Albanian Language Media:

• Kurti says dialogue has been damaged, criticizes EU for unbalanced approach (media)

• Kryeziu: Serbia, Lajcak and Borrell on one side, Kosovo is alone (Koha)

• The US Embassy demands seriousness for implementation of Ohrid Agreement (media)

• German Embassy: Parties  to urgently commit to de-escalation (media)

• Kurti and Guerot talk about bilateral relations and the Brussels meeting (media)

• Reuten: Start of Brussels meeting with measures in force against Kosovo is neither balanced nor fair (Kallxo)

• Hoti: Only implementation of Agreement reached in Tito's villas in Ohrid is being negotiated (Reporteri)

• Kurti: Albanian community in Serbia should have same attention as Serb community in Kosovo (Koha)

• Kurti: For the first time, Prime Minister's Office publishes communiqués in Serbian (RTK)

• COVID-19: One person died and 67 positive cases in last two weeks in Kosovo (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Vucic confirms trip to Brussels for Belgrade-Pristina dialogue (N1)

• Serbian FM says West won’t pressure Kurti (BETA, N1, B92, Kosovo Online)

• Brnabic receives Sarrazin (Tanjug)

• Dacic calls for soonest possible establishment of Community of Serb Municipalities (Tanjug, media)

• Djuric meets Escobar, tells him Serbia firmly committed for peace and cooperation (RTS, social media)

• Serbian Parliament Speaker meets OSCE High Commissioner (Tanjug)

Albanian Language Media

 Kurti says dialogue has been damaged, criticizes EU for unbalanced approach (media)

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti in an interview with "Deutsche Welle," highlighted critical points regarding the ongoing dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia, emphasizing the need for the full implementation of the Basic Agreement and its Annex agreed upon in Ohrid. 

He stressed the importance of fully implementing the Basic Agreement and its Annex without delays, and expressed concern that, one year after the agreement was reached in Ohrid, there has been insufficient progress in its implementation.

Kurti said that the French-German initiative, which became the EU's proposal for normalizing relations between Kosovo and Serbia, has de facto recognition at its core. 

"I hope that we will return to the implementation binary of the basic agreement, which means a sequenced plan for implementing the agreement… And every time there is a violation of the agreement, Mr. Borrell and Mr. Lajcak should condemn the breach, not as they did on April 24 when Serbia voted against Kosovo's membership in the Council of Europe, which was a violation of Article 4 of the agreement we made. From Brussels, we heard neither a voice nor a whisper, let alone condemnation," Kurti stated.

Kurti noted that Western countries have diverse approaches to Kosovo's government. He highlighted Kosovo's commitment to de-escalation in the north and the practical steps taken to achieve it.

Kurti emphasized Kosovo's commitment to the rights and needs of all its citizens, including Albanians, Serbs, Roma, Ashkalis, Egyptians, Turks, Bosniaks, and Gorani. He rejected territorial ethnonationalism and highlighted the importance of citizens' rights rather than the creation of new executive structures.

He expressed concern that the European Union's sanctions against Kosovo have harmed the dialogue and called for their removal. Kurti underscored that these sanctions affect various aspects of Kosovo's engagement with the EU.He outlined the concrete steps he has taken to address concerns related to the northern municipalities. These include reducing the police presence, allowing for early elections in northern municipalities, and addressing concerns about the legitimacy of certain mayors.

Regarding the mayors of the northern municipalities, Kurti questioned the need for their resignation and argued that they should not be held accountable for the actions of the Serbian List, which boycotted elections.

He emphasized Kosovo's commitment to treating its Serbian minority better than anywhere else in Europe, comparing it to the treatment of the Albanian minority in Serbia.

 Kurti accused specific structures, resembling the Russian Wagner mercenary group, of perpetrating violence in northern Kosovo, asserting that the violence is not the result of the local population's actions.

In conclusion, Kurti provided insights into the challenges and aspirations of Kosovo in its ongoing dialogue with Serbia. He underscored the importance of full implementation of agreements, the need for a unified approach from Western countries, and Kosovo's commitment to ensuring the rights of all its citizens. 

See the complete interview here: https://bit.ly/3EX1LYV

 Kryeziu: Serbia, Lajcak and Borrell on one side, Kosovo alone (Koha)

Arbereshe Kryeziu-Hyseni, MP of the Vetevendosje Movement (LVV) has stated that in relation to the dialogue with Serbia, Kosovo has remained alone.

According to her, the mediators of the European Union are not doing their job properly, since as she stated on Wednesday on KTV's "60 Minutes", Serbia is not being warned. 

"The unfair imposition of measures is the most wrong action that the mediators of the process have done. This confirmed that there has been an unequal approach towards Kosovo continuously. I hope that the measures will be lifted and we have discussed this with various representatives of European politics. If here we have interested parties to move forward, Serbia, Lajcak and Borell, three parties oriented on one side, Kosovo alone, while they should be mediating parties", stated Kryeziu.

She has stated that the three parties are playing "a game against Kosovo", while emphasizing that Kosovo is ready to "assume the obligations that come from the dialogue process".

"We are told to resign, but we are not Belgrade to ask them to resign. We do not issue resignation orders, they are elected by vote in a democratic process. Those who resigned at the last moment were ordered to resign", she said, while talking about the mayors of the municipalities in the north.

Kryeziu-Hyseni asked the representatives of the European Union to warn the Serbian president, Aleksandar Vucic, not to blackmail Kosovo.

The US Embassy demands seriousness for implementation of Ohrid Agreement (media) 

Today the EU High Representative, Josep Borell, together with the Slovak emissary Miroslav Lajcak, will mediate the Kurti-Vucic meeting.

A spokesperson for the U.S. Embassy in Pristina has said that the U.S. continues to strongly support the dialogue mediated by the European Union as a way to achieve a peaceful and productive relationship between Kosovo and Serbia.

"We ask Kosovo and Serbia to take seriously their obligations under the normalization agreement they reached earlier this year and begin moving forward on their existing and previous obligations under the Dialogue and Ohrid Agreement, including establishing of the Association of Municipalities with a Serbian majority", a spokeswoman for the US Embassy in Pristina told Express Newspaper.

According to the US Embassy, constructive engagement and sincere efforts for good faith from Kosovo and Serbia will bring lasting benefits to citizens, including economic growth and will ensure long-term regional stability.

German Embassy: Parties  to urgently commit to de-escalation (media)

The German Embassy in Pristina said that official Berlin appreciates the fact that a high-level meeting will be held on September 14 and expressed German support for the process mediated by the High Representative of the EU, Josep Borell and emissary Miroslav Lajcak.

 "It is urgent that both parties fully engage and commit to the de-escalation and full implementation of the Ohrid agreement, including the creation of the Association of Municipalities with a Serb Majority."

 Germany sees this meeting that will be held in Brussels as a good opportunity to put crisis management aside and return to a credible and constructive process.

Kurti and Guerot talk about bilateral relations and the Brussels meeting (media)

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti held a meeting on Wednesday with the Ambassador of France in Kosovo, Olivier Guerot. They discussed bilateral relations, current issues and today’s high-level meeting in Brussels, expectations from the meeting and for the importance of full, prompt and unconditional implementation of the Basic Agreement and its Annex.

Ambassador Guerot congratulated Kurti on the successful candidacy for the organization of the 2030 Mediterranean Games and offered the help and experience of France from the organization of these Games in 1993, the Prime Minister's office announced.

Reuten: Start of Brussels meeting with measures in force against Kosovo is neither balanced nor fair(Kallxo)

The Dutch MEP, Thijs Reuten, assessed that the beginning of this week's meeting between the Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, and the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, with measures against Kosovo still in force, is neither balanced nor fair. In a conversation with KALLXO.com, Reuten said that in order to continue with new municipal elections in the north, the punitive measures of the European Union against Kosovo must be removed immediately.

"Kosovo has worked on fulfilling the conditions requested by the EU on June 3, of course respecting the relevant laws. We don't have the luxury of wasting any more time,” he said.

He pointed out that although finding lasting solutions in the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue requires efforts from both sides, the burden has recently been placed too much on the side of Pristina "compared to the EU's wrongly appeasing approach towards Belgrade".  

"This is why we thought it was important to emphasize the importance of a balanced and proportionate approach in our joint letter of early August," he added. 

The MEP of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats group hopes that the letter that was sent by several international personalities, whose signatory was Reuten himself, will help the EU, the United States of America and Great Britain, understand that another approach to dialogue is urgently needed. 

"We are still waiting for an answer" - said Reuten adding that "we need to start working towards a future in the EU for both countries, instead of keeping the conflicts of the past alive. I hope that Thursday's meeting will result in a new starting point to build on," Reuten concluded. 

Hoti: Only implementation of Agreement reached in Tito's villas in Ohrid is being negotiated(Reporteri)

Former Prime Minister of Kosovo and current LDK MP, Avdullah Hoti, has not expressed optimism about the meeting in Brussels between the Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti and the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic.

"Let's be clear and not have unrealistic expectations for tomorrow's meeting for dialogue in Brussels: Tomorrow is negotiated only for the implementation of the Agreement reached in Tito's villas in Ohrid". 

"There is no negotiation for mutual recognition, as Kosovo has given up mutual recognition as a compromise to reach the Ohrid Agreement. The making of this compromise was witnessed by the chief negotiator of Kosovo himself a few days ago in foreign media", Hoti wrote on Facebook.

Kurti: Albanian community in Serbia should have same attention as Serb community in Kosovo (Koha)

The Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, wrote in a post on the "X" platform that the Albanian community in Serbia should have the same attention as the Serbian community in Kosovo.

 “We cannot discriminate in respect. The Albanian community in Serbia is entitled to the same attention as the Serb community in Kosovo. That is the very premise of minority rights—that ethnicity cannot and should not determine your worth, or lack thereof, in a country.

6000 ethnic Albanians (as reported by Dr. Flora Ferati-Sachsenmaier) have been illegally removed from voter lists and therefore cannot vote, work, buy property, or send their children to school.

Neither the city of Presheva nor Bujanoc in Serbia—whose populations are overwhelmingly ethnic Albanian (~70%)—have a hospital. Residents are forced to go to a nearby city, Vranja, where out of 700 employees, there isn't a single Albanian.

He said that in a recent competition for a doctor, "10 people applied, nine Albanians and one Serb, and the last one was hired".

"It is just one of the examples of anti-Albanian discrimination", Kurti said.

Kurti: For the first time, Prime Minister's Office publishes communiqués in Serbian (RTK)

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti through a post on the social network ``X'', said that the Prime Minister's Office for the first time, a month ago has begun issuing communiqués in the two official languages in Kosovo.

“A month ago, the Office of the Prime Minister—for the 1st time since independence—began the practice of posting press releases in both official languages of Kosovo. This is an overdue and vital step to provide Kosovo Serbs accurate information from their Government, in an era of disinformation,” Kurti wrote. 

COVID-19: One person died and 67 positive cases in last two weeks in Kosovo (media)

 One person has died from COVID-19 in Kosovo in the last two weeks (from August 30 to September 12), while 67 positive cases with COVID have been reported.

According to the Institute of Public Health (IKSHPK), 25 new cases are in Pristina, eight in Peja, seven in Gjakove. 

"Despite the recently noted cases, the epidemiological situation in the Republic of Kosovo with COVID-19 remains calm, while citizens who manifest signs of infection are advised to be tested and consult a doctor for any suspicion of COVID-19", says the IKSHPK.

Serbian Language Media

Vucic confirms trip to Brussels for Belgrade-Pristina dialogue (N1)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic will meet with European Union officials and take part in the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue, a press release said on Wednesday, N1 reports.

It said that Vucic will pay a one-day visit to Belgium on Thursday and will meet with EU High Representative Josep Borrell and Special Representative Miroslav Lajcak. “He will take part in the dialogue under the auspices of the EU”, the press release said.

The European Commission said Tuesday that Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti will take part in a high level meeting of the Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue in Brussels on Thursday, adding that Vucic and Kurti will first separately meet with Borrell and Lajcak before taking part in a joint trilateral meeting.

Serbian FM says West won’t pressure Kurti (BETA, N1, B92, Kosovo Online)

Serbian Foreign Affairs Minister Ivica Dacic said Wednesday it would be good if some progress would be made in Thursday’s high-level round of the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue, adding that the  West is not prepared to exert more pressure on Pristina.

“I would like to see some progress in the new round of the dialogue but our hopes are not too high because of (Kosovo Prime Minister Albin) Kurti and the lack of readiness in the West to bring more pressure to bear to get him heading towards normalization of relations”, Dacic told B92 TV a day before Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Albin Kurti are due to meet with European Union officials in Brussels.

He said that the West does not understand that Kurti “wants to achieve his wishes through violence”. He also said the international community does not want to take a sharper attitude towards Pristina adding an artificial “symmetry of blame” is being created but that it does not exist.

Commenting on the statements of the German Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Michael Roth in Pristina, Dacic said he is not surprised by his statements, as he, as Dacic said, has been speaking in favor of Kosovo independence for a long time, even in Belgrade, Kosovo Online portal reports.

“Roth belongs to a group of people who are the main promoters of Pristina and in accordance with this serves to elaborate in a propaganda manner and justify everything what Pristina is doing and to devise attacks on authorities in Serbia and Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija. Such statements should not be heard”, Dacic underlined.  

Brnabic receives Sarrazin (Tanjug)

Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic met with the German Government's Special Western Balkans Envoy Manuel Sarrazin on Wednesday to discuss Serbia-Germany bilateral relations and the situation in the region, Tanjug news agency reports.

Brnabic noted that cooperation in the region was a strategic commitment of Serbia that was not only aimed at economic development of the region but also an idea of connecting and uniting the region and bringing it close to the EU, and added that Serbia sincerely supported the Berlin Process initiative.

Speaking about the present situation in Kosovo, Brnabic noted Serbia's commitment to maintaining peace and stability and said Belgrade expected full implementation of signed agreements.

She stressed the significance of a soonest possible establishment of a Community of Serb Municipalities and added that she expected support that would enable lasting stability in the region through implementation of existing agreements.

Sarrazin agreed that the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue was a foundation for further discussion and progress. The  meeting was also attended by German Ambassador to Serbia Anke Konrad, the statement also said.

Dacic calls for soonest possible establishment of Community of Serb Municipalities (Tanjug, media)

In a meeting with the German Government's Special Western Balkans Envoy Manuel Sarrazin, Serbian First Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic noted the significance of a soonest possible establishment of a Community of Serb Municipalities in Kosovo, Tanjug news agency reports.

The parties agreed that progress in the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina was of great importance for maintaining stability in the region, the Serbian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.

Sarrazin reiterated his government's firm support for full EU membership for Serbia and the region, the statement added. The German side announced an October 6 meeting of Berlin Process FMs in Tirana and an October 16 Berlin Process summit.

Djuric meets Escobar, tells him Serbia firmly committed for peace and cooperation (RTS, social media)

Serbian Ambassador to US, Marko Djuric met with US Special Envoy for the Western Balkans Gabriel Escobar and discussed with him the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue, and plans to boost bilateral cooperation between Serbia and US in all fields, RTS reports.

“During the meeting, I pointed out in particular daily mistreatments that the Serbian community in Kosovo and Metohija is exposed to. Discriminatory, undemocratic and often violent pressure on Serbs and attempts to create a discord between Belgrade and partners in the EU and US are the only policies of Albin Kurti. I conveyed assurances that such a policy has no future”, Djuric wrote in a post on Twitter.

He also said that Belgrade remains firmly committed to peace, cooperation and policy for the future. New round of Belgrade-Pristina dialogue should take place today in Brussels, RTS recalled. 

Serbian Parliament Speaker meets OSCE High Commissioner (Tanjug)

At a meeting with Serbian Parliament Speaker Vladimir Orlic, OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities Kairat Abdrakhmanov voiced concerns over the situation in Kosovo and noted that OSCE advocated peace and continued dialogue, Tanjug news agency reports.

Orlic noted the particularly difficult position of Serbs in Kosovo and said their human rights were "fundamentally jeopardized by Pristina on a daily basis".

"In Kosovo and Metohija, besides a violation of all agreements, an intentional avoidance of establishment of a Community of Serb Municipalities and implementation of what was agreed and signed a long time ago, shots are fired at Serb children, supplies of food and medicines are blocked, people are unlawfully detained and their property is taken away from them without any legal consequences whatsoever for the perpetrators, and we know who the perpetrators are", Orlic said.

Orlic also said elections for national minorities councils had been held successfully in Serbia and that all aspects of the position of Serbia's ethnic minorities had been improved further.

Abdrakhmanov noted that OSCE advocated peace and the importance of advancement of educational programmes, especially in the field of language learning as the best way of establishing communication between different communities.