Albanian Language Media: 

• Serbia arrests former member of Kosovo Liberation Army (media)
• Osmani calls on people to avoid travelling through Serbia (media)
• Hamza: A better Kosovo is possible, trust me to restore stability (media)
• AJK disappointed over govt’s failure to allocate RTK budget from savings (media)
• Osmani: On this IDEVAW, we continue to raise our voices for action (media)
• Kurti hosts lunch for Prattipati and staff on Thanksgiving Day (media)
• Slovenia adopts law recognizing Kosovo driver’s licenses (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Vucic: We have four days until our oil refinery shuts down unless the US grants license (N1)
• Slomsek: Dialogue is not a burden, but a tool and a path for Serbia and Kosovo toward the European Union (Kosovo Online)
• Serbian MIA: KLA member suspected of alleged war crime arrested (KiM radio, Kosovo Online)
• The last session of the North Mitrovica MA: 18,664 m² of land repurposed for a school (KoSSev)
• Ulutas met with Metropolitan Teodosije (KoSSev) 

Albanian Language Media

Serbia arrests former member of Kosovo Liberation Army (media)

Most news websites reported on Tuesday that Serbian authorities arrested a former member of the Kosovo Liberation Army at one of the crossings between Kosovo and Serbia.

Kosovo’s caretaker Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that Kosovo’s liaison office in Serbia has asked Serbia’s liaison office in Kosovo to confirm the arrest, the reasons, the current location of the arrested person and any other necessary information. Kosovo’s liaison office in Serbia also sent a verbal note to QUINT embassies in Serbia “to ensure the engagement of international partners to defend the rights and security of the citizens of the Republic of Kosovo”. The Ministry called on the international community to increase its vigilance and pressure on Serbian authorities, “which are continuing the practice of mistreating and intimidating” Kosovo citizens and violating international norms and standards of human rights.

Deputy leader of the Organization of KLA War Veterans, Gazmend Syla, told KTV that the arrested person is Avni Qenaj and that according to his information he was found with a war veterans’ card. “He had crossed the border into Serbia several times, because he had a business in Bosnia, according to our information. He never had any problems. But Serbia is carrying out a hunt against KLA fighters and other freedom fighters, and it will not stop doing that,” he said. Syla also said he hopes that the international community will intervene in the case because he has little hope from Kosovo’s institutions.

Osmani calls on people to avoid travelling through Serbia (media)

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani said in a Facebook post on Monday that she met with Arbnor Spahiu, a former member of Kosovo Police Special units, who was released from detention in Serbia after being held there for several months. Osmani said “to our citizens living outside Kosovo and who may travel to our country especially during the end-of-year holidays, I call on them to avoid travelling through Serbia, because structures with a mindset no different from the previous regime are still in power there”.

Hamza: A better Kosovo is possible, trust me to restore stability (media)

Leader of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) Bedri Hamza in a video message on Facebook addressed the people of Kosovo about the importance of the upcoming December national elections and called on them to trust him with leading Kosovo toward stability and development. “On December 28, your vote will determine Kosovo’s direction. An important responsibility and a great opportunity for change. Are we going to have a stable government, a government that unites us and a Prime Minister that truly serves the citizens? Or are we going to continue with the old practice of crisis, divisions and irresponsibility? I choose the first, therefore I call for your trust. Give me your trust so that I can restore stability in Kosovo,” Hamza said.

AJK disappointed over govt’s failure to allocate RTK budget from savings (media)

The Association of Journalists of Kosovo (AJK) said in a statement on Tuesday that the Kosovo government said it had approved a request by the Ministry of Finance regarding savings and allocations. “This decision, worth over €8 million, applies only to the Clinical University Hospital Service of Kosovo. AJK expresses deep disappointment that RTK was excluded, despite a promise made the previous day by Acting Finance Minister Hekuran Murati. As November comes to a close, and with 700 RTK employees still awaiting their October salaries, AJK is urging the government to find a legal way to allocate the budget for RTK for the final quarter of 2025. The government must recognize the urgency of resolving RTK’s financial issues and the importance of keeping the Public Broadcaster running smoothly without interruptions. Meanwhile, AJK stands in full solidarity with RTK colleagues, who have begun daily strikes until their budget allocation request is fulfilled,” the statement notes.

Osmani: On this IDEVAW, we continue to raise our voices for action (media)

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani said on Tuesday that “the rise in violence against women remains a global crisis that is slowly eroding the very foundations of our societies, day after day. It is real, and it demands our collective resolve”. She said that on this International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, “we continue to raise our voices for ACTION. Action grounded in responsibility. Action defined by zero tolerance. No woman should ever stand alone. No survivor should ever be left unprotected. And no society should ever compromise when it comes to the safety and dignity of women,” Osmani wrote in a post on X.

Kurti hosts lunch for Prattipati and staff on Thanksgiving Day (media)

Most news websites reported that Kosovo caretaker Prime Minister Albin Kurti hosted lunch for Thanksgiving Day for Charges des Affaires at the US Embassy Anu Prattipati and her staff. A press release issued by Kurti’s office notes that the aim is to turn the event into a long tradition. “It provides a good opportunity to express appreciation for the relations we share, and which continue to grow. Relations with the United States are built on shared values, appreciation and mutual respect. This year, with the aim of strengthening our bilateral relations, we have decided on 0% tariffs on US goods, we agreed to provide temporary shelter to third-country nationals and we have made important procurements in the area of defense,” the press release notes.

Slovenia adopts law recognizing Kosovo driver’s licenses (media)

Most news websites report that Slovenia adopted a law on Tuesday which recognizes Kosovo driver’s licenses. Kosovo caretaker Minister of Foreign Affairs, Donika Gervalla, announced the news in a Facebook post. “Good news for our citizens and the diaspora in Slovenia. Congratulations,” she said.

Serbian Language Media

Vucic: We have four days until our oil refinery shuts down unless the US grants license (N1)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said Tuesday that Serbia has only four days left before its only oil refinery is forced to halt operations if the US Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), in other words, the US government, does not approve the special license for it to continue operating.

N1 reported that Vucic said that the Serbian Oil Industry (NIS) refinery, located in Pancevo, has shifted to a “warm circulation” mode, essentially idling at the lowest possible level – and has not yet been fully shut down.

“We have today and tomorrow to try to secure an operational license,” the Serbian president said, stressing that the decision lies entirely with the Americans.

He added that both the National Bank of Serbia and all commercial banks doing business with NIS have received formal warnings that they risk coming under US sanctions themselves.

Slomsek: Dialogue is not a burden, but a tool and a path for Serbia and Kosovo toward the European Union (Kosovo Online)

Dialogue remains high on the EU’s list of priorities and represents the path toward the European integration of Kosovo and Serbia, stated the political adviser to the EU Envoy for the Belgrade–Pristina dialogue, Peter Sorensen, Andreja Slomsek, adding that Brussels is focused on the implementation of the Ohrid Agreement, sustainable de-escalation of tensions, economic normalization and the humanitarian agenda.

At the Peace and Democracy Summit in Pristina, during the debate “Can the dialogue on normalization between Kosovo and Serbia survive in a context increasingly shaped by narrative warfare and dualities”, Slomsek said that the process remains active, recalling Sorensen’s statement that it is a continuous process, not a single moment in which normalization is achieved.

She added that the political situation in both Serbia and Kosovo is very complex, but engagement continues, noting that since the beginning of his mandate, Sorensen has met 66 times with representatives of Belgrade and Pristina, which, she emphasized, kept lines of communication open and prevented greater tensions, as well as ensured that they remain focused on dialogue-related obligations.

Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/625dtedc

Serbian MIA: KLA member suspected of alleged war crime arrested (KiM radio, Kosovo Online)

''Members of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Criminal Police Directorate, War Crimes Detection Service arrested A. Q. (1973) due to the existence of grounds for suspicion that during the armed conflicts in Kosovo, as a member of 'the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA)', he committed the criminal offense of organizing a group and inciting the commission of genocide and war crimes,'' read the statement of the Serbian MIA, reported KiM radio. 

According to the statement of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Serbia, the suspect joined the local KLA headquarters for the village of Romaja, Prizren municipality in April 1998, and as a member of the 138th Brigade, Agim Ramadani, and participated in the attack on the Košare guardhouse in 1999.

By order of the public prosecutor on duty for war crimes, the suspect was detained for up to 48 hours, after which he will be brought to the competent prosecutor's office with a criminal report.

The last session of the North Mitrovica MA: 18,664 m² of land repurposed for a school (KoSSev)

KoSSev portal reported yesterday that in the midst of the second round of the pre-election campaign, the foundation stone was laid for a school according to the Kosovo system in Kukavica, so that in the coming days and weeks, this land, where there was a children's playground, near the city temple, would be fenced off. 

After almost a month, at the last assembly of the municipality in this convocation, a decision was adopted to repurpose this land. Together with that decision, a decision was made on the cooperation of North Mitrovica with the municipality of Wiley in Texas, and municipal acts 2025 were adopted, which included 52 decisions and 5 regulations. And while the outgoing mayor Atic and chairman Nedzad Ugljanin once again complained about the previous municipal structures and the "chaos" they left in the municipality, the deputy chairman, Skender Sadiku, called on the minority communities in North Mitrovica not to "hate Serbs and Serbia", reported KoSSev.

The municipal leadership will soon hand over the municipality to a new one. More than a month ago, the Serbian List convincingly won the local elections in majority-Serb municipalities, including North Mitrovica. 

KoSSev reported among other things that even at the last, 47th session, the city authorities did not reduce the pace of work. Six agenda items were thus adopted: adoption of the minutes from the previous session, review and discussion of acts adopted by the Municipal Assembly for the year 2025, consideration of submitted requests by residents, as well as the "miscellaneous" item. Along the way, two more were added, both of which were adopted, and which concern the land use change on Kukavica, as well as the adoption of a decision on inter-municipal cooperation with Wiley, a small municipality in Texas.

According to KoSSev, most of the councilors were formally dressed for this occasion, and in addition to the Kosovo flag, the USA flag was raised, in honor of the decision to cooperate with Wiley, a small Texas municipality.

For the first time, all municipal directors were present, reported KoSSev.

Ulutas met with Metropolitan Teodosije (KoSSev) 

A meeting was held in Gracanica yesterday between KFOR commander Ozkan Ulutas and Metropolitan Teodosije, announced KFOR.

As they stated, the goal of the meeting was to exchange views on current social and religious issues in Kosovo.

In the statement, they emphasized that KFOR continues to implement its mandate based on UN Security Council Resolution 1244, "contributing to a safe and secure environment for everyone in Kosovo and ensuring freedom of movement."

They also stated that the mission operates in close coordination with the Kosovo Police and EULEX, in accordance with their security roles.