Albanian Language Media:

• Kurti: Visa free travel to Kosovo for citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina (media)
• Kurti in Croatia, speaks about the Iber-Lepenc attack (media)
• Plenkovic believes in Kosovo-Serbia dialogue, says it could result in normalization of relations (Klan)
• Important agreements signed between Kosovo and Croatia (Klan)
• Osmani meets Senator Ernst, Congressmen Palmer and Lawler (media)
• Barbano welcomes rotation of EULEX Formed Police Unit (media)
• Kosovo government rules out possible land swap idea (media)
• Helez: Serbia filled with hatred against Albanians, Bosniaks and Croats (Express)
• Tahiri submits 16 laws approved in December 5 session to Constitutional Court (media)
• KSF withdraws from patrolling along water canals in Obiliq and Vushtrri regions (Nacionale)

Serbian Language Media:

• CSOs Study: Uniforms, “Greater Albania”, “weapons in hands” and impunity at stake (Alternativna.com, media, social media)
• Tombstones demolished; crosses desecrated at Serbian cemetery in Gnjilane (Kosovo Online, social media)
• Petkovic condemns desecration of Serbian cemetery in Gnjilane (Kosovo Online)
• Serbian Ministry of Culture condemns desecration of cemetery in Gnjilane (media)
• Alternativna: Yellow tape on buildings in Zubin Potok due to “illegal construction”; the allocation of these apartments has previously begun
• Office for KiM: ‘Kurti seized six residential buildings in Zubin Potok intended for Serbs’ (media)
• US Report: 10 Albanians from Kosovo in Syrian detention camps, over support to ISIS (Kosovo Online)
• Serbian Government releases all 195 documents related to Novi Sad railway station accident (Tanjug)

International Media:

• Serbian President’s plan to ‘protect’ Kosovo Serbs still a work in progress (Balkan Insight)      

Albanian Language Media 

Kurti: Visa free travel to Kosovo for citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina (media)

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti said in a post on X this morning that yesterday the Kosovo government “decided to unilaterally implement the Berlin Process Agreement on Freedom of Movement with ID cards, effective January 1, 2025 which will enable visa-free travel to Kosova for the citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina. We believe this will strengthen the relationship between our two countries. As I mentioned in Sarajevo last week, our friendship has long been hindered by restrictions on the freedom of movement. We urge Bosnia and Herzegovina to move swiftly with the ratification of the Agreement on their part, ensuring mutual benefits for both our citizens”.

Kurti in Croatia, speaks about the Iber-Lepenc attack (media)

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti, in a joint conference with his Croatian counterpart, Andrej Plenkovic, said that Kosovo's border with Serbia is more difficult to always protect accurately due to the mountainous terrain.

"The border we have with Montenegro, Albania and North Macedonia is shorter than the border we have with Serbia, which are respectively mountainous, and we have difficulties in maintaining it accurately at all times. However, we are building our capacities, for this we have cooperation with partner countries, allies, which are members of NATO, and where we see a key partner in Croatia. One of the agreements we have reached is between the Croatian Police Academy and the Kosovo Academy for Public Safety, where of course capacities will be built and experiences will be exchanged”, said Kurti.

Kurti said that the November 29 attack on the Iber Lepenc canal has a different nature than previous attacks. “Previously, we have had attacks on the police, attacks on official municipal buildings, but this time the civilian population is targeted”.

Plenkovic believes in Kosovo-Serbia dialogue, says it could result in normalization of relations (Klan)

The Prime Minister of Croatia Andrej Plenkovic has said that the November 29 attack in northern Kosovo will be made clear to the international community.In a joint press conference with the Prime Minister of Kosovo Albin Kurti, Plenkovic said that he believes that the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue will result in normalization of relations and mutual recognition. “I mentioned that this incident is not new, it is not the only one, there have been at least three incidents that have occurred in the last year, and as far as Croatia is concerned, they have been analyzed very deeply, and they are taken with great concern.”

“We believe in the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia that will result in the normalization of relations, and by all means, will end with mutual recognition, as well as the functioning that would lead to the position for Kosovo to undertake its adequate path towards the European Union. There are still five European Union states that have not recognized Kosovo, and therefore, this process may not be as fast as it should be,” Plenkovic said.

Important agreements signed between Kosovo and Croatia (Klan)

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti, together with his delegation, have visited Zagreb, Croatia. Today, they signed important agreements between Kosovo and Croatia. They signed agreements in the field of social security, on mutual recognition of driver's licenses, on cooperation in protection from natural, technical and technological disasters, and cooperation in the field of forensic medicine.

Osmani meets Senator Ernst, Congressmen Palmer and Lawler (media)

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani met during her stay in Washington with Senator Joni Ernst, and “discussed the importance of coordination to protect and advance our shared strategic interests”. Osmani also said that “sustainable peace and security also drive increased economic cooperation and collaboration in other areas of mutual interest. We remain resolute in strengthening our partnership through continued and open communication”.

Osmani also met with Congressman Gary Palmer and discussed “discussed security threats in our region and beyond, stressing the importance of regular cooperation and communication for timely and effective prevention”. Osmani said that “there is a vast amount of opportunities to open new chapters of cooperation between Kosovo and the U.S., and that is one of the key objectives on our path forward”.

Osmani also held talks with Republican Congressman Mike Lawler. According to the announcement, they discussed the possibilities of concretizing cooperation in various areas of common interest.

Barbano welcomes rotation of EULEX Formed Police Unit (media)

Head of the EU Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo (EULEX) Giovanni Pietro Barbano welcomed the rotation of the EULEX Formed Police Unit. “The Formed Police Unit has a critical bearing in supporting the stability of Kosovo: as Kosovo 2nd security responder & in monitoring security developments. It was a great pleasure welcoming the XXXVII rotation of the EULEX FPU today. Thankful to Poland for its steadfast support!” he wrote in a post on X.

Kosovo government rules out possible land swap idea (media)

The Kosovo government is categorically against a possible idea for a land swap with Serbia. The reaction comes after former US national security advisor John Bolton recently said with Donald Trump’s return to the White House, the idea for a territorial exchange between Kosovo and Serbia could return to the table. Spokesperson for the Kosovo government, Perparim Kryeziu, told TeVe1 on Thursday: “Discussions about the idea for a territorial exchange gave a serious blow to the full and sustainable integration of the non-majority Serb community in the northern municipalities. In the last four years, our government has engaged continuously to repair this damage and we have achieved important success through new public services, rule of law, and public infrastructure. Our government has maintained a principled and clear constitutional position against the idea of territorial exchange. We will not engage in discussions that can bring back this idea and we refuse projects and solutions with a territorial character. The effort for the division of Kosovo disguised as a territorial exchange is not a peaceful project and it would spark new and lengthy conflicts in the Balkans”.

Helez: Serbia filled with hatred against Albanians, Bosniaks and Croats (Express)

The Defense Minister of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Zukan Helez, reacted to the ongoing student protests in Serbia, saying that they want rule of law and free governance which according to him has been lacking in Serbia in the last couple of decades. He said the student protests started after a railway station canopy collapsed in Novi Sad and 15 people were killed. “The students first called for accountability for the accident and the publication of the documentation for the reconstruction of the railway station. The response of Vucic’s regime was to send bandits against students, who physically assaulted them, and tried to crack down on the protests. Media which are under the control of Aleksandar Vucic and almost all of them are under his control, called the students traitors and mercenaries. This is not the first time that Vucic’s regime does this to oppress protests,” he said.

Helez further argued in a letter that “Serbia is a Russian province filled with hatred against Albanians, Bosniaks, Croats, and European values, such as freedom and equality. Vucic’s regime still tries to protect the myth of Kosovo as part of Serbia, although Kosovo is an independent state recognized by over 100 world countries”.

Tahiri submits 16 laws approved in December 5 session to Constitutional Court (media)

The 20 laws approved by the government in the session held last Thursday were announced to be sent to the Constitutional Court today by the head of the PDK Parliamentary Group, Abelard Tahiri. Tahiri told the media that he had sent 16 of them to the Constitutional Court..

“Just as we have announced that PDK will proceed to the Constitutional Court with the laws approved in the December 5 session. The December 5 session has set a black record not only in Kosovo and in the region. You cannot find such a violation of the Constitution in a parliament. Today we have proceeded with 16 of the laws approved in the December 5 session. I mean 15 of them are contested only in procedure, while another is contested both in procedure and content. That law is for the State Bureau", Tahiri said.

KSF withdraws from patrolling along water canals in Obiliq and Vushtrri regions (Nacionale)

The KSF command has decided that the army will withdraw from patrolling along the water canal in the Obiliq and Vushtrri regions, which was established on November 30, after the attack on the Iber-Lepenc canal. The news portal has learned that the decision for KSF soldiers to withdraw from securing key points of Kosovo's critical infrastructure was made on Thursday. A source within the Ministry of Defense has told the portal that this decision was made after a competent commission has reassessed the security situation. According to the source, the commission has assessed that the presence of KSF soldiers at these points is not necessary. The same source has indicated that the decision foresees that KSF soldiers will be on standby and, in case of urgent need, will return to these points.

Serbian Language Media 

CSOs Study: Uniforms, “Greater Albania”, “weapons in hands” and impunity at stake (Alternativna.com, media, social media)

Kosovo police officers in uniforms, with symbols of “Greater Albania” and Kosovo Liberation Army, symbols glorifying out-of-court justice are some of the scenes that could be seen on a daily basis, both on social media and on the streets in Kosovo. Several situations were also registered in which police officers are photographed with the maps of so-called “Greater Albania”, Alternativna.com portal writes today.

This all represents violation of the laws and police procedures and goes with impunity as well as is not being addressed by Kosovo institutions and relevant international organizations, said five civil society organizations, led by Serbs from Kosovo, pointing out these issues in a study published today – Ethnicization of Kosovo Police: Erosion of Ahtisaari’s Basis of a Civic and Multiethnic Institution.

The Study in English is available at: https://shorturl.at/Osuoi 

When people in Kosovo, who share those contents massively, add music background to it, along with photos and recordings, in the background one could hear the verses: “God has given land to Albanians”, “I am used to killing Shkias (derogatory term for Serbs) and slaughter sultans”, “Do not touch Mitrovica, or I will burn down Caglavica”, “A weapon in my hand, wait for me ethnic Albania”, “Let red-black flag flies from Skopje to Valona”, “There will be no border from Presevo to Cameria”, “Tell chetniks not to get involved in this, because the gun of Leshi can burn even Nis”, “I cannot hold it any longer, I have a bullet for each chetnik”.

“Combining this with visual material on which members of Kosovo police are, such music clearly spreads idea about ethnic domination over the region, framing the presence of police as part of the ongoing national struggle of Albanians for the territory”, New Social Initiative (NSI), CASA, InTer, Aktiv and Advocacy Centre for Democratic Culture said in an analysis.

The five civil society organizations point out that over the last three years in Kosovo, a trend has been observed on social media, in particular on Tik Tok, that members of Kosovo police spread “Albanian ethnonationalism”, in contradiction to Kosovo Constitution and applicable laws.

Analysis of the applicable legal framework pointed out that by such conduct on social media, Kosovo police members violate at least 13 articles of the sub-legal acts on discipline, Kosovo Constitution and laws regulating the Kosovo institutions as civic and multiethnic.

The study points out to the massive violation of the 13 articles of the Administrative Instruction on injuries, measures and discipline procedure in Kosovo police. Those articles related to inappropriate conduct of Kosovo police members, undermining the image of Kosovo police, unlawful inclusion of specific markings on police equipment, which could represent discrimination, unauthorised use of name and position, unauthorised wearing of symbols and violations of the standards of uniforms.

To substantiate their claims of “this illegal and nationalistic practice undermining the multiethnic and civic features of security institution”, the authors of the study included 140 photos on which 300 police officers “use illegal emblems and symbols, flags or gestures, clearly identifying their ethnic background and emphasising their nationalistic political stances or glorify the concept of ‘out-of-court-justice’”. Particular section includes photos of the police officers with the emblems of Marvel Comics anti-hero Punisher, who seeks out-of-court-justice, often applying violence and acting against the law. The study said that Marvel Comics distanced themselves from use of their logo by law enforcement agencies.

NSI, InTer, CASA, Aktiv and ACDC said over the last three years, when expansion of this trend began, Kosovo Police Inspectorate, and international missions with monitoring status, such as EULEX have not reacted.

Alterntivna.com article in Serbian, including photos from the study is available at: https://shorturl.at/BJmN6

Tombstones demolished; crosses desecrated at Serbian cemetery in Gnjilane (Kosovo Online, social media)

Serbian Orthodox Church Draganac Monastery brotherhood said after the visit to the Serbian cemetery in Gnjilane that they have found a devastating scenery there with demolished tombstones and desecrated crosses, Kosovo Online portal reported.

“We visited the Serbian cemetery in Gnjilane today. Albanian and Serbian cemeteries in Gnjilane are located next to one another. As if someone wished to divide those deceased so division would have been lasting, contrasting scenes are seen on those two cemeteries. Order, greenery and monuments on one side, and on the other side are broken, toppled monuments, torn names, desecrated crosses, weeds, a faint memory of a city where more than 15,000 Serbs once lived. Even the living are not doing any better today", reads the post of the Monastery on Instagram. It is a terrible picture that speaks of unreconciled people, the post added.

"A terrible picture in Gnjilane of two peoples who live and die, side by side, unreconciled. The XXI century brought an even greater division of the two worlds. Gazing over the graves of those two worlds, we remind ourselves and others - Christ is Risen! Christ will certainly come to judge both the living and the dead, and until then - let's be human. May the Lord give us the strength to fight for survival on the holy land, and may our hearts be Christian with a place for everyone", Draganac Monastery brotherhood said in a post.

Petkovic condemns desecration of Serbian cemetery in Gnjilane (Kosovo Online)

After Draganac Monastery brotherhood visited Serbian cemetery in Gnjilane and found demolished tombstones and desecrated crosses, Office for Kosovo and Metohija Director Petar Petkovic said the true reflection of life in Kosovo can be seen in fact that Albanian tombstones remain intact in the Serbian areas, while since 1999 until today 10.000 Serbian graveyards had been demolished, Kosovo Online portal reported.

In a post on X social platform Petkovic said while Pristina and Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti “persecute Serbs”, their “extremists do not allow the dead to rest in peace”.

"Since 1999, 10,000 Serbian graves have been destroyed in Kosovo and Metohija. The same fate befell the cemetery in Gnjilane, a town that was ethnically cleansed of Serbs. While Pristina and Kurti are persecuting the Serbs, their extremists do not let dead Serbs rest in peace even today, the graves are damaged, desecrated, riddled", Petkovic said in a post.

The Office for Kosovo and Metohija together with Raska-Prizren Eparchy, he added, allocates significant funds every year for the restoration and maintenance of Serbian cemeteries, but they are desecrated again and again.

"The true picture of life in Kosovo and Metohija is that Albanian tombstones remain intact, because Serbs want peace and peaceful coexistence with their Albanian neighbours", he said.

Serbian Ministry of Culture condemns desecration of cemetery in Gnjilane (media)

Serbian Ministry of Culture in the strongest terms condemned the desecration of Serbian cemetery in Gnjilane, Kosovo Online portal reported.

“In the atmosphere of continuous attacks and assaults against the Serbs, Serbian culture and religious heritage in Kosovo and Metohija, more and more often not even cemeteries are spared, as testimonies of lives of Serbian people in their century-old places”, the Ministry said in a statement.

The Ministry added the image of demolished and desecrated cemetery in Gnjilane, a city where around 15.000 Serbs once lived is not only “a vandal and anti-civilizational act, but also depicts astonishing scope of reckoning with everything that has Serbian prefix in the territory of Kosovo”.

The Ministry of Culture appealed to all international organizations and institutions to react to, as they said in a statement, policy of hatred and violence, within their mandates and authority.

Alternativna: Yellow tape on buildings in Zubin Potok due to “illegal construction”; the allocation of these apartments has previously begun

Yellow tape was placed in front of four buildings in Zubin Potok where, without the knowledge of the general public, the allocation of apartments had previously begun. The case is characterized as “illegal construction”, Alternativna.com portal writes.

“With the order of the prosecutor, the case of illegal construction is being investigated. A decision was made to put yellow tape around the buildings until the case is clarified and the use of the buildings is prohibited", Kosovo police deputy director for the North region, Veton Elshani, told Alternativna. According to him, inspection is also involved in the case.

When asked if there were any tenants in the building, since the previous information was that some apartments were allocated, Elshani stated that they did not find anyone in the buildings, but also that if someone wants to take some of their belongings, they can contact the police or the municipality. At the same time, he underlined that the main institution in this case is the prosecution. “Even though the police officers are there, the prosecutor should know who goes where and what this person needs”, he added.

Zubin Potok Info portal said these are three buildings near the Agricultural Cooperative and one near the city stadium, built with the funds of the Republic of Serbia, in which the allocation of apartments has recently started without, as the opposition parties claimed, an announcement and according to inadequate criteria. Zubin Potok Info recalled that three people were questioned by Kosovo police, among them Milos Perovic from the Interim Municipal Council of Zubin Potok.

Office for KiM: ‘Kurti seized six residential buildings in Zubin Potok intended for Serbs’ (media)

“Albin Kurti continues his violent and shameless plunderage of Serbian properties in the north of Kosovo, and this morning he seized six residential buildings in the territory of the Zubin Potok municipality, which were built with funds from the Government of the Republic of Serbia”, the Office for Kosovo and Metohija said, Kosovo Online portal reported.

"This way, he seized 107 apartments intended for Serbs without housing care from the area of ​​this municipality, without any legal basis or foundation. In this way, he directly threatened the interests and rights of hundreds of Serbs who were supposed to live here with their families. This morning, he sent his inspectors to close six Serbian buildings in which Serbs were supposed to move in these days. Instead, today, yellow tapes were stretched on those buildings", the Office for KIM added in a statement.

As the statement said, given that Pristina's false accusations did not go well with the international community after the incident on the Ibar-Lepenac canal, Albin Kurti continued with the attack on Zubin Potok.

"After the incident on the Ibar-Lepenac canal, Kurti continues his attack on Zubin Potok, because his spins and false accusations did not go well even with the international community, so now he is trying to cover up his dirty tracks by causing a new crisis and tensions on the ground", statement also said.

The Office added that “Kurti continues to rob everything that is Serbian”. "Let us recall that Kurti seized and closed several Serbian buildings and construction sites in Kosovo, usurped Serbian municipalities, closed the construction site of the new University building, seized the Rajska Banja complex and now continues in his ruthless robbery of everything Serbian", the Office for KIM emphasised.

US Report: 10 Albanians from Kosovo in Syrian detention camps, over support to ISIS (Kosovo Online)

Ten Albanians from Kosovo are staying in Syrian detention camps over their support to ISIS in this state, while there is no information about 70 more, their locations or if they are still alive, State Department Report on terrorism for 2023 said, Kosovo Online portal reported citing Pristina-based Reporteri.

According to the report 121 persons from Syria had been repatriated to Kosovo, while 12 persons had been arrested over the stay in this country. It is estimated that people in Kosovo are still susceptible to recruitment by violent religious organizations.

After the outbreak of the conflict in Syria in 2011, it is estimated that around 350 persons from Kosovo travelled to Syria and Iraq, mostly to fight alongside the extremist group, the Islamic State (IS).

People who returned to Kosovo are facing court proceedings. The report notes the sentences for supporting terrorist activities or taking part in foreign wars are mild, include bail and early release from prison, as well as unorganized surveillance after these persons leave the prisons. 

Serbian Government releases all 195 documents related to Novi Sad railway station accident (Tanjug)

The Serbian Government has released all Ministry of Construction, Transport and Infrastructure documents related to the commission of a potential criminal offence in connection with the November 1 overhang collapse at the Novi Sad railway station, Tanjug news agency reported.

A total of 195 documents are now available on the website of the Government of Serbia, the government said in a statement on Friday. The government decided on Thursday that the Ministry make all the documents publicly available within 24 hours.

International

Serbian President’s plan to ‘protect’ Kosovo Serbs still a work in progress (Balkan Insight)

Three months after it was announced, Serbia has made little progress in implementing President Aleksandar Vucic’s five-point plan to "safeguard the future" of Serbs in Kosovo.

On September 13, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic announced a five-point plan to safeguard the future of Serbs who live in a northern pocket of Kosovo, responding to a crackdown by Kosovo authorities on Serb-run, Belgrade-backed ‘parallel institutions’. He announced the plan in a typically meandering address to the nation, hotly anticipated by government-friendly media.

“From the documents you received,” Vucic told the gathered reporters, “you will see how serious and responsible the Serbian state is.” Three months on, however, BIRN’s analysis of the plan’s progress shows that none of the five points Vucic outlined has been fulfilled in full. Some are in progress, but it is unclear when they will be finished or what their real impact might be.

Read more at: https://shorturl.at/rp2yz