Albanian Language Media:

• Kurti: Other measures against Kosovo have been warned (Koha)
• Lajcak this week in Kosovo and Serbia (RFE, media)
• Kurti: Vucic regrets saying 'yes' to the basic agreement (Klan)
• Kurti: 45 persons identified so far for attacks against KFOR, police, reporters (media)
• Kusari-Lila: Kosovo has passed the stage of holding International Conferences (media)
• Abdixhiku to start meetings this week “on new path of Republic of Kosovo” (media)
• Jablanovic: Kurti should have met us instead of dealing with street rumours (AP)
• The LDK boycotts the meeting of Assembly Presidency due to EU measures (Klan)

Serbian Language Media: 

• Lajcak in the coming days in Pristina and Belgrade (RFE)
• Serbian List: Citizens upset, a shock bomb in northern Mitrovica (NMagazin, N1)
• Kurti: ''We have identified 45 persons who are in the terrorist organisations Civil Protection and the Northern Brigade'' (Danas, Kosovo Online)
• Serbian List requests Serbian Government to designate all special police units Kurti sent to north as “terrorist” (Kosovo Online, KoSSev)
• SNF: Kurti opened ‘hunting season for Serbs’, everybody assessed as member of CP or NB will be arrested (KoSSev)
• Slavisa Ristic: Kurti’s aim is expulsion of Serbs, and Belgrade has no response to it (BETA, N1)
• While the public's attention is on three other northern municipalities, what is happening under table in Mitrovica North? (KoSSev)
• President of the CI “For Zubin Potok”: I will not take part in the new elections unconditionally (KiM radio, medijacentar.info)
• Ponos: Serbs in Kosovo have no support in Belgrade (Danas, FoNet, Nova)
• Drecun: Kurti implementing Western goals (Tanjug)

   

Albanian Language Media  

  Kurti: Other measures against Kosovo have been warned (Koha)

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti said today other penalty measures by the European Union against Kosovo have been warned but added that Kosovo has currently millions in grants and loans that are blocked and that need to go through the Kosovo Assembly. He said that around €149 million are blocked.

“It is true that measures have been warned and some of them have entered into force. You know that the great exercise ‘Defender Europe’ was cancelled, especially the one in Gjakova that we had planned. This also concerns visits and provisional measures, which in my opinion are not fair. What we need to do in the Assembly, is with 2/3 of MPs to pass the loans and grants that are blocked and which the economy of Kosovo cannot enjoy yet, around €149 million. While we worry about the provisional measures, there is a blockade [of funds] which we can pass together in the Kosovo Assembly,” he said.

Kurti also argued that Kosovo is more ready and interested than Serbia in normalisation centred around de facto recognition. “The table of the dialogue is for the implementation of the agreement for full normalisation with the de facto recognition at its centre. But we are also interested and ready to de-escalate the situation. I have publicly talked about this and in all the languages that I know in order to have peace and calmness in the north of Kosovo, but also for Kosovo and Serbia as two states to build a European-like neighbourly relationship,” he added.

Lajcak this week in Kosovo and Serbia (RFE, media)

The EU Special Representative Miroslav Lajcakwill be visiting Kosovo during this week, in effort to de-escalate the situation in the north of Kosovo and convince the parties to return to dialogue. RFe has learned from several diplomatic sources that he might arrive for his visit on Tuesday, however the news has not yet been confirmed officially by the EU.

In Pristina, Lajcak is expected to meet with the Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti while in Belgrade, with the Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic.

The EU continues to repeat calls for both parties to take immediate steps to de-escalate the situation and return to the dialogue for the normalization of relations, which is mediated by Brussels. These calls were also made during the last summit of EU leaders that was held last week in Brussels.

Kurti: Vucic regrets saying 'yes' to the basic agreement (Klan)

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti has said that the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, has regretted saying 'yes' to the basic agreement reached between Kosovo and Serbia.

According to him, there is already an agreement for normalisation between the two countries, only now it must be implemented.

"For normalisation, we need the immediate implementation of the agreement. We have an agreement with Serbia, this is a very big achievement of Brussels. This agreement is part of the conclusions of the Council of Europe, which has unanimously made the reached agreement a part of itself", he said.

"This agreement must be implemented. Today, we do not have normalisation because we do not have implementation of the agreement. The dialogue has only to be implemented, as we have the agreement. It is my strong conviction from the meetings I have had that Vucic regretted saying 'yes' to the basic agreement, although he said yes in order not to sign, while now, he regrets saying yes," he added.

He further emphasised that the essence of the matter is that there is an agreement for the normalisation of relations between Kosovo and Serbia, but that the agreement is not being implemented by the latter.

Kurti: 45 persons identified so far for attacks against KFOR, police, reporters (media)

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti, asked to comment on the explosion after midnight in Mitrovica North, said that so far 45 persons have been identified for the violent attacks against KFOR troops, Kosovo Police, and reporters, who he said have caused general danger by using different kinds of weapons, including hand grenades, shock bombs, and bullets from machine guns and handguns. “You saw on June 23 the kind of weapons that were seized in a vehicle with Belgrade licence plates and in the ownership of the public enterprise Serbia Railways, and now it comes out that it belonged to Pavicevic, the head of the Northern Brigade, which was designated a terrorist organisation,” Kurti is quoted as saying in Telegrafi.

Kurti argued that there are many criminals currently in the north and that the situation there does not have to do with the Serb population because it is peaceful. “There are dozens of known criminals, 45 of whom have been clearly identified by our security mechanisms and this doesn’t mean that there are not more. But there are at least 45, and not even a quarter of them are in prison, and this is why we have this situation,” he said.

Kurti said that the Kosovo government is maximally engaged for peace and security, but that peace and security cannot be achieved to the detriment of legality and constitutionality but rather through them. “Serb citizens are most afraid of these criminals. They send us messages and information of support whenever the law is enforced because they know that the Kosovo Police is professional. They notify us through messages that they are not scared of the Kosovo Police, but rather of the pressure, blackmail, and intimidation by the criminals of these organisations that have been designated terrorist,” he said.

Asked by reporters to comment on reactions from the EU after the government designated the ‘Northern Brigade’ and the ‘Civil Protection’ as terrorist organisations, Kurti said the authorities have countless facts and evidence that these are terrorist organisations, and that if they would not designate them as such, they would be making a violation. 

“I am in daily contact with the EU. Yesterday I talked for half an hour with [EU High Representative] Josep Borrell. I am in contact with Lajcak too. I am interested in de-escalation and normalisation,” he said. Kurti added that de-escalation implies the rule of law that backs off “these criminals by making them face justice or for going to Serbia”.

“The information that I have, I did not come across an exponent of organised crime in Serbia who, if he has an apartment in the north of Kosovo, does not also have several houses in Serbia. I want to protect Serbs in their properties, but these criminals have expanded their business through smuggling so widely and they have a very big wealth of real-estate in Serbia. They live normal lives in Serbia, and then they come to Kosovo to carry out violent actions”.

According to Kurti, normalisation requires the immediate implementation of the agreement. “We need the immediate implementation of the normalisation agreement. We have an agreement that is not being implemented. I am open to scheduling as soon as possible the steps for de-escalation, rule of law, the proportional reduction of police in these premises, and preparations for new elections. But we cannot count on new elections when during campaigns threats are made or offers that cannot be refused, such as the case of Aleksandar Jablanovic, are made,” he argued.

Kusari-Lila: Kosovo has passed the stage of holding International Conferences (media)

The head of the Parliamentary Group of the Vetevendosje Movement (LVV) Mimoza Kusari-Lila stated that Kosovo has passed the stage of holding International Conferences.

"Kosovo has passed the stage of holding international conferences to find solutions to issues that have solutions, but there is no will from the other side, and it is not Kosovo".

"It means that there are already only two agreements, the Brussels agreement, and the Ohrid agreement for the implementation plan, which in both cases Kosovo has expressed readiness and has remained faithful to the implementation of the agreement reached. It was the Serbian side which, after the end of the two meetings, rejected their implementation and directly violated them on the ground," she said.

Abdixhiku to start meetings this week “on new path of Republic of Kosovo” (media)

Leader of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) Lumir Abdixhiku says in a Facebook post today that starting on Wednesday he will start the first meetings on what he calls “a new path of the Republic of Kosovo”. 

“I am happy with the first public reaction to the initiative. I am happy with the broad support from the actors for this objective. I am confident that Kosovo’s society has the required critical mass to do what is right at the right time. And this is the right time. Starting on Wednesday, we will organise the first four meetings, with opinion-makers and reporters, civil society organisations, university professors and former diplomats, and businesses from the private sector. In the first four meetings, we will address not only the need to build a joint Euro-Atlantic position and path, but also our proposals to emerge from the current isolating and tense crisis. These proposals will become substantiated by the participants, and the new path of the Republic will be born naturally from an all-societal engagement,” he said.

Tahiri: It is disturbing that government kept hidden communication with EU about measures (Klan)

The head of the PDK Parliamentary Group, Abelard Tahiri, has said that it is worrying for them that the government of Kosovo has kept secret the communication with the EU about the punitive measures they have decided against Kosovo.

He, in a press conference, emphasised that Kosovo is in a miserable state because of the Kurti government.

"I express our concern that the government tried to keep secret the communication made by the EU that these measures have come into force. We have entered a very dangerous level of developments with the EU, this is very worrying".

"Such measures damage our Euro-Atlantic future, the measures damage our relationship with each European country separately", Tahiri said.

Jablanovic: Kurti should have met us instead of dealing with street rumours (AP)

The news website notes that even 12 days after Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti said that Kosovo Serb political representative Aleksandar Jablanovic had probably decided to withdraw from the last elections in the north after receiving €1 million and two apartments in Belgrade, no judicial institution in Kosovo has invited Jablanovic or Kurti to give statements about the claims.

“No, no one has invited me to give a statement about this provocation caused by the Prime Minister,” said Jablanovic, who was a candidate for mayor of Leposavic municipality, but withdrew from the race two days before the election. “When you say something this false and do so in official capacity as the Prime Minister and you don’t have evidence, from my point of view this is provocation”. He also said that he would not “take any legal step, because if I deal with every case when they attack me and send it to court, it would take me two lifetimes to prove everyone wrong”.

“I don’t need to prove anything because even according to law everyone is innocent until proven guilty. I am innocent, but if the Prime Minister has any information about me, he can take me to court”.

Jablanovic also said: “He spent 10 minutes accusing Serbs, in this case me, about rumours. This is very wrong. It would have been better if he had spent the time in meetings and talking to Serbs and seeing how we are and how we feel, and what is our reaction”.

Commenting on the situation in the north, Jablanovic said he expects “both governments to calm the situation in the north, because there were many steps that the Kosovo Government made unilaterally in the north in the last weeks and these movements were made without any conversation with the local Serbs”. “I agree that there are criminals among the Serbs in the north, the same as there are Albanian criminals. There are criminals everywhere. But you cannot accuse the whole Serb community in the north. You cannot say that everyone in the north is a hooligan. Yes, there are hooligans, but they don’t make up even one percent of the Serbs in the north,” he said.

The LDK boycotts the meeting of Assembly Presidency due to EU measures (Klan)

The head of the Parliamentary Group of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) Arben Gashi, announced that the LDK has not participated in the meeting of the Presidency of the Assembly, due to the measures of the European Union towards Kosovo, and added that they will not participate in the meeting of the Presidency in the future either.

"The Democratic League of Kosovo did not participate in the Presidency Meeting, due to the situation created, related to the sanctions already confirmed by the spokesperson of the European Union and by the Prime Minister of Kosovo".

"We as a Parliamentary Group believe that it is harmful for Kosovo, and it is impossible to behave normally as if nothing happened. Therefore, we will not participate in the meeting of the Presidency in the future either, and the decisions on further measures and actions will be taken in the leadership of the party very soon", he further stated.

   

Serbian Language Media 

  Lajcak in the coming days in Pristina and Belgrade (RFE)

The EU's special representative for dialogue between Serbia and Kosovo, Miroslav Lajcak, will be in Pristina and Belgrade in the following days, Radio Free Europe (RAE) has learned from diplomatic sources in Brussels.

The aim of the visit is to try to calm the tensions in the north of Kosovo and to continue the dialogue.

EU officials claim that it is a visit "as part of Miroslav Lajcak's regular activities".

He should meet with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic in Belgrade and Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti in Pristina. 

RFE reports that the EU reiterates calls for both sides to take immediate steps towards de-escalating the situation in the north, which should be achieved by the parallel withdrawal of members of the special units of the Kosovo Police from the vicinity of the municipal buildings in the north, the withdrawal of the protesting Serbs, then the withdrawal of the mayor from the municipal buildings, and the performance of duties from alternative facilities, by announcing early elections, as well as by publicly committing the Serbian List to participate in those elections.

The EU has already started implementing measures against Kosovo due to non-compliance with European requirements.

Brussels warns that it is ready to apply measures against Belgrade if Serbia does not behave in accordance with expectations, reports RFE.

Serbian List: Citizens upset, a shock bomb in northern Mitrovica (NMagazin, N1)

The Serbian List announced that, on behalf of the Serbian people, it strongly condemns the incident that happened last night when unknown persons threw what was probably a shock bomb near the Tri Solitera settlement in northern Kosovska Mitrovica and caused anxiety among our citizens.

"We are convinced that this was done deliberately in order to justify the increased presence of heavily armed special forces members and armoured vehicles that were on the streets of Kosovska Mitrovica last night after this incident and intimidated our citizens," read the statement of the Serbian List, reported portal NMagazin. 

It is added that throwing firecrackers or similar pyrotechnics is not a crime in itself, but what is worrying is that the faking of such incidents is aimed at creating ''an alibi for the presence of Kurti's special forces in Serbian areas, and the continuation of repression against our people', as well as unfounded arrests'', stated the List.

"We want to inform the public that even in the case of the alleged discovery of a weapon in a vehicle and the alleged bomb thrown near the municipal building, it is interesting that this shock bomb was also thrown in an area that has been under the complete control of Kurti's special units for weeks. That's why we repeat the request to KFOR and EULEX to strengthen their presence in the north of Kosovo and Metohija, especially in Kosovska Mitrovica, in order to prevent these fake incidents, which we repeat that Kurti's regime skillfully uses as an alibi to justify the presence of parapolice units, the mistreatment of the Serbian people and the arrest of Serbs,'' stated the Serbian List.

Kurti: ''We have identified 45 persons who are in the terrorist organisations Civil Protection and the Northern Brigade'' (Danas, Kosovo Online)

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti, said today that 45 persons belonging to what he called ''the terrorist organisations'', "Civil Protection" and "Northern Brigade", have been identified, reported Danas, citing portal Ekonomiaonline. 

Kurti stated that these persons allegedly participated in attacks on KFOR soldiers, police, and journalists.

"To date, 45 people have been identified who participated in violent attacks on KFOR soldiers, police and journalists, and who also used weapons. You saw what weapons were confiscated on June 23. Serbs are the most afraid of these criminals, who send us information every time the law works. We have countless facts and evidence that it is a terrorist organisation, if we don't publish it, we would harm normalisation," Kurti said, reported Danas daily. 

Regarding the recent decision of Kosovo Government to declare "Civil Protection" and "Northern Brigade" as ''terrorist organisations'', the State Department, as well as the embassies of Germany, Italy, Great Britain...but also the EU Office in Kosovo, stated that this decision was not made in coordination with them.

"This decision should have been coordinated with Kosovo's closest international partners, including those who have the primary responsibility to ensure Kosovo's stability. We again call on Kosovo to refrain from unilateral steps while we work with the parties to resolve the current crisis," the State Department said in a statement, reported Danas.

Serbian List requests Serbian Government to designate all special police units Kurti sent to north as “terrorist” (Kosovo Online, KoSSev)

Serbian List representatives on behalf of the Serbian people in Kosovo in a letter sent today to the Serbian Government recalled all the terror Serbs are exposed to by the Pristina government, Kosovo Online portal reports.

In a letter Serbian List said that Serbs in Kosovo “for longer than two years suffer terror and repression by anti-Serbian regime of Albin Kurti aiming at expulsion of everything Serbian, violating all reached agreements guaranteeing the rights of the Serbian people and by institutional repression endangers peace and survival in those areas”.

They also underlined the institutional violence in northern Kosovo carried out by “parapolice, special and intelligence structures whose acts endanger the peace, security and safety of the Serbian people, but also peace in entire Western Balkans, adding these structures in the previous period have committed:

-          Attempted murders of our compatriots on several occasions;

-          In the middle of the day under the threat of firearms, in presence of children, women and all other citizens without any grounds carried out brutal kidnappings of our citizens by using force;

-          Beaten up dozens of our compatriots, including underage children (full names included);

-          Countless times under the threat of long-barrelled weapons, armed up to teeth, with armoured vehicle occupied parts of settlements where our citizens live, banning movement even to children, sick people and elderly persons;

-          Confiscated properties from Serb owners without legal foundation aiming at militarization of the north of Kosovo and Metohija;

-          Built illegal bases contrary to the Brussels agreement, even in contradiction with their own legal acts that ban stationing up to teeth armed special units comprising exclusively from Albanians in the ethnically Serb areas;

-          Carried out countless number of times repressive acts against innocent civilians, mistreating even health workers, ambulance drivers while transporting seriously ill patients or medical materials;

-          Carried out actions that are appropriate for parts of the world with war operations, aiming at instilling fear and uncertainty among citizens, respectively terrorising them so they would leave the area of Kosovo and Metohija.

Given above the Serbian List urges the Government that in line with its authorities makes appropriate decision that would designate all special police units that Kurti illegally keeps in the north of Kosovo and Metohija, intelligence structures carrying out hybrid operations aiming at destabilisation and raising the tensions, and creating the pretext for violent intrusion and ungrounded arrests by staging and setting up, as well as all other structures active with the aim of expelling Serbian people, same as collaborators of those structures known to the Serbian security structures as terrorist organisations, because they endanger the peace in those areas, with unforeseeable consequences for the future of Western Balkans and also entire Europe”.

The Serbian List also argued that above-mentioned acts carried out by mentioned structures meet requirements of international agencies’ definition of terrorist organisations. 

Full letter in Serbian is available at: rb.gy/puw62

SNF: Kurti opened ‘hunting season for Serbs’, everybody assessed as member of CP or NB will be arrested (KoSSev)

“Serbs are arrested everywhere, hunted as a wild game, physically maltreated, hit by weapons buts, sentenced to draconic punishments, and now when Kurti officially designated all of us as terrorists, it can only get worse”, Serbian National Forum (SNF) said reacting to the decision of Kosovo Government to designate “Civil Protection” (CP) and “Northern Brigade” (NB) as “terrorist organisations”, KoSSev portal reported.

SNF compared the situation of the Serbs in Kosovo today with a “witch hunt” in the middle age in England. “It was a persecution of women some disliked for something. It was easy to accuse them of being witches and then the mob would do the rest: burning them alive, hanging them, torturing them (….)”, SNF said.

They added that while Albin Kurti claims to be a prime minister of all, some of those “all” have been designated as terrorists.

“Namely, two imaginary organisations of the Serbs: Civil Protection and Northern Brigade, he called terrorist organisations, thus opening a hunting season for each Serb assessed by someone as a member of those organisations”, SNF said.

They also said that for the last two months “Serbs started filling up Kosovo casamates”.

SNF added statements that Kurti loves Serbs, but fighting against the crimes can not help him, expressing hope that Albanians living in Kosovo do not think the same as Kurti who obviously “did not move further from the dark middle age”.

SNF called on the international community to “bring Kurti to reason” and not allow this hunt of Serbs.

Slavisa Ristic: Kurti’s aim is expulsion of Serbs, and Belgrade has no response to it (BETA, N1)

Former Zubin Potok mayor in pre-Brussels agreement period and MP at the Serbian Assembly, Slavisa Ristic said Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti continues to intimidate members of the Serb community, by accusing them of belonging to terrorist organisations, N1 reports.

Ristic said that Kurti’s statement about “45 identified members of the terrorist organisations “Civil Protection” and “Northern Brigade”, was horrifying and represents pressure exerted on Serbs to force them out of northern Kosovo.

“Designating Serbs as terrorists is a thought off plan by Kurti aiming at intimidating Serbs and forcing them to leave Kosovo. So-called Northern Brigade is a non-existent organisation, and Civil Protection the-then Prime Minister of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic integrated into Kosovo institutions in 2015”, Ristic said.

He assessed today’s Kurti’s statement as an announcement of continuation of arrests of Serbs in northern Kosovo.

Ristic also said Belgrade authorities took no single “meaningful” act to protect the Serbs from, as he said, Kurti’s terror.

“Belgrade's response goes down to some empty talks. Not a single act to stop Kurti had been made”, Ristic said.  

While the public's attention is on three other northern municipalities, what is happening under table in Mitrovica North? (KoSSev)

The North Mitrovica Municipal Assembly, following a proposal made by a mayor, decided to join the Association of Kosovo Municipalities last week, with only one vote against. This is exactly what Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti has been insisting on for months, while at the same time opposing the formation of the Community of Serb-majority Municipalities. The proposal was put to the vote on Friday at the last minute, despite the fact that, as one of the councillors claims, it was neither included on a previous agenda item nor was it discussed during a meeting of Committee for Politics and Finance before the session. 

Additionally, the North Mitrovica mayor also proposed to allocate land located next to the Fire Station to the Directorate for Emergencies. This proposal was not passed, KoSSev portal reports.

In an interview with the only ethnic Serb councillor in the North Mitrovica Municipal Assembly, Dusan Milunovic, we discussed what happens during MA sessions during a time when the public’s focus is almost entirely on the remaining three northern municipalities.

Read the interview at: rb.gy/vot62

President of the CI “For Zubin Potok”: I will not take part in the new elections unconditionally (KiM radio, medijacentar.info)

Milija Bisevac, President of the CI “For Zubin Potok”, said that the current situation in Zubin Potok, after the entry of the special Kosovo police into the municipal building is alarming, reported KiM radio.

In a guest appearance in the “Slobodno srpski” show, Bisevac said that after Pristina’s unilateral decision “to forcefully install its illegitimately elected mayors in the municipal buildings”, which are otherwise buildings of the interim municipal councils, where people are employed and work under the Serbian system, special units literally destroyed those buildings and turned municipalities into a police station, KiM radio reports.

“They occupied the centre of Zubin Potok with armoured vehicles and now special units are still sitting there, while the people who were literally driven out of their workplaces are now sitting in front of the municipal building where they peacefully protest and want to express their dissatisfaction,” Bisevac said yesterday in the talk show “Slobodno srpski”.

Bisevac said that citizens have become accustomed to various crisis situations in the last 30 years but assessed that there has never been a worse situation.

“With Pristina’s recent decision to stop the import of Serbian goods into Kosovo, a shortage has occurred, and this is already visible in stores and markets,” Bisevac said.

The already difficult situation is complicated by warrants that are non-transparent and, as he said, by unfair court procedures that are carried out against the population.

“A large number of residents who did not leave have already packed their bags and I am sure that they are planning to leave our municipality in the coming period, if the situation is not defused,” Bisevac pointed out.

He said that his political option would not participate unconditionally in repeated local elections if they were to be held soon.

“The situation we’re in right now, I’m sure people would go to the polls if only to prevent this situation, but of course there are some demands that are clear, namely the withdrawal of special units, the release of people who were unjustly arrested and the formation of the Community. It is absolutely not unconditional, and I believe that in these conditions I do not think that I would participate in those elections, even though it might lead to some situation at this moment, maybe an approximate or seeming normalisation, but it is not normalisation,” Bisevac said.

He appealed to the international community to contribute to the de-escalation of the crisis on the ground, that is, the withdrawal of special police units.

“Why am I saying that? Because at this moment we have a large number of special police officers on every corner in all those areas and this is exactly what can cause some individual or someone irresponsible or it can even be staged, to cause an attack, and tomorrow some police officers or one of the residents could be injured and what would that cause then? This means that we are literally entering a pre-war situation, there may be a new conflict that may develop into larger-scale conflicts,” Bisevac warned.

He proposes the immediate withdrawal of special units from the north and the inclusion of KFOR in security control, which should prevent a conflict between the two conflicting sides.

“As far as those administrative affairs are concerned, I think that we should reach a state that existed after 2002, 2003, to set up an international administration, that is, the UNMIK administration, which would deal with some current affairs, implement detailed projects, because we have a voted budget and projects that are planned, so that we don’t end up in a situation where the system is absolutely blocked,” Bisevac concluded. 

Ponos: Serbs in Kosovo have no support in Belgrade (Danas, FoNet, Nova)

The leader of the Serbia Center movement, Zdravko Ponos, said today that the Serbs in Kosovo cannot rely on anyone, which is why they are moving out, reported daily Danas.

Ponos said that everyone involved bears part of the responsibility for the situation, which is worse than before the start of the latest round of negotiations, and the worst since the pogrom of 2004, reported daily Danas.

It's as if everyone is waiting for the process of accelerated emigration to move on, Ponos said, stating that it seems that Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and international actors "look at it according to the system - when there are no Serbs there, there will be no more problems."

It is dishonourable when "Vucic brags about defending a T-shirt that says surrender is not an option since he surrendered everything in Kosovo", Ponos told the Nova newspaper, reported Danas portal.

Drecun: Kurti implementing Western goals (Tanjug)

Chairman of the Serbian Parliamentary Committee for Kosovo and Metohija Milovan Drecun said on Monday Pristina's PM Albin Kurti was merely implementing Western goals, including the goal of getting Serbia to recognise “the so-called Kosovo as a state”, Tanjug news agency reports.

"We still do not realise that the political West is still at war with Serbia and that everything that is going on right now is a continuation of the criminal bombing of Serbia, but wrapped in a different cover", Drecun said in an appearance on Pink TV.

"Kurti is a tool and an instrument for implementing the ultimate Western demands and interests. The only difference between Pristina and the West today lies in some tactical moves, while everything else is something they have in common", Drecun added.

He noted that the West and Pristina had a completely identical goal “to get the false state of Kosovo recognised - and were in quite a rush due to upcoming elections in the US and the EU”.