Albanian Language Media:

• Kurti: Mitrovica today is more complete than ever since liberation (Klan)
• Kosovo Police ready to guarantee security in the north during holidays (media)
• “Situation in the north, an alarm bell for the international community” (Koha)
• Prelec: Normalization of Kosovo-Serbia relations on hold (RTK)
• Kamberi: Vucic's threats are the typical behavior of an autocrat (media)
• Minor earthquake registered in Kosovo (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Vucic: Kurti is doing everything to destroy the Serbian List and the Serbian people (Kosovo Online, KoSSev, N1, RTS)
• Vucevic: Kurti believes that Serbia without Vucic would be an easier target (Danas, Blic, Kosovo Online)
• ‘UCK’ written in snow near Banjska Monastery sparks alarm in Eparchy (KoSSev)
• Barduani: Security situation in Kosovo fragile due to unresolved issues in the dialogue (Kosovo Online)
• In Leposavic, three people arrested for drawing graffiti in the form of a red hand (Radio Mitrovica sever, Kosovo Online)
• More than 1.200 university teachers, assistants and researchers support student protests (N1, KoSSev)

International Media:

• Sekulovic: Serbia aims to destabilize Kosovo (The Geopost)
• A Move Toward Christianity Stirs in a Muslim Land (The New York Times)

Albanian Language Media 

Kurti: Mitrovica today is more complete than ever since liberation (Klan)

Kosovo Prime Minister, Albin Kurti said during a visit to Mitrovica, that this city has suffered the most after the war in Kosovo.  "At the end of our first mandate, Mitrovica of Trepca and the miners, of Ujman, of Isa Boletini, of culture and sports, is more complete than ever since the liberation of the country and more ready than ever to continue the journey of change that began on February 14, 2021 and the development that will continue and take a new impetus even after February 9, 2025,” he said.

Kurti highlighted “the commitments to progress in the economy, justice, agriculture and health to the security and sovereignty of every corner of our Republic. Thank you for the hospitality today at the "Muharrem Qena" Theater, which has been completely renovated by our Ministry of Culture”.

Kosovo Police ready to guarantee security in the north during holidays (media)

Kosovo Police in the north said it has taken all measures to guarantee calm and security during the upcoming Orthodox holidays. Police Deputy Director for the north, Veton Elshani, said in an interview with TeVe1 that they have an operational plan in place for every holiday and event. “For every holiday and event in Kosovo, the Kosovo Police prepares an operational plan to make sure that everything goes smoothly and in the event something happens we can be able to react. The upcoming holidays are no exception. Police have sufficient presence in the north of the country to react if needed,” he said.

The TV station recalls that after the attack on the Iber Lepenci water canal in the north in late November, there were warnings about other potential attacks in the north. Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti told a press conference on December 24 that Serbia was preparing new attacks before or after the New Year holidays.

“Situation in the north, an alarm bell for the international community” (Koha)

The news website reports that a report by the NATO Parliamentary Assembly warns about the possibility of many risks in Kosovo and Bosnia and Herzegovina, if there is no increased engagement by the European Union and NATO in the region. The lack of normalization of relations between Kosovo and Serbia is highlighted as the most challenging issue in the Western Balkans and NATO and EU are asked to exert pressure on Kosovo and Serbia to implement the Basic Agreement reached in Brussels and the implementation annex accorded in Ohrid.

“First and foremost, NATO Allies, the EU, and their partners must continue to apply appropriate pressure on Belgrade and Pristina to unblock the dialogue to find a way forward on normalisation of relations between the two. While it is clear the Agreement on the Path to Normalisation between Kosovo and Serbia and its Implementation Annex were a milestone achievement, the dispute between Belgrade and Pristina remains the region’s most significant challenge due to a lack of agreement on the sequencing of implementing the agreement. The government in Pristina needs to find a clear, proactive, and positive agenda to reassure the Serbian population in northern Kosovo – this includes immediately acting to establish the Association of Serb-Majority Municipalities, which will go a long way to instill much needed trust among the local population and address many of their legitimate concerns. In parallel, the government in Belgrade must stop its campaign objecting to Kosovo’s membership in international organisations,” the report notes.

Read more at: https://shorturl.at/uFQ3H

Prelec: Normalization of Kosovo-Serbia relations on hold (RTK)

International Crisis Group Balkans expert Marko Prelec said in an interview with the Radio Television of Kosovo that it is necessary to work on improving Kosovo-Serbia relations in everyday matters, while the political part of normalization, related to de facto recognition, has not progressed. He argued that the dialogue process between Serbia and Kosovo is currently on hold and that relations between the two sides need a minor normalization and a major normalization.

“Major normalization is de facto recognition, a step that would enable European countries that have not recognized Kosovo to take steps towards recognition. But the chances of this are very small. It is more realistic to hope for a small normalization, improvement of daily relations, freer trade and understanding of the concrete problems that citizens face. This is not guaranteed either, but it is possible,” Prelec said.

Speaking about de facto recognition, Prelec said that this should have been achieved through the Ohrid Agreement. “This phase envisaged that the Ohrid Agreement and its implementation should pave the way for the recognition of Kosovo by the five EU countries that do not yet recognize it, or at least the improvement of relations with them. For Serbia, this would mean treating Kosovo as a sovereign and independent state, but without formal recognition,” he emphasized.

Prelec added that the year 2025 begins with anticipation for the position of U.S. President Donald Trump, while it remains to be seen how the EU-mediated dialogue will develop and what impact the elections in Kosovo in February will have. “It is clear that the dialogue between Pristina and Belgrade must continue. The positions of both sides are known and the room for compromise is small. There is not much hope for a major success, but the talks must continue, albeit with lower expectations for major transformations. As for the implementation of the Ohrid Agreement, this seems to be an attempt by the EU to give an optimistic image on a very complicated issue,” Prelec said.

Asked why an already reached agreement is not being implemented, Prelec noted that there is a text on paper, but also a substance of what was negotiated. “The agreement is unusual. It was never signed; it was Borrell’s statement that declared it accepted. The essence of the agreement includes a series of concessions from both sides. Belgrade had to take steps towards de facto recognition, while Pristina had to ensure greater autonomy for the Serb community,” he said.

“Since the agreement was reached, the Kosovo government has made autonomy meaningless, not completely, but in many respects, by imposing authority over northern Kosovo. The establishment of the Association of Serb-Majority Municipalities is now less important than when the agreement was reached. For this reason, I think Belgrade will continue to delay implementation, while Pristina is already delaying the establishment of the Association,” Prelec said.

Commenting on whether the next Kosovo government will have to establish the Association, Prelec adds: “It is difficult to predict. But the most important issue remains the rights of the Serb community and how those rights will be ensured and respected for the Serb residents living in Kosovo.”

Kamberi: Vucic's threats are the typical behavior of an autocrat (media)

The only Albanian member of the Serbian Parliament, Shaip Kamberi, said that “recent threats made by President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, are the typical behavior of an autocrat whose power is waning”. “Vucic and his so far uncontrolled power are facing the most serious crisis. He is seeing that the rebellious students are not listening to him, that many layers of society are threatening him with disobedience. Finding himself in circumstances he has never encountered before, he is showing insecurity to the extent that he threatens teachers that in the ‘second semester he will dismiss them from work’, threatens protesters with the use of the ‘Cobra’ special unit". But his biggest blunder was the threat with the so-called ‘SNS loyalists’ as he calls them, of whom he says that ‘there are over 17 thousand’, that ‘they gather in the church’, that ‘they are pro-Russian’, that is, Putinists. The loyalists, as Vucic himself has presented them, are his Praetorian Guard, ‘ready to shed blood to prevent a change of power’. The threats are typical behavior of an autocrat whose power is waning, but, still hoping in absurd threats, he thinks he will maintain his power,” he wrote in a Facebook post.

According to Kamberi, Vucic, in order to divert attention, has also launched attacks on Kosovo and Croatia, as well as Sarajevo and Podgorica. “Kurti and Pristina, Plenkovic and Zagreb, Sarajevo and Podgorica, have become his daily phrases in his attempt to hide the real authors of the Novi Sad tragedy. The stubborn refusal to take responsibility for the tragedy that occurred on himself and his regime is confronting Vucic with increasingly numerous opponents from different strata,” he said.

Minor earthquake registered in Kosovo (media)

Several news websites report that a 2.8 magnitude earthquake was registered on Sunday night in the region between Kosovo, Serbia and North Macedonia. The epicenter of the earthquake was four kilometers southeast of the city of Kacanik in Kosovo. No material damage has been reported. 

Serbian Language Media  

Vucic: Kurti is doing everything to destroy the Serb List and the Serbian people (Kosovo Online, KoSSev, N1, RTS)

President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, has highlighted that Albin Kurti was doing everything to destroy the Serbian List and the Serbian people.

Speaking to RTS, Vucic stated that the Serbian government has been daily informing the international community about the events in Kosovo related to the elections, and that the international community has reacted in a quality manner.

"Kurti has only one essential adversary, and that is the Serbian List. All conspiracy theories have fallen. Everything Kurti has done; he has done to destroy the SL and the Serbian people. This is a trend in the region. You will see, they will blame the 'Church of Serbia' for events in Montenegro, while they prepare separatist tendencies in Vojvodina, for everything, as they say. It's the same in Pristina - the Serbian List, the Serbian people, the Serbian Orthodox Church, and of course Aleksandar Vucic are to blame," explained Vucic.

In this, he added, they will always have the support of Zagreb.

Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/35dajmua

Vucevic: Kurti believes that Serbia without Vucic would be an easier target (Danas, Blic, Kosovo Online)

Serbian Prime Minister Milos Vucevic stated that the desire of Kosovo's Prime Minister Albin Kurti is to halt Serbia's development and to overthrow Aleksandar Vucic from the presidential position, in order to more easily achieve his dream.

On Kurti's support for students in Serbia, Vucevic emphasized that whenever Kurti wishes something for Serbia, every decent person should know that it is not good.

"It is clear to everyone, when Kurti supports someone in Serbia, I think every decent and honorable person should be on the other side. That is the best indicator, when he wishes something for Serbia, you immediately know it is not good. Or when he favors someone, it is certainly not good for our citizens and for our Serbia, and I see that he desires to halt Serbia in its development, and he has expressed, not for the first time publicly, his desire to topple Aleksandar Vucic from the position of President of the Republic, which is his main political goal," Vucevic noted.

As he added, Kurti believes that Serbia without Vucic at the helm of the state would be an easier target for him to finalize Kosovo's independence.

"Kurti thinks that without Aleksandar Serbia would be an easier target, i.e., Kosovo would more easily finalize its independence, which he dreams of, and for which he, I have no doubt, lives and works," said Vucevic.

‘UCK’ written in snow near Banjska Monastery sparks alarm in Eparchy (KoSSev)

The Raska-Prizren Eparchy has raised concerns following an incident near the gates of the Banjska Monastery, where two unidentified men wrote “UÇK” (KLA – Kosovo Liberation Army) in the snow. The act, captured on the monastery’s surveillance cameras, has unsettled the monastery’s clergy and the broader Eparchy.

The surveillance footage shows one man inscribing the message while another appears to take photographs, possibly of the monastery or himself. Both individuals spoke Albanian and left the area without attempting to enter the monastery grounds.

In a statement, the Eparchy highlighted that this was not an isolated incident but part of a series of recent security violations involving unauthorized individuals near the monastery.

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

The Deputy Director of the Kosovo Police for the North Region, Veton Elshani, confirmed for KoSSev that the police are investigating the facts and that they will soon know if there are any grounds to open a case.

He appealed to citizens who come to the north to refrain from any provocation.

Barduani: Security situation in Kosovo fragile due to unresolved issues in the dialogue (Kosovo Online)

In an interview with Kosovo Online, the KFOR Commander, Italian General Enrico Barduani, discussed the current security situation in Kosovo, the explosion on the Ibar-Lepenac canal, the reasons why the bridge on the Ibar remains closed, the Kosovo Security Force (KSF), and the 2013 agreements.

The KFOR Commander says that the security situation in Kosovo remains calm but fragile.

“In Kosovo, the security situation remains calm but fragile, due to several constraining factors, including unresolved issues in the process of normalisation of relations between Belgrade and Pristina and rampant disinformation and misinformation. Nevertheless, KFOR continues to implement its long-standing UN mandate, at all times and impartially, by contributing to a safe and secure environment and freedom of movement. KFOR remains vigilant and maintains a visible and flexible presence across Kosovo, including the deployment of NATO reserve forces, which allows us to prevent or minimise risks of potential escalation. But let me add that, along with operational preparedness, permanent and robust cooperation and trust-based communication with our local, regional and international counterparts continue to be crucial to safeguard regional stability,” he said.

Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/4kun58xy

In Leposavic, three people arrested for drawing graffiti in the form of a red hand (Radio Mitrovica sever, Kosovo Online)

The Kosovo police arrested three people on Saturday night in Leposavic on suspicion of drawing graffiti in the shape of a red hand, a symbol that can be seen at the current students' protests in Serbia.

During the search of the car, the police found the spray with which the suspects wrote graffiti.

"Last night, in the late evening hours, the Kosovo Police patrol found three young men with the initials S.M. 1996, L.M. 1995 and S.V. 1986 on the street 24. Novembar in Leposavic, when they approached, they saw that they were writing graffiti. They have been taken into custody and criminal charges have been filed against them for vandalism, after which they are expected to appear in court," said Deputy Commander of the Kosovo Police for the North region Petrit Fejza.

According to Kosovo Online, those detained allegedly were sympathizers of Radoica Radomirovic's party, CI People's Justice.

More than 1.200 university teachers, assistants and researchers support student protests (N1, KoSSev)

According to N1, more than 1.200 teachers, associates and researchers of universities in Serbia have signed their support for the students who have been protesting for weeks now, following the Novi Sad incident when a train station roof collapsed, killing and injuring several people.

They condemned every attempt of the authorities to intimidate students.

The letter of support for students was signed by more than 500 teachers, associates and researchers from the University of Novi Sad. A part of the Novi Sad academic community also requested that the rector of the University of Novi Sad resigns, due to the collapse of the university’s autonomy.

Students in Serbia have been demanding justice after the fall of the canopy at the reconstructed railway station in Novi Sad on November 1 last year, when 15 people died.

International Media

Sekulovic: Serbia aims to destabilize Kosovo (The Geopost)

The reaction of the Serbian authorities and their political rhetoric regarding the incidents in Kosovo is so banal that almost every word can be predicted in advance, says Aleksandar Sekulovic, an associate of the Helsinki Committee for Human Rights and vice president of the Alliance of Anti-Fascists of Serbia, in an interview with The Geopost.

He adds that these incidents are attempts to destabilize Kosovo.

The vital interest of that perverted and unreasonable policy of Serbia, he says, is to show that Kosovo is politically and culturally “minor”, incapable of independent life, which means that it must return under the auspices of Serbia.

Sekulovic emphasizes that, if we take into account the general picture of Serbian clerical-nationalism in the region, not only in Kosovo, “as well as the expectation of the Serbian authorities that the Trump administration will support this “muscle” policy, then I think that the period ahead will bring a further escalation of tensions and conflicts.”

Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/2smhra54

A Move Toward Christianity Stirs in a Muslim Land (The New York Times)

Christian converts in Kosovo, where the vast majority of people are Muslim, hope to revive a pre-Islamic past they see as a key to their European identity.

The Catholic priest stood at the altar in the hilltop church for the mass baptism, dunking dozens of heads in water and tracing a cross with his finger on each forehead.

Then he rejoiced at Christianity’s recovery of souls in a land where the vast majority of people are Muslim — as the men, women and children standing before him had been.

The ceremony was one of many in recent months in Kosovo, a formerly Serbian territory inhabited largely by ethnic Albanians that declared itself an independent state in 2008. In a census last spring, 93 percent of the population professed itself Muslim and only 1.75 percent Roman Catholic.

A small number of ethnic Albanian Christian activists, all converts from Islam, are urging their ethnic kin to look to the church as an expression of their identity. They call it the “return movement,” a push to revive a pre-Islamic past they see as an anchor of Kosovo’s place in Europe and a barrier to religious extremism spilling over from the Middle East.

Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/55f499a7