Albanian Language Media:

• Hovenier: Association needs to be one of the first steps (RFE)
• Osmani meets Blinken, “alliance with U.S. existential and unbreakable” (media)
• Osmani and Lajcak meet in New York (media)
• Kosovo conveys its position on dialogue through note verbale (RFE)
• Turner: Washington to engage more in breaking Kosovo-Serbia stalemate (VoA)
• Special Prosecution confirms arrest of three Serbs on war crime charges (media)
• Kallxo journalist wins EU first prize for investigative journalism (Kallxo)

Serbian Language Media:

• Vucic accuses Kurti of starting ethnic cleansing (N1)
• Vucic: We will request urgent UNSC session over situation in Kosovo (Tanjug)
• Dacic: Serbia's position stable, no chance of Pristina joining UN (Tanjug, media)
• Arrested Serbs remanded to 48-hour custody (KoSSev, media)
• Lawyer of Serb arrested in Priluzje: There is not even reasonable doubt that he committed act he is accused of (Kosovo Online)
• Pristina prosecution confirms arrest of 3 Kosovo Serbs (N1, KoSSev)
• Petkovic reacts to latest arrests of Serbs in Kosovo (Tanjug)
• Petkovic: Serbia to demand urgent UN session on Kosovo (Radio KIM, N1)

 

 

Albanian Language Media

 

Hovenier: Association needs to be one of the first steps (RFE)

United States Ambassador in Pristina, Jeffrey Hovenier, said in an interview with Radio Free Europe on Wednesday that the U.S. expects both Kosovo and Serbia to implement all obligations and arrangements from the Ohrid agreement for the normalization of relations. He said Kosovo needs to move forward with the Association of Serb-majority municipalities and “this needs to be one of the first steps”. “We believe it needs to be in full compliance with the current Constitution of Kosovo. We believe it needs to be in full compliance with the decision of the Constitutional Court. We don’t believe it should have executive authorities or competencies,” he said.

Hovenier said that Serbia has a different vision but that “this doesn’t mean that Kosovo can take forward an association that addresses the concerns of the Serb community in Kosovo”. “Serbia can ask for more, but ultimately this is what the United States and the international community are prepared to see as acceptable,” he said.

Hovenier said he hopes that Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti will work with representatives of the European Union toward this strategic objective, and that if he doesn’t do that there will be consequences.

He also said that the U.S. have strong faith in the EU facilitators of the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia.

Osmani meets Blinken, “alliance with U.S. existential and unbreakable” (media)

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani met with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in New York on Wednesday. “An important discussion with Secretary Blinken on Kosovo's Euro-Atlantic future, strengthening our country's international standing, stability in the region, and the importance of alignment with allies. Our alliance with the United States is existential and unbreakable,” Osmani wrote on X after the meeting.

Osmani and Lajcak meet in New York (media)

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani met with EU Special Representative for the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia Miroslav Lajcak in New York on Wednesday. “Emphasized that its success is linked to a balanced and full implementation of the Brussels agreement and Ohrid annex, as well as the removal of EU measures that are affecting our citizens,” Osmani said after the meeting.

Lajcak said they had a detailed and useful conversation with Osmani, “on the state of play in the Dialogue and the way forward in advancing the implementation of the Agreement on the path to normalization. Agreed to continue our discussion.”

Kosovo conveys its position on dialogue through note verbale (RFE)

Kosovo’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora confirmed to Radio Free Europe on Wednesday that it sent a note verbale to several countries about the latest developments in the EU-facilitated dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia. The ministry however did not disclose details about the content of the letter saying that it cannot comment on it.

Turner: Washington to engage more in breaking Kosovo-Serbia stalemate (VoA)

U.S. congressman Mike Turner said in an interview with Voice of America that the Biden administration needs to pay more importance to unresolved issues in the Balkans. “We want to make sure that as Russia’s aggression and brutality in Ukraine continues, we don’t have another region in Europe that gets destabilized or enters into an unresolvable conflict,” he said.

Turner said in his meeting with Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani he made clear the need for the formation of the Association of Serb-majority municipalities as a commitment from the European dialogue and which has the support of the United States. “This is a commitment that was made, and the Prime Minister needs to implement it,” he said.

“I think this is the time for President Biden’s administration to step up the efforts of the State Department, even though our embassies are working extensively on this issue. I think more can be done through diplomatic means.”

Turner also said that “the United States need to make it clear that this is not only a bilateral issue between Kosovo and Serbia, but that the implementation of agreed arrangements is a multilateral issue between the EU, United States and Kosovo – the EU, U.S. and Serbia.”

Special Prosecution confirms arrest of three Serbs on war crime charges (media)

The Special Prosecution of Kosovo said in a statement that three persons of Serbian nationality were arrested on Wednesday on the suspicion of having committed war crimes against the civilian population. “Following an order by the Special Prosecution of the Republic of Kosovo, Kosovo Police arrested today three persons of Serbian nationality, accused of the criminal offense ‘war crimes against civilian population,” the statement notes.

Kallxo journalist wins EU first prize for investigative journalism (Kallxo)

Kreshnik Gashi, a journalist of Kallxo, won the EU first prize for investigative journalism for 2023 in Kosovo. The prize was awarded on Wednesday during a ceremony organized by the EU. Dafina Halili from Kosovo 2.0 won second prize, and Saranda Ramaj from Koha Ditore was awarded the third prize.

Head of the EU Office in Kosovo, Tomas Szunyog, said in a post on X: “Congratulations to the winners of the annual EU investigative journalism award in Kosovo: Kreshnik Gashi, Dafina Halili and Saranda Ramaj. Their courage, professionalism & integrity have shone a light on pressing issues in #Kosovo. Proud to support this crucial work.”

 

 

Serbian Language Media

 

Vucic accuses Kurti of starting ethnic cleansing (N1)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic on Wednesday accused Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti of launching the ethnic cleansing of Serbs, N1 reports.

“Kurti has started one of the final operations of ethnic cleansing of Serbs from Kosovo”, Vucic said in New York where he is attending the UN General Assembly.

He said that the Serbian authorities will use all diplomatic and political means to protect the Kosovo Serbs. “We are calling all international representatives to react and do everything so that the Serbs remain on the territory of Kosovo and Metohija and for the release of the arrested”, Vucic said.

Vucic: We will request urgent UNSC session over situation in Kosovo (Tanjug)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic announced on Wednesday Belgrade would request that an urgent UN Security Council session be called over the situation in Kosovo, Tanjug news agency reported.

"We are working on that. We are assessing all possibilities and we will definitely request a session. We will see what the date of the session on the report on UNMIK is and we will make a request at some other time", Vucic told reporters in New York, where he is attending a UN General Assembly session.

He said a refusal to hold an urgent UNSC session would be "some kind of a signal".

"We have had enough of both sides being blamed because it is clear who is to blame here. It is also clear to those who support such behavior of (Albin) Kurti. They can no longer hide behind that by saying the Serbs are equally to blame", Vucic said.

He said he had discussed a request for an urgent UNSC session with Defence Minister Milos Vucevic and Serbian Armed Forces Chief of General Staff Gen Milan Mojsilovic and that a final decision on this was due after more discussions next weekend.

Dacic: Serbia's position stable, no chance of Pristina joining UN (Tanjug, media)

Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic said in New York Serbia's position was stable and that all officials of other countries he had spoken with on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in the past two days understood the situation Serbia had found itself in due to the violation of its territorial integrity and sovereignty.

Dacic also noted there was no chance of Pristina being admitted to the UN.

"I think our position is stable and that all those countries understand the situation Serbia has found itself in due to the violation of our territorial integrity and sovereignty and that, for now, despite the fact that there are individual incidents in the sense that Pristina's representatives are misusing their ability to come here as guests, representatives of an observer mission from Kosovo and Metohija who are not a part of the official General Assembly, there are no indications or announcements that there will be a change of attitude when it comes to the majority required for UN membership", Dacic told Tanjug news agency in a statement.

Arrested Serbs remanded to 48-hour custody (KoSSev, media)

Two Serbs arrested in northern Kosovo yesterday have been remanded to 48-hours in custody, and they are being charged with allegedly committing war crimes, their lawyers said, KoSSev portal reports. Iija Elezovic was arrested in Mitrovica North and soon after Dragan Milovic was arrested in Zvecan.

After those arrests in Mitrovica North and Zvecan, Kosovo police arrested another Serb in the village of Priluzje, in Vucitrn municipality.

Milos Delevic, defense attorney of Dragan Milovic told KoSSev that his client is accused of allegedly mistreating civilians in Vucitrn during the conflict, and that he has been detained for 48 hours.

Delevic added that his client claims he is innocent, as well as that he worked in Kosovo police for 10 years, when he passed all security checks.

“It should be emphasized that he also has a case over his usurped property“, Delevic said in relation to arrested Milovic.

Lawyer: Ilija Elezovic transferred to hospital

Ljubomir Pantovic, lawyer of Ilija Elezovic at a press conference held near the main bridge in Mitrovica North yesterday afternoon, confirmed that his client is also charged with alleged war crimes against the civilian population. However, he did not give details about the case itself.

He also said his client had been detained for 48 hours, but also that, due to his health condition, he was transferred to a hospital in Pristina.

Lawyer of Serb arrested in Priluzje: There is not even reasonable doubt that he committed act he is accused of (Kosovo Online)

Predrag Miljkovic, lawyer of Zoran Kostic, arrested by Kosovo police in Priluzje village, near Vucitrn yesterday, soon after Kosovo police arrested two Serbs in northern Kosovo, told Kosovo Online portal there is not even reasonable doubt that his client committed an act he is accused of, given that has never been member of the army, police or any other forces during the conflict in Kosovo.

Miljkovic said his client, who is a farmer, was arrested in Priluzje in front of his family house. He was interviewed in a police station in Pristina, and charged with allegedly committing war crimes against the civilian population in the Vucitrn area in 1999.

“He gave the statement in my presence, and denied carrying out any criminal acts. Zoran Kostic never changed his residence, he lived in Priluzje his whole life and if police invited him, he would certainly respond to that summon”, Miljkovic said. 

Pristina prosecution confirms arrest of 3 Kosovo Serbs (N1, KoSSev)

Three Serbs were arrested by Kosovo police on Wednesday, the KoSSev news portal reported citing prosecution in Pristina. The prosecution confirmed the arrests, adding that the three men would be charged with allegedly committing war crimes, N1 reports citing Mitrovica North-based KoSSev portal. 

A prosecution press release said that three Serb men were arrested for alleged war crimes against the civilian population but did not specify the exact crime of where it was committed, the portal added. 

Petkovic reacts to latest arrests of Serbs in Kosovo (Tanjug)

Serbian Government Office for Kosovo and Metohija Director Petar Petkovic said on Wednesday the arrests of three Serbs by Kosovo special police units earlier in the day were continuation of ethnic cleansing of Serbs there, Tanjug news agency reports.

At a press conference, Petkovic said the arrests meant that Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti's threats that Serbs "would suffer and pay" had begun to materialize, and added that another arrest was likely underway in Kajkovo village in Leposavic municipality.

He said Kosovo police had arrested Ilija Elezovic - an elderly man who is also a serious oncological patient - Dragan Milovic - a father of three - and 73-year-old Zoran Kostic, whose arrest was assisted, as he said, by employees of Pristina's power company who had come to his home purportedly to check his electricity meter.

"Today's arrests, which I can call kidnappings, were made exclusively on orders from Kurti, who wants to expel Serbs from Kosovo and Metohija. That is an example of ethnic cleansing (...)", Petkovic said.

Petkovic: Serbia to demand urgent UN session on Kosovo (Radio KIM, N1)

Office for Kosovo and Metohija Director Petar Petkovic said he received instruction from the Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic to start with procedure for requesting an urgent session of the UN Security Council on situation in Kosovo and intentions of Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti to, as he said, ethnically cleanse Kosovo of Serbs, Radio KIM reports.

Addressing an extraordinary press conference at the Palace of Serbia in Belgrade, Petkovic said it is only a matter of day when Serbia will officially send the request and when this session will be held.

He also said Kurti, with the latest arrests of Serbs, some of whom were “kidnapped” and accused of alleged war crimes, creates a situation that leads to “causing war”.

He also said Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti has support for his actions by those speaking “about policies of the both sides”.