Albanian Language Media:

• Kurti on the strike: We’ve made many steps, but the blackmail doesn’t stop (Koha)
• Jasharaj: I’m ready to take part in meeting between Flocken and Kurti (Kosovapress)
• Kurti on “new framework”: No author; it was published to test the pulse (Express)
• S.: We support dialogue based on mutual recognition (Koha)
• “No EU membership without mutual recognition; Kosovo to initiate Association” (Koha)
• Osmani: Kosovo’s unwavering commitment to prevent violent extremism (media)
• State Department Counselor: Good meeting with President Osmani (Lajmi)
• Lajcak meets Escobar in New York: Grateful for excellent cooperation (media)
• German MP: Visa liberalisation for Kosovo in the final phase (Kallxo)
• Three ministry officials among arrested in latest raids in “Brezovica Operation” (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Vucic met Guterres on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly (Politika, Tanjug)
• Vucic: Important decisions coming soon (N1, RTS)
• Serbian President's meetings yesterday with world officials on the sidelines of the 77th UNGA session (Politika)
• On second day in New York, Selakovic held 27 bilateral meetings with foreign ministers (Kosovo Online)
• Vucic on his meeting with Lajcak (Kosovo Online)
• Brnabic: Pressure on Vucic and Serbia never greater (N1)
• People’s Party (NS) asking Vucic to urgently send letters to Putin and Xi Jinping on Kosovo (Danas)
• Which EU country will be the first to change its position on the independence of Kosovo (Danas)
• Trendafilova: Trial of Thaci to start soon (Radio KIM)
• Kurti: Decision on land in Brnjak and Jasenovik in accordance with the law (Kosovo Online, euronews.rs)

Opinion:

• The government vs the teachers’ union (Kosovo 2.0)

International:

• Kosovo War Crime Court President Suggests KLA Leaders’ Trial is Near (BIRN)
• Chopping Down the Future: Heating Crisis Worsens Illegal Logging in Balkans (BIRN)
• Guterres calls for ‘coalition of the world’ to overcome divisions, provide hope in place of turmoil (news.un.org)
• Serbia’s Vucic Announces New Political ‘Movement’ Within Six Months (Balkan Insight)
• Commission OKs plant acquisition by Serbian Gazprom-owned oil company (euractive.com)
• Russian Flights Tickets to Serbia, Turkey, Sell Out After Mobilization (Balkan Insight)

Humanitarian/Development:

• On International Day of Peace UNMIK recalls “Howdy Neighbor” series (KoSSev)

   

Albanian Language Media  

  Kurti on the strike: We’ve made many steps, but the blackmail doesn’t stop (Koha)

Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, said today that his government has made many steps to overcome the ongoing strike in education, “but the blackmail does not stop”. He told reporters in Prishtina that the best solution would be for teachers to return to work and to accept the compensation offer for an additional €50 monthly payment. “I have explained this earlier. The compensation of €50 is done to face inflation and not as a substitute for the law on wages which is expected to be adopted in the Assembly soon. The best and most fair solution is for the teachers to go to school and start classes and for the pupils to go to classes. This is necessary for the dignity of all and also for the overall development of our society. We have made many steps, but what we haven’t seen yet is the end of blackmail ‘either this much, or we won’t go to work’,” Kurti said. 

Kurti also said he will meet this afternoon with the European Trade Union Committee for Education and discuss the ongoing strike in education.

Jasharaj: I’m ready to take part in meeting between Flocken and Kurti (Kosovapress)

Leader of the Union of Education, Science and Culture (SBASHK), Rrahman Jasharaj, told reporters that he is ready to take part in today’s meeting between Prime Minister Albin Kurti and Director at the European Trade Union Committee for Education Susan Flocken. “We will see how the meeting goes and to best inform the public we have scheduled a press conference at 19:00 where we will address the media together with Flocken and she will explain the course of the meeting with Kurti,” Jasharaj said after today’s heated meeting with the Kosovo Assembly’s Committee for Education.

Kurti on “new framework”: No author; it was published to test the pulse (Express)

Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, said today that a document on a “new framework” for the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia has no author and that therefore he cannot comment on it. He said that such documents are made public only to test the pulse of the people and politicians. 

“There are different documents going around but I believe it is neither fair nor useful for me to comment on documents that have no authors but are made public to test the pulse of politicians and the people,” Kurti was quoted as saying.

The new framework document was published by the Albanian Post over the weekend. The report noted that the framework was drafted by the German and the French and that it foresees an agreement for normalisation of relations between Kosovo and Serbia next year, and an agreement on mutual recognition in 10 years. The German Federal Government, however, in a response to the news website on Tuesday, categorically denied having authored the document.

U.S.: We support dialogue based on mutual recognition (Koha)

The United States of America supports the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia based on mutual recognition, Cynthia Cook from the U.S. Embassy in Prishtina said in her address to the Kosovo Peace and Democracy Summit. “The Western Balkans is like the Diplomatic Olympic Games, all eyes are on the dialogue meetings,” she is quoted as saying. “Ukraine created a new urgency. We continue to support the EU-facilitated dialogue, based on mutual recognition. Integration in the EU will bring more opportunities for both countries. The citizens of both countries deserve to live in a more stable and peaceful society.”

“No EU membership without mutual recognition; Kosovo to initiate Association” (Koha) 

German Special Representative for the Western Balkans, Manuel Sarrazin, repeated today the clear message from Chancellor Olaf Scholz that Kosovo and Serbia cannot dream about membership in the European Union without mutual recognition. In a video address to the Kosovo Peace and Democracy Summit, Sarrazin said Germany expects Kosovo to initiate the Association of Serb-majority municipalities.

Sarrazin confirmed that there is ongoing work in the EU “to create a momentum for visa liberalisation”. 

He said that recently in Kosovo there have been “speculation” to find other ways except for the process of dialogue. “Today it is clear that the debate returns to mutual recognition, in the essence of the enlargement of the EU and that the dialogue is the way towards this, through the agreement for normalisation and then membership and at a later stage there can be different perspectives on how to move further,” he said.

Sarrazin said that while Kosovo focuses on mutual recognition as the centrepiece of the dialogue, in Serbia the attention is on the Association of Serb-majority municipalities. He argued that “dialogue is returning to the core of the debate” and this because of “the unification of EU member states, European institutions and partners in the United States of America and the United Kingdom”.

Sarrazin also talked about the recent agreements between Kosovo and Serbia, such as those on ID cards and the energy. He said the agreement on ID cards “is a small step” but one that shows that progress is possible. He offered Germany’s support for the EU Special Representative Miroslav Lajcak to reach new agreements. “He is the cook, and we are in the kitchen. Certainly, German food is very good. Some people say that French food is better, but the British are very good at cooking too. But it is clear that we all stand behind Lajcak and support him,” he added.

Sarrazin commended Chancellor Scholz’s decision to revive the Berlin Process and said that this should not be underestimated. He said there are positive expectations from the Berlin Summit on November 3. 

Sarrazin recalled Scholz’s speech in Prishtina when he said that without mutual recognition, Kosovo and Serbia cannot join the EU. “He was clear about the objective of the process, mutual recognition as a step forward for the EU membership of both countries. At the same time, we also expect Kosovo to have clear commitment in the dialogue and to clarify the topics set out in the Brussels Agreement, certainly in line with the constitutional framework … We expect a debate to be held on the Association of Serb-majority municipalities in the Republic of Kosovo,” he said.

Osmani: Kosovo’s unwavering commitment to prevent violent extremism (media)

President of Kosovo, Vjosa Osmani said today that Kosovo has unwavering commitment in the fight to prevent violent extremism. During her stay in New York, Osmani took part in the conference of the Global Community Engagement and Resiliency Fund (GCERF). “On behalf of the Republic of Kosovo, delighted to take part in the GCERF event focused on combating violent extremism and terrorism, alongside world leaders. Through cooperation, awareness-raising and knowledge-sharing, we are committed to contributing to this global fight,” Osmani tweeted after the meeting.

State Department Counselor: Good meeting with President Osmani (Lajmi)

The U.S. State Department Counselor, Derek Chollet, said in a Twitter post that he had a good meeting with Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani. “Good meeting today with Kosovo President @VjosaOsmaniPRKS to discuss our enduring partnership, Kosovo’s path to Euro-Atlantic integration via the EU-facilitated Dialogue, and Kosovo’s support for Afghans, Ukraine, and #SummitforDemocracy,” Chollet tweeted after the meeting.

Lajcak meets Escobar in New York: Grateful for excellent cooperation (media)

Special Representative of the EU for the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia, Miroslav Lajcak, met with the Deputy Assistant Secretary Gabriel Escobar in New York. “Always good to compare notes with my good friend and colleague US Deputy Assistant Secretary Gabe Escobar. Grateful for our excellent EU – US cooperation. Lots to talk about,” Lajcak tweeted.

German MP: Visa liberalisation for Kosovo in the final phase (Kallxo)

Member of the German Bundestag, Anton Hofreiter, said in an interview with Kallxo Pernime that the visa liberalisation process for Kosovo is in the final phase and that the problem lately has nothing to do with Kosovo but with the internal problems of some member states that are concerned with right-wing extremism. “But I am really optimistic that visa liberalisation will be finalised this year. You have waited long for this, and I am optimistic it will happen this year,” Hofreiter said.

Three ministry officials among arrested in latest raids in “Brezovica Operation” (media)

Three officials of the Ministry for Environment, Spatial Planning and Infrastructure are among the seven people arrested today during the latest police operation in the so-called Brezovica Operation. “Three of the arrested are from the Ministry of Environment, Spatial Planning and Infrastructure,” a prosecutor told Gazeta Express news website. The prosecutor also said that a member of the Prishtina Municipal Assembly from the Vetevendosje Movement is also among the arrested.

   

Serbian Language Media 

  Vucic met Guterres on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly (Politika, Tanjug)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic met United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres on the sidelines of the opening of the General Debate of the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly.

"A serious and open meeting with Antonio Guterres, during which we shared concerns about the increasing global challenges that we all face in numerous fields," said the President of Serbia on the Instagram account "buducnostsrbijeav", reported Tanjug. 

Vucic added that during the meeting with Guterres, he expressed Serbia's unequivocal support for efforts to strengthen the role of the UN in the world geopolitical arena, so that the principles on which the world organisation was based were returned to the stage in full force.

Vucic: Important decisions coming soon (N1, RTS)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on Tuesday that he would be taking what he called important decisions in the next 7-10 days as well as measures important for the future of the country next week, reported Serbian media,

“We will be taking important decisions in the next 7-10 days … and I believe I will inform the public about certain measures and decisions important to the future of Serbia next week,” Vucic told the Serbian state TV (RTS) in New York where he is attending the UN General Assembly.

The Serbian President said pressure was being exerted on Belgrade over the announced accession of Kosovo to the Council of Europe (CoE). “They said that they do not need so-called Kosovo to be in the UN to join the CoE. That has added pressure on Serbia to accept papers that do not exist and which we cannot discuss and which I luckily did not take so I cannot be accused of leaking them,” he said commenting on the alleged draft agreement which was published by the Albanian Post portal.

He said he had good news for the Serbian public. “I received another note that a country is revoking its recognition of Kosovo,” adding that this strengthened Serbia’s position in the UN. “They will be surprised by the number of countries that think differently and the clear majority that we have in bodies like the UN,” he said.

"We can only have our side"

During his stay in New York, President Vucic, also spoke with numerous American officials, and when asked where he sees room for improving relations between Belgrade and Washington, Vucic said that primarily space was seen in an attempt to find compromise solutions to open issues.

"Where we think unequivocally differently, and above all it concerns Kosovo and Metohija, but also to strengthen our economic cooperation, to strengthen the presence of American companies in our country, so that they are interested in the stability and security of Serbia. So that is something that is important for us, as we try to maintain very decent relations with the Russian Federation and excellent relations with the People's Republic of China," said Vucic. 

He pointed out that this was the only policy Serbia could have. 

"Because of Kosovo, we are in such a situation that we can only have our side. We cannot have a side like some others - a line was drawn here; you have to be here. No, we have to be everywhere because we are fighting for the bare life of our people and the life of our country and that is the reason we behave like that and it is rational, serious, and responsible behaviour," said Vucic.

Serbian President's meetings yesterday with world officials on the sidelines of the 77th UNGA session (Politika)

The President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, attended the opening of the General Debate of the 77th session of the UN General Assembly. Vucic was at the UN HQ with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nikola Selakovic, the Serbian Ambassador to the USA, Marko Djuric, and the Ambassador of the Serbian Mission to the UN, Nemanja Stevanovic. And the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Serbia, Nikola Selakovic, spoke on Monday on the sidelines of the 77th session of the UN General Assembly with 20 foreign ministers, while President Vucic had informal meetings with foreign officials before and after the opening of the debate, reported Politika daily. 

Vucic met the PM of North Macedonia Dimitar Kovacevski, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, briefly spoke with Norwegian PM Jonas Gahr Store on current world topics and points of the meeting and thanked him for his support in defining Serbia's future energy strategy and stated that he expected a bilateral meeting. 

Vucic met Albanian PM Edi Rama and posted on Instagram ''a brief greeting during the meeting with my friend Edi Rama on the sidelines of the opening of the General Debate of the 77th session of the UN General Assembly and an opportunity to exchange first impressions from this important event, but also to make plans for joint performances and meetings during the UN General Assembly''.  

Yesterday, the President of Serbia informally met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Greece, Nikos Dendias, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Morocco, Nasser Bourita, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Eswatini, Thulisila Dladla, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Saudi Arabia, Prince Faisal bin Farhan. And after the opening of the General Debate of world leaders at the UN headquarters, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic met separately with the President of the Republic of Cyprus, Nicos Anastasiades, and with the President of Guatemala, Alejandro Eduardo Giammattei Falla. 

On second day in New York, Selakovic held 27 bilateral meetings with foreign ministers (Kosovo Online)

Serbian Foreign Affairs Minister, Nikola Selakovic as part of his activities on a second day of the UN General Assembly session held a number of meetings on the margins of this gathering with his foreign counterparts, Kosovo Online portal reports.

The portal further said Selakovic met 27 foreign affairs ministers and discussed topics relating to bilateral cooperation but also current geo-political affairs.

“Situation in Kosovo and Metohija was one of the dominant topics in yesterday’s talks and efforts of Serbia to fight for protection of its state and national interests in line with international law and by peaceful and political means”, reads the statement of Serbian Foreign Ministry.

The second day of his stay in New York, Selakovic concluded by having a trilateral working dinner with the foreign ministers of Greece and Cyprus. 

Vucic on his meeting with Lajcak (Kosovo Online)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic met on the margins of the 77th UN General Assembly session with EU Special Envoy for Belgrade-Pristina dialogue, Miroslav Lajcak, Kosovo Online portal reports.

“Useful conversation with Miroslav Lajcak on the margins of 77th UN General Assembly general debate opening and good opportunity to stress the efforts of Serbia aiming at preserving peace and stability of an entire region once again”, Vucic said in a post on his official account on Instagram. 

Brnabic: Pressure on Vucic and Serbia never greater (N1)

Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic said it is important to support Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, who is to address the UN General Assembly, because pressure exerted on him and Serbia has never been greater, N1 reports.

Serbia is asked to impose sanctions on Russia and to reach a final agreement on the normalisation of relations between Belgrade and Pristina and the two requests are simultaneous, Brnabic told TV Pink.

In his speech, Vucic will best show the contrast between some countries “in the struggle for the territorial integrity of one internationally recognized state, Ukraine, which we agree with, and to what extent this basic principle of international law did not matter in the case of Serbia”, she added.

For us, pressure can be counterproductive and the more you pressure us, the more dissuaded we may become, Brnabic noted, explaining that this is Vucic’s policy.

Serbia’s presentation at the UN General Assembly has never attracted so much attention, especially since Vucic will speak after the Ukrainian President, she said.

The Prime Minister said Vucic will be giving an interview Wednesday to the American Newsmax TV, following which he will meet with the Chinese Foreign Minister, and added that the President had some 20 meetings on Tuesday.

People’s Party (NS) asking Vucic to urgently send letters to Putin and Xi Jinping on Kosovo (Danas)

Serbian opposition People’s Party (NS) caucus head, Miroslav Aleksic asked today President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic to urgently send identical letters to the presidents of Russia and China, asking them to “use veto in the Security Council if the membership of the self-proclaimed Kosovo in the UN comes up on the agenda”.

In the letter the People's Party sent to Vucic, Aleksic proposed the text of the letters to Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping and called on Vucic to inform the public when he sends those letters.

Aleksic said in a letter that accelerated diplomatic actions were underway requiring Serbia to agree to Kosovo membership in the United Nations, adding it is therefore important to send letters to the leaders of Russia and China as soon as possible.

Aleksic reminded Vucic that he agreed to send letters at the Serbian Assembly session on Kosovo and that the People's Party Resolution on Kosovo and Metohija stipulated that the letters should be sent to Moscow and Beijing.

In the proposed letters, it is stated, inter alia, that Serbia “resolutely opposes the international affirmation of the so-called Kosovo and will continue to do so in the future”.

“Therefore, I ask you that, if the issue of the membership of the so-called Kosovo in the United Nations is ever raised within the Security Council of that organisation, the Russian Federation (People’s Republic of China) unconditionally stop any such initiative using the rights and instruments it enjoys as its permanent member, including the right to veto”, the letter to Vucic reads.

Which EU country will be the first to change its position on the independence of Kosovo (Danas)

Belgrade based daily Danas wrote today, according to the claim of diplomatic sources, that it is a completely real possibility that the five countries of the European Union that have not recognized ''Kosovo's independence so far - Greece, Spain, Cyprus, Slovakia and Romania - will change their position even before the deadline set by the 13-point plan of Scholz and Macron, adding that the closest to recognition is currently Greece''. 

Namely, the latest 13-point plan of Germany and France, reported by media in recent days, for the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina and the final normalization of relations based on mutual recognition also foresees that all the remaining five EU countries recognize the independence of Kosovo in order for the agreement to be achieved full legitimacy at the EU level.

As the Albanian Post wrote, and cited by Kosovo Online portal, the new plan instigated by the French president and the German chancellor envisaged a new framework for dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia, which would require the two sides to reach a final formal agreement on recognition within the next 10 years, which will be a prerequisite for the membership of both countries in the EU.

"If the proposal is accepted, Kosovo's independence will be accepted by the five remaining EU countries, while Serbia will have significant financial assistance and will be recognized as a power in the region," Danas cited the Albanian portal.

According to Danas sources from diplomatic circles, out of the five remaining countries ''not recognizing Kosovo's independence, Greece is currently the closest to recognizing''. 

"Greece is the closest to that because it is currently treating Kosovo in everything as an independent state, and it is only a matter of time when it will formally do so. Until now, Greece has not recognized Kosovo due to the interests of that country and the regional dynamics of relations, but the main Balkan problem that Greece had - the dispute with North Macedonia - has been resolved. They have no other obstacles for the issue of independence, except Cyprus," a source of Danas stated.

However, they added that since Cyprus is a member of the EU, this issue is quite different from that of Kosovo, and that the authorities in Greece can highlight this difference if they would like to receive support for the recognition of Kosovo.

"If Greece does that, Cyprus will probably resent it, but it will certainly not remain the only country that does not recognize Kosovo's independence, if the EU demands unity from its members and if Greece raises the issue. In that case, it is only a matter of time and agreement when Spain will do the same. For Romania and Slovakia, the matter is even simpler," this source said. 

So far, it has been significant for Serbia that the main negotiator of the EU, i.e. the special envoy for dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, Miroslav Lajcak, comes from Slovakia, which shares the same position the issue of Kosovo and Metohija with Serbia, as well as the fact that the MEP from this country is in charge of the position of EP rapporteur for Serbia - Vladimir Bilcik.

"Although they are first and foremost EU officials and implement the Union's policy, for Serbia there has been quite understanding on their part so far, and European officials never completely distance themselves from the positions taken by the authorities in the countries they come from. Even so, if the EU decides that it is time and that an agreement between Serbia and Kosovo should be reached, and this is primarily influenced by the current geopolitical relations, it will have to be a priority for all its officials," stated sources of Danas.

Trendafilova: Trial of Thaci to start soon (Radio KIM)

President of the Kosovo Specialist Chambers in the Hague, Ekaterina Trendafilova said she hopes that the trial of Hashim Thaci, Kadri Veseli and others will start soon, Radio KIM reports.

In an interview with RTS, she didn’t say the precise date of the trial, but noted that it is about a large-scale case with judges working intensively on it, adding that there is more than a million pages of evidence material.

"The judges for the preliminary proceedings are working intensively and we shall see, and I hope that it will happen relatively soon", Trendafilova said.

Asked if the investigation into Dick Marty's allegations continued, because it is not mentioned in the public parts of the indictment, Trendafilova said that she could not talk about what the Prosecutor's Office is investigating.

"We are different bodies, as is the case in the Kosovo system and in the systems of other countries. We, the judges, decide on the quality of the case and dispense justice", she added.

Trendafilova also said she was aware of Albania's request that the Council of Europe review the Resolution on organ trafficking, adopted on the basis of Marti's report, but pointed out the basic principle that judges are not politicians.

"Specialised chambers do not have legal instruments to deal with the report of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. The law dictates that our mandate must be related to the context of that report and it is clearly stated that we as a Chamber monitor and declare on what was decided in the pre-trial procedure, that is, we do not work within the framework of the report, but only within the framework of the indictments", she concluded.

Radio KIM recalled that due to the announced protest in Gnjilane, the scheduled meeting of civil society and media with Trendafilova will be held online.

Kurti: Decision on land in Brnjak and Jasenovik in accordance with the law (Kosovo Online, euronews.rs)

Last night's decision of the Government of Kosovo on the declaration of land of public importance in the villages of Brnjak and Jasenovik, in the municipality of Zubin Potok, is in accordance with the law, Prime Minister Albin Kurti told Euronews Serbia at a media conference, as a part of the Western Balkans Digital Summit, reported Kosovo Online portal.

By the decision of the Government of Kosovo, "immovable properties that are necessary for the implementation of infrastructure projects of public interest in the cadastral areas of Brnjak and Gornji Jasenovik in the municipality of Zubin Potok, were declared to be of special public interest".

The Kosovo police built a base in the village of Jasenovik near Zubin Potok, which was recently visited by Kurti. It was built, according to the locals of this area, on land that is privately owned by the Serbs who live there, reported the portal.

   

Opinion 

  The government vs the teachers’ union (Kosovo 2.0) Opinion piece by Arian Lumezi is a former K2.0 staff journalist, covering mainly politics and governance, and the rule of law.

It’s the government who has the ultimate responsibility for educational standards.

I don’t recall September 2005 in detail, when I started fifth grade at Tetë Marsi Elementary School in Peja, but I remember that I was a little scared. It was an important moment — we had finished one phase of education and our teacher was replaced by various teachers for different subjects.

My Albanian language teacher happened to be Rrahman Jasharaj.

It did not occur to me then that Jasharaj would become an important figure, not only for me as his student, but also for Kosovar society as a whole. In his future role, he would become a person that everyone would talk about and even insult.

Rrahman Jasharaj is the chairman of the Union of Education, Science and Culture of Kosovo (SBAShK). Currently, he is leading the union in a strike for education workers that has sparked a bitter clash with one of the most widely supported governments since Kosovo’s independence.

Read full piece at: https://bit.ly/3qVFWBK    

International 

  Kosovo War Crime Court President Suggests KLA Leaders’ Trial is Near (BIRN)

Head of Specialist Chambers Ekaterina Trendafilova said on Wednesday that she expects the trial of four former KLA chiefs to start late this year or early in 2023.

In a rare media appearance, the head of Kosovo’s Specialist Chambers in the Hague, Ekaterina Trendafilova, set the end of this year or the start of 2023 as a possible date for the start of the war crimes trial of former Kosovo Liberation Army leaders Hashim Thaci, Kadri Veseli, Jakup Krasniqi and Rexhep Selimi.

“It is my prediction, seeing the file of this case, that the trial will start by the end of this year or in the first days of 2023,” Trendafilova said.

The “outreach” event was first planned to be held in Kosovo, in the eastern town of Gjilan/Gnjilane, but it went online after Kosovo’s non-parliamentary Social Democrat Party supported by war veterans’ associations announced likely protests.

“Kosovo people have a right to protest but I have to stress that I do not discuss politics because I am not a politician,” Trendafilova said, commenting on the protest threat.

Read more at: https://bit.ly/3f7qxvJ Chopping Down the Future: Heating Crisis Worsens Illegal Logging in Balkans (BIRN)

Electricity price hikes have boosted demand for timber as an alternative heating source – much to the advantage of criminal groups ¬– and to the detriment of Balkan forests.

Amid soaring electricity prices that have yet to reach their peak, more and more households in the Balkans are choosing wood to heat their homes this winter.

Environmentalists warn that this is likely to damage Balkan forests, which are likely to see a record level of illegal logging, which is flourishing amid the soaring demand for timber.

What is different and alarming this year is that people are even more than usual driven to buying heating wood from illegal sources, which is cheaper.

Read more at: https://bit.ly/3f9DxRv Guterres calls for ‘coalition of the world’ to overcome divisions, provide hope in place of turmoil (news.un.org)

With people from all points of the globe crying out for relief and hope, international action on major challenges – from climate to conflict and securing sustainable development – is paralyzed by dysfunction and held hostage to geopolitical tensions, UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned on Tuesday.

Delivering a powerful address to world leaders gathered for the opening day of the General Assembly’s high-level debate, the Secretary-General said: “Our world is in big trouble. Divides are growing deeper; inequalities are growing wider; challenges are spreading father... we need hope... we need action across the board.”

Read more at: https://bit.ly/3dzNZkQ Serbia’s Vucic Announces New Political ‘Movement’ Within Six Months (Balkan Insight)

By trying to create a new, broad political movement, critics say Serbia’s president is trying to address a drop in popularity of the ruling party and spread the blame for tough decisions to come.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic announced late on Monday the creation of a new, broad political “movement” that, he said, will put Serbian interests ahead of any geopolitical positioning vis-à-vis East or West.

Read more at: https://bit.ly/3f6UoEy Commission OKs plant acquisition by Serbian Gazprom-owned oil company (euractive.com)

The acquisition of Serbian petrochemical company HIP-Petrohemija LLC Pancevo by Serbia’s Gazprom-owned Naftna Industrija Srbije was approved by the European Commission, the EU’s executive said on Tuesday (20 September).

HIP-Petrohemija LLC (HIPP) is a petrochemical company active in producing and distributing products such as ethylene, polyethylene and synthetic rubber. Naftna Industrija Srbije (NiS) is 56%-owned by Russian state-owned oil company Gazprom Neft, while Serbia and minority shareholders own the remaining 30% and 14%.

Read more at: https://bit.ly/3xHyYUG Russian Flights Tickets to Serbia, Turkey, Sell Out After Mobilization (Balkan Insight)

Flights from Moscow to Serbia and Turkey from Russia have almost sold out - and prices have rocketed - since President Putin declared a 'partial mobilisation' to reverse Russian losses in Ukraine.

Read more at: https://bit.ly/3du1Fhg    

Humanitarian/Development

  On International Day of Peace UNMIK recalls “Howdy Neighbor” series (KoSSev)

International Day of Peace is marked across the globe. The UN General Assembly with a Resolution adopted in 2001 obliged the world to think about peace on this day. Also, on this occasion UNMIK recalled the series produced by KoSSev portal, titled “Howdy Neighbor” including eight stories featuring the lives of non-majority communities in Kosovo. The series was produced with UNMIK support, KoSSev portal writes today.

Each video story of “Howdy Neighbour” series features the lives of a community group living in specific areas – Gorani in Dragas area, Roma community in Roma Mahalla in southern Mitrovica, Albanians in Zvecan, Bosniaks in Leposavic and Serbs in several settlements south of the Ibar River – Orahovac, Cernica, Babin Most and Suvo Grlo and Banje villages.

Stories of this serial have shown that communities face similar problems, regardless of their ethnic background or geographic location.

Although more should be done, at local and central levels, people in this project convey the message of hope and that the need of all people to coexist in harmony must prevail.   

“Story telling on ordinary people was swallowed up by high politics. Thanks to this media project, this was one of the rare opportunities that we, as a small newsroom, were able to report on our neighbours. These are great people, who live next to each other, sometimes with each other, and want a decent and joyful life,” KoSSev Editor-in-Chief, Tatjana Lazarevic said.

“What pleased me the most, apart from the fact that we produced such stories, was the excellent reach and mostly positive reactions. Readers identify with the heroes of our stories, and views continue to grow”, she added.

UNMIK confirmed that Lazarevic was right, noting that video recordings and stories written based on them reached 210,211 readers and viewers. Such significant outreach helped the message spread and make challenges, as well as notable solutions for people in Kosovo, more visible.

As the first story, they included the story of the Roma community from Roma Mahala, in southern Mitrovica.

Read the full story at: https://bit.ly/3SgyQTW