UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, December 10, 2024

Albanian Language Media:

Hovenier: Foreign actors want to undermine Kosovo’s democracy (RFE)
EU confirms new round of Kosovo-Serbia dialogue on December 17 (RFE)
Osmani: Gender equality must be a priority for all institutions (Kosovapress)
Svecla: Serbian List members were involved in continuous riots in the north (RFE)
Maqedonci: There was coordination of attacks in Ukraine and Kosovo (media)
Institute: Water from Iber Lepenci canal safe to drink (RFE)
Svecla: Hundreds of attacks on police and media in the north (RTK)
Hungarian Minister Boka meets Osmani, Bislimi and Gervalla (media)
Terras thanks intl missions in Kosovo “for sharing candid assessments” (media)
Kosovo launches system of bracelets for electronic surveillance (Kosovapress)
Friendly room for domestic violence victims at Leposavic police station (media)
Nexhmi Rexhepi, new president of the Constitutional Court of Kosovo (media)
Hoti: With no mutual recognition, Kosovo-Serbia relations can’t normalize (media)
Joseph meets Lajcak, “no one has been more dedicated to the task” (media)
Serbia says Kosovo’s aid to farmers in Presevo Valley is illegal (Koha)

Serbian Language Media:

Hipper: New round of dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina on December 17 (RTV, RTS, Kosovo Online)
SRSG Ziadeh: UNMIK reiterates commitment to advancing human rights (Kosovo Online)
Serbian List met Terras: Pristina carrying out institutional and physical violence (Kosovo Online, Radio Mitrovica sever)
Incident in Zvecan: Police officer fires shot during taxi search; Driver alleges ongoing harassment; KP: Unintentional discharge (KoSSev)
Verdict in wounding case at Bistrica bridge to be made on Friday, lawyer expects convicting one (Alternativna.com)
EU Office on Development Fund for North: Political events affected income of Fund, 4 million EUR undistributed (Kosovo Online)
Serbian Democracy to take part in upcoming parliamentary elections in Kosovo (Alternativna.com)
Professors of the University of Pristina in Mitrovica North support student blockades (Danas)
Rector's College of the University of Pristina : The academic community in Serbia should not be politicized (Kosovo Online)
Hungarian Minister for European Affairs in a visit to Gracanica Monastery (Kosovo Online, eparhija-prizren.com)
Vucic arrives in Germany, to meet with Scholz in Freiberg (Tanjug)

International Media:

Kosovo making slow progress on ambitious e-services agenda (BIRN)
Serbia ranked among European countries with most SLAPPs in 2023 (BIRN)
US blacklists North Macedonia ex-deputy PM for bribery, corruption (BIRN)

Humanitarian:

BIRN’s ‘Reporting House’ contributor awarded for preserving Jashari family children’s notebook

Albanian Language Media

Hovenier: Foreign actors want to undermine Kosovo’s democracy (RFE)

U.S. Ambassador to Kosovo, Jeffrey Hovenier, said today that in Kosovo “there are foreign malign and active actors that want to undermine Kosovo’s democracy by using ethnic divisions”. “We cannot allow this to happen,” he said in his address at a conference on information integrity organized by the National Democratic Institute.

Hovenier warned that disinformation can have direct consequences especially during the election period, with Kosovo on the eve of the February 9 general elections.

Hovenier recalled a fake conversation published on social media several years ago which included a fake discussion between himself and Prime Minister Kurti and which was aimed “at creating distrust in the Kosovo Serb community”. “Fortunately, not many people took it seriously … but the fact that a foreign actor prepared a scenario, created a completely fake recording to install distrust and concern among the Serb community and published it on social networks is an indicator of this problem,” he said.

Hovenier, who is at the end of his mandate in Kosovo and is retiring, said that the United States remains committed to Kosovo as a vibrant country and in support of independent media, including those run by minority communities. “We are very aware of the media that offer unbiased and accurate information. We are aware that there are some that try to use this to do something completely different, to convey messages that have different objectives from informing the community. And this should be denounced and we need to support the independent media,” he said.

Hovenier also said that “our work together is far from over”. “In fact you can argue that work in this regard has just started and we are truly ready to engage with all of you to find ways to help you to defend your democracy”.

EU confirms new round of Kosovo-Serbia dialogue on December 17 (RFE)

The European Union confirmed on Tuesday that the next meeting within the framework of the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia, at the level of chief negotiators, will take place on December 17, 2024 in Brussels, and that both sides have confirmed their participation in this meeting. The EU Spokesperson for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Anitta Hipper, said that a range of issues will be discussed at this meeting, including the implementation of the Agreement towards the normalization of relations.

According to diplomatic sources of Radio Free Europe, the European envoy for the dialogue, Miroslav Lajcak, has reported to the member states on the state of the dialogue and has said that the parties have a clear lack of readiness to make any progress in the implementation of the Normalization Agreement.

The EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, has expressed readiness to actively engage in the dialogue process. Lajcak's mandate, which has been extended several times, will end at the end of January next year. It is expected that the chief diplomat Kallas, in cooperation with the member states, will decide on the continuation of the dialogue, including whether there will be a successor to Lajcak in that position, and who that successor will be.

Osmani: Gender equality must be a priority for all institutions (Kosovapress)

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani called on all institutions today to focus on gender equality as their priority, saying that the greater gender equality the more effective the fight against corruption will be. At a roundtable organized by the Kosovo Law Institute where a report titled “The gender dimension of corruption” was published, Osmani said that gender equality is still a challenge in Kosovo. “Kosovo is a country that is moving forward with important steps toward stability and development, but as we know there are also many challenges. Gender inequality in every sector is one of them. I think that it should be turned into one of the chief priorities of all institutions so that we can build strong institutions and to have greater trust in the institutions,” she argued.

Tamra Greig, director of the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, who also attended the discussion, said that gender equality is a strategic way to reform the political, economic and social system. She said corruption is a global challenge faced by every country and that a more comprehensive solution is needed.

Arrita Rezniqi, program manager at the Kosovo Law Institute, said that studies show that the greater the number of women in power there is less corruption. She also presented an analysis that leading positions in Kosovo are dominated by men. “The more women there are in power, the less corruption there is. This has led to the integration of a gender perspective to be discussed increasingly as means to fight corruption as a whole,” she added.

Svecla: Serbian List members were involved in continuous riots in the north (RFE)

Kosovo’s Minister of Interior Affairs, Xhelal Svecla, said today that the continuous battle of Kosovo’s authorities to wield sovereignty in the north has unmasked Serbia’s aspirations to take territory away from Kosovo, and that members of the Serbian List – the biggest party of Serbs in Kosovo – were involved in continuous in the north of Kosovo. “The Serbian List cannot say it was not involved in the attack against KFOR troops, when assistants, drivers, bodyguards and officials of the Serbian List, were an active part of the attack. They have been identified and some of them are now at large,” he claimed.

Maqedonci: There was coordination of attacks in Ukraine and Kosovo (media)

Kosovo’s Minister of Defense, Ejup Maqedonci, in an interview with Tirana-based A2CNN, said that the recent terrorist attack on the Iber Lepenci water canal was the gravest act together with the attack against Kosovo Police in the north of Kosovo in September last year. He said that there are no more parallel structures, illegal funds, and gangs in the north, and that therefore the terrorist acts are carried out this way. “What makes it more interesting to see from internationals is the fact that it was carried out on the same days when Russia carried out similar attacks in Ukraine and the insignia and weapons confiscated show that the inspiration comes from there [Russia],” he said.

When asked if Kosovo is threatened by other terrorist attacks, Maqedonci said: “Serbia has a hegemonistic and aggressive approach toward Kosovo. Unfortunately this approach continues. The militarization of the southern part of its territory by Serbia and the support it gave to structures that were involved in criminal and terrorist activities remains a threat for Kosovo. The international community must step up the pressure for members of Radoicic’s group to be held accountable, and for Serbia to change its political approach toward the Republic of Kosovo”.

Institute: Water from Iber Lepenci canal safe to drink (RFE)

Kosovo’s National Institute for Public Health said in a statement on Monday that the water from the Iber Lepenci canal can be used for drinking, two weeks after the canal was attacked with explosives.

The Iber Lepenci canal supplies water from the Ujman Lake, to the north of Kosovo, some regions of Mitrovica, Pristina and its surroundings, as well as the Kosovo Power Corporation to cool off its power plants.

Svecla: Hundreds of attacks on police and media in the north (RTK)

Institute for Security and Resilience – PREVENT has launched a report titled “Security in the North of Kosovo after the terrorist attacks in Banjska and the Iber-Lepenc canal: What are the next steps?”

The report stated that more than a year after the Serbian terrorist attack in the village of Banjska in Zvecan, the leader of this group, Milan Radojcic, continues to remain unpunished and sheltered in Serbia. The report also highlighted the recent attack at Iber-Lepenc canal. During the presentation of the report, among other things, it was recommended that Kosovo institutions develop sufficient capacities to prevent possible terrorist attacks in the future in Kosovo and to undertake additional security measures for critical infrastructure facilities.

Kosovo’s Minister of Internal Affairs, Xhelal Svecla, also participated in the publication of the report. “Since our first actions, we have been faced with terrorist acts against members of the Police and with barricades preventing free movement. We count hundreds of attacks on the Police, the media and citizens, and behind all of this is Serbia. But the fight against organized crime has been our commitment and the government is focused with all its capacities in this direction”, he said.

During the presentation of the Research Report “Unsolved Knot - Steps towards security and stability in the North”, Skender Perteshi from the Institute for Security and Resilience - PREVENT highlighted that security does not belong only to security and defense bodies. He said that all law and order actors must be involved for proper security.

Hungarian Minister Boka meets Osmani, Bislimi and Gervalla (media)

Hungarian Minister for European Union Affairs, Janos Boka, was received today by Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani.

Boka also met with Deputy Prime Minister Besnik Bislimi. Boka announced that in the meeting with Bislimi, they discussed the actions that need to be taken to bring Kosovo one step closer to the European Union. “The Hungarian Presidency is working on a merit-based, balanced and credible enlargement policy. I emphasized this during my talks in Pristina,” he wrote in “X”.

Through a post on "X", Boka also informed about the discussion with Kosovo’s Foreign Minister Donika Gervalla. "With Donika Gervalla, we discussed the path forward for Kosovo in the EU integration process. We took stock of the issues that determine the relations between Hungary and Kosovo," he wrote.

Terras thanks intl missions in Kosovo “for sharing candid assessments” (media)

European Parliament Rapporteur for Kosovo, Riho Terras, who is visiting Kosovo, said in a post on X today that he is grateful to EU Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo (EULEX) Giovanni Pietro Barbano, KFOR and U.S. Ambassador Jeffrey Hovenier “for sharing their candid assessments of Kosovo's opportunities and the challenges that lie ahead”.

Kosovo launches system of bracelets for electronic surveillance (Kosovapress)

Kosovo has launched today the system of bracelets for electronic surveillance as a tool aimed to prevent domestic violence. Prime Minister Albin Kurti said at the event that the bracelets will reduce domestic violence. “There has been a request for a long time now that in order to have more efficient prevention, better investigations and more comprehensive training, our police should move forward with the phase of electronic surveillance. The bracelet will be placed on the foot or hand of the offender, or the suspect, and the victims and authorities will have the tracers. If the offender gets near the victim in the area forbidden by the court, the signal automatically goes to the local and central level of police, and intervention procedures are initiated. The biggest problem we have is that restraint orders are not respected. The flaw was not simply that there were no electronic surveillance bracelets, but that the restraining orders were not respected. Although there will be those that will continue not to respect the restraining orders, we have made a big step to monitor all of them,” Kurti said.

Minister of Justice, Albulena Haxhiu, said the project is very important in protecting the lives of women and girls in Kosovo. Interior Minister Xhelal Svecla said the bracelets will be used for other criminal cases too, but the focus is on preventing domestic violence. Kosovo Police Gazmend Hoxha said they have prepared teams that will enforce the system. The law on electronic surveillance of persons, whose movement is limited by a court decision entered into force in July 2015.

Friendly room for domestic violence victims at Leposavic police station (media)

Kosovo’s Minister of Interior Affairs, Xhelal Svecla, said that a friendly room for victims of domestic violence was inaugurated at the police station in Leposavic, in the north of Kosovo. “Together with Minister of Justice, Albulena Haxhiu, we started the day at the police station in Leposavic, by inaugurating a friendly room for victims of domestic violence. With books and different recreation games, children will avoid stories and events of domestic violence, and the victims will give the interviews without further affecting the children. Police stations are the first door of hope and solution for victims of domestic violence. This is how it always should be. We all need to work on this responsibility, and I encourage this the most,” Svecla said in a Facebook post.

Nexhmi Rexhepi, new president of the Constitutional Court of Kosovo (media)

Most news websites report that Nexhmi Rexhepi has been elected new president of the Constitutional Court of Kosovo, the court said in a statement today. Rexhepi’s mandate begins on December 31. Judge Safet Hoxha has been elected vice president of the Constitutional Court. The Court is the ultimate check on legislative and executive power in Kosovo and the final arbiter of the meaning of constitutional provisions enshrining human rights and freedoms.

Hoti: With no mutual recognition, Kosovo-Serbia relations can’t normalize (media)

LDK MP and former Prime Minister of Kosovo Avdullah Hoti participated in the joint meeting of the EU-Kosovo Parliamentary Committee for Stabilization and Association in the European Parliament. Hoti said that there is no other way than to implement the European standards of good neighborliness and dialogue, which are essential for the European integration of the Western Balkans.

“Only through good neighborliness and European integration can the political uncertainty that is holding back the democratic and economic development of the entire region be removed. But good neighborliness only yields results when implemented by all parties. There are three actions of Serbia that continue to remain unpunished by the EU, with the exception of political statements that have been made from time to time,” he said.

According to him, the involvement of Serbian state institutions in the ongoing terrorist attacks in northern Kosovo, which is evidenced, among other things, by the failure to take measures against persons who are clearly known to have been involved in these attacks, Serbia’s continued pressure on the Serb community in Kosovo to refrain from integrating into the institutions of the Kosovo state, as well as the continued erasure of residential addresses from the civil registry for Albanians in the Presevo Valley, are actions by Serbia that have not been punished.

Regarding the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue, Hoti said that as a party ‘that has carried state responsibility for many years, we believe that dialogue is the only mechanism to resolve disagreements’.

“All the problems in interstate relations between Kosovo and Serbia, which are being addressed within the framework of the Brussels dialogue, stem from the lack of mutual recognition. Therefore, it is necessary for the dialogue to focus on reaching a final agreement on mutual recognition and normalization of relations. As the opposition, we continue to support the dialogue. But it is now clear to everyone that this format of dialogue does not bring results. There is no transparency about the dialogue either for the citizens or for the opposition. The EU mediator is content with the fact that the parties are meeting in Brussels and agreements are being reached to continue the meetings. The necessary political attention to the dialogue from the high levels of the EU comes only when problems occur on the ground, thus turning the dialogue into a mechanism for resolving problematic situations and not for addressing the main problem between the countries - which is mutual recognition", Hoti reiterated, among other things.

Joseph meets Lajcak, “no one has been more dedicated to the task” (media)

U.S. commentator on the Balkans, Edward Joseph, met on Monday with EU Special Representative for the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia, Miroslav Lajcak. “A special honor to discuss the Kosovo-Serbia Dialogue in Brussels with the indefatigable Miroslav Lajcak, EU Special Representative. Thank you, Miro, for these meaningful conversations over these past 4+ years. No one has been more dedicated to the task,” Joseph said in a post on X.

Serbia says Kosovo’s aid to farmers in Presevo Valley is illegal (Koha)

Leader of the Albanian National Council in Serbia, Nevzad Lutfiu, said that Serbia’s Ministry for Human Rights and Minorities, has asked them to annul the vacancy for agricultural subsidies by a fund from the Kosovo government. He said in a Facebook post that the ministry told them that if they don’t annul the vacancy, the ministry will do it.

Lutfiu said that a very transparent decision is being considered illegal. “Serbia, which is allowing the Banjska perpetrators to roam freely, is calling illegal a decision of the Albanian National Council to support Albanian families in Presevo Valley, and whose main activity for their existence is agriculture. Moreover, this is a donation and it does not come from the regular funds of the Council,” he argued.

Lutfiu went on to accuse Serbia of ethnic cleansing of Albanians in Presevo Valley. “Serbia is violating its own laws when it comes to the interests of Albanians. It is carrying out ethnic cleansing. For a comment on Facebook, Serbia sentenced an Albanian to a month in prison and hundreds of thousands of Dinars, but it did nothing when a Serbian citizen attacked the building of the Albanian National Council with a rocket-propelled grenade,” he said.

Serbian Language Media

Hipper: New round of dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina on December 17 (RTV, RTS, Kosovo Online)

A new meeting of the chief negotiators of Belgrade and Pristina will be held on December 17 in Brussels, where a number of issues will be discussed, including the implementation of the Agreement on the Road to Normalization of Relations, European Commission spokeswoman Anitta Hipper said, reported Kosovo Online, citing Radio Television Vojvodina. Hipper pointed out that the parties confirmed their participation in the meeting.

"The parties have confirmed their presence and will discuss a number of issues, including the implementation of the Agreement on the Road to Normalization," Hipper stated.

The last meeting at the level of the main negotiators of Belgrade and Pristina, Petar Petkovic and Besnik Bislimi, which included a tripartite meeting with the EU's special envoy for dialogue Miroslav Lajcak, was held on October 24 in Brussels.

SRSG Ziadeh: UNMIK reiterates commitment to advancing human rights (Kosovo Online)

Special Representative of the Secretary General (SRSG) and Head of UNMIK, Caroline Ziadeh said today, on the occasion of Human Rights Day, that UNMIK reiterates its lasting commitment to advancing this issue and points out to inseparable links between peace, security and human rights, Kosovo Online portal reported.

“Today, we commemorate Human Rights Day when the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948. On this occasion, UNMIK reaffirms its continuous commitment to advancing human rights and underlines the inextricable link between peace, security, and human rights.

Human rights violations are often the root causes of conflict and insecurity which, in turn, invariably result in further violations of human rights. As such, action to protect and promote human rights brings its inherent power to efforts for sustainable peace.

This year’s theme, “our right, our future, right now”, is a call to all rights-holders – individuals, groups, civil society, human rights defenders, media professionals, and others – in Kosovo and the world to claim their rights and come forward if those are being violated.

It is also a message and encouragement to all institutions – to provide an environment that is conducive to the realization and enjoyment of human rights of all communities in Kosovo, through a robust human rights framework and effective mechanisms.

All stakeholders are urged to work together in good faith and demonstrate the courage to resolve the challenges that will allow the building of a future of equality, tolerance, and shared values.

Let this day serve as a reminder to our collective responsibility to uphold human rights for everyone in Kosovo, in all circumstances, and to strengthen the rule of law”, SRSG Ziadeh said in a statement.

Serbian List met Terras: Pristina carrying out institutional and physical violence (Kosovo Online, Radio Mitrovica sever)

The Serbian List delegation, led by President Zlatan Elek, met today with the rapporteur of the European Parliament for Kosovo, Riho Terras, in North Mitrovica, and on that occasion discussed the position of the Serbian people in Kosovo.

The SL announced that they pointed out the institutional and physical violence that the regime in Pristina is continuously carrying out throughout Kosovo, and demanded a clear condemnation from the international community and concrete steps that will prevent the oppression and violation of the human rights of the Serbian people.

"It is particularly worrisome that incidents occur every day, from endangering the safety of our citizens by members of the Kosovo police, who are harassing our citizens with long-barreled weapons, armed to the teeth, arresting without any reason with brutal force and acting as a punitive expedition both in the south and in the north of Kosovo and Metohija, up to the ban on Serbian MPs to attend the assembly session in Pristina and talk about the problems of the Serbian people," said the Serbian List.

They point out that they sent a request that the international community insist on respecting the signed agreements.

"This is especially important when it comes to the formation of the Community of Serbian Municipalities and protecting the rights of the Serbian people who want to live in peace in their centuries-old homes,'' the announcement concluded.

Alternativna portal reports that Terras also met, in separate meetings, Aleksandar Arsenijevic, Aleksandar Jablanovic, Marko Jaksic, Milija Bisevac.

Incident in Zvecan: Police officer fires shot during taxi search; Driver alleges ongoing harassment; KP: Unintentional discharge (KoSSev)

Late last night near the tennis courts in Zvecan, a police officer discharged a firearm during what was described as a routine inspection of a taxi. The driver, Uroš Dimitrijevic, was reportedly left shaken, alleging that police harassment of taxi drivers in the area is a recurring issue.

Aleksandar Arsenijevic, leader of the Serbian Democracy Party, has accused the police of attempting to cover up the incident and neglecting proper procedures.

Authorities, however, stated that the firearm discharge was accidental.

Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/y7fyk55s

Verdict in wounding case at Bistrica bridge to be made on Friday, lawyer expects convicting one (Alternativna.com)

The closing remarks were presented today in a hearing of the Kosovo special police officer K.P. accused of shooting and wounding the Serb from Zerovnica village, at Bistrica bridge checkpoint, manned by special police, Alternativna.com reports.

The court verdict will be made on Friday, at 14.00, the lawyer of wounded Serb M.J., Milos Delevic told the portal. He added he expects convicting sentences for all defendants. As he said, convicting verdicts must be made in order for things like this one to never happen again, either by those very same police officers or others stationed in the north and also to “prevent their arbitrariness”.

Member of Kosovo special police K.P. is accused of “attempted murder” and “manipulating with evidence” in relation to the incident that happened on April 23, 2023. Other three Kosovo special police officers, who were at the checkpoint, F.M., S.M., and M.M., are accused individually of “not reporting criminal acts or their perpetrators”.

According to media reports, K.P. defended himself by claims that “his life was endangered”. He did not report the shooting, but said his plan was to do it two to three hours after the break, through email. He did not respond to the question should supervisors be informed immediately about such incidents, claiming that “it was confidential information”. Moreover, he took bullet cases from the place of the incident and only later handed them over to the police, the portal added.

Delevic claims that wounded M.J. in no way endangered, respectively brought to danger the life of K.P., as the latter was claiming, adding it is all clearly seen in the video recording from surveillance cameras, covering the checkpoint, and that his client has almost lost his life.

EU Office on Development Fund for North: Political events affected income of Fund, 4 million EUR undistributed (Kosovo Online)

For the distribution of funds for new projects financed from the Development Fund for the North of Kosovo, almost four million euros are currently available, but before the allocation of new funds, it is necessary to deal with certain administrative issues related to the functioning of the Management Board, the EU Office in Pristina told Kosovo online in their written reply.

“The income of this Fund was affected by various political events, as well as changes in the way certain business entities procure goods over the years, which resulted in a total decrease in taxes collected in the Development Fund”, the EU Office added.

“Since its establishment in 2013, the Development Fund for the North of Kosovo”, as they stated, “has allocated more than 14.5 million euros for projects supporting the infrastructural and socio-economic development of the north of Kosovo”.

In an article published yesterday Kosovo Online portal reported that Development Fund for the four municipalities in the North of Kosovo, which derives its income from customs and excise duties on goods that entered Kosovo via the Jarinje and Brnjak crossings, is suffering damage due to Kosovo Government’s decision to partially lift the ban on the import of Serbian goods which are allowed to enter only through Merdare. Also, Kosovo online noted that the Fund was at a loss due to the ban on the import of finished products, which was in force at all crossings, from June 14, 2023 to October 7 of this year.

Serbian Democracy to take part in upcoming parliamentary elections in Kosovo (Alternativna.com)

Serbian Democracy headed by Aleksandar Arsenijevic will take part in upcoming parliamentary elections in Kosovo, this party said in a statement, Alternativna.com portal reported.

They will submit the list of candidates to the Central Election Commission today. “Upon verification by responsible institutions, we will inform the public about candidates from our list – people who have proven to be courageous defenders of the Serbian people's interests and their community in Kosovo”, the statement added.

Professors of the University of Pristina in Mitrovica North support student blockades (Danas)

Professors at the University of Pristina with temporary headquarters in North Mitrovica supported student blockades in Serbia, reported Danas today.

"We, the undersigned teachers at the University of Pristina with temporary headquarters in Kosovska Mitrovica, support the students and teaching staff of the faculty, who are expressing their dissatisfaction all over Serbia," they stated in their statement.

Professors at the University of Pristina with temporary headquarters in North Mitrovica also state that "they and their students know very well what it is like to live and work in an unsafe environment."

"That is why the number of signatories of this appeal is small,'' the announcement stated.

Student blockades were supported by four university professors from North Mitrovica: Dr. Jugoslav Gasic, Prof. Dr. Suzana Dimic, Prof. Dr. Krsto Jaksic and Prof. Dr. Dejan Mirovic.

Rector's College of the University of Pristina: The academic community in Serbia should not be politicized (Kosovo Online)

Following Danas report that some professors of the University of Pristina supported the ongoing students protest throughout Serbia, Kosovo Online reported that the Rector's College of the University of Pristina (with temporary headquarters in Kosovska Mitrovica) and the Academy of Professional Studies of KiM announced their ''support to the President of Serbia Aleksandar Vucic, state bodies and institutions of the Republic of Serbia in preserving academic freedom, ensuring the rights of students and teachers, and conditions for normal work and functioning higher education institutions''.

They announced that they are ''following current events closely and sympathize with the pain of lost lives''.

"Supporting the right to free opinion, we emphasize that only legitimately elected bodies can announce on behalf of the University and the Academy, while individual opinions do not reflect the institutions' views," the statement said.

They point out that the academic community should not be politicized, nor should any political pressure be allowed, because this, as they state, collapses the autonomy of higher education and leads to the potential denial of students' right to education.

In the announcement, they emphasize that the University actively participates in the work of the Working Group for drafting the law on higher education of the Republic of Serbia, which should regulate some of the current issues that are of interest to the academic and wider social community, stating that they believe that this is the only correct way for solving possible problems in an institutional way with consultations with all relevant actors.

"Especially considering the environment in which our institutions work, we believe that any introduction of instability can have unfathomable consequences for students and employees," the statement added.

Hungarian Minister for European Affairs in a visit to Gracanica Monastery (Kosovo Online, eparhija-prizren.com)

The Hungarian Minister for European Affairs, Mr. Janos Boka, visited the Gracanica Monastery on Monday, December 9, 2024. Accompanied by his associates, Mr. Boka met with His Eminence, Metropolitan Teodosije of Raska and Prizren, announced the Eparchy of Raska-Prizren.

During their cordial discussion, they exchanged views on current issues and emphasized the importance of preserving the cultural and spiritual heritage of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Kosovo and Metohija. Following the meeting, Mr. Bóka toured the monastery’s church, dedicated to the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos, which is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Gracanica Monastery continues to serve not only as a spiritual center but also as a place where diverse cultures and communities come together, embodying the universal values of faith and unity.

See at: https://tinyurl.com/mwa7yr6w

Vucic arrives in Germany, to meet with Scholz in Freiberg (Tanjug)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has arrived in Germany, where he will visit the federal state of Saxony with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Tuesday. In the city of Freiberg, Vucic and Scholz will speak with Saxon Mining Office head Bernhard Cramer and attend a presentation of a lithium mining plan as part of a Zinnwald lithium GmbH project.

Vucic and Scholz will also hold a separate meeting, with Serbian and German delegations to meet as well. Vucic is accompanied on the visit by Minister of Mining and Energy Dubravka Djedovic Handanovic and Minister of Environmental Protection Irena Vujovic.

International

Kosovo making slow progress on ambitious e-services agenda (BIRN)

Kosovo wants its public services to be fully digitalised by 2030, but experts say it has a long way to go.

Kujtim Thaci recalls the process of registering his brickmaking business near the southern Kosovo city of Prizren as long, arduous and expensive. Unnecessarily so, he says.

“We’re near Prizren and had to send each and every document [to the capital Pristina] in physical form, which took time and money,” he said. Thaci also had to turn up in person to submit the application to the Independent Commission for Mines, ICMM. He then waited two and a half months to get the licence.

No part of the process was online.

“I believe this administrative and bureaucratic burden should be eased,” he told BIRN. “And more services should be offered online.”