Albanian Language Media:

• O’Brien and Eichhorst today in Pristina, expected to meet Kurti (Gazeta Express)
• Lajcak: It’s time to start the implementation of agreements (media)
• Kurti: Kosovo is accelerating forward in key sectors (media)
• Osmani begins visit to U.S., will attend activities related to WPS Agenda (media)
• Ursula von der Leyen in Pristina on Saturday, will meet Osmani and Kurti (RTK)
• Reuten: No one in Serbia was held accountable for attack in Banjska (media)
• Shukri Buja summoned by the Specialist Chambers in the Hague (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Vucic with O'Brien and Eichhorst: I expressed concern about the challenge of the Serbs in Kosovo  (RTS, Tanjug)
• Vucic expressed to Putin the hope that Serbia will not impose sanctions on Russia (NMagazin, Beta, RTS, Tanjug, media)
• Djuric: Serbia has backed letter of support for Guterres (Tanjug, media)
• Former Serbian List leader Goran Rakic allegedly beaten in North Mitrovica (N1, nova.rs)
• A man suspected of attacking the Aleksic family in Gracanica arrested (KiM radio)
• SVN adopted "Strategy framework for survival" (KiM radio)
• Visits of Serbian Artists to Kosovo - Obstacles on the road, but at the destination, pure joy (Kosovo Online)

Albanian Language Media 

O’Brien and Eichhorst today in Pristina, expected to meet Kurti (Gazeta Express)

U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Europe and Eurasia, James O’Brien, and Managing Director for Europe and Central Asia at the European External Action Service, Angelina Eichhorst, will stay in Pristina today. Citing unnamed sources, the news website reports that they are scheduled to meet Prime Minister Albin Kurti. 

Lajcak: It’s time to start the implementation of agreements (media)

EU special representative for the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia, Miroslav Lajcak, said in a Facebook post on Sunday that “the past several days have been mostly about preparation as we gear up for the upcoming meeting of Chief Negotiators on 24 October in Brussels. I had a productive visit to Vienna, where I engaged in a deep and insightful discussion with Kosovo First Deputy Prime Minister Besnik Bislimi about the steps needed for implementing the Agreement on the Path to Normalisation. It's time to start the implementation in earnest”.

Lajcak also said that “a highlight of the last week was attending the anniversary of the Berlin Process Summit in Berlin at the invitation of Chancellor Scholz. It was a good reminder how the EU’s stance on enlargement has evolved over the past decade. Today, the EU is more prepared than ever, but success equally depends on the Western Balkans’ commitment to tackling tough reforms”.

Kurti: Kosovo is accelerating forward in key sectors (media)

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti in his address at the Kosovo Economic Forum in Paris, said that “Kosova is accelerating forward in key sectors such as renewable energy, infrastructure, Tech and innovation, light manufacturing, and agriculture. With competitive corporate taxes and streamlined business processes, our country has become an emerging leader in Southeast Europe”.

“Today, at the inaugural Kosova Economic Forum in Paris, together with cabinet ministers, we highlighted the advantages and opportunities our country offers to foreign investors. We extended our invitation to French companies to invest in Kosova and become part of our transformation. Together with partners, we can build a stronger economy, a more prosperous region, and a future we can all be proud of,” Kurti said.

In another post on X, Kurti said “happy to be back in Paris and to meet again with Benjamin Haddad, the French Minister Delegate for European Affairs and Rene Troccaz, Special Envoy for the Balkans. The Kosova Economic Forum provided a valuable opportunity to gather, network, and bring companies and businesses from our countries closer together. It was also a chance to discuss, on the margins of the Forum, our bilateral relations, the economic development of Kosova, the EU integration process, and regional cooperation. I thanked Mr. Haddad for the continued support of France”.

Osmani begins visit to U.S., will attend activities related to WPS Agenda (media)

All media report that Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani has started her visit to the United States. “We are in the United States of America to participate in several activities related to the Women, Peace, and Security Agenda. Today, we started with the International Republican Institute (IRI), where we discussed cooperation in the field of security, partnerships, women, peace and security, and Kosovo’s future. Grateful as always for the invitation and the dynamic discussion!” Osmani said in a Facebook post.

Ursula von der Leyen in Pristina on Saturday, will meet Osmani and Kurti (RTK)

President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, will start a tour in the Western Balkans this week. On Saturday, she will stay in Pristina and is scheduled to meet President Vjosa Osmani and Prime Minister Albin Kurti. 

Reuten: No one in Serbia was held accountable for attack in Banjska (media)

Dutch member of the European Parliament, Thijs Reuten, in an interview with TeVe1, said that EU member states should remove the penalty measures against Kosovo and that the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia should be reviewed due to lack of results. 

“The penalty measures should have never been imposed on Kosovo. There were even greater incidents that have remained unpunished such as Banjska. So far no one from the Serbian government has been punished. Kosovo certainly needs to improve on some issues but the penalty measures are not reasonable at all. Kosovo has not been and is not a destabilizing factor in the region. The time has come for the member states to remove the penalty measures against Kosovo,” he said.

According to Reuten, the Europeans need to be harsher on Serbia because of “its destabilizing role in the region”. “I want to see Serbia moving toward membership in the European Union because this would be better for the whole region of the Western Balkans,” he argued.

Shukri Buja summoned by the Specialist Chambers in the Hague (media)

Former mayor of Lipjan municipality, Shukri Buja, said on Sunday that he has been summoned by the Specialist Chambers of Kosovo in the Hague. “Upon the invitation by the Specialist Chambers of Kosovo based in the Hague, today without my wish … I travelled to the Hague,” he wrote in a Facebook post. Buja, a former member of the Kosovo Liberation Army, did not specify in what capacity he was summoned. Radio Free Europe notes that this is not the first time that Buja is summoned by the court, as he was interviewed as a suspect in July 2019. Buja is mentioned in the amended indictment in 2022 in the case against four former KLA leaders.

Serbian Language Media 

Vucic with O'Brien and Eichhorst: I expressed concern about the challenge of the Serbs in Kosovo  (RTS, Tanjug)

The President of the Republic of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, today, in a meeting with the US Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs, James O'Brien, and the Executive Director of the European External Action Service for Europe, Angelina Eichhorst, expressed his deep concern about the challenges that the Serbian people face every day in Kosovo. 

"An excellent meeting with James O'Brien and Angelina Eichhorst, with a focus on the political situation in the region, the current situation in Kosovo and Metohija and the strengthening of cooperation in numerous areas. We also exchanged opinions on the role of Serbia in the Western Balkans and in Europe," said Vucic on Instagram profile "buducnostsrbijeav". He added that he informed the interlocutors in detail about the situation in Kosovo.

Vucic expressed to Putin the hope that Serbia will not impose sanctions on Russia (NMagazin, Beta, RTS, Tanjug, media)

The President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, said that yesterday, in a conversation with the President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, he expressed the hope, as he did two and a half years ago, that Serbia will not impose sanctions on Russia, as well as that he showed his gratitude for the support for our efforts at the UN and the support for the territorial integrity of Serbia and said that it will not change.

"I just finished a conversation with Putin, we didn't talk for almost two and a half years. We had a good, open, long and meaningful conversation about what was the occasion - 80 years since the liberation of Belgrade, and I thanked Putin for his congratulations and pointed to the steadfast and libertarian spirit the Serbian people and the gratitude of Serbia and our people," Vučić said in a video message on Instagram.

Vucic said that the Serbian units, together with the Red Army, participated in the liberation of capital of Serbia.

Djuric: Serbia has backed letter of support for Guterres (Tanjug, media)

Serbian FM Marko Djuric said on Friday Serbia had backed a letter of support for UN SG Antonio Guterres following Israel's decision to declare him a persona non grata. Responding to questions from reporters at a press conference with Slovak FM Juraj Blanar, Djuric noted that reports to the contrary by some media outlets were untrue.

"Serbia has backed that letter, but we do not take requests from certain circles in Belgrade or tabloids that want to determine what statement we will make on what day," he said.

Earlier, some media outlets reported Serbia was allegedly not among the more than a hundred UN member states that have signed the letter of support for Guterres, recalled Tanjug. 

Former Serbian List leader Goran Rakic allegedly beaten in North Mitrovica (N1, nova.rs)

Marko Jaksic, a member of the People's Movement of Serbs from Kosovo, revealed to the newspaper "Nova" that Goran Rakic, the former leader of Serbian List, was allegedly beaten in North Mitrovica. According to Jaksic, Rakic suffered a broken arm and multiple stitches on his head and is currently recovering at home.

“It’s a public secret here that he was beaten. He received medical help and was sent home to recover. Why the authorities don’t admit it, is another question, likely because it’s an embarrassment for them,” Jaksic said.

He mentioned that local rumors suggest two Serbs attacked Rakic, but the motives remain unclear. There have been speculations about Milan Radoicic being involved, but Jaksic dismissed this, saying, “If Radoicic wanted to do it, he could’ve done it more easily in Belgrade.”

Kosovo media reported on October 13 that Rakic was assaulted the previous night near his apartment in northern Mitrovica. The incident wasn’t reported to the police, and the hospital hasn’t confirmed treating him. Additionally, Rakic has not made any public statements about the incident.

Some media outlets accused Goran Vucetic of being the attacker, but Vucetic, through his lawyer, denied this, stating he was hiking at the time. His lawyer announced legal action against the outlets spreading this claim.

A man suspected of attacking the Aleksic family in Gracanica arrested (KiM radio)

The police unit from Pristina arrested a person suspected of robbery in Gracanica, when on September 29, the Aleksic couple was attacked and beaten in Gracanica.

"The work of police investigators, who have undertaken operative and investigative actions since the day of the report, resulted in the identification and arrest of the suspect. It is about a man with the initials I. J., 42 years old, from Kosovo," the police statement said. The suspect was detained by the prosecutor's decision.

The beaten spouses Dragan and Ducanka Aleksic were first transported to the hospital in Gracanica, and then they were urgently transferred to Pristina for further treatment, recalled KiM radio.

SVN adopted "Strategy framework for survival" (KiM radio)

The Serbian National Council of KiM adopted the "Strategy framework for the survival of Serbs and other non-Albanian population in Kosovo and Metohija", it was announced yesterday.

At the session held in Kursumlija, members of the SNV stated that "a consensus was reached with all national and political institutions on two key issues: First, that all factors in the Republic of Serbia respect the Constitution of the Republic of Serbia and UN Security Council Resolution 1244, and secondly, that all political, security and economic potentials are invested to help the Serbian people in Kosovo and Metohija in their national, political, economic and social recovery".

It was stated that Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts (SANU), ProGlas, parliamentary and non-parliamentary opposition parties, associations, movements, and distinguished intellectuals contributed, but not the SOC in the creation of the "Strategy Framework", reported KiM radio.

The statement emphasized that Patriarch Porfirije and Metropolitan Teodosije refused to talk and help "Strategy Frameworks", and to, as they say, respond in the best way to the historical moment in which the nation is. At the same time, they point out that the Rectorate of the University of Pristina with its headquarters in Kosovska Mitrovica did not respond to the request of the SNV Presidency either.

"The Presidency has decided to send the "Strategy Frameworks" to all national and state institutions, as well as the Serbian Orthodox Church, while it will ask the parliamentary opposition parties to present the "Strategy Frameworks" of the Serbian National Council of Kosovo and Metohija at the next session, where the topic will be and KiM,'' the announcement stated.

Visits of Serbian Artists to Kosovo - Obstacles on the road, but at the destination, pure joy (Kosovo Online)

“Someone of ours has come to visit us.” This sentence, as actor Petar Bozovic described it earlier this spring for Kosovo Online, captures how the Serbian people in Kosovo feel when someone from central Serbia visits them. Direct contact with actors, writers, painters, and other artists brings an immense amount of love and understanding, something much needed during these times, according to the impressions of audiences in Serbian communities. Is it feasible for Serbian artists to visit Kosovo more frequently?

Far from it being the case that they don't visit places like Velika Hoca, Pec, Gracanica, Leposavic, or North Mitrovica. However, everyone in Serbian communities would wish for these visits to be "regular."

Actor Svetozar Cvetkovic, who last visited Kosovo in Gracanica for the promotion of the book "Sa Cvejom," dedicated to actor Branko Cvejic, shared his thoughts: visiting Kosovo "is never often enough."

It’s also true, as noted by those interviewed by Kosovo Online, that the process isn’t the same when a theatre troupe travels to Vranje versus Gracanica, and that writers often struggle to bring even ten books with them when heading to a book promotion in Kosovo. Despite the detailed preparations for performances like The Book of Milutin in northern Kosovo, the authorities in Pristina ultimately barred the Belgrade-based Zvezdara Theater troupe from entering Kosovo in May.

Read more at:https://tinyurl.com/yckbnsj9