• Time for Kurti-led government to “listen to the allies” (Radio Free Europe)
• EULEX: As of Wednesday, we’re also patrolling on foot in north (Front Online)
• Osmani in Vienna: Austria, strategic partner of Kosovo (media)
• Stano: No new proposals for solving crisis in north of Kosovo (media)
• Sarrazin: There is no French-German plan, published parts not correct (RTK)
• Kosovo Serbs Report Arson Attacks Amid Licence Plates Dispute (BIRN)
• Czech proposal for visa liberalisation for Kosovo has stalled (media)
• Concerns over the freedom of media in Kosovo (Voice of America)
• SLAPP Lawsuits Want to ‘Silence’ Crticism; Solution Required for WB (BIRN)
• Kosovo participating in COP27 Conference for the first time (media)
• Was the "Valley Association" discussed in Brussels? (Albanian Post)

Time for Kurti-led government to “listen to the allies” (Radio Free Europe)

Political commentators in Pristina say that the Kurti-led government must treat the United States of America as strategic partners and take into consideration their requests, the news website reports.

Donika Emini, executive director at CiviKos platform, told Radio Free Europe that it would be good for every decision that Kosovo makes to be coordinated not only with the U.S., but with the European Union too. “There should be discussions on what the U.S. plans to do during the 10-month period [postponement of the decision on licence plates]. If this [period] is to prepare the ground and Kosovo for a final settlement [with Serbia], then it would be good for Kosovo to hold strategic discussions about the plan,” she said.

A 10-month timeline, according to Emini, could open a door for Kosovo to finally resolve problems with Serbia. She said that tensions created by the issue of licence plates have brought Kosovo to a period of pre-dialogue with Serbia. “It seems that Prime Minister Kurti, who did not negotiate the agreements with Serbia so far and was unsatisfied with those agreements, is trying to take the process [dialogue] to zero, so that he can begin and lead it himself the way he wants to,” she argued.

Emini said that a process that has been going on for over 10 years cannot be undone and that the agreements reached with Serbia over the years need to be implemented because Kosovo has pledged to implement them. She added that Kosovo cannot return to point zero “because it is not known what the political elite in the U.S. in two years will be” and “it is not known what the EU will be like after the war in Ukraine”. “Losing this momentum is damaging for Kosovo and it doesn’t seem like there is a Plan B, except for the blockade. Kosovo would pay a higher cost than Serbia from this,” Emini said.

Arton Demhasaj, head of the non-governmental organisation Cohu [Rise Up], said the situation created after the implementation of the plan on licence plates and the withdrawal of Serbs from the institutions, will render impossible a normal functioning in the north of Kosovo. He argued that even extraordinary elections for mayors – scheduled for December 18 – cannot be held without an agreement between Kosovo and Serbia.

“Seeing the current situation, I think that the government must reflect and take into consideration the requests of international partners, especially those coming from Washington, and postpone the decision on licence plates as requested by the United States of America,” he told the news website.

Demhasaj also said that postponing the decision would create an opportunity to reach a final agreement between Kosovo and Serbia and at the same time avoid bigger tensions in the north.

Vlora Citaku, Kosovo’s former Ambassador to Washington and deputy leader of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK), said in an interview with RFE that a comprehensive agreement with Serbia, centered on mutual recognition, is way more important and valid than the issue of licence plates.

“At a time when our strategic allies are asking us to use the geopolitical momentum and reach a final agreement with Serbia, Prime Minister Kurti has degraded the process and still deals with technical issues … The war in Ukraine – the unprovoked Russian aggression in Ukraine – has taught us that alliances are as important as sovereignty,” Citaku said, adding that Kurti has chosen to ignore the recommendations of American allies.

EULEX: As of Wednesday, we’re also patrolling on foot in north (Front Online)

The EU Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo (EULEX) told the news website that as of Wednesday, its members have started foot patrols in the north of Kosovo. In a response to Front Online, EULEX said that there will be additional reinforcements in the coming days. EULEX says that additional forces have been deployed on the ground to support Kosovo if requested and if necessary. The deployment came after the latest situation following the government’s decision on illegal licence plates.

“On 8 November, a Reserve Formed Police Unit consisting of 23 gendarmes from the Italian Carabinieri was temporarily deployed to Kosovo to reinforce the capacity of the existing Formed Police Unit of EULEX, which consists of 105 police officers.  In the coming days we expect some limited additional reinforcements.  The RFPU is deployed to have additional forces on the ground and better support our Kosovo counterparts, if requested and if necessary. Due to the current situation, our Formed Police Unit has significantly increased its mobile reconnaissance patrols in northern Kosovo, including as of today also patrolling on foot,” EULEX told FrontOnline.

EULEX also said that the security situation in northern Kosovo is very fragile, quoting EU High Representative Josep Borrell who said that “we are facing the most dangerous crisis since 2013.” “EULEX remains vigilant and is closely monitoring all developments which may affect Kosovo’s security, as well as the security of all communities in Kosovo. In the current situation, everyone must show maximum restraint,” EULEX said.

Asked if EULEX is ready to intervene after 21 November, when the Government’s decision on issuing fines related to illegal plates enters into force and there might be escalation of the situation, EULEX said, “We will do what is needed, and what it takes, to support the stability of Kosovo, within the confines of our mandate, and contribute to the security of its population. EULEX’s Formed Police Unit is Kosovo’s second security responder, forming part of a three-layer security responder mechanism where the Kosovo Police is the first security responder, EULEX is the second, and NATO/KFOR is the third. In our role as Kosovo’s second security responder, we will only engage at the explicit request of the Kosovo Police.

Osmani in Vienna: Austria, strategic partner of Kosovo (media)

President of Kosovo, Vjosa Osmani, is on an unannounced visit to Austria. In a post on her Facebook account, the president stated that after the official visit last year, she was received again on Wednesday in a working meeting by the president of Austria, Alexander Van der Bellen, at the Hofburg palace in Vienna.

"To continue the discussions on the strategic partnership between our two countries," Osmani wrote adding that joint determination to deepen cooperation and coordination was emphasized during the meeting.

"Contributing jointly to lasting peace and stability at this critical time for Europe," she stated as she congratulated President Van der Bellen on his re-election as head of state. "I expressed our determination to work towards the opening of new chapters of cooperation between Kosovo and Austria," Osmani added further concluding that “we are grateful for Austria's steadfast support for our country's Euro-Atlantic path"

Stano: No new proposals for solving crisis in north of Kosovo (media)

Spokesperson for the European Union, Peter Stano, said on Wednesday that there is no new proposal for solving the crisis in the north of Kosovo. Stano told Tanjug news agency that the information about the new proposal published in certain media is another form of disinformation, of which there has been a lot in recent days, as he said.

“There is a proposal on the table that the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, spoke at a press conference on Monday and discussions are ongoing. So there is nothing new and what he said on Monday is still relevant,” Stano said.

Certain media, citing diplomatic sources, announced on Wednesday that the EU’s special envoy for the dialogue between Belgrade and Prishtina has submitted to Prishtina’s chief negotiator, Besnik Bislimi, the new proposal for resolving the crisis in the north.

Borell said on Monday after the meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels that he presented a proposal to resolve the current crisis.

Sarrazin: There is no French-German plan, published parts not correct (RTK)

Despite the referring for quite some time now to the new framework for the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue as French-German plan, the drafter of this plan turned out to be the head of European diplomacy Josep Borrell, together with the special emissary of the European Union Miroslav Lajcak.

And for all this time, this plan, which is said to be two-sided and was called Franco-German, surprised even the.

In an interview for the "Info Plus" show on RTK, German emissary, Manuel Sarrazin said that he has been saying for months that the plan is European, not French-German. However, Sarrazin did not want to get into the content of this plan, while those published by the media were stated to be incorrect. All he agreed to say is that the content of the plan and the discussions that take place on it are useful, helpful for Kosovo and Serbia to have a faster path towards the EU.

"I understand that this plan and the negotiations for it are very important for the people in Kosovo and Serbia and normally there is a great interest and desire for a public discussion about the content," said Sarrazin. "I can only say that the content of the plan and the discussions that take place on it are useful."

He stated that they are helpful for the purpose of bringing the region closer to each other and for Kosovo and Serbia to have a faster path to the EU. "This approach has several reasons, and the Western Balkans knows these reasons better than I do. Everything cannot be made public at this stage, it is a delicate matter," he said.

Sarrazin also refused to say whether Serbia has rejected such a plan. "This plan is still under discussion. The clear position of the Government of Serbia will be presented only by the president of this country, and I am not in a position to discuss it," he said.

The German emissary has asked for flexibility regarding license plates. He said that the situation is tense and some countermeasures can be expected. According to him, the issue is what else Kosovo can offer, if they do not postpone the decision. "We believe that the government of Kosovo has the right to solve the issue of car license plates, but we don't need just the principles," Sarrazin said.

"We also need flexibility to find a solution that is not dangerous. We all know that the situation is tense and some countermeasures can be expected." He stated that the responsibility for finding solutions rests with both parties. "But we still need flexibility in this regard."

Sarrazin said that time is crucial to remove the pressure from the table and then find the best solutions. The German diplomat assigned as a special emissary for the Western Balkans by Chancellor Olaf Scholz, said that the pressure is on both sides, Kosovo and Serbia.

"We usually put pressure on both sides, and I think that's important to say," Sarrazin said. "Serbia for a long time has had very good opportunities to engage and find good solutions".

Sarrazin stated that the issue of license plates has been debated for a very long time and Serbia has not offered any solution that would be helpful, which would lead to the final decision on license plates.

"On the other hand, the Association of municipalities with a Serbian majority is a matter of dialogue, and it is the right time to start talks to draw out the main concepts, to show that it is not a taboo topic for the government to discuss," he siad.

Sarrazin said that Lajçak should be trusted as a mediator in this process. "My message was clear to everyone, and it is the same - flexibility. Let's see how to reach a solution to this situation, and trust Lajcak, give him an opportunity to find that common space and then the disagreements".

But Sarrazin asked everyone to think the situation through. "I believe that no one wants escalation, but this can happen even though no one wants it," he said adding that time is running out and he does not see any solution on the horizon.

"What I understand, both in Belgrade and in Pristina and in Mitrovica, many people are afraid that time is passing and we should by all means sit down and talk," he said. "For me it is a key thing to ask for more time, it shouldn't always be like this, but in this concrete situation, it is significant that we get out of that time trap that is running out."

Kosovo Serbs Report Arson Attacks Amid Licence Plates Dispute (BIRN)

Over the past two months, several Kosovo Serbs have had their vehicles or properties set on fire after exchanging Serbian licence plates for Kosovo ones in line with the Pristina government’s demands.

At least eight cases of arson against Kosovo Serbs who have exchanged Serbian vehicle registration plates for Kosovo ones have been registered in the past two months, with cars burned and property set on fire, according to police reports.

The Kosovo authorities have described the attacks targeted arson by “illegal structures” in the Serb-majority north of the country, intended to cause fear and intimidate Serbs into not taking Kosovo licence plates.

The EU’s envoy for Kosovo-Serbia dialogue, Miroslav Lajcak, wrote on Twitter on Tuesday that when he met Kosovo’s deputy prime minister Besnik Bislimi in Brussels, the main topic of discussion was the issue of the licence plates.

“We urgently need to find a solution to ensure security and stability on the ground. Any escalation or violence is unacceptable,” Lajcak said.

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

Czech proposal for visa liberalisation for Kosovo has stalled (media)

On the afternoon of November 16, the deadline for the EU countries to present their comments on the Czech proposal for the liberalization of visas for Kosovo, using the so-called silent procedure, expired.

Diplomatic sources in Brussels have said that “at least two countries” interrupted this procedure and prevented the proposal from getting the green light, reports REL.

According to sources, Spain was the one that submitted the objection, while several other countries asked for more clarification.

The proposal of the Czech Republic, the country that currently leads the EU Presidency, was that the entry into force of visa liberalization for Kosovo should be linked to the operationalization of the ETIAS travel system, as requested by France, but at the same time the date of the decision’s enforcement should also be set: “not later than December 1, 2023”.

Diplomatic sources, however, say that these results don’t mean that the Czech proposal will not pass in the future.

Concerns over the freedom of media in Kosovo (Voice of America)

A fact-finding mission from the European Platform for the Safety of Journalists said on Wednesday in Pristina that the progress achieved in the last couple of years in Kosovo in terms of media has been jeopardised by an inciteful rhetoric, smear campaign against the media and lack of transparency by the institutions.

Flutura Kusari from the European Center for Press and Media Freedom said that the lack of safety for reporters and the impunity of the perpetrators of attacks against reporters remain a challenge for the freedom of the media in Kosovo.

"Although physical threats are rare, there are serious threats which have been documented by the Association of Journalists of Kosovo. Judicial processes in civil and criminal cases involving journalists, continue to be slow, and journalists have said they have concerns about the lack of investigations into attacks against them, " she said.

Ricardo Gutierrez, from the Federation of European Journalists, said that impunity encourages perpetrators of crimes against journalists.

"We have 40 unpunished cases for the murder or disappearance of journalists in Europe and 14 of them are in Kosovo. This is a problem that we have constantly emphasized in our meetings with the authorities in Kosovo, calling on them to promote international cooperation in pursuing the perpetrators of these crimes, " he said.

Representatives of journalists' associations, part of the European Platform for the Safety of Journalists, emphasized the obstacles in the daily work of journalists, such as access to official documents.

“During our mission, we understood from conversations we had with journalists and editors that the phenomenon of lack of transparency has intensified and is escalating. Some journalists even describe public institutions as closed to the media and this, according to them, is creating a very divided environment in the media scene in Kosovo. I think it is important to be aware of a regressive situation and that it should be fixed by the government which should restore the standard of transparency including the right to be informed, and to have access to all data of public institutions,” Roberta Taveri, from the ARTICLE 19 organization, said.

According to data from the Agency for Information and Privacy, from September last year until September this year, 101 complaints were filed in Kosovo due to lack of access to official documents in various departments of the government.

Kosovo is ranked 61 out of 180 countries in the World Press Freedom Index, while out of the six countries of the Western Balkans, Kosovo is ranked second.

SLAPP Lawsuits Want to ‘Silence’ Crticism; Solution Required for WB (BIRN)

SLAPP lawsuits, used by financially powerful individuals, groups and politicians to allegedly silence, intimidate and threaten journalists, are seriously threatening the work of journalists of the Western Balkans and action is required, according to a panel discussion in Prishtina.

In recent years in the Western Balkans, journalists and activists faced SLAPP lawsuits which aimed at silencing criticism and opposition.

In a panel discussion on Monday, representatives from Kosovo, Albania and Serbia discussed the need for documentation of these cases, greater support from state governments for activists and journalists, closer local, regional and international cooperation and raising solidarity.

Flutura Kusari, senior legal adviser at the European Center for Media Freedom, said SLAPP lawsuits are being used by financially powerful people and politicians to infringe on freedom of expression and intimidate journalists and activists.

Kusari emphasized that according to the data of the Anti-SLAPP Coalition in Europe, there are many cases where lawsuits have been filed against activists and with special emphasis on journalists, but these data do not include all of them, since many of them have not managed to tell publicly.

“If one person is a criminal, we are right to say that you are a criminal. If you are corrupt, we are right to say that you are corrupt, but of course, always based on facts,” Kusari said.

SLAPP lawsuits are lawsuits that seek to censor, intimidate, and silence critics by charging them with the cost of a legal defense until they abandon their cause.

Read more at: https://bit.ly/3EDur9K

Kosovo participating in COP27 Conference for the first time (media)

A delegation of Kosovo is participating for the first time, in the COP27 Conference, under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Egypt.

"The first delegation from the Republic of Kosovo is headed by Minister Liburn Aliu, Member of Parliament and Chairperson of the Environment Committee Mrs. Fitore Pacolli-Dalipi, and Mr. Kenan Tora, Diplomat from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora," announced information office of the Ministry of Environment, Spatial Planning and Infrastructure.

It is also reported that in support of the first delegation from Kosovo are Agim Mazreku, engaged by UNDP as an Environmental Policy Analyst for the Interministerial Council on Climate Change, and Stefan Mager from the German GIZ.

Was the "Valley Association" discussed in Brussels? (Albanian Post)

The European Union's media office has not denied it, but neither did it want to comment further on whether the government of Kosovo has presented the idea of ​​establishing the Association of Albanian Municipalities in Serbia.

"We do not comment on every working meeting or interaction that the High Representative of the EU's Foreign Policy (Josep Borrell) has with partners in the region, as part of his daily work," says a response to the Albanian Post.

The news website reports that former mayor of Presevo and political advisor to the Prime Minister of Kosovo for Presevo, Medvedja and Bujanovac Ardita Sinani, traveled to Brussels with the first deputy prime minister for European Integration, Development and Dialogue, Besnik Bislimi.

Based on the fact that Prime Minister Albin Kurti is categorically against the establishment of the Association of Municipalities with a Serbian Majority, the AP source emphasized that Sinan's presence in the negotiating team of the Kosovar side reflects his position that the rights of Albanians in Serbia should be equivalent to the rights of Serbs in Kosovo.

This means that the three municipalities in the Presevo Valley should form the Association of Albanian Municipalities in Serbia, always in accordance with the reflection of the Association of Municipalities with a Serbian Majority in Kosovo.

AP contacted Sinani during the day, but she refused to speak herself, referring to Bislimi's media office. Klisman Kadiu, adviser to Bislimi, rejected media reports that such a request was submitted to European mediators.

Also, the AP through diplomatic sources has learned that an agreement has already been reached in principle for de-escalation of the situation and on Friday (November 18) the parties will come out with the details, or at least the official announcement of the agreement.

AP learned that the Kosovar side has accepted to postpone the decision on license plates after the continuous demands of the EU and the United States of America, but for this, it has asked for a guarantee from the partners.

Modalities are currently being sought as to how the Kosovo Serbs could be returned to the institutions, which they left in a demonstrative manner, the news website reports.