Albanian Language Media:

• Kurti: Serbia with Chinese weapons openly displays violent aggression towards Kosovo (RTK)
• Osmani: There are issues that create ambiguity in Association’s draft statute (RTK)
• Bislimi: EU proposal contains multiple violations (RTK)
• France wants to see concrete progress in implementation of agreements (Koha)
• Stoltenberg in Skopje: NATO will not allow destabilization of region (Reporteri)
• Rohde: The sooner Association is established, the better (Reporteri)
• Krasniqi: Kosovo needs final agreement that focuses on mutual recognition (Reporteri)
• UNMIK chief: Amidst trying times and challenging circumstances, we support the reinvigoration of trust-building efforts to build a better future for all (media)
• Blakaj: Prosecutors should cooperate and criminals should be brought to justice (RTK)
• Kurti promised support to Croatian community in Kosovo (RTK)
• Kosovo to host for the first time European Federation of Journalists (RTK)

Serbian Language Media:

• UNMIK Forum has started in Thessaloniki: From trust-building to better future (KoSSev)
• Serbian NGOs react to the letter of their Albanian counterparts on visa liberalization for Serbian passport holders in Kosovo (N1, social media, media)
• Sentic disappointed by NGOs letter on Serbian passports, says they encourage discrimination (KoSSev)
• EC’s proposal to introduce visa liberalization to citizens with Coordination Directorate passports met with criticism in Kosovo (KoSSev)
• Brnabic meets with Stoltenberg (Tanjug)
• Detention of Milenkovic extended for two more months, appeal filed to Court of Appeals (Kosovo Online)
• Council of Europe delegation to observe elections in Serbia (N1)

Albanian Language Media

Kurti: Serbia with Chinese weapons openly displays violent aggression towards Kosovo (RTK)

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti wrote on the "X" platform that Serbia is the only operator of Chinese weapons in Europe which is openly showing violent aggression towards Kosovo.

“The missile system FK-3 (export version of HQ-22) is one of the Chinese weapons used by the Serbian Army, including CH-92 drones. This makes Serbia the first and only operator of Chinese weapons in Europe while openly showing violent aggression towards Kosova,” Kurti wrote.

Osmani: There are issues that create ambiguity in Association’s draft statute (RTK)

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani stated that there are issues that create ambiguity in the draft statute of the Association of municipalities with a Serb majority. She hopes that the same will be eliminated before the draft is sent for interpretation to the Constitutional Court.

Osmani said that she has prepared written comments and that she has sent them to all the actors involved in the preparation of this draft. She told the media that it is the request of the international emissaries that the comments regarding this draft statute should not be made public.

"If the draft is processed in the Constitutional Court, then as the president of the country I will submit the comments. I have worked on the analysis of this document. The written comments that I have prepared have all the relevant actors involved in the preparation of this draft, including the European Union and the United States of America. There are issues that definitely need to be clarified, because they create ambiguity, and therefore could cause problems in practice. With the hope that they can be eliminated even at this stage, that is, before the draft goes to the Constitutional Court. But if not, I am convinced that the Court will clarify them based on its own interpretations given to the court in 2015, many of which are now guiding principles for any association", Osmani said.

Bislimi: EU proposal contains multiple violations (RTK)

The government of Kosovo expressed its concern regarding the European Commission's proposal for passports issued by the Serbian Coordinating Directorate. The Deputy Prime Minister of Kosovo, Besnik Bislimi, said that this proposal was not discussed with the government of Kosovo, nor was it consulted or informed about it.

"Illegal passports issued by the Coordination Center of Serbia consider municipalities within Kosovo to be part of Serbia's jurisdiction, this is a violation of our sovereignty and unacceptable. The recognition of these documents undermines the integration of the Serb community, harming our efforts in which we have been jointly engaged for years", Bislimi said.

Also, according to him, the proposal also violates the spirit and agreements of the dialogue for shutting down these illegal structures.

"We invite the EU to treat these documents as illegal as it treats the rest of the parallel documentation. The Serb community in Kosovo has not been left without visa liberalization, as they can be equipped with regular passports issued by Kosovo which enable visa-free travel", Bislimi added.

He said that the government has already put into practice an accelerated procedure for equipping all Kosovo Serbs with passports.

"Recently, a high interest and increase in the number of citizens who have been provided with Kosovo passports has been seen. Compared to last year, we have an increase of 29%. We remain committed to ensuring that all communities in Kosovo can enjoy visa-free travel with Kosovo passports", he said.

He has informed that this objection regarding the proposal has been addressed to the highest instances of the EU. "We call on the EU to reconsider this proposal, which contains multiple violations," Bislimi said.

France wants to see concrete progress in implementation of agreements (Koha)

France has requested concrete progress in the implementation of the Brussels agreement and the implementation annex agreed in Ohrid. France demands that concrete steps be taken before the next high-level meeting within the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue.

France's emissary for the Western Balkans Rene Troccaz visited Kosovo on Monday, where, he met among others with President Vjosa Osmani, Prime Minister Albin Kurti and Deputy Prime Minister Besnik Bislimi.

"During these meetings, Rene Troccaz underlined France's commitment to EU enlargement in the region and our full support for the EU-facilitated dialogue. France wants to see concrete progress in the implementation of the Brussels/Ohrid agreements before the upcoming high-level political meetings in Brussels", says a communique from the Embassy of France in Kosovo.

Stoltenberg in Skopje: NATO will not allow destabilization of region (Reporteri)

NATO Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg, said on Tuesday in Skopje that the North Atlantic Alliance will do everything to prevent any escalation of the security situation, or military threat to any NATO member country or even the other countries of Western Balkans.

He made this statement after the meeting he held with the North Macedonian Prime Minister, Dimitar Kovacevski, when he was asked to comment on the statement of the Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky, that Russia is aiming to incite conflict in the region.

"We do not see any military threat that would come from Russia against any NATO member country, or the region, but we are still careful and closely watching what Russia is doing. We have a military presence in this region, KFOR in Kosovo, the general headquarters in Sarajevo and the office in Belgrade, and we are prepared to do everything to protect any ally from any threat," Stoltenberg said.

Stoltenberg, who arrived in Skopje after visiting Belgrade, said that "the security of the Western Balkans is of particular importance for NATO" and on this occasion he mentioned several reasons that present "concerns for the alliance".

"There are tensions in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and here I encourage political leaders to refrain from divisions and secessionist rhetoric, while directing their efforts towards reconciliation and a peaceful future," said the head of NATO.

In this context, Stoltenberg also spoke about the developments in Kosovo, stressing the need to continue the dialogue between Pristina and Belgrade.

"In Kosovo some time ago we saw incidents of serious violence that included unacceptable attacks on peacekeeping troops of KFOR, and those who did this must be held accountable. Belgrade and Pristina must continue with the dialogue that is being facilitated by the European Union, as it is the only way towards a solution that would respect the rights of all ethnic communities", said the head of the Western military alliance.

He also spoke about North Macedonia's role in regional security, the approval of the necessary constitutional changes for integration into the European Union.

He conveyed this message to the MPs in a speech in the Assembly of North Macedonia.

The Macedonian Prime Minister, Dimitar Kovacevski, meanwhile said that the institutions will do everything for regional security, but also for achieving European integration as "the best possible path for the country's future".

Rohde: The sooner Association is established, the better - 100 percent sure that we are not doing anything unconstitutional (Reporteri)

The German ambassador in Kosovo, Jorn Rohde, said on Tuesday to the media that Germany is one of the closest partners of Kosovo and together with the EU they have made many efforts for a stable solution, and this, as he said, includes the establishment of the Association.

"You know, I'm not confirming or denying anything, I just want to reiterate what we always say. Germany is one of Kosovo's closest partners and we, together with the EU and with the full support of the EU facilitator, have made many efforts to have a lasting solution, and the solution includes the establishment of an Association of Municipalities with a Serb majority. And, the prime minister has publicly stated that this latest proposal presented by the EU has been carefully written according to the Constitution of Kosovo, and I am 100 percent sure that we are not doing anything that is contrary to the Constitution of Kosovo. Kosovo is an independent state and we fully support Kosovo, and the [Association] should be established as soon as possible and then we can take a big step forward in the process of normalization with Serbia", he said.

Krasniqi: Kosovo needs final agreement that focuses on mutual recognition (Reporteri)

The leader of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) Memli Krasniqi, received the special envoy of France for the Western Balkans, Rene Troccaz, in a meeting on Tuesday. In a post made on Facebook, the leader of the PDK says that they discussed the political situation in Kosovo and the latest developments in the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue.

"Today, at the headquarters of the Democratic Party of Kosovo, I received the special envoy of France for the Western Balkans, Rene Troccaz, with whom we discussed the current political situation in the country and the developments related to the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue", Krasniqi wrote.

Then he repeated the position of the PDK that Kosovo needs a final agreement with mutual recognition at the center, while he thanked Troccaz for France's continuous support to Kosovo.

"PDK remains committed to continuous cooperation and constructive coordination with our international allies", Krasniqi wrote on Facebook.

UNMIK chief: Amidst trying times and challenging circumstances, we support the reinvigoration of trust-building efforts to build a better future for all (media)

Several news websites cover a press release issued by UNMIK on the start of the UN Kosovo Trust-building Forum in Thessaloniki, highlighting SRSG Caroline Ziadeh’s statement that amidst trying times and challenging circumstances, UNMIK supports the reinvigoration of trust-building efforts to build a better future for all.

“Despite trying times and challenging circumstances, our actions matter. Our actions transform societies by placing them on the path of peaceful coexistence and inclusive, sustainable prosperity,” Ziadeh said in her opening remarks. 

The forum marks the fifth anniversary of UNMIK’s trust-building efforts, which strive for greater engagement of all Kosovo communities in improving inter-community relations and creating the necessary foundations for progress despite divisive narratives and challenging circumstances.

“Resilience, as communities across Kosovo know very well, requires not only adapting to difficulties as they arise, but also recognizing that every challenge can be translated into new opportunities. Resilience requires political courage, pragmatic leadership, solidarity, a strong spirit of partnership, and above all, fostering trust,” said SRSG Ziadeh.

With the aim of “Supporting Togetherness for a Better Future”, the three-day forum brings together 120 grassroots representatives from different communities and walks of life, including Kosovo institutions, civil society, media, women, and youth organizations.

They will work together to formulate concrete and actionable recommendations on how to further trust-building in Kosovo in the areas of the rule of law, language rights, environmental protection, civic participation and inclusion, media and the countering of misinformation and economic empowerment for the benefit of all in Kosovo. These recommendations will be shared widely with all stakeholders and guide UNMIK’s future trust-building efforts.

“The only way to build trust is to own a problem and provide a solution. In negotiations, nobody wins everything, and if you are going to be successful, then everybody must feel that they got something,” said Baroness Catherine Ashton, former High Representative of the European Union and Vice President of the European Commission. Ashton joined the forum along with other high-level international and regional dignitaries taking part in various panel discussions and providing their views and advice on how to further trust-building in Kosovo and the region.

“In politics, time is everything. The same approaches and solutions that worked before might not work anymore, but what stays is the objective. The only way to stabilize Southeastern Europe is for all to join the EU, and peace, cooperation, democracy, and accountability are the only blueprint for that to happen,” said Professor Vesna Pusic, former Croatian Minister of Foreign Affairs.

The Trust-building Forum in Thessaloniki was preceded by a series of thematic focus group consultations, which took place in the Barabar Centre in Pristina throughout October and November. These consultations provided an opportunity for grassroots-level representatives to discuss together the challenges faced in their respective areas and the most pressing issues for the people and communities in Kosovo.

Since the 2018 Trust-building Forum in Ljubljana, the trust-building agenda has been encouraging cross-community dialogue, supporting language learning, empowering youth, promoting gender equality, preserving rule of law, and protecting human rights.

Trust-building and a people-centered approach remain cornerstones of UNMIK’s efforts to ensure a peaceful and normal life for all residents of Kosovo.

Blakaj: Prosecutors should cooperate and criminals should be brought to justice (RTK)

Bekim Blakaj, from the Humanitarian Law Fund, spoke about trials in the absence of the defendants. He said that although this contradicts international standards, adding that even the victims of the war will not have an effective justice, nevertheless this was an attempt by the Kosovo authorities to overcome the barrier of non-cooperation between the special prosecutions of Kosovo and Serbia.

"This was an attempt by the Kosovo authorities to overcome the barrier of non-cooperation between the special prosecutor's offices of Kosovo and Serbia, because without that cooperation, the vast majority of perpetrators of war crimes would not be able to be prosecuted in front of the courts of Kosovo, because they are not in Kosovo and they are out of the possibilities to be arrested by prosecution here ", Blakaj told RTK.

In this regard, he added that the Criminal Procedure Code has also been amended and it is now possible to hold trials in absentia.

Blakaj announced that so far six indictments have been filed in absentia against the defendants, because they are not present in Kosovo, while he explained that the first court hearing in absentia for war crimes took place on Monday.

Blakaj pointed out that there have been such cases in Croatia as well, as he added that it is difficult to know about the sense of satisfaction of the victims and their families, but, he added, such trials, if they are fair, bring the truth of the event. Blakaj further said that the prosecutor's offices of both countries should cooperate with each other so that the criminals are brought to justice.

Kurti promised support to Croatian community in Kosovo (RTK)

Kosovo Prime Minister, Albin Kurti, met on Tuesday with representatives from the Croatian community in Kosovo, to whom he promised support in all sectors, political, cultural and economic. Deputy Prime Minister Emilija Rexhepi was also present at this meeting, while the topic of discussion was the government's cooperation with the community and getting to know their needs more deeply.

Also present at the meeting was the ambassador of Croatia in Kosovo, Danijela Barisic, and the Croatian representatives in the Consultative Council of Communities of the Presidency, Josip Cirimotic and Silvana Palic.

According to the press release, the meeting discussed the government's engagement with the community during the year, while the Prime Minister expressed his satisfaction that he participated in the Christmas Mass in the Church of Janjeva, as well as in the celebration of the 720th anniversary of the Church in Janjeva.

In addition, the meeting discussed the government's assistance given to citizens in Janjeva, selected by the commission for grants from the Office for Community Affairs, and for the full implementation of the Law on the use of languages, so that non-majority communities have access to communications with the government.

Representatives of the Croatian community thanked the Prime Minister for the opportunity to discuss their challenges and the opportunity for cooperation. They singled out the need for infrastructural support in Janjeve, the announcement states. While Prime Minister Kurti expressed his willingness to work on ensuring the best possible conditions for the Croatian community in Kosovo.

Kosovo to host for the first time the European Federation of Journalists (RTK)

Kosovo will host, for the first time, the annual meeting of the European Federation of Journalists.

"It is an extraordinary moment in the new 20-year history of Association of Journalists of Kosovo, to be entrusted with such a great organization. We will welcome hundreds of journalists from all over Europe next year in Pristina, to discuss important issues related to the safety of journalists on our continent, and it will be an opportunity to show the extraordinary hospitality for which our country is known'', said the chairman of AJK, Xhemajl Rexha.

Meanwhile, the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) said that apart from Pristina, the other option for the location of this organization was Skopje.

"The EFJ Executive Board did not have an easy decision, since there were two outstanding candidates: Skopje and Pristina. This shows the determination of our colleagues in the Balkans to work for better working conditions and greater security in an unstable world. We are looking forward to holding the EFJ Annual Meeting in Kosovo for the first time", said Ricardo Gutierrez, secretary general of the European Federation of Journalists.

Serbian Language Media 

UNMIK Forum has started in Thessaloniki: From trust-building to better future (KoSSev)

Trust - was the key word that could be heard during the first day of the second UNMIK peace forum. This three-day event, which takes place in Thessaloniki, Greece, gathered a large number of institutional, political, civil representatives and journalists from all over Kosovo, KoSSev portal wrote last night.

Several high-ranking guests had the opportunity to share their experiences and messages to a group of 120 participants. In addition to the Head of UNMIK, Caroline Ziadeh and UN Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix, Baroness Catherine Ashton, former Foreign Affairs Minister of Croatia Vesna Pusic, Professor of Political Science from North Macedonia, Nenad Markovic, Head of EULEX, Giovanni Pietro Barbano, Deputy Head of the EU Office in Kosovo, Eva Palatova took part in the event.

The Head of UNMIK, Ziadeh emphasized the main goal of the efforts of this civilian mission is to build trust in all communities in Kosovo for a more peaceful and inclusive society.

"Despite trying times and challenging circumstances, our actions matter. Our actions transform societies by placing them on the path of peaceful coexistence and inclusive, sustainable prosperity", Ziadeh said at the opening of the United Nations Kosovo Trust-building Forum in Thessaloniki.

The work at the UN Forum in the coming days will also take place through focus groups and workshops on media and disinformation, language rights, strengthening participation and inclusion, economic empowerment and environmental protection in Kosovo. The participants will work on formulating concrete and effective recommendations with the aim of solving these issues and which will later be used as a guidance for the future efforts to build trust. 

Serbian NGOs react to the letter of their Albanian counterparts on visa liberalization for Serbian passport holders in Kosovo (N1, social media, media)

“It is with great disbelief and disappointment that we react to the news that dozens of NGOs from Kosovo, our partners and friends, wrote to the European Commission to protest the proposed changes of the EU Directive to include Serbian Coordination Directorate in the visa-free regime”, 17 Serbian NGOs based in Kosovo wrote in their public reaction to the matter.

“The reaction to the proposal, which would greatly improve lives of Kosovo Serbs is symptomatic of a growing gap between the communities and continually shrinking space for any kind of social dialogue, including among the most progressive parts of the society (…)”, the statement added.

“We would like to remind everyone that Kosovo Law on Citizenship allows for dual citizenship and recall many international representative's statements that ask for the respect of the fact that many Kosovo citizens, not just Kosovo Serbs have dual citizenship and should be allowed to enjoy all rights and obligations related to it. This means that they should 'participate in the social life of Serbia'.

Arguments that a visa-free regime for CD passports hinders Kosovo Serb integration are false and insulting. No more Kosovo Serbs will be integrated if they are equipped with Kosovo passports than the number that already have Kosovo citizenship. This is because a passport cannot be obtained without an ID card and proof of citizenship. In other words, a person who gets a new passport is already equipped with citizenship and is thus already integrated.

Initiatives, such as these, coming from organizations that have spent almost a decade raising voices against the unfair isolation of Kosovo citizens, essentially ask the same for a very small number of people who either wish to keep their displacement status in Serbia or cannot obtain Kosovo citizenship, will not help convince the Kosovo Serb community their rights will be defended in Kosovo, including by the organizations that promote human rights, social inclusion and reconciliation”.

The full letter and the list of signatories are available at: https://tinyurl.com/ycxvxan4

Sentic disappointed by NGOs letter on Serbian passports, says they encourage discrimination (KoSSev)

“I am disappointed by the letter of about twenty civil society organizations from Kosovo requesting the European Commission to revoke proposal on visa liberalization for the passports issued by Coordination Directorate and in this way encourage discrimination”, Kosovo Deputy Ombudsperson Srdjan Sentic said, KoSSev portal reports.

He recalled that Kosovo Constitution guarantees dual citizenship to all citizens regardless of their ethnic background. “It is up to citizens to decide which document to use and at what moment”, he added.

He also said that many Serbs from Kosovo from the civil society sector, and those working in Kosovo institutions, including him, actively supported visa liberalization for all people in Kosovo, because of the principle of freedom of movement, as a leading principle of the European Union.

He also dismissed an argument presented in the letter that the decision on Coordination Directorate passports will hinder integration of the Serbs in Kosovo due to the fact that only people who have Kosovo ID card can apply for Kosovo passport, meaning those already integrated in the Kosovo system. He added that a certain number of citizens can not obtain Kosovo documents due to administrative obstacles leaving them with the passport issued by the Coordination Directorate as the only document they can use to travel abroad. 

EC’s proposal to introduce visa liberalization to citizens with Coordination Directorate passports met with criticism in Kosovo (KoSSev)

Last week’s proposal of the European Commission to introduce visa liberalization to citizens in Kosovo who have passports issued by the Coordination Directorate of the Serbian Ministry of Interior was met with objections from around twenty NGOs from Kosovo and the Kosovo government. They called for the withdrawal or review of this proposal. On the other hand, the deputy to Kosovo Ombudsperson, Srdjan Sentic, expressed disappointment over the reaction of organizations in Kosovo, noting that it is up to the citizens to decide which documents they would use, KoSSev portal reported.

Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/4mv8nwc2

Brnabic meets with Stoltenberg (Tanjug)

Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic met with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in Belgrade on Tuesday to discuss cooperation with NATO, ensuring the safety and security of Serbs in Kosovo and continued implementation of joint projects, Tanjug news agency reports.

Brnabic noted that she appreciated NATO's position when it comes to Serbia's military neutrality and that both Serbia and NATO had an interest in, and needed to continue, a positive agenda and further advancement of their partnership cooperation in mutual interest, the Serbian Government said in a statement.

"We support the engagement of the International Security Force (KFOR) in the Province in the implementation of the mandate based on UNSCR 1244 and in ensuring safety and security to Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija", she said.

Stoltenberg noted that he highly respected Serbia and that NATO was able to cooperate with Serbian officials while respecting Serbia's neutrality. He underscored the significance of the cooperation with Serbia that has been underway as part of the Partnership for Peace programme since 2006.

The meeting was also attended by Serbian FM Ivica Dacic, Defence Minister Milos Vucevic and Serbian Armed Forces Chief of General Staff General Milan Mojsilovic.

Detention of Milenkovic extended for two more months, appeal filed to Court of Appeals (Kosovo Online)

Detention of Milun Milenkovic Lune, arrested on June 13, this year in Mitrovica North, had been extended for two more months, his defense lawyer Miodrag Brkljac confirmed to Kosovo Online portal.

The lawyer  said there are no grounds whatsoever to extend detention on remand, in particular because of the influence on alleged witnesses or accomplices, given that the court had interviewed a number of those suspected in this case, who allegedly together with Milenkovic took part in carrying out criminal acts they are accused of. He also dismissed dual citizenship and risk to flee as another reason by saying that even a person who does not have Serbian citizenship can go to Serbia.

Brkljac also said he filed an appeal to the Court of Appeals yesterday adding they are waiting for the response within the appropriate deadline, although those deadlines are never respected. 

Council of Europe delegation to observe elections in Serbia (N1)

A delegation of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) will travel to Serbia to observe the early elections on 17 December in the framework of an International Election Observation Mission, the Council of Europe said in a statement.

A five-member PACE delegation, led by Stefan Schennach, will make a “pre-electoral visit to Serbia” on 23-24 November to assess the election campaign and political climate prior to the early parliamentary elections.

In Belgrade, the delegation is due to meet the Speaker of the National Assembly, leaders and representatives of the parliamentary and extra-parliamentary groups, Chairperson and members of the Republic Electoral Commission, Chairperson and members of the Regulatory Authority for Electronic Media, representatives of the diplomatic community, civil society and the media as well as with ODIHR election observation mission.