Albanian Language Media:

• Osmani: Kosovo has had support of every U.S. administration since 1990s (media)
• Kos: We won’t follow trends for land swap between Kosovo and Serbia (media)
• Hoxhaj: Trump will resolve Kosovo-Serbia issue in this mandate (media)
• Council of Albanian Ambassadors congratulates Trump on his victory (media)
• Buja says he has been acquitted of all charges at Specialist Chambers (media)
• Abdixhiku: Kosovo at the biggest political and existential crossroads (Koha)
• Haradinaj: Time has come for a new contract with the U.S. (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Vucic: I expect strategic decision to take in Serbia as EU member (Tanjug, media)
• Vucic with Macron, Erdogan, Rutte, Michel on strengthening European security (N1, BETA)
• Marinkovic on Serbs in north: Big colourful lie of LVV that we are happy and liberated, for us, ‘one baton has been replaced by another’ (KoSSev)
• Lawyer Filipovic: Lutvia physically abused in Podujevo prison, ‘guards hit him in the head’ (Kosovo Online)
• Office for KiM, Serbian List react to reports on Lutvia’s mistreatement  (Kosovo Online, media)
• Lawyer: I expect release of S.V. arrested at Jarinje crossing two nights ago (Radio KIM)

Albanian Language Media 

Osmani: Kosovo has had support of every U.S. administration since 1990s (media)

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani said on Thursday before the start of the summit of the European Political Community that “the European Political Community was founded on the principle of equal footing of all members, all countries, within the European continent, with the aim of not only discussing but also finding solutions for shared challenges. But at the same time it is an initiative that strongly believes in the partnership between the European countries and the United States. So it believes in the Euro-Atlantic shared values. I believe as a country that has so fundamentally benefited from this Euro-Atlantic partnership that the election of President Trump will continue to strengthen this relationship and of course we shall all give a contribution in that regard. Kosovo has had the bipartisan support of every U.S. administration since the early 1990s. We have been blessed with that support and for that reason we have every reason to believe that that support will continue also with the administration of President Trump”. 

Kos: We won’t follow trends for land swap between Kosovo and Serbia (media)

The candidate for the European commissioner for enlargement, Marta Kos, said on Thursday that the EU could change its approach to the process of normalizing relations between Kosovo and Serbia, in the next mandate of the European structures. "In one of the meetings I had, I was explaining that if things don't work, we have to find new ways. In the sense of what Albert Einstein once said: ‘Stupidity is doing the same thing every day and expecting different results’. I want to see different results,” she said.

Kos, went on Thursday through the hearing process in the European Parliament, which must confirm her appointment. Among other things, she confirmed that she talked about the dialogue with the future head of European diplomacy, Kaja Kallas, and announced her commitment to the process.

The MEPs asked the candidate for commissioner whether the European Union will accept the return to the agenda of the exchange of territories, in case a proposal comes from the next Washington administration. She rejected this categorically, calling it an unacceptable proposal. “As for the idea of exchanging territories: No. The European Commission and I, if confirmed, will not follow these trends", Kos said, adding that the Europeans should look at what they can do themselves and not wait for proposals from others.

Hoxhaj: Trump will resolve Kosovo-Serbia issue in this mandate (media)

Kosovo’s former Minister of Foreign Affairs and senior member of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK), Enver Hoxhaj, in an interview with Tirana-based A2CNN, said that during the new U.S. administration led by Donald Trump the Balkans will be more stable and that it will be more engaged in stability in the region and in resolving outstanding issues. “There will be determination to push forward some unresolved issues in the Balkans,” he said.

Hoxhaj argued that the U.S. commitment in the Balkans is necessary and that the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia can get a favourable outcome for the people of Kosovo. He said that Kosovo’s membership in NATO needs to be a priority. 

Asked to comment on the Association of Serb-majority municipalities in Kosovo, Hoxhaj said that it should not happen without first securing Kosovo’s recognition by Serbia. 

Council of Albanian Ambassadors congratulates Trump on his victory (media)

The Council of Albanian Ambassadors in a statement on Thursday congratulated President-elect Donald Trump on his victory in the presidential elections. “We also congratulate the American people on another shining example of the exercise of democracy that inspires the world and reminds us of the values of freedom and justice. The Council of Albanian Ambassadors remains convinced that relations between Albania and the United States of America will continue to deepen on the basis of our common values and strategic interests for development and security, as NATO allies. We believe that US support for Albania, Kosova and all Albanians will be further strengthened, contributing to the efforts for peace, stability and sustainable development in the future for all our region,” the statement notes.

Buja says he has been acquitted of all charges at Specialist Chambers (media)

Shukri Buja, former commander of the KLA Operational Zone of Nerodime, said on Thursday that after five years of investigations, he has been acquitted of all charges by the Specialist Prosecutor’s Office of the Specialist Chambers. He said in a Facebook post that “this is a great and important victory which proves my innocence but also the purity and glory of the KLA. Thanks to my attorneys, Sir Geoffrey Nice and Taulant Hodaj, and their insistence to close investigations due to lack of evidence, this week I received official confirmation that everything has been concluded. This is the first case closed on criminal offenses of war crimes investigated by this Prosecution in an official manner. I believe my case will contribute to justice saying the final word for our fellow combatants who are still in the Hague, and I hope that they will return victorious as soon as possible. Our fight as a people was a fair and legitimate effort for freedom against the Serb-Yugoslav occupier that carried out atrocities against our people. Our liberation war was imposed and was right,” Buja said.

Abdixhiku: Kosovo at the biggest political and existential crossroads (Koha)

Leader of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) and candidate for Prime Minister of Kosovo, Lumir Abdixhiku, said on Thursday that Kosovo is at the biggest political and existential crossroads since its creation. Addressing a rally in Pristina, he argued that when things go bad, and experiments fail people turn to the LDK. “The LDK is on its feet, and nothing can stop it. Kosovo is at the biggest political and existential crossroads since its creation. The February 9 should be seen as part of this crossroads, because they will determine the fate of Kosovo. We are calling for a great political change in Kosovo, we are calling for a change through the new path of the Democratic League of Kosovo,” he said.

Haradinaj: Time has come for a new contract with the U.S. (media)

Leader of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK), Ramush Haradinaj, said in a Facebook post on Thursday that “the time has come for a new contract with the United States of America. The White House is the compass of our foreign policy”. He criticized the government and the prime minister for failing to “safeguard the relations that were built with so much effort with Kosovo’s strategic partners and jeopardized them”. Haradinaj pledged that “Kosovo will never again be sanctioned or isolated. Kosovo will turn into a country for partnership … Together with the U.S. State Department and other mechanisms of allied countries and the European Union, we will coordinate for new memberships in international organizations. With us, after February 9, the Great Turning Point will happen in foreign policy too”.

Serbian Language Media 

Vucic: I expect strategic decision to take in Serbia as EU member (Tanjug, media)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on Thursday in Budapest he expected the EU to make a strategic political decision to take in Serbia as a member. Responding to questions from reporters after the European Political Community Summit, Vucic said Serbia was now more prepared for EU membership than most EU member states had been at the time of their accession to the bloc, Tanjug news agency reported.

"You have to look at Serbia's economic strength. Today, it is significantly greater than that of 40 or 50 percent of EU member states before their EU accession, and we would like it to be even greater. Today, we are on par with one or two EU member states that have received 60, 70 or even 90 bln euros, while we have received around 2 bln", Vucic said. He added few countries would be able to meet the criteria that were being put before Serbia.

"It has to be a strategic, political decision. As I said, it is not about whether you know what Chapter 19 says, because I do not have a clue. When I asked European Integration Minister Tanja Miscevic, she did not know either. Even those who have put it together do not know that", Vucic said. "Come on, people, make a strategic decision. I saw that nearly everyone smiled as I was speaking about that. Everyone knows I am right. Do you want this region to be a European region or not? Tell that to us in the fairest, the most open and the most responsible way”, Vucic said in a message to EU leaders.

Vucic with Macron, Erdogan, Rutte, Michel on strengthening European security (N1, BETA)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said Thursday that at the European Political Community summit in Budapest, he discussed with European leaders and international officials about ways on how to strengthen security, stability, and prosperity across Europe.

“I took advantage of the start of the European Political Community summit to exchange views with French President Emmanuel Macron, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, European Council President Charles Michel, and Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala on enhancing the security, stability, and prosperity of the European continent”, Vucic said in an Instagram post.

He added that “Serbia is a serious and constructive partner in addressing shared European challenges and establishing peace, with the goal of creating a better future for all citizens”. In Budapest, Vucic also met with European Parliament President Roberta Metsola, North Macedonian Prime Minister Dimitar Kovacevski, and Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama. He also had talks with Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer, as well as Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, the host of the summit.

Marinkovic on Serbs in north: Big colourful lie of LVV that we are happy and liberated, for us, ‘one baton has been replaced by another’ (KoSSev)

An interest group without an ideology is in power in Belgrade, and a large number of Serbs in Kosovo believed in the illusion that they were fighting for them. Until reality hit them hard last year in the north, when they realised that the stories from Belgrade were lies, Miodrag Marinkovic from CASA non-governmental organisation said, KoSSev portal reported.

Politics from Pristina also did not make a good approach towards the north in the right way, he added. “What we have seen recently is a kind of forced integration of Serbs into Kosovo society. It is a populist policy that is conducted by Pristina with the aim of showing the Albanian public how one political party in power is successful. We have even come to the point that we are trying to point out that the main message which Self-determination is sending to the Albanian public about us being happy and liberated here in the north of Kosovo, is in fact a big fat colourful lie”.

He pointed out he does not have information that any Kosovo police officer has been punished for excessive use of force in the North. “We have suspensions, ongoing cases, but not a single judicial epilogue (punishment). And that has yet to be determined - that even if they get such an epilogue, the punishment should have a deterrent character, to discourage the next person from doing something like that, which is the essence of the penal system; to demotivate the repetition of such an act”. “We’re not looking for patriotic, national justice, we’re not looking for revenge, we’re just asking that those police officers who broke the law are punished”, he also said.

Read the summary in English at: https://shorturl.at/g7jRz

Lawyer Filipovic: Lutvia physically abused in Podujevo prison, ‘guards hit him in the head’ (Kosovo Online)

Former member of the Serbian Interior Ministry(MIA), Shaqir Lutvia from the Gorani community, detained on suspicion of allegedly committing war crimes in Kosovo has been physically abused by prison guards in Podujevo, his defence attorney Jovana Filipovic told Kosovo Online. Shaqir has been in detention since October of last year, and Filipovic emphasised that defence has repeatedly pointed out his poor health condition and mistreatment at high security prison in Podujevo.

"The situation escalated yesterday when Lutvia was physically abused by guards at the facility. The incident began during a visit from his family members and continued afterward, when he was physically assaulted and struck in the head by three guards”, Filipovic said.

Medical assistance was initially denied, but, as Filipovic added, it was provided after persistent requests, allowing Lutvia to be examined both the day before yesterday and yesterday. “We consider this completely unacceptable, and such conduct by members of the institution has caused significant fear and distress among the family members of this and other detainees at this facility”, Filipovic said. She added that the Court, EULEX, and the Ombudsman’s Office have been informed about this case.

Office for KiM, Serbian List react to reports on Lutvia’s mistreatement  (Kosovo Online, media)

The Office for Kosovo and Metohija said in a statement that “brutal beating of detainee Shaqir Lutvia, a Gorani who lived in central Serbia until his arrest, which took place in the high-security prison in Podujevo, is proof of new levels of brutality from Pristina representatives who demonstrate force daily over Serbs and other non-Albanians subjected to torture”, Kosovo Online portal reported.

“It is now abundantly clear why the authorities in Pristina do not allow Belgrade’s liaison officer to visit Serbian detainees and verify their health conditions, especially in light of this example of brutality and Pristina’s attempts to conceal such incidents by all means,” the statement added. The Office for KIM also requested that a Belgrade liaison officer be allowed to visit respective detainees, and international missions to take this case seriously and ensure that responsible parties are held accountable. The Office for KiM also warned that, as they said, indications suggest Lutvia’s case is not isolated and that other detainees have also been victims of brutality but refrain from speaking out publicly for fear of reprisal.

Serbian List in reaction said that “Albin Kurti’s desire to ethnically cleanse Kosovo and Metohija is not only directed against Serbs but also against other non-Albanians, whose numbers are decreasing daily in these areas. The clearest example is the beating of detained Gorani, Shaqir Lutvia, in Podujevo prison by Albanian guards. The brutal assault on a detainee is a terrible example of institutional repression fuelled by extreme statements from the Pristina regime, creating an atmosphere where beating non-Albanians is permitted and goes unpunished”.

The Serbian List called on the international community “to finally break the silence, stand up, and raise their voices in defence of the human rights of Serbs and other non-Albanians in Kosovo and Metohija. Someone must finally make the Pristina regime come to its senses and stop the institutional repression that has been carried out at all levels over the past three years against members of minority communities”. Serbian List added that this is not about isolated cases but, as the statement reads, about systematic repression which must be condemned by all.

Lawyer: I expect release of S.V. arrested at Jarinje crossing two nights ago (Radio KIM)

Lawyer Jelena Krivokapic said yesterday she expects her client Serb S.V. arrested by Kosovo police two nights ago at Jarinje crossing point to be released from detention, Radio KIM reports.

She told Radio kontakt plus that she attended the hearing in Pec yesterday, and recalled her client was sent to 48-hour detention. “One person previously filed a criminal report against my client for the criminal acts of assault and threats. However, later the same person brought a photo, taken from social media, claiming that my client is in that photo and that he committed a serious criminal act”, Krivokapic said.

She added her client denied all those allegations, including the ones that he is in that photo. “A verification is now following in Pristina and I expect that the prosecutor would dismiss the report and that my client would leave police detention, as there is not a single evidence that he committed any criminal act”, she pointed out.

S.V. was arrested on Wednesday evening based on Kosovo police from Pec warrant. As it was said on the night of his arrest he was accused of committing a criminal act of causing “slight bodily injuries”.