Albanian Language Media:
 

• Osmani: We continue with activities in defense of Kosovo's interests (RTK)

• LVV asks ECAP to cancel “permission” for Serbian List to participate in elections (Klan)

• Haxhiu: There must be a mechanism for supervising the Specialized Chambers (media)

• German MP: After Banjska, it would not be surprising if Serbia was also behind Iber-Lepenc (media)

• Pristina ranked today in 11th place with the most polluted air in the world (media)

• Haradinaj after New Orleans attack: We stand together with U.S. (media)

• Kamberi: Vucic trying to minimize Serbia’s guilt for genocide in Kosovo (media)

• Aliu: Certified pilots landed in Pristina despite fog (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Vucic: Two big countries will withdraw the recognition of Kosovo (Kosovo Online, TV Pink)

• Selakovic: The most important task is to share the truth about Serbian cultural heritage in Kosovo worldwide (RTS, Kosovo Online, KiM radio)

• Barbano: The police are not above the law, they are accountable to it (alternativna.com)

• Christmas Interview with Metropolitan Teodosije (Jedinstvo, Kosovo Online, KiM radio,  eparhija-prizren.com)

• Palalic: More favorable opportunities for the Pope's visit, Francis does not want to recognize Kosovo as independent (N1, Beta)

• Twelve killed in mass shooting in Montenegro (N1, media)

Albanian Language Media 

Osmani: We continue with activities in defense of Kosovo's interests (RTK)

Kosovo President, Vjosa Osmani, said that she has concluded a full year with activities in representing sovereign Kosovo in the international arena. Osmani, in a post, also accompanied by a video, on Facebook, said  "We concluded a full year with activities in representing sovereign Kosovo in the international arena. We will continue in 2025 always in defense of the interests of the state and our citizens".

LVV asks ECAP to cancel “permission” for Serbian List to participate in elections (Klan)

The Vetevendosje Movement has submitted today an appeal to ECAP via mail against the decision to certify Serbian List on behalf of the CEC, with the request to cancel this decision.

“Issuing the decision on behalf of the CEC, but without the approval of the CEC is the next attack on our legal order because of Serbian List. Each decision of the CEC must be subject to a vote by CEC members. This decision is not of the CEC, because it was not voted on. It is illegal, because it contradicts the Law on General Elections. While Serbian List was not certified in accordance with the Law, but was illegally smuggled,” LVV’s reaction said.

This party said that the Serbian List “has been and remains the party of the terrorist leader Radoicic”, which, according to LVV, “was once used by Radoicic against the state of Kosovo, and is now serving as a structure that protects and amnesties terrorism”.

LVV stated that “it cannot be allowed that in order to make room on the ballot for a structure that fights the state of Kosovo and protects terrorists, the Law on Elections and every regular practice are so brutally violated”.

“Therefore, the Vetevendosje Movement, through this complaint, aims to reverse this illegal decision, protect the legal order and prevent the certification of the Serbian List”, the LVV said in its response.

Representatives of the ruling party in the CEC, on December 23 of last year, justified their opposition to the certification of the Serbian List by saying that this party does not recognize the state of Kosovo and continues to call it an autonomous province of Serbia, "Kosovo and Metohija".

Haxhiu: There must be a mechanism for supervising the Specialized Chambers (media)

Kosovo’s Minister of Justice Albulena Haxhiu has said Kosovo must definitely create an international or local supervisory mechanism for the Kosovo Specialized Chambers in The Hague, as she said, especially in terms of the rights of accused persons.

“We have discussed amongst ourselves as institutions the requests to have an organization, a mechanism that supervises the work of the Special Court. It is not that there have been agreements on who the mechanism will be, how the mechanism will be created, whether it will be international or local. This is within the competence of the Assembly of the Republic of Kosovo… Despite the fact that we have discussed, we have met very often, there are different opinions, so until we have a common or unifying opinion, I think we should discuss it again. It is important to have a mechanism that oversees at least the rights of the persons being accused, the bias of the court and other circumstances related to the work of the court. I think that institutions, which are not supervised by anyone, I think it is a big problem… The way it was established is unprecedented, the way it is not accountable to anyone is unprecedented. Therefore, of course the Assembly of the Republic of Kosovo must find it, however it may not be the best possible proposal, but at least to have a mechanism that is in charge of this”, Haxhiu said.

German MP: After Banjska, it would not be surprising if Serbia was also behind Iber-Lepenc (media)

Knut Abraham, a member of the German Bundestag, has been quite critical of the dialogue process that has been taking place between Kosovo and Serbia for more than 11 years. Abraham has proposed that the current Kosovo-Serbia dialogue process, mediated by the EU, be discontinued, and that the Union instead start two separate negotiation processes – one with Kosovo and one with Serbia. “This new dialogue should include the path of integration of each country into the EU. The process should be based on merit and the final goal should be achieved within the next few years,” Abraham told Klankosova.

He also spoke about the Association of Serb-Majority Municipalities, noting that Kosovo officials cannot do this job. According to him, the Association “should be established by the Serb community in Kosovo.”

Among other things, the German MP condemned the attack on the main water canal in “Iber-Lepenc”, pointing the finger at Serbia and Russia as potential culprits. “Due to the close relations between Russia and Serbia and the regular visit of Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandar Vulin to Moscow, Russian involvement cannot be ruled out in this case,” he said.

According to him, Kosovo’s path to international mechanisms should not be stopped. Kosovo’s next immediate step should be membership in the Council of Europe.

Pristina ranked today in 11th place with the most polluted air in the world (media)

Several news websites are reporting today that according to IQAir, which measures the air quality throughout the world, Pristina has been ranked in the 11th place with the most polluted air.

Haradinaj after New Orleans attack: We stand together with U.S. (media)

Leader of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK), Ramush Haradinaj, said after the terrorist attack in New Orleans that the people of Kosovo stand together with the United States. “Deeply saddened by the horrific attack in New Orleans. Our most sincere prayers and thoughts are with the victims, their families and the entire American people. The people of Kosovo stand in solidarity with the United States of America in these sad moments!” Haradinaj wrote in a Facebook post.

Kamberi: Vucic trying to minimize Serbia’s guilt for genocide in Kosovo (media)

Albanian member of the Serbian Parliament, Shaip Kamberi, in an interview with Kosovapress news agency, criticized Serbia’s approach vis-à-vis Kosovo and argued that Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic was trying to minimize Serbia’s guilt for the genocide carried out in Kosovo. “I think that privately they know that Kosovo will never again be part of Serbia, and that Serbian boots will never set foot on Kosovo again … but he is trying through geopolitics to gain something. But at the same time, he [Vucic] cannot come out with a concrete position because if he makes a concrete request, which many people believe relates to the north [of Kosovo] then that would imply that Vucic recognizes the independence of the other part of Kosovo,” Kamberi said.

Aliu: Certified pilots landed in Pristina despite fog (media)

Kosovo’s Minister of Infrastructure Liburn Aliu has stated that the cancellation of flights arriving at Pristina Airport occurred because the pilots of those planes were not certified to use the advanced landing system ILS CAT IIIb. He said that all planes with certified pilots landed successfully.

However Pristina Airport spokesperson Valentina Gara said dozens of flights were canceled due to the fog, as visibility was below 50 meters. She said 42 flights had been canceled since yesterday.

“38 flights were canceled yesterday. Some of them were diverted to neighboring airports. Today, 4 flights have been canceled so far. Visibility was below 50 meters, which is why flights were impossible,” Gara said.

Serbian Language Media 

Vucic: Two big countries will withdraw the recognition of Kosovo (Kosovo Online, TV Pink)

The President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, said today that he expects that in the coming period two large countries, larger than Serbia, will withdraw the recognition of Kosovo, reported Kosovo Online, citing TV Pink. 

Speaking about the situation in Kosovo before 2012, Vucic told TV Pink that so far 28 countries have withdrawn their recognition.

"We expect two more countries to withdraw their recognition in the coming period. It's not about small, but big countries, bigger than ours," said Vucic. 

He added that in Kosovo they are "very nervous" about Donald Trump coming to power in the USA. He also said that he expects structural changes in the policy of support for "real and fake" non-governmental organizations from the new American administration. He pointed out that he hopes for this and that it can save the world in the future.

When it comes to the interruption of the supply of Russian gas through Ukraine, Vucic pointed out that it will create big problems for Slovakia, but also for Austria in the long term.

"Austria has enough reserves and they are ready, and it will be extremely difficult for Slovakia. We cannot easily help our friends, but if they can get gas through the Balkan Stream, we will be a reliable gas transporter for our Slovak friends," said the President of Serbia. He also stated that Serbia would also be in trouble if it had not taken measures and built everything that was needed on time. "Imagine if we hadn't done that, people would be freezing to death today," stated Vucic. 

He announced that tonight at 19:00 he will talk by phone with the American interlocutors, regarding energy, and that he was informed that one of the topics is NIS.

Speaking about other geopolitical issues, he emphasized that further bloodshed between two fraternal Slavic nations is pointless and that the conflict between Ukraine and Russia must be resolved.

Vucic once again expressed his condolences to the citizens of Montenegro, where 12 people were killed in Cetinje.

"Last night I spoke on the phone with the President of Montenegro Jakov Milatovic and the Prime Minister Milojko Spajic. I hope that Montenegro will be able to find a way out and certain solutions. I sincerely wish them to do so. And we offered all kinds of assistance," added Vucic.

Selakovic: The most important task is to share the truth about Serbian cultural heritage in Kosovo worldwide (RTS, Kosovo Online, KiM radio)

The Serbian Minister of Culture, Nikola Selakovic, stated today that the most important task is to spread the truth about Serbian cultural and historical heritage in Kosovo worldwide. He emphasized that this is the very goal of the exhibition opened in November at UNESCO's headquarters in Paris, dedicated to Serbian cultural sites listed as World Heritage in Danger.

“What indelibly connects Serbia and Serbs with Kosovo and Metohija is not only the Kosovo covenant and history but also what is alive and ours in Kosovo and Metohija. These are our people, our nation, Serbian men and women, as well as our sacred sites, dating back to the 12th century. Among them are four gems under UNESCO protection – Visoki Decani Monastery, Pec Patriarchate, Gracanica Monastery, and the Church of the Mother of God of Ljevis,” Selakovic said for RTS.

He noted that as difficult as it is for the people, it is equally difficult for the sacred sites because it is the people who bring them to life – the worshippers who come to pray and the monks and nuns who live there and have devoted their lives to God.

“Our most important task is to ensure they are protected, preserved as cultural assets, and properly secured,” Selakovic said.

He pointed out that the fact that these four sites are under UNESCO protection because they are in danger speaks volumes about the current situation. He added that Serbian institutions responsible for protecting cultural monuments are doing what they can to care for these sacred sites.

“Our most important task is to tell the truth about our cultural and historical heritage in Kosovo and Metohija to the world,” Selakovic emphasized.

This is why, he added, the Ministry of Culture launched a campaign in November, starting with an exhibition at UNESCO on the theme of endangered Serbian medieval monuments.

“I am confident that in 2025, we will organize this kind of exhibition in more locations than ever before, in capitals and friendly countries, to showcase the truth about our cultural heritage in Kosovo and Metohija to everyone,” Selakovic concluded.

Barbano: The police are not above the law, they are accountable to it (alternativna.com)

By Bronwyn Jones

EULEX has changed in its time: You will no longer be arrested by EULEX police or tried by EULEX judges. The mission is now monitoring and advising only and is the second security responder after the Kosovo police with KFOR as the third. But many still criticise it for not doing enough. The five largest Kosovo Serb NGOs boycott it for not responding vehemently enough to police abuse accusations in the north. Meanwhile, the security situation in the north continues to deteriorate with increased street harassment to the canal bombing. How does EULEX address these criticisms and other issues in Kosovo today? We asked Head of Mission Giovanni Barbano about these issues.

Do you think EULEX has done enough to explain its non-executive mandate to the Kosovo public particularly in minority areas?

The implementation of a transparent and timely public information policy has always been and remains at the forefront of the Mission’s communication activities. Following the end of the executive mandate in 2018, EULEX conducted an intensive public information campaign to inform Kosovo’s population of the changes to the mandate and to illustrate what this change meant for Kosovo’s rule of law.  This included multi-media and digital campaigns, interviews and press releases, as well as dozens of outreach activities.  All our public communication has always targeted the Kosovo population as a whole, therefore ensuring that our communication products are always created not only in English but also in Albanian and Serbian.

In addition, in implementing its mandate the Mission regularly engages with civil society representatives and members of the Kosovo public.

It is important to stress that, although our previous executive mandate might raise expectations among certain interlocutors, the Mission is solely guided by its current mandate, which is decided by Member States, and which focuses on our monitoring and advising capacity.

Informing the population about the implementation of our mandate remains our main communication goal, paired with a continuous commitment not only to be available and transparent in explaining our work, but also to counter false or misleading information regarding the Mission from different sources, be it unintentional or intentional. In this regard, I very much welcome the efforts of local media engaged with fact-checking and news debunking, and I invite, at the same time, the Kosovo population, to follow EULEX official channels when seeking information regarding the Mission posture or engagement.

Do you think it hurts the understanding of the mandate when EULEX police monitors are armed and wear uniforms?

On the contrary. I believe that the presence of EULEX staff wearing uniforms makes their presence better known to the population who can, in this way, be informed about their presence, approach them easily to present their claims and protect their rights as well as sending the strong signal that the Mission is on the ground for the benefit of all.

Moreover, it must be clear that the side weapons carried by EULEX unformed staff are for self-defense only and in line with the Mission’s mandate and with the respective normative of seconding authorities. 

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

Christmas Interview with Metropolitan Teodosije (Jedinstvo, Kosovo Online, KiM radio, eparhija-prizren.com)

“In all adversities, it is essential to preserve faith, perseverance and love for all people”

“We often need to plan various activities and events, but we must always leave the final word to God. We must understand that only when God opens the doors for a good deed will it come to fruition — not solely through our efforts but primarily by God’s grace. The episcopal ministry in Kosovo and Metohija is a constant life in the mystery of the Cross and Resurrection. May the Lord bless our people and strengthen us to remain steadfast, despite all difficulties, staying true to our heritage in the places where we have glorified God for centuries, even under far more challenging circumstances. May we hold firmly to the faith that no injustice lasts forever,” emphasized His Eminence Archbishop and Metropolitan of Raška and Prizren, Teodosije.

“His written and spoken words under the skies of Kosovo and Metohija flow like the Bistrica River, merging with the centuries-old spiritual treasures of the region, all aimed at glorifying God and strengthening the Christian faith. Through a genuine witness of love for God, Metropolitan Teodosije comforts, directs, encourages, confesses, teaches, and calls for the strengthening of the spiritual foundations of the Serbian people in Kosovo and Metohija. He also advocates tolerance and love among all faiths. Quiet yet resolute, he serves as a vital source nourishing the spiritual life of the Serbian Orthodox Church.”

His Eminence shared his thoughts in an interview for “Jedinstvo”.

Read more at:https://tinyurl.com/u3yztt9p

Palalic: More favorable opportunities for the Pope's visit, Francis does not want to recognize Kosovo as independent (N1, Beta)

The president of the Parliamentary Friendship Group Serbia - Italy and the Holy See, Jovan Palalic, estimated that today the opportunities for the Pope to come to Serbia are more favorable than before precisely because of the actions of the current Pope Francis, indicating that this would have a wider resonance in the Christian world, divided into Orthodox and Catholic, reported N1. 

"Serbia represents a country - a bridge between the two 'lungs' of Christianity, which, due to its history, identity, independent position, but also the importance of the Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC) in the Orthodox world, can play an important role in building inter-Christian ties and trust," said Palalic in an interview for the Beta agency.

He reminded that Pope John Paul II and Pope Francis visited many Orthodox countries in the region - such as Bulgaria, Romania, Greece, North Macedonia. They visited Bosnia and Herzegovina, and even distant ones - Georgia and Armenia, but never Serbia and Montenegro.

"Pope Francis' visit to Serbia would be a message to the whole of Christianity that the Vatican's ecumenical policy of dialogue and meeting, which the Pope has been promoting for a decade, is bearing fruit even in places where, due to historical conflicts and misunderstandings, such visits have been impossible until now," said Palalic, speaking about the motives of the Pope's intention to come to Serbia.

Palalic emphasized that this would also be a "strong signal to the Russian Orthodox Church, towards which many Vatican efforts have recently been directed to restore communication interrupted by the war in Ukraine, that the time has come for a serious and most important dialogue in the Christian world".

Palalic pointed out that it could be seen increased interest of the Vatican in strengthening relations with Serbia and the Serbian Orthodox Church, which is confirmed by the arrival of their high representatives in Belgrade, as well as the recent election of Archbishop Ladislav Nemet as the first cardinal in the history of the Catholic Church in Serbia, because until now its representatives were up to the level of archbishop.

He reminded that the top of the state has repeatedly invited the pope to visit Serbia, along with the greatest respect for the position of the Serbian Orthodox Church, as well as that the Vatican has a clear position that the pope never visits in his capacity as a statesman if the local Church or other religious communities in that country oppose it. 

"As far as I know, our Church has never explicitly said that it is against the Pope's visit to Serbia, with certain conditions. It seems to me that the decisions of Pope Francis have shown a willingness to meet some of our interests, to the extent that it is possible for the Vatican. This makes the opportunities for the visit more favorable than before this pope," said Palalic, who is also the general secretary of the Serbian People's Party.

"Following the historical processes in the Vatican, it seems to me that Pope Francis is the first pope who so far has not done a single bad thing for the Serbs, but some concessions for which the Croats,  and Albanians in Kosovo resent him a lot," Palalic explained, referring to the attitude of Pope Francis on the canonization of Archbishop Alojzije Stepinac and the Kosovo issue.

It seems to Palalic that this is "the most that a pope could do for the interests of an Orthodox nation, at the expense of another Catholic nation, which today resents him very much."

"As a representative of a state institution, I could see many advantages for Serbia and national politics from the Pope's visit," said Palalic, noting that Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic saw this in these complex relations with the West when he sent the invitation.

Palalic, speaking from the point of view of the faithful, pointed out that the possible visit of the Pope to Serbia concerns the SPC the most, so "the final judgment on the need for such a visit for the Serbian people and the conditions for its realization would always have to be with the patriarch as its head and its most important bodies - the Synod and Parliament".

When asked about the attitude of the Vatican towards the Kosovo issue, Palalic stated that he was told by the high circles of the Catholic Church that Pope Francis does not want to recognize Kosovo as an independent state because his intention is to contribute to peace and not to create problems in the region.

"However, today it is Pope Francis, and who knows what the future holds", emphasized Palalic, as well as that for years high representatives of the countries that are the main sponsors for Kosovo as an independent "to put it mildly suggested Pope Benedict and Pope Francis to change their position ".

He warned that "the Vatican always reckons with reality", that is, with the actual situation on the ground, regardless of its official position, and that it "acts in multiple dimensions".

"In a conversation with a high-ranking representative of the Holy See, when I asked why the Vatican agreed to open the so-called Kosovo Liaison Office with them in 2024, I was told that for them Kosovo is a reality. Their decision on that issues should be viewed in the sense that questions of interest to the Vatican in Kosovo are covered by nuncios from Slovenia, and not from Serbia. These are clear messages, even though they do not have formal diplomatic relations with Pristina," Palalic illustrated.

Also, that "the very active presence of the Catholic Church in Kosovo indicates that this area is 'terra missionis' for them", noting that "many young Albanians want to convert to Catholicism, but the Vatican is reserved for the time being regarding the motive of this conversion".

The Vatican distanced itself from Kurti, but...

"Although the official Vatican distanced itself from Kurti's uncivilized decisions on converting Orthodox temples into Catholic ones, we did not see a clear position of their representatives in our province." I am a supporter of constant dialogue with the Vatican, persistent explanation, and search for points of common interest," emphasized Palalic.

The global influence of the Vatican is extremely important, but, Palalic points out, it is also on an individual level - towards many important countries for Serbia.

"Establishing closer relations, constant contacts with Vatican diplomacy and some very influential cardinals in world power centers, opens new channels for the possibility to clarify and present our state and national interests," continued Palalic.

When asked what is the role of the parliamentary friendship group that he leads in such complex relations, Palic explained that these groups can sometimes open up space for dialogue on topics in a freer way, thus helping the official diplomacy of Serbia, at the same time that this diplomacy looks at some aspects of cooperation more comprehensively. 

Speaking about the recent visit of Archbishop Vicenza Paglia to Belgrade, which escaped the attention of the local public, Palalic recalled that Paglia, on behalf of the Sant'Egidio humanitarian community, mediated between Slobodan Milosevic and Ibrahim Rugova with the intention of reaching an agreement.

It is little known, Palalic revealed, that Archbishop Paglia also mediated the talks with Patriarch Pavle about the possible visit of Pope John Paul II to Serbia, which was strongly advocated by President Slobodan Milosevic at the time.

Palalic, who participated in the recent conversation between Archbishop Paglia and Patriarch Porfirije, in the Patriarchate, said that "Paglia realizes that the problems in relations between Serbs and Albanians originate from Albin Kurti and the leadership in Pristina."

"Expressing great respect for Patriarch Porfirije and our Church, as very respectable in the entire Christian world, Archbishop Paglia expressed his willingness, as in those crisis times of the nineties, to help with his contacts and influence so that our Church and our people in Kosovo could live freely and in peace", Palalic explained, emphasizing that the organization led by Paglia has a great influence on the international level.

Beta recalled that in the announcement of the SPC about the recent talks in the Patriarchate, Archbishop Paglia was listed only as the president of the Pontifical Commission for Life (hence his book "Algorithm of Life - Ethics and Artificial Intelligence").

The local headquarters of the Catholic Church told the media that this unofficial papal diplomat for important missions in the world met with the President of the country Aleksandar Vucic in Belgrade, but the public was not informed about it by his office.

Nothing hasty and superficial

When asked what impression he got in the Vatican and from contacts with high-ranking figures from the top of the Catholic Church, Palalic stated that there is nothing rash, superficial, without style, and that everything that is written or said remains in the archives dating back to the time of Saint Peter.

"One can see the existence of a strong faith to defend the Christian view of man and his mission on earth with an unwavering but patient, persistent fight for the interests of the Catholic Church. The talks with the State Secretary of the Vatican, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, left a special impression on me, through whose personality as a diplomat, ascetic, the Vatican's dual church-world nature is shown," said Palalic.

Twelve killed in mass shooting in Montenegro (N1, media)

A gunman killed twelve people, including two children, in the Montenegrin town of Cetinje, while doctors are fighting to save four others who suffered life-threatening injuries, reported the Montenegrin daily Vijesti.

The Montenegrin government has declared three days of national mourning from Thursday, January 2.

Prosecutor Andrijana Nastic confirmed that the twelve victims were killed in Cetinje, and that suspected shooter Aco Martinovic took his own life. On Wednesday afternoon, the shooter opened fire at a restaurant in Cetinje, killing four people. He then proceeded to four other locations in the city, where he killed eight more people, including three women and two brothers aged 10 and 13, Vijesti reported. All police units, including members of the Special Police Unit, spent hours searching for Martinovic. He died just minutes before midnight after reportedly shooting himself in the head when police surrounded him near his family home, confirmed the acting police director. Martinovic was pronounced dead while being transported to the Clinical Center in the capital of Podgorica.

This incident marks the second deadly shooting in Cetinje since August 12, 2022, when a gunman killed ten people, including two boys, brothers, in the city’s Medovina neighborhood.