Albanian Language Media:

• COVID-19: 55 new cases, four deaths (media)
• PM Hoti calls for maximal caution from pupils and teachers (media)
• PM Hoti: €10 mil to municipalities as part of economic revival program (media)
• PDK is not pleased with Washington agreement, complains about Hoti (media)
• Plenkovic: Kosovo-Serbia dialogue with two wings, in Brussels and Washington (Koha)
• William Walker contracted to advise President Thaci (Prishtina Insight)

Serbian Language Media:

• Five new cases of Covid-19 registered in Serb areas in Kosovo, one person passed away (Radio KIM)
• Stano: Continuation of talks on non-majority communities and property (Tanjug, Kosovo Online)
• Vucic decided on the government? (media)
• Kosovo Serb Orthodox Diocese on Koha’s text: It spreads ethnic and religious hatred (KoSSev)
• Father Sava: Claims of those calling us usurpers, unworthy of Albanian people sons who respected others (KoSSev)
• Koha: ''Appropriation of medieval Arberian monuments in Kosovo by Serbs'' (KoSSev)
• Leaks of dossiers from The Hague – covering up KLA crimes (Politika)
• Pompeo hails Serbia's announcement to label Hezbollah a terrorist organization (N1)
• Vucic: Lack of reaction to Pristina's unfulfilled obligation shameful (BETA, N1)
• Vucic: Excellent phone talk with Netanyahu (SRNA, N1)
• Detention of four Serbs arrested at Mokra Gora Mountain extended (RTS)

Opinion:

• Belgrade professor to Grenell: Nobel Prize nomination sounds like mockery (N1)
• After Trump’s Serbia-Kosovo Deal, it’s Over to Brussels (Balkan Insight)

 International:

• Serbia-Kosovo Deal Behind Trump Nobel Prize Nod Dismissed As 'Photo Opportunity' by Ex-Serbian FM (Newsweek)

Humanitarian/Development:

• Womens’ Network, MPs react against court decision (media)

   

Albanian Language Media

  COVID-19: 55 new cases, four deaths (media)

Kosovo's National Institute for Public Health announced that 574 samples were tested for coronavirus during the last 24-hour period of which 55 resulted positive. 

Meanwhile, 150 recoveries and four deaths were recorded over the same timeframe. 

Health Minister Armend Zemaj said at a press conference that Kosovo is experiencing a decline in the number of new infections in the recent period. 

PM Hoti calls for maximal caution from pupils and teachers (media)

Kosovo Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti said during a visit to a school in Lipjan today that with the beginning of the new school year, both pupils and teachers must be maximally careful in respect measures against COVID – 19. 

“I would like to use this opportunity to call on all pupils, teachers and parents to be maximally careful. We have worked hard all these weeks with the Ministers of Health and Education to create the required conditions for pupils not to lag. Nothing can replace learning in school, but we are also threatened by this situation. Together we can emerge from this,” Hoti said. 

PM Hoti: €10 mil to municipalities as part of economic revival program (media)

Kosovo Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti said today that the government has adopted the criteria for allocating €10 million for Kosovo municipalities from the Economic Revival Program. “Up to €300,000 for small municipalities; up to €200,000 for municipalities that were in lockdown during the pandemic, and financial support for municipalities, based on their population, at the amount of €5 million,” Hoti wrote in a Facebook post.

PDK is not pleased with Washington agreement, complains about Hoti (media)

Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) MP Blerta Deliu – Kodra said today that this party always had faith in political processes that included the United States of America. “We support the U.S. and their involvement in outstanding processes for Kosovo, including the latest process. We have always said that the U.S. has an irreplaceable role. But we have also expressed our reservations about the Kosovo delegation and the way the agreement in Washington was reached,” she said. 

According to Deliu – Kodra, the Hoti-led government showed no readiness to cooperate with the opposition in the process. “The government did not bring a platform for the dialogue in parliament. We expected greater cooperation with the government. The government must know that without including the opposition, they will have a hard time of passing the agreement in parliament,” she added.

Deliu – Kodra also said that Prime Minister Hoti drastically changed his position on the Mini-Schengen, by agreeing for Kosovo to become part of the initiative. “It was surprising to see a drastic change in position by Hoti and some others who were openly against the Mini-Schengen and even made accusations earlier.”

Asked about a possible cooperation between the PDK and the Vetevendosje Movement, Deliu – Kodra said: “the PDK does not have any red lines, but always has ideas for reforms. There are political parties that must undergo reforms in order to have cooperation within the opposition”.

Plenkovic: Kosovo-Serbia dialogue with two wings, in Brussels and Washington (Koha)

Croatia's Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic said that the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia has 'two wings'. 

In a visit to the city of Mostar in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Plenkovic said: "We are engaged towards stability in all neighbouring countries and this is message number one. The dialogue between Serbia and Kosovo has two wings, one leading to Washington and the other to Brussels, and we are seeing progress here."

William Walker contracted to advise President Thaci (Prishtina Insight)

A contract worth 35,000 euros has been signed between the Office of the President and the Walker Foundation, a body set up by William Walker, the former head of the OSCE Kosovo Verification Mission who has previously been a strong critic of President Thaci.

BIRN has obtained a copy of a contract between the Office of the President of Kosovo and the Walker Foundation, which was founded in 2017 by Hasan Salihu and William Walker, the Head of the OSCE’s Kosovo Verification Mission in 1999. 

The five-month contract for consultancy services started in August 2020 and is worth 7,000 euros per month, a bill footed by the Kosovo taxpayer. The foundation is tasked with providing expertise on Kosovo’s international image, its diplomatic efforts and its Euro-Atlantic integration.

The contract states that: “the service provider […] will provide advanced expertise in matters that include, but are not limited to, the following: Kosovo’s internal and external representation, expansion and strengthening of Kosovo’s relations with other states, strengthening the democratic functioning of institutions of the Republic of Kosovo, and advancing economic initiatives and the integration of Kosovo in Euro-Atlantic structures.”

The agreement is set to expire in December 2020, with the option to extend for another six months if the presidency requires further consultation from the Walker Foundation. It was signed between the Office of the President and the Walker Foundation, and was negotiated without a public procurement process.

Read full article at: https://bit.ly/2FECRl2    

Serbian Language Media

  Five new cases of Covid-19 registered in Serb areas in Kosovo, one person passed away (Radio KIM)

Five new cases of Covid-19 infection were registered in the Serb-populated areas, while one person has passed away, Crisis Committee of Mitrovica North announced yesterday, Radio KIM reports. The deceased person was from Strpce.

Meanwhile, eight people have recovered.

Out of 44 tested samples five were positive and the cases were registered in the Serb-populated areas south of the Ibar River, respectively four in Kamenica, and one in Strpce.

In the north of Kosovo six patients have recovered, three in Zvecan, two in Zubin Potok, and one in Mitrovica North. One person each in Gracanica and Strpce also recovered.

At the moment, there are 64 active cases, including 44 people staying in house isolation.

Since the outbreak of the pandemic a total of 38 persons have passed away in the Serb-populated areas in Kosovo.  

Stano: Continuation of talks on non-majority communities and property (Tanjug, Kosovo Online)

European Union spokesman Peter Stano announces that talks between Belgrade and Pristina will continue this week in Brussels on the topics raised at the last meeting at the highest political level, reported Tanjug.

"These are arrangements on non-majority communities and resolving mutual financial claims and property, which is part of a legally binding agreement," Stano said.

Asked about the implementation of the agreements signed in Washington, Stano said that Serbia and Kosovo had signed "expressions of their individual bilateral commitment to the United States" in the White House, and that the details of the signed obligations should be fulfilled "in accordance with European aspirations".

"The signed document in Washington is based on previous agreements and obligations from the dialogue and can be a good contribution to reaching a comprehensive legally binding agreement on the normalization of relations," Stano concludes.

Earlier, it was announced that the delegations of Belgrade and Pristina would meet on September 17 at a new round of expert talks in Brussels.

Vucic decided on the government? (media)

According to Serbian media, Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) will most likely hold a session of the party's presidency by the end of this week with the formation of a new government as the central topic.

According to daily Belgrade based daily Kurir, the plan is to schedule a session of the Serbian Parliament after the session of the SNS Presidency on September 21, at which the president of the parliament, secretary general and vice presidents would be elected, and then, after a day or two, a government formed.

Kurir also writes that the leader of the SNS, Aleksandar Vucic, "already reached a decision" about who, apart from the SNS and their coalition partners, could form a new Government. As pointed out, for now, Ivica Dacic and his SPS are closer to that, instead of Sapic’s Serbian Patriotic Alliance (SPAS).

Thus, the executive power would be appointed by the end of September - a deadline that was mentioned by the President of Serbia on several occasions.

According to the press, the biggest favorite for the prime minister is Ana Brnabic, former Prime Minister. It is speculated that Zorana Mihajlovic will remain in Nemanjina Street, with Jadranka Joksimovic taking over the energy department, while Marko Cadez would become the head of the economy department. According to some speculations, Zlatibor Loncar, the current Minister of Health, is also safe.

SNS officials - Vladimir Marinkovic, Marija Obradovic or Vladimir Orlic - have the best chances to lead the Assembly of Serbia in the next mandate, and there is a possibility that, if the ruling coalition is formed with SPAS, that place will belong to someone from that bloc.

Belgrade based daily Vecernje Novosti reports today that one of the most serious candidates for the future head Serbian diplomacy is director of the Office for KiM Marko Djuric. 

As the daily states, ‘’many saw Djuric’s presence in the delegation, led by President Aleksandar Vucic in Washington and Brussels, as a sign that he is being seriously counted on as Ivica Dacic’s successor as Foreign Minister’’.

According to the information of Vecernje Novosti, the chances are growing that it will be a broad coalition of the SNS and with the SPS and the SPAS.

The daily reports that a government will be set for a year and a half, and it is expected to have a broad consensus on resolving the Kosovo knot, continuing reforms and major economic challenges following the coronavirus pandemic.

Kosovo Serb Orthodox Diocese on Koha’s text: It spreads ethnic and religious hatred (KoSSev)

The Diocese of Raska and Prizren reacted to the article entitled ''Appropriation of medieval Arberian monuments in Kosovo by Serbs'', which was published by Pristina-based Koha Ditore on Saturday. 

The Diocese alleged that this text ''openly spreads ethnic and religious hatred'' towards Serbs in Kosovo and their cultural and spiritual heritage. They also underlined that the author of the text, history professor Bedri Muhadri used ''open propaganda'', while also failing to utilize international historical sources.

In a text published by Koha Ditore, the author, Bedri Muhadri claims that in the Middle Ages the Nemanjic dynasty ''usurped'' or restored Roman Catholic churches such as St. Petka, the Church of the Holy Savior, St. Nicholas Church in Koris, Velika Hoca, Musutiste and others, as well as the Monastery of the Holy Archangels Michael and Gabriel.

The author also stated that the religious buildings of the Serbian Orthodox Church, such as Decani, Gracanica, the Church of the Holy Archangels Michael and Gabriel, the Church of Our Lady of Ljevis in Prizren, the Pec Patriarchate, the Church of St. Stefan (cf. St. Sava) in Mitrovica, are ''as ancient to the autochthonous Arbras (cf. Albanians,)''  as well as to the Serbs who ''occupied Kosovo''.

The Diocese noted that this ''pseudo-historical claim of Muhadri'' is not a novelty as it has been continuously presented, especially in the last few decades, by several Kosovo Albanian authors.

''Although neither Muhadri nor any other historian from Kosovo can explain why Albanian extremists so ruthlessly destroyed appropriated churches and monasteries, demolishing crosses, digging out Christian graves, desecrating crucifixes and icons, if they are so proud of the Christian tradition,'' the Diocese stressed.

They recalled that this attitude towards Serbian Christian holy sites did not take place during the tragic civil wars during the breakup of the former Yugoslavia, adding that buildings of all faiths were destroyed at that time – and in the presence of NATO forces.

The Diocese said that they witnessed ''unparalleled vandalism committed since the end of the conflict in 1999 and the following years''.

The Diocese said that in addition to ''ethnic cleansing of 200,000 Serbs and non-Albanians from 1999 onwards, there is now an increasingly active denial and cleansing of the cultural identity of the Serbian people and the SOC – in plain sight of the international community''.

See at: https://bit.ly/3miYOae Father Sava: Claims of those calling us usurpers, unworthy of Albanian people sons who respected others (KoSSev)

“For our holy sites we struggle with truth and prayer. For centuries our monastics, our people prayed at our holy sites in Kosovo as we met here with God and one another. We have neither stolen nor we’ll steal property of others. But we will not allow to be called thieves at our homes”, Abbot of Visoki Decani Monastery Father Sava Janjic wrote on Twitter, KoSSev portal reports.

“Decani Monastery has been for centuries like a lit kindle of prayer. Never in the past, not even under Ottomans, we were accused to’ve stolen our house from others. Those who call us usurpers aren’t worthy sons of the Kosovo Albanian people who knew how to respect others in the past”, Abbot Janjic added.

The messages along with the video of the liturgy at Visoki Decani Monastery came after the article published on Saturday at Pristina-based Koha Ditore authored by Bedri Muhadrija, making claims that Serbian dynasty Nemanjici “usurped” or restored Rimo-Catholic churches in Kosovo.

Italian Professor and former official of the International Civilian Office in Kosovo Andrea Capussela also reacted to the article by addressing the comment to Agron Bajrami, Koha Ditore Editor-in-Chief. “This calls for an explanation. If I understood them properly, the arguments in this article lack any serious evidence, to my knowledge; anyway, nobody can deny that for 700 years these have been SOC churches; why publish it, given its incendiary potential?” Capusssela wrote on Twitter.

In a response to Capussela’s remark, Bajrami wrote on Twitter that “the author is a historian, working with the Kosovo Institute of History. These are his views. (As you know well, we publish unconventional and inconvenient views all the time. It does not spread ethnic or religious hatred. Why publish? You should read the original article in full”, Bajrami said, KoSSev portal reported.

Koha: ''Appropriation of medieval Arberian monuments in Kosovo by Serbs'' (KoSSev)

When talking about its rights over Kosovo in the international community, Serbia raises the issue of churches and monasteries in Kosovo. This unjust historical attempt was so successful that Serbian propaganda had an impact on reaching an international agreement – ''Comprehensive Proposal for the Kosovo Status Settlement'' , drafted by the President of Finland (March 2007) – in which orthodox monasteries built in the Middle Ages were recognized as the legacy of the Serbian Orthodox Church.

''Kosovo will recognize the Serbian Orthodox Church in Kosovo, including monasteries, churches, and other facilities used for religious purposes as an integral part of the Belgrade-based Serbian Orthodox Church'' (Annex V, point 1.2 of the Ahtisaari Agreement).

Even today, the deliberate display of the book ''The Christian heritage of Kosovo and Metohija – The historical and spiritual heartland of the Serbia“ in the office of the Serbian embassy in Brussels, during a meeting between the European Commissioner for Enlargement, Mr. Oliver Varhelyi and the Serbian President, Aleksandar Vucic, is not only a political scandal, but it also shows the European commissioner supporting the Serbian thesis of the cultural heritage of Kosovo. Moreover, later it may reveal concrete ideas, such as: ''Ahtisaari plus'' ; ''Necessary bitter compromises of the Kosovar side'' and others, which can obviously politically conceive all kinds of standards, theoretically and practically unknown in the political basis of the European Union, presenting this only as ''sui generis'' or as a ''modus vivendi'' solution.

However, historical facts always enable a fair political view and treatment as far as the history of the culture of Kosovo is concerned.

All this has a historical basis in the Middle Ages. In the time of the Nemanjic dynasty, the territory of today’s Kosovo was not the epicenter of the activities related to the building of Serbian churches. The earliest Serb churches were built mainly in the narrow territory of Raska such as Studenica (near Novi Pazar), built by Stefan Nemanja; The Milesevo Monastery (near the Bosnian border), Sopocani (Novi Pazar), and the Zica Monastery, later rebuilt near Kraljevo, which was also the seat of the autocephaly of the Serbian Orthodox Church, built by Stefan Prvovencani.

See at: https://bit.ly/3hnIrWk Leaks of dossiers from The Hague – covering up KLA crimes (Politika)

Disclosure of the information that around 4000 dossiers of the Specialist Court in the Hague “leaked” and publishing parts of its content could be just one among the attempts to cover up the crimes committed by KLA members and thus do not prosecute them, Belgrade-based daily Politika reports.

If one is to make assessment based on the statements of officials and connoisseurs of the work of this court and prosecution the attention at the moment is focused at intimidating witnesses, and compromising cooperation of the Serbian state bodies with the Specialist Prosecutor’s Office in The Hague, the daily further said.

Vladimir Vukcevic, former Serbian Special War Crimes Prosecutor said the “leaking” of the dossiers represents an unpleasant occurrence which jeopardizes proceedings. Published documents, among others, included his correspondence with former Chief Prosecutor of the EU Special Investigation Task Force Clint Williamson.

Without objecting to the authenticity of it, Vukcevic assessed that publishing information that these two documents of the judicial bodies first reached the hands of the KLA veterans and afterwards the public aimed at intimidating the witnesses.

“This is the modus operandi of KLA members. A typical mafia system. First they warn the witnesses, then they try to bribe them, and after that they threaten them and their family members to death. I warned Dick Marty about this, and he wrote it in his report”, Vukcevic said.

Asked if and how this “leak” of information would reflect on the work of the Specialist Court and its prosecution, Vukcevic responded it would jeopardize proceedings, but declined to speculate to what extent.

On the other hand, Belgrade lawyer Goran Petronijevic assessed that election of prosecutors and their indoctrination; along with all negativities which marked the work of The Hague Tribunal could be seen in the acts of the Specialist Chambers and Specialist Prosecution. He placed particular emphasis on the fact that the prosecutors back then and now are elected from the same milieu.

“Prosecutors in the fist one and second prosecution are Americans and they all belong to the group appointed and nominated by the part of the US administration which is no longer in power. Taking into consideration the modus operandi of the prosecutors in The Hague Tribunal, one could tell that their colleagues in the Specialist Prosecution act in the same manner. Not in a sense that they discriminate against defendants, but that they are making national discqalificaiton, respectively discrimination. Serbs are the victims in this case, and yet they are discriminated against. A different matter would be if there would be a Chinese prosecutor, or Russian, French or German. American prosecutors are, let me put it this way, lords of death and life, they choose whom to prosecute. So at that time the entire military and police leadership of Serbia was sent to trial, and indictments against Tudjman (Croatia) and Izetbegovic (Bosnia and Herzegovina) although written, never got activated”, Petronijevic said.

Pompeo hails Serbia's announcement to label Hezbollah a terrorist organization (N1)

Serbia's announcement that it will label Hezbollah as a terrorist organization as a whole is another important step that limits the ability of this terrorist group supported by Iran to operate in Europe, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement published on the website of the US State Department on Sunday.

''Serbia’s announcement that it will designate Hizballah as a terrorist organization in its entirety is another significant step limiting this Iranian backed terrorist group’s ability to operate in Europe. This important action was announced as part of the historic commitments President Trump secured on a wide range of economic normalization issues between Serbia and Kosovo, coupled with the steps both nations are taking to help achieve peace in the Middle East,''  the statement said.

Pompeo also tweeted on this topic, praising Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic on this move saying:

''The dominoes are falling on Hizballah’s European operations. Serbia’s announcement that it will designate Hizballah in its entirety helps to further restrict the terrorist organization’s ability to fundraise and operate in the region. Great move by President Vucic.''

To which Vucic responded saying Serbia will remain firm in its pursuit of peace and stability.

The State Department's statement urged other European countries to do the same.

''We urge all countries in Europe and elsewhere to take whatever action they can to prevent Hizballah operatives, recruiters, and financiers from operating on their territories,'' the statement said.

See at: https://bit.ly/3iuMkdg

Vucic: Lack of reaction to Pristina's unfulfilled obligation shameful (BETA, N1)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on Saturday it was a "shame" that no one reacted to Pristina's messages that it would form the Community of Serb-majority Municipalities after Serbia recognizes Kosovo, adding Pristina has not fulfilled the only obligation deriving from the Brussels Agreement for seven and a half years, N1 reports.

Speaking after promotion of a new generation of young officers of the Serbian Army, Vucic said Kosovo Prime Minister Avdulah Hoti "perhaps thinks there is some force that will pressure us on this matter, that someone will get me drunk, poison me, and that this would be adopted. If he prefers to encourage himself and his people like that, then that's just fine".

Vucic said he expected the official Belgrade and Pristina to begin reestablishing connections these days, which could lead to a "change in people's consciousness" and "peace in the region."

He also said that Serbia is preparing for September 21, when the American Office of the International Corporation for Financial Development should visit Belgrade, and that he will immediately start talks with them on financing infrastructure projects.

See at: https://bit.ly/2RoggvT

Vucic: Excellent phone talk with Netanyahu (SRNA, N1)

Serbian  President Aleksandar Vucic published on his Instagram account late on Friday he had "excellent phone conversation" with the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during which the two confirmed the friendship between the two countries and peoples, N1 reports. Vucic said he might visit Jerusalem soon.

He promised to relocate Serbian Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem by July 1, as a part of the documents he signed in Washington during Belgrade – Pristina talks witnessed by the US President Donald Trump, N1 recalled.

The US and Guatemala are the only two countries that moved their embassies in violation of the UN 478 Resolution calling on states not to do that.

Vucic earlier told Serbian public broadcaster RTS that the leaders of some world powers asked him why he would violate the Resolution?"I told them – 'tell me that when we violate something, but before, I ask you why did you violate the UN 1244 Resolution (on Kosovo)". The two of them were shocked and suggested we see each other soon."

His promise to relocate the embassy caused worries among the Arab countries, as well as in the European Union which also disagreed with the White House's decision to declare Jerusalem as Israeli's capital and move the US Embassy there.

The Palestine Ambassador to Serbia said he has asked for a meeting with Vucic, expecting an explanation for the promised move.

See at: https://bit.ly/35zn2HB Detention of four Serbs arrested at Mokra Gora Mountain extended (RTS)

The Basic Court in Pec has extended detention of R.K., P. M., M. U. and G. M. for two more months, RTS reports. All four Serbs are from Zubin Potok and they are accused of committing criminal act of unlawful use of weapons, lawyer Dejan A. Vasic told RTS.

They were arrested on August 15, at Mokra Gora Mountain while celebrating “Blueberry Day” fired several times from hunting weapons, RTS recalled.

“All accused persons admitted to the acts incriminating them, they all live in Kosovo, have employment here, and therefore there are no grounds for deciding to send them to detention. I hope that during the complaining proceedings, the Appellate Court would have more understanding for those arguments and would enable them to defend in freedom”, Vasic added.  

   

Opinion

  Belgrade professor to Grenell: Nobel Prize nomination sounds like mockery (N1)

Professor Vojin Rakic at University of Belgrade and Haifa commented on the nomination of governments of Serbia and Kosovo in an open letter to the US President Donald Trump's special envoy for the Belgrade - Pristina dialogue on the normalisation of relations Richard Grenell, which we publish in its entirety.

"Dear Mr Grenell,

I am addressing you as one of the creators of the Washington Agreement, signed on 4 September of this year in the White House. You have retweeted the idea that the governments of the United States, Serbia and Kosovo be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.

Please allow me first to emphasize that the signed document about agreements and intents is a good step for Serbia, but a step that is not „good enough“ – a term that Americans liked to use when addressing manipulative actions of Slobodan Milosevic and others who they taught how politically appropriate behaviour ought to look like.

Let us begin with the positive sides of the agreement. The turn to the U.S. and the E.U. that President Vucic has been forced to make, is indeed a huge turn in Serbian Foreign Policy. That turn ought to be strongly welcomed.

The U.S. is a traditional ally of Serbia, it is still the most powerful country in the world, and practically the only power that, except the E.U., is relevant for the region Serbia finds itself in. Israel is for several reasons a natural ally of Serbia and proximity with that country brings a lot of good to Serbia. Almost as important and very compatible with an approximation with the U.S. (and Israel) is a strong intensification of the movement of Serbia in the direction of the E.U. The costs of turning away from Russia, China and a part of the Arab world are incomparably lower than the benefits of an alliance with the U.S., the E.U. and Israel.

The announced turn in Serbia`s foreign policy has however to become a permanent roadmap that should be reinforced with the passing of time. This roadmap does of course not exclude cultural, ecclesiastical and other cooperation characterizing the traditional ties between Serbia and Russia.

Why is this nonetheless not „good enough“ for the Nobel Peace Prize? Because correction of a sidetracked foreign policy course ought to be accompanied by a correction of a sidetracked internal policy that is being conducted in Serbia. President Vucic is an autocrat, a dictator who does not respect the values on which both the U.S. and other Western democracies have been built.

See at: https://bit.ly/33rzxlF

After Trump’s Serbia-Kosovo Deal, it’s Over to Brussels (Balkan Insight)

With America’s role in bringing the two sides together now over for the time being, the ball is back to Brussels’ courtyard to bring this process to a final conclusion. The question remains, will it be up for it.

A peace agreement between Serbia and Kosovo brokered by the United States has been the “talk of the town” for nearly two years.

The impression was there of a potential breakthrough, putting an end to decades of strained relations between Kosovo and Serbia since the 1999 war.

It even felt closer once the White House had appointed the US Ambassador to Germany, Richard Grenell, as its special envoy for the negotiations.

While the EU-facilitated process aiming at a normalization of relations is still only vaguely defined, the US position was clear and bold; mutual recognition between the parties was the goal.

As time passed, however, the rhetoric around the process changed. Achieving mutual recognition was transformed into the lesser aim of reaching economic normalization as an intermediate step towards a final legally binding agreement in which the EU would also be engaged.

Nevertheless, US determination to have an agreement between the parties remained staunch. It influenced the lives of two consecutive governments in Kosovo.

See at: https://bit.ly/3kjZESf    

International

  Serbia-Kosovo Deal Behind Trump Nobel Prize Nod Dismissed As 'Photo Opportunity' by Ex-Serbian FM (Newsweek)

The former president of the United Nations General Assembly and ex-Serbian foreign minister, Vuk Jeremic, has dismissed the deal between Serbia and Kosovo that led to President Donald Trump's second Nobel Prize nomination as simply a "photo opportunity."

Swedish parliament member Magnus Jacobsson nominated Trump and the governments of Kosovo and Serbia for the prestigious prize, praising how economic ties after the U.S.-brokered discussions had been normalized.

Jacobsson tweeted: "I have nominated the US Gov. and the governments of Kosovo and Serbia for the Nobel Peace Prize for their joint work for peace and economic development, through the cooperation agreement signed in the White House."

Kosovo prime minister Avdullah Hoti said on both Facebook and Twitter that he was "extremely grateful" for the nomination.

It was Trump's second Nobel Prize nomination of the week. On Wednesday, right-wing Norwegian politician Christian Tybring-Gjedde also nominated Trump for the prize, for peace talks between Israel and the United Arab Emirates.

See at: https://bit.ly/32tfLXW    

Humanitarian/Development

  Womens’ Network, MPs react against court decision (media)

The Kosovo Women’s Network said in a statement today that it was deeply concerned with the decision of a court in Gjakova to reduce the sentence against Pjeter Ndrecaj who was found guilty for murdering his spouse and daughter in August 2018. The network said in its reaction that the reduced sentence (24 years in prison) will not only fail to rehabilitate Ndrecaj “but will also serve as a motive for others to commit similar acts”. “We strongly believe that the Prosecution will file a complaint and the Court of Appeals will change the sentence and announce a maximal sentence”. 

Former Minister of Justice, Albulena Haxhiu, and Assembly Vice President, Arberie Nagavci, too reacted to the reduced sentence saying the court’s decision is scandalous.