Albanian Language Media:

• Bislimi travels to Brussels, will attend meeting on EU Growth Plan (media)
• Rohde welcomes ratification of international agreements by Assembly (media)
• Kosovo steps up security level (RTK)
• Prosecution in Bosnia: Weapons in Banjska not from time of war in Bosnia (Koha)
• EC proposal on liberalization for Serbian passport holders seen as ungrounded (Koha)
• Specialist Chambers suspend visits for Thaci, Veseli and Selimi (media)
• Selimi on Special Chambers suspending visits: This is outrageous (media)
• Petritsch: I fear that progress in the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue will not be fast (VoA)
• Belgian Foreign Minister to visit Kosovo today (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Vucic: West should do more than issue statement on Kurti's vote ban (Tanjug)
• RIK: No conditions for holding of December 17 elections in Kosovo (BETA, N1, KoSSev)
• UN Forum concluded in Thessaloniki: Trust-building gains new momentum (Tanjug)
• Dacic meets his Cypriot counterpart (media)
• Dacic: Normalization of relations with Kosovo does not mean its recognition (Kosovo Online)
• Serbian Orthodox Church Patriarch Porfirije meets Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides (Radio KIM)
• EU Ambassador: Serbia’s engagement in peace missions important (FoNet)
• Eleven helicopter gunships arrive in Serbia from Cyprus (BETA, N1)
• Bulgarian defense chief makes official visit to Serbia (Tanjug)

   

Albanian Language Media

  Bislimi travels to Brussels, will attend meeting on EU Growth Plan (media)

Kosovo’s Deputy Prime Minister Besnik Bislimi traveled to Brussels on Thursday where he will lead a Kosovo delegation at a joint meeting that will discuss the EU’s Growth Plan. The Kosovo delegation will present and discuss with the European Union priority areas and projects of Kosovo’s reforms agenda. The delegation includes Finance Minister Hekuran Murati, Economy Minister Artane Rizvanolli and Environment Minister Liburn Aliu.

Rohde welcomes ratification of international agreements by Assembly (media)

German Ambassador to Kosovo, Jorn Rohde, welcomed on Thursday the ratification of international agreements by the Kosovo Assembly. “Good news for Kosovo! Finally green light for important international agreements, reached through cross-party consensus in parliament today. These will benefit the people and the whole country,” Rohde said in a post on X.

Kosovo steps up security level (RTK)

The news website reports that Kosovo and international security authorities are concerned over the possibility of another attack like the one in Banjska on September 24. The Kosovo Government told RTK on Thursday that NATO’s increased presence in Kosovo serves peace throughout the region. "Prime Minister Albin Kurti early this year called for an increase in NATO’s presence in Kosovo for the security of the border with Serbia. NATO’s increased presence contributes to peace not only Kosovo but all the Western Balkans,” Perparim Kryeziu, spokesperson for the government said. He said that the capacities of security authorities to respond to potential terrorist attacks that are at the highest level. Kryeziu also said Kosovo’s institutions are in full coordination with KFOR and EULEX.

Prosecution in Bosnia: Weapons in Banjska not from time of war in Bosnia (Koha)

The news website reports that Bosnia and Herzegovina has agreed to cooperate with Kosovo authorities on investigations into Serbia's claim that the weapons that were confiscated in Banjska after the September 24 attack were purchased in the city of Tuzla. The Prosecutor's Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina said they were cooperating with Kosovo’s institutions to clarify the investigations. "The Prosecutor's Office of Bosnia has accepted the request for mutual assistance from Kosovo authorities. The Prosecutor's Office of Bosnia and the Federal Police Department will take the necessary steps to determine all available details about the origin of the confiscated weapons," the prosecutor’s office told the news website.  

"Preliminary information indicates that the weapons are not from the former war in Bosnia and Herzegovina," the prosecutor’s office of Bosnia and Herzegovina said.  

EC argument on liberalization for Serbian passports holders seen as ungrounded (Koha)

The European Commission’s proposal that visa liberalization for Kosovo from January 1 next year must also apply for holders of Serbian passports issued by Belgrade’s coordination office for Kosovo citizens, is seen as ungrounded by civil society organizations.

Executive director of the Pristina-based Kosovo Civil Society Foundation (KCSF), Taulant Hoxha, said on Thursday that the proposal of the European Commission seriously undermines the objectives and the implementation of agreements reached in the EU-facilitated dialogue, which are based on the principle of integrity and sovereignty between the parties.

According to Hoxha, the proposal sets a dangerous precedent as, in his opinion, it legitimizes Serbia's territorial claims against Kosovo and accepts documents without verification. "This [the proposal] recognizes documents issued by an authority that considers the territory of Kosovo as areas of another state, in this case, Serbia. The passports issued by the coordination office note Prishtinë/Pristina, Republic of Serbia,” he argued.

Specialist Chambers suspend visits for Thaci, Veseli and Selimi (media)

A press release issued by the Specialist Chambers of Kosovo on Thursday notes that following the Specialist Prosecutor’s Office’s request in The Specialist Prosecutor v. Hashim Thaçi et al. for modification of the conditions of detention, Trial Panel II has ordered on an interim basis several temporary restrictions on the communications and visits that Hashim Thaçi, Kadri Veseli, and Rexhep Selimi may receive. The Panel has determined that these restrictions are appropriate given the risk of unlawful disclosure of confidential information from the detention facilities. The restrictions will remain temporary until the Panel issues a full decision on the merits of the SPO’s request in due course. The decision can be found at: https://tinyurl.com/3tz9zz74

Selimi on Special Chambers cutting visits: This is outrageous (media)

Former Foreign Minister of Kosovo, Petrit Selimi, argued in a post on X on Thursday that the Specialist Chambers indicted the founders of the Kosovo Liberation Army and the Republic of Kosovo without having the case ready. “Kept them in jail unreasonably for a long time without a trial. They had 100s of visitors, Prime ministers, ambassadors, archbishops, imams, activists, friends, family. Myself, I visited them 3 times. We spoke about elections in US, Turkey, the Football World Cup, politics, arts, and culture. And now we have found out the court listened to all our talks & is unhappy of amicable chats, so they cut all visits. This is outrageous. Prosecution has no case,” Selimi said.

Petritsch: I fear that progress in the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue will not be fast (VoA)

Former EU envoy for Kosovo and Austrian diplomat Wolfgang Petritsch said in an interview with Voice of America on Thursday that in a geopolitical situation changed by the war in Ukraine and the Middle East, Kosovo and Serbia and the international community which is engaged in the Western Balkans for over two decades need to reassess the reality in order to move forward.

Petritsch said he doesn’t expect swift progress in the near future in the negotiations between Kosovo and Serbia. He argued that the Association of Serb-majority municipalities in Kosovo would give Pristina more control over its territory and that he expects that after the elections in Serbia, Vucic will make clear Serbia’s orientation.

Belgian Foreign Minister to visit Kosovo today (media)

Belgian Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib will visit Kosovo today and is scheduled to meet her Kosovo counterpart, Donika Gervalla. The two ministers will hold a joint press conference after their meeting.

   

Serbian Language Media 

  Vucic: West should do more than issue statement on Kurti's vote ban (Tanjug)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said Thursday he believed the West would do more than issue a statement over Pristina PM Albin Kurti's decision to ban Kosovo Serbs from voting in the December 17 Serbian elections, Tanjug news agency reports.

"You would have to be politically blind to not see what Kurti is doing", Vucic said in a response to a question from reporters.

"As I have told NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, we will wait to see if they will even issue a statement in which they will say that this is contrary to democratic principles", he said, noting that even a statement was in doubt but that it remained to be seen whether one would be issued.

"There is one set of rules for Serbs and another for ethnic Albanians when it comes to the attitude of the powers that assisted the birth of the so-called Kosovo, and what remains for us to do is fight for the preservation of international order and for our country and its preservation", he added.

He also said positions of the five EU member states that did not recognise Kosovo were firm and noted that he was confident they would not change.

RIK: No conditions for holding of December 17 elections in Kosovo (BETA, N1, KoSSev)

The Serbian Republic Election Commission (RIK) said Thursday there are no conditions for the holding of the December 17 Serbian elections in Kosovo, so Kosovo Serbs will be able to cast their ballots in the towns of Vranje, Kursumlija, Raska and Tutin (in Serbia proper), BETA news agency reports.

The local administrations will subsequently determine at which polling stations the Kosovo Serbs will vote. RIK President Vladimir Dimitrijevic said they wrote to the Serbian Government’s Office for Kosovo and Metohija to inquire about ways in which voters from Kosovo could be enabled to vote in the territory of Kosovo.

“We have been informed by the Office that it is not possible to carry out the election procedure in Kosovo that would be in accordance with the legal regulations, because the interim Pristina institutions, with Albin Kurti at helm, have made the voting conditional upon the recognition of the self-proclaimed independence of Kosovo and are refusing to ensure the activities of OSCE, which has been assisting in elections since 2012”, Dimitrijevic said.

RIK member Nemanja Stankovic said the Commission should ask the Serbian Government to address UNMIK and other bodies over the issue and “do not easily give up on voting in Kosovo”, KoSSev portal reported.

Another RIK  member Miroslav Vasic said it has not been clear whom the Office for Kosovo and Metohija addressed and what reply it received, adding there are international guarantors of the agreement and that the relocation of the ballot stations should not be accepted that easily. 

UN Forum concluded in Thessaloniki: Trust-building gains new momentum (Tanjug)

United Nations Kosovo Trust-building Forum: Supporting Togetherness for Better Future, hosted by UNMIK, concluded yesterday in Thessaloniki, giving the new momentum to trust-building in Kosovo, Tanjug news agency reports.

During the three days, 120 committed representatives of the civil society, media and institutions from different Kosovo communities worked to develop a renewed trust-building roadmap, UNMIK said in a statement.

It added the roadmap covers the areas of rule of law, language rights, media, civil participation and inclusion, economic empowerment and environment. 

Dacic meets his Cypriot counterpart (media)

Serbian First Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic met with Cypriot Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos in Belgrade on Thursday.

The parties said they were pleased with Serbia-Cyprus bilateral relations, which they noted were based on firm friendship, mutual trust and historically proven closeness and solidarity between the two peoples, and expressed mutual support on sovereignty and territorial integrity, emphasizing the necessity of respect of that crucial principle in international relations.

They noted a need for even more intensive cooperation and regular exchange of information at all levels on the most significant issues for the two countries, the Serbian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement. Dacic also expressed special gratitude to Cyprus for its continuous support to Serbia's EU integration process.

Dacic: Normalization of relations with Kosovo does not mean its recognition (Kosovo Online)

Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic said last night after the meeting with his Belgium counterpart Hadja Lahbib that Serbia never found normalization of relations with Pristina disputable, but that normalization does not mean recognition of Kosovo.

“These are two separate matters. There were never talks about the second one, nor Serbia had ever accepted that”, Dacic told the joint press conference.

He recalled that back in 2013 he signed the first agreement on normalization of relations.

“Therefore we expect that Pristina fulfills its obligations. And as far as Belgrade is concerned we remain committed to our desire for dialogue to progress”, he added.

Serbian Orthodox Church Patriarch Porfirije meets Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides (Radio KIM)

Serbian Orthodox Church Patriarch Porfirije met yesterday in Belgrade with President of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulides who is concluding his official visit to Serbia, Radio KIM reports.

The Patriarch in detail informed his guest about the position of the Serbian Orthodox Church and Serbian people in Kosovo and Metohija, SOC said in a statement.

“By expressing mutual understanding, the interlocutors pointed out the identity of the historical trials that the two fraternal peoples went through and are going through", the statement added.

EU Ambassador: Serbia’s engagement in peace missions important (FoNet)

Serbia’s engagement in European Union peace missions is of special importance in EU-Serbia relations, EU Delegation chief Emanuel Giaufret said Thursday, FoNet news agency reported.

He told the opening of a conference on the EU common security and defense policy that the Union welcomed the legal framework that allows the engagement of Serbian police and customs officers and judges in EU civilian missions.

European Integration Minister Tanja Miscevic told the conference that Serbia is not insisting enough on engagement in the EU common security and defense policy and peace missions, operations of the European Defense Agency and civilian missions.

According to the EU ambassador, defense cooperation is a question of trust because of the quick and dynamic changes in Europe and that it requires a stand in defense of common security and values.

Eleven helicopter gunships arrive in Serbia from Cyprus (BETA, N1)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic attended Thursday at the military airport in Batajnica, Belgrade, the reception of 11 Mi35 helicopter gunships from Cyprus and said the state will continue modernizing and equipping its armed forces, BETA news agency reports.

Accompanied by Defense Minister Milos Vucevic and Air Force and Air Defense Commander Lieutenant General Dusko Zarkovic, Vucic said it was very important for the Serbian Armed Forces (SAF) to increase defense capacities and that he has already spoken with the prime minister and finance minister about further investments in the defense system.

Commenting on some objections over the arming of Serbia, Vucic said that was “logical.” “The fact that someone is complaining, I guess that’s logical. Why are they arming themselves if everyone is in NATO except for Serbia? Leave Serbia be. Serbia is the only one that is militarily neutral and since this is so, it is important that we be capable, wise and strong enough to preserve our land and skies. And we will be even stronger”, he said.

Bulgarian defense chief makes official visit to Serbia (Tanjug)

At the invitation of Serbian Armed Forces Chief of General Staff Gen Milan Mojsilovic, Bulgarian Chief of Defence Admiral Emil Eftimov is on an official visit to Serbia.

Eftimov, who is accompanied by a Bulgarian delegation, visited the Serbian Armed Forces General Staff on Thursday to discuss with Mojsilovic the current security situation in the region and worldwide, defense cooperation to date and opportunities to advance it further, the Serbian Ministry of Defence said in a statement.

The parties said they were pleased with the achieved level of military-to-military cooperation, above all, in training of air force and anti-aircraft defense troops of the two countries. Eftimov is also scheduled to visit the Military Academy and the Military Medical Academy in Belgrade, where he will be given presentations on the capabilities and the scope of work of the two institutions.