Albanian Language Media: 

• LDK nominates Lumir Abdixhiku as candidate for prime minister (media)
• CEC adopts budget of nearly €8 million for December general elections (media)
• Ulutas and U.S. Congress delegation discuss security in Kosovo (media)
• Orav: EU has invested €3.7 billion in Kosovo since 1999 (media)
• Murati on RTK salaries: We’re trying to find a solution through savings (media)
• OSCE calls for govt action to ensure continuity of RTK operations (media)
• Direct investments by Kosovo business abroad increase by 55 percent (RFE)
• Kurti: Allowances for children with 50 percent increase (media)
• Spiropali and Grlic Radman discuss Albania–Croatia–Kosovo agreement (media)
• From principles to action, delivering on Kosovo’s promise to women, girls (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Djuric, Botsan-Kharchenko discuss bilateral affairs, regional and geopolitical challenges (Tanjug, media)
• Brnabic: Why do the UN Charter and the international legal order not apply to Serbia (Kosovo Online, media)
• Dacic at the session of the Interpol GA: "There is no possibility" that Kosovo will be admitted to Interpol (NMagazin, Beta)
• Indictment filed against D.N. for alleged war crime (RTS)

Albanian Language Media

LDK nominates Lumir Abdixhiku as candidate for prime minister (media)

The Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) has nominated the party’s leader, Lumir Abdixhiku, as its candidate for prime minister for the December 28 elections. Abdixhiku announced this himself in a press conference after the meeting of the party’s leadership. “Regarding the issue of the candidate for prime minister, although I opened it as a topic, it was brief. The LDK leadership considered that since I am the party’s leader, they would nominate me as the candidate for prime minister. In this case, I was also authorized to determine the ranking of the parliamentary candidates, so there would be no dissatisfaction about who appears earlier or later on the list. We also discussed potential cooperation for the national elections.”

Abdixhiku stated that the party’s leadership decided that LDK will run alone in the December 28 elections. However, he emphasized that part of the party’s list remains open, including for Fatmir Limaj’s Nisma. “LDK will ensure that a portion of its list remains open to other parties, including Limaj and his MPs. Discussions on this matter will take place in the coming days, but let's say we are ready. We are also open to other parties such as the Christian Democrats, the Justice Party, and Pacolli’s Alliance. So we are open both to parties and individuals, individuals who want to run with LDK, to strengthen LDK,” he stated.

CEC adopts budget of nearly €8 million for December general elections (media)

Most news websites reported on Monday that Kosovo’s Central Election Commission (CEC) has adopted a budget of €7.7 million for the December 28 parliamentary elections and has set limitations for the expenses of political parties for their election campaigns.

Ulutas and U.S. Congress delegation discuss security in Kosovo (media)

KFOR commander, Ozkan Ulutas, met with a delegation of the U.S. Congress led by Representative Michael Turner at KFOR headquarters in Prishtina. The announcement states that Turner was accompanied by the U.S. Embassy’s chargé d’affaires, Anu Prattipati. “Major General Ulutas spoke about the security situation in Kosovo and throughout the region, as well as about KFOR’s efforts. He emphasized KFOR’s unwavering commitment to contributing to lasting security across Kosovo,” KFOR announced.

In conclusion, KFOR noted that Ulutas also welcomed the long-standing and ongoing contributions of the United States to KFOR’s mission and to regional stability.

Orav: EU has invested €3.7 billion in Kosovo since 1999 (media)

The EU Ambassador to Kosovo, Aivo Orav, has stated that the European Union has invested €3.7 billion in Kosovo since 1999. He said he had the honor of opening on Monday in Prishtina the photo exhibition EU by Your Side, which showcases the impact EU support has on the daily lives of people in Kosovo. “With €3.7 billion invested in Kosovo since 1999, the EU remains your strongest and most reliable partner, and the largest provider of financial assistance,” he said, emphasizing that the EU’s support for Kosovo continues.

Murati on RTK salaries: We’re trying to find a solution through savings (media)

Kosovo caretaker Minister of Finance, Hekuran Murati, told a press conference on Monday that the caretaker government is trying to find a solution for the financial situation in the Radio Television of Kosovo (RTK) through savings. “We’re trying to find a solution. If it was only the RTK, it would have been easier, but the problem now is that we have the Central Election Commission too, and there are also problems that have accumulated after the next year’s budget has not been adopted. A proper solution for the RTK is made more difficult, however, we are trying to find a solution through possible savings and see if this will be possible,” he said.

OSCE calls for govt action to ensure continuity of RTK operations (media)

The OSCE Mission in Kosovo expressed concern on Monday about the situation at the Radio Television of Kosovo (RTK) and urged the caretaker government to take immediate steps for resolving the financial crisis and secure its uninterrupted funding. The OSCE mission said in a statement to the RTK that it has supported the public broadcaster for over two decades. It also welcomed efforts by President Vjosa Osmani and Assembly Speaker Dimal Basha to find a constructive solution. 

Direct investments by Kosovo business abroad increase by 55 percent (RFE)

Direct investments by Kosovo businesses abroad are increasing significantly reaching €166.6 million in the first half of the year. This trend is reflected clearly in the statistics of the Central Bank of Kosovo which show a significant increase in direct investments abroad. According to the Pristina-based Institute for Advanced Studies – GAP – last year alone Kosovars invested over €80 million in Albania, while in 2023 this figure was €95 million. In Montenegro, investments from Kosovo in 2024 amounted to €18.2 million. 

Experts and representatives of businesses see the increase in investments outside Kosovo with concern. They also warn that this trend can intensify if urgent measures are not taken. Lulzim Rafuna, head of the Kosovo Chamber of Commerce, said that bureaucracy, lack of digitalization and high energy tariffs are forcing businesses to look at other markets. “We are still functioning with a classical system. The lack of digitalization is slowing down processes. This complicates the process for businesses and they give up,” he said in an interview with the news website.

Kurti: Allowances for children with 50 percent increase (media)

Kosovo caretaker Prime Minister Albin Kurti said in a Facebook post on Monday that starting from today (Tuesday) allowances for children will be executed with a 50 percent increase. He also said that 400,000 children will benefit from this. 

Spiropali and Grlic Radman discuss Albania–Croatia–Kosovo agreement (media)

Albania’s Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Elisa Spiropali, was received by her Croatian counterpart, Gordan Grlic Radman. She stated that during their meeting, they also discussed security cooperation through the trilateral Albania–Croatia–Kosovo agreement. “Hosted by my colleague and friend, the Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, Gordan Grlic Radman, to elevate cooperation between our two countries to a new institutional level, starting with preparations for the First Intergovernmental Meeting and holding the Joint Commission on Economic Relations, aimed at boosting trade exchanges and increasing investments. We discussed regional connectivity priorities, with special focus on infrastructure and energy interconnection, as well as security cooperation through the trilateral Albania–Croatia–Kosovo agreement,” she wrote on Facebook.

From principles to action, delivering on Kosovo’s promise to women and girls (media)

Opinion by Ambassador Gerard McGurk, Head of the OSCE Mission in Kosovo)

More than half of the women in Kosovo - 54 percent - continue to experience psychological, physical, or sexual violence, often at the hands of those closest to them. These figures, drawn from the OSCE Survey on the Wellbeing and Safety of Women, are not abstract data points. They reflect daily fear and eroded trust, both within homes and in public spaces that should provide safety. Each incident of violence undermines confidence in justice, institutions, and the broader promise of peace. 

Ending violence against women requires moving beyond the adoption of good laws; it demands courage, consistency, and a sustained, shared commitment to transform principles into real protection. For over two decades - and with renewed intensity since 2019 - the OSCE Mission in Kosovo has worked alongside institutions, civil society, and international partners to build the legal and institutional foundations needed to turn equality from a constitutional aspiration into lived reality.

From commitment to constitutional change

Kosovo’s 2020 decision to incorporate the Council of Europe’s Istanbul Convention into the Constitution was a historic milestone for women’s rights. It reflected a long-term, determined effort to first address domestic violence and then expand the framework to capture the full spectrum of violence against women.

The OSCE Mission was privileged to support this journey from its beginnings. We facilitated dialogue within the Women’s Caucus in the Assembly and provided targeted legal and policy expertise to ensure that Kosovo’s framework aligned with international standards. The Convention’s adoption with 93 votes - including strong backing across communities - showed that Kosovo was ready to confront gender-based violence in a systematic, structural way.

To strengthen the response across justice, security, and social sectors, the OSCE Mission in Kosovo presented a detailed legislative roadmap to the Assembly Committee on Human Rights and Gender Equality in 2021. We were active in public hearings, contributed to the Kosovo Strategy on Violence against Women, and worked to keep the issue high on the public agenda even when competing political priorities emerged.

We also helped connect Kosovo lawmakers with regional peers, including parliamentarians from North Macedonia, whose experience demonstrated how solidarity and regional cooperation can accelerate change. Addressing gender-based violence is not an isolated challenge - it is a shared responsibility across the region, and beyond.

Equally important, the drafting process embraced inclusive and participatory decision-making. Together with women’s organizations, non-majority communities, women with disabilities, and other vulnerable groups, we co-organized forums and workshops that directly shaped the Law’s provisions. Their insights ensured not only stronger content but also greater legitimacy and ownership. 

From Advocacy to a Strong Law.

The adoption of the Law on Domestic Violence, Violence against Women and Gender-Based Violence on 21 September 2023 stands as a collective achievement for Kosovo. The Law commits institutions to respond to, address, and prosecute all forms of gender-based violence, while expanding services for victims and establishing structured programmes for perpetrators.

Yet legislation alone does not change lives - its implementation does.

Building on our technical support during the drafting phase, including comparative legal analysis and assessments aligned with the Istanbul Convention, the OSCE Mission is now helping institutions translate the Law into results. In partnership with the Ministry of Justice, we supported the establishment of minimum standards for the functioning of Municipal Coordination Mechanisms against Domestic Violence - now a legal obligation - and developed Guidelines for their effective performance to strengthen survivor-centred, municipality-level action.

Together, we are also advancing Kosovo’s first SOS helpline, supporting the creation of a dedicated Violence Against Women Secretariat, and designing capacity-building programmes for police, prosecutors, health professionals, and social workers. The Mission’s 2024 Trial Monitoring Report on Domestic Violence Cases provides a detailed, evidence-based picture of how justice is delivered - an accountability tool for institutions and a voice for survivors who too often go unheard.

The change ahead: Turning commitment into everyday protection

Much has been accomplished, but the real test lies ahead: ensuring that every provision of the Law is implemented consistently, in every municipality, every day. Violence against women cannot be a topic raised only during the 16 Days of Activism - it must remain an institutional and societal priority year-round. It must represent an all of Kosovo commitment.

Institutions, communities, and individuals all have a role to play. Ending violence requires challenging deeply rooted gender inequalities and ensuring that young people grow up with models of respect, equality, and trust. It requires zero tolerance for the normalization of violence in any form, both in the private and public spheres of society.

I am confident that Kosovo has the leadership, expertise, and determination to meet this challenge. The OSCE Mission will remain a committed partner, working alongside institutions and civil society to turn legal commitments into genuine, lasting protection.

After years of collective effort, one lesson is clear: ending violence against women requires strong laws, yes - but also sustained political will, institutional accountability, and genuine partnership.

Kosovo’s democratic promise must be measured not only by reforms and strategies, but by the safety and dignity of every woman and girl. Because as long as any woman in Kosovo lives in fear, their peace and security – your peace and security - will remain incomplete. From words to action. From action to safety. Dignity for women = progress and security for Kosovo.

Serbian Language Media

Djuric, Botsan-Kharchenko discuss bilateral affairs, regional and geopolitical challenges (Tanjug, media)

Serbian FM Marko Djuric met with Russian Ambassador to Belgrade Alexander Botsan-Kharchenko on Monday to discuss the most significant topics in the field of bilateral cooperation, regional and geopolitical challenges and cooperation in the multilateral sphere.

Djuric and Botsan-Kharchenko also exchanged views on current peace processes, the Serbian MFA said in a statement.

Djuric noted that "compromise and peace should remain the guiding principles of the negotiations currently underway, in full respect of the norms of international public law," the statement also said.

Brnabic: Why do the UN Charter and the international legal order not apply to Serbia (Kosovo Online, media)

The President of the National Assembly of Serbia, Ana Brnabic, emphasized today that the Parliamentary Summit of the Crimea Platform in Stockholm focused precisely on the inviolability of territorial integrity and on the fact that internationally recognized borders are sacred, as well as the UN Charter, noting that this made her emotion even stronger – why is this not applied to Serbia.

Brnabic told reporters in Stockholm that she physically participated in the Parliamentary Summit of the Crimea Platform for the first time.

"What stood out to me the most is that some words were spoken there that we would sign without hesitation. It is unbelievable that in every speech one could hear that the inviolability of territorial integrity and the internationally recognized borders of states are sacred, and that there is no reason or circumstance in which anyone should be allowed, in any way, by force or through an invented right, to endanger the territorial integrity of United Nations member states," Brnabic said.

She emphasized that the gathering stated that the most important things in the world are the UN Charter and the international legal order, and that if they are not respected, the world will return to an era of wars in which countries seize territories from one another.

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

Dacic at the session of the Interpol GA: "There is no possibility" that Kosovo will be admitted to Interpol (NMagazin, Beta)

The Minister of Internal Affairs of Serbia, Ivica Dacic, assessed yesterday in Morocco that the authorities in Pristina know "that there is no possibility" that Kosovo will be admitted to Interpol, his cabinet announced, reported NMagazin. 

The announcement stated that Dacic was in Marrakesh, leading the Serbian delegation at the 93rd session of the Interpol General Assembly.

He stated "that there was no request of the so-called Kosovo for admission to membership on the agenda of this session", it was added.

He assessed that it was "a clear message that Prishtina knows that it does not have a majority and that there is no possibility of being accepted into this international organization."

"The last time they applied in Dubai was a few years ago, and after the disastrous defeat, they have not applied for Interpol membership for years," he said.

He also said that on the sidelines of the General Assembly of Interpol, one of the oldest international police organizations, he met with important people for this organization.

Indictment filed against D.N. for alleged war crime (RTS)

The Special Prosecutor's Office in Pristina has filed an indictment against D. N. for the alleged criminal offense of "war crime against the civilian population", reported RTS. 

According to a statement from the prosecutor's office, the defendant is charged with "failing to take any action in the period March-April 1999, in his capacity as the commander of the substation in Zegra near Gnjilane, to prevent the looting, expulsion and murder of 29 Albanian civilians".

The indictment states that D. N. was allegedly "aware that on March 30, 1999, Serbian police and military forces, under his command, surrounded the village of Žegra, while on March 27, 1999, the village of Laštica was attacked".

"The defendant D. N., together with the commander of the police station in Gnjilane, ordered the destruction of the crime scene in order to eliminate traces of the crime. D. N, although the injured party was notified by letter, did not take any measures to prevent, stop or submit the cases for investigation, but instead left the crime scene," the statement read. 

RTS reported that the defendant D. N., of Serbian nationality, was arrested in September this year at the "Bela Zemlja" administrative checkpoint near Kamenica.