Albanian Language Media:

• Prime Minister Kurti travels to Germany (RTK)
• Konjufca meets the U.S. Congress delegation (RTK)
• Common language found in Brussels, solution to be presented by Friday (AP)
• Seven Serb candidates expected to join Assembly after SL resignations (Gazeta Blic)
• The EU ready to host Kurti and Vucic at the meeting (Koha)
• German Embassy: Escalation between Kosovo and Serbia, worrying (Express)
• Hoti: U.S. asked govt to postpone decision, but they are meeting with Petkovic (media)
• Bytyci: I expect agreement on licence plates this week (Koha)
• AAK calls for 30% increase in public sector wages until wages law adopted (Telegrafi)
• AAK’s Tahiri to Borrell: Your messages are not balanced (Klan)
• Retired U.S. General: Kosovo Army can coexist with a force like KFOR in future (media)
• Kosovo denies reports that agreement with Denmark on prison cells suspended (Klan)
• MP denounces Gracanica police station chief for harassing police officer (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Petkovic: Elections in northern Kosovo doomed to fail (N1)
• Serbian List to boycott elections in northern Kosovo (N1)
• Serbian and Kosovo NGOs: The attack on Milicevic is a reflection of the deteriorating atmosphere in Kosovo (Beta, N1)
• Milicevic for N1 on details of his mistreatment by Kosovo police special unit (N1)
• KoSSev on police rebuttal of Milicevic’s mistreatment, Svecla’s statement (KoSSev)
• OPEN Initiative: Perpetrators from ranks of Kosovo police to be punished (KoSSev)
• Visoki Decani Monastery on Milicevic’s case (social media)
• Serbian cemetery in Vitina renamed to Albanian, Petkovic's reaction on Twitter (Kosovo Online, medijacentar.info)
• Brnabic: Serbs in Kosovo request only adherence to agreements (RTS)
• Elections for mayors in the north of Kosovo and questions unanswered (RTS, Kontakt plus radio)
• UN GA adopts resolution on Russian war reparations, Serbia abstains (N1)
• Stano: EU ready for Vucic-Kurti meeting as soon it is possible (Kosovo Online)

International:

• Kosovo Albanian, Serb Journalists Trained in Fact-Checking, Media Literacy (BIRN)

 

 

Albanian Language Media  

 

Prime Minister Kurti travels to Germany (RTK)

The Prime Minister of Kosovo Albin Kurti has travelled to Stuttgart, Germany. 

“During the two-day visit, Prime Minister Kurti will participate in the Global Connect 2022 Economic Forum. He will also hold meetings with political representatives of the state of Baden-Wurttemberg and businesses there,” The Prime Minister’s Office announced. 

Konjufca meets the U.S. Congress delegation (RTK)

The Speaker of the Assembly of Kosovo, Glauk Konjufca, hosted today a delegation of the Committee for Democracy (House Democracy Partnership-HDP) of the US Congress, Mike Bishop, former Congressman from the Republican Party, Derek Luyten, HDP Executive Director, Kimberly Ferguson, Specialist for Managing the Legislative Information System at the Library of Congress, Sarah Garding, European Affairs Analyst at the Congressional Research Service (CRS), and Kristen Sample, Director General of Governance at NDI Headquarters in Washington DC.

They exchanged views about concrete ways of cooperation between the HDP and the Assembly, with a focus on support for the establishment of the Parliamentary Institute, as well as the development of library and archive services of the legislature. Konjufca reportedly thanked the USA for the unsparing support it continues to give to Kosovo. They also agreed on further expansion of cooperation as well as the exchange of experiences for the benefit of increasing the overall efficiency and functionality of the Assembly of Kosovo.

Common language found in Brussels, solution to be presented by Friday (AP)

Citing unnamed diplomatic sources, Albanian Post reports that an agreement in principle has been reached in Brussels to deescalate the situation and that the latest by Friday (November 18) the parties will reveal the details or will at least officially announce the agreement.

The news website learns that the Kosovo side has agreed to postpone the decision on licence plates after repeated requests from the European Union and the United States of America, but that it has asked for a guarantee from the partners for this concession.

Currently, modalities are being looked into for the return of Kosovo Serbs in the institutions, who withdrew in protest after they disagreed with the phasing of the decision on licence plates, which foresaw reprimands, fines and test licence plates for all those that did not convert illegal plates to RKS licence plates.

The problem to return does not consist of structures that are administrative such as police, judges, and other levels of state administration. More specific will be finding a solution for those that have resigned their political positions, such as the MPs and the mayors of the four municipalities. 

Seven Serb candidates expected to join Assembly after SL resignations (Gazeta Blic)

Citing unnamed sources, the news website reports that after the resignations of Serbian List MPs, seven other Serb MPs will agree to join the Assembly. The same sources said that Rada Trajkovic will join the Assembly. Another MP from the Civic Initiative “Freedom, Justice and Survival” will join the Assembly, while a third candidate from this initiative has not agreed to become an MP. According to the news website, five candidates from the Serb Democratic League led by Slavisa Petkovic are also expected to become MPs. This is all expected to happen while the other candidates of the Serbian List who are on the waiting list will not agree to take on MP mandates. 

Fatmir Sheholli, head of the Institute for Interethnic Relations, confirmed the information to Gazeta Blic. He said that he talked with Rada Trajkovic and Slavisa Petkovic and that they told him they were ready to join the Assembly. According to Sheholli, they are also ready to assume government responsibilities too. “I talked to Trajkovic and Petkovic. They are ready to join the institutions. From Rada Trajkovic’s Civic Initiative there are two MPs, Trajkovic and another member from this initiative. While from Petkovic’s party, five MPs are expected to join,” he said.

Sheholli also said that Petkovic’s party is also expected to propose to Prime Minister Albin Kurti a candidate for the post of government minister.

Sheholli told the news website that the decision of these seven candidates to join the Assembly will bring stability to the Kurti-led government, and that this is also a message that not all Serbs in Kosovo are controlled and orchestrated by [Serbian President] Vucic.

The EU ready to host Kurti and Vucic at the meeting (Koha)

The spokesperson of the European Union Peter Stano, stated that the EU is ready to host the Prime Minister of Kosovo and President of Serbia Aleksandar Vucic for a high-level meeting.

He said today to the media that what is happening in the north of Kosovo is the most serious situation since 2013 and added that the EU is interested in helping to find a solution.

"We are ready to host Prime Minister Kurti and President Vucic in Brussels, for a meeting at the highest level. As the high representative pointed out yesterday, as soon as possible and as soon as they are ready to show European behaviour," Stano said.

According to him, the parties involved have the responsibility to find a way out of this situation.

German Embassy: Escalation between Kosovo and Serbia, worrying (Express)

The German Embassy in Kosovo has expressed its concern with the situation created in the north of Kosovo. "We see with concern the current escalation between Kosovo and Serbia," says their response to Front Online, which notes further that the High Representative of the EU Josep Borel has made his positions regarding the situation clear.

The German Embassy has said that they fully support the efforts of Borelli and Lajcak in this process.

"We fully support his efforts as well as those of the EU Special Representative Lajcak in this process," the Embassy's response states further.

Hoti: U.S. asked govt to postpone decision, but they are meeting with Petkovic (media)

MP from the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) Avdullah Hoti took to Facebook today to criticise the Kurti-led government for failing to heed the request of the United States to postpone the implementation of the decision on licence plates and for meeting with Serbia’s chief negotiator in Brussels. “The decision on licence plates was made by the government. What is there to negotiate?! Unfortunately, these government officials have brought us to a dead-end in terms of the dialogue and have damaged our partnership with the allies. The end cannot be good,” Hoti said.

Bytyci: I expect agreement on licence plates this week (Koha)

Expert on international relations, Seb Bytyci, said in an interview with KTV on Monday that he expects Kosovo and Serbia to reach an agreement on the issue of licence plates this week. He said he doesn’t believe a point will be reached where Kosovo authorities would start issuing fines for owners of vehicles with illegal licence plates issued by Serbian authorities. “I expect an agreement will be reached this week. There won’t be the next step, or the second phase, which is the issuing of fines. This agreement could be similar to previous agreements. I expect compromises from both sides. Compromises are needed from both Kosovo and Serbia. I expect that either the decision will be postponed or suspended for a certain period of time,” he said.

Bytyci said that tensions would be avoided if an agreement is reached. “In the last couple of months, the facilitators of dialogue have repeatedly said that the focus should be on major issues and not on crisis management,” he said.

AAK calls for 30% increase in public sector wages until wages law adopted (Telegrafi)

The Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) called today for a 30 percent increase in the wages of public sector employees. AAK parliamentary group chief, Besnik Tahiri, told a press conference that the government has lied to 80,000 public officials by not including the draft law on wages in the budget for 2023. “The Kosovo government has lied to all public officials by saying that it will bring the draft law on wages. They played a dirty game, by lying to around 80,000 public officials for quite some time now. From our analysis of the budget, we see the increase in wages in the public sector is out of the question,” he said.

Tahiri also said that “our request to the government is to make an amendment whereby it would allow for a linear increase of wages by at least 30 percent until the law on wages is adopted, except for politically-appointed officials”.

AAK’s Tahiri to Borrell: Your messages are not balanced (Klan)

Head of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) parliamentary group, Besnik Tahiri, said today that EU High Representative Josep Borrell should be clear in his messages to Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic too. According to him, Vucic is carrying out an aggression against Kosovo through criminal structures.

“The messages are not balanced. It is clear that the EU does not have balanced messages for Serbia and Kosovo. It should be clear vis-à-vis Belgrade too because Kosovo is becoming unstable as a result of the Russian agenda,” he argued.

Tahiri also said that the dialogue must be focused on a final agreement centred on mutual recognition and that any other action is a waste of time.

Retired U.S. General: Kosovo Army can coexist with a force like KFOR in future (media)

Michael Barbero, a retired United States Army Lieutenant General and consultant, said in an interview with Kosovo Online that the Kosovo Army can coexist in the future with another security force like KFOR. “I think it would be in Kosovo’s best interest to welcome forces similar to KFOR to promote long-term stability in Kosovo and the Balkans,” he said.

“The specifics of authorising the future presence of NATO and the freedom of action of the Kosovo Army should be part of a formal agreement,” Barbero said. He added that such an agreement could determine relations of command and control, and the interaction between the two forces. “However, time is needed to negotiate and finalise such an agreement. 2028 is not far away therefore a timeframe for talks should be in place,” he said, while referring to the transformation of the Kosovo Security Force.

Kosovo denies reports that agreement with Denmark on prison cells suspended (Klan)

The agreement between Kosovo and Denmark on renting prison cells will very soon be sent to the Office of Kosovo President and then to the Assembly, the Ministry of Justice told the TV station today, refuting reports in some Danish media according to which the agreement has been suspended.

“This news is completely untrue. The respective ministries are working on this matter and the agreement will very soon be sent to the Office of the President and then to the Assembly of the Republic of Kosovo for approval,” the ministry said.

MP denounces Gracanica police station chief for harassing police officer (media)

Several news websites report that member of the Kosovo Assembly, Duda Balje, denounced today the commander of the police station in Gracanica, Bratislav Trajkovic, for harassing a police officer from the Bosniak community, Milhata Qela. According to Balje, the police officer, who has been in the service for 19 years, is in a very bad state due to psychological harassment by the station chief. “Even after reporting the case to the Kosovo Police inspectorate nothing changed because she received no response … I call on the competent institutions, the police, the police inspectorate, and the Ministry to try to investigate the case and not allow such cases to happen,” Balje wrote on a Facebook post.

 

 

Serbian Language Media 

 

Petkovic: Elections in northern Kosovo doomed to fail (N1)

Office for Kosovo and Metohija Director Petar Petkovic said today extraordinary elections in four northern municipalities, without Serbs and Serbian people, make no sense and as such are doomed to fail, N1 reports.

“By unilateral decision to call for some extraordinary elections, on the eve of the important Saint Nikola Holiday, Pristina authorities continue to exert institutional and legal violence against the Serbs, violating among others, the point 11 of the Brussels agreement”, Petkovic warned.

According to him this is about the latest attempt of Pristina to occupy northern Kosovo, under the pretext of “some electoral processes in a moment when Albin Kurti, Vjosa Osmani and their subordinates by unilateral and unlawful actions additionally raise the tensions on the ground”. 

Serbian List to boycott elections in northern Kosovo (N1)

Serbian List announced today it will boycott local elections in northern Kosovo, President Vjosa Osmani called for December 18, N1 reports.

“Taking into consideration decision of Pristina on holding extraordinary local elections in the north of Kosovo and Metohija, we wish to inform the public that Serbian List will not take part in these elections, nor will the citizens supporting our party, making more than 95 percent of voters in those areas”, Serbian List said in a statement.

Earlier, Office for Kosovo and Metohija Director Petar Petkovic said that elections in northern Kosovo, without participation of Serbs and Serbian people, are doomed to fail. 

Serbian and Kosovo NGOs: The attack on Milicevic is a reflection of the deteriorating atmosphere in Kosovo (Beta, N1)

A group of 26 non-governmental organisations (NGOs) from Serbia and Kosovo requested that the incident, in which a member of the Kosovo Police physically and verbally attacked Miodrag Milicevic, an activist of the NGO "Aktiv" near the Jarinje crossing, be resolved in accordance with the existing relevant legal frameworks, reported N1.

"The attack is a reflection of the deteriorating atmosphere of trust and peaceful coexistence in Kosovo and contributes to that atmosphere, which has been noticeable in recent months and has reached alarming levels of escalation with the withdrawal of Serbian representatives from Kosovo institutions," the NGOs stated in a joint statement.

They assessed that the recent activities of the key parties, which contributed to that escalation, were undertaken without considering the long-term consequences and the damage that can be caused to the basic framework for normalisation, and that the continuation of the atmosphere of threats, intimidation, humiliation, and mistrust will only worsen the already sensitive situation.

NGOs have called on all parties interested in peace in the region to refrain from speech that aggravates the situation and to use relationships, platforms and channels that overcome ethnic and political divisions, and the international community to show appropriate determination in its involvement in the current crisis.

The statement was signed, among others, by Aktiv, the Belgrade Center for Security Policy, the Fund for Humanitarian Law Kosovo, the Youth Initiative for Human Rights Kosovo, the Center for Peace and Tolerance, the European Movement Serbia, Citizen Initiatives, the Committee of Lawyers for Human Rights, and others.

Milicevic for N1 on details of his mistreatment by Kosovo police special unit (N1)

Executive Director of Mitrovica North-based NGO Aktiv, Miodrag Milicevic told N1 today about details of the event from Monday morning in which members of Kosovo special police units pulled him over near Jarinje. He explained he was singled out from the line of vehicles, mistreated verbally, and after that punched in the stomach. Milicevic added that police officers requested him to explain why he attempted to overtake the armored vehicle he saw some seven or eight kilometers prior to being pulled over.

“Yesterday morning I hit the road to Sarajevo where I was supposed to attend a conference today. Near the Jarinje crossing point, in a place where the former official crossing point on the Kosovo side was located, I was pulled over by special police units. Few of us were in the line, I was the first one and then the three police officers in masked uniforms and long barrel weapons got out. They showed me to go to the side, and park my vehicle. The other three vehicles they let go”, Milicevic told N1.

After that he continued some sort of interrogation started, adding that special police officers first addressed him in Albanian language. “Upon my insisting that I do not understand what it is about because they didn’t ask for documents, but commented on some other staff, a second police officer asked for the documents and harshly grabbed the documents from my hand. At that moment I kindly requested not to raise tensions”, he explained.

After that Milicevic said they started yelling at him asking to explain why he tried to overtake the vehicle he saw some seven to eight kilometres prior to the point where they stopped him. He explained there were on markings indicating it was a police convoy, they drove 40 kilometres per hour and after he started to overtake the vehicle they thwarted him by driving in the middle of the road, after which he returned to his lane.

Milicevic said their attitude was rude, they insisted he violated some rules and during the search, after one of the police officers asked Milicevic in Serbian language to turn towards them, he punched him in the stomach.

After that they searched the vehicle, threw his staff around and broke some plastic parts in the luggage compartment.

“They told me this was a verbal warning, and I should be careful in the future about what I do”. Milicevic added.

He also said they were wearing uniforms he had not seen before, it was clear that they belonged to the units for special operations, were wearing balaclavas and two of them had their weapons pointed at Milicevic during the event.

According to Milicevic, such harsh and inappropriate action of police was unprovoked. He termed police rebuttal of his mistreatment as “disappointing” and as “an attempt to conceal what had happened yesterday”.

He also explained the event didn’t take place at Jarinje crossing point, but approximately one kilometre and a half away from it.

He filed a complaint to the Kosovo Police Inspectorate one hour ago and hired a lawyer who will pursue  the case further.

Milicevic at the end announced a press conference in Pristina tomorrow to avoid all media speculation whether the event really took place or was it staged as some individuals in Pristina attempt to present it all the time.

KoSSev on police rebuttal of Milicevic’s mistreatment, Svecla’s statement (KoSSev)

Kosovo police denied reports that police officers mistreated NGO Aktiv Executive Director Miodrag Milicevic, stating that nothing of the kind happened “in Jarinje“. This NGO, however, announced that Milicevic was attacked near Jarinje by Kosovo special police unit members, which are not stationed at the crossing point, KoSSev portal reports adding that Kosovo police has yet to respond to portal’s request for clarification.

The NGO Aktiv said in a statement that the incident occurred around 9:30 a.m. yesterday when special units pulled over Milicevic near the Jarinje crossing. They specified that Milicevic was both verbally and physically abused and that a member of the special police punched him in the stomach. The police also allegedly shouted at the Aktiv director and questioned him on why he does not have Kosovo documents.

In connection with the claims presented by Aktiv, KoSSev contacted the Kosovo police, which denied the allegations of this organisation in the meantime.

While Aktiv states that the incident took place near Jarinje and that it was committed by special forces, the Kosovo police, however, denied the claims that the attack took place “in Jarinje“.

They also added that Milicevic continued to travel in the direction of Serbia “unhindered” after “having completed the border procedure“, adding they have also checked with the Serbian side police supervisor and he said no complaints were made to them either. 

KoSSev once again reached out to Kosovo police to clarify the situation, taking into account that the NGO Aktiv said the attack was not carried out by members of special units at the crossing, but near it. No answer had arrived by the time this news was published, the portal said.

Members of Kosovo police special unit are not stationed in Jarinje but in a newly built base not far from this crossing. A similar base is also located near the Brnjak crossing, the portal recalled. 

Svecla: I asked for a report, KPI to launch an investigation

In the meantime, Kosovo Minister of Internal Affairs, Xhelal Svecla, also reacted, saying that during his frequent visits to Jarinje he was assured of the “exemplary behaviour of the policemen“.

However, he claims that he requested a report from the border police officers, and for the Kosovo Police Inspectorate to initiate an investigation regarding these claims. Svecla also announced that he would inform the public about the results in “record time“.

OPEN Initiative: Perpetrators from ranks of Kosovo police to be punished (KoSSev)

The OPEN Initiative issued a statement in relation to the mistreatment of NGO Aktiv Executive Director, Miodrag Milicevic saying it expresses strong protest regarding the case, KoSSev portal reports.

“This is yet another in a series of incidents that happened in recent months in Serbian areas in the north of Kosovo, caused by members of the Kosovo special police forces“, OPEN said.

They called on the Kosovo government and other independent institutions to investigate this and other similar incidents and punish the perpetrators from the ranks of the Kosovo police.

“The aggressive and illegal behaviour of special police forces in Serbian areas in the north of Kosovo represents a security risk that can lead to unforeseeable consequences“, they added.

Furthermore, they urged the EU and the Quint countries, KFOR and EULEX, to become more actively involved in monitoring the security situation and take note of the behaviour of special police forces in the municipalities in the north of Kosovo.

The signatories include: Center for Affirmative Social Action (CASA), Forum for Development and Multiethnic Cooperation (FDMC), Human Center Mitrovica, Institute for Territorial Economic Development (InTER), Communication for Society Development (CSD), New Social Initiative (NSI), NGO Aktiv, Radio Gorazdevac, Radio KIM, Media Center Caglavica and Gracanica online. 

This is yet another in a series of complaints made recently by the residents in northern Kosovo and related to behaviour of members of special police units, the portal recalls.

Residents often complain that policemen armed with long barrel firearms are attempting to perform the work of the traffic police and that they often address them in Albanian – a language many people in the north do not speak. They describe the behaviour of the special forces as “hostile“, noting that they feel intimidated.

A North Mitrovica resident testified for KoSSev yesterday that a “hostile five-member police patrol” pulled him over and searched him, also near the Jarinje crossing.

The Kosovo police, however, have repeatedly insisted that the special police deployed in the north perform their work, as they said, in accordance with the law and regulations.

Visoki Decani Monastery on Milicevic’s case (social media)

Visoki Decani Monastery commenting on Open Initiative’s reaction voicing strong protest over verbal and physical mistreatment of NGO Aktiv Executive Director, Miodrag Milicevic by the Kosovo police special unit, said Milicevic is one of the most respected representatives of the civil society in Kosovo and that they hope Kosovo Albanian politicians and NGOs will also condemn this incident.  

“Miodrag Milićević, the director of @NGO_Aktiv is one of the most respected representatives of the civil society in #Kosovo. Let’s hope K/Albanian NGOs and politicians too will condemn this incident and request urgent investigation of such discriminating behavior by the KS police”, Visoki Decani Monastery wrote in a post on Twitter.

Serbian cemetery in Vitina renamed to Albanian, Petkovic's reaction on Twitter (Kosovo Online, medijacentar.info)

The Serbian Orthodox cemetery in Vitina on the Google map has been renamed "Orthodox Albanian cemetery" (Varrezat ortodokse Shqiptare), and the priest from that place, Branislav Denic, said that this is an absurdity, reported Kosovo Online, citing medijacentar.info. 

Parish priest Denic said he noticed on the Google map this morning that the Serbian Orthodox cemetery was marked as Albanian.

"This situation is absurd. Only Orthodox Serbs are buried in that cemetery. There are even the remains of the temple of St. Nicholas in that cemetery," he said. 

Director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija Petar Petkovic reacted on Twitter and wrote:

"Another brutal falsification and an attempt by Pristina to cancel the traces of Serbian existence in Kosovo - the Serbian Orthodox cemetery in Vitina has been renamed to Albanian on the Google map! Show a minimum of respect and leave the Serbian graves and the deceased to rest in peace," said Petkovic.

Brnabic: Serbs in Kosovo request only adherence to agreements (RTS)

Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija are not asking for much, they are only requesting adherence to the Brussels agreement, Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic said, adding she agrees with EU High Representative Josep Borrel that 21 November should not be met without agreement, RTS reports.

“Our European partners and our partners in the US can no longer tolerate unilateral violation of all signed agreements and I hope that agreement will nevertheless be reached”, Brnabic said.

She underlined Serbs in Kosovo also demanded that Pristina start implementation of the Brussels agreement signed in 2013, guaranteed by the EU, and that all agreements on licence plates signed earlier are respected.

She said she is not certain of what would happen as of Sunday midnight, but that Serbia has much to lose given how economically it progressed over the last period.

“How hard we worked to build Serbia, as we did over the last years, and then Pristina and Kurti take you back to resolve some things that have been resolved already”, Brnabic said.  

Elections for mayors in the north of Kosovo and questions unanswered (RTS, Kontakt plus radio)

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani announced extraordinary elections for the mayors of North Mitrovica, Zvecan, Zubin Potok, and Leposavic for December 18. In the situation in the North, many questions arise that have no answer yet, reported Radio Television of Serbia. 

At yesterday's consultation with Osmani, there were representatives of Albanian parties and two Serbian parties. The representatives of the Serbian List, whose mayors resigned, were not present at the meeting.

So far, there are no reactions from that political group to the announcement of elections.

Aleksandar Jablanovic from Leposavic and Nenad Rasic, from Gracanica, the only Serbs who attended the consultation, claimed that it was not the time for early elections in the north and believed that there could be an escalation of violence on the ground.

Since the elections were officially announced, Osmani announced an invitation to international partners with a request to monitor the elections and added that security institutions would take all measures so that citizens, regardless of ethnicity, feel protected, safe and exercise their constitutional rights.

In the situation in the north of Kosovo, many elementary questions arise - where the elections will be held, who will secure them, to whom those who decide to participate will report promotional meetings, who will distribute voting materials, etc.

Without clear answers to all these questions, there is no organisation of the voting. 

The exit of about 3,000 Serbs from the north from Kosovo institutions was a clear signal that they did not want Pristina's authority in the municipalities of North Mitrovica, Zvecan, Zubin Potok and Leposavic, that they did not want members of the special unit of the Kosovo Police in the north, etc.

The non-governmental organisation "Aktiv" announced yesterday that their executive director Miodrag Milicevic was punched in the stomach near the base of the special unit of the Kosovo Police near the Jarinje crossing.

There are still five days left until the implementation of the second phase of the Pristina government's decision on re-registration - that vehicle owners who have not changed their Serbian licence plates to "RKS" are fined 150 euros each.

The application of that measure would lead to resistance from the Serbs, and what that resistance would be at this moment no one can say with certainty, reported RTS.

Serbs in the north of Kosovo left the Pristina institutions demanding the cancellation of the decision on re-registration of vehicles and the formation of the Community of Serbian Municipalities, and they hope that diplomacy will do its job and that a solution will be found by November 21.

RTS reported that now all eyes are on Brussels, after the announcement of the head of diplomacy of the European Union, Josep Borrell, that it was too risky to wait for November 21 without a solution and an agreement.

UN GA adopts resolution on Russian war reparations, Serbia abstains (N1)

The United Nations (UN) General Assembly adopted a resolution calling for Russia to be held accountable for violating international law by invading Ukraine, including by paying war reparations to Kiev.

Ninety-four UN members voted in favour of the resolution, while 14 countries, including Belarus, China, Iran, Syria and North Korea voted against. 

Serbia was one of the 73 countries that abstained. All other Western Balkan countries supported the resolution.

The resolution recognizes the need to establish “an international mechanism for reparation for damage, loss or injury” arising from Russia’s “wrongful acts” against Ukraine.

It recommends that the assembly’s member nations, in cooperation with Ukraine, create “an international register” to document claims and information on damage, loss or injury to Ukrainians and the government caused by Russia.

Stano: EU ready for Vucic-Kurti meeting as soon it is possible (Kosovo Online)

European Union expects progress in the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue, de-escalation and constructive readiness to move ahead, EU spokesperson Peter Stano said, adding the EU is ready to welcome Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti the moment it is possible, Kosovo Online portal reports.

He also said the EU special envoy for Belgrade-Pristina dialogue is talking today with Pristina chief negotiator Besnik Bislimi.

“It is about a working meeting at which solutions are sought and preparations made so the leaders could meet and talk at the highest level”, Stano said.

Asked if it is known when Belgrade chief negotiator Petar Petkovic would come to Brussels, Stano replied he can not talk on behalf of the Serbian side.

He also recalled the statement of EU High Representative Josep Borrel on the most serious crisis in Kosovo since 2013, adding the EU wants to help find a European solution to the current situation.

“We are ready to welcome prime minister Kurti and president Vucic in Brussels for a meeting at the highest level. As the high representative stressed it yesterday, as soon as possible and as soon as they are ready to demonstrate European behaviour by finding a European solution for mutual problems”, Stano is quoted as saying. 

 

 

International 

 

Kosovo Albanian, Serb Journalists Trained in Fact-Checking, Media Literacy (BIRN)

BIRN Kosovo held a training course on November 12 entitled ‘Fact-Based Journalism and Media Literacy’, organised in cooperation with Gracanica Online.

The training brought together 15 Albanian and Serb journalists representing media such as Radio Television of Mitrovica, Gracanica Online, Kossev, Veriu Info and Radio Gorazdevac, and students from the Isa Boletini University of Mitrovica’s Faculty of Law and from North Mitrovica.

Participants had the opportunity to learn about topics such as advanced international fact-checking standards, techniques for fact-checking current affairs, reporting discrimination and promoting media literacy through traditional and online media.

Read more at: https://bit.ly/3GelEfP