Albanian Language Media: 

• US indefinitely suspends planned Strategic Dialogue with Kosovo (media) 
• Kupchan: Suspension of Strategic Dialogue, sign of U.S. dissatisfaction (RFE)
• Thousands protest in The Hague against the trial of former KLA leaders (media)
• Rama: Justice and only justice for Kosovo and its liberators (media)
• James Rubin to testify as witness of defence at the Hague today (media)
• Haxhiu reacts to Serbian List’s insults: Civil society is asleep (media)
• Cakolli: Provocative approach of Serbian List to be addressed by ECAP (media)
• UNMIK express concern over closure of Serbia-run institutions (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• UNMIK, OSCE, EU Office concerned over closure of RFZO and PIO in N.Mitrovica (Kosovo Online, Radio Mitrovica sever, KoSSev, Kontakt plus radio) 
• KFOR Commander: The situation in Kosovo calm, but the tension can rise suddenly (KiM radio)
• Elek: Our unity is the strongest weapon, we are worried about the silence of the international community (Radio Mitrovica sever, Politika)
• Announcement of restrictions on driving vehicles with foreign licence plates; the decision effects vehicles with license plates from central Serbia (RTS) 
• Four Kosovo Serb NGOs urge international action over new Government measures (KoSSev, Danas, KiM radio)
• One month detention to Radomir Delic (KiM radio, KoSSev, Kontakt Plus radio) 

International:

• Albanians rally in the Hague against Kosovo war crimes court (BIRN)

Albanian Language Media

US indefinitely suspends planned Strategic Dialogue with Kosovo (media) 

The main story over the last couple of days has been a statement by the United States Embassy in Kosovo issued on Friday announcing that the US has “indefinitely suspended its planned Strategic Dialogue with Kosovo due to concerns about caretaker government actions that have increased tensions and instability, constraining the ability of the United States to work productively with Kosovo on joint priorities”. 

“We remain committed to advancing joint interests shared by the United States and the people of Kosovo. Our relationship with Kosovo is based on a common goal: strengthening peace and stability as a basis for mutual economic prosperity. Unfortunately, recent actions and statements by Caretaker Prime Minister Kurti have posed challenges to progress made over many years”.  

“The strategic dialogue was intended to strengthen economic and diplomatic ties for the benefit of the American and Kosovan people. We hope to pursue such efforts in the future when appropriate. We know this a goal prioritized by the people of Kosovo”.

Radio Free Europe reported that the US decision comes after Kosovo’s measures against Serbian-run institutions in Kosovo and criticism against the Constitutional Court of Kosovo.

A spokesperson for the caretaker government of Kosovo said after the decision that relations with the US remain stable and that Kosovo is the most serious partner of the US for stability and peace in the region. He said that the government exercised a full mandate since the declaration of independence, contributing to institutional stability and social-economic development, despite global challenges, such as the pandemic, the energy crisis and the war in Ukraine. He also argued that the actions of the government were always legitimate and constitutional, aiming to eliminate areas of instability and strengthening the rule of law, especially in the north. He said that Kosovo has depoliticized the integration of the Serb community, by protecting people from Serbia’s illegal structures and offering concrete measures such as employment and the verification of diplomas issued by the Mitrovica North University. “We welcome the criticism too. Whenever they are concrete, we try our hardest to improve and correct our steps and actions,” the spokesperson said.

Kupchan: Suspension of Strategic Dialogue, sign of U.S. dissatisfaction (RFE)

American expert Charles Kupchan from the Council on Foreign Relations in Washington has said that the suspension of the Strategic Dialogue is a serious development and reflects the United States’ dissatisfaction with the government of Kosovo. “This is a serious issue, because the region needs more U.S. engagement, not less,” Kupchan told Radio Free Europe, emphasizing that the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia has not progressed for a long time.

Kupchan noted that with the change in administration in Washington, there were expectations that President Donald Trump would reengage in this process, but the recent announcement from the U.S. Embassy in Pristina regarding the suspension of the Strategic Dialogue suggests the opposite.

According to him, this decision is a combination of accumulated frustrations and growing dissatisfaction with Prime Minister Albin Kurti’s government. He pointed to several concerns, including the delay in electing the Speaker of the Assembly, Kurti’s criticism of the Constitutional Court, and uncoordinated government actions, such as the ban on the Serbian dinar, the installation of Albanian mayors in the north, and the failure to implement the Association of Serb-Majority Municipalities. “In Washington and in Europe, there is a perception that the government in Kosovo is not contributing to improving the situation. Therefore, the suspension of the Strategic Dialogue is a sign of dissatisfaction and frustration,” Kupchan emphasized.

He added that this move is intended to put pressure on Kosovo’s leadership, especially on Kurti, to act constructively, form a functioning government, and re-engage in dialogue with Serbia. Kupchan also stressed the importance of compromise and good-faith negotiations among all political parties in Kosovo, to restore stability and move forward. “...this shows that Washington is watching developments closely and will do what it deems necessary to prevent instability before it happens,” Kupchan concluded.

Thousands protest in The Hague against the trial of former KLA leaders (media)

One of the leading stories in the media on Sunday was the protest in front of the Specialist Chambers in the Hague, where thousands of people gathered to express their opposition to the judicial process against the former leaders of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA). Waving Albanian national flags and holding posters with portraits of Hashim Thaci, Kadri Veseli, Rexhep Selimi, and Jakup Krasniqi, they called for justice and the end of what they described as injustice against the liberation war. The protest in The Hague was organized to demand justice for the former General Staff leaders of the KLA, who are being tried by the Specialist Chambers, and to express dissatisfaction with a trial process that is nearing its end. 

The head of the KLA War Veterans’ Organization, Hysni Gucati, addressed the Western states in his speech, urging them to stop what he described as an injustice. “Europe must not allow justice to become a political instrument. The democratic world must not turn a blind eye to such a grave injustice. History should not be written through indictments, but through the truths of our liberation war. We appeal to the international conscience: do not punish Kosovo for its freedom. You are judging the liberators as criminals, while the true criminals of Serbia today enjoy their freedom,” Gucati said.

Robert Bosch, former Dutch ambassador to Kosovo, who also spoke at the protest, stated that the KLA was NATO’s ground force. “They have come to the conclusion that the KLA was a terrorist organization. This is unacceptable, and I will tell you why. In 1999, I was the contact person between the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and I had the duty to report every day. What we said every morning was that the KLA was NATO’s foot on the ground,” Bosch stated. “Calling the KLA a criminal organization is a great insult to NATO.” he added.

Rama: Justice and only justice for Kosovo and its liberators (media)

Most news websites that Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama expressed support for the protest in the Hague yesterday, writing in a Facebook post “justice and only justice, only justice, nothing more than justice and nothing but justice for Kosovo and its Liberators”.  

James Rubin to testify as witness of defence at the Hague today (media)

Most news websites report this morning that James Rubin, former U.S. assistant secretary of state for public affairs in the Clinton administration from 1997 to 2000, will testify as a witness of the defence in the trial against former KLA leaders in the Hague today. 

Under the headline “Kosovo’s allies return as witnesses in the Hague”, Radio Free Europe reports that the defense teams said the list of those that will testify on their side, starting from September 15, is confidential. But several names of witnesses of the defence have circulated in the press, including former NATO Supreme Allied Commander Wesley Clark, former UNMIK chief administrator Bernard Kouchner, and others. 

Haxhiu reacts to Serbian List’s insults: Civil society is asleep (media)

Deputy Speaker of the Assembly from the Vetevendosje Movement (LVV), Albulena Haxhiu, has reacted to recent developments in Kosovo related to the situation in the north and the beginning of the election campaign, placing emphasis on statements made by members of the Serbian List. "In the 2025 parliamentary elections, we insisted that the Serbian List should not be certified. Among other things, we said that there was no distancing whatsoever from this list, especially regarding the Banjska case. Reactions came from all over. In the local elections, again we requested that they not be certified. Even then, there were reactions. We all saw the profiles of Serbian List MPs, each more anti-Kosovo than the other, each more ‘parallel’ than the other," she stated.

According to Haxhiu, during the opening of the election campaign, the same individuals insulted Prime Minister Kurti and used offensive language toward the institutions of of Kosovo. "Yesterday, at the opening of the campaign, the same people insulted Kurti again, awaited their ‘liberation’ from him, and chanted ‘brother Milan’. This time, there was no reaction. Civil society, once eager to react against Vetevendosje when it opposed the Serbian List, is now asleep even when this list insults everything our Republic represents," she concluded.

Cakolli: Provocative approach of Serbian List to be addressed by ECAP (media)

The representative of the Kosovo Institute of Justice (IKD), Eugen Cakolli, has responded following statements made by the Deputy Speaker of the Assembly, Albulena Haxhiu. Cakolli said that the Serbian List's campaigns have almost always been built on provocative rhetoric and offensive language towards Kosovo's institutions. This time, he said, it was clearly visible through a banner with the name “Milan”, which, according to him, was associated with the chief terrorist Milan Radoicic.

According to him, the way the name appeared on the banner was meant to create ambiguity, later being justified as referring to the Serbian List’s mayoral candidate, who shares the same first name. “This issue can and must be addressed by the Election Complaints and Appeals Panel (ECAP). There, the Serbian List will either be forced to publicly distance itself from the name Radoicic by clearly linking the name 'Milan' to their candidate, or face a heavy fine, or both,” Cakolli wrote.

He added that in order to win this case, the proper approach is to follow legal complaint procedures, not accuse civil society. “Representatives of the ruling party, instead of accusing civil society of 'not reacting,' should follow the legal complaint procedures. For this, they have around 24 hours left within the legal deadline,” Cakolli stressed.

UNMIK express concern over closure of Serbia-run institutions (media)

Several news websites reported on Sunday that the UN Mission in Kosovo expressed concern “over the closure of Serbia-run institutions in the north of Kosovo, including the Pension and Disability Insurance Fund and the Republic Health Insurance Fund”. “Actions in these matters, carried out without consultation or prior notice to the affected communities, negatively impact their daily lives and socioeconomic rights, hinder their integration & restrict access to healthcare and other essential services. UNMIK reiterates its calls for all outstanding issues to be addressed constructively through the EU-facilitated Dialogue,” the mission said in a statement.

Serbian Language Media

UNMIK, OSCE, EU Office concerned over closure of RFZO and PIO in N.Mitrovica (Kosovo Online, Radio Mitrovica sever, KoSSev, Kontakt plus radio) 

The United Nations Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) expressed concern yesterday over the closure of the Serbian Pension and Disability Insurance Fund (PIO) and the Republic Health Insurance Fund (RFZO) branches in North Mitrovica. UNMIK stressed that all actions conducted without consultations or prior notice to the affected communities have a negative impact on their daily lives.

“Additionally, many in non-majority communities, including Kosovo Serbs, continue to face challenges in obtaining Kosovo identification documents and valid residency permits, which may impede their ability to register their vehicles and receive license plates. Actions in these matters, carried out without consultation or prior notice to the affected communities, negatively impact their daily lives and socioeconomic rights, hinder their integration & restrict access to healthcare and other essential services. UNMIK reiterates its calls for all outstanding issues to be addressed constructively through the EU-facilitated Dialogue,” read UNMIK’s post on X. 

On Friday, municipal inspectors in North Mitrovica, assisted by Kosovo Police, entered the branches of the Serbian PIO Fund and RFZO.

Following the closure of the two institutions, the OSCE Mission reacted Saturday, expressing concern and noting that the measure will affect beneficiaries of healthcare services, pension payments, school supplies, and social assistance. Read the full OSCE statement at: https://tinyurl.com/44c4wvkz

Prior to the OSCE Mission in Kosovo, the EU Office in Pristina told Kosovo Online that the Kosovo Police raid on the RFZO and PIO Fund premises represented yet another uncoordinated action of the outgoing Kosovo government, adding that such actions negatively affect the lives of ordinary citizens, primarily Serbs in Kosovo, but also other communities. They said such actions negatively affect the lives of ordinary citizens, primarily Serbs in Kosovo, but also other communities in Kosovo. The Office emphasized that the EU has repeatedly stressed that the status of the Serbian community must be addressed in accordance with the EU-led dialogue, the agreements reached within that dialogue, and Kosovo laws.

“The EU calls upon the outgoing Kosovo government and relevant Kosovo institutions to refrain from such provocative and damaging actions and to seek consultations with the local Kosovo Serb community, and international partners alike,” the EU Office in Kosovo added.

KFOR Commander: The situation in Kosovo calm, but the tension can rise suddenly (KiM radio)

The outgoing commander of KFOR, Major General Enrico Barduani, said in an interview for KiM radio that the security situation in Kosovo was currently calm, but subject to sudden tensions due to challenges in the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, inflammatory rhetoric and misinformation. He emphasized among other things that the solution was not military, but political, and that KFOR has a key role in preserving stability.

Barduani stated that the Serbian Army respects the obligations from the Kumanovo Agreement and that KFOR did not notice any irregularities in its activities. 

When asked if Serbia, based on the information at his disposal, was really a destabilizing factor in the Western Balkans region, as Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani recently stated in an interview with TV Poland in Alpbach, Austria, the general replied that "as a soldier", he prefered to "rely on facts" and that he was not free to "state personal speculations".

He also pointed out that there was no confirmed evidence of the presence of the Civil Protection in the north of Kosovo.

Speaking about the importance of constructive dialogue, he called on all parties to avoid inflammatory rhetoric and be ready for compromises. KFOR monitors the situation and, if necessary, increases the presence of additional forces, as it did after the events in Zvecan and Banjska in 2023.

As a "red line" for KFOR intervention, he stated any threat to the security of the people of Kosovo. He emphasized that their reactions are always based on impartiality and proportionality.

Finally, Barduani said that KFOR remains visible, flexible and ready to support peace and dialogue, in cooperation with the Kosovo Police, EULEX and local communities.

Elek: Our unity is the strongest weapon, we are worried about the silence of the international community (Radio Mitrovica sever, Politika)

The president of the Serbian List (SL), Zlatan Elek, stated that the goal of Albin Kurti was to "behead the Serbs" by attacking this party, but also that he was particularly concerned about the silence of the representatives of the international community ''who issue statements without content'', but he pointed out that many things can be changed for the better through unity. He called his compatriots for cohesion. 

"Our unity is the strongest weapon, we are confident that we will win a convincing victory in all ten majority Serbian municipalities,'' said Elek in an interview for Politika.

When asked if he thinks that Kurti can, without choosing the means, throw SL out of the election race, Elek replied that, unfortunately, this was a real danger that activates before every election, recalling that Kurti has tried before to prevent this party from acting freely through institutional pressures and repression.

"His goal is the marginalization of the Serbian people and the elimination of the Serbian List as the only authentic representative of the Serbs. And his behavior does not surprise us. What surprises and disappoints us at the same time is the silence of the international community on dozens of ethnically motivated incidents and the flagrant violation of all legal acts that are in force only to expel the Serbs from Kosovo and Metohija. That is why the attack on the Serbian List is purposefully designed to decapitate our people," said Elek.

He stated that the Serbian people lost their trust in international representatives a long time ago, and that their reaction was reduced to statements without content, which essentially encourage Kurti.

"I have no faith in them, because neither the will nor the readiness to stand up for the protection of the Serbian people has been shown. At hundreds of our arguments at meetings, they just nod their heads and say that they understand us. In addition to that understanding, clear and effective action is needed. With their behavior, they are direct accomplices in the suffering and persecution of our people," Elek pointed out.

Asked if he fears that "Trepca" will be under the full control of Pristina, he said that this was what worried him in this situation and pointed out that Kurti was already conducting illegal actions in connection with "Trepca".

"I will remind you that some time ago, money was taken from the account of Trepce-North, which is managed by Serbs, and given to the workers of Trepca-South. And of course there was no reaction from the international community. Apart from what you stated, all of Kurti's actions can be described in one sentence, he is doing everything he can to make life as difficult as possible for Serbs in these areas. He wants ethnically pure Kosovo and Metohija to be annexed to Albania. That is a fact," stated the president of the SL.

Announcement of restrictions on driving vehicles with foreign licence plates; the decision effects vehicles with license plates from central Serbia (RTS) 

The police in northern Kosovo announced that, as of November 1, owners of vehicles with foreign license plates will not be able to drive in the area for more than three months, and this decision may particularly affect owners of vehicles with Serbian license plates. According to the announcement, driving a vehicle without authorization will also be prohibited, reported RTS on Friday night. 

The police explain that residents of Kosovo, if they have temporary or permanent residence abroad, can drive a vehicle with foreign license plates for no longer than three months.

A vehicle with foreign license plates cannot be driven without the owner's presence, nor can the owner be authorized to drive that vehicle on the roads of Kosovo.

"A vehicle registered in a foreign country, owned by a Kosovo citizen with permanent or temporary residence outside Kosovo, may be driven by a Kosovo citizen who also has temporary or permanent residence in the country of origin of the vehicle, and must have the authorization of the country from which the vehicle comes," read the decision.

Furthermore, a person who imports a foreign vehicle, and who does not have a regulated temporary or permanent residence in the country from which the vehicle comes, has the right to drive that vehicle in road traffic for a maximum of eight days after the vehicle enters Kosovo.

Fines are also provided for violation of this decision, and a driver who drives a vehicle in road traffic contrary to the aforementioned rules will be fined 200 euros.

The fine for drivers of commercial vehicles with foreign plates, such as buses, transport vehicles exceeding 3,500 kilograms and vehicles transporting dangerous goods, is 270 euros if they participate in road traffic for more than eight days after the vehicle entered Kosovo.

Deputy Director of Police for the North Region, Veton Elshani, told the media in Albanian that the fines will apply to all, except in special cases that may be applied to ambulance vehicles of healthcare institutions operating in the Serbian system in Kosovo.

Four Kosovo Serb NGOs urge international action over new Government measures (KoSSev, Danas, KiM radio)

Four Serb civil society organizations from Kosovo – CASA, NSI, InTER and Aktiv – have issued an appeal to the international community over planned Kosovo government measures on mandatory residence registration and vehicle restrictions, calling them politically motivated and aimed directly at the Serb community. In a statement, the NGOs warned that the measures are not administrative reforms but part of “a broader policy leading to an ethnically homogeneous Kosovo” and a pattern of “systematic discrimination” against Serbs. They highlighted unresolved issues around civil registration and documentation and urged the EU to take responsibility and prevent the crisis from deepening. “You could very soon find yourselves in a situation where there are no Serbs left in Kosovo to talk to,” the NGOs cautioned.

On the same day Kosovo authorities closed the Serbian Pension and Disability Fund and the Serbian Health Insurance Fund, they also announced the implementation of two laws that, while not explicitly mentioning Serbia, primarily affect the Serb community in Kosovo.

From 1 November, Kosovo plans to enforce Article 41 of the Law on Vehicles, covering the use of cars registered outside Kosovo. Authorities also announced the start of mandatory residence registration for all residents without Kosovo documents – a legal requirement previously 

unenforced.

These changes target thousands of Serbs who, since the ban on Serbian-issued license plates for Kosovo municipalities, drive cars registered in Serbia, often under power-of-attorney. Many also lack Kosovo identity documents despite living, working or studying in Kosovo for years.

“These measures are neither legal nor administrative, as Pristina claims, but political – designed to obstruct and disable the daily functioning of the Serb community while avoiding the real issue: why thousands of Serbs, more than a decade into the integration process, still cannot obtain Kosovo documents,” the NGOs said.

Read more at:https://tinyurl.com/meb4x55w

One month detention to Radomir Delic (KiM radio, KoSSev, Kontakt Plus radio) 

The Basic Court in Pristina ordered for Radomir Delic from Zvecan one month detention. Delic was arrested on Friday on suspicion of having committed war crimes against the civilian population in Kosovo in 1999, reported KiM radio.

Lawyer Milos Delevic, who represents Delic in this case, stated that his client was being charged with a war crime committed on the territory of the municipality of Vucitrn.

"The reasonable suspicion is based on witness statements. However, the investigation into these war crimes in Vucitrn did not begin a month ago. It did not begin a year ago. This investigation began 26 years ago. In 26 years, no one mentioned Radomir Delic, until probably a year ago, when some witnesses simply felt that he was also a participant in a war crime," said Delevic.

He pointed out that Delic worked as a bus driver and that he was passing the crossing every day.

International

Albanians rally in the Hague against Kosovo war crimes court (BIRN)

The red and black of the Albanian flag dominated the streets of The Hague on Sunday as hundreds of ethnic Albanians from Kosovo, other countries in the Balkans, EU states, the UK and the US gathered to show support for former president Hashim Thaci and three other wartime Kosovo Liberation Army leaders who are on trial for war crimes and crimes against humanity.

While the protest officially started at 2 p.m. local time in a designated area between the Kosovo Specialist Chambers war crimes court and the detention centre where Thaci and his co-defendants have been held for almost five years, KLA war veterans and their supporters began gathering from the morning onwards to voice their opposition to what they see as a biased trial.

The protesters marches through the streets of the Dutch city, singing patriotic songs and chanting “KLA” and the names of the four defendants: Thaci, Kadri Veseli, Jakup Krasniqi, Rexhep Selimi. Some held a banner with the words: “Freedom to our warriors and leaders who brought these happy days to us.”

Several protesters who travelled to The Hague from Kosovo, Belgium, Finland, Germany, France and the US told BIRN that they want justice for the wartime KLA leaders and called the court “unjust” and “biased against Kosovo Albanians’ just war [against Serbian oppression]”.

The protest comes a day before the defendants’ lawyers begin the case for the defence. Thaci’s first witness is former assistant US secretary of state James Rubin.

Read more at: https://shorturl.at/zbFTk