Albanian Language Media:

 

• Sources: New round of Kosovo-Serbia dialogue next week (RFE)
• UNMIK chief Ziadeh meets Serbian Assembly President Brnabic, FM Djuric (media)
• Haxhiu: Neither UNMIK nor EULEX properly addressed war crimes cases (EO)
• Krasniqi: I have one dream that justice is served for sexual crimes in war (Klan)
• Sarrazin: Association was not topic at Berlin Process, at least not this year (Koha)
• Report: How the US elections could shake up the Western Balkans (media)
• US: Cases at Specialist Chambers will help build a state of law (Klan)

 

Serbian Language Media:

 

• Djuric to Ziadeh: The UN SC session an opportunity to point out the gravity of the situation in Kosovo (Radio Mitrovica sever, Tanjug, Kosovo Online, media)
• Brnabic with Ziadeh: Pristina violating Resolution 1244 and endangering the rights and security of Serbs (Kosovo Online)
• Vucevic: Kurti deliberately complicating the entry of Serbian goods into Kosovo, he will not open Jarinje and Brnjak (Kosovo Online, Tanjug, Beta, media) 
• Stano: New round of Belgrade Pristina technical-level dialogue on October 24 (media)
• Manojlovic: Seven years since the TV Pink video spot against Oliver Ivanovic (Danas, Beta, NMagazin)
• Lawyer Miljkovic: Kosovo media presented Aleksandar Jaksic as a member of a paramilitary unit (Kosovo Online)
• USA: The normalisation of relations between Serbia and Kosovo essential for the stability of the region (Kosovo Online)
• Russia: The Serbian population in Kosovo the most threatened minority in the region (Kosovo Online)

 

Albanian Language Media 

 

Sources: New round of Kosovo-Serbia dialogue next week (RFE)

 

Citing unnamed diplomatic sources, the news website reported on Thursday that a new round of meetings at the level of chief negotiators from Kosovo and Serbia in the EU-facilitated dialogue in Brussels is most likely to happen on Thursday next week. The news website also notes that EU officials always use the word “meetings” because they are not sure if there will be a tripartite meeting, namely a meeting between the two delegations hosted by the EU facilitator. The last time there was a tripartite meeting was July 2, however, after the meeting the parties had diametrically opposite positions about what happened in the meetings and traded accusations for “lack of readiness in the dialogue”.

 

UNMIK chief Ziadeh meets Serbian Assembly President Brnabic, FM Djuric (media)

 

Several news websites report that ahead of the session of the United Nations Security Council on Kosovo, SRSG and UNMIK chief Caroline Ziadeh met Serbian National Assembly President Ana Brnabic in Belgrade, “noting the importance of both sides prioritizing EU-facilitated Dialogue and UNMIK's commitment to promoting peace, stability and prosperity of the region”.

 

During her stay in Belgrade, Ziadeh also met Serbian Foreign Minister Marko Djuric, and discussed “the need for both Pristina and Belgrade to remain committed to constructive and good faith engagement in the EU-facilitated Dialogue”.

 

Haxhiu: Neither UNMIK nor EULEX properly addressed war crimes cases (EO)

 

Kosovo’s Minister of Justice, Albulena Haxhiu, said on Thursday that civil society organizations did the work that was supposed to be done by [international and local] institutions in terms of cases of sexual violence in conflict. “What the institutions failed to do in time, was done by civil society organizations, with the hope that there would be a higher number of convictions. It is late, it has been 25 years [since the end of the conflict], but it has been two years that we have started working on this. I have said it before that neither UNMIK nor EULEX have properly addressed the crimes. I think that cases of war crimes were intentionally not addressed, and I regret this, but we haven’t seen justice delivered by these missions,” Haxhiu said on the second day of an international conference on sexual violence in conflict. “In general, there was lack of readiness to address these crimes. What happened to the testimonies given by the victims, no one was held accountable for that. We cannot change history. It has been a sensitive process for the last two years. We had many meetings with victims of sexual violence”.

 

Krasniqi: I have one dream that justice is served for sexual crimes in war (Klan)

 

Vasfije Krasniqi, a survivor of sexual violence in the last conflict in Kosovo, said in an interview with the TV station on Thursday that she has only one dream and that is that justice is served for sexual crimes in conflict. She said that the victims of sexual violence hesitate to speak out because of prejudices, lack of support from their families and the blame put on them. “The victims hesitate to speak out, regardless of whether it is war or peace, when you are a victim of sexual violence, the victim is always blamed,” she said.

 

Krasniqi said that every person in Kosovo “must do their best to make sure that the perpetrators of those crimes are brought to justice … We should not forgive Serbia until justice is served. Only 70 cases were denounced, but there are 20,000 of them”.

 

Sarrazin: Association was not topic at Berlin Process, at least not this year (Koha)

 

German Envoy for the Western Balkans, Manuel Sarrazin, said on Thursday that the establishment of the Association of Serb-majority municipalities was not a topic at the Berlin Process this year.

 

Asked about the dynamic that Germany could apply for the establishment of the Association, referring to the influence it had in the removal of the measure of goods from Serbia, Sarrazin said the two topics are not related. “You know Germany’s position in the dialogue – the implementation of the Ohrid Agreement, with regards to Kosovo’s membership in the Council of Europe. But this was not a topic at the Berlin Process, at least not this year,” he said. 

 

Report: How the US elections could shake up the Western Balkans (media)

 

Several news websites covered on Thursday a report by the German Council on Foreign Relations titled “How the US elections could shake up the Western Balkans”. The report notes that “while several Balkan leaders cultivated relations with the Trump camp, they can also live with a Harris victory. They seem to be better prepared for the consequences of the US presidential election than many EU member states. Yet, regardless of who wins, the role of the United States in the Western Balkans is going to decrease. Thus, the region – with its unresolved conflicts and stalled integration – will need more serious strategic engagement from the EU and Germany no matter who the new US president is”.

 

“The engagement of the United States and its close cooperation with European partners have been major factors in providing regional stability in the Western Balkans ever since the 1990s. America’s legacy there includes a series of peace settlements reached after the wars in the former Yugoslavia that are guarded by NATO’s Kosovo Force (KFOR) in Kosovo and the European Union Force (EUFOR) in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Currently, three out of the six countries in the region – Albania, Montenegro, and North Macedonia – are NATO members. Two others – Bosnia and Kosovo – are at various stages of joining the alliance. Serbia, the largest country in the region, remains ­formally neutral while it maintains a working partnership with NATO and relies on KFOR for the protection of ethnic Serbs in northern Kosovo”. 

 

“The Western Balkans are now at a pivotal moment thanks to a combination of two factors: Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine and gradual US disengagement from Europe’s peripheries. These factors have also made the outcome of this US presidential election – with its starkly different consequences for Europe – a turning point for the region. This election comes at a time when local political elites have learned to translate increased geopolitical rivalries between Western and non-Western powers to their own advantages. Most prominently, Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić has expanded bilateral relations with China and Russia while simultaneously managing to continue with Serbia’s EU accession path despite non-alignment with its sanctions on Russia. Vucic has also kept the United States on his side by providing key military support to Ukraine.” 

 

Read more at: https://shorturl.at/6OtwT

 

US: Cases at Specialist Chambers will help build a state of law (Klan)

 

Ambassador-at-Large for Global Criminal Justice at the State Department, Beth Van Schaack, said on Thursday that the cases tried by the Specialist Chambers of Kosovo are about building a state of law and an independent judicial system. “It is very important for the international community to continue supporting that institution. It is trying crimes from the war in Kosovo, but it is also contributing to establishing a state of law within Kosovo. So we are doing everything we can to support that institution as it continues its work. There is a major case going forward, which includes the former head of the state, but there are also a number of other cases, including issues related to efforts to obstruct justice. There are also cases of witness intimidation. And these cases are equally important, because they are about building a state of law and a judicial system that can function free from outside pressure from individuals or entities that would not like to see these cases moving forward,” she argued.

 

Serbian Language Media 

 

Djuric to Ziadeh: The UN SC session an opportunity to point out the gravity of the situation in Kosovo (Radio Mitrovica sever, Tanjug, Kosovo Online, media)

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Serbia, Marko Djuric, met yesterday the Special Representative of the Secretary General of the United Nations and the head of UNMIK, Caroline Ziadeh. The situation in Kosovo and the upcoming regular session of the UN SC on the work of UNMIK, to be held October 30, were discussed, reported Radio Mitrovica sever, citing the Serbian MFA statement. 

On that occasion, Djuric emphasised that ''Serbia sees UNMIK as a key factor for the operation of the international presence in Kosovo and Metohija, and that it supports its continued engagement in an unchanged and undiminished capacity''.

The head of Serbian diplomacy emphasised ''the importance of a timely, adequate, and visible UN reaction to numerous incidents, provocations and unilateral acts of Pristina that violate UN Security Council Resolution 1244 and threaten the rights and security of Serbs and other non-Albanian populations'' read the MFA statement, reported Radio Mitrovica sever. 

Pristina, the minister said, openly rejects international calls to de-escalate the crisis in the north of Kosovo, from where Serbs have been emigrating en masse since June 2023.

Djuric stated that the upcoming session of the UN SC will be an opportunity to highlight the seriousness of the current situation in Kosovo and the threat to the rights of Serbs in the province.

Brnabic with Ziadeh: Pristina violating Resolution 1244 and endangering the rights and security of Serbs (Kosovo Online, parlament.gov.rs)

Ahead of the UN SC session on Kosovo later this month, Serbian Parliament Speaker Ana Brnabic met yesterday with the head of UNMIK, Caroline Ziadeh, drawing attention to the fact that Pristina is violating UN Security Council Resolution 1244 through unilateral actions, endangering the rights and security of Serbs and other non-Albanian populations in Kosovo.

Brnabic emphasised the necessity of respecting the human rights of Serbs and non-Albanian populations in Kosovo and conveyed to Ziadeh her concerns about the current situation on the ground, as stated by the parliament.

"The Community of Serb Municipalities has still not been formed, despite Pristina committing to it more than a decade ago," Brnabic reminded.

She reaffirmed Serbia’s unwavering commitment to peace and stability in the region and added that Pristina’s unilateral actions are violating UN SC Council Resolution 1244 and endangering the rights and security of Serbs and other non-Albanians.

"Serbia highly values the work and mandate of the UN office in Belgrade, especially as it serves as the main channel of communication with UNMIK, the United Nations mission in Kosovo and Metohija," concluded the Parliament Speaker.

UNMIK stated on X that Ziadeh emphasised the importance of Serbia and Kosovo prioritising EU-mediated dialogue and UNMIK's commitment to promoting peace, stability, and prosperity in the region.

"Ahead of the UN Security Council session on Kosovo, UNMIK head Caroline Ziadeh met with Serbian Parliament Speaker Ana Brnabic in Belgrade, highlighting the importance of both sides prioritising EU-mediated dialogue and UNMIK's commitment to promoting peace, stability, and prosperity in the region," read the post on X, reported Kosovo Online.

Vucevic: Kurti deliberately complicating the entry of Serbian goods into Kosovo, he will not open Jarinje and Brnjak (Kosovo Online, Tanjug, Beta, media) 

Serbian Prime Minister Milos Vucevic stated yesterday that Kosovo's PM Albin Kurti was doing everything to make it more difficult for Serbian goods to enter Kosovo, including unnecessarily long inspections and complicating the administration, with the aim of frustrating people and undermining what was supposedly agreed upon.

"Unfortunately, everything is going very poorly. Kurti agreed, signed, but in every way, he fundamentally minimises and acts destructively. They are conducting unnecessarily long inspections, complicating the administration just to make people nervous and to render meaningless everything that was allegedly agreed upon," Vucevic said, responding to a journalist's question about the long lines at Merdare, where Pristina recently approved the entry of Serbian goods. He recalled that Kurti also caused problems regarding CEFTA and the entry of Serbian goods into Kosovo, only to later reverse his decision, expecting praise.

"And then, he suddenly became accommodating and allowed goods from central Serbia to enter the province, expecting a gesture of gratitude because he suddenly appeared to be cooperative. It's like when a student who skipped classes shows up, and the teacher praises him—the one who was skipping, instead of those who have been present all along, doing their homework, getting good grades... But unfortunately, that's how it is when it comes to Kosovo and Metohija," Vucevic said.

He is convinced that Kurti will not allow goods to pass through Jarinje and Brnjak.

"He excuses himself by saying that he hasn’t received some scanners... With this, he wants to suggest that there’s a fear we’re sending who knows what, not just food, medicine, and necessities... He’s doing everything to make life more difficult for Serbs in KiM," Vucevic emphasised.

He highlighted that Kurti attacked yet another municipality yesterday that operates under the Serbian system in Kosovo and shut it down.

"He definitely won’t calm down, he has elections ahead, and a lot of trouble awaits us. We are in for a lot of tension with Kurti and a lot of concern about the fate of the Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija," Vucevic concluded.

Stano: New round of Belgrade Pristina technical-level dialogue on October 24 (media)

European Commission spokesperson Peter Stano confirmed to Tanjug on Thursday a new round of technical-level dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina would be held in Brussels on October 24.

The chief negotiators of Belgrade and Pristina in the EU-facilitated dialogue last met with EU special envoy Miroslav Lajcak in Brussels on September 17, but no trilateral meeting was held.

Manojlovic: Seven years since the TV Pink video spot against Oliver Ivanovic (Danas, Beta, NMagazin)

Savo Manojlovic, the representative of the "Move - Change" movement, recalled last night that seven years have passed since television "Pink" aired the video "in which the former politician and leader of the Kosovo Serbs, Oliver Ivanovic was persecuted", and asked again who ordered that video, reported Danas. 

Manojlovic asked the question in a post on X "who ordered the video on which a target was drawn on Ivanovic's forehead", adding that there was still no answer to that question, announced the movement.

Lawyer Miljkovic: Kosovo media presented Aleksandar Jaksic as a member of a paramilitary unit (Kosovo Online)

Lawyer Predrag Miljkovic, who represents Aleksandar Jaksic from North Mitrovica, said that his client's presumption of innocence was violated due to the unprofessional coverage of the Kosovo media, reported Kosovo Online.

"It is another one of the numerous cases that, of course, were inflated and pumped up by the Kosovo media, and brought to such a state that the public opinion creates the opinion that Aleksandar Jaksic is a member of some kind of military or paramilitary unit. Just look at what, for example, one of the portals published on the day when several locations in Mitrovica were searched. They selected a picture of him from Airsoft, with a replica of military uniform and with a replica weapon and presented him as some kind of member of a military or paramilitary unit," says Miljkovic.

He recalled that on that day in North Mitrovica, a search was carried out at several locations, and that camouflage scarves and camouflage clothing were found in the apartment of Jaksic.

However, he pointed out that the media headlines and the shows that were recorded lead to the creation of a negative opinion in advance, especially among the Albanian public. 

"Here, we found one more, I don't know, a soldier, or some special agent who lives there in the north. It is the most ordinary man, a young man who has nothing to do with the army, the police, or anything," said Miljkovic.

Miljkovic once again said that the photo presented with the found weapon, was not found in the house of Aleksandar Jaksic. 

"This kind of unprofessional reporting, including the statements of some officials and serious officials, has been following us for two years now, and it happened constantly. From Leposavic to Mitrovica, we have had dozens of cases where the presumption of innocence is violated without any problems, where everyone is characterized as it suits whom. And what is the biggest problem is when public opinion sees flash news, sees a picture, sees a photograph. It is news that has been read, that they understand, and thus their opinion has already been formed," he says.

It goes so far that, added Miljkovic, prosecutors, and judges, who also consume the news, in some way already form an opinion.

USA: The normalisation of relations between Serbia and Kosovo essential for the stability of the region (Kosovo Online)

The normalisation of relations between Kosovo and Serbia through dialogue with the support of the EU is of essential importance for regional stability and prosperity, said the US chargé d'affaires at OSCE, Katherine Brucker. She called on the member states to adopt a unified budget as soon as possible so that the OSCE Mission can continue its work in Kosovo without restrictions, reported Kosovo Online.

"The US supports Kosovo as a sovereign, multi-ethnic democracy and encourages its leaders to promote a society that respects the rights and includes all those living in Kosovo. Normalisation of relations between Kosovo and Serbia through dialogue with the support of the EU, as both countries agreed, is essential for regional stability and prosperity. The US believes that normalisation should end with the mutual recognition of Kosovo and Serbia, as both strive to achieve their aspirations for the EU," Brucker said at the session of the OESC Permanent Council in Vienna.

She said that the US supports the efforts of OSCE in Kosovo to improve inter-ethnic relations at the local level through dialogue and engagements that promote tolerance, inter-communal and inter-religious understanding. She added that, unfortunately, the OSCE Mission in Kosovo, like all other missions in the field, was facing significant operational difficulties due to serious financial constraints.

The inability of participating states to reach consensus on a unified budget has unnecessarily strained the ability of all missions on the ground to effectively conduct their mandates, hurting everything from staffing and resources to program implementation, Brucker said.

"We call on all participating states to adopt a unified budget as soon as possible. And here I simply want to mention that we have a golden opportunity in the next two months to adopt a unified budget for 2024 and 2025 and thus put OSCE on a sound footing," she appealed. She thanked the OSCE Mission in Kosovo for, as she said, its commitment to help Kosovo implement the necessary reforms and contribute to regional stability, but also expressed regret that Kosovo is still not an OSCE member.

"We remain firmly convinced that it is unfortunate that Kosovo is not a member state of this organisation and therefore is not able to speak on its own behalf before this body. We look forward to the day when that will happen," Bruker said.

Russia: The Serbian population in Kosovo the most threatened minority in the region (Kosovo Online)

The deputy permanent representative of Russia in OSCE Maxim Buyakevich said yesterday that the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, with the mediation of the EU, is in a "deep" standstill due to the constant provocations of the Pristina authorities. He pointed out that it is worrying that the Serbian population in Kosovo is the most vulnerable in the region, in terms of physical and property security.

Buyakevich pointed out that the OSCE Mission in Kosovo faces many challenges, given that the situation on the ground often escalates.

"In this regard, we emphasise the importance of the activities of the OSCE Mission in the areas of minority rights protection, including the area of education, preservation of (mainly Serbian) cultural and spiritual heritage, as well as the rule of law. The fact is worrying that the Serbian population in the region remains the most threatened minority in terms of physical and property security. We call on the OSCE Mission to keep this issue in focus," said Buyakevich. 

He noted that in the period covered by the Report of the OSCE Mission in Kosovo, there was no significant rapprochement between the positions of the two sides, but the situation is increasingly reaching a dead end due to continuous provocations by Pristina.

"We are talking, in particular, about the repeated cases recorded in the report on the incursions of the Kosovo Albanian police in four municipalities in the north of Kosovo and Metohija, as a result of which various Serbian institutions, including all post offices, were closed. And every time, the reaction of the actors invited to influence the negotiating process varied from expressions of 'concern and disappointment' to, imagine, 'deep concern and strong disappointment' regarding Albin Kurti's 'unilateral and uncoordinated' steps," Buyakevich emphasised.

He also pointed out that in connection with the key element in the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, the issue of establishing the Community of Serbian Municipalities, the EU's high representative for foreign policy and security, Giuseppe Borrell, expressed himself very clearly, saying that no progress had been made due to the preconditions set by Kurti and which make it impossible to discuss how to proceed further. 

He reminded that the search for a sustainable solution should be conducted in accordance with Resolution 1244 of the UN Security Council. "The solution must be acceptable to Belgrade and the Serbian people, and it must receive the approval of the UN Security Council," Buyakevich concluded.