateral acts coming from Pristina”, he added.

National Security Council accepted Vucic’s conclusion on French-German proposal – it was unacceptable at very starting point

Talking about German-French proposal Dacic said President Aleksandar Vucic proposed conclusion at the National Security Council which was accepted and it was – that this proposal at its starting point was almost unacceptable for Serbia, that Serbia was not given a chance to negotiate about it because basis of the proposal say that Kosovo is independent.

Asked if Serbia will continue the de-recognition campaign, Dacic recalled that the Washington agreement from 2020 included a moratorium for such activities, however Pristina violated the Washington Agreement by its application to join the Council of Europe.

“It means we will deal with that in the upcoming period. Out of 193 UN members Pristina can count on 83 votes. We must continue the de-recognition campaign. Will that solve the Kosovo issue – certainly it won’t - because there is no solution for Kosovo until that solution is not reached at political level by the most important countries in the world and verified in the UN”, he said.

Brnabic: We will respond to French-German plan with non-paper (Tanjug)

Serbian PM Ana Brnabic told reporters on Thursday she had had no communication with Pristina PM Albin Kurti at the Berlin Process summit and that she had not discussed a French-German proposal for Kosovo and Metohija with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and EU special envoy Miroslav Lajcak, but that Serbia would respond to it with a non-paper, Tanjug news agency reports.

Asked to comment on reports by Pristina media that Kurti would speak with Scholz about the proposal, and if she had discussed it with Scholz, as well as whether she had had any communication with Kurti at the summit, Brnabic said that “there was no communication with Kurti. I discussed many things with Scholz, but not the proposal. I think he did not want to deal with the proposal at that level today. But we will definitely finalise our response and present a non-paper. I briefly spoke with Lajcak, and I have nothing to say about that, it (the proposal) was not a topic, except that (it was said) a solution needs to be found and that a solution would be good for stability in the region to keep the Ukraine crisis, the war and instability from spilling over into the Balkans", Brnabic said.

"I made a concrete proposal - (I said:) implement the first agreement on normalisation and everything will be much clearer and much better, and then we can move on", she noted.

She said she had also spoken with UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly on the sidelines of the summit.

Recapping her meetings with Scholz and Lajcak, Brnabic said she had discussed vehicle re-registration in Kosovo and Metohija, the fact Serbs in Kosovo-Metohija had been denied the fundamental rights - including the right to vote - and the way this was treated in a European Commission progress report.

Covic: German-French proposal has nothing that Serbia could accept (Kosovo Online)

Former Serbian deputy prime minister and head of former Coordination Center for Kosovo and Metohija, Nebojsa Covic said that according to what has been known there is not a single element in German-French proposal that Serbia could even partially accept as it directly endangers UN SC Resolution 1244 and Constitution of Serbia, RTS reports.

“To me this is an indecent offer, the pressure continues. They play with some timeframe that is unrealistic, deadlines are egocentric, they mention 24 February 2023”, Covic said, noting that for the last 20 years nothing has been resolved in this regard.

He added they also mention some a legally-binding document, as if all agreements reached so far were not legally binding, and yet none of them has been fully implemented until now.

“Agreements are signed not to implement them but rather to buy some time”, he said, adding the time has come to end with pressure.

Commenting on the messages from Brussels about the situation in Kosovo he said he is slightly concerned with the statements of European officials, but also that they often ‘play with the words’.

“They constantly play with the words. First was recognition and it is now accepting reality. Obviously they do not give up on the concept that Kosovo is independent'', Covic said.

He also opined it is not true that they can’t restrain (PM) Albin Kurti. “It is not true they can’t restrain Kurti, let them only cancel the funds by which they finance that occupied part of our state”, Covic noted.

How serious are the warnings of the Serbian List that they will leave Kosovo's institutions (Danas)

Daily Danas interlocutors say that it will be really hard to believe that the Serbian List's announcements about leaving ‘’the so-called Kosovo institutions will come true’’. They explain that this political organisation has announced twenty times in two years that it will leave the government of Albin Kurti, but so far this has turned out to be just an empty threat.

"Such promises are an indication that the government in Belgrade is not serious about the unilateral provocations coming from Pristina and that it does not have a strategic plan to protect the interests of the state and the security of the Serbian people in Kosovo and Metohija," believes Nikola Dragicevic, deputy of the Serbian party Zavetnici.

"From the very beginning, we are against the whole project of the Brussels negotiations, the result of which is the participation of the Serbian List in the so-called Kosovo authorities. The consequences of such a policy are catastrophic and devastating", believes Dragicevic, and his party colleague and MP Dragan Nikolic adds that the SL should have left Kosovo's institutions a long time ago, because there is not a single rational reason for them to be a decorum in a government that works directly against all interests of the Serbian people, the agreements reached and signed.

Nikolic hopes that this is not another act of the Serbian list, but that it is a responsible and serious decision by serious people who represent ''the vital interests of the suffering Serbian people in Kosovo and Metohija''.

Milica Andric Rakic from the New Social Initiative believes, however, that this time it is not completely an empty threat and that it may happen that SL really leaves Kosovo's institutions.

"The Serbian List left space until Saturday in order for the international institutions to influence the Kosovo government to change the decisions, including those on the suspension of police officers," notes Andric Rakic, recalling that the president of the Serbian List, Goran Rakic, scheduled a meeting of all representatives of Kosovo's institutions in the north for Saturday at which he will propose that all Serbs leave those institutions, due to the suspension of the director of the North Regional Directorate of the Kosovo Police, Nenad Djuric, because he refused to issue warnings to vehicles with KM plates.

Ivan Kostic, Dveri MP in the Serbian Parliament, still believes that nobody can trust Rakic, nor anyone from the Serbian List.

"They are ordinary self-interested people who put their personal interests above the interests of the Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija, by working for the Government of the fake state of Kosovo for years. Leaving Kosovo's institutions is a good idea that Dveri has been proposing for years," says Kostic, and Vojislav Mihailovic, deputy, and leader of POKS, has a similar attitude.

Mihailovic believes that by ''participating in the work of Kosovo's institutions, Serbian List only lends legitimacy to the government of the fake state of Kosovo'', wrote daily Danas.

"The announcement of their withdrawal now will not bring effects, because it is a late decision. Just like you can't be a little pregnant, you either are or you aren't,'' said Mihailovic, adding that once they decided to participate in the government, by boycotting they will not delegitimize 'the secessionist government'.

And the People's Party tells the representatives of the Serbian List to finally leave the Kosovo institutions that send drones to Serbia.

Fatmir Sheholli, director of the Institute for the Affirmation of Inter-Ethnic Relations, believes that the message of the Serbian List is a threat with an empty gun. He reminds that the announcement of leaving Kosovo's institutions is the twentieth in a row in two years.

"It means that we became immune to these empty stories, and no one takes such statements seriously anymore. It would be interesting if, for example, Petkovic called on the illegal institutions of Serbia in Kosovo to leave their workplaces, because that would implement the Brussels Agreement. If the Serbs eventually boycott the Kosovo institutions, the Kosovo institutions will continue to work bravely and unequivocally for the benefit of all the citizens of the Republic of Kosovo," says Sheholi.

Despite all the previous announcements, abandonment of the Kosovo institutions never happened, but the mayors from the ranks of the Serbian List resigned in November 2018 due to the introduction of a 100 percent tax on goods from Serbia, recalled daily Danas.

Rosic, Spasojevic, Basara no longer under house arrest (KoSSev)

A trial in Oliver Ivanovic’s murder case continues today at Basic Court in Pristina, and as of today defendants in this case Marko Rosic, Nedeljko Spasojevic and Rade Basara are no longer under house arrest, KoSSev portal reports.

They are obliged instead to report to the Kosovo police once a week.

A witness at today’s hearing was S.A. from Mitrovica North who spoke mainly about video surveillance in the office of Ivanovic’s party.

A witness, who is the godfather of Oliver Ivanovic, said he had close relations with Ivanovic and often visited him in his office. He said he has no information that Silvana Arsovic, a close associate and secretary of late Oliver Ivanovic, now defendant in his murder case, was monitoring cameras and surveillance records, adding her knowledge related to work on computer was minimal.

New hearing is scheduled to take place on November 29, at 13.00.

Former KFOR commander Kajari: I tried to convince Pristina not to send special police to the north (balkansec.net, honvedelem.hu, media)

Balkansec.net portal wrote that Hungarian General Ferenc Kajari (55) was the commander of KFOR until October 2022. After returning home, he returned to the position of the first intelligence officer of the Hungarian army and told the army newspaper (honvedelem.hu), that he had problems with the authorities from Pristina, who arbitrarily sent special police units to the north of Kosovo. He praised the Serbian Army and disclosed the joint action to break up the criminal organisation that ran the network of illegal casinos.

The KFOR commander's task was a complex balancing act. Kajari presented his work in an effort to control the security situation in conditions of high risk of incidents, reported bakansec.net.

In the interview, he recalled the history and the fact that the government in Pristina was not stable.

"For example, in 2020, three governments changed and the last one did not complete its four-year mandate. The ruling parties came from a coalition based on variegated agreements. Their attention was focused on mutual relations and maintaining the balance of power," Kajari said, reported the portal.

"Nevertheless, in February 2021, the self-determination movement won a majority in the assembly, so the prime minister could implement his program after the formation of the government. One of the main points was the fight against corruption and organised crime, as well as the demonstration of sovereignty in front of the electorate and the outside world. This resulted in the introduction of reciprocity on licence plates in September 2021, which caused several weeks of tension," he added.

"The Kosovo Serbs closed several roads leading to the border crossings and thus effectively captured the special forces of the Kosovo Police stationed in that area. All of this indicated a change in the security situation. Then, for the first time in many years, KFOR had to intervene to resolve the situation and deploy forces in disputed areas,” Kajari said.

Kajari assumed the post of KFOR commander on October 15, 2021, in a bad time because just two days earlier, the Kosovo police carried out an action against organised crime in the northern part of Kosovska Mitrovica.

The target was a group of smugglers, Kajari emphasises, but the appearance of the police led to street clashes of the Kosovo Police and Kosovo Serbs and the use of weapons. In those clashes, for the first time in many years, a local Serb was injured.

"I wanted to prevent the escalation of this changed situation when I assumed the command post," Kajari says and adds that he therefore tried to convince the Kosovo authorities and Prime Minister Kurti not to use police forces in a way that could lead to similar conflicts as in Mitrovica.

"My proposal to the Prime Minister of Kosovo was to create some kind of police procedure based on consensus. I offered him, if he agrees, to mediate between the leaders of the local authorities and the top of the Kosovo police," Kajari said.

"The goal would be to create some kind of consensus because Kosovo Serbs also have an interest in eliminating real criminal groups. However, the position of the Kosovo government was that they do not negotiate with criminals and that the police will carry out operations as they see fit. This indicates that in the future we can expect police operations that will increase tensions in the north of Kosovo," added the Hungarian general.

Kajari estimated that despite Kurti's tough stance from mid-November 2021 to the end of January 2022, the police followed his recommendations and special police units did not go into action against criminals.

"That's why we managed to consolidate the situation from November until the end of January and mid-February. The Kosovo police carried out several successful operations in the north of Kosovo against drug dealers, drug growers and against illegal cryptocurrency mining facilities," he said.

According to him, 247 cryptocurrency mining devices were seized in one such facility, which consumes as much electricity as a small city. Regular police forces carried out several actions.

Kajari highlights the most successful of them carried out in December last year against illegal casinos along the administrative line. Those activities were coordinated with the General Staff of the Serbian Army (SRB), and with its consent, KFOR liquidated the criminal organisation.

Since the end of February, the increasing presence of the Kosovo police in the northern municipalities has led to a new increase in tensions, Kajari said.

At the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, Kurti invited the KFOR commander to his office to discuss the security situation. According to Kajari, the consequences of the war could be felt in the entire region, especially in the domain of public speech.

That's why, in March of this year, Kajari repeatedly asked the representatives of the Pristina authorities to change the way of addressing "because it does not help in preserving the security situation and incites tensions among the population".

Kajari emphasises the importance of anticipating crisis situations: "I don't know how my predecessors organised their work, but after taking command, I tasked my team with identifying the following potential sources of conflict for which we should prepare".

"Already in October 2021, we started to create a special plan of operations to solve the next identified security incident. For example, we prepared a security risk plan related to the energy supply of municipalities in the north and for the introduction of licence plate reciprocity."

"In the same way, we prepared special measures in January and April 2022 when we dealt with the security situation related to the holding of the Serbian referendum and elections in Serbia".

KFOR tried to foresee the development during the summer months and they were preventively visible on the ground. Kajari assesses that it was useful because both sides in Kosovo were startled from their daily routine because they did not expect that KFOR with such forces would again be present in the zone of operations and proactively try to suppress tensions.

After the end of his mandate, Kajari assessed that he did not feel complete in the execution of the task and added that this was also the case with all previous KFOR commanders.

"This mission has been present in Kosovo for 23 years. This means that nothing can be finished or resolved in one year, but that was not the goal either. There is, therefore, a double feeling: in addition to the command duty, I also handed over long-standing difficulties".

Cagliari's successor is the Italian general Michele Ristuccia. Since 2013, with the exception of the last year, KFOR has been commanded by the Italians because they provide the most soldiers, currently 715. Next in terms of participation are the Americans, who have 561 men on the ground and hold the post of KFOR chief of staff, and General John Bozicevic holds that position.

Hungarians with 469 people are in third place in terms of number. According to the agreement on the distribution of personnel positions, the Hungarians will receive the second ranked position in the hierarchy - from November 24, instead of the Italian general Luca Piperni, the deputy commander of KFOR will be the Hungarian general Jozef Spisjak, a man with extensive experience in the Balkans who was twice the chief of staff of the EUFOR mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina .

Kajari emphasised that the national strategic goal of his mandate in KFOR was important. "We have shown that the armed forces of Hungary are ready and capable of carrying out the task of commanding the NATO operation," he concluded.

Given that he emphasised the importance of the region for Hungarian politics, it is obvious that Hungary wants to keep its place in KFOR and probably increase its presence.

Kosovo police issued arrest warrants for six Serbs over alleged war crimes (RTS)

Kosovo police have issued arrest warrants for six Serbs accused of allegedly committing war crimes against the civilian population, RTS reports.

The warrants have been issued for C.A., D.D., S.J., G.P., D.R., and Lj.R. Police also called on citizens to report should they have any knowledge about wanted persons. They also published photographs of the wanted persons, including characteristics of their physical appearances, such as eye and hair colours and skin complexion.

NUNS: Serbian List to stop discriminating against independent media (Radio KIM)

Independent Association of Journalists of Serbia (NUNS) requested Serbian List in Kosovo, to stop, as it said “continuous discrimination against the media that report professionally and independently”, Radio KIM reports.

The reaction came in response to the press conference organised in Mitrovica North at which Serbian List and police commander Nenad Djuric spoke about decisions on re-registration of licence plates to “selected media outlets”, while KoSSev and some other local media were not invited to the event, and it was not for the first time.

NUNS said it addressed Serbian List during this year twice regarding selective invitations to the events and press conference they organise to seek clarification for it, but received no response.

Giaufret: EU demonstrating it wants to stand by Serbia in good and bad times (RTS, N1)

In Berlin we witnessed the signing of three important agreements for mobility and employment in the Western Balkans. This is an important step for the region and a big step towards the European Union (EU), one bringing the Western Balkans countries closer to EU membership, said head of the EU delegation to Serbia Emanuele Giaufret.

The EU’s 165 million Euro package for Serbia’s energy supply is an important step, which indicates that the EU stands by the Western Balkans.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has produced an increase of prices in the energy market and this support will be transferred to the budget of Serbia. “Our idea is that this money should help the most vulnerable families, small and medium enterprises, small businesses, which have problems paying the electricity bills. I will meet with the Minister of Energy to discuss the modality of how we can pursue it,” the EU Ambassador told Serbian state TV (RTS).

The 165 million Euro package is a response to the immediate needs, but this should be looked at in the long term.

The total package for investments in infrastructure is 500 million Euro, mostly in sustainable and green energy sources. Over the past 20 years we have invested 800 million Euro in Serbia’s diversification, said Giaufret.

Energy will also be the topic of next week’s UN Climate Change Conference in Egypt, this is an important summit and all leaders will participate, said Giaufret, adding that the EU is working with partners from the Western Balkans and that he expects Serbia to soon have a national plan.

The EU has taken very concrete steps so it could become “ecologically neutral” by 2050, he said.

The EU-Serbia agenda is a basis for reforms in the rule of law, freedom of media and for resolving key issues, such as relations with Pristina, said Giaufret.

The key is to work together and intensify reforms. We will discuss a set of media laws and it is good that the new minister has already started working on this. In addition, there are further reforms in the field of preventing corruption, and other issues, said the EU Ambassador.

What is called the Franco-German initiative is an attempt to move forward in finding a solution in the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue. EU Special Representative for the Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue Miroslav Lajcak is coming to Belgrade to discuss topical issues with the Serbian President.

The EU is strongly committed to the Western Balkans’ European integration process and there is political determination for the countries to make progress. We are creating opportunities, finding solutions, moving forward, said the EU Ambassador.

International

Police Chief In Northern Kosovo Suspended Over Alleged Refusal To Implement License Plate Conversion Rule (RFE)

The regional police chief in the north of Kosovo has been suspended after he was accused of refusing to implement the government's policy on phasing out license plates issued by Serbia when Kosovo was still part of the country.

Nenad Djuric was suspended after the Police Inspectorate of Kosovo announced on November 3 that he is suspected of criminal offenses related to his refusal to implement the plan.

Minister of Internal Affairs Xhelal Svecla said that the refusal to implement the government’s decisions represents a serious threat to the security and stability of Kosovo.

Kosovo has attempted several times this year to require its Serbian minority to change their old car plates from before 1999, when Kosovo was still part of Serbia.

“The Kosovo police is one [force] and all its members should have the same mission: the rule of law and the creation of a safe environment for all citizens regardless of difference,” Svecla said on Facebook. “We will not allow any action that violates this mission, and together with the Kosovo Police we will continue its implementation.”

The main party representing Serbs in Kosovo, Serbian List, said that the decision to suspend Djuric was illegal.

Goran Rakic, chairman of the party, said that the Serbs should "strengthen and build" their own institutions in northern Kosovo in cooperation with Serbia.

Humanitarian/Development

CEFTA at the Western Balkans Summit: Four agreements await adoption (RTS)

Director of the CEFTA Secretariat, Emir Djikic presented in Berlin the key CEFTA achievements, focusing on measures with direct benefits for people and businesses. Speaking at the Western Balkans Summit under the auspices of the Berlin Process he congratulated the Western Balkan Leaders and Regional Cooperation Council on signing three mobility agreements and called for speeding up the adoption process of the agreements reached under the CEFTA framework.

“CEFTA has made implementing CRM an absolute priority. To date, we completed the work on four new Joint Committee Decisions awaiting adoption”, said Mr. Djikic enumerating a series of agreements that are either fully agreed upon but at the same time are missing the most crucial step – adoption by the Joint Committee:

Decision on facilitation of electronic commerce that will support our small and medium companies who sell online, simplifying laws and regulations for selling in the entire CEFTA market.

Decision on inter-Party parcel delivery services and Decision on prevention of unjustified geo-blocking), that would ensure the same level of consumer protection, price transparency, and removal of unjustified geo-blocking practices to millions of people who shop online.

Decision on the recognition of AEOS Programmes, that would enable trustworthy CEFTA companies to export under simplified customs procedures.

CEFTA Parties experts are close to concluding the negotiations of another six additional agreements fulfilling the promises the Western Balkans’ leaders gave in 2020 – promises to recognize certificates, permits and licences targeting engineers, travel agencies, tour operators, producers and traders of honey.

Djikic reminded of the success of an extension of Green Lanes with Greece and Blue Lanes with Italy which would not be possible without CEFTA’s partnership with the Transport Community and the support of RCC and the European Commission.

“We are happy that ice is broken and that more EU Member States expressed interest to join”, said the Director of the CEFTA Secretariat and added: “Green Lanes are an important reminder that the region can deliver innovative solutions which can even be extended to the EU”.

Djikic also congratulated Western Balkan leaders and Regional Cooperation Council on signing the mobility agreements and announced this year’s CEFTA Week conference to be held in Brussels on 9 December, when CEFTA traditionally takes stock of the current chairmanship (Moldova) and presents the Chair in Office for the following year (Montenegro).

Common Regional Market Action Plan 2021-2024 is a strategic framework for economic integration of the Western Balkans endorsed by its leaders in 2020, under the auspices of the Berlin Process. CEFTA has been tasked to deliver measures enabling EU compliant free movement of goods and services and crosscutting measures. Full implementation of the economic integration in the region can bring up to 6.7% GDP additional growth.

Europe could be hit by similar protests against lithium as Serbia (balkangreenenergynews.com)

The citizens of Serbia have succeeded in stopping Rio Tinto’s lithium project, but there are still fears it will be reactivated. The concerns stem from the expected rise in demand for lithium, together with rare earths, a group of materials necessary for the energy transition. But there are also fears in European countries that protests similar to the ones in Serbia could be launched there due to the negative impact of mines on people and the environment.