Albanian Language Media:

• EU offers new growth plan to WB, partly opens access to single market (AP/media)

• Kurti: I asked Brnabic to sign Basic Agreement, she wasn’t interested (Telegrafi)

• Scholz: We condemn attack in north; Kosovo and Serbia must reach many points (media)

• “The people are disappointed” – Does anyone represent Serbs in north of Kosovo? (RFE)

• Peach: Attack in Kosovo “very serious incident”; calls for investigations and return to dialogue (VoA)

• Von Cramon says Vucic visit to China “a signal towards the EU” (media)

• Palokaj: EU is buying time for Serbia for the attack in Banjska (KTV)

Serbian Language Media:

• Brnabic says position of Serbs in Kosovo humanitarian and not political issue (Tanjug, KoSSev)

• Scholz: We will resolve conflict in Kosovo (Radio KIM, N1, BETA)

• Government denies Serbian PM refused photo shoot in Tirana (N1)

• Tanjug: Kurti after Tirana Summitt refused to respond to Serbian media questions

• Vucic: Even worst dialogue with Pristina better than having no dialogue (media)

• Local roads in Leposavic municipality dug up, villages cut off and movement of vehicles made difficult (Kosovo Online, media)

• Ambassador Molina: Spain supports European path of Serbia and its territorial integrity (media)

• Lawyer: Saqir Lutvija sent to 30-day detention over alleged war crime in 1998 (Kosovo Online)

 

 

Albanian Language Media

 

EU offers new growth plan to WB, partly opens access to single market (AP/media)

European Union leaders offered a new growth plan Monday to the six Western Balkans countries that opens parts of the EU single market to them in return for deep reforms, ahead of their full membership in the bloc.

The integration of Albania, Bosnia, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia into the EU was discussed at a summit Monday in Albania’s capital as part of annual talks called the Berlin Process. The meeting was attended by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Charles Michel, as well as German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

Russia’s war in Ukraine has put integration of the Western Balkans into the EU at the top of the 27-nation bloc’s agenda. The EU is trying to reinvigorate the whole enlargement process, which has been stalled since 2013 when Croatia became the last country to join.

The six Western Balkan countries are at different stages of integration into the bloc. Serbia and Montenegro launched membership negotiations a few years ago, followed by Albania and Macedonia last year, while Bosnia and Kosovo have only begun the first step of the integration process.

Scholtz said “the Berlin process is the best instrument to not only unleash the full potential of regional cooperation, but also to speed up the integration of all Western Balkan countries.”

The EU has made it a requirement for Western Balkan countries to reform their economies and political institutions before joining, including by improving the regulatory structure for business, fighting corruption and stamping out organized crime.

Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/2v3twzfe

Kurti: I asked Brnabic to sign Basic Agreement, she wasn’t interested (Telegrafi)

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti, at the end of the Berlin Process Summit in Tirana, was asked if he was ready to continue the dialogue with Serbia after the September 24th attack in Banjska, to which he said that first the Basic Agreement must start being implemented.

Kurti said he asked Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic to sign the Basic Agreement but that she was not interested. “We have the February 27th agreement with Serbia. The de facto recognition must be implemented. The Serbian side refused it. Today I asked Brnabic to sign the Basic Agreement. I want the agreements to be implemented. Vucic was busy in China today. If he is really interested in stabilization, he should sign the agreement,” he said.

Kurti also said that the north is part of Kosovo, responding to an earlier statement by Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama. “The north of Kosovo is the land of Kosovo. We need more security for Kosovo. We need NATO troops to cooperate with the Kosovo Police. Kosovo Police is first, EULEX is second, and KFOR is the third responder. KFOR is not a law enforcement institution,” Kurti argued.

Scholz: We condemn attack in north; Kosovo and Serbia must reach many points (media)

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz condemned on Monday the September 24th attack in the north of Kosovo and said that Kosovo and Serbia must reach many points. He said Germany is cooperating with Kosovo’s authorities and that this is a very positive step.

“I would say we really condemn the attack that happened in Kosovo. It is something that many will never accept, it is very clear that the EU and all countries, including Germany, have a very clear position on this. We also call for cooperation between the countries to support the investigations. It is very important that we are cooperating with Kosovo’s authorities, and this is a very positive step … On the issue between Kosovo and Serbia, there are many points that must be reached,” Scholz said.

“The people are disappointed” – Does anyone represent Serbs in north of Kosovo? (RFE)

“The people are disappointed, hopeless”. This is how Milan from Leposavic, one of the four Serb-majority municipalities in the north of Kosovo, describes the position of Serb community members after the events in Banjska and a series of political crises. “We need to return faith in the future, but I don’t know if we are going to be successful in all this. We are in a difficult position, only God can help us,” he told Radio Free Europe. He also said that after the events in Banjska he and other Serbs are alone and that they have no representatives that would protect their interests. “These former political representatives (from the Serbian List) have withdrawn. There is great uncertainty,” he said.

“I feel empty and disappointed,” Ivan from Leposavic told the news agency. “It feels like everyone has abandoned us”. He argued that Serbs in the north “are stuck in the mud” and that they currently have no political representatives. “Someone needs to ask questions on our behalf, for example when will Jarinje [border crossing] be opened again”.

Dejan from Mitrovica North said he and his fellow citizens in the north of Kosovo are “living in fear”. “No one knows what awaits us. Everyone is confused and doesn't know what to do,” he said.

Aleksandra from Mitrovica North says she is worried about herself and her family and that they rarely go out of the house because of fear: “Look at the situation, there are arrests every day. We no longer have a normal life”.

There are also those that think differently about who currently represents the Serbs in the north of Kosovo. Milomir from Leposavic told RFE that he doesn’t feel “abandoned” because he thinks “with my own head”. He also believes that there are some new politicians that will represent the Serbs in the north of Kosovo. “There are some others coming, there is no vacuum (in the representation of Serbs in the north of Kosovo) and life is going on normally. I must deny that ‘Kurti’s police’ is intimidating us, there is no terror,” he argued.

Peach: Attack in Kosovo “very serious incident”; calls for investigations and return to dialogue (VoA)

UK Special Envoy for the Western Balkans, Stuart Peach, in an interview with the Voice of America, said they condemn the September 24th attack by an armed Serb group in the north of Kosovo as a very serious incident and called for full investigations to determine the responsibility. He said that Russia’s war in Ukraine has brought back memories from the past and has increased tensions in the Balkans. 

Peach said London remains committed to the process of dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia which should lead to a form of normalization fast. He said that the UK position is not the creation of another Republika Srpska in Kosovo, but an Association that takes into account the interests of all parties and one that is in compliance with the Constitution of Kosovo.

Von Cramon says Vucic visit to China “a signal towards the EU” (media)

European Parliament’s Rapporteur for Kosovo, Viola von Cramon said in a post on X that “while everyone is meeting for the BerlinProcess in Tirana the President of one EU ‘candidate’ state celebrates his honeymoon in China. Also a signal towards the EU.”

Palokaj: EU is buying time for Serbia for the attack in Banjska (KTV)

Brussels-based correspondent Augustin Palokaj said in an interview with KTV on Monday commented on the Berlin Process Summit in Tirana, Albania, saying that “we are in a situation where we expect freedom of movement, but we also expect war to break out. The EU is powerless, because there are measures against Kosovo and Prime Minister Kurti, while there are no measures against Dodik. The EU is in a paradox.”

“The Berlin Process is not a forum where political problems are resolved. It has been almost a month since the attack in Banjska, but the European Commission wants to buy time for Serbia, and it always calls for thorough investigations to shed light on what happened. This creates the impression as if the ball is in Kosovo’s hands, as if Kosovo needs to present evidence because it is conducting the investigation,” he added. 

Palokaj also said that people who are responsible for the Banjska attack are in Serbia and that Serbia does not want to cooperate on the matter.

According to Palokaj, the EU should take measures against Serbia. “As far as the dialogue is concerned, it is natural that the EU cannot back down because they have invested millions of euros. The more that Vucic refuses the EU, the latter are appeasing him more,” he said.

Palokaj said that Prime Minister Kurti since he accepted the agreement was ready to sign it too, but that Vucic refused to sign it because, in his words, the EU allowed him this.

 

 Serbian Language Media

 

Brnabic says position of Serbs in Kosovo humanitarian and not political issue (Tanjug, KoSSev)

Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic said in Tirana on Monday she did not know why Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama had called for imposing sanctions against Serbia, and noted the move was not in line with good-neighborly relations or the Open Balkan initiative, Tanjug news agency reports.

She said the summit had addressed the situation in Kosovo and the September 24 events in Banjska, and added that Serbs did not have the fundamental living conditions in Kosovo and that their position was not a political but a humanitarian issue.

When asked if she had been under pressure over the events in Banjska, she said there had been no pressure but that the incident, as well as the situation in Kosovo, had been discussed.

She also noted that all European officials in attendance expressed support for the establishment of a Community of Serb Municipalities in the presence of Pristina's PM Albin Kurti.

Scholz: We will resolve conflict in Kosovo (Radio KIM, N1, BETA)

I assure you that there is a clear determination of my government, European Union members states and the US to resolve the conflict between Serbia and Kosovo and pave the way for a good future for both as EU members, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said in Tirana, Radio KIM reports.

Scholz told the press conference following the end of Berlin Process Summit in Tirana that he condemned the attack on police and all the activities that were seen in Kosovo on September 24, "an attack on institutions and people".

The position of the EU and Germany on this is clear. We await the results of the investigation conducted by the Kosovo authorities, and it would be good if Serbian authorities cooperate with them. It would be good if that happened, he said.

Peaceful development of situation in the Western Balkans clearly requires the understanding of all countries not to be haunted by the past, but to look to the future and solve problems, Scholz said and cited the good example of North Macedonia, which is solving its bilateral disputes in order to progress on the European path.

When it comes to Belgrade and Pristina, Scholz emphasized that many agreements have already been reached and their implementation is necessary, adding that one of them is similar to the agreement between the former two Germanys, in order to make people's lives as simple as possible.

The same should be done here, we continue working on the implementation of all the agreements that have been reached, among which is the Community of Serbian Municipalities, Scholz said.

Government denies Serbian PM refused photo shoot in Tirana (N1)

The Serbian Government denied media reports on Monday that Prime Minister Ana Brnabic refused to take part in a photo session with other participants of the Berlin Process Summit in Tirana, N1 reports.

Media reports said that Brnabic refused to take part in the photo shoot because Kosovo flag was displayed at the summit.

“The government of the Republic of Serbia is forced to deny the writings of certain regional and domestic media, which reported that Prime Minister Ana Brnabic refused to be photographed with other leaders during the participation in the Summit of the Berlin Process in Tirana”, a press release said and added that she was there for the photo shoot.

“Serbia once again showed that it does not pursue a policy of isolation, but that it is oriented towards cooperation and solving all outstanding issues through dialogue”, the statement added.

Tanjug: Kurti after Tirana Summitt refused to respond to Serbian media questions

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti after the Berlin Process Summitt in Tirana responded to the media questions, but as Tanjug news agency reported, he had refused to respond to the questions of the Serbian media related to the situation in northern Kosovo and whether elections will be called there.

Asked by a Tanjug reporter if his statement “that Serbs will suffer and pay for” came true, Kurti did not respond, but continued talking to Albanian media.

Asked by other media outlets from Serbia about the situation in the north of Kosovo and new elections in the four Serb-majority municipalities there, Kurti also did not wish to respond, Tanjug news agency said.   

Vucic: Even worst dialogue with Pristina better than having no dialogue (media)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on Monday dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina was important even though it was clear Pristina's PM Albin Kurti wanted no dialogue, Tanjug news agency reported.

"Having discussions and dialogue is important even though we know it is not going to happen because Kurti never wanted dialogue. We want dialogue, we want the establishment of a Community of Serb Municipalities and implementation of what we have agreed on, in particular, the Brussels Agreement, which was signed almost 11 years ago. I am afraid we have no discussion partners for that, but even the worst dialogue is better than having no dialogue", Vucic told reporters in Beijing, where he is attending a summit of the Belt and Road initiative.

Vucic also said that he will support any decision of the Serbs from Kosovo. “(…) you have to stand by your people at difficult times, I do not force anyone, but I think the circumstances have changed, and that they should think about elections, look at the hypocrisy of the other side”, he added. 

Local roads in Leposavic municipality dug up, villages cut off and movement of vehicles made difficult (Kosovo Online, media)

Local roads in the villages of Leposavic municipality, including the road via Belo Brdo leading to Kopaonik Mountain at the place called Vlaska Ravn are dug up, and earlier yesterday concrete barriers higher than two meters placed on a road in the village of Josanica leading to the villages of Berberiste, Duboka and Crnac Mine, which workers can access now on foot only and have to walk for around 4 kilometers to get to the Mine. This road also leads to Novi Pazar, Kosovo online portal reports.

With those recent changes, miners from Zaplanina village will have to use bypassing roads to get to their working place in Trepca.

Over the previous days, caterpillars and trucks escorted by Kosovo police dug up the roads and placed double concrete barriers at several places thus surrounding Leposavic. The roads in the village of Cirkovice were also dug up, same as in the village of Stanulovice and in the villages of Belo Brdo and Josanica.

This way many villages had been cut off from neighboring towns and movement of the residents to and from work with vehicles have been made difficult.  

Kosovo police deputy commander for the North region Veton Elshani confirmed that the roads have been dug up and according to him “it was carried out to prevent illegal movements in this area and fight against crime”. 

Ambassador Molina: Spain supports European path of Serbia and its territorial integrity (media)

Spanish Ambassador to Serbia Raul Bartolome Molina reiterated that Spain supports the European path of Serbia and continuously supports its territorial integrity and sovereignty in line with UN SC Resolution 1244.

He made those remarks in a reception marking the Statehood Day of the Kingdom of Spain, adding that normalization of relations between Belgrade and Pristina was possible only through the dialogue and by respecting principles of international law.

He also underlined that Spain and Serbia have strong allies and friendship. 

Lawyer: Saqir Lutvija sent to 30-day detention over alleged war crime in 1998 (Kosovo Online)

Lawyer Jovana Filipovic told Kosovo Online portal that the Basic Court in Pristina rendered 30-day detention to Saqir Lutvija from the village of Krstac in Dragas municipality over alleged war crimes in Kosovo in 1998.

Lutvija was arrested at Merdare crossing point on October 14 when he attempted to enter Kosovo, and according to the lawyer, Pristina Special Prosecution charges him that in July 1998 he allegedly committed war crime against civilian population by mistreating some persons in a police station in Orahovac and that one person died on that occasion.

She also said she will file an appeal on detention measures. She said Lutvija did work as a police officer but in Prizren and not in Orahovac as prosecution claims and that it will be proven during the proceeding.

“This is yet another in the series of arrests after more than 20 years (since the conflict) although Sacir Lutvija lived in Kosovo, has residence there and never had any problems or reports about any criminal act”, she said.