UNMIK Media Observer, Morning Edition, October 7, 2025

Albanian Language Media:

Osmani says Vucic tried to ruin the summit “with insults and arrogance” (media)
Osmani seeks support from Austria and Slovenia for lifting EU measures (RTK)
Austria and Slovenia pledge support for Kosovo’s EU path (media)
Belgium seeks prison deal with Kosovo, Osmani to meet Belgian Ministers (media)
Rubin says some judges in Hague asked “remarkably biased questions” (media)
Stamenkovic: The Serbian List has made life difficult for Serbs in Kosovo (EO)
KFOR troops conduct crowd and riot control exercise (media)
Milanovic: Croatia is ready to help the region without distinction (Koha)

Serbian Language Media:

Vucic after Brdo-Brioni Summit: European path is strategic for all of us; there were disagreements with Osmani (media)
Petkovic slams Osmani, accuses her of "blind hatred" toward serbs (media)
Djuric meets Botsan-Kharchenko, says stronger international support to Serbs in Kosovo needed (media)
Witnesses: Kostic did not mistreat us (media)
Serbian Health Minister on new employment opportunities in health sector in Kosovo (Euronews)
Kosovo Serbs protest in Belgrade: “Public sector layoffs for Serbian List opposition” (N1)
Kurti in US: Without official reception and no comment about lack of meetings (Radio KIM, Radio kontakt plus)
UNESCO Executive Board elects Egyptian Minister El-Anani as New Director-General (media)
Israel deports 171 activists, including Serbian student Ognjen Markovic (N1, media)

International Media:

Judge shot to death in Albanian courtroom (Balkan Insight)

Albanian Language Media

Osmani says Vucic tried to ruin the summit “with insults and arrogance” (media)

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani told reporters after the Brdo Brijuni Summit in Durres, Albania, that Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic tried to ruin the meeting with insults and arrogance. “As in other meetings of the Brdo Brijuni Process, perhaps with an even bigger dose, Serbia’s Vucic addressed the summit with insults and arrogance in an attempt to ruin the meeting. We managed in the end to adopt the joint statement with unanimity. And of course, to every propaganda that Vucic tried to sell before the participants, we the Republic of Kosovo had our strong arguments, arguments that are based on what is right and strongly supported by international law through the decision of the International Court of Justice,” Osmani said.

Osmani said that Kosovo supports regional cooperation and that it will defend “its state interests, sovereignty and territorial integrity”. “Although Vucic had complaints about the joint agreement between Kosovo, Albania and Croatia, in the area of defense, he got our joint confirmation that this step marks a cooperation that is aimed for our defense. My response was that throughout our history as a nation, we never attacked anyone, we never invaded anyone, but we have always defended ourselves and we will continue to defend ourselves and our territorial integrity … Our alliance is an alliance to defend ourselves from threats from others. In our case, the Republic of Kosovo, the threat comes from Serbia, and we will certainly continue to strengthen our army so that it is capable of defending every centimeter of the territory of Kosovo and our freedom which was won with so much sacrifice,” she argued.

Osmani also said that although Kosovo has met all conditions and aligned fully with the EU foreign and security policy, it still is under penalty measures from the EU. “None of the [EU] member states is ready to say what are the reasons for keeping the sanctions in power, although all conditions that were set forward in the Bratislava agreement have been met. Meanwhile, although we submitted our membership bid in 2022, because of some member states, the European Commission has not even been mandated to deal with the issue of candidate status for Kosovo. This leads to a conclusion that the process is not merit-based but is influenced by political developments and internal considerations that some member states take into account when they decide whether or not they will support a country. Because if it was a merit-based process, Kosovo – as the number one reformer not only in the region but according to Gallup International, the leading country in Europe in terms of rule of law and third in the world – would move forward and now we would have been very close to membership, but unfortunately political developments in some member states are blocking the process,” she said.

Osmani seeks support from Austria and Slovenia for lifting EU measures (RTK)

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani has called on Austria and Slovenia to support the removal of EU restrictive measures against Kosovo. She made the request during a meeting with Austria’s Federal Minister for Europe, Integration and Family, Claudia Plakolm, and Slovenia’s State Secretary for European Affairs, Neva Grasic. The meeting focused on Kosovo’s strong relations with both countries. President Osmani thanked them for their ongoing support and engagement in promoting regional stability. “President Osmani highlighted Kosovo’s progress in implementing European reforms and requested Austria’s and Slovenia’s backing for lifting the EU’s restrictive measures, calling them unjustified in light of the country’s achievements,” the Presidency’s statement reads.

She also expressed hope that these two friendly nations will be among the strongest voices pushing forward Kosovo’s EU candidate status, just as they have supported other countries in the region.

The statement further emphasized that Kosovo remains fully committed to European values, democracy, equality, and human rights, while its friendship and partnership with Austria and Slovenia are key pillars of Kosovo’s foreign policy.

Austria and Slovenia pledge support for Kosovo’s EU path (media)

Kosovo’s First caretaker Deputy Prime Minister for European Integration, Development, and Dialogue, Besnik Bislimi, held a meeting on Monday with Austria’s Minister for Europe, Integration and Family, Claudia Plakolm, and Slovenia’s State Secretary for European Affairs, Neva Grasic. The discussion focused on Kosovo’s EU integration process, economic development, the dialogue with Serbia, and the security situation in the region. All parties emphasized the importance of close regional cooperation and reaffirmed Austria’s and Slovenia’s continued support for Kosovo on its path toward EU membership.

Deputy PM Bislimi thanked both partner countries for their consistent backing and highlighted Kosovo’s significant progress over the past four years. He pointed to the highest economic growth in the region; a drop in unemployment from 23.8% to 10.9%; social policies supporting mothers and children and increases in pensions and the minimum wage. Bislimi stressed that these achievements, along with visa liberalization and Kosovo’s EU membership application, clearly show that Kosovo is ready for candidate status.

The meeting also included discussions on the EU Growth Plan for the Western Balkans, the Berlin Process, EU enlargement, and the need to lift the EU’s punitive measures against Kosovo.

Belgium seeks prison deal with Kosovo, Osmani to meet Belgian Ministers (media)

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani is scheduled to meet today with Belgium’s Minister of Justice, Annelies Verlinden, and the Minister of Asylum, Migration, and Social Integration, Anneleen Van Bossuyt, according to an official statement from the Presidency.

“At 09:30, the President of the Republic of Kosovo, Vjosa Osmani, will receive in a meeting the Belgian Minister of Justice, Annelies Verlinden, and the Minister of Asylum, Migration, and Social Integration, Anneleen Van Bossuyt,” the announcement states.

The visit is part of a three-day trip by the two Belgian ministers to Albania and Kosovo, focused on exploring the possibility of leasing or building a prison in one of the two countries.

Rubin says some judges in Hague asked “remarkably biased questions” (media)

Former US Assistant Secretary of State James Rubin said in an interview with Christiane Amanpour that the Specialist Chambers in the Hague “has now taken international criminal law into a very weird and troubling place. I was testifying on behalf of the former President and Prime Minister of Kosovo, Hashim Thaci, and the trial goes against what I always understood the principle of war crimes tribunals. The purpose, in addition to giving justice to the victims of war crimes, is to make sure that individual accountability is directed and assigned to the individuals who committed the crimes and that collective guilty and collective responsibility is expunged so that these wars that are based on ethnic conflicts don’t go on and on and on, where all Serbs think that all Albanians hate them and committed murder, and all Albanians think that all Serbs hate them and commit murder. That’s not true. Most Albanians and most Serbs are great people and most of them would prefer to live in peace with each other. But this trial is blaming the leaders of the KLA for things that happened that they had no control over”.

Rubin said that he testified at the Specialist Chambers for three long days “and I need to say here that the judges to my surprise asked my questions that seemed remarkably biased. They didn’t sound like questions that were fact-finding. The prosecutor gets to make his case. The defense makes his case. The judges are supposed to gather evidence so that they can sit down and make a judgment. And from the questions that I got from some of the judges I got the feeling that they already decided that the KLA was a perfectly functioning organization, that Hashim Thaci sat at the top of it, and that is not true. So the first answer to the question is: this tribunal has to do the right thing, basically declare them not guilty, and then the United States with the Europeans have to sit down with the leaders of Kosovo and Serbia and get this problem solved. There is no reason why the Balkans needs to permanently be at each other’s throats and to have the risk of war breaking out again. This is a solvable problem with

Stamenkovic: The Serbian List has made life difficult for Serbs in Kosovo (EO)

Stefan Stamenkovic, candidate of the Civic Initiative Justice and Equality for the mayor of Shterpce, said on Monday that the Serbian List has made life difficult for Serbs in Kosovo. “I call on all those whose lives have been made difficult by the Serbian List and the policies of which have led to your children leaving Kosovo forever. I also call on those who are exposed to pressure because of social benefits or jobs – because these funds belong to all of us and not to individuals,” Stamenkovic said in a meeting with the citizens of Shterpce.

Stamenkovic also said that unity among Serbs should not be “according to Belgrade’s standards”. He called on all citizens to support the options of the opposition “and to back all those that are fighting against the political euthanasia of our people”. “When Petar Petkovic [head of the Serbian government’s office for Kosovo] can invite and bring people that don’t live here and for them to decide on our behalf, it is time to stand under one flag,” he said.

KFOR troops conduct crowd and riot control exercise (media)

NATO’s peacekeeping mission in Kosovo, KFOR, said on Monday that the Regional Command-East maneuver battalion conducted a multinational Crowd and Riot Control (CRC) exercise at Camp Novo Selo, Kosovo. “The Polish contingent demonstrated their proficiency in breaching obstacles, operating under pressure, supporting Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) procedures, and providing casualty care. U.S. teams assisted in EOD activities, while Latvian soldiers provided drone coverage, showing utmost coordination and interoperability among KFOR’s multinational units. Such exercises strengthen cohesion, interoperability, and mutual trust — essential for maintaining readiness and effectiveness in complex security environments,” KFOR said in a Facebook post.

Milanovic: Croatia is ready to help the region without distinction (Koha)

Croatian President Zoran Milanovic said on Monday that his country is ready to help the region without any distinction. At a joint press conference with his counterparts from Albania and Slovenia at the Brdo Brijuni Summit in Durres, Albania, Milanovic said that “Croatia is part of the system, and it will remain part of the system. We will try to make all the necessary political moves”.

Milanovic also said he wishes for the next forum of the process to be held in Croatia.

Slovenian President Natasa Pirc Musar focused on the EU integration of Western Balkans. “Slovenia will promote this by finding solutions to accelerate the process. We need the support of 27 member states. Remember that the EU was built as a peace process and for me this is the most important thing,” she said.

Serbian Language Media

Vucic after Brdo-Brioni Summit: European path is strategic for all of us; there were disagreements with Osmani (media)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said following the Brdo–Brioni Process Summit in Durres, that participants reaffirmed the European path of the Western Balkans, which he described as strategic for everyone in the region. He added there were disagreements during the plenary session with Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani, to whom he said he wished many more tourist visits like her recent trip to New York during the UN General Assembly.

“We had a plenary session where we confirmed the European path of the Western Balkans. There were disagreements between me and Osmani. Here, no one goes by state titles, only by names, and that is a good legacy of this process. But I spoke about that kind of hypocrisy and double standards, where each of us tries to gain something at someone else’s expense, while there is very little of a common approach to solving problems in the Western Balkans”, Vucic said.

When asked whether there was discussion about the possibility of a global conflict, something he had warned about before, Vucic said that the talks mainly focused on territorial integrity, which, as he noted, “everyone interprets however they want”.

“Just imagine Vjosa Osmani talking about protecting territorial integrity… It turns your stomach upside down, and yet everyone nods their heads and acts like she said something smart”, Vucic said.

He added ironically that they recalled her “tourist days” at the United Nations, alluding to the fact that during her recent stay in New York she had no official bilateral meetings with anyone from the US administration. “I wished her many more tourist experiences in life. We’ll continue with that”, he said.

Petkovic slams Osmani, accuses her of "blind hatred" toward serbs (media)

Office for Kosovo and Metohija Director Petar Petkovic reacting to Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani’s remarks at Brdo-Brioni Summit in Tirana, said Osmani once again confirmed that her “unhealed wound” is the fact that Serbian President, Aleksandar Vucic, stands out among other regional leaders for his vision, seriousness, and genuine concern for the future of the Western Balkans, Kosovo Online portal reported.

“From her limited perspective as an intruder and tourist at such gatherings, Osmani cannot understand when someone acts and thinks beyond the framework of Balkan paranoia and jealousy toward others, showing genuine statesmanlike responsibility toward the entire region and all peoples who live in it”, Petkovic said in a statement.

According to him it is only natural that Osmani, as “a representative of a provisional political structure” which, he said, is responsible for “one of the greatest ethnic cleansings in modern European history, lacks any sense of the collective interests of the states and peoples of the Western Balkans”. Petkovic also accused Osmani that “her appearances at international gatherings are not only demonstrations of paranoia and blind hatred toward everything Serbian, but also proof that the loss of a sense of reality has become a collective illness among many political elites, with some ready to build the future on lies, false premises, and the shaky foundations of post-truth”.

International Media

Judge shot to death in Albanian courtroom (Balkan Insight)

Judge Astrit Kalaja died in hospital on Monday after being shot by a gunman inside Tirana’s Court of Appeal – drawing shocked reactions from political leaders in Albania.

According to Albanian media reports, two other people were wounded in the attack. The police are yet to comment on the motive behind the shooting or how the gun was smuggled through the court’s security system.

A police statement said that a person involved in a court hearing, which it identified as “E. Sh., 30 years old”, fired a gun at the judge and three other people involved in the case who were in the courtroom.