Albanian Language Media:

• Kosovo, the newest member of the Open Government Partnership (RTK)

• Kurti meets with Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of US Department of State (Reporteri)

• President Osmani traveled to Brussels, to meet with NATO SG (media)

• Bislimi meets Lajcak: Kosovo remains constructive and insists on full equality between parties (Klan)

• EULEX chief visits Special Prosecutor's Office: I support work of prosecutors (RTK)

• Kurti on the 24th anniversary of the Police: Together in the fight against crime (media)

• Svecla in the north, congratulates policemen on anniversary of KP establishment (Klan)

• KFOR Commander: There is no military solution to the unstable situation in Kosovo (Klan)

• Svecla on Interpol membership: There are political obstacles (Klan)

• LDK initiates the Investigative Commission for State Reserves (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• KFOR Commander: The situation in Kosovo still "very unstable" due to mutual distrust (Tanjug)

• Dejan Pantic released on bail (KoSSev)

• Petkovic on Pantic's release on bail (Radio Mitrovica sever) 

• Enver Hasani: The instruction to remove the mayor is illegal and inconsistent with the Constitution (Radio Mitrovica sever, RFE)

• Who is moving in, and who is usurping apartments in the Leposavic municipality? (KoSSev)

• Tamara Vucic at First Ladies Summit in Kyiv (N1)

International Media:

• EU enlargement chief backs 2030 deadline (politico.eu)

• Rights Activists Weren’t Able to Fully Probe Kosovo Crimes: Witness (BIRN)

Albanian Language Media

Kosovo, the newest member of the Open Government Partnership (RTK)

With the participation of the Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti in the eighth Summit of 75 member countries and 104 civil society organizations, which is being held in Tallinn, Estonia, Kosovo begins its journey as the newest member of the OGP. According to the announcement, this is the second international organization that Kosovo will join in 2023. 

At the opening of the Summit, Prime Minister Kurti addressed the participants saying that "Political activism has taught me that the power of change lies in the hands of the citizens. As their leader, I am committed to ensuring that their voice is not only heard, but also included in government".

In addition to Prime Minister Kurti, Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, Malawi President Lazarus Chakwera, Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader and OGP Secretary Sanjay Pradhan also addressed the participants.

This is the second international organization that Kosovo will join in 2023, after joining the ICMP in July, while the process of joining the Council of Europe continues successfully, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announces.

Kurti meets with Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of US Department of State (Reporteri)

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti met on Wednesday with the acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of the U.S.State Department, Allison Peters, within the 8th Global Open Government Partnership Summit being held in Estonia.

According to the Office of the Prime Minister, the meeting discussed Kosovo's membership in the Partnership for Open Government and the possibilities of cooperation with American agencies, such as USAID, in the implementation of the National Action Plan for POG, with emphasis on the first pillar of this plan, namely digital transformation.

"Thanks to the government's attention to digital transformation, especially with e-government services and digitization in education, which is expected to translate into investments of 100 million euros in the next five years, it is intended to offer the most appropriate infrastructure for the companies of this the sector so that they can develop as much as possible', says the announcement of the OPM.

Speaking about Kosovo's potential in the field of Information Technology, OPM says that Kurti emphasized that Kosovo ranks first in the Western Balkans in the IT competitiveness index, first in Emerging Europe for the number of students in the IT field for 100,000 inhabitants, and the second for technological infrastructure.

"Besides it, Prime Minister Kurti also singled out the progress in international indicators of transparency, the rule of law and the fight against corruption", the announcement states.

President Osmani traveled to Brussels, to meet with NATO SG (media)

 Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani, traveled on Wednesday to Brussels for an official visit to the NATO headquarters. According to a press release, she will meet on Thursday, at 2:00 p.m., the Secretary General of NATO, Jens Stoltenberg.

After the meeting, President Osmani and Secretary Stoltenberg will address journalists in a joint press conference. 

During the official visit to NATO, the president will also have a meeting with the chairman of the NATO Military Committee, Admiral Rob Bauer. Osmani will also hold meetings with the U.S. ambassador to NATO, Julianne Smith, as well as with representatives of other allied states.

"During the visit, President Osmani will reaffirm the determination of the people and institutions of the Republic of Kosovo to advance the path towards NATO membership, starting with the Partnership for Peace program, strengthening cooperation and coordination with allies, in particular on security issues, expressing the gratitude of the people of Kosovo for the ongoing role and contribution of NATO in Kosovo, as well as the commitment to joint contribution for long-term peace, stability and security in our region", the announcement states. 

Prior to the official trip to the NATO headquarters, Osmani met on Wednesday with the commander of the KSF, Bashkim Jashari. 

Bislimi meets Lajcak: We insist on equality of parties in dialogue (media)

 Kosovo’s Deputy Prime Minister Besnik Bislimi took to Twitter to inform about his meeting with the EU Special Representative Miroslav Lajcak.

"Conversations on the dialogue process today before the high-level meeting next week. Kosovo remains constructive and insists on ensuring full equality between the parties in the dialogue. The basic agreement must be implemented in its entirety and without delay. A fair and sequenced plan with balance is crucial", Bislimi wrote. 

Lajcak also informed about the meeting. “Thanks to DPM Besnik Bislimi for meeting in Brussels today. We had a long and substantive discussion in preparation of next week's High-level Dialogue Meeting. Our main focus was on how to advance the normalization of relations,” he wrote.

KFOR Commander: There is no military solution to the unstable situation in Kosovo (Klan) 

Kosovo remains "very unstable" even though the security situation has calmed down since the major outbreak of violence in May, the commander of the KFOR troops Major General Angelo Michele Ristuccia said on Wednesday. He said that the tension between the two sides remains high due to political differences.

"The situation is calm after the events of May 29. But somehow, the situation is still very unstable. We perceive the tension - the tension due to ... the multitude of unresolved issues," he told reporters at the NATO Headquarters in Brussels.

"If we have to make a diagnosis of what's going on, I would say the most worrying disease is mistrust - mistrust between the parties," he added.

 "This means that there is no military solution. The only solution is a political solution," he was quoted as saying. 

Svecla in the north, congratulates policemen on anniversary of KP establishment (Klan)

The Minister of Internal Affairs, Xhelal Svecla, visited the north of Kosovo on Wednesday. Klan Kosova reported that it learned through sources that the minister stayed for 30 minutes at the police station in the north, in which case he congratulated the policemen on the occasion of the anniversary of the establishment of the Kosovo Police.

This visit comes after threats addressed to Svecla on Tuesday on the Facebook social network by "Severna Brigada" that they will kill him.

On Tuesday, the Kosovo Police confiscated weapons and military equipment in the north of Kosovo. According to KP, so far no arrests have been made in this case, but there are suspects. 

EULEX chief visits Special Prosecutor's Office: I support work of prosecutors (RTK)

The Chief Prosecutor of the Special Prosecution of Kosovo, Blerim Isufaj, welcomed in a meeting today the new head of EULEX, Giovanni Pietro Barbano.

During this meeting, Chief Prosecutor Isufaj congratulated the head of EULEX for his new assignment, and assessed as important the role of this mission in monitoring the work of judicial institutions, with special emphasis on the Special Prosecutor's Office.

"Meanwhile, the head of EULEX, Pietro Barbano, expressed his willingness, within the mandate of this mission, to help and support the work of the Chief Prosecutor of the Special Prosecution and all local prosecutors", it is stated in the announcement of the Special Prosecution.

Also, Chief Prosecutor Isufaj informed the head of EULEX about the work, challenges and objectives of this institution, in order to strengthen the Special Prosecutor's Office, as well as increase the trust of the citizens in the institution that he leads.

Kurti on the 24th anniversary of the Police: Together in the fight against crime (media)

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti has congratulated the Kosovo Police on its 24th anniversary, guaranteeing support for law enforcement in the fight against organized crime and corruption. He said that the motto "24 years in service and protection" best shows the representation of the Kosovo Police.

"Since the first police generation, when it started training on September 6, 1999, our Police served all our citizens, protecting their lives and property and preserving the sovereignty of our country," Kurti said.

As the Government of the Republic of Kosovo, he says that they are committed to fighting crime, corruption and any illegality that affects the security of the country and its citizens.

"...I am grateful that in this journey of more than two years, we have achieved success thanks to dedicated and professional police officers throughout the territory of the Republic of Kosovo", Kurti wrote on the Facebook social network.

Over 1,100 operations carried out, 100 criminal groups destroyed, over 2,200 kg of narcotic substances confiscated, 16 drug laboratories destroyed, according to Kurti, are successes that have ranked the Kosovo Police among the most reliable institutions for citizens "while the they have put the Republic of Kosovo on the list of serious states dedicated to fighting crime".

"I congratulate all the police officers who are in charge of their duties in every corner of the Republic of Kosovo on the 24th anniversary of the establishment of the Police. Together we share challenges and successes, together we will raise and strengthen our country even more", Kurti wrote.

Svecla on Interpol membership: There are political obstacles (Klan)

Interior Minister Xhelal Svecla has also spoken about Kosovo's membership in Interpol. He said that this process has political obstacles. However, he was convinced that this can be achieved.

"I am convinced that with a proper mobilization of all the actors in this field we will achieve this success just as we became part or sent our representative to Europol", he said.

The head of the MIA made these statements during the exhibition of some of the weapons, equipment and units of the Kosovo Police.

LDK initiates the Investigative Commission for State Reserves (media) 

The Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) has initiated establishment of a Parliamentary Commission regarding the procedures for the supply and management of state reserves, as well as for possible misuse and abuse of these reserves.

The head of the LDK Parliamentary Group, Arben Gashi, in a post on Facebook announced that they have submitted the signatures for the establishment of this commission.

"What has been done with the state reserves? Who, when, where, why and how are they involved in these processes and what is the epilogue of their actions? Were the contracts in accordance with the law and did the parties fulfill their obligations according to those contracts? It is high time for everyone to submit the facts and submit to the necessary truth. The state and society need to know the truth!", Gashi wrote on Facebook.

Serbian Language Media

KFOR Commander: The situation in Kosovo still "very unstable" due to mutual distrust (Tanjug)

KFOR commander Angelo Michele Ristuccia said last night that the situation in Kosovo is still "very unstable", even though security tensions have calmed down after the escalation of violence in May, reported Tanjug. 

He assessed that tensions between Serbs and Albanians are high due to political differences. "The situation is calm after the events of May 29''.

''But, in a way, the situation is still very unstable. We notice the tension due to many unresolved issues," Ristuccia told reporters at the NATO headquarters in Brussels.

Dejan Pantic released on bail (KoSSev)

A former member of the Kosovo Police, Dejan Pantic, who was arrested in early December last year, and who was under house arrest for months, has been released on bail, his attorney, Ljubomir Pantovic, confirmed for KoSSev.

„The family of Dejan Pantic today deposited a certain amount of money in the court account and he was released today at his own recognizance,“ stated Pantovic.

The lawyer pointed out that Dejan Pantic’s house arrest was “unusually long“ and contrary to judicial practices in Kosovo, reported KoSSev.

Petkovic on Pantic's release on bail (Radio Mitrovica sever) 

Director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija, Petar Petkovic, said in a post on social network "X", formerly Twitter that a former member of the Kosovo Police, who was arrested on December 10 last year, has had his house arrest revoked, and will defend himself pending trial while on bail. 

"Dejan Pantic, who was first held by the Kosovo Police at the base in Jarinje for days without medication or contact with his family, and who was only transferred to house arrest after strong pressure from Serbs from Kosovo and Metohija and diplomatic action by Belgrade at the end of the year, was released today on bail to defend himself pending trial, '' said Petkovic stated in his post. 

Dejan Pantic was arrested at the Jarinje crossing on December 10, on suspicion of having participated in the attack on the premises and staff of the Central Election Commission on December 6 in North Mitrovica.

As a sign of protest, Serbs have set barricades on the same day in the north of Kosovo.

Enver Hasani: The instruction to remove the mayor is illegal and inconsistent with the Constitution (Radio Mitrovica sever, RFE)

The former president of the Kosovo Constitutional Court, Enver Hasani, assessed that the administrative instruction of the Kosovo Ministry of Local Self-Government Administration for the removal of the mayor is contrary to the Constitution, and that the government shows a lack of will to resolve the situation in the north of Kosovo, reported Radio Mitrovica sever, citing RFE.

Hasani, who is also a professor of law and international relations at the University of Pristina, stated in an interview with RFE that due to the lack of a law on citizens' initiative or referendum, even this instruction cannot be in accordance with the Constitution.

His opinion is that most appropriate for the mayors of the four municipalities in the north of Kosovo to resign. 

According to the Law on Local Self-Government, early elections for mayors are held in three cases: if the mayor resigns, if citizens petition for his dismissal, and if the mayor does not appear at his workplace for more than a month, without reason.

Hasani explains how the removal of the mayor by means of a petition should actually look like.

"Replacement by petition has two phases. The first phase is an initiative that needs to be supported by 20 percent of voters, and the second phase is the phase of organizing elections. Where there is a petition, the question must be asked: 'Are you in favor of removing the mayor? Yes or no'. This is how it is formulated. This formulation cannot be made by the Ministry of Local Self-Government. Only the law does that, the law must be passed. It cannot be done according to the instructions," explained Hasani.

When asked if the instruction, after it is adopted, will be valid for other municipalities, and not only for those in the north, Hasani points out that it is a document that is valid for the whole of Kosovo.

Who is moving in, and who is usurping apartments in the Leposavic municipality? (KoSSev)

The newly constructed buildings funded by the Government of Serbia in Leposavic municipality have recently received their first tenants. While Belgrade claims that a “group of Kurti’s bandits“ led by the deputy minister in the Kosovo government, Radoica Radomirovic, entered the building in Leposavic and seized the properties, Radomirovic denied these allegations. He emphasized that the apartment units were usurped by ordinary residents of this municipality, who were dissatisfied with the allocation of apartments, noting that the only reason he went there was to tell them that was not the solution.

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

Tamara Vucic at First Ladies Summit in Kyiv (N1)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic’s wife Tamara is attending the Third Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen in Kyiv, a post on the summit Instagram account said on Wednesday.

The post said that “Serbia has consistently supported Ukraine in various humanitarian ways since the Russian invasion” and recalled that Serbia sent two ambulances to Ukraine following Tamara Vucic’s conversation with Ukraine’s First Lady Olena Zelenska at the Second Summit. It said that Serbia also sent truckloads of vital supplies and electrical equipment and provided assistance to Ukrainians in Serbia.

“We thank her for her unwavering support, as we feel the unity, including with the Serbian people, partly thanks to Mrs. Vucic,” the post said.

International Media

EU enlargement chief backs 2030 deadline (politico.eu)

Commissioner Várhelyi diverged from the EU executive’s line that there should be no timeline to allow new members.

BRUSSELS — The EU’s enlargement chief backed European Council President Charles Michel’s 2030 timeline for letting in candidate countries over the official stance of his own boss Ursula von der Leyen.  

Hungarian Commissioner Olivér Várhelyi disagreed with the European Commission’s stance that there should be no target date for EU enlargement, raising questions over the EU executive’s internal unity on this key file.

Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/2r98x7ve

Rights Activists Weren’t Able to Fully Probe Kosovo Crimes: Witness (BIRN)

A Human Rights Watch investigator told the trial of former Kosovo President Hashim Thaci and three others in The Hague that the NGO had not been able to fully investigate alleged crimes committed by the Kosovo Liberation Army in 1998.

Fred Abrahams from the campaign group Human Rights Watch, who worked on reports about Kosovo during the conflict, told the war crimes and crimes against humanity trial of former Kosovo President Hashim Thaci and three co-defendants at the Kosovo Specialist Chambers in The Hague on Wednesday that the organisation wasn’t able to conduct a detailed probe of alleged crimes committed by the Kosovo Liberation Army, KLA in 1998 due to a lack of access to crime scenes and to witnesses.

“We did not conduct an in-depth investigation,” Abrahams told the court in response to a question from defendant Kadri Veseli’s defence lawyer, Ben Emmerson.

Read more at: https://bit.ly/3ErvvNd