Albanian Language Media:

• Barbano: All sectors of society to engage on road to EU  (RTK)
• EULEX report: There is decrease in productivity of court hearings (RTK)
• Agreement with Denmark on Gjilan prison, criticism continues (RTK)
• Rama meets COMKFOR, grateful for commitment to peace and security (media)
• KFOR German soldiers conduct routine patrols in northern Kosovo (media)
• Three municipalities led by PDK, “champions in budget transparency” (media)
• Kurti meets with delegation of Regional Assembly of Europe (RTK)
• Coach who slapped child suspended by European Taekwondo Federation (media)

Serbian Language Media: 

• Serbia marks World War I Armistice Day (N1)
• Vucevic lays wreath at Monument to Unknown Hero (Tanjug, media)
• Djuric: Serbia paid high price for freedom; we preserve statehood, freedom, and independence (Kosovo Online)
• Vucic speaks with Trump: US President thanks Serbians for support (N1)
• Serbian Democracy protest in Pristina, display photos of ‘inappropriate conduct of Kosovo police officers’ (Radio KIM)
• Entry of Albanian companies in northern Kosovo: Fuel stations owned by Serbs threatened with shutdown because they are ‘missing one document more’ (Euronews)
• Mitrovica North municipality takes over garage behind NIS petrol station (KoSSev)

International: 

• Balkan states come to UN Climate Summit with little progress to report (BIRN)                                               

                     Albanian Language Media  

Barbano: All sectors of society to engage on road to EU  (RTK)

Giovanni Barbano, head of EULEX in Kosovo has presented the fourth public justice monitoring report for the years 2020-2022, where he evaluated the criminal and civil justice system of Kosovo and gave concrete recommendations, which have aimed at strengthening the rule of law and compatibility with human rights. According to him, the findings of the reports are based on the rigorous monitoring of more than 300 cases, as well as data collected through a wide cooperation with Kosovo institutions, including the Police, the Judiciary and Civil Society.

“In addition to the submission and finding of the monitoring in this report, numerous recommendations have been offered to the institutions of the rule of law in order to support a better compliance with the legal framework of Kosovo and international standards for human rights. This year’s report is not simply a summary of findings to testify the journey of the Kosovo judicial system. The report focuses on evaluating the implementation of our previous recommendations, highlighting areas where progress has been made and drawing attention to critical gaps that continue to exist,” he said.

"Since 2018, EULEX has issued 6 justice monitoring reports, where the first three have been shared exclusively with judicial bodies and institutions responsible for the rule of law. Starting in 2020, we have made our reports public to inform and invite wider participation from the citizens of Kosovo and its civil society, recognizing that the path to EU integration and the rule of law must be inclusive and engage all sectors of society.

EULEX report: There is decrease in productivity of court hearings (RTK)

The head of the EULEX Unit for monitoring cases, Hubert van Eck Koster, said during the presentation of the EULEX report that the treatment of high-profile cases has not marked any real progress. He called on Kosovo’s judicial authorities to analyse and review high profile cases. He mentioned the transfer to Pristina of some of the cases that were left behind in the basic court of Mitrovica, as a positive development.  

"In terms of session productivity, there has been less progress in the last two years than we had previously expected," he said. According to him, in the period September 2022 - May 2024, 230 out of 821 monitored sessions were non-productive, which represents 28 percent of the sessions.

Agreement with Denmark on Gjilan prison, criticism continues (RTK)

The prison in Gjilan is expected to be ready by the end of next year to host prisoners from different countries that were arrested in Denmark. But the agreement between Kosovo and Demark is being criticised by the United Nations and human rights activists as a violation of human rights.

The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) early this year asked the Kingdom of Denmark to refrain from renting detention facilities outside its territory and to ensure that the inmates are not discriminated against on the basis of their nationality and family status.

Spokeswoman for the UN Mission in Kosovo, Hayat Abu Saleh, said the agreement can lead to an increased violation of rights of inmates, including the rights to non-discrimination, family life and health. “This also raises concerns about the protection of human rights, including the possibility of efficient and independent monitoring according to The United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (Nelson Mandela Rules) and other regional and international instruments for human rights,” Abu Saleh told Radio Kosova.

Abu Saleh also said that the agreement raises concerns about the rights of Kosovo inmates, because statistics show that the prisons are at the limits of their capacities. 

The Office of the UN Commissioner called on the authorities in Denmark and Kosovo to protect the rights of inmates, including ensuring the enforcement of efficient protection measures. But the Danish authorities say that not everything is final about the agreement with Kosovo.

Jens Hoyer Jensen, press officer at the Danish Ministry of Justice, said that the People’s Attorney of the Danish Parliament will be included in the whole transfer process. “The prison will not be put to use until it is ensured that the conditions match those in Danish prisons and that the sentences can be served in line with international obligations,” he told Radio Kosova.

Jensen also said that the Danish Prison Service suffers from a serious lack of capacities and staff. “The agreement to rent the prison in Gjilan for 300 prisoners will help us resolve this problem. Also this would enable Kosovo to invest in the prisons system and further develop capacities in the rule of law area,” he said.

Rina Kika, a human rights activist and attorney from Kosovo, said the agreement between Kosovo and Denmark is very problematic in terms of human rights and that it is a strategic mistake by Kosovo.

“There should be no trade with human rights, to have investments in renewable energy and in the correctional service in exchange for violating the human rights of prisoners,” she said. “Denmark, in cooperation with Kosovo, is creating a dual system, separate only for non-Danish prisoners and this constitutes a discriminatory approach based on nationality”.

Agim Demiri, head of the Legal Department of Kosovo’s Correctional Service, said that because the treaty has gone through all legal procedures it means that all human rights conventions have been taken into account. 

Rama meets COMKFOR, grateful for commitment to peace and security (media)

Mayor of Pristina, Perparim Rama, said in a Facebook post today that he met with commander of NATO’s peacekeeping mission in Kosovo, Major General Enrico Barduani. “We talked about security in Pristina and General Barduani reconfirmed KFOR’s commitment for the security of all communities living in Kosovo. We are grateful for their work and commitment in the support of peace and security in our capital and throughout the country,” Rama said.

KFOR German soldiers conduct routine patrols in northern Kosovo (media)

NATO’s peacekeeping mission in Kosovo, KFOR, said in a Facebook post today that German soldiers assigned to Regional Command East of the NATO-led KFOR mission conducted routine patrols in northern Kosovo. “These efforts are part of KFOR’s daily mission to guarantee a safe and secure environment for all communities in Kosovo,” the post notes.

Three municipalities led by PDK, “champions in budget transparency” (media)

The Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) said in a Facebook post today that three municipalities led by PDK mayors – Drenas, Vushtrri and Hani i Elezit – have scored the maximum of 100 points in the Budget Transparency Index for 2023, in the annual report by GAP Institute aimed at increasing accountability and citizen access to budget information at the local level. “We congratulate mayors Ramiz Lladrovci, Ferit Idrizi, and Mehmet Ballazi, for their good work, commitment and engagement in building trust among the citizens. These municipalities are followed by the municipality of Ferizaj which has scored 95 points, and the municipality of Kacanik with 94 points, and they were also ranked high in the report. For technical reasons, the municipalities of Mitrovica, Prizren and Skenderaj were not included in the findings of the report. This is the governing model of the PDK: transformative, developmental and inclusive, and which Kosovo needs at the central level too,” the post notes.

Kurti meets with delegation of Regional Assembly of Europe (RTK)

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti has met a delegation of the Regional Assembly of Europe, part of the Parliamentary Assembly of Francophonie, headed by Belgian Senator Anne Lambelin.

"The Prime Minister appreciated the cooperation and underlined the field of film as an area with potential for cooperation, and the teaching of the French language as an instrument to get to know and align the peoples of the two countries even more, as well as to increase the mobility of students and professionals in the service of cultural exchanges, increasing competences and socio-economic development. He expressed the will for public educational institutions to increase the teaching capacity of the French language", reads among others the announcement issued by the Office of the Prime Minister.

Coach who slapped child suspended by European Taekwondo Federation (media)

Most news websites report that a Kosovo taekwondo coach from Kosovo, Valmir Fetiu, has been suspended for six months by the European Taekwondo Federation, after he slapped his child after she lost at the finals of a tournament in Tirana, Albania. Fetiu confirmed the measure in an interview with Radio Free Europe saying that it is the right measure. “I deeply regret [his action]. I regret it with my life. My daughter is the most precious to me,” he said.

In an interview with the Klan Kosova sports show on Sunday, Fetiu said: “It was the European championship for cadets and children in Tirana. The taekwondo championship. I was a coach for Valina. She won her first fight against the Ukrainian competitor 9 to 0. She was very well prepared and performed very well, and I know her because she is my daughter, and I don’t believe that anyone can love my child more than I do. The Ukrainian competitor was ten times better than the Serbian competitor. This was the issue. The referee tried by all means to snatch points from Valina, and he took it out of context and Valina started acting in a way that is not sportsmanship. You should also know that I am a war invalid of the Kosovo Liberation Army and a former member of the UCPMB. You perhaps know the relation with Serbs, and I was euphoric. And Valina too tried her best to win first place. Valina was very disappointed. She wanted to win by all means. I told her ‘listen it is a rule that once the match is over you need to go over and shake the hand of the opposing coach, regardless of who that is’. But Valina started crying and shouting and I simply did it out of emotion, as her parent and coach. Only parents that are coaches in martial arts can understand these emotions and the adrenaline you feel. She started shouting and hitting the tatami mat. And I was under the effect and tried to calm her down, because she became traumatised, and she took it very close to heart. ‘Why am I losing? Why am I losing to a Serbian?’ And I slapped her with the tips of my fingers simply to calm my daughter down.”

Appearing on the sports show together with his daughter, he said “I would give my life only for one of her nails,” he said and kissed his daughter. He also said that no one loves his daughter more than he does. “She is my daughter, and no one loves her more than I do. The moment when she became disoriented and sad because of losing from the Serbian competitor, she went on the ground and could not accept the defeat. My intention was only to calm her down and let her know that although she lost, she is still vice champion and that there will be more opportunities,” he said.

Fetiu said that he worked with her daughter for 12 months for this competition and that he would work with her all his life. “The media in Kosovo fell prey to Serbian propaganda because they tried to give another spin to that moment. Let me repeat, I am her father, and my wife, Valina’s mother, was just a couple of metres away. A Serbian or a Bosniak cannot love my daughter more than her parents. I worked with Valina for 12 months for this competition and I will keep working with her all my life,” he added.

Several media also covered the reaction of the Pristina-based Coalition for the Protection of Children (KOMF) which expressed deep concern about the case and said that violence against children is concerning, unacceptable and sanctioned by law. “There is no excuse for violence. It should never be used as disciplinary means because it damages the emotional wellbeing and psychological development of children, by creating fear and insecurity instead of respect and self-confidence,” the reaction notes.

Kosovo’s Deputy Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports, Daulina Osmani, said in a Facebook post today “we strongly condemn the incident of violence in the sport of taekwondo, where a coach slapped an eight-year-old girl because she lost a match. This case of violence is a serious violation of the principle of sports education and care for children. This behaviour is unacceptable and does not represent anything that sports should be – a place for development, support and inspiration for the youths. While the European Taekwondo Federation has taken measures against the coach, the Council Against Negative Phenomenon in Sports has sent the case to the competent prosecutor’s office and has asked the Kosovo Taekwondo Federation to act immediately and to review the activity of the coach in the sports system. We call on all responsible institutions to react and take swift measures to address the case and to prevent other similar cases in the future”.

Serbian Language Media 

Serbia marks World War I Armistice Day (N1)

Serbia observes Armistice Day on Monday, commemorating the end of World War I. The day has been a national holiday since 2012, with public institutions and schools closed for observance, N1 reported.

The historic armistice was signed on November 11, 1918, when Allied powers and Germany met in a railway carriage in Compiegne, France, effectively ending the Great War. For Serbia, the conflict officially ended two days later, on November 13, with the signing of a separate agreement with Hungary. 

World War I had begun on July 28, 1914, when Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia, one month after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo. Serbia’s toll in the conflict was devastating – between 1.1 million and 1.3 million lives were lost, representing nearly a third of the country’s total population and approximately 60 percent of its male population.

Serbia’s wartime sacrifices appeared to be overlooked during the 2018 centenary commemoration near Paris’s Arc de Triomphe, N1 recalled. The event sparked controversy over seating arrangements when Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic was seated across from key world leaders including French President Emmanuel Macron, US President Donald Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and German Chancellor Angela Merkel. More prominent seats were assigned to Croatian President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic and Kosovo President Hashim Thaci. Vucic later said that he did not know how the seating arrangements were made, but that “it wasn’t the time or place to make a scene”.

The following day, French Ambassador to Serbia Frederic Mondoloni issued an apology, saying there was no intention to insult the Serbian people and requesting understanding from Serbian authorities and people. He emphasised that France had not forgotten Serbia’s sacrifices in World War I, acknowledging that Serbia lost a third of its population during the war, and that Serbian soldiers fought alongside the French army. This issue was finally put to rest a year later when French President Macron, during his visit to Belgrade, delivered a passionate speech in Serbian at the Monument of Gratitude to France. France will never forget what Serbia did for it and the sacrifices made by the Serbian people during World War I, Macron said, adding, “Serbia will always be in our hearts – forever!”

Vucevic lays wreath at Monument to Unknown Hero (Tanjug, media)

As a special envoy of the President of Serbia, Prime Minister Milos Vucevic laid a wreath at the Monument to the Unknown Hero on Mt Avala near Belgrade on Monday as part of WWI Armistice Day commemorations, Tanjug news agency reported.

“The life of an entire generation was ended for Serbia and its youth remained in the fields of Mt Cer, Kolubara, Mackov Kamen and Kajmakcalan, all the way to the Karavanks”, Vucevic wrote in the memorial book.

"A sacrifice unparalleled in European history. Those people died and starved, fought and bled, but did not give Serbia away. Our flag, our honour, freedom and dignity. That was the duty and the faith, the oath to freedom and to Lazar's Serbia. Thank you for everything you had and gave. Thank you for paving the way and the path. Thank you for making us worthy of being able to call ourselves your descendants. Our only oath is to be worthy of you. May Serbia live in eternity! May it be known that, on this day, we have won triumphantly as a nation and a state", Vucevic added.

Armistice Day commemorates November 11, 1918, the day of the signing of the armistice that ended WWI.

Djuric: Serbia paid high price for freedom; we preserve statehood, freedom, and independence (Kosovo Online)

Serbian Foreign Minister, Marko Djuric said Serbia had paid a high price for freedom in World War I, which is why Serbia and its people will continue to uphold statehood, freedom, and independence as the highest values, Kosovo Online portal reported.

“Today, on Armistice Day in World War I, we remember the Golgotha ​​that our country and our people went through during the war years, but also we remember the perseverance and heroism of our famous ancestors, to whom we owe our existence today”, Djuric wrote on the X platform.

As he emphasised, the Serbian people were the biggest victim of World War I, and the Central Powers, driven by imperial ambitions, tried to erase a small but freedom-loving country from the map.

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

Vucic speaks with Trump: US President thanks Serbians for support (N1)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic revealed details of his conversation with newly elected US President Donald Trump, saying he expressed his belief in a “stronger partnership with the US under Trump’s leadership”, adding he hopes Trump would visit Serbia, N1 reported.

“I am grateful that President Trump knows so much about Serbia. Remarkably, he even mentioned our country’s sporting achievements. I took the opportunity to express my desire to strengthen our relationship across all areas and to express hope that he would visit Serbia, because Serbia was the country in Europe where the support for President Trump’s election was the strongest”, Vucic said in a video posted on his Instagram profile.

According to Vucic, Trump expressed gratitude for the tremendous support he received from the Serbian people, and Vucic added that he was confident they would discuss ways to enhance bilateral relations across all sectors.

“I am confident that with the support of our friends- and by friends, I mean President Trump’s entire team who were present during our conversation – we will make America great, and we will also make Serbia a respectable country that will be able to cooperate well, really well, with the US”, Vucic concluded.

Serbian Democracy protest in Pristina, display photos of ‘inappropriate conduct of Kosovo police officers’ (Radio KIM)

Serbian Democracy held a protest in front of the premises where the EULEX Mission presented its report on the judiciary system in Kosovo. Members of the party carried a banner with photos of Kosovo police officers they accused of unlawful conduct and for publishing inappropriate content on social media, Radio KIM reported.

President of Serbian Democracy, Aleksandar Arsenijevic said the banner “includes part of evidence materials taken from social media platforms”.

“We wanted to ask them who of those police officers had ever been held accountable and how far did it (the cases) go? We think that their reports lately have been guided with fabrication of the truth and serve as a coalition partner to Self-determination. We came to the centre of Pristina to show all these evidence materials and ask how many cases the prosecution and the court resolved when it comes to beatings of our co-citizens”, Arsenijevic said.

He added he is proud that the protest took place in Pristina. “We are proud of mustering the courage to come and carry this protest under very risky circumstances for our lives. We are waiting for the response from EULEX today exactly with the presentation of this report”, he said.

Arsenijevic also said there are dozens of cases Serbs have reported to the Kosovo Police Inspectorate (PIK). “Our aim today is to make them (EULEX) do their job a bit, (fullfil) their mandate. It is impossible that they had not seen all those things on social media all those years. Then their mission absolutely makes no sense”, he said.

During the protest, Serbian Democracy members chanted “propaganda” and whistled. Members of Kosovo police and KFOR were present in front of Swiss Diamond Hotel, in Pristina’s downtown where Serbian Democracy held the protest.

Entry of Albanian companies in northern Kosovo: Fuel stations owned by Serbs threatened with shutdown because they are ‘missing one document more’ (Euronews)

In an article published on Saturday, Euronews in Serbian wrote that entry of Albanian companies into the north of Kosovo is taking place on a large scale, while the other ones mostly small owned by Serbs are shutting down. They are shut down either by the owners themselves due to unfair competition and a small market, or they are closed by institutions due to alleged lack of certain documents.

Despite proper registration and regular payment of taxes, the competent ministry found that the small fuel stations in Zubin Potok, owned by Serbs, still do not have all the necessary documentation for work. “It was established that this company, whose owner owns this fuel station, in whose name the company is registered, does not have the appropriate licence from the competent Ministry for Tourism and Industry”, Milivoje Jaksic, a fuels station worker said.

The deadline for obtaining a licence is 30 days, otherwise the company will be shut down and fined in the amount of 10 to 30 thousand euros.

“That deadline, it is almost impossible to collect those documents and secure a licence for the sale of fuel within the time limit they have left. It is simply impossible, because there are several conditions which the business entity needs to fulfil”, Jaksic added. The owner of the aforementioned fuel station is also the owner of the land on which it is located, but it takes a lot of time to get confirmation for that.

“Municipalities where illegitimate mayors sit today do not function, people cannot present any documents, starting with the cadaster, which has not been working for years and where people cannot exercise their rights, people are now receiving confirmation of their ownership over a certain plot of land which they have inherited or which was bought. In the municipality of Zubin Potok, but also in the north, there is no bookkeeper who is familiar with the Kosovo system, and we also do not have notaries who work in accordance with the Kosovo system. In order to certify or verify any document, a notary’s signature is required, and we don’t have that here. Therefore, this is another process of Albanization”, Milija Bisevac from the Serbian People’s Movement said.

While the owners and employees of small businesses are afraid of possibly losing their jobs, Pristina officials claim there is no problem. “Municipal cadastral services have been functionalized, so citizens there have no problems with property. In the meantime, in order for companies to be able to register and benefit from government support measures, in North Mitrovica and Leposavic, in Zvecan and Zubin Potok, we have opened agency offices for the registration of companies in Kosovo”, Minister of Local Government Administration Elbert Krasniqi said. Euronews also recalled statements of Prime Minister Albin Kurti from April claiming that the offices of the cadaster and other agencies required to issue documents are functioning in all municipalities.

Mitrovica North municipality takes over garage behind NIS petrol station (KoSSev)

Kosovo police since Saturday had been ‘clearing’ King Petar Street in Mitrovica North, in the section from Vampirusa building to the first roundabout in this city from parked vehicles on the sidewalks on both, left and right sides of the street, KoSSev portal reported.

As the portal reported written notifications are left at vehicles and there would be no traffic fines issued this week. Residents are directed to use Filip Visnjic garage near the police station, adding the parking in this garage for the time being is free of charge.

The portal also said the new information is that this garage was taken over by Mitrovica North municipality on Friday. It was constructed in June 2017 with the funds of the Republic of Serbia, and opened seven years ago by the-then Mitrovica North Provisional Authority President Aleksandar Spiric. It was said back then that the garage has parking capacities to accommodate 56 vehicles.  

                                                      International

Balkan states come to UN Climate Summit with little progress to report (BIRN)

The presence of high-level delegations from the Balkans at COP29, the UN’s latest climate summit in Baku, cannot disguise their foot-dragging in the fight for a greener future.

The United Nations’ 29th climate change conference gets underway this week in oil- and gas-producing Azerbaijan under a cloud of concern over the election of climate denier Donald Trump as United States president and the absence of a host of big-hitters including Joe Biden, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen, France’s Emmanuel Macron and Germany’s Olaf Scholz.

The omens for COP29 might not be good, but the countries of the Balkan region are nevertheless sending high-level delegations.

The fact that the likes of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Serbia’s Aleksandar Vucic will be in attendance, however, should not be taken as a sign that Ankara and Belgrade, for example, are ahead of the curve on climate change, experts say.

In fact, they argue, the countries of the region still lack overarching policies to combat climate change and can boast little real progress in meeting the commitments they have already undertaken.

Erdogan’s presence is more a nod to Ankara’s close relationship with Baku, said Turkish ecologist Koray Dogan Urbarli, who told BIRN that Turkey “is not taking climate change seriously”.

Read more at: https://shorturl.at/5Nv0Q