Albanian Language Media:

• Kurti: Let's rejoice in the successes of each Albanian (media)
• Osmani: As we made historical path together, we will have our journey to EU family together (Klan)
• Begaj: Albania will be the voice of Kosovo (media)
• Kurti: The December 6 summit turns Tirana into a European capital (RTK)
• Candidates for mayors of municipalities in the North to be certified today (Express)
• The CEC certified candidates for mayors of municipalities in the north (Koha)
• Aktiv: 70% of Kosovo Serbs say that Russia protects their rights best (Koha)

Serbian Language Media:

• PM Brnabic: Serbia appreciates Romania’s principled position on Kosovo (N1)
• Dacic: There is no deadline for reaching agreement with Pristina (Danas, Kosovo Online)
• Dacic: FIFA’s decision regarding Serbia is hypocritical (N1)
• Petkovic to Kurti: No deadline for the normalisation of relations, only the clock ticking for the formation of the ZSO (KoSSev)
• Office for KiM calls on Albanians not to use Albanian flags in Serb-majority areas (KoSSev)
• “KLA” graffiti written in Brezovica (Radio KIM)
• Vucevic: Situation in Kosovo still very tense (Radio KIM)
• Petrides: Cyprus will not change stance on Kosovo (Kosovo Online)
• Varhelyi to visit Serbia (Tanjug)

Opinion:

• How Brussels became Aachen: A vacuum in the institutions and a change in the nature of negotiations (KoSSev)

   

Albanian Language Media  

  Kurti: Let's rejoice in the successes of each Albanian (media)

The Prime Minister of Kosovo Albin Kurti, has congratulated from Vlora on the Flag Day and KSF Day. He said that November 28 is the starting point and the cutting point of the nation, so unity must be shown.

“Today, in Vlora, on the 110th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence of Albania, we remembered history, commemorated the sacrifice and honoured the glory of those who believed because they dreamed, worked because they believed. Every year, November 28 brings us together. November 28 is the starting and ending point of our nation. And we should be together more often. Let's work together. Let's travel together. Because we want to. Because we have to," Kurti wrote on Facebook.

He further said that the day before was marked the day of the Force and that for the Government of Kosovo this was the year of the army.

"With a budget allocation of 123 million euros, which exceeds every previous year; and with 99% more investments in military purchases throughout this year, our army is consolidating professionally and operationally. Together with our allies, we are contributing to the protection of the universal values ​​of freedom, peace and democracy. The Kosovo Security Force is the inexhaustible strength of generations of our warrior people, determined and invincible," Kurti wrote.

He further congratulated the Feast of November 28, saying that we should be happy for the successes of each Albanian.

Osmani: As we made historical path together, we will have our journey to EU family together (Klan)

The President of Kosovo Vjosa Osmani, congratulated November 28, the day of the declaration of Albania's Independence.

She wrote on a post on Facebook, that Flag Day is one of the most important events in the history of the Albanian people, adding that she feels honoured to be in Vlora today with the state and institutional leaders of Kosovo and Albania.

"The Act of Declaration of Independence of Albania and Flag Day are among the most important events in the history of the Albanian people. Honoured to be in Vlora today alongside the state and institutional leaders of Kosovo and Albania, to celebrate this holy day for us," Osmani wrote on Facebook.

"From Gjergj Kastrioti-Skenderbeu, Ismajl Qemajli, Hasan Pristina and Isa Boletini, to the historical president Ibrahim Rugova and the legendary commander of the KLA, Adem Jashari - we had a dream and an ideal. Today, Kosovo and Albania, together in Vlora, remember on this 110th anniversary, men and women who made the project of our independent states possible. As we have made the historical path together, we will have our journey to the European family together," she added.

Begaj: Albania will be the voice of Kosovo (media)

Leaders from Kosovo and Albania participated in the flag raising ceremony in Vlora in honour of the 110th anniversary of Albania's Independence. President Vjosa Osmani, the speaker of parliament Glauk Konjufca and the prime minister of Kosovo Albin Kurti, participated in this ceremony.

The President of Albania, Bajram Begaj, has said that Albania will be the voice of Kosovo whenever necessary.

"We have an obligation to our Albanian brothers in Kosovo, in North Macedonia, in Montenegro, in the Presheva Valley and in the diaspora to fulfil our sacred and national obligations," said the President, adding that "we are not united with them only by the language and common history, but also the national aspiration of European Integration and the values ​​we share and witness for peace, coexistence, understanding and prosperity."

Begaj added that Albania will support the strengthening of the state of Kosovo in every direction.

"We have sacrificed like no other nation in the region, but today Kosovo is a free and independent state, which aims to integrate into the EU and NATO. Albania can and should support the strengthening of the state of Kosovo in every direction, be its voice whenever necessary; fellow traveller and staunch supporter of its Euro-Atlantic journey. Dear brothers and sisters, the great patriots we honour today are the best example of unity for national interests," Begaj emphasised.

Kurti: The December 6 summit turns Tirana into a European capital (RTK)

According to the Prime Minister of Kosovo Albin Kurti, the December 6 summit, where the high-level meeting between the leaders of the EU and the Western Balkans is expected, "turns Tirana into a European capital."Kurti made this comment during a stop at the Municipality of Kukes, Albania, where he held a meeting with the Mayor of the Municipality, Safet Gjici.

"This summit turns Tirana into a European capital. I want very good relations between the Western Balkans and the EU," Kurti said.

"I am happy that this summit is being held in a capital like Tirana. We are convinced that the EU is our future and our destiny. I can't wait for the entire Balkans, us as the government and the state of Kosovo, to join the EU."

Albania’s former prime minister Pandeli Majko, as well as the ambassador of Albania in Kosovo, Qemal Minxhozi, were also present at this meeting. During this stop in Kukes, Kurti also placed flowers at the grave of Hasan Prishtina, who rests in the cemetery of the martyrs of this city.

Currently, Prime Minister Kurti and other leaders of Kosovo's institutions are in Vlora to participate in the activities in honour of November 28.

Candidates for mayors of municipalities in the North to be certified today (Express)

The Central Election Commission (CEC) is expected to hold a meeting today from 13:00 hours to certify the candidates for mayor of four northern municipalities for the extraordinary elections to be held in North Mitrovica, Zvecan, Zubin Potok and Leposaviq.

The news for Express was confirmed by the spokesperson of the CEC, Valmir Elezi, who announced that they have communicated with state institutions to verify whether the candidates presented are in compliance with Article 29 of the law on general elections and whether any of them have been found guilty of criminal offences by final court decision in the last three years.

So far, six requests for certification have been sent to the CEC: Mitrovica Civic Initiative for North Mitrovica, Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) for the four municipalities, Party of Kosovo Serbs for Leposaviq, an independent candidate, Vetevendosje Movement (LVV) for the four municipalities, Serbian Survival Civic Initiative for North Mitrovica.

The CEC certifies candidates for mayors of municipalities in the north (Koha)

The Central Election Commission (CEC) made a decision on the certification of political subjects and candidates for participation in the extraordinary elections for mayors of municipalities in North Mitrovica, Zvecan, Leposaviq and Zubin Potok.

The two major parties, the Democratic Party of Kosovo and the Vetevendosje Movement, will have four candidates in the race on December 18, while other political entities are also part of the electoral process.

The certified candidates of PDK are Albulena Behluli Hetemi (Leposaviq), Izmir Zeqiri (Zubin Potok), Ilir Peci (Zvecan) and Taulant Kelmendi (North Mitrovica). Meanwhile, the certified candidates of Vetevendosje are: Lulzim Hetemi (Leposaviq), Flatron Hasani (Zubin Potok), Fetah Peci (Zvecan) and Erden Atiq (North Mitrovica).

Aleksandër Jabllanovic, who is also the chairman of the Kosovo Serbs Party, has been certified as a candidate for mayor of Leposaviq.

Mitrovica Civic Initiative will participate in the elections for North Mitrovica with the certified candidate Betim Osmani, while Serbian Survival Civic Initiative with the candidate, Aleksandar Arsenijovic.

The independent candidate Sladjana Pantovic, has been certified to run for mayor of the municipality of Zvecan.

Aktiv: 70% of Kosovo Serbs say that Russia protects their rights best (Koha)

The Non-Governmental Organization "Aktiv" has published the report "Analysis of the trend of attitudes of the Serb community in Kosovo".

According to this report, 70% of Serbs in Kosovo consider that among the international actors, Russia is the best defender of the interests of the Serbian community in Kosovo.

According to the research that was presented on Monday in Pristina, only 4% of them support the idea of ​​changing the borders.

According to the research, 53% of respondents have a negative attitude towards the European Union. 67% of respondents said that there are no parties or politicians in Kosovo that they trust.

According to the research, 55% of respondents consider that in the next three years the life of Serbs in Kosovo will worsen, while only 7% of them think that the situation in Kosovo is going in the right direction.

"The data from this year's research show that satisfaction with the current political, economic and security situation in Kosovo is very low. Compared to the research of 2020 and 2021, an additional decrease in satisfaction regarding the material condition of the respondents can be observed," the report states.

     

Serbian Language Media 

  PM Brnabic: Serbia appreciates Romania’s principled position on Kosovo (N1)

Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic discussed Monday in Bucharest with her Romanian counterpart Nicolae Ciuca the strengthening of bilateral cooperation in the areas of economy and politics, said a Serbian Government press release, reported N1.

Brnabic said the goal was to raise economic cooperation between the two countries to an even higher level and that work would be done on linking the two countries’ chambers of commerce, said the press release.

The Serbian Prime Minister stressed that peace and stability were Serbia’s goal, and that Serbia greatly appreciated Romania’s principled position on Kosovo.

She added that she hoped Prime Minister Ciuca would soon visit Serbia.

Brnabic continued her visit to Bucharest by participating in the Munich Leaders Meeting on the topic Stable Connection: Promoting the Connectivity of the Western Balkans, which was held as part of the upcoming Munich Security Conference, said the press release.

Dacic: There is no deadline for reaching agreement with Pristina (Danas, Kosovo Online)

Serbian Foreign Affairs Minister Ivica Dacic reacting to the statement of Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti that March next year is a deadline for reaching agreement between Pristina and Belgrade, said the date Kurti talks about is nowhere officially mentioned nor it is possible, adding negotiations will continue but reaching agreement was far away, Danas daily reports.    

“He allegedly got some date, there is no such date, it is not mentioned nor can one talk about all of that in such a manner”, Dacic told Prva TV, adding that Kurti attempts to explain why he has accepted the licence plates agreement. 

Dacic also said Kurti forgot about the statement of the EU High Representative Josep Borrell that what had been signed must be implemented, and that the Community of Serb Municipalities must be implemented.

Dacic said it is Serbia’s interest to find a solution, talk about it and it is not Serbia’s interest to have a conflict that would last one hundred years. He also noted “Pristina representatives were unaware of the position they are currently in and continue living in their own world as if they were the favourites of the international community”, however, the situation has changed.

“What was proposed in Brussels that he rejected, was much more favourable from what he accepted a few days after, under strong international pressure”, Dacic said.

“For the first time, Kosovo was directly accused of being guilty of escalation of the crisis. Those talks will continue, but I think we are far from the date they set, a date which was artificially imposed, that even Americans refuted”, Dacic said.

He recalled the two red lines of Serbia, and it is that Kosovo cannot be a member of the UN and the second is security of the Serbian citizens in Kosovo.

Dacic: FIFA’s decision regarding Serbia is hypocritical (N1)

Serbian Foreign Affairs Minister, Ivica Dacic, said that Serbia as a country cannot react to the fact that the International Football Federation (FIFA) initiated proceedings against the country’s national team, but said that FIFA’s move was “hypocritical”, N1 reports.

FIFA announced that it has initiated disciplinary proceedings against Serbia’s national team after a flag depicting the territory of Kosovo with the message “No Surrender“ was allegedly hung in the dressing room of the players at the World Cup in Qatar.

“It only speaks of hypocrisy, no one speaks and no one wants football players to be involved in politics, but what is offensive there when someone says there will be no surrender”, Dacic told TV Prva.

He complained that the Swiss football players were not punished, and that there was no punishment for the drone in Belgrade with the flag of “Greater Albania”.

“Serbia is an internationally recognized country, a member of the UN, with Kosovo as part of Serbia. What here is not in accordance with international law and what is offensive? This is an indication of how much they have no principles, but double standards. They would never punish Ukraine if it said ‘Donbas is ours’ and ‘Crimea is ours’, what is the difference?“, Dacic asked.

He also said that the western countries that granted Kosovo recognition have no principles, arguing that the same standards do not apply to other countries. He also mentioned Turkey, saying that Serbia has good relations with the country, but that the West did not react when Turkey asked for Kosovo to be a member of the organisation of Turkic-speaking countries. However, it did react when Turkey asked for the same for Northern Cyprus, he argued.

Petkovic to Kurti: No deadline for the normalisation of relations, only the clock ticking for the formation of the ZSO (KoSSev)

Director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija, Petar Petkovic said on Saturday that ''it is high time for Albin Kurti to stop deceiving the public and face the truth and the facts that clearly prove that there are no set and pre-set deadlines for the normalisation of relations between Belgrade and Pristina", reported portal KoSSev. 

KoSSev recalled that since the Brussels meeting with the Serbian president last Monday, the Kosovo PM repeatedly said that the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina should end, i.e., "talks should end" by the spring of 2023. He even claimed that the EU communicated it, according to the portal.

In an interview for Podgorica City Television this week, he also said that he expected mutual recognition with Serbia by the spring of next year, wrote KoSSev.

Director of the Office for KiM, in his reaction on Saturday, said that "it is becoming ridiculous and embarrassing how Kurti is denied by international officials on a daily basis".

"The last in the series is the EU spokesperson who unequivocally said that no artificial deadlines exist in reality," claimed Petkovic.

He also says that "the only stopwatch that is ticking" was the one for the formation of the Community of Serbian Municipalities, on which Pristina was 10 years already late.

"That's why it would be better for Kurti to focus on the fulfilment of that obligation and implement what was signed in Brussels," said Petkovic.

On the other hand, he said that "the other deadlines apparently only exist in Kurti's head":

"With dreams in vain about how Belgrade will recognize a part of its territory, which, contrary to international law, presents itself as a so-called state".

At the same time, he told Kurti that "everyone who tried to attack the Serbian Orthodox Church, the Serbian believing people or President Aleksandar Vucic did so in vain and unsuccessfully."

"Even those in the Serbian opposition, whom he praises and whose help he wholeheartedly expects, cannot help Kurti in this fruitless endeavour," said Petkovic.

Office for KiM calls on Albanians not to use Albanian flags in Serb-majority areas (KoSSev)

The Office for Kosovo and Metohija called on Albanians not to use Albanian flags on the occasion of the 28 November in the Serb-majority areas in Kosovo as it serves “to deepen interethnic gap, intimidation and provocation of the Serbs”, KoSSev portal reports.

Display of Albanian flags in Klokot, ahead of marking the Flag Day, is yet another attempt to intimidate the Serbian people, the Office for Kosovo and Metohija said in a statement.

“Flags of Albania have nothing to do next to the Serbian houses in Kosovo Pomoravlje and the Church of Saint Peter and Paul, and therefore this tasteless ‘decorating’ can’t be interpreted otherwise but as provocation and yet another step towards creation of ‘Great Albania’”, Office for KiM said.

As the Office said, Albanians have the right to celebrate their holidays, however it is inappropriate when they do so in the areas populated by the Serbs.

It also recalled that the Church of Saint Peter and Paul was broken into and robbed on All Souls Day last year.  

“KLA” graffiti written in Brezovica (Radio KIM)

A “KLA” graffiti were written on the road leading towards Brezovica ski centre, same as on an auxiliary object located near the road, causing major concerns of the Strpce residents, Office for Kosovo and Metohija said in a statement, Radio KIM reports.

“This pressure and a new one in a series of incidents was reported to the Office by concerned residents of Zupa Valley who perceive this gesture as one more provocation and pressure, but also intimidation they are exposed to on a daily basis almost. The much more difficult life of Serbs in Strpce, who over the last last year were exposed to almost daily persecution, raids by ROSU, political processes and persecutions, by this is now put at unease with a clear goal (to make them) leave their homes, however they are determined to stay and survive in their centuries-old places", reads the statement.

The Office for Kosovo and Metohija also expects the international community in Kosovo to take a clear stance on inscription of “KLA” graffiti in the Serbian areas, and from respective bodies to sanction those responsible. 

Vucevic: Situation in Kosovo still very tense (Radio KIM)

Serbian Minister of Defense, Milos Vucevic said the situation in Kosovo “is still very tense as there are many open issues”, adding he hopes “answers would be sought within the dialogue”, Radio KIM reports.

“Serbs are concerned because it is not known what the next step of (Albin) Kurti would be, a man who demonstrated he doesn’t make much rational decision and is not a man of the agreement”, Vucevic told TV Pink.

He also said Serbia always chooses to look for solutions through dialogue, which does not mean that it would “swallow” everything, on the contrary “it wishes to prevent wars and conflicts”.

“Our army is brave and determined to fulfil all the tasks it receives from state leadership, however Serbia always looks to find a solution through dialogue, agreement and compromise”, he said. 

Vucevic added he wishes “Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija, same as everywhere they live, to be safe and at peace. Not to have wars and that politicians speak as much as needed without time limit”.    

Petrides: Cyprus will not change stance on Kosovo (Kosovo Online)

Republic of Cyprus adheres to principled stance of not recognizing unilaterally declared Kosovo independence, Cypriot Minister of Defense Charalambos Petrides said adding that principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity remain inalienable and unquestionable for his country, Kosovo Online portal reports.

Petrides made those remarks ahead of his official visit to Serbia. He also said he is honoured to be the first minister of defence to be invited for an official visit to Belgrade after the new government was formed.

“This is a great honour confirming cooperation and friendship between Cyprus and Serbia”, he said.  

Varhelyi to visit Serbia (Tanjug)

EU Enlargement Commissioner Oliver Varhelyi will be on a visit to Serbia on Thursday and Friday to meet with President Aleksandar Vucic and Prime Minister Ana Brnabic, Tanjug news agency reports.

EU spokesperson Ana Pisonero told a news briefing on Monday the discussion topics would include reforms expected from Serbia in the European integration process.

She said other topics of mutual interest, such as cooperation on migration and energy security, would be discussed as well.

Pisonero also announced Varhelyi would travel to Bosnia and Herzegovina on Monday for a two-day visit.

     

Opinion 

  How Brussels became Aachen: A vacuum in the institutions and a change in the nature of negotiations (KoSSev) By Dragutin Nenezic

Roughly three weeks have passed since the withdrawal from institutions, and less than a week since the (temporary) resolution/calming of the licence plates crisis, and one can now say that there has been a major turning point in the Brussels process, i.e. that it has fundamentally changed its nature, partly due to such dynamics of events in Kosovo. Given that dynamic, as well as the number of texts about the withdrawal from institutions, I am free to draft in broad strokes those essential changes, instead of dealing with details and trying to process an unusually live matter at the moment.

As far as institutions are concerned, some things have become clearer since my previous text – the entire judicial staff in north Kosovo, as well as the customs service, have left their posts. On the other hand, Pristina’s reaction is clear only formally speaking, while it is fundamentally confusing – for starters, mayoral elections were called in all four northern municipalities, but only two of the four were dissolved? Also, there is a lot of strategizing, as above all in the judiciary and the police, Pristina is trying to unilaterally postpone the effects of withdrawal by creative interpretation of regulations, lack of action of authorities regarding resignations, etc.

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