Albanian Language Media:

• Kurti: Publication of the draft statute is in the hands of internationals (media)
• ​ Belgian Minister: De-escalation - the only way for long-term peace (RTK)
• ​Gervalla on draft statute: Not very good but we do not allow damage to state (media)
• The EC will respond to government regarding visas for Kosovo Serbs (RTK)
• EULEX strengthens its advisory and monitoring capacity (RTK)
• Rohde: Association obligatory for Kosovo to normalize relations with Serbia (Reporteri)
• Serbia certifies electoral list "For the army to return to Kosovo" lead by the US-sanctioned (Klan)
• Timothy Less: Dialogue will continue, but I see no chance for progress (Reporteri)

Serbian Language Media:

• Vucic meets with Peach to discuss developments in Kosovo, region (Tanjug)
• Belgian minister Lahbib: New investments in Serbia are on the way (RTS)
• Haziri: Kurti spreads fear with statements about new conflict, diverts attention from internal problems (Kosovo Online)
• Where did Kurti's tweet thanking Kearns for "raising the alarm about Serbian aggression" disappear? (KoSSev, N1)
• Gogic: Banjska remained isolated event without significant consequences for dialogue (Kosovo Online)
• Ashton: Compromise has a bad reputation because it gives the impression that it’s surrender, and it’s not (KoSSev)

Opinion:

• How Feminist Activism Offers Balkan War Survivors Hope for Change (Balkan Insight)

International:

• Hague Prosecutors Accuse Kosovo Guerrilla Leaders of Witness-Tampering (Balkan Insight)
• What is NATO’s Balkan plan as Kosovo and Bosnia wobble? (DW)
• Kosovo Serbs to Cast Votes in Serbian Elections Inside Serbia (Balkan Insight)

Humanitarian/Development:

• Analysis of EU’s Western Balkans decarbonization policy: decarbonization to remain disorderly if nothing changes (balkangreenenergynews.com)

   

Albanian Language Media  

  Kurti: Publication of the draft statute is in the hands of internationals (media)

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti has spoken about the attack in Banjska. He emphasized that two months, since the attack, is a sufficient time to have a detailed investigation and conclusions about it. He added that Kosovo no longer needs an episode of violence from Serbia, therefore "to prevent this from happening, the conclusions of the investigations of the European Union, KFOR, EULEX, USA, on the one hand, but also the sanctions for Serbia, on the other hand, are important."

"Because we do not want the measures and sanctions of Serbia, for the sake of penalty with punishment, but first of all there should be no repetition, we cannot tolerate or stand any repetition that resembles that of September 24 as a terrorist and criminal attack, and for this we must act now and not tomorrow. On this occasion, I call on the international factors to raise the issue in question. 2 months have passed and the day after tomorrow it will be 9 months since we agreed on the basic agreement in Brussels and during these months Serbia has violated at least 8 of the 11 articles of the basic agreement and in these conditions we consider that its signature is all the more necessary because the signature is the one that cancels the violations and guarantees acceptance and stable implementation".

Kurti stated that it is up to the mediators to make public the draft statute for the Association.

"It has been 9 months since we agreed in Brussels and during these 9 months, Serbia has violated the agreements. And, the draft statute must be made public by the international community, I am ready for the draft statute to be published, Serbia is not interested in normalization and it has the Association for Kosovo Serbs", he wrote

He said that the possibilities are limited to influence the decision of the Specialized Chambers after the decision to temporarily suspend all communication with the accused Hashim Thaci, Kadri Veseli and Rexhep Selimi.

However, Kurti in a statement to the media said that together with the Speaker of the Assembly, Glauk Konjufca, they are discussing and thinking about how they can help in what he called a negative development.

"Of course, it is a negative development since it is suffered by the families and loved ones of those who are being held for more than three years in The Hague prison. I found out about this yesterday from MP Shqipe Selimi, who is the wife of Rexhep Selimi".

"At the same time, we also discussed with the Speaker of the Assembly, Glauk Konjufca, about this negative development. But, you know that we have limited opportunities to have any influence. However, Of course, we are thinking about how we can help", Prime Minister Kurti said.

​ Belgian Minister: De-escalation - the only way for long-term peace (RTK)

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belgium, Hadja Lahbib, in her first visit to Pristina, said that dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia is the only form for long-term peace in the region.

"Dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia is an issue that I raised yesterday in Belgrade, and I will convey the same message here as well. We know that significant progress has been made in normalizing relations, but tensions are still high. We know from experience that only through dialogue can we move forward, in a way acceptable to all peoples. The answer we are looking for is de-escalation, this is the only way for long-term peace and that will give the two parties the opportunity to integrate into the EU", stated Lahbib in the joint conference with her counterpart, Donika Gervalla.

She further said that Belgium was among the first countries to recognize Kosovo, as she mentioned the Albanian diaspora in Belgium, appreciating it for their contribution to social life.

  "We are connected by the dynamic and ever-growing diaspora of the Balkans. There are thousands of Kosovars who have made Belgium their home and have become an integrated part of Belgium's social life, contributing to economic and cultural growth," Lahbib said.

Meanwhile, the host of the meeting, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kosovo, Donika Gervalla, said that this meeting was held to deepen interstate relations. She said that she informed her counterpart about Kosovo's progress in the rule of law, economic development, institutional reforms and reforms in general.

​Gervalla on draft statute: Not very good but we do not allow damage to state (media)

Kosovo Foreign Minister, Donika Gervalla, has stated that the draft statute of the Association, accepted by the European Union and the United States of America on October 21, is not good and that it does not offer any kind of autonomy for the north of Kosovo.

In a statement to the media, she said that she assures the citizens that Kosovo's institutions do not accept any draft that would harm the state of Kosovo.

"The draft does not offer any kind of autonomy for the north of Kosovo and the question is not fair because the answer does not depend on us, if it was for us, we would have published it immediately, it is a request of those who facilitate the negotiation process who have begged us. Therefore, the draft is not very good, the draft has many challenges, it respects many of our concerns in the past and I think it is a good basis to work on".

"I ask you to have a little patience regarding the issue of the draft, I assure you that there is no attempt, no effort, no will, no desire of this government, and in general of the institutions of neither the president nor the prime minister to accept the drafts which are to the detriment of Kosovo", she said.

The Foreign Minister was also asked about the comments that the government of Kosovo has sent to the EU regarding the draft, but she said that she cannot speak because it violates the agreement they made with the allies.

"I can't tell you that and I don't want to tell you because otherwise I would be breaching the agreements. After the act of aggression, nothing is as it was in the past. Negotiations with Serbia after September 24, according to the clear signals of the EU to Serbia, there will be no negotiations of the old days. We are constructive in our approach to our partners".

"The Prime Minister has informed the public that we have information about certain gatherings not far from the border, so we must focus all our capacity on repelling such attacks," she said.

Gervalla, among other things, said that she does not comment on the draft statutes issued illegally and that the people who publish them should be asked about them.

The EC will respond to government regarding visas for Kosovo Serbs (RTK)

The European Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration, Ylva Johansson, will respond in writing to the government of Kosovo, regarding the criticism, about the proposal to include Kosovo Serbs in the visa liberalization process. 

This has been confirmed by Anitta Hipper, spokeswoman for the European Commission, stressing that work is being done on compiling the answer.

The proposal of the European Commission last week aims to include in the liberalization the passport holders of the Republic of Serbia, who reside in the territory of Kosovo. They have so far been excluded from the liberalization process for both Kosovo and Serbia.

"The Commission has approved on November 16 a proposal to ensure that all citizens of the Western Balkans are covered by a visa-free regime when traveling to the European Union. The Commission welcomes the approval of this proposal by the co-legislators", said Anitta Hipper, EC spokesperson.

The Government of Kosovo has expressed concern about this proposal and has asked the European institutions to reconsider this proposal.

EULEX strengthens its advisory and monitoring capacity (RTK)

On November 23, a Specialized Team (ST) of six Police Advisors was deployed to Kosovo to strengthen the advisory and monitoring capacity of the European Union Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo (EULEX).

A press release issued by EULEX announced that this is being carried out by EULEX, in accordance with its mandate to support the selected institutions of the rule of law in Kosovo, on their way to increasing effectiveness, sustainability, multiethnicity and accountability, without political interference and in accordance with international human rights standards and European best practices.

"The ST of EULEX will advise the Kosovo Police on how to better carry out regular police activities while preventing and fighting crime and providing security, while also monitoring compliance with their human rights obligations, to serve the communities they protect and to increase the confidence of the population through community-oriented policing", the communiqué states.

Further, it is emphasized that the deployment of the ST of EULEX will initially last for two months, with the possibility of continuation until the Mission has created a long-term police advisory capacity in the north of Kosovo.

"EULEX ST members are sent from the Netherlands (three) and Sweden (three) and, based on their community policing experience and expertise, will work in the northern municipalities in close coordination with their colleagues of the Kosovo Police and with the Senior Police Advisors of EULEX, who advise the Regional Directorate of Police in North Mitrovica and the four police stations under its command", the communiqué states.

It is further informed that the deployment of Specialized Teams with different expertise and capacities is an instrument provided by the Common Civilian Policy Compact for Security and Defense (CSDP) approved in May 2023 to rapidly deploy experts in Civilian Missions of CSDP to rapidly respond to operational needs and security developments on the ground.

Rohde: Association obligatory for Kosovo to normalize relations with Serbia (Reporteri)

The Ambassador of Germany in Pristina, Jorn Rohde, has said on Thursday in a lecture at the University of Mitrovica 'Isa Boletini', that one of the obligations of Kosovo for the normalization of relations with Serbia is the creation of the Association of municipalities with a Serb majority.

"One of the obligations of Kosovo in the normalization of relations with Serbia is the creation of the Association. Germany would never support something that is against the interests of Kosovo and against the constitution of Kosovo. However, now is the time to fulfill obligations. Because only when normalization is achieved, we can see success for Kosovo in the integration processes in Europe", Rohde said.

Further, the German ambassador also spoke about the connection that Kosovars have with Germany and the approach of free movement for them.

"All Kosovars have at least one family member in Germany. I want to underline that it was unfair for Kosovo to have a visa regime. However, from January one, Kosovars do not have to ask and to wait for visas. In fact, anyone who likes football, you are welcome in Germany, as next year the European Championship will be held here," Rohde said.

In addition, he emphasized the importance of Kosovo, together with other countries of the Western Balkans, becoming part of the European Union.

"There is a war in Europe, and many tensions that come as a result of Putin's policies, which brings regression to the continent. For Germany, it is very important that the countries of the Western Balkans are part of the EU. It's not that we only want to do good in the Balkans, but it's also our general interest", said the German ambassador.

Rohde also said that they are always in support of projects that come within the framework of improving the situation in Kosovo.

Serbia certifies electoral list "For the army to return to Kosovo" lead by the US-sanctioned (Klan)

The City Election Commission (GIK) in Serbia has certified the electoral list "For the army to return to Kosovo - Misa Vacic", which was submitted by a group of citizens with the same name for the elections of Councilors of the Belgrade City Assembly on 17 December, it was announced after last night's GIK session.

Recently, the Department of State and the Ministry of Finance of the United States of America announced the decision to impose sanctions on some individuals from the Balkans. Among them are Misha Vacic and Nenad Popovic, as well as a number of economic entities and due to their connection with the harmful activities of the Russian Federation and with the aim of functional democratic management of the region.

Timothy Less: Dialogue between Pristina and Belgrade will continue, but I see no chance for progress (Reporteri)

The professor of the Center for Geopolitics at the University of Cambridge, Timothy Less, said today that he believes that the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina will continue in the coming months, because it is not in the interest of either side to offend the West by leaving it, but he sees no chance of progress in dialogue.

Less has explained that Pristina does not want to establish the Association of Municipalities with a Serb majority, at least as something more than a symbolic body and only if Belgrade first agrees to recognize Kosovo, which Belgrade refuses and, as he said, insists on the essential autonomy of the Serbs.

"And in the meantime, both sides are going around in bureaucratic circles - Kosovo insists that Serbia must respect the Ohrid Agreement, Serbia insists that Kosovo must respect the Brussels Agreement, and so on endlessly," he said.

   

Serbian Language Media

  Vucic meets with Peach to discuss developments in Kosovo, region (Tanjug)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic met with the UK's Special Western Balkans Envoy Stuart Peach on Friday to exchange views on current developments in Kosovo and Metohija and the region.

"I reiterated that Serbia remains committed to preservation of peace and stability in the region, to a responsible policy and to fulfillment of agreements, primarily to establishment of a Community of Serb Municipalities," Vucic wrote in a post on his official Instagram profile.

Belgian minister Lahbib: New investments in Serbia are on the way (RTS)

The Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of Belgium, Hadja Lahbib said last night that Serbia undoubtedly was the most important economic player in the Western Balkans and assessed that the economic relations between the two countries were flourishing and that such a success story attracted new Belgian investments that were on their way, reported Radio Television of Serbia. She gave examples of the successful operations of the Belgian supermarket "Delhaize", as well as the company specialized in "Schreder" lighting systems. 

Such success stories attract even more Belgian investments to Serbia and several new ones are on the way, emphasized Lahbib at a joint conference with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Serbia, Ivica Dacic. 

Dacic: Pristina to fulfill part of its obligations from the Brussels Agreement

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Serbia, Ivica Dacic, emphasized in a conversation with the Belgian colleague, Hadja Lahbib, that Belgrade believes that anyone who wants to contribute to the stabilization of the situation and avoid escalation in Kosovo should start from the fact that Pristina should fulfill part of its obligations defined the Brussels agreement of 10 years ago.

Dacic stated the CSM as particularly important as a prerequisite for the normalization of further relations and the situation in Kosovo, mentioning also and ''the constant incursions of the Albanian police into the north of Kosovo, where only Serbs live, without notifying KFOR'', which were ''completely contrary to all the agreements reached since 2013'', reported RTS. 

"Such actions, of course, cause constant instability in Kosovo and Metohija," said Dacic and emphasized that Serbia wants to cooperate with Belgium in the months when it presides over the Council of the European Union in all fields, whether it is about issues of European integration or some other. 

The visit is of great importance for the improvement of relations between the two countries

During the conversation between Lahbib and Dacic, satisfaction was expressed over the Belgian minister's visit to Belgrade, taking place on the Belgian side after six years, reported RTS, citing the announcement of the Serbian MFA. 

Both sides pointed that the visit was of great importance for improving the overall bilateral relations of the two countries, as well as for reviewing the current process of EU enlargement, since the Kingdom of Belgium would assume the CoE presidency of the European Union from January 1, 2024.

Opinions were also exchanged on the course of the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina and the importance of long-term stability in the region, as well as on the main current international topics.

Minister for European Integration Tanja Miscevic also met with Minister Lahbib, and at the meeting they discussed bilateral cooperation between the two countries, especially the future plans of Serbia in the process of joining the EU.

Surlic: Forced solution that there are no elections in Kosovo, a cheap political point for Kurti (RTS)

Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Political Sciences, Stefan Surlic told RTS that after Pristina’s conditioning, the only, but forced, solution is to hold the elections in the territory of central Serbia. He added “Albin Kurti could hardly wait for this topic to be put on the table in order to score another cheap political point”, showing conditions are being put before Belgrade that are unacceptable for the Serbian side. He also warned that Kurti’s goals call into question the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina in Brussels.

“Unfortunately, although Belgrade submitted official requests to the OSCE for holding of elections in the manner they were held in previous years, for ballots to be collected and counted later, even that one technical possibility was not considered, because the OSCE did not receive the guarantees of Pristina institutions which are responsible for the safe conduct of elections on the territory of Kosovo. And for this reason, Serbs will have to vote in the municipalities that were mentioned, meaning Tutin, Kursumlija, Vranje and Raska, and only in this way will they exercise their right to vote”, he said.

“With Albin Kurti’s message that there will be no voting on December 17 without an agreement between ‘states’, it is clear that both Resolution 1244 and international law have been violated. Such a policy of Albin Kurti is in some way supported by international actors”, he added.

He pointed out that this is just a continuation of the systemic discrimination of Serbs in Kosovo, where they are deprived of their political and economic rights, as well as the allocation of social assistance, and in recent days even infrastructure projects that are of vital importance to the Serbian community have been prevented.

Haziri: Kurti spreads fear with statements about new conflict, diverts attention from internal problems (Kosovo Online)

Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) vice president Lutfi Haziri said in relation to the Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti’s statements “on regrouping of the Serbian army troops at the border with Kosovo and danger from a new conflict and a war” that this is about his personal stance and a way to divert attention from internal problems Kosovo has, Kosovo Online portal reports citing Pristina-based Reporteri

Haziri also said that the warnings of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that Russia wants to incite new conflicts in the Balkans were justified as it is about “a man who is in a war” but that in the Balkans nothing essentially changed.

“The Kosovo Prime Minister, instead of dealing with internal problems and priorities that this country has to de-escalate and ease the situation in the interest of the people, continues to evoke fear in people. This is not real, but diverting attention from internal problems, potentially related to Serbia, bad Ohrid agreement, draft statute”, he said.

He added there is KFOR in Kosovo, and KSF and Kosovo police have their roles, so there should be no fear in the public. According to him, neither citizens of Serbia believe that Serbia may return to Kosovo.  

Where did Kurti's tweet thanking Kearns for "raising the alarm about Serbian aggression" disappear? (KoSSev, N1)

"The West cannot ignore warnings", Kosovo Prime Minister announced last night on the "X" social network, thanking once more British MP, Alicia Kearns, for, as he said, "raising the alarm about Serbian aggression", writes portal KoSSev today. 

"Her warning about Belgrade-sponsored violence was confirmed on September 24. With signs of more planned attacks by Serbia, especially increased military activity on the Kosovo border, the West cannot ignore the warnings", Kurti said in his announcement.

According to KoSSev, the post has since been deleted, and it is no longer possible to find it on the Kosovo PM's "X" social network profile. 

However, KoSSev reports that after it was deleted, they managed to find it on Feed.

Below Kurti's tweet, it said that it was deleted, added the portal with screen shots of the mentioned tweet.

In the now deleted Tweet, Kurti also published a part of the Financial Times news, which conveys a statement by Kearns, regarding the events in Banjska on September 24. This MP once again made accusations about the alleged delivery of weapons from Serbia in ambulances and storage in churches.

"Weapons came to Kosovo from Serbia in ambulances and were stored in churches. And what did we see? Weapons that apparently came from Serbia... The two terrorists who died that day in the shooting were ambulance drivers... And where did they hide? To the monastery," said Kearns.

The portal recalls that this British MP is known to the Serbian community precisely because she linked the alleged smuggling of weapons to the SPC (SOC) in Kosovo for the first time in June, that is, she said that the weapons were allegedly being transported by ambulances and "warehoused" in the premises of the SPC. 

This statement caused a real storm on social networks, in Kosovo, but also in part of the regional and Serbian media, and the reactions of Belgrade, Pristina and the international community.

The Diocese of Raska-Prizren immediately reacted at the time and said it was a dangerous accusation that criminalizes the Serbian Orthodox Church but was also used by certain Kosovo media to spread religious and ethnic hatred, which directly threatened the clergy, monasticism, and religious buildings.

They requested an urgent check of the MP's allegations, as well as an announcement by KFOR, from which they announced that the Royal Battalion of Fusiliers reported the alleged presence of illegal weapons to the headquarters of this NATO mission last year, but that no evidence was found.

"There is no evidence whatsoever regarding the alleged smuggling across the administrative border line between Kosovo and Serbia into the Orthodox Church, and via an ambulance," said the NATO mission.

In August, British Ambassador Nicholas Abbott, who, according to available photos, was not with Kearns during her meetings, repeated in an interview for KoSSev that the United Kingdom Government shares KFOR's position that they have no evidence that the Serbian Orthodox Church was involved in arms smuggling.

He emphasized that as a parliamentarian she acted independently of her government and that she did not get the information from there.

At the end of August, Patriarch Porfirije also commented on the statements of Kearns, that is, as he said, of certain figures from the political life of Great Britain, which he claimed made unsubstantiated statements about the SPC (SOC).

This MP was in Pristina in October, where she was received with honors, and met with the highest representatives of both the government and the opposition, who did not spare words of praise for what they interpreted as "affirming the truth" and "raising awareness" of the fact that allegedly "religious buildings and clinics in the North are used for transporting and storing weapons."

Gogic: Banjska remained isolated event without significant consequences for dialogue (Kosovo Online)

The armed clash between group of Serbs and Kosovo police in the village of Banjska, in Zvecan, two months ago in which three Serbs and one Kosovo police officer were killed, political analyst Ognjen Gogic assessed as an isolated event that did not have significant consequences on the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue, Kosovo Online portal reports.

According to him, because of conditions that the EU placed for Serbia, the latter was in an unfavorable position before and after Banjska, while acceleration of the negotiations that we are witnessing today are a consequence of an earlier plan to achieve some tangible result because the EU goes for elections in 2024.

“Firstly, during the events in Banjska, during that week of 24th September, Serbia already acted constructively. It is not known much about that in the public, but what is known is that there were contacts between Belgrade and the international community. Belgrade played a significant role and prevented this clash from getting out of control, and as much as possible was to calm the situation. After that the procedures were undertaken and action in legal terms against the person considered responsible for this event, and that is Milan Radoicic. Here as well, Serbia demonstrated it is not behind this event, because it brought in the suspect. And at the end and perhaps the most important, this event remained isolated. In no way events in Banjska can be interpreted as reflection of Serbia’s policy, it was a sporadic event and it did not reoccur afterwards (…)”, Gogic opined.

According to him it would be hypocritical from the position of the international community to attach too great significance to it, mentioning examples from the nineties when, as he said, “the international community supported KLA that carried out terrorist activities”.

“It got even involved in the war on the side of KLA, and in 2004 after March violence, Kosovo was rewarded because the policy of the international community was to speed up resolution of Kosovo status after that attack and to grant Kosovo independence. And it would be hypocritical to have Serbia named and shamed after such policy from the past”, he added.  

Catherine Ashton: Compromise has a bad reputation because it gives the impression that it’s surrender, and it’s not (KoSSev)

I'm hearing a lot more about the A/CSM than I expected, and I'm hearing so many things that are somehow added to it - like it's some kind of negative magical thing. And in fact, all that it is - is the ability to be able to work together, to talk with Pristina so that the (Serbian, ed.) community feels safe, said Catherine Ashton in an exclusive interview for KoSSev ten years after this part of the Brussels agreement still was not implemented. 

At the recently concluded UNMIK Trustbuilding forum in Thessaloniki, the former High Representative of the European Union for Foreign and Security Policy, former Vice President of the European Commission, and mediator in reaching the Brussels Agreement in 2013, recalled the points concerning the formation of the Community of Municipalities with Serbian majority.

"The community comes from one of the seven questions I asked Belgrade and Pristina in the dialogue. The question for Pristina is: In order to get Belgrade not to interfere - as they see it in Pristina, or Belgrade not to be part of the structures in the North of Kosovo, it is therefore important for the Serbian community to have a special relationship with Pristina. In the European Local Government Act, the entire European Union can cooperate to provide services everywhere, which is part of European law. Therefore, they can make their relationship especially important so that the Serbian community will have a direct, urgent connection with Pristina when they feel that they have a problem," Ashton said.

She stressed that for the Serbs in Kosovo, in addition to focusing on the North, it is important that Belgrade and Pristina talk to them.

"Because if Kosovo Serbs get communication from both sides, it is positive for dialogue and it is the best way to move forward," she says.

Ashton talks about compromise as an unfairly underestimated, denounced, but actually a powerful word.

"So, the word compromise has a bad reputation. It gives the impression that it's a surrender, but it really isn't. You can't negotiate something, you can't move forward unless you're willing to stand up for things that really matter, if you're not willing to understand that the people you're talking to also have things that really matter to them. And you work to find a way to do as much as possible for your community, your people, but also to recognize that other people, other communities, also need things," said Ashton in an exclusive interview for KoSSev.

Were Hashim Thaci and Ivica Dacic people of compromise?

"I think they absolutely understood that the future for both of them lies in their ability to have good neighborly relations. I think that both realized that for the growth and development of the Western Balkans, it was necessary to settle the relationship between Serbia and Kosovo. And that was especially true for the North, where the negative side of all those relations was visible. In a sense, they could show how to get closer to the European Union. And for the European Union to say 'okay, these are difficult things to do, because they are, but because you did it, we are able to bring you closer, and eventually, you join the EU'. Here it's all about winning, winning, winning. But in order to win, you have to be ready and say, 'these are the important things, without these other things I could live, and I would recognize your point of view whatever it is'".

She claims that this is exactly what she saw with the former negotiating pair of Belgrade and Pristina.

She is aware, however, that things "don't always go smoothly."

"Achieving an agreement is one thing, and implementing it is quite another - more difficult, because then you run into various problems," she emphasizes.

Although the goal of the Brussels dialogue was and is to improve the lives of citizens, especially for those living in the North, she is aware that the obstacles that people face every day will not be resolved in a short period of time.

Ashton nevertheless admits that, despite the differences between the two sides, she personally would like the negotiation process between Belgrade and Pristina to take place much faster, stressing that its value should be reflected in the liveliness of the agreement and the question of responsibility, instead of negotiators being able to renounce assumed obligations only because someone before them committed to the same:

"It should also be a living arrangement. It's a deal that they need to look at, review and see the practicality of what they're doing. This does not mean that the agreement should be torn up, it does not mean that major changes should be made. It just means that you're going to try to be creative by improving it within the existing political framework, different than it was the case ten years ago," Ashton said.

If you had asked any average northerner then - he would have told you - 'we don't want 2013. We don't want the Brussels agreement. Because it represents a break in ties with Serbia. We want to stick to our Serbian system, and we don't want to be forced into a system that we don't recognize as friendly'. Ten years later, they are even more convinced of it, because even these 10 years did not bring them anything better?

"So, I understand that for a lot of people in the North this felt like a big change. It is up to politicians and leaders in Kosovo, Serbia, and the North to make sure that people understand what the goal is. It's not about making people feel less safe, it's about believing that things will get better. We were very careful when we thought about the agreement from the Brussels point of view - from the EU point of view, that this must be about recognizing the way forward, and dealing with all the problems that existed, because 2013 was not a happy period in the North of Kosovo, there were many problems and questions, through parallel structures, the justice system did not work for many people in the North. We also had to establish a functioning justice system and the police. We had to recognize that people need to have stability and economic opportunities and everything that people want, and that people everywhere want the same.

Ashton claims that by reaching the Brussels agreements, all parties tried to deal with solutions for the normality of the lives of citizens in the North, just like anywhere else.

"We tried to do it with the support of Belgrade and Pristina in order to find feasible solutions. And we were aware that their implementation would be watched very closely by people, trying to understand what exactly it means," said Ashton.

The former mediator in the dialogue explains that after reaching the Brussels agreement, there were many details that needed to be worked out and many assessments of the Brussels agreement as good or bad, but:

"The principles were there. It seems to me personally that it is about politicians taking responsibility, saying 'this is what we want to try and do, we want to make life better for people in the North, so what else do we need to do?' Not just one agreement, actually, there are many things they could do."

But even within the EU itself, Catherine Ashton claims there is "a huge amount of goodwill" to make this process work.

"There are so many people who want North Kosovo, Kosovo - to succeed. We have to work in that direction as best we can, to try to see what happened and why people (now) feel unsafe at best or, frankly, unsafe at worst?" Ashton answers when asked what message she has for people in the North.

When asked about the stuck dialogue, the erosion of the negotiation process over the past few years, Ashton repeatedly highlighted the qualities of the current European mediator in the dialogue, Miroslav Lajcak, whom she considers a friend.

Would you be willing to join this process if invited to do so?

"You flatter me. However, ten years ago, everyone said 'you won't be able to do it', everyone said 'everything is stuck', everyone said 'it's chaos, you'll never manage to get these leaders in one room, let alone a talk of an agreement' '. Everything is possible if you start and if you try. Miroslav Lajcak is doing a great job. He is a good friend of mine. I will support him and help him in any way I can. Of course, I'm ready to get involved if it's something that could be useful."

   

Opinion 

  How Feminist Activism Offers Balkan War Survivors Hope for Change (Balkan Insight)

As the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women is marked, women involved in cross-border activism to support survivors of war-related sexual violence explain why solidarity and mutual trust are vital to overcome nationalist narratives and achieve lasting peace.

“No woman should suffer the way we did.”

This is one of the most common sentences heard from women survivors of war-related sexual violence after they are given support in safe spaces provided by women’s organisations in the post-conflict regions of the Western Balkans.

More than 20 years after the end of the wars in ex-Yugoslav countries, survivors still face exclusion, stigmatization and anxiety. As well as the psychological scars, their physical health has been impaired – many of them struggle with cancer and other serious medical issues.

Lacking adequate institutional support, hundreds of them have only found proper acknowledgment of the crimes to which they were subjected and care for their feelings, needs and dignity from feminist therapists and activists at women’s organizations.

Many of those organizations were founded by feminist activists during the wars because of the need to turn feelings of pain and anger into solidarity activities.

“I felt responsible as a human towards fellow humans in tremendous suffering. I felt their pain,” says Feride Rushiti of the Kosova Rehabilitation Centre for Torture Victims. “Their pain pushed me forward. It served as a constant reminder and guided my work. I had to be their voice!”

The Kosova Rehabilitation Centre for Torture is one of seven women’s and youth organisations involved in a programme called ‘Amplifying Voices of Women Affected by War-Related Sexual and Gender-Based Violence in the Western Balkans’, which aims to contribute to a culture of recognition and reconciliation in the region by integrating the perspectives and needs of women affected by war-related sexual and gender-based violence into national and regional initiatives to deal with the past.

Also involved in the programme are Medica Zenica and Vive Zene from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Medica Gjakova from Kosovo, and the Autonomous Women’s Center, Women in Black and the Youth Initiative for Human Rights in Serbia, in partnership with medica mondiale, a feminist women’s rights and aid organization in Germany.

Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/2sjt5wv5    

International 

 

Hague Prosecutors Accuse Kosovo Guerrilla Leaders of Witness-Tampering (Balkan Insight)

The prosecution at the Kosovo war crimes court accused Hashim Thaci, Kadri Veseli, and Rexhep Selimi of attempting to interfere with witnesses and obstruct their testimonies, and called for visits to the defendants to be curtailed.

The prosecution at the Kosovo Specialist Chambers in The Hague has demanded a curtailment of visits to defendants Hashim Thaci, Kadri Veseli and Rexhep Selimi, alleging that the three former leaders of the Kosovo Liberation Army who are now on trial for war crimes have made “unlawful attempts to interfere with witnesses and obstruct their testimony”.

The prosecution claimed that Thaci, Veseli and Selimi revealed the identities of protected witnesses and disseminated the content of confidential testimony to people visiting them at the court’s detention centre in The Hague.

It published parts of redacted transcripts of conversations that Thaci, Veseli and Selimi had with their visitors, allegedly speaking about some of the witnesses in their trial for war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/3uj9fbra What is NATO’s Balkan plan as Kosovo and Bosnia wobble? (DW)

NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg conducted a quick tour of the delicate Western Balkans region this week. But what is the military alliance trying to do?

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg wrapped up a tour of Western Balkan countries this week, in a show of support for and engagement in a region with fires on multiple security fronts.

"This region is strategically important to NATO, but there are reasons for concern," Stoltenberg said at a press conference in the North Macedonian capital of Skopje on Wednesday at the end of his trip. "We see secessionist threats in Bosnia and Herzegovina, a fragile security situation in Kosovo and stalled normalization between Belgrade and Pristina."

Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/bddzzyzv Kosovo Serbs to Cast Votes in Serbian Elections Inside Serbia (Balkan Insight)

Kosovo Serbs wanting to vote in Serbia’s December parliamentary elections will have to do so in four towns in Serbia, it has been announced.

Kosovo Serbs will cast votes in Serbia’s December 17 legislative elections on the territory of Serbia, not in Kosovo, Serbia’s Election Commission said on Thursday.

Polling stations will be opened for them in the towns of Vranje, Kursumlija, Raska and Tutin, in southern and southwestern Serbia.

Serbia’s Election Commission said on Thursday that Kosovo Serbs would not be able to cast their votes in Kosovo itself.

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

Humanitarian/Development

  Analysis of EU’s Western Balkans decarbonization policy: decarbonization to remain disorderly if nothing changes (balkangreenenergynews.com)

Energy experts in the Western Balkans are united in their opinion that the European Union’s policies regarding the energy transition and meeting decarbonization targets until 2030 and 2050, adopted within the Energy Community, would not yield the expected results or secure a sustainable energy transition. Quite the opposite. They believe that the trend of disorderly decarbonization, where the countries merely provide lip service supporting decarbonization, will continue if the EU doesn’t adjust its policies. It is the key conclusion of the policy paper called Chaotic and fake decarbonization of power sectors in the Western Balkans. The research is based on a survey of more than 100 experts from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo*, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia.

Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/yu7tm3mk