Albanian Language Media:

• Kurti: Agreement with EFTA countries will be signed next year (RTK)
• Osmani: Vucic will only postpone Crimea-style annexation plan (RTK)
• Osmani meets Cardinal of Vatican, emphasises importance of recognition of Kosovo by Holy See(media)
• Kurti and Gervalla meet Secretary of State of the Holy See (RTK)
• Kusari-Lila: Proposal to impose measures on Kosovo was Lajcak's (media)
• Rasic: Serbian List is working to boycott February 9 elections (Dukagjini)
• Explosive device thrown on property of an Albanian in Zvean (Dukagjini)

Serbian Language Media:

• Vucic: Intense week in New York, difficult talks about Kosovo (Kosovo Online, media)
• Vucevic: Enormous pressure by Kurti on Serbs in Kosovo (Blic, Kosovo Online, TV Prva)
• Opposition and Kosovo Serbs discuss alternatives to Serbian List, emphasise community survival (FoNet, N1, KoSSev)
• Explosion in Zvecan, gas station guarded by Kosovo police damaged (N1, KoSSev)
• Albanian PM: “Kosovo’s statehood irreversible, rejects Ukraine parallel at the UNGA (KoSSev)
• Mijacic: Closure of temporary authorities an act of brutal force, not the integration of the Serbian community (Kosovo Online)

 

 

Albanian Language Media 

Kurti: Agreement with EFTA countries will be signed next year (RTK)

 

Kosovo Prime Minister, Albin Kurti, has said In a Facebook post that after four rounds of negotiations that began in June 2022, Kosovo has reached a Free Trade Agreement with the EFTA member states, and that the signing of the agreement is expected to take place at the beginning of next year.

 

"This agreement will create new opportunities for our local producers and companies and will strengthen the economic and commercial partnership between our Republic and the EFTA member states," Kurti said.

 

"The representation of the Republic of Kosovo in the Free Trade Agreement with the EFTA member countries enjoys equal treatment. We are the only country in the region that, in addition to negotiating trade in goods, has also negotiated trade in services with EFTA," he emphasised.

 

Osmani: Vucic will only postpone Crimea-style annexation plan (RTK)

 

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani was invited to the think tank "Council on Foreign Relations" in New York where she spoke about Kosovo's relations with Serbia. She has stated that the goal of Kosovo's institutions is the integration of Serbs into society and institutions, but according to her, Serbia and its president, Aleksandër Vucic, are preventing this.

 

 "By not allowing them (Kosovo Serbs) to integrate into the institutions of Kosovo, they try to use the same instruments that they used in Bosnia and Herzegovina. They try to destroy Kosovo from within. And the more that Kosovo Serbs do not integrate, the more Serbia will use Putin's "arguments" that we will protect the minority community. In fact, all they care about is territory. All they care about is pushing forward plans for Crimea-style annexation while they don't care about the rights of the Serbs living in Kosovo," Osmani said.

 

She has said that the tensions in the north of Kosovo are created by Serbia. "Vucic is the boss of these criminal gangs, because they finance them, support them politically, control them. And secondly, Vucic is the man who politically tries to hold the Kosovo Serbs hostage by not allowing them to integrate into what is today the best constitution for the protection of minority rights in Europe", she emphasised.

 

Osmani meets Cardinal of Vatican, emphasises importance of recognition of Kosovo by Holy See(media)

 

President of Kosovo met in New York in the sidelines of the UN General Assembly with the Secretary of State of the Holy See, Cardinal Parolin. The Presidency announced that during the meeting, Osmani emphasised the importance of recognition by the Holy See, as an important step towards deepening interstate relations, which would also contribute to long-term peace and stability in the region.

 

During her stay in New York, Osmani also met the Australian Foreign Minister, Senator Penny Wong. "We are committed to further strengthen our bilateral ties and bring our countries closer", Osmani wrote in X.

 

Kurti and Gervalla meet Secretary of State of the Holy See (RTK)

 

Kosovo Prime Minister, Albin Kurti, together with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Donika Gervalla, have met the Secretary of State of the Holy See, Cardinal Pietro Parolin. Minister Gervalla wrote on Facebook that the meeting took place on the sidelines of the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

 

Kosovo Prime Minister, Albin Kurti, also met with the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the United Arab Emirates, Abdullah bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. According to the announcement of the government, they discussed the strengthening of cooperation and the growth of economic relations between the two countries.

 

On the sidelines of the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora of Kosovo, Donika Gervalla, met the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic, Jan Lipavsky. They discussed about the deepening of cooperation in the economy and other areas of common interest.

 

Kusari-Lila: Proposal to impose measures on Kosovo was Lajcak's (media)

 

The head of the parliamentary group of the Vetevendosje Movement, Mimoza Kusari-Lila, has stated that the measures of the European Union towards Kosovo should be removed as soon as possible, since as such they have been unreasonable and completely unfair.

 

She said she expects that after the establishment of the new structures of the EU, there will be positive decision-making for the removal of the measures, and change of “the discriminatory approach” towards Kosovo. Kusari-Lila, among other things, stated that the proposal for the measures was from the European emissary for the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue Miroslav Lajcak.

 

"Until now, the measures against Kosovo have been unreasonable and completely unfair...Kosovo is still under measures due to the implementation of constitutionality and legality with the departure of legitimately elected mayors in the northern municipalities, while Serbia is not among the measures and there have been no consequences for supporting a terrorist attack in Kosovo and violating our sovereignty... We hope that there will be a completely different approach, which we have seen as a wrong and discriminatory approach to Kosovo and in particular the proposal of the mediator Lajcak to impose measures on Kosovo", emphasised Kusari-Lila.

 

Rasic: Serbian List is working to boycott February 9 elections (Dukagjini)

 

The Minister for Communities and Return in the government of Kosovo, Nenad Rashic, has said that there is unofficial information that the Serbian List is working to boycott the national and local elections. He said that Vucic's request for immediate elections is also impossible from a legal point of view. Therefore, when the time of elections comes, this very request will become a pretext for non-participation.

 

"I consider that that request will, so to speak, be dramatised in such a way that at some point, I am waiting for some groups, in particular from the Serbian List, to announce some form of non-participation in the electoral process, even if it will happen for a part of Kosovo or in the whole territory, it is something we will see in the future", stated Rashic.

 

Rasic refused to provide additional information as he said that he does not want to make public everything they know about this plan.

 

Explosive device thrown on property of an Albanian in Zvean (Dukagjini)

 

An explosive device was thrown at a fuel pump owned by an Albanian in Zvecan, in the early hours of Sunday,damaging several cars and other businesses nearby, but no one was injured. The Deputy Minister of Local Government Administration, Arber Vokrri, told Dukagjini television that Serbian List is organising these attacks and the Kosovo Police has the names of the people who are acting.

 

"A list of names of the suspects was given earlier by Serbian citizens, with whom we have communication and cooperation, they were given to the law enforcement agencies, it seems that the Kosovo Police is interested in going gradually step by step with the strengthening of security" Vokrri said. According to him, these attacks are orchestrated by the Serbian List.

 

"There is no doubt that they are supporters, and many of them members of the Serbian List, which remained the champion of the cause of the territorial division of Kosovo", he said.

Serbian Language Media 

Vucic: Intense week in New York, difficult talks about Kosovo (Kosovo Online, media)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, summarising the past week, said that it was an intense week in New York, during which he had difficult discussions about Kosovo, reported Kosovo Online. 

"We made new and important economic contacts, presented the country's potential, talked with everyone, listened and learned from others. I had difficult discussions about Kosovo and Metohija. It is up to us to continue to act responsibly, to preserve the peace, life and survival of our population in Kosovo and Metohija, preserving the legal and political statehood of the Republic of Serbia," Vucic said on Instagram.

Vucic added that Serbia must secure its national interests, its independence, security, learn as much as possible, and catch up with the world.

"It will bring enormous growth to the country and prosperity to the people. That's why we have to push things forward, regardless of all those who would slow down and stop the country, to fight fast and not to lose a single second on the way to a better future", added Vucic.

Vucevic: Enormous pressure by Kurti on Serbs in Kosovo (Blic, Kosovo Online, TV Prva)

Serbian PM Milos Vucevic stated yesterday that Belgrade must not accept the narrative imposed by Pristina regarding the Banjska incident, emphasizing that while the event that occurred a year ago should not have happened, it was a reaction to the years of suffering that Serbs in Kosovo have endured. Vucevic pointed out that the number of Serbs in Kosovo is steadily decreasing due to the immense pressure from Albin Kurti, which he said will only continue.

"We must not accept the narrative that Banjska is something defined only according to how Pristina sees it. Banjska should not have happened, but it was a reaction to what has been happening in Kosovo and Metohija. Banjska didn't just occur out of nowhere—someone didn't do it out of idleness during a period of flourishing human rights in Kosovo," Vucevic said in an interview with TV Prva, noting that recent discussions have focused solely on Banjska, without addressing the daily struggles of Serbs in Kosovo.

He highlighted that Pristina is not allowing the families of the three Serbs killed in Banjska to commemorate the site.

"It's as if we're ashamed to say that three Serbs were killed there. Should we be the ones to apologize for Banjska, while they killed three Serbs? And before that, dozens of Serbs were beaten, arrested, and wounded—from the Stojanovic brothers, who were shot by a member of the KSF near Strpce, and who’s now free pending trial, to Dragisa Galjak..." the PM Vucevic remarked. He stressed that Banjska was the culmination of all the hardships Serbs have been facing, which is why Serbia continues to call for a return to dialogue and negotiation.

Vucevic urged Serbs in Kosovo to trust their country.

"We can't fully know from here how difficult it is for them, but we can understand that it's hard and ask them for patience and understanding, to trust in Serbia, stay in Kosovo and Metohija, and not be instigated or persuaded to leave their homes," Vucevic said. He pointed out that the number of Serbs in Kosovo is shrinking because of the immense pressure from Albin Kurti.

He called it shameful that those responsible for monitoring the situation either fail to act or issue ineffective statements, allowing such treatment of an entire people in a territory with a special status due to the presence of international forces. Vucevic also noted that Serbia is often blamed for everything that happens to Serbs.

"Apparently, Serbia is threatening someone, while there are fewer and fewer of us; we are being expelled, and campaigns are being waged against us, to the point of taking away part of our territory... We must, as a people, free ourselves from this stigma that we are always to blame for everything," Vucevic said.

Opposition and Kosovo Serbs discuss alternatives to Serbian List, emphasise community survival (FoNet, N1, KoSSev)

The Serbian opposition, together with representatives of Serbs from Kosovo, held a meeting aimed at addressing the survival of the Serbian community in Kosovo and establishing a political alternative to the Serbian List, reported N1 on Saturday.

Dragan Djilas, leader of the Party of Freedom and Justice (SSP), firmly stated that his party would never accept Kosovo’s independence or its membership in the United Nations. He stressed the importance of the Serbian community’s survival in Kosovo, noting that “without them, the fight would lose its meaning.” Djilas proposed several measures to support Serbs in Kosovo, including increased investment in local production and strengthening the University of Mitrovica.

Zdravko Ponos, leader of the Center-Heart party, echoed concerns about the current government’s approach, claiming that it accelerates the decline of the Serbian population in Kosovo. He vowed to hold the government accountable in the upcoming parliamentary session focused on Kosovo. Zoran Lutovac, president of the Democratic Party, called for the creation of a political alternative to the Serbian List and demanded an end to corruption along the Belgrade-Kosovo axis.

Other opposition figures, including Robert Kozma of the Green-Left Front, criticized both Belgrade and Pristina’s policies, describing them as detrimental to the Serbian community. Momcilo Trajkovic of the Serbian National Forum called for an authentic Serbian political movement in Kosovo to represent local interests and influence broader national policy in Serbia.

The meeting marks the start of efforts to create this new political alternative.

Explosion in Zvecan, gas station guarded by Kosovo police damaged (N1, KoSSev)

On Sunday a powerful explosion was heard in Zvecan. According to KoSSev, no one was injured in the incident, but a gas station guarded by Kosovo Police sustained damage.

“Around midnight, an explosion occurred near the gas station in the centre of Zvecan. There were no injuries, but material damage was caused to the gas station structure and several nearby cars. We cannot confirm the cause of the explosion yet, and competent units are on the scene,“ said Veton Elshani, Deputy Commander of Kosovo Police for the North Region, as reported by KoSSev.

A video published by Klan Kosova shows shattered glass at the gas station, yellow caution tape, and KP officers present at the scene. Readers from Zvecan informed KoSSev that multiple police vehicles, with officers carrying rifles, blocked a road near the gas station on Sunday. 

NIS formerly owned the gas station but is now operated by the “Lab Oil” company. Kosovo Police have been guarding these stations regularly since taking control of them. In particular, the station in Zvecan has been under the protection of special units from day one. According to KoSSev, special forces were visible at the station on Saturday, with an armoured police vehicle seen near the site earlier that day.

Albanian PM: “Kosovo’s statehood irreversible, rejects Ukraine parallel at the UNGA (KoSSev)

Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama made a firm declaration during his address to the UNGA last week, stating that Kosovo’s status as “an independent state is an irreversible reality“ within the Western Balkans. Rama dismissed any “artificial parallels” drawn between Kosovo and the situation in Ukraine, claiming that such comparisons only serve to confuse and mislead.

“Kosovo must not be held hostage by anyone’s false pretensions or excuses,” Rama asserted, pointing out that the region is in a much better position today than it has ever been.

Rama emphasized the importance of continued cooperation both within the Western Balkans and with international allies to ensure that a return to past conflicts becomes not only impossible but also “simply unimaginable.”

He highlighted Kosovo’s clear European path and unwavering commitment to the broader democratic community.

“Our brotherly Republic of Kosovo, as one of the six countries of the Western Balkans, is an irreversible reality with a clear European perspective and undeniable loyalty to the democratic family of nations,” Rama said.

He also addressed the comparison between Kosovo and Ukraine made by some political actors.

“Any artificial parallels drawn between Kosovo and the occupied regions of Ukraine aim to distract and confuse both this assembly and the wider international community,” he noted.

Read more at:https://tinyurl.com/ys5sd8d8

Mijacic: Closure of temporary authorities an act of brutal force, not the integration of the Serbian community (Kosovo Online)

Dragisa Mijacic, the coordinator of the National Convention for Chapter 35, stated in reference to the month since the takeover of Serbian institutions in northern Kosovo that it was an unwanted but expected event and an act of brutal force that does not contribute to the normalization and integration of the Serbian community.

"The closure of provisional institutions was an unwanted event that could have been expected given all that had transpired before. Chapter 35 mentions that Serbia would dismantle the provisional bodies, but this was expected to happen after the formation of the Community of Serb Municipalities. Here we see that things are not happening in parallel; on the one hand, Serbian institutions that provide services to citizens are being closed, while on the other, there are no processes leading to the formation of the Community of Serb Municipalities," Mijacic said for Kosovo Online.

Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/ympdtxv2