• Stoltenberg talks with Vucic, makes clear NATO readiness to intervene (media)
• Germany supports Kosovo’s reciprocity towards Serbia's documents (media)
• Serbia, Kosovo officials to meet in Brussels after tensions (BIRN)
• Serbian List: We want to bring down the Kurti-led government (media)
• Lladrovci calls on PM Kurti to dismiss Rakic (media)
• Ukraine begins to withdraw troops from Kosovo (media)
• Kosovo’s draft security strategy under fire (BIRN)
• U.S. Ambassador welcomes inauguration of Commercial Court (media)
• Justice Minister meets Prishtina Mayor, discuss domestic violence (media)
• Reactions against Delic’s election as vice president of Serbian Parliament (Koha)
• “Specialist Chambers jeopardizing Veseli’s constitutional rights” (Epoka)
• Montenegro govt faces no-confidence vote over church deal (BIRN)

Stoltenberg talks with Vucic, makes clear NATO readiness to intervene (media)

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg held a telephone conversation on Wednesday with the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic. “Spoke to Serbia’s President Aleksandar Vucic about tensions in the north Kosovo. All sides must engage constructively in the EU-mediated dialogue and resolve differences through diplomacy. NATO KFOR stands ready to intervene if stability is jeopardized, based on its UN mandate,” Stoltenberg wrote on social media after the meeting.

Germany supports Kosovo’s reciprocity towards Serbia's documents (media)

After the United States, the Kosovo Government received additional support, this from Germany, for its measures of reciprocity with Serbia on travel documents and license plates. German Ambassador Jorn Rohde said after meeting President Vjosa Osmani on Wednesday: “Good to meet the President of the Republic of Kosovo Vjosa Osmani today and discuss current developments including decision to postpone implementation of decisions on license plates and entry-exit docs to Sept 1 in coordination with US and EU. I underlined that decisions are legitimate and fully compliant with Brussels agreements.”

Serbia, Kosovo officials to meet in Brussels after tensions (BIRN)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti will meet in Brussels on August 18, it was confirmed to BIRN, following the recent escalation of tensions in northern Kosovo.

Perparim Kryeziu, Kurti’s spokesperson, told BIRN on Wednesday that an earlier meeting scheduled for July 19 had “failed because Belgrade refused it, requesting its postponement for more than one month.”

“Prime Minister Kurti has constantly expressed his readiness for the next meeting which will be well prepared and on bilateral issues,” Kryeziu added.

“We are in continuous communication with the European Union and if there is a meeting, it is expected to be held in the third week of August.”

Read more at: https://bit.ly/3d7YJGc

Serbian List: We want to bring down the Kurti-led government (media)

The Serbian List, the main political party of Kosovo Serbs, responded on Wednesday to remarks by Minister of Interior Affairs, Xhelal Svecla, who said that the Serbian List is politically devaluated as it is powerless in parliament and in government.

The Serbian List, which is part of the government, said in a public statement that it wants to bring down the Kurti-led government, as according to them the ruling party is working against the interests of the Serb people. “The Serbian List does not cooperate with the Albin Kurti’s government, because it works against the interests of the Serb people and our political objective is to bring down Albin Kurti from power,” the statement notes.

Serbian List believes that Prime Minister Kurti is working against the interests of everyone else who wants to live in peace in these areas.

Lladrovci calls on PM Kurti to dismiss Rakic (media)

Most news websites report that following the latest developments in the north, Drenas Mayor Ramiz Lladrovci has called on Prime Minister Albin Kurti to dismiss his minister for Communities and Returns, Goran Rakic. Referring to an interview that Interior Minister Xhelal Svecla gave to RTK during which he said that the Serbian List is not part of the ruling coalition and that they are politically devaluated, Lladrovci said “if the Serbian List is a ‘devaluated party’ and one that ‘cooperates with criminal groups’ what are you waiting for Albin, dismiss Rakic and his appointees in the government and other executive mechanisms”.

Ukraine begins to withdraw troops from Kosovo (media)

Ukraine will begin withdrawing its troops from the NATO-led peacekeeping mission in Kosovo, RBK-Ukraine, an online news site, reported on Wednesday, citing sources in Ukraine's military command.

Currently 40 Ukrainian soldiers serve in the roughly 3,800-strong KFOR mission, but in March President Volodymyr Zelenskyy issued a decree ordering all missions to return home to help fight Russia.

“The return of the (Ukrainian) national contingent will mean the temporary seizing of its participation in the KFOR mission,” RBK-Ukraine quoted the Ukrainian army command as saying. It says that the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from Kosovo is in accordance with President Zelenskyy’s March 7 decree ordering the missions to return home after Russia's aggression on February 24.

Kosovo’s Draft Security Strategy under Fire (BIRN)

Experts and opposition politicians have questioned the standard of Kosovo’s latest draft national security strategy.

Kosovo’s draft national security strategy faces a hostile reception when it reaches the floor of parliament, amid criticism from security experts and opposition parties who say it falls short in its analysis of the chief threats to the country and in setting out a vision for the future.

The draft – covering the next five years – received the green light on July 26 from the parliamentary Committee for Security Issues.

The document identifies terrorism and violent extremism as among the main threats to the security of Kosovo and in particular the danger of Kosovars becoming “potential targets for recruitment by violent extremist organisations with ethno-nationalist or religious political orientations.”

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

U.S. Ambassador welcomes inauguration of Commercial Court (media)

United States Ambassador to Kosovo, Jeffrey Hovenier, took to Twitter on Wednesday to welcome the inauguration of the Commercial Court. “Welcome the Kosovo Commercial Court’s inauguration on Monday. This court, supported by USAID Kosovo, will speed up the resolution of complex commercial disputes and is a great step forward for rebuilding private sector trust in Kosovo's judicial system,” Hovenier tweeted.

Justice Minister meets Prishtina Mayor, discuss domestic violence (media)

Kosovo’s Minister of Justice, Albulena Haxhiu, met on Wednesday with Prishtina Mayor Perparim Rama, and their main topic of discussion was the phenomenon of domestic violence. Haxhiu asked Rama to include in his agenda as many activities related to the prevention of domestic violence and to use the coordination mechanism against domestic violence that operates within the Municipality of Prishtina. Haxhiu also said that the Ministry of Justice remains committed to further advancing the legal basis and alignment of legislation with international standards in order to prevent and at the same time prosecute those who cause domestic violence.

Reactions against Delic’s election as Vice President of Serbian Parliament (Koha)

Politicians in Kosovo reacted on Wednesday against the election of Bozidar Delic, a retired Yugoslav Army general who was commander of the 549th Motorised Brigade, which was involved in some of the most notorious attacks on villages in Kosovo in 1999, as one of the vice presidents of the Serbian Parliament. Vetevendosje MP Mefail Bajqinovci said that “Serbia is lacking only Slobodan Milosevic to complete the Serbian criminal leadership from the 1990s”. Vetevendosje MP Enver Dugolli said Serbia is failing to distance itself from its criminal past. “It even seems that it is taking pride in the election to senior positions of people responsible for war crimes. The same is happening in the case of Bozidar Delic,” Dugolli argued. Ilir Kerceli, Chief of Staff for Assembly Speaker Glauk Konjufca, said in a Facebook post that “the election of Delic … is only the latest message that Milosevic’s policies are admired and promoted even in the 21^st century”.

“Specialist Chambers jeopardizing Veseli’s constitutional rights” (Epoka)

Ben Emmerson, defence lawyer for former Kosovo Assembly Speaker Kadri Veseli who is awaiting trial at the Hague, has accused the Specialist Chambers on Wednesday of threatening the rights of his client. He said that with the actions of the preliminary procedure court, Veseli's constitutional right to fair and impartial protection is being endangered. Emmerson also specified that with the decision taken by the judge, the Specialist Prosecutor's Office (SPO) will be informed of every secret step of the defence lawyers, including information about the witnesses that are the priority of the defense, the credibility of witnesses, and potential lines of questioning well in advance of the trial.

Montenegro govt faces no-confidence vote over church deal(BIRN)

A number of government coalition parties on Wednesday announced a no-confidence motion in Prime Minister Dritan Abazovic’s government, after it signed a “fundamental agreement” with the Serbian Orthodox Church, SPC, the largest religious community in the country.

Abazovic signed the agreement with Church Patriarch Porfirije on Wednesday in Podgorica, stressing that all religious communities should have equal rights.

“The process of negotiating a fundamental agreement took too long, but now this issue is finally closed in a civilized way.  The government does everything with the desire to build a society of justice and equality,” Abazovic said in a press release.

“In this way, we are sending a message of peace and tolerance and the country should turn over a new page,” he added.

Read more at: https://bit.ly/3oQNpB4