Albanian Language Media:

• Serbian parliamentary elections will not be held in Kosovo (media)
• Kosovo Assembly to meet today, to discuss EC report on Kosovo (media)
• AAK unblocks voting of international agreements (Koha)
• Osmani meets Hovenier, highlights importance of close cooperation (media)
• Bislimi meets Abbott, briefs him on latest meeting in Brussels (media)
• KFOR conducts Golden Sabre exercise (media)
• Krasniqi meets Szunyog: EU measures are damaging wellbeing of citizens (media)
• Kurti: Public Administration Reform enables and fosters other reforms (media)
• PSD warns to use teargas if Kurti tries to form the Association (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Vucic: Serbia, Cyprus are true friends (N1, FoNet)
• Christodoulides: Cyprus's position on support to Serbia's integrity unchangeable (Tanjug)
• EULEX chief Barbano: Trust is the cornerstone for sustainable peace, Kosovo still faces challenges (KoSSev, N1, NMagazin)
• Petkovic with Kosovo Serbs in Raska: Talks on how to vote after the "Pristina ban" (KoSSev)
• DNKiM:"White peony" to the Gracanica Cultural Center; "Black peony" to Albin Kurti (KiM radio)

International Media:

• Hague Prosecution Tries to Undermine Witness in Kosovo Ex-Guerrilla’s Trial (Balkan Insight)
• Albanian PM Calls For More Significant Increase In NATO Troops In Kosovo (RFE)

Albanian Language Media

Serbian parliamentary elections will not be held in Kosovo (media)

Koha Ditore reports in its leading story this morning that Serbs living in Kosovo will have to go to Serbia if they want to vote in the Serbian elections on December 17, as the Kosovo Government will not allow the voting process to take place in Kosovo’s territory. Serbia did not accept Prime Minister Albin Kurti’s condition for a preliminary agreement on the issue and informed its election committee that the elections will not be held in Kosovo.

The OSCE Press Office told Koha on Wednesday: “We can confirm receipt of PM Kurti’s letter concerning the Serbian elections. As we have made clear previously, the Mission remains ready in principle to support the collection of ballots, but only under the same conditions as on previous occasions, in other words only if a consensual environment can be assured, co-operation from all relevant authorities in Kosovo is forthcoming, and the necessary security support from the Kosovo Police, as first security responder, is guaranteed”.

Several news websites highlight Prime Minister Kurti’s statement that an inter-state agreement is needed between Kosovo and Serbia to hold Serbian elections in Kosovo’s territory and that Serbia needs to make a request for such an agreement.

Radio Free Europe reported on Wednesday that Petar Petkovic, head of the Serbian Government’s Office for Kosovo, met with representatives of Serbs from the north of Kosovo and discussed ways they can vote in the Serbian parliamentary elections on December 17. The meeting was held in Raska, in south-west Serbia, and Kosovo Serb representatives said “it was important to enable Serb citizens their right to vote”.

The meeting also discussed financial aid, jobs and new investments by Serbia in the Serb-majority inhabited north of Kosovo. According to an analysis by Radio Free Europe, the budget that Serbia allocates for Kosovo has increased every year, and experts have warned that the investments are not transparent and that it is almost impossible to determine the overall amounts of expenditures, while Serbia has not stopped funding parallel institutions in Kosovo.

Kosovo Assembly to meet today, to discuss EC report on Kosovo (media)

The Kosovo Assembly will meet today and discuss among other topics the latest European Commission report on Kosovo. MPs are also expected to vote on several international agreements.

AAK unblocks voting of international agreements (Koha)

The Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) will vote today in the Kosovo Assembly on international agreements thus ending a four-month blockade of their ratification. The value of projects from the agreements is over €400 million. Meanwhile, the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) has not changed its position on the matter.

AAK parliamentary group chief, Besnik Tahiri, told Koha on Wednesday that they will support international agreements which MPs will vote on in today’s assembly session. “For a period of time we saw extreme abuse by the majority and our position was not to vote. There are several agreements which we will vote in favor of tomorrow, because we think they are very important, such as scholarships for students, and also some other investments,” he said.

Osmani meets Hovenier, highlights importance of close cooperation (media)

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani met the U.S. Ambassador Jeffrey Hovenier on Wednesday and discussed the latest developments in Kosovo and the region, the process of dialogue and the security situation in Kosovo. “President Osmani outlined again the importance of close cooperation with the United States to strengthen the presence of the Republic of Kosovo on the international arena,” a press release issued by Osmani’s office noted.

Bislimi meets Abbott, briefs him on latest meeting in Brussels (media)

Kosovo’s Deputy Prime Minister and chief negotiator in the talks with Serbia, Besnik Bislimi, met with UK Ambassador to Kosovo, Nicholas Abbott, and informed about the latest meeting between chief negotiators in Brussels and the process of dialogue. Bislimi said “the Republic of Kosovo remains a constructive and active party in the process, committed to the full normalization of relations and on mutual recognition”. The meeting also focused on the security situation in Kosovo and Bislimi thanked Abbot for the UK’s continuous support for Kosovo.

KFOR conducts Golden Sabre exercise (media)

Most news websites report that the KFOR West Regional Command on Wednesday at Camp Novo Selo conducted the "Golden Sabre" exercise. COMKFOR Major General Ozkan Ulutas attended the exercise which is aimed at testing the level of training achieved and the units' deployment procedures, in the conduct of a Crowd Riot Control (CRC) operation. A statement by KFOR notes that “units in riot gear, composed of Italian, Albanian, Austrian and Moldovan platoons, were deployed on the ground in close coordination with Turkish assets from Regional Command East, Hungarian assets from the Kosovo Tactical Reserve Battalion (KTR BN) and Carabinieri from the Multinational Specialized Unit (MSU)”. It also notes that KFOR remains fully focused on the daily implementation of its mandate - based on United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244 from 1999 - to ensure a safe and secure environment for all people living in Kosovo and freedom of movement.

Krasniqi meets Szunyog: EU measures are damaging wellbeing of citizens (media)

Leader of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK), Memli Krasniqi, met on Wednesday with the EU Head of Office Tomas Szunyog, and discussed latest political developments and Kosovo’s European perspective. Krasniqi said he expressed to Szunyog “the concern over the EU measures against Kosovo, which are damaging the well-being of our citizens”. He also said that “for the PDK, the Euro-Atlantic integration has no alternative and is the only way forward for Kosovo”.

Kurti: Public Administration Reform enables and fosters other reforms (media)

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti said on Wednesday at the International Conference on Public Administration in Pristina that “PAR is more strongly correlated w/ the pace of EU integration than progress in other areas.  It also enables & fosters other reforms that benefit our country & people.”

PSD warns to use teargas if Kurti tries to form the Association (media)

Nol Nushi from the Social Democratic Party of Kosovo (PSD) said in a TV debate on Wednesday that they would use teargas if Prime Minister Albin Kurti will attempt to form the Association of Serb-majority municipalities. He also criticized the approach of opposition parties, which according to him, are hoping to come to power hoping that internationals will oust Kurti. “The whole opposition in Kosovo are telling him to form the Association, thinking that he will not do it. The whole opposition are hoping that the internationals will bring him down and that they will then come to power,” he argued. 

Serbian Language Media 

Vucic: Serbia, Cyprus are true friends (N1, FoNet)

Following his meeting with Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides held in Belgrade yesterday, Vucic thanked Cyprus for supporting Serbia’s territorial integrity and sovereignty, respecting international public law, and United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244, reported N1.

Serbia and Cyprus want to further boost bilateral relations and cooperation, Vucic told the reporters.

He said Serbia fully supports the norms of international public law, the UN Charter and the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Cyprus on land and at sea, and that he informed Christodoulides of Serbia’s desire to resolve the Kosovo-related problems by means of dialogue and compromises.

Belgrade is in an “uneasy position” simply because it honors the norms of international law and the UN Charter, and “must suffer because of the policy of force and the destruction of international law by those who are significantly stronger than Serbia,” Vucic said.

He thanked Cyprus for its constant and very important support for Serbia on its path to the European Union.

Christodoulides: Cyprus's position on support to Serbia's integrity unchangeable (Tanjug)

Tanjug agency reported that Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides said on Wednesday in Belgrade Cyprus's position on respect of the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Serbia was clear and unchangeable.

After a meeting with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, Christodoulides said they had discussed the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue.

"I would like to publicly reiterate our support to those efforts by the Serbian government. Cyprus's position is clear. Our position when it comes to respect of the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the Republic of Serbia cannot be changed," he said at a press conference with Vucic.

Christodoulides said Cyprus was the greatest backer of Serbia's EU accession and that he believed Serbia had made very important steps in reforms as well as in many other areas.

"We believe that should be recognised by the EU and reflected in discussions and the conclusions we will have at the European Council meeting in December," Christodoulides said.

He said he had had an exceptional exchange with Vucic about ways to further deepen bilateral ties.

"In recent years, we have been cooperating excellently in almost all sectors and there is also a possibility for further cooperation. Especially when it comes to defence, I think. We discussed that a lot and we will continue tomorrow, too," Christodoulides said, adding that trade and tourism also offered opportunities for cooperation.

He said further cooperation would also be discussed at the third Serbia-Cyprus intergovernmental meeting on Thursday, to be attended by the ministers of foreign affairs, defence and education.

He said important MoUs in the fields of education, science, innovation, advanced technologies and further cooperation between the two foreign ministries would be signed as well.

He also said he was grateful to Serbia for its position on the Cyprus issue and on efforts to restart talks to resolve the problem.

Christodoulides noted that his visit coincided with developments in Cyprus's neighbourhood in the Middle East as well as in Ukraine.

He said he had informed Vucic of Cyprus's initiative aimed at establishing a humanitarian maritime corridor for shipping aid to Gaza.

Christodoulides said Serbia and Cyprus were connected by years-long friendship and that he was glad his visit was a step towards further strengthening of bilateral ties.

He said he looked forward to welcoming Vucic in Cyprus in the near future to continue the discussions.

EULEX chief Barbano: Trust is the cornerstone for sustainable peace, Kosovo still faces challenges (KoSSev)

Reconciliation is a crucial component of post-conflict reconstruction, and it is still at a very early stage in Kosovo, EULEX chief Giovanni Pietro Barbano said at the UNMIK trust-building forum held in Thessaloniki, Greece. He emphasized that the main component in building trust is respect for human rights, the rule of law, accountability, especially among those in positions of power, as well as the independence of judiciary.

Barbano, however, also highlighted a number of ongoing challenges. He revealed his concern about the fact that mild sentences are imposed for corruption, over the expropriation procedures in the north of Kosovo, but also because of the longstanding failure of Pristina to implement its own decision, that is, the verdict of the Kosovo Constitutional Court on the land of the Visoki Devani monastery. He added that EULEX assessed that certain arrests carried out in the north of Kosovo were not fully in line with the law, and that „this practice was thereupon modified“.

In his speech at the UNMIK forum in front of numerous institutional, political, civil representatives and journalists yesterday, Barbano said that, in the aftermath of conflicts, societies often face the „daunting task“ of rebuilding trust among their populace and communities.

“Kosovo is still often struggling with the challenges posed by this crucial component of post-conflict reconstruction. During the process of rebuilding, fostering trust becomes not only a necessity but a cornerstone for sustainable peace and development,” EULEX chief said.

He underlined that central to the establishment of trust in any society is the protection of human rights.

“The respect for human dignity, freedom, equality, and justice, forms the bedrock upon which a society’s trust in its institutions is built.”

In Kosovo’s case, Barbano stated that the historical context amplifies the significance of upholding human rights, by addressing past grievances and ensuring accountability for human rights violations and breaches of international humanitarian law.

Read more at:https://tinyurl.com/2kewxv6x

Petkovic with Kosovo Serbs in Raska: Talks on how to vote after the "Pristina ban" (KoSSev)

KoSSev reported, citing the announcement from this Office, that the Director of the Office for KiM, Petar Petkovic, held a surprise meeting yesterday with political and institutional representatives of Serbs from Kosovo.  

The topic of the conversation, as announced by the Office, was the political and security situation in Kosovo:

"As well as the necessity to preserve peace and stability for the sake of the survival and survival of the Serbian people in Kosovo and Metohija."

In particular, they say, they discussed the difficult situation and position of the Serbs north and south of the Ibar.

"And endangering their basic human rights, as a result of institutional violence, persecution and numerous escalating moves initiated by Albin Kurti and the authorities in Pristina every day," the Office for KiM stated.

On the ''Pristina ban'', as interpreted by this Office, that is, organization of the vote on the territory of Kosovo in the December 17 elections, announced by Serbia, the statement read that ''this directly violates all the guaranteed rights of the Serbs". 

The announcement added that the representatives of the Serbs conveyed to Petkovic that "it is important to enable the Serbian people to exercise their right to vote."

"In this regard, further steps were discussed at the meeting to enable Serbs from Kosovo and Metohija to exercise their civil right to vote on December 17, 2023," it was stated. 

On the last round of Brussels dialogue, Petkovic informed the K-Serbs about the discussions that have been initiated on the drafting of the Statute of the Community of Serbian Municipalities, as well as all other issues that Belgrade is negotiating with Pristina within the dialogue.

Financial assistance, workplaces, as well as "further significant investments by the state of Serbia in the area of Kosovo and Metohija" were also discussed, but also:

"Pristina's attempts to ban infrastructural and housing projects, as well as various types of social assistance intended for the most vulnerable population," the Office said in the announcement.

The new leadership of the Serbian List, including current mayors and municipal officials south of the Ibar, as well as former mayors from the North of Kosovo and members of the Kosovo Assembly attended the meeting with Petkovic. 

Before informing the Serbian List in Raska about the situation regarding the organization of Serbian elections on the territory of Kosovo, Petkovic informed the public about it.

"Due to the unacceptable conditioning of Pristina and Albin Kurti for Belgrade, it is not possible to hold a vote in the elections for deputies scheduled for December 17 in Kosovo and Metohija," announced the director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija, sending a letter to the Republican Election Commission. 

He claims that Pristina conditions the holding of these elections - "with recognition of the unilaterally declared independence of the so-called of Kosovo by Belgrade".

This is unacceptable for Belgrade, added Petkovic, stating that Kurti refuses to provide the necessary conditions for the operation of the OSCE mission on the ground, which, according to the model agreed in 2012, should assist the state authorities of the Republic of Serbia in the implementation of the "electoral procedure in the area of the province".

Petkovic's letter to the REC was sent on the same day that, according to the Pristina media, the Kosovo Prime Minister met with the head of the OSCE, Michael Davenport, and told him that "without an intergovernmental agreement with Serbia, it will not be allowed to organize Serbian elections in Kosovo."

DNKiM:"White peony" to the Gracanica Cultural Center; "Black peony" to Albin Kurti (KiM radio)

KiM radio reported that the award "White Peony" for the best cooperation with the media, according to the decision of journalists, members of the Kosovo branch of the Association of Journalists of Serbia, the Association of Journalists of Kosovo and Metohija (DNKiM), this year went to the House of Culture Gracanica. The "black peony" for the worst cooperation with journalists this year also went to the Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti.

International Media

Hague Prosecution Tries to Undermine Witness in Kosovo Ex-Guerrilla’s Trial (Balkan Insight)

At the war crimes trial of former Kosovo Liberation Army member Pjeter Shala in The Hague, the prosecution sought to undermine an ex-guerrilla who was testifying for the defence, claiming he repeatedly changed his testimony.

During three days of testimony this week, the prosecution at the Kosovo Specialist Chambers in The Hague sought to undermine the credibility of former Kosovo Liberation Army, KLA member Zijadin Hoxha, who was testifying as a defence witness, accusing him of inconsistencies in his testimony.

Read more at:https://tinyurl.com/yc52tadz

Albanian PM Calls For More Significant Increase In NATO Troops In Kosovo (RFE)

Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama has urged NATO to further boost its military forces in Kosovo and deploy them along the country's border with Serbia, saying that illegal activity, including arms and narcotics smuggling, is currently “out of control” at the frontier.

Speaking on November 22 after a meeting in North Macedonia's capital, Skopje, with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, Rama said there had been repeated attempts to significantly increase the number of troops in Kosovo.

During the informal meeting, which included the leaders of Western Balkan NATO members, Rama said that he asked NATO to be more present in Kosovo with a larger number of troops deployed on Kosovo's border with Serbia.

Read more at:https://tinyurl.com/3faj5mb5