Albanian Language Media:

• Osmani says draft statute of Association should be prepared with U.S. (RTK)
• Kurti and Gervalla meet ambassadors and diplomats accredited in Kosovo (media)

• Gervalla says “Vucic regime poses threat to peace, stability in Europe” (media)

• Svecla publishes document of Serbian army found in the north (media)

• Konjufca and Hovenier meet, discuss events in Banjska (media)

• Krasniqi: “National interest above all; Serbia should surrender terrorists” (Koha)

• Rama wants EU to issue new statement on Kosovo-Serbia dialogue (RFE)

• Lajcak meets incoming COMKFOR Major General Ulutas (media)

• Docherty: Serbia to use its influence after attack on Kosovo Police (media)

• “Exclusive: Belgrade hospital confirms Radoicic as their patient” (Indeksonline)

Serbian Language Media:

• Vucic says last night peace is in Serbia’s interest, Kurti systematically destroys Serbian people (RTS, Tanjug, N1, B92, media)

• Andric-Rakic: Those killed were family men, they would not have brought conflict to their children’s doorstep if they thought there was another way out (KoSSev, N1)

• Dacic: Belgrade has nothing to do with armed group in Banjska (N1, BETA)

• Serbian Ministry of Culture: Forgery and appropriation of cultural heritage (Radio KIM, Tanjug)

• Dacic: Video of Kosovo Serb politician fake (RTS, N1)

• Day of mourning observed in Serbia (N1, media)

• Petkovic: Intention of Svecla is to accuse Belgrade for alleged involvement in Banjska incident (Tanjug, Radio KIM)

• Serbian Prince Filip extends condolences to families of those killed in Banjska (Radio KIM)

International Media: 

• Serbs in Kosovo mourn those killed in monastery shootout (Reuters)

Albanian Language Media

 Osmani says draft statute of Association should be prepared with U.S. (RTK)

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani said in an interview with RTK on Wednesday that Kosovo needs to prepare the draft statute for the Association of Serb-majority municipalities together with the United States. She said that the agreement toward the normalization of relations – which was reached earlier this year – is not perfect for Kosovo but that it is an international obligation.

Osmani said that there are still doubts about how some parts of the agreement – referring to Articles 7 and 10 – can be implemented in practice. Article 7 includes securing a level of self-management for the Serb community, in line with the agreements reached earlier during the dialogue, while Article 10 calls on the parties to implement all agreements reached in the dialogue, including the agreement on the Association.

“I think the solution is as follows: we need to sit with the U.S., and prepare our draft, the draft of the Republic of Kosovo. Initially [only with the U.S.], I think that this is the solution, to meet with our partners in the U.S., to present our draft to U.S. Secretary of State, a draft that would be in line with the Constitution of Kosovo, in line with the decision of the Constitutional Court, in line with the letter of [former EU High Representative] Mogherini which guarantees that the Association will not have executive competencies, and in line with the U.S. position expressed in the op-ed by [counselor to the U.S. State Department] Chollet and [U.S. Envoy for the Western Balkans] Gabriel Escobar who note that such a mechanism will have a coordinating role and no executive competencies,” Osmani said.

Kurti and Gervalla meet ambassadors and diplomats accredited in Kosovo (media)

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti and Foreign Minister Donika Gervalla met on Wednesday with ambassadors and diplomats accredited in Kosovo and the central topic of the meeting was the attack against Kosovo Police in Banjska near Zvecan on September 24. They informed the international diplomats about the latest developments in the security situation and called on the international community to strongly condemn “the destabilizing actions of Serbia’s institutions” in Kosovo.

Kurti and Gervalla said the government and institutions of Kosovo proved once again professionalism and maturity and showed that they are in the service of all citizens. They said Kosovo’s institutions are committed to cooperating and coordinating closely with partners and allies to secure peace and security in Kosovo and the region.

Gervalla says “Vucic regime poses threat to peace, stability in Europe” (media)

Kosovo’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Donika Gervalla, said on Wednesday that Kosovo confirmed that one the armed attackers “who participated in the deadly attack on our Police served as a bodyguard for Serbia's sitting intelligence chief back in 2013”. “We also found a certificate directly linking the Serbian army to one of the seized weapons. I call upon the international community to recognize that the policy of appeasement towards Serbia has failed. A fundamental shift is needed. The Vucic regime poses a threat to the peace and stability of Europe. This time, we cannot afford to go back to business as usual,” she wrote in a post on X.

Svecla publishes document of Serbian army found in the north (media)

Kosovo’s Minister of Interior Affairs, Xhelal Svecla, published on Wednesday a document belonging to the Serbian army that was found during the controls in Banjska and which according to him was given to the armed attackers during a handover of a grenade launcher. According to Svecla, the document is another proof of Belgrade’s ties with the armed group that attacked the Kosovo Police.

Konjufca and Hovenier meet, discuss events in Banjska (media)

Kosovo Assembly President Glauk Konjufca and U.S. Ambassador to Kosovo Jeffrey Hovenier met on Wednesday to discuss the latest developments in the north. A press release issued by the Assembly notes that the main topic of the meeting were the events in Banjska near Zvecan. “Konjufca thanked Ambassador Hovenier for the overall support that the United States have given and continue to give to the Republic of Kosovo,” the statement notes.

Krasniqi: “National interest above all; Serbia should surrender terrorists” (Koha)

Leader of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) Memli Krasniqi met on Wednesday with President Vjosa Osmani and Kosovo Intelligence Agency chief Petrit Ajeti and expressed full support for all security institutions. Krasniqi said that for the PDK it is very clear that the main address for organizing and orchestrating the attack on Kosovo is in Belgrade and that that this is why internationals should put pressure on Serbia to surrender “the terrorists it has sheltered”. Krasniqi also said that “in challenging periods when Kosovo’s territorial integrity and safety of our citizens are threatened, for the PDK, the national interest was and always will remain above everything”.

Rama wants EU to issue new statement on Kosovo-Serbia dialogue (RFE)

Albania has opposed the statement by EU High Representative Josep Borrell on the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia and has called on the bloc to issue a new statement. Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, in a joint press conference with Italian Deputy Prime Minister Antonio Tajani, said the EU should issue a new statement after the events in Banjska in Kosovo where an attacked by an armed group resulted in the killing of a Kosovo police officer and the death of three assailants. “For the first time in the last 10 years, Albania strongly opposes a foreign policy statement by the European Union. This position relates to the fact that the EU statement [on September 19] is a statement that does not contain anything problematic because it addresses everything that Borrell has said in the past about Kosovo’s obligations in the dialogue. But there is a major problem that it does not correspond with the reality of the last couple of days. It is impossible for us to be on the same line with the EU without seeing a second statement, that addresses the problems of the last couple of days. A police officer of the Republic of Kosovo was killed by a criminal group that was clearly invested to exercise terror in the north of Kosovo and this was followed by a national day of mourning in Belgrade. This is unacceptable, unjustifiable and condemnable for us,” Rama said.

Rama said that this was the worst signal that Serbia could send at this time for the region and all of Europe.

Lajcak meets incoming COMKFOR Major General Ulutas (media)

EU Special Representative for the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia, Miroslav Lajcak, met on Wednesday with the incoming commander of KFOR, Major General Ulutas. “Pleasure to welcome the incoming Commander of NATO KFOR Major General Ulutas in my office today. We exchanged views on the current situation in Kosovo and the Dialogue. Looking forward to continuing the long-standing excellent cooperation with KFOR,” Lajcak wrote on X after the meeting.

Docherty: Serbia to use its influence after attack on Kosovo Police (media)

UK Minister for Europe MP Leo Docherty said during his stay in Belgrade on Wednesday that Serbia should work with Kosovo to bring the perpetrators of the attack against Kosovo Police to justice. “In Belgrade to promote Great Britain – Serbia action on trade, science, tech & shared challenges.  Serbia should use its influence, after the appalling attack on Kosovo Police, to deescalate tension and work with Kosovo to bring perpetrators to justice. Both sides must return to dialogue,” Docherty said after meetings with Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic and European Integration Minister Tanja Miscevic.

“Exclusive: Belgrade hospital confirms Radoicic as their patient” (Indeksonline)

The news website published an audio file on Wednesday claiming that Milan Radoicic, who is suspected as the organizer of the armed group that attacked Kosovo Police in Banjska near Zvecan, is being treated in the Military Hospital in Belgrade. The news website talked to the hospital operators who told them that Radoicic is hospitalized in one of the hospital’s departments. Reportedly after they learned that they were talking to reporters from Kosovo, the hospital operators cut off all communication.

Serbian Language Media

Vucic says last night peace is in Serbia’s interest, Kurti systematically destroys Serbian people (RTS, Tanjug, N1, B92, media)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic in an interview with RTS broadcast Oko (Eye) last night said that Serbia declared a day of mourning for all persons killed in Banjska, Serbs and a Kosovo police officer.

He also said Serbs killed in Banjska for him as a president will never be terrorists, and that there is no justification for the murder of a police officer either. He urged Serbs to obtain what belonged to them in a peaceful way. He also said Milan Radoicic was not wounded, as some media and Pristina officials claimed, adding that Radoicic is in the territory of central Serbia and will respond to the summon of the state bodies.

He asked the international community not to pressure Belgrade, because they know very well who is guilty for this.

Below are key points of Vucic’s last night interview:

-      We are ready for elections already from December 17, there will be joint parliamentary, Belgrade mayoral, provincial and also elections in some municipalities,

-          Russia has understanding for Serbia’s position,

-          With the speech at the UN GA session, I secured the place of Serbia in history,

-          You can achieve more in talks with US, than with Europeans,

-          I am asking international community not to pressure Belgrade, they know well who is guilty for this (Banjska incident),

-          Situation in boiling, killed Serbs for people in northern Kosovo are martyrs and heroes,

-          Svecla lied that a bodyguard of Aleksandar Vulin is among those killed in Banjska. He was in his security for one day only, 10 years ago, when Vulin visited Kosovo,

-          Radoicic will respond to the summons of the Republic of Serbia bodies, there are questions that he needs to answer,

-          You can not justify murder of a police officer, despite of him not having anything to do in the north in accordance to the law,

-          Persons from outside of Kosovo and Metohija took part in pursuit of Serbs in Banjska,

-         Serbs who took part in the conflict in Banjska village for me as a president will never be terrorists,

-          Police officer hit the wire and explosive used to set the barricade, the murder was not planned.

During the interview President Vucic once again extended condolences to the families of all persons killed in the Banjska attack, Serbs and a Kosovo police Albanian officer.

Speaking about the detention of Serbs arrested in Kosovo, he said their detention will last as long as Albin Kurti likes it.

He added he said it a hundred times that Pristina is causing anger of the Serbian people and that they are on the verge of uprising, and yet they say he agreed with them. Vucic also said that Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti is systematically destroying Serbian people in Kosovo, adding that they are going through hell.

“He (Kurti) hates Serbian people. He thinks Serbian people are Rasic, Radomirovic and other miserables serving against the interests of their own people”, Vucic said. He said he does not know what the idea of Serbs who gathered and entered into conflict with Kosovo police was, but that he was certain they went to safeguard their homes and be ready for some future attacks against them. 

Vucic also said he does not know how realistic it is for KFOR to take over protection in the north and that he can’t make promises on that.

Families of killed Serbs to receive bodies tomorrow, there are witnesses of Mijailovic’s and Milenkovic’s murder 

President Vucic said last night he expects that the bodies of Serbs killed in Banjska will be handed over to their families tomorrow. He said there were problems with the autopsy, as Serbia requested one of its experts to be present there.

He said a particular problem was made regarding Igor Milenkovic from Leposavic for whom Belgrade has information that he was shot at with 12 bullets at the moment when he dropped the weapons and raised his hand. He said the other killed Serb, Bojan Mijailovic also from Leposavic was shot in the head directly. He added there are persons ready to be protected witnesses claiming that he was shot in the head directly, and killed in the cold blood, adding that there is no drone image of this released.

"There are persons under our observation who are ready to testify as to how it all happened. Something else also happened. There were not only people from Kosovo and Metohija in pursuit. That is why EULEX was not welcomed there. There are already specialized persons for the fight against Serbs, among others, persons from the territory of the Presevo municipality who have committed several of the most serious crimes. Some of them have been on our warrants since 2021", Vucic said.

"EULEX was prevented from taking action"

"We will carry out our work in accordance with the laws of the Republic of Serbia. And that means that we will act as a state governed by the rule of law, that we will watch and investigate everything that happened, but today, as I say, we know much more. I was shocked by the fact that EULEX was rejected when trying to take part in the operation, and that EULEX is silent, that it does not issue a public statement about going into an operational action in the north of Kosovo. They were kept in a central operational room from which they could monitor where everyone was moving (….)”, Vucic said, adding Pristina did so because it had intention to liquidate all the Serbs.

“Were there 30 or 40 of them, since you can see that they are increasing every day, first it was 20, now it's 60. And now they're starting to reduce it. At first, they said there were 7, 8, 9, 12 killed Serbs. There are three killed Serbs”, Vucic added.

Read B92 report in English on Vucic’s address at: t.ly/c4mbL

Read N1 report in English on Vucic’s address at: t.ly/BNfl5

Andric-Rakic: Those killed were family men, they would not have brought conflict to their children’s doorstep if they thought there was another way out (KoSSev, N1)

“These are family men whose families live here. Those people would not have brought violence to their doorsteps, if they did not believe that there was no other way out“, Milica Andric-Rakic, program manager at the New Social Initiative told N1, commenting on the Kosovo Serbs being linked to the recent attack in Banjska, KoSSev portal reports.

As she said no one in the north believes that they died defending the interests of smugglers or criminals, but that it was a political act. “That they resorted to violence in order to achieve political goals that they could not achieve, apparently, throughout a decade of dialogue“.

She underlined that there are greatly simplified narratives that “everything is ruled by crime“ in the north of Kosovo or that people there are “doing everything they are told to do.” “Who leave Kosovo institutions when they are told to just because someone told them, and not because they have real human feelings“.

Read more at: rb.gy/xy560

Dacic: Belgrade has nothing to do with armed group in Banjska (N1, BETA)

Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic told the Vojvodina public broadcaster (RTV) that Belgrade has nothing to do with the armed group that clashed with the Kosovo police on Sunday in the Banjska village in northern Kosovo and that he does not know who organized that group.

However, he added that “whoever it is that is organizing them in the fight for the freedom of the Serb people must take the effects into consideration”.

The Minister said the conflict in Banjska “is not in Belgrade’s interest,” and that a solution to the current situation is de-escalation, increased KFOR presence and new local elections in the north of Kosovo.

Regarding Pristina’s claims that Belgrade had organized and armed the group that clashed with the Kosovo police, Dacic said he does not know who organized it, but that Pristina’s “official concept” is to accuse Belgrade of everything.

The Minister noted that the loss of human lives, Serbian or Albanian, is not in Serbia’s interest and that it would be best if the whole process were to go back to how it was defined ten years ago – to try to normalize everyday life through dialogue, without going into status issues.

Serbian Ministry of Culture: Forgery and appropriation of cultural heritage (Radio KIM, Tanjug)

Serbian Ministry of Culture said the latest attempts of Pristina authorities to forge and appropriate Serbian cultural heritage are becoming in particular “bizarre and absurd”, Radio KIM reports. The Ministry made those remarks reacting to the statements of Kosovo Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports Hajrullah Ceku about, as he said, “dangerous and detrimental use of properties, cultural and religious heritage for crimes”.

“Those who for decades consistently and persistently plunder, desecrate, burn and destroy cultural heritage, and what they have not destroyed, they attempt to appropriate, now pretend to care for the very same Serbian religious and cultural heritage, only to cover up serious and heinous crimes they did against it and continue doing”, the Ministry warned.

As it said “the fake concern for cultural heritage in the midst of terror against people who created those very same heritage and managed to preserve it up to day, by opposing centuries-long onslaughts, convincingly and undeniable prove that recklessness, insidiousness and hypocrisy of Pristina have no limits".

"Serbia will not allow this kind of sheer deception to be used as another means of violence against the Serbian cultural and religious heritage and the Serbian people as a whole and will continue with its institutions to, as before, dedicatedly nurture and restore cultural monuments and religious premises in Kosovo and Metohija", the statement concluded.

Dacic: Video of Kosovo Serb politician fake (RTS, N1)

Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic said the Kosovo police video allegedly showing Serbian List official Milan Radoicic in uniform at the Banjska monastery is a fake.

Kosovo Internal Affairs Minister Xhelal Svecla released a police drone video of uniformed, armed men in the grounds of the Banjska monastery, alleging that one of them was Serbian List deputy leader Radoicic.

“We aren’t justifying any violence, we regret the killing of the police officer, loss of Serb lives, the incident which is not in Serbia’s interest, Dacic said speaking live on the Serbian public broadcaster RTS.

He echoed the words of President Aleksandar Vucic who blamed Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti for the armed incident in Banjska.

Day of mourning observed in Serbia (N1, media)

Serbian government institutions, media outlets and the Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC) observed a day of mourning on Wednesday under a government decision for the Serbs killed in the armed incident at the Banjska village in northern Kosovo.

Defense Minister Milos Vucevic posted a picture on his X profile of four candles burning against a black background with the ministry coat of arms in a corner, expressing sincere condolences to the families of the Serbs killed in Kosovo and the message of eternal glory to them.

The SPC’s top body the Holy Synod sent messages of condolences to the families of the Serbs killed in Banjska and the family of a Kosovo Albanian police officer. It called on the faithful to “pray for all the dead for the sake of the future of Serbs and Albanians in Kosovo” and rejected all claims from Pristina and elsewhere that SPC had anything to do with the armed incident.

Black posters with the message “Eternal glory to all Serbs who fell in the fight for freedom at this sacred spot” over a picture of the Banjska monastery appeared in the northern city of Novi Sad. The posters were not signed. They were put up across the city and nearby Sremski Karlovci. Novi Sad and the surrounding area has a large population of refugees who fled from other parts of the former Yugoslavia, including displaced persons from Kosovo.

Petkovic: Intention of Svecla is to accuse Belgrade for alleged involvement in Banjska incident (Tanjug, Radio KIM)

Office for Kosovo and Metohija Director Petar Petkovic told Kosovo Interior Minister Xhellal Svecla “to stop lying”, adding his intention was to accuse Belgrade for alleged involvement in the events that happened in Banjska village, in northern Kosovo, Tanjug news agency reported.

"Kurti's extremist Svecla continued today with heinous lies that he has not stopped since the moment of the tragic events in Banjska, all with the intention of accusing Belgrade of alleged involvement in those events that Albin Kurti caused with his anti-Serb policy", Petkovic said in a statement.

He pointed out that "the paper that Svecla published today as some kind of proof of the involvement of the Serbian Army in the events from Banjska", was a lie. He said what Svecla presented is not a weapons’ handover document, but a simple technical paper accompanying each weapon piece.

“The same Svecla lied about deceased Serb in Novi Pazar, lied that Milan Radoicic is at VMA (Military Medical Academy) for treatment, lied that a vehicle from gendarmery was confiscated in Banjska, and there are information that this vehicle was imported from Croatia, and has nothing to do with Serbian army or police”, Petkovic said.

Serbian Prince Filip extends condolences to families of those killed in Banjska (Radio KIM)

Serbian Prince Filip Karadjordjevic extended condolences to the families of persons killed in Banjska and sent a number of appeals to politicians, officials and representatives of the international community, Radio KIM reports.

"I express my sincere condolences to all families of those killed in the north of Kosovo and Metohija. The loss of their lives and all the events in the previous days in the north of Kosovo and Metohija are a great tragedy for our people and our country", he said in a statement.

He appealed to the media to report on tragic events in northern Kosovo with less sensationalism and arbitrariness as it makes an already complex and hard situation more difficult. He appealed to political stakeholders to restrain from inflammatory and populist statements that can hamper the current situation and do their utmost to have the situation normalized and de-escalated.

He also urged international officials to do their utmost to ensure peace, safety and security in Kosovo as well as respect for the fundamental human rights.

“I also send full support to the Raska-Prizren Eparchy and Bishop Teodosije who for decades try to enable survival of the Serbian people in Kosovo and Metohija, and are the only voice of reason in the territory of Kosovo and Metohija, the only true authority in advocating and defending the rights of the Serbian people in Kosovo and Metohija”, he said.

International Media

Serbs in Kosovo mourn those killed in monastery shootout (Reuters)

The main political party representing Serbs in northern Kosovo declared three days of mourning on Tuesday for people killed in a gunbattle near the monastery with Kosovo police, after the worst violence for years in the contested area.

The gunbattle has prompted new international concern over stability in Kosovo, which has an ethnic Albanian majority and declared independence from Serbia in 2008 after a guerrilla uprising and a 1999 NATO intervention.

Belgrade has never recognised the independence of its former province. Around 50,000 ethnic Serbs in the north reject rule from Pristina. No group has come forward to claim responsibility for the attack or explain the motives of the gunmen.

Read more at: rb.gy/3h1e3