Albanian Language Media:

• Scholz: New dynamic needed in Kosovo-Serbia normalization of relations (media)

• Kurti’s address at the summit of the Berlin Process (media)

• Kurti: Good neighborly relations crucial for regional cooperation (media)

• Kosovo MPs discuss situation with food supplies for KSF (Radio Free Europe)

• VV boycotts assembly session on food supplies for KSF (Nacionale)

• Defense Ministry issues statement on situation with KSF food supplies (media)

• Ministry alarms QUINT and EU on arrest of Kosovar by Serbian authorities (media)

Serbian Language Media: 

• The meeting of the Berlin Process started (Beta, Kontakt plus radio, media)

• Scholz to Belgrade and Pristina: Your future is in the EU – only the implementation of the agreement leads there (Kosovo Online)

• Vucevic meets with Haddad in Berlin (Tanjug, media)

• The column of trucks on Merdare crossing about two kilometers long; Starovic reacts on X (Kontakt plus radio, KiM radio, Kosovo Online, X)

• Search at a private celebration in Leposavic - due to "shooting" but no weapons were found (Kontakt plus radio, Alternativna, KiM radio)

• Nastic: We are facing a humanitarian disaster, we rely on the international community (Kosovo Online)

• Dacic: “The war crime suspect in Pristina identified by the Serbian family whom he tortured” (Kosovo Online, Vecernje Novosti, Tanjug, RTV)

• SafeJournalists: Immediately investigate deliberate destruction of car of Kossev portal’s director (NMagazin, N1)

• UNS Condemns attack on KoSSev Director Nevenka Medic’s vehicle in North Mitrovica (KoSSev)

• New DSS challenges Brnabic on Kosovo session, questions Vucic’s attendance (N1, Danas, KiM radio)

• Matijevic: In Kosovo, IDPs cannot exercise the right to property restitution (Kosovo Online)

Opinion:

• Ten years on, what has the ‘Berlin Process’ done for the Western Balkans? (BIRN)

International: 

• Feuding leaders of Albania and Kosovo quietly ‘forget’ joint govt meetings (BIRN)

• Turkiye and Serbia sign Defense Cooperation Agreement focused on drone technology (armyrecognition.com)

 

Albanian Language Media  

 

Scholz: New dynamic needed in Kosovo-Serbia normalization of relations (media)

 

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz called on Kosovo and Serbia today to engage more actively in the normalization of relations, pledging that he will personally work with both sides. “We need a new dynamic … I would tell our friends from Belgrade and Pristina today: please don’t allow the past to hold you back on the path toward a peaceful and prosperous future. I am confident that this future is in the EU and there is only one path that leads there: the full implementation of the reached agreements … I will continue to personally engage with both countries to make sure that they use this opportunity,” Scholz said in his opening remarks at the Berlin Process Summit today.

 

Talking about the importance of the Berlin Process, Scholz said that it is the best instrument not only for regional cooperation but also to accelerate the European integration of all countries of the Western Balkans. “The European Union is not complete without the Western Balkans as part of it,” he said.

 

Scholz said that two new documents will be signed at the summit today, making the lives of people easier. The first document, he said, is related to a new action plan for the Common Regional Market, and the second is about a new mobility agreement that includes access to higher education. 

 

Scholz also said he “commends Kosovo for its latest contribution. The diplomacy of the CEFTA agreement (Central European Free Trade Agreement) is a great achievement for regional cooperation”.

 

President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, said in a post on X before the start of the Berlin Process Summit: “It’s the 10th anniversary of the Berlin Process. So it’s good to be in Berlin with our Western Balkan partners. To look back on our achievements, but especially to look forward. Towards a future where all six Western Balkan partners are part of our Union”.

 

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti shared a photo with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz before the start of the summit, saying: “We have worked hard to make this year’s summit of the Berlin Process a success. For a decade, it has played a key role in keeping the WB6 together and bringing it closer to the EU. I look forward to the discussions and deliverables”.

 

Kurti’s address at the summit of the Berlin Process (media)

 

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti delivered the following address on the 10th anniversary of the Berlin Process:

 

Dear Chancellor Scholz,

 

Dear President von der Leyen,

 

Members of the Berlin Process,

 

1. The Berlin Process began in August 2014, shortly after EU enlargement was paused and Russia annexed Crimea.

 

2. Ten years later, Europe's security has not changed for the better, but the response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has been different. Ukraine, Moldova, and Georgia now are EU candidates, Sweden and Finland have joined NATO, and the Western Balkans Six are back on the EU agenda.

 

3. For a decade, the Berlin Process has played a key role in bringing our region closer together and forward towards the EU. Despite internal and external challenges, the Berlin Process remains a driving force for European integration, and the thread that keeps the Western Balkans Six connected. This is what we acknowledge and celebrate today here in Berlin.

 

4. The Common Regional Market (CRM) is one of its greatest achievements. A new momentum has been gained after overcoming the deadlock within CEFTA. We can now advance at a different pace, with equality at center and citizens as end beneficiaries. 

 

5. The EU Growth Plan is now an approved Reform Agenda; its implementation must follow with a “race to the top” approach.

 

6. Over a decade, significant progress has been made in the Berlin Process, but more action is needed. A paradox arose in January this year when Kosova citizens gained visa-free travel to the EU but still lacked freedom of movement to Bosnia and Herzegovina.

 

7. While the Republika Srpska entity refuses the ratification of the mobility agreement for free movement with ID, that my country was the first in the region to ratify in the Parliament, I have decided to end the wait. Starting on January 1st next year, the Republic of Kosova will unilaterally allow free movement for ID holders of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

 

8. Connectivity is essential to the Berlin Process, yet we must guard against foreign influence, notably from China, which has invested heavily in our northern neighbor, signing Free Trade Agreement and a commitment for a shared future with China.

 

9. The EU must ensure that EU funds are linked to the EU values – it is the Berlin Process that brings our region closer to the EU, not a "Beijing Process" which leads to BRICS.

 

10. Kosova has been and will be a voice of reason and a standard bearer in this Process, but we should not stand alone in pushing and protecting the EU fundamental values.

 

Chancellor Scholz,

 

President von der Leyen,

 

In two months, we’ll mark two years since Kosova applied for EU membership. While we proclaim that enlargement is back on the agenda, it is high time for Kosova to receive official candidate status. In these last three and a half years we had extraordinary economic growth, democratic progress and institutional stability managing successfully some serious security threats. Acknowledging Kosova’s advances and achievements also affirms the EU's commitment to enlargement and its values.

 

Thank you.

 

Kurti: Good neighborly relations crucial for regional cooperation (media)

 

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti, on the eve of the Berlin Process Summit, met with the UK Minister for Europe, North America and Overseas Territories, Stephen Doughty, and the UK Special Envoy for the Western Balkans, Lord Stuart Peach. They discussed bilateral relations between Kosovo and the UK, different areas of cooperation, with focus on the defense, Kosovo’s Euro-Atlantic integration processes and opportunities to further the bilateral relations. 

 

On the 10th anniversary of the Berlin Process, Kurti said that good neighborly relations are crucial for regional cooperation and integration. 

 

Kurti also thanked Doughty and Peach for their important role and the UK’s continued support for Kosovo.

 

VV boycotts assembly session on food supplies for KSF (Nacionale)

 

The parliamentary group of the Vetevendosje Movement said today their MPs will not take part in today’s session of the Kosovo Assembly which will discuss the situation with food supplies for the Kosovo Security Force. 

 

VV MP Enver Dugolli highlighted two reasons why they will not attend the session and accused opposition parties. He mentioned the opposition’s request to dismiss VV parliamentary group chief Mimoza Kusari-Lila after the publication of an alleged conversation with Milan Radoicic. “As you are aware, since last week the opposition has entered a new phase of activities. They did not keep their word from the meeting of the [Assembly] Presidency for international agreements. We have become accustomed to this phenomenon. They said something, but they did something else. The attempt to dictate and blackmail the parliamentary group into dismissing Kusari-Lila in return for their participation in sessions or voting is absurd and we will not accept it. We don’t interfere with whom they appoint as their heads of [parliamentary] groups. We will not take part in any session called by them until they reflect and avoid this course of action. This is the first reason,” he said.

 

Another reason, according to Dugolli, is that Defense Minister Ejup Maqedonci has already reported to the Kosovo Assembly Committee for Security. “The second reason which is even more practical … is that in the first week of October, following a request by the opposition, all members of the committee [on security] supported their request to invite Minister Maqedonci for a report, and he reported on the matter. We discussed at the committee for over three hours, and the minister responded to all allegations made by the opposition, and on other topics, in two sessions, one was open, and the other was closed to the public. The request by the opposition parties for an extraordinary session is in the series of disinformation aimed at misinforming the citizens. This is done intentionally to weaken the role of the KSF which in the last four years has made exceptional progress and is stronger than ever before,” he argued.

 

Kosovo MPs discuss situation with food supplies for KSF (Radio Free Europe)

 

Following a request by opposition parties, members of the Kosovo Assembly are discussing today the issue of food supplies for the Kosovo Security Force. MPs from the ruling party – the Vetevendosje Movement – have boycotted the session.

 

MP from the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK), Beke Berisha, said the current situation is “very concerning”. “The negligent treatment of our soldiers is a violation of this government’s responsibility. The crisis of supplying the KSF with essential products is an alarm that requires a swift solution,” he said. He added that KSF members should not have to worry whether they have food supplies or not or what is the quality of their food but should be concerned only about their tasks and responsibilities. He also accused the government of “intentionally sabotaging an institution that is crucial for the stability of the country”. 

 

Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) MP, Hisen Berisha, said the issue of food supplies for the KSF “is a clear sign of problems related to management and the lack of long-term preparations”.

 

Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) MP, Anton Quni, said the Ministry of Defense is responsible for ensuring the well-being of soldiers and to make sure that there is high commitment to ensuring the right conditions for the operationality of the KSF. “The Ministry of Defense must ensure that procurement procedures at the KSF are in line with the highest principles and standards of transparency, fair competition and NATO standards,” he said. Quni also argued that according to standards of NATO countries, “it is absolutely unacceptable for a procedure such as securing food supplies for the army to include basic violations, where the procedure is initiated as secret and then continued as an emergency procedure in full opposition with the legislation”.

 

The news website notes that in the last weeks, local media have often published pictures of meals of soldiers, as well as complaints by KSF members about the food they are served. The Ministry of Defense, on the other hand, said that all KSF barracks are functional and that a variety of meals are served there, and said that reports in the media are propaganda.

 

Defense Ministry issues statement on situation with KSF food supplies (media)

 

Kosovo’s Ministry of Defense issued a statement today refuting media reports according to which Defense Minister Ejup Maqedonci allegedly sent a letter to Prime Minister Albin Kurti saying that he refuses to sign a contract with the new economic operator for food supplies. The statement notes that following Maqedonci’s instruction last Friday, the tender was annulled because of a dispute within the group of operators that won the bid, with one of the entities asking for the tender to be annulled. “Because of the legal uncertainty that was created, Minister Maqedonci did not sign the contract, and the unsigned tender does not produce any legal or financial consequence. Drawing from this case too, the minister in consultation with the deputy minister, advisor, commander and relevant structures of the Kosovo Security Force, has generated the concept of self-sustainability as the best option to resolve the long-standing problem with food supplies … Regardless of what is trying to be presented in the public through the dissemination of untrue information, we reiterate that the Ministry of Defense for the first time has initiated procedures for building its own capacities. While every barracks currently has employed cooks of the Kosovo Correctional Service and the Students’ Center, on October 10, on the webpage of the ministry a vacancy was announced to employ professional cooks. Once the 106 staff are employed, this problem will belong to the past. Without great financial cost, the army will be served only quality food,” the statement concludes.

 

Ministry alarms QUINT and EU on arrest of Kosovar by Serbian authorities (media)

 

Kosovo’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs notified diplomatic missions of QUINT countries and the European Union about the arrest of a man from Kosovo by Serbian authorities on allegations of war crimes in Pristina in June. Serbian Interior Minister Ivica Dacic said Serbian police arrested the person for “allegedly kidnapping a Serbian couple in Pristina in June 1999 and subjecting them to physical and psychological violence”. The suspect was sent to 48-hour detention and after that he will be handed over to the High Prosecution for War Crimes in Belgrade for further procedures.

 

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs also informed that a member of Kosovo Police was stopped and interrogated by Serbian police at the Merdare crossing as he was traveling through Serbia to Germany. The police officer was released several hours later. 

 

 

Serbian Language Media 

 

The meeting of the Berlin Process started (Beta, Kontakt plus radio, media)

 

The meeting of the leaders of the Western Balkan countries and representatives of the European Union within the framework of the Berlin process began today in Berlin.

 

The Prime Minister of Serbia Milos Vucevic, Montenegro Milojko Spajic, Hristijan Mickoski of North Macedonia, Andrej Plenkovic of Croatia, Edi Rama of Albania, Prime Minister of Kosovo Albin Kurti, Prime Minister of Hungary Viktor Orban, Chairperson of the Council of Ministers of BiH Borjana Kristo, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Layen are attending the summit. 

 

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz hosted them and met all the guests at the entrance except Edi Rama, who was late.

 

The Berlin Process was launched in 2014, at the initiative of the then German Chancellor Angela Merkel, as a format for regional cooperation and support for the rapprochement of the EU region.

 

Chancellor Scholz will talk to the participants at two working meetings, as well as at a working lunch, and the topics will be "Regional cooperation and a single regional market", "Green agenda for the Western Balkans, connectivity and energy", as well as future plans of the Berlin process.

 

The six partners from the Western Balkans will also sign a joint declaration on the new Action Plan for a single regional market, as well as an "Access to Study" mobility agreement.

At the end of the summit, a joint press conference for Chancellor Scholz and the President of the European Commission is planned.

 

Scholz to Belgrade and Pristina: Your future is in the EU – only the implementation of the agreement leads there (Kosovo Online)

 

The European Union is only complete with the Western Balkans, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said today while opening the Berlin Process Summit. He specifically addressed Belgrade and Pristina, emphasizing that their future lies in the EU and that there is only one path to get there – through the implementation of the agreements already reached, reported Kosovo Online in English. 

 

"The European Union is only complete with the Western Balkans as part of it, and the countries of this region should take further steps toward a shared future," Scholz stated.

 

He pointed out that everyone knows how much the WB region is still shaped by conflicts from the past, but said that it is time to overcome these conflicts and turn toward the future.

 

"That is why I want to send a message to our friends from Belgrade and Pristina – do not allow the past to pull you back from the path toward a peaceful and prosperous future. I remain convinced that this future lies in the EU, and there is only one way to get there – by fully implementing the agreements you have already reached. We are committed to resolving bilateral issues in a spirit of cooperation and through peaceful means. This is what the Berlin Process stands for," Scholz stated.

 

He praised the unblocking of the CEFTA free trade agreement, as it, according to him, enables the activation of several other agreements, such as those related to work permits and e-commerce routes.

 

"The unblocking of the CEFTA agreement is not the only decision we are making today. We will also sign two documents that will make everyday life easier for people. A new action plan for a common regional market, a fundamental document for further deepening economic integration. Including social and labor aspects of cooperation and mobility, this will make cross-border work less complicated and significantly bring you closer to EU standards," Scholz said.

 

Vucevic meets with Haddad in Berlin (Tanjug, media)

 

Serbian PM Milos Vucevic met with French Minister Delegate for European Affairs Benjamin Haddad in Berlin on Monday.

 

"Before the start of the Berlin Process (summit), I spoke with French Minister Delegate for European Affairs Benjamin Haddad in Berlin today," Vucevic wrote in an Instagram post. Vucevic is in Berlin for a summit that will mark a decade of the Berlin Process.

 

The anniversary summit is hosted by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

 

The column of trucks on Mer dare crossing about two kilometers long; Starovic reacts on X (Kontakt plus radio, KiM radio, Kosovo Online, X)

 

Kontakt plus radio reprted last night that the kilometer-long column of heavy trucks on Merdare started from the church in the village of the same name and extended to the very point at the crossing between central Serbia and Kosovo. The convoy of trucks was about two kilometers long. No one was controlling them, according to KiM radio report from last night. 

Trucks have been waiting at the crossing since the middle of the week when the ban on the import of final products from Serbia was lifted.

 

The situation was similar on Friday afternoon.

 

Passenger traffic on Merdare runs smoothly, so cars pass without waiting.

 

Serbian Minister of Labour, Veterans and Social Affairs Nemanja Starovic said in a post on X today that despite the Kosovo government's decision to lift the ban on the entry of Serbian goods into Kosovo, trucks have been stuck in a column on Merdare for days.

 

"Days after Kosovo* provisional PM Kurti announced lifting a 16-month long ban on imports from Serbia and received all the praise from the international community, trucks remain stuck at the administrative boundary. A swindler will remain a swindler. Paying lip service to his patrons while pursuing a campaign of fire and fury against the Serbian people in the province,'' wrote Starovic on X. 

 

Starovic's post on X with photos and a video available at:https://t.ly/EjJYN

 

Search at a private celebration in Leposavic - due to "shooting" but no weapons were found (Kontakt plus radio, Alternativna, KiM radio)

 

In the evening of October 12, the Kosovo police searched a private house in the municipality of Leposavic.

 

According to Alternativna, the search was carried out in the village of Kostin Potok, during a private celebration.

 

The deputy commander of the Kosovo Police for the northern region, Veton Elshani, confirmed to Alternativna portal that the search took place. According to this portal, Elshani initially, when asked by this portal, denied that the Kosovo Police had an action in Leposavic.

 

After they sent him the photo, which was on the cover of this text, and which was also shared on social networks, he said that the search was carried out because of a "shooting". When asked if weapons were found during the search, he replied that they were not.

 

Some of the citizens of Leposavic, who were at this celebration, say that they were surprised by the police's arrival. One of them told Alternativna that, during the celebration, two firecrackers were thrown, which he did not even hear over the music.

 

"After everything, they searched the house and the car, armed to the teeth. We celebrated privately, a man got a daughter," said one of those present at the celebration to the Alternativna.

He claims that, during this action by the Kosovo Police, he saw a KFOR vehicle nearby, with an American flag.

 

Because of these allegations, according to Alternativna, during the evening, they also wrote to the KFOR mission, and they are waiting for their reply.

 

Nastic: We are facing a humanitarian disaster, we rely on the international community (Kosovo Online)

 

The deadline for the eviction of the Social Welfare Center in Leposavic, requested by the mayor of Leposavic, Lulzim Hetemi, expires today. The 1,500 social aid recipients are worried about their survival, with those from vulnerable categories finding themselves in the most difficult situation. This morning concerned beneficiaries came one after another to claim their social assistance rights.

 

The Director of the Social Welfare Center, Natasa Nastic, says they have nowhere to go and that social aid beneficiaries will no longer be able to access their rights, reported Kosovo Online.

 

"Today is the deadline, the last day. According to their request, we should have vacated the premises already. We came to work this morning, and as you can see, there are many social aid beneficiaries here, trying to claim their rights. We have nowhere to go, and if we leave these premises, we won't be able to continue. Our beneficiaries will have nowhere to claim their rights, which could very easily lead to a humanitarian catastrophe, as I have been warning in the past few days," Nastic said.

 

Read more at: https://t.ly/Og8TB

 

Dacic: “The war crime suspect in Pristina identified by the Serbian family whom he tortured” (Kosovo Online, Vecernje Novosti, Tanjug, RTV)

 

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Internal Affairs of Serbia Ivica Daci said today that the former KLA member M.I. who was arrested on the weekend at Horgos border due to the existence of grounds for suspicion that he had committed a war crime against the civilian population, was identified by the family he allegedly tortured, reported Kosovo Online. 

 

"He is suspected of torturing a Serbian family together with other KLA members, they took them to a camp and tortured them. They identified him. It is an old indictment from 1999. He is in our records. You look at it when someone crosses the border and that's why those lists exist. That's how he was arrested. On the lists are people charged with crimes, in this case it's a crime against the civilian population," said Dacic for Vecernje Novosti daily, cited Kosovo Online. 

 

When asked if there is a possibility that M.I. be released, because they did so under pressure before, Dacic said that there were not many such cases.

 

"It happened that they were abroad, so pressure was applied not to extradite the arrested to us. Then they decide to release them, or there is some kind of manipulation like in North Macedonia, when a former soldier of the so-called KLA, Blerim Ramadani, was allegedly released from custody," explained Dacic.

 

SafeJournalists: Immediately investigate deliberate destruction of car of Kossev portal’s director (NMagazin, N1)

 

SafeJournalists strongly condemns the vandal attack on the car of Nevenka Medic, the director of the KoSSev portal, which happened over the weekend in the center of North Mitrovica.

 

“The car was parked in front of the building where the director of KoSSev lives, and the car has visible damage in three places, most likely caused by a flammable liquid, as the KoSSev portal writes. Medic reported the incident to the Kosovo Police, who took a statement from her, and conducted an investigation and forensic analysis of the car.”

 

This is not the first time a similar incident has occurred. Namely, in 2015, the director of KoSSev’s private car, which was also used for editorial purposes, was completely set on fire in the same street and in approximately the same place, and the perpetrators have not been prosecuted to this day, because the investigation was unsuccessful.

 

Tatjana Lazarevic, editor of the KoSSev portal, points out for the SafeJournalists network that the damage to the car is intentional and that it is visible to the naked eye. “I expect the police to at least confirm the cause of the damage. Although she is the director of our portal, given the amount of work in the field in the previous months and years, Nevenka Medić spends a significant amount of time reporting from the field, and her private vehicle is the only vehicle she uses for work. She is a safety-literate person, and that includes taking care of where she parks her vehicle, especially after her vehicle was also set on fire in 2015. We do not have the epilogue of that investigation to this day. Unfortunately, even in this situation, we express reservations that the investigation will be efficient and accurate. But of course, I don’t want to prejudge. Furthermore, I expect the Kosovo Police to do their job professionally. In the end, I emphasize that all of us in the editorial office do our work as professionally as possible and that, as far as we are concerned, we have no enemies,” Lazarevic points out. 

 

Read more at: https://t.ly/lxx5l

 

UNS Condemns attack on KoSSev Director Nevenka Medic’s vehicle in North Mitrovica (KoSSev)

 

The Association of Journalists of Serbia (UNS) and its Kosovo branch have condemned the deliberate damage to the vehicle of Nevenka Medic, director of the media outlet KoSSev, which occurred last night in the center of North Mitrovica. They are urging the police to swiftly identify the perpetrators.

 

UNS, along with its Kosovo branch, reminded the public that nearly ten years ago, Medic’s previous vehicle, which was also used for editorial purposes, was completely destroyed by fire, and the culprits were never apprehended.

 

The attack has also drawn reactions from the Kosovo Journalists’ Association and the French Embassy, highlighting the ongoing concerns over press freedom and the safety of journalists in the region.

 

New DSS challenges Brnabic on Kosovo session, questions Vucic’s attendance (N1, Danas, KiM radio)

 

The recent parliamentary debate on banning geological exploration and exploitation of boron and lithium exposed the regime’s lack of arguments in favor of opening a lithium mine in Serbia, while their lies that the opposition wants a civil war are an unsuccessful attempt to soften this defeat, said the New Democratic Party of Serbia (New DSS).

 

“Despite the draft law not being adopted, it has been exposed that the regime has put all its political and media resources in the service of defending a multinational company’s project that is against the interests of Serbia and its citizens,” the New DSS added in a press release.

 

The party said that the “regime would suffer an even greater defeat at a session on the draft Law on Representation and Protection of Serbia’s State Interests in Kosovo and Metohija” submitted by the opposition, “because the failure of the Kosovo policy is obvious and impossible to conceal, despite massive manipulation.”

 

As one of the initiators of the adoption of this draft law, the New DSS asked Serbian Parliament speaker Ana Brnabic when she would schedule a session to debate it.

 

“We also want to know if Aleksandar Vucic will attend this session. We are certain that his presence is needed, as he is the one most responsible for a decade of unconstitutional policy that culminated in accepting the Franco-German agreement,” said the New DSS.

 

“It is high time that Vucic faced responsibility in parliamentary debate,” said the New DSS, making a promise that, in addition to historical and political accountability, “Vucic will also face criminal liability after a change of government for surrendering state institutions in Kosovo and Metohija”. 

 

Matijevic: In Kosovo, IDPs cannot exercise the right to property restitution (Kosovo Online)

 

Milica Matijevic, from the Institute of Comparative Law, told Kosovo Online that one-third of internally displaced persons in Serbia live in harsh socio-economic conditions and cannot exercise their basic human rights. She says that what is necessary is to have better legal regulations and regular statistics on their situation.

 

She pointed out that internal displacement is a global issue. Last year, there were 75 million internally displaced persons worldwide. Studies show that displacement caused by war or human rights violations often lasts up to 20 years on average.

 

"This has shown us that internal displacement is more complex than just a link between violence and displacement. It doesn't end once the violence stops, as we can see in our country," she explained.

 

Read more at:https://t.ly/VJ0uI

 

                                                               Opinion

 

Ten years on, what has the ‘Berlin Process’ done for the Western Balkans? (BIRN)

Opinion piece by Marika Djolai

The Berlin Process initiative was launched in 2014 to boost the EU integration and alignment of the six Western Balkan countries. Despite continuing political problems in the region, it has delivered significant progress.

Read more at: https://shorturl.at/MHHXb

 

International

 

Feuding leaders of Albania and Kosovo quietly ‘forget’ joint govt meetings (BIRN)

 

The silent passage of the tenth anniversary of Albania-Kosovo intergovernmental meetings this year underscores a relationship at a historic low – but who is to blame for this rift remains disputed.

 

In the summer of 2023, Albania and Kosovo had planned to hold their ninth joint governmental meeting in the Kosovo border town of Gjakova/Djakovica.

 

The agenda for the June 2023 meeting included signing several new bilateral agreements across various sectors. For three months leading up to the meeting, institutions from both countries had worked tirelessly to finalise these agreements, making sure they would be ready for the ceremonial signing.

 

Joint meetings between the two countries, which share a common ethnicity, began in January 2014, when Edi Rama was the newly elected Prime Minister of Albania and Hashim Thaci was the leader of Kosovo’s government.

 

Prizren, also a border town, was chosen for its symbolic significance, representing the historic efforts of Albanians since the 19th century to unite.

 

Read more at: https://shorturl.at/r2BMY

 

Turkiye and Serbia sign Defense Cooperation Agreement focused on drone technology (armyrecognition.com)

 

According to information published by Middle East Monitor on October 12, 2024, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić announced a strategic collaboration between their countries in the defense industry during an official visit to Belgrade.

 

This agreement includes joint efforts in military technology, particularly focusing on drones, a sector where Turkey has become a global leader. Erdoğan emphasized that Turkish drone technology, including the renowned Bayraktar TB2 systems, would be an integral part of this cooperation.

 

Turkish Defense Industry in Balkan countries

 

Several Balkan countries have purchased Bayraktar TB2 drones from Türkiye, reflecting the growing military ties between the region and Ankara. Kosovo, which has been working to strengthen its defense capabilities, received its first batch of Bayraktar TB2 drones in July 2023. This acquisition is viewed as a strategic move amid ongoing tensions with Serbia, and it has been reported that Kosovo bought five drones, although the exact number remains unconfirmed.

 

Read more at: https://t.ly/Fn6yZ