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UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, October 23, 2019

UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, October 23, 2019

Albanian Language Media:

  • Osmani: Agreement with Serbia must have blessing from the U.S. (RFE)
  • Kosovo leaders welcome U.S. resolution on killing of Bytyqi brothers (media)
  • CEC begins verification of ballots from Serbia (media)
  • Smajl Latifi summoned by specialist chambers (media)
  • Can a government be formed without Lista Srpska? (Prishtina Insight)
  • A Serb arrested for war crimes (KosovaPress)

Serbian Language Media:

  • Dacic: Reaching political solution to Kosovo issue national priority for Serbia (Serbian media, Foreign Affairs Ministry)
  • "EU will not explicitly ask Serbia to recognize Kosovo" (Tanjug, B92)
  • "If they exclude Pristina, Albania withdraws from ‘mini Schengen’ immediately" (Tanjug, B92, Kosovo-online)
  • The US House of Representatives adopts resolution on Bytyqi brothers (Voice of America, Tanjug, B92)
  • Vukosavljevic on Kosovo's UNESCO membership: It's not going that direction (RTS)
  • Road sign indicating direction of SOC Draganac Monastery demolished (Radio KIM, Kosovo-online)
  • Serbian List: Extension of custody for Spasojevic and Rosic "rape of justice" (RTS)
  • EP rapporteur Bilcik says he will come to Belgrade soon (N1)
  • Dalibor Jevtic visits Washington (KIM Radio)
  • Djuric: "Kurti is an obsessive and malicious guy" (N1, Beta, Kosovo online, TV Most, B92)
  • Special protective equipment for counting votes from central Serbia (RTS, B92, KoSSev)
  • "Take care, Europe" (B92, Tanjug)

Opinions: 

  • Creating a new Casablanca (Prishtina Insight)

International:

  •  Balkan nations bank on regional ties after EU snub (The Financial Times)

Humanitarian and Development:

  • INDEP advises new government to cancel contract for new power plant (media)
  • Kosovo Teacher Probed for Turkish Military Salute with Pupils (Balkan Insight)
  • In the Balkans, locals fight to save their wild flowing rivers from hydropower (DW)
  • NGOs, Council of Europe denounce situation for migrants in Balkans (infomigrants.net) 
 

Albanian Language Media

  Osmani: Agreement with Serbia must have blessing from the U.S. (RFE)

Vjosa Osmani, candidate for Prime Minister from the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK), said in an interview to the news agency that she is optimistic that they will form a ruling coalition with the Vetevendosje Movement after the certification of election results. “Both parties have expressed good will to negotiate on a ruling coalition. Although we are waiting for the certification of election results before we can reach a final agreement, the work and contacts between the two parties have never stopped. In addition to formal meetings, we also have almost daily informal meetings. There are continuous meetings between the working groups that are trying to harmonise the program. The next meeting will be held tomorrow [Wednesday] where they will further discuss the fusion of ministries and other programmatic issues that are expected to be the first challenges for the two parties … One of the topics in which we need 100 percent harmonisation is the area of foreign policy and I believe that after the meeting on Wednesday, we will agree with Vetevendosje on another meeting where we would discuss this issue and the focus will be on the Kosovo – Serbia dialogue,” she said.

Osmani said that despite certain differences between the two parties, “it is in Kosovo’s interest to form a government of capital change, a government that will focus on fighting crime and corruption and address the most immediate needs of our people, focusing on greater investments in education, healthcare and above all employment, especially youth employment”. She added “this doesn’t mean that we should set aside foreign policy or the dialogue with Serbia, but I am very optimistic that we will reach an agreement and form the government within a very short period of time”.

Asked about her position in the new government or if she prefers the post of Assembly President as suggested by Vetevendosje, Osmani said, “I am confident I can help this government regardless of my position, so that we can be successful and prove to the people that the LDK has plenty to offer and contribute to this great change … Whatever position I will take, my goal is to work on fulfilling the promises we made to the people on topics of national interest. I believe this is way more important than specific positions”.

Asked about her visit to the U.S. and what messages she received on resuming dialogue with Serbia, Osmani said: “not only during this visit but it is a public position by the United States and our European partners that they expect the new government to seriously and as soon as possible to address the process of dialogue. It is very important for us as representatives of the people’s interests to make sure that we will do our best for Kosovo to be a constructive party, a party that represents the interests of the people of Kosovo, but at the same time to have a qualitative agreement that protects these interests and the main premises of our statehood, that does not allow under any circumstance discussions on topics such as borders or state sovereignty and internal arrangements. We will certainly have an agreement within the ruling coalition to have a 100 percent harmonised program and then reach an agreement with the majority in Parliament because it is very important for the opposition too be involved in this crucial process for Kosovo”. Osmani said the U.S. have helped Kosovo to be successful in different periods of its history and “each and every one of us must know that no good agreement for Kosovo can be reached without the blessing of the United States and the powerful member states of the European Union such as Germany”. “It will be a very important task to rebuild bridges which were unfortunately damaged during the previous government, to reestablish partnership and trust with these countries and to harmonise positions with the U.S. and the European Union on the Kosovo – Serbia dialogue. It is essential for us to have allies in this process because we cannot be successful without our allies. We can please one another here in Kosovo, but the agreement that will be reached in Brussels must have the blessing of our friends and saviours … We need to prove once again to the international community that Kosovo has always been a party that does not condition dialogue, unlike Serbia, which not only conditions the process but also fails to implement over 90 percent of the signed agreements in practice and proves that it is a party that destabilises the region and does not keep its pledge for good neighbourly relations”.

Osmani further said she believes it will be easy to reach an agreement with Vetevendosje on the principles for dialogue with Serbia. “I am very happy that the countries that support us are in full agreement and there was never a request from the United States for the issue of borders to be discussed, but this time it is even more apparent that the U.S. will not ask for this, and definitely not Germany, because they have expressed their opposition to such ideas on several occasions”. She added that LDK has cooperated with Vetevendosje in Parliament for two years, “and we have full agreement on what topics cannot be discussed in Brussels”. “Another issue which we agree on is that Kosovo must be represented by its government in the dialogue. This means that the new Prime Minister cannot dodge his obligations to represent Kosovo in the process, like Mr. Haradinaj did”.

Asked on how she views a final settlement between Kosovo and Serbia, Osmani said, “our main duty as representatives of Kosovo will be to see how an agreement can be acceptable for Kosovo … I think we need to restore the dialogue to its initial tracks because when the process began in 2010 the goal was to reach agreements that impact the lives of the people for the better, practical agreements that eliminate barriers, that integrate citizens, and above all the benefit for both sides will be their integration in the European Union”.

Kosovo leaders welcome U.S. resolution on killing of Bytyqi brothers (media)

Kosovo President Hashim Thaci took to Facebook today to welcome the passing by the House of Representatives of the U.S. Congress of a resolution on the killing of the three Bytyqi brothers, U.S. citizens, who were kidnapped, executed, and dumped into a mass grave by Serbian police in July 1999. “I welcome the passing of the ‘Bytyqi’ resolution which expresses dissatisfaction over Serbia’s delays in convicting those responsible for the killing of the Bytyqi brothers by Serbia’s state apparatus in 1999. This makes it possible for the issue to be addressed by the highest instances in the U.S., and it also shows that when Kosovo is concerned, the U.S. stands united and without differences. For us it is encouraging to continue to seek justice for all victims of the Serbian regime in Kosovo and that justice for the Bytyqi brothers will finally be served,” Thaci wrote.

Acting Prime Minister of Kosovo Ramush Haradinaj also hailed the resolution. He said in a Facebook post that the unanimous vote of the U.S. Congress is good news and a clear message to Serbia "that admission of guilt and putting before justice perpetrators of massacres and killings of Albanians is the only way towards peace and stability in the region."

"We call on Serbian authorities to acknowledge this reality and not hide facts and criminals but distance themselves from these and pave the way to justice," Haradinaj wrote.

Acting Foreign Minister Behgjet Pacolli welcomed the adoption of the resolution calling on Serbia to resolve the murder of three Bytyqi brothers and bring to justice perpetrators. On Twitter, Pacolli said the Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic is "responsible for the handling of the Bytyqi Brothers’ case. Those responsible must be brought to justice for once." 

CEC begins verification of ballots from Serbia (media)

Officials from the Central Election Commission (CEC) have begun this morning the verification of ballots that arrived from Serbia after they were sealed in a room more than a week ago on suspicion of being contaminated.

CEC spokesperson Valmir Elezi confirmed to Telegrafi the start of the verification process and noted that the Kosovo Police is supporting the operation. "We have begun review of envelopes alleged to contain ballots from Serbia. This assessment is necessary as it will determine whether the ballot is sent by a successfully registered voter outside the country. Once this assessment is complete, we will know the exact number of approved and/or rejected ballots," Elezi said. 

On 13 October, a dozen CEC officials were admitted to hospital after complaining of allergic reaction when opening the boxes with ballots sent from Serbia. The officials have in the meantime been discharged from hospital and the samples of the ballots sent for lab tests to a European country. 

Smajl Latifi summoned by specialist chambers (media)

Several news websites report that Smajl Latifi, Mayor of Rahovec municipality and former member of the Kosovo Liberation Army, has been summoned by the specialist chambers. Latifi confirmed the invitation and wrote on a Facebook post “I believe in justice and I will never hesitate to protect what is right for freedom and human and national dignity and I am ready to face any challenge”.

Can a government be formed without Lista Srpska? (Prishtina Insight)

After winning the largest share of the vote in the parliamentary elections, Vetevendosje have promised to exclude Belgrade-backed Lista Srpska from the next Kosovo government. But is it democratically and constitutionally possible?

Results from the October 6 parliamentary elections are yet to be officially certified by Kosovo’s Central Election Commission, CEC, but negotiations to form the country’s next coalition government are already well underway. The two most voted for parties, Vetevendosje and the Democratic League of Kosovo, LDK, are deep in discussions, with Vetevendosje leader Albin Kurti promising that the government will be formed in November.

However, while talks between Vetevendosje and LDK may be going well, finding partners from Kosovo’s ethnic minority parties, particularly Kosovo Serbs, constitutionally required to fill a small number of ministerial positions, may prove to be more problematic.

In the past two governments, these positions have been held by members of Lista Srpska, the Belgrade-backed Kosovo Serb political party that have dominated elections in areas with majority Serb populations since it began competing in Kosovar elections in 2013.

Vetevendosje however, are resistant to working with Lista Srpska, and, according to member of the Vetevendosje chairmanship, Fitore Pacolli, have so far excluded the party from discussions.

“We have already started our dialogue with LDK, Serb and other minority political parties to discuss our new government,” Pacolli told Prishtina Insight. “We will not include Serbian list within our governing coalition because they are not a political party that represent local Serbs in Kosovo, but represent a state – the Serbian state.”

In place of Lista Srpska, Vetevendosje appear to be seeking other representatives from the Kosovo Serb political spectrum. Kurti has been photographed meeting with Nenad Rasic of the Sloboda coalition, while Slobodan Petrovic of the Independent Liberal Party, who advocate the recognition of Kosovo by Serbia, has stated that he is open to any kind of cooperation with the next government.

However, while figures such as Rasic and Petrovic have expressed willingness to cooperate, their performance at the ballot box on October 6 left them far behind their Belgrade-backed rivals. Preliminary results put Lista Srpska on more than 95 per cent of the vote amongst Kosovo Serb parties, a significant increase on the previous parliamentary elections in 2017, and a result which would guarantee the party all 10 seats reserved in parliament for Kosovo Serbs.

Advocates of Lista Srpska argue that the results should guarantee the party as the representatives of the Kosovo Serb community in the new government, and to seek alternative options would constitute a violation of democracy.

Igor Simic, a deputy for Lista Srpska in the previous mandate, told Radio Free Europe that it is “cynical” for someone who received 26 per cent of the vote from the Kosovo Albanian community to question his party, adding that their place as representatives had been entrusted to them by a vote.

Representatives in Belgrade have also issued statements decrying a potential “manipulation” of Kosovo Serb votes, claiming that reports of a potential poisoning at the CEC were an attempt to distract from a poor performance in the election by parties opposing Lista Srpska. In the statement, Marko Djuric, the head of Serbia’s so-called Office for Kosovo and Metohija, described political figures from outside of Lista Srpska as “Kurti candidates.”

It is not just advocates of Lista Srpska that have been questioning the decision. Lazar Rakic from Zubin Potok works in the Mediation Center in Mitrovica and describes himself as “the opposite” of a supporter of Lista Srpska, but still queries the possibility of forming a government without the party.

“Albin Kurti’s discourse that he will communicate with ‘local Serbs and not with Serbian List’ is nonsense,” Rakic told Prishtina Insight. “Who are the ‘local Serbs?’ We live in a representative democracy. Community representatives are elected in the elections, whether we like them or not.”

But back in Prishtina, Vetevendosje are far from alone in seeing Lista Srpska as a party that does not genuinely represent the interests of the local Serb community, but of Belgrade, and more specifically of Serbia’s President Aleksandar Vucic and his governing Serbian Progressive Party, SNS.

Vigan Qorrolli is a lecturer at the Faculty of Law at the University of Prishtina. He describes Lista Srpska as “a political creature emerging from the senseless, so-called technical negotiations in Brussels between Prishtina and Belgrade,” adding that the party were created in order to represent Belgrade, and specifically Vucic within Kosovar institutions.

The lecturer argues that Kosovar Serb politicians willing to engage with the Kosovo state, including Petrovic and Rasic, “have consistently been intimidated and blackmailed by Belgrade, being labelled as ‘Albanian collaborators’.”

In the buildup to the elections, Rada Trajkovic, a colleague of Rasic in the Sloboda coalition described herself as “an enemy of the state” for refusing to cooperate with “the deep state” in Serbia. Asked why she was running against Lista Srpska, Trajkovic told Kossev: “I wanted to show that Lista Srpska is not competent to receive the support of the Serb people in Kosovo and Metohija.”

Trajkovic also cited the murder of Kosovo Serb politician Oliver Ivanovic and the presence of suspect in the case Milan Radoicic in Lista Srpska’s power structures as key motivations. “Lista Srpska’s victory would mean that the Serb sacrifice evident in Kosovo and Metohija for the past 20 years has been compromised, because that would mean that the mafia is now Serbia’s essential state project in Kosovo,” she told Kossev.

While political entities opposing Lista Srpska performed poorly at the parliamentary election, both Pacolli and Qorrolli point to comments made by the EU’s observer team, which described the process as marred by an “uneven playing field’” and intimidation in Serb-majority areas.

For Pacolli, these reported irregularities justify Lista Srpska’s exclusion from the government. “It is the Serbian List that violated the democratic electoral process in Kosovo,” she argues. “According to the team of 108 EU observers, who monitored the election countrywide, the electoral process in Kosovo was well-administered and transparent but the process for the Serbs in the country fell short of international standards due to intimidation of other ethnic Serb political parties. This was done by [Lista Srpska].”

Lazar Rakic concedes that “the result of [Lista Srpska], with a turnout of about 50 per cent, is a product of pressure and fear.” He depicts the pressure as being multi-layered, first to vote in Kosovo elections, which Rakic describes as not the natural disposition of many Kosovo Serbs, and second to vote for Lista Srpska.

However, the resident of Zubin Potok also argues that the fear that motivates Kosovo Serbs to vote for Lista Srpska is not exclusively produced in Serbia, and that Kosovo Albanian politicians have helped stoke support for the party. “There will be no independent Serbian party for as long as the fear of the majority exists,” he says. “The behavior and narratives of the Kosovo Albanian political elite is cornering the Serbian community to seek outside support, which therefore strengthens Belgrade’s position.”

Constitutional concerns

Regardless of the ethics and democratic nature of seeking other Kosovo Serb representatives for the next coalition government, there may be a bigger obstacle to doing so: the Constitution of Kosovo.

Article 96 of the constitution states that there must be one minister and two deputy ministers from the Kosovo Serb community, with provisions for further ministers and deputy ministers in the event of there being more than 12 ministries.

The most crucial element of the Article is point five, which states that if the ministers and deputy ministers are appointed from outside of members of the Kosovo Assembly, then they require the formal endorsement of the members of the Assembly representing that community. Essentially, any Serb minister or deputy minister must be endorsed by the MPs representing Kosovo Serbs, which may well be 10 members of Lista Srpska.

Qorrolli, who is an expert on constitutional matters states that: “under the constitution candidacy for minister should be made in consultation with the party representing the community in question, otherwise it will be considered that the obligation of full consultation with the party and/or coalition in question has not been met.”

It is this potential violation of the constitution that has particularly aggravated Kosovo Serbs. Speaking to Radio Free Europe, Lista Srpska’s Igor Simic labelled the intention of replacing representatives of his party with “more acceptable Serbs” as being in violation of the constitution, adding that any government formed would be unconstitutional and “show the true face of political leaders who have their mouths full of the rule of law.”

Rakic meanwhile, stated that while he would be happy to see representatives from outside of Lista Srpska appointed through the existing legal framework, disobeying legal provisions would leave him feeling threatened. “This would establish a dangerous precedent for the future,” he said.

Pacolli refused to comment on questions over whether excluding Lista Srpska from the government was constitutionally possible. However, she felt that doing so would not have consequences for Kosovo internationally.

“There wouldn’t be any consequences since we will not excommunicate them,” she told Prishtina Insight. “They have won the seats and they will remain in their parliamentary seats, and I hope they will contribute to the democratic state building and socio-economic development Kosovo needs.”

Prishtina Insight contacted LDK to enquire about their position on the exclusion of Lista Srpska but received no response. However, Driton Selmanaj, an LDK deputy in the previous mandate urged for talks with the party in a televised debate on KTV on Tuesday night, citing the constitution.

“We need to sit and talk to [Lista Srpska],” Selmanaj said. “We need to talk about how to form the government and continue further. I think Vetevendosje has enough people who know how to read the constitution […] It would be good for Lista Srpska to be out the Government but the constitution says something else.”

A Serb arrested for war crimes (KosovaPress)

Kosovo Police informed about the arrest of an individual of Serb nationality suspected of committing war crimes against civilian population. According to the Police, the arrested is suspected of committing war crimes on 25 May of 1999 at Emshir neighborhood in Pristina. 

With the decision of the prosecutor, the suspect was taken into custody. 

 

Serbian Language Media

  Dacic: Reaching political solution to Kosovo issue national priority for Serbia (Serbian media, Foreign Affairs Ministry)

Serbian First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Ivica Dacic said today in Baku that Serbia attaches great importance to the cooperation with the Non-Aligned Movement and wants to continue joint efforts to support multilateralism and a global order based on respect for international law, Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced.

Speaking at the meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement Dacic noted that Serbia expresses full support to the respect for the principles of sovereignty and political independence as the basis on which international peace and security should rest, as well as fostering friendly relations and cooperation between states.

He added that unfortunately Serbia experienced in its own example the consequences of disrespect for international law, territorial integrity and sovereignty, faced foreign military aggression in its territory, persecution of the population and destruction of centuries-old cultural and religious heritage and the attempt of secessionism.

Serbia, while defending its sovereignty and territorial integrity, is also defending the international law, the UN Charter, the supreme authority of the Security Council for the preservation of international peace and security, Dacic underlined.

Dacic also emphasized that reaching a political solution to the Kosovo-Metohija issue is a national priority for Serbia, which, despite Pristina's unilateral moves, remains committed to finding a compromise solution to the issue, which will ensure lasting peace and stability.

He said that Serbia strongly opposes any attempt to impose unilateral, unlawful acts because they, among other things, do not contribute to an atmosphere that could lead to the resumption of the dialogue, Serbian media reported.

"EU will not explicitly ask Serbia to recognize Kosovo" (Tanjug, B92)

Assistant at the Faculty of Political Science Milan Krstic believes that the European Union will not explicitly ask Serbia to recognize Kosovo, B92 reports.

He emphasized that even five EU member states do not recognize Kosovo independence, nor does he expect a change in the format of the talks - organizing an international conference to address the Kosovo problem, for instance.

"It is possible for the EU to take the standpoint that reaching compromise solution is necessary as soon as possible, and that it 'directs' Serbia towards giving up any idea of a territorial exchange, demarcation, division of Kosovo or any other option that involves changing borders", Krstic stated for Tanjug.

Reacting on President Aleksandar Vucic's statement that he "heard from the Americans that the Union had changed its stance and could seek recognition from Serbia," Krstic says that the EU will not explicitly formulate a request for recognition of Kosovo, as this would not be acceptable to either Spain or other EU countries that do not recognize Kosovo and Metohija's independence.

Asked if the framework of the talks could be changed, Krstic believes that the negotiations will continue within the existing technical and political dialogue under the EU's auspices, as this implies the presence of the United States, but so far it has been at a less visible and lower level.

Regarding Moscow's role in resolving the Kosovo problem, Krstic says that much will depend on the Russian Federation as well, because, as he stated, if finalizing the deal implies the membership of Kosovo in the United Nations, it would imply that Moscow does not put a veto on such a decision.

"Russia has to be talked to and it will also be an actor involved in the implementation of the deal, if it comes to it, which implies a chair for Kosovo at the UN", he says, adding that he does not believe that Russia will enter the negotiations in the way EU and US had done.

See at: https://bit.ly/2W4PWIP "If they exclude Pristina, Albania withdraws from ‘mini Schengen’ immediately" (Tanjug, B92, Kosovo-online)

Albania will withdraw from Balkan "mini Schengen" agreement if Pristina is not involved in that co-operation, Albanian Foreign Affairs Minister Gent Cakaj said Tanjug news agency reports.

"Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama had an essential condition that will not be subject to negotiations, which is that if Kosovo is excluded from the newly established co-operation, Albania will immediately withdraw", Cakaj said in an interview with KTV.

According to Koha Ditore, he stressed that "Kosovo represents a red line for Albania in relations with the Western Balkans", Kosovo online reports. Cakaj added that Albania is guided by the following principle: "under no circumstances should decisions be made about reliefs without the involvement of Kosovo". Cakaj also believes that the term "mini-Schengen" should be rephrased.

"It was a trilateral meeting of Edi Rama, Aleksandar Vucic and Zoran Zaev, after previous meetings. The meetings with Montenegro, Croatia and Kosovo will follow soon, and so on. It will not be a trilateral initiative", Cakaj claims, adding that Pristina, Podgorica and Sarajevo are invited to join the initiative".

The US House of Representatives adopts resolution on Bytyqi brothers (Voice of America, Tanjug, B92)

US Congress House of Representatives unanimously adopts resolution on the murder of the Bytyqi brothers, three US citizens from Kosovo. The Resolution now needs to be adopted by the Senate, B92 reports.

The Resolution was submitted in April 2018, by the U.S. Representative for New York's 1st congressional district, Congressman Lee Zeldin, while the House Foreign Affairs Committee of the US Congress adopted a resolution on July 17, 2018, urging Belgrade to prosecute the killers of the three Bytyqi brothers.

The Resolution said that further progress in resolving this case "should remain a significant factor determining further development of relations between the United States and the Republic of Serbia”, Voice of America reports.

See at: https://bit.ly/2BCPJ64 Vukosavljevic on Kosovo's UNESCO membership: It's not going that direction (RTS)

At the UNESCO headquarters in Paris, Serbian Minister of Culture and Information Vladan Vukosavljevic met with UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay and Assistant Director-General for Culture of UNESCO Ernesto Ottone, Serbian state broadcaster RTS reported. 

Vukosavljevic said the UNESCO meetings did not discuss any possible Kosovo's membership application but stressed that Serbia was closely monitoring the situation and was taking all diplomatic measures.

"According to everything we know, this is not going in that direction and that is an encouraging circumstance for us," Vukosavljevic said.

Minister Vukosavljevic explained that the Serbian delegation insisted on topics of interest to the country and emphasized that Serbia supports all the strategic commitments of the organization, from the fight against illegal trade in cultural heritage, to the fight against the destruction of cultural heritage in the conflicts of war around the world.

"Serbia is fighting for its interests and we have a great understanding of UNESCO members," Vukosavljevic said.

He noted that the concern for the preservation and protection of the monumental heritage of the Serbian people in Kosovo was cited.

"We have come to a broad understanding, our interlocutors praised Serbia's activities and involvement in the organization," Vukosavljevic said.

Road sign indicating direction of SOC Draganac Monastery demolished (Radio KIM, Kosovo-online)

Unknown persons have demolished the road sign indicating direction of the Serbian Orthodox Church Monastery Draganac in the Novo Brdo municipality, Radio KIM reports today.

Novo Brdo Mayor, Svetislav Ivanovic condemned the vandalism that already occurred several times on the same spot and visited the Monastery.

He once again urged the responsible institutions to prevent such vandal acts which are recurring for a longer period, Radio KIM added.

Extension of custody for Spasojevic and Rosic "rape of justice" (RTS)

By a decision of the Kosovo judiciary, custody was extended to Marko Rosic and Nedeljko Spasojevic, who were suspected of involvement in the murder of Oliver Ivanovic.  

The Serbian List stated, "the rape of justice, directed by the Pristina's political circles, the oppression of Nedeljko and Marko has been continued", reports Radio Television of Serbia (RTS). 

The statement of the Serbian List reads that "to keep innocent people in detention for almost a year is a sentence without a judgment for the honourable people, by the Kosovo judiciary, which this way wants to coerce our fellow citizens into the statements they need for the political plans devised in Pristina before the brutal invasion into the northern Kosovo and Metohija last year."

The Serbian List reminded Pristina prosecution that extortion is a criminal offense, both under international conventions and under Kosovo law, and constitutes unprecedented institutional violence, reported RTS. 

"There is no greater injustice and crime than keeping innocent people in a casemate even for one day, and keeping Marko and Nedeljko for more than 11 months is a crime that is being committed against them, their families and the entire Serbian people, before the eyes of all international missions that make money talking fairy tales about the rule of law and respect for human and civil rights in Kosovo and Metohija," the statement said.

The Serbian List required of the competent authorities to release Nedeljko Spasojevic and Marko Rosic, as well as other unjustly arrested persons, and to present to the public the concrete evidence at their disposal which the prosecutor, conducting this process, to the media stated were missing.

EP rapporteur Bilcik says he will come to Belgrade soon (N1)

The European Parliament’s newly appointed rapporteur for Serbia Vladimir Bilcik told N1 on Tuesday that he would be visiting Belgrade soon after talks with fellow MEPs about what has been done to help the country on its European path.

Bilcik replaces David McAllister MEP in the post.

''I want to be a constructive voice which supports Serbia’s ambitions as well as a fair and open voice on things that have to be done to push expansion (of the European Union) forward,'' the Slovak MEP said.

Commenting on the fact that the opening of EU accession negotiations was not approved for Albania and North Macedonia, Bilcik said that ''the only credible, safe, prosperous and politically reliable future for the Western Balkans lies in EU membership. That is the European future that we have to work on,'' he said.

Bilcik said that Kosovo is the key issue in Serbia’s European integration.

''That is why I have been saying that we need progress, we need to unlock the Belgrade-Pristina negotiations, '' he said adding that this has to be possible for the sake of European integration.

Dalibor Jevtic visits Washington (KIM Radio)

Srpska Lista Vice Deputy, Dalibor Jevtic is paying a visit to Washington, where he is expected to meet number of US officials, KIM Radio reports.

As it was announced, Jevtic would first meet State Department Director for Southern and Central Europe, David Kostelancik, as well as congressmen Ron Johnson and Steve Stivers.

On Friday, October 25, Jevtic would meet in the White House with John Erath from National Security Council and Director of the European Affairs.

Djuric: "Kurti is an obsessive and malicious guy" (N1, Beta, Kosovo online, TV Most, B92)

"Albin Kurti, day by day, as we have warned, shows that he is pathologically obsessed with Serbs and Serbia, and I recommend that he urgently be referred to a medical examination, because his inability to cope with reality takes on a dangerous scale," said Director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija Marko Djuric, reports regional broadcaster N1. 

In a statement, Djuric called on "all those who have an influence on what the future ruling majority in Pristina will look like to not allow an obsessive and malicious guy like Kurti to be able to lead the entire region to the path of a new conflicts".

"This man confirms on a daily basis that he has no policy other than hatred towards Serbia and its president, Aleksandar Vucic," Djuric said in the statement.

Djuric also said that the doctor should first "prescribe him to stop hanging out with Rada Trajkovic, Rasic and Petrovic, because he apparently imagined that all Serbs were like them, and that he could negotiate by bribery and speak to the Serbian people with the language of threats and blackmail". 

"Kurti's refusal to admit that he is ripe for professional help can worsen his health, but the bigger problem is that his anger can cause destabilization of the region and problems primarily for his people," Djuric said.

He also estimated that Kurti's "personal pathological experiences of politics were his private health problem". 

"Until that disease becomes an official program of the interim administration in Pristina, because, if that happens, his hatred and chauvinism will officially become the Albanian national program, and those targeted by that hatred will be forced to defend themselves," Djuric said in the statement, reports N1.

Special protective equipment for counting votes from central Serbia (RTS, B92, KoSSev)

Kosovo's Central Election Commission has begun verifying ballots received from central Serbia, the election commission confirmed the Radio Television of Serbia (RTS). 

The staff involved in the process, for precautionary reasons, are wearing white protective overalls, though no allergy complaints are reported as they did ten days ago, reports RTS.

The room, with about 3,700 votes from central Serbia, opened at 9:30 on Wednesday, with CEC representatives and forensic experts, RTS reported.

10 days ago, vote processing from central Serbia was discontinued due to reports by some of the verifiers that they had symptoms of allergy and itching.

Twelve of them, on suspicion of being poisoned, requested assistance at the Clinical Center in Pristina.

The analysis revealed that they were not poisoned, recently were discharged from the hospital.

Samples of envelopes with votes from Central Serbia were sent for analysis abroad. There is no confirmation that the analysis results are complete, RTS reported.

Video available at: https://bit.ly/2W6LdGj "Take care, Europe" (B92, Tanjug)

Outgoing EC President Jean-Claude Juncker warned that Europe is weakening demographically, economically and politically, and that it must fight nationalism, B92 reports.

Jean-Claude Juncker gave his final speech as President of the EU Commission to MEPs on Tuesday in Strasbourg, assessing that the biggest EU success and the greatest achievement is that peace has been maintained in Europe, adding that "Peace is not self-evident and we should be proud that Europe is getting peace".

Making an assessment of his five years in office, Juncker referred to the achievements and failures of the Commission, noting that in 2014 when he took over, Europe was “vulnerable',” beset by several “rifts” and “not particularly popular.”

"What is the future of Europe? We are the smallest continent. Most Europeans do not realize it at all. We are very small, as a European continent," Junker said on Tuesday. Politics, he adds, must relate to demographics and geography.

"We are facing extinction. At the beginning of the 20th century, Europeans made up 20 percent of the world's population. At the end of this century, there will be only 10 billion people on Earth. Europeans will only make up four percent," he warned. Europe, he said, will also lose economic power and in a few years no European country will be a member of the Group of Seven Most Developed Countries, according to a statement on the website of the EC President.

Given this irreversible turn of events, one who thinks that the moment has come to talk less in European and more in the national contexts is deceiving. "Europe means peace. Europe also means strength, given the declining influence we have in the world," Junker said.

He advocates that the Council decide on foreign policy issues by qualified majority. "I'm leaving the office not sad, not too happy, but in the feeling, honestly endeavored", he said.

Wrapping up his speech, Juncker said: "I've been proud to be a small particle of a larger whole for a long time, and especially for the past five years, more important than us".

"Take care, Europe. Fight with all your might the stupid nationalism. Long Live Europe", Juncker concluded. Juncker officially leaves office on November 1, but still manages the business until his successor Ursula von der Leyen will take over the office.

See at: https://bit.ly/33QJeZm  

Opinions

  Creating a new Casablanca (Prishtina Insight)

The French veto on EU accession talks with North Macedonia and Albania ends a chapter in the EU’s long and tortured relationship with the Western Balkans, leaving the region in limbo and weakening the Union’s role in the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue, Florian Bieber writes for Prishtina Insight.

At first glance, EU enlargement in the Balkans might not appear dead.

After all, it was only France that vehemently opposed the beginning of accession talks with Albania and North Macedonia, whereas all other member states favoured opening talks with North Macedonia at least, and were even willing to attempt to convince French President Emmanuel Macron to do likewise.

See at: https://bit.ly/31Ip2Yi  

International

  Balkan nations bank on regional ties after EU snub (The Financial Times)

Serbia president sees vindication of Belgrade’s closer links to Russia and China.

The EU’s decision to keep the door closed to two Balkan nations has left the region realising that it cannot rely on its western neighbours alone, Serbia’s president has warned. Aleksander Vucic also said the EU’s refusal to open accession talks with North Macedonia and Albania vindicated his policy of forging closer ties with China and Russia.

Belgrade is ready to sign a free trade deal with the Eurasian Economic Union, a Moscow-centred customs union with five members, on Friday, and has also called for further regional integration. “We need to take care of ourselves. That's the only way, that's the only approach. Everything else would be very irresponsible,” Mr Vucic told the Financial Times in an interview.

His comments are likely to reinforce fears that the EU could lose influence in the Balkans after the bloc’s leaders failed to agree at a summit last week to start accession talks with North Macedonia and Albania. The decision, which was driven by opposition from French president Emmanuel Macron, was criticised by both countries and by the US.

See at: https://www.ft.com/content/508dcea4-f4ce-11e9-b018-3ef8794b17c6  

Humanitarian and Development 

  Think tank advises upcoming government to cancel contract for new power plant (media)

Most news outlets report that the Institute for Development Policy (INDEP), a Pristina-based think tank that provides independent research-based policy solutions, held a press conference on Tuesday advising the upcoming government of Kosovo to annul the contract for the construction of Kosova e Re power plant, claiming that such an investment would damage Kosovo’s economy, the environment and its European prospects. Representatives of the think tank argued that although Kosovo has yet to join the European Union, it has an obligation, as a member of the Energy Community Treaty, to build a coal-free future. 

Kosovo Teacher Probed for Turkish Military Salute with Pupils (Balkan Insight)

Kosovo’s Ministry of Education said it is investigating after a teacher took a selfie with his students allegedly saluting Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s military campaign in Syria.

The Ministry of Education said on Tuesday that it is looking into the incident at a school in the southern town of Prizren after the photo taken of the teacher and pupils holding a Turkish flag and saluting – an alleged tribute to the Turkish troops currently engaged in military action in Syria – went viral on social networks in Kosovo.

The teacher, Selver Shantir, and the school’s director did not respond to BIRN’s requests for a comment, but Pristina-based television station KTV made public the teacher’s written statement to the Inspectorate of Education, in which he claimed that the photograph was requested by the schoolchildren themselves.

See at: https://bit.ly/32F8BNF In the Balkans, locals fight to save their wild flowing rivers from hydropower (DW)

Mini hydro-power plants are springing up all over the small Balkan state of Montenegro. The government says it's part of a renewables drive but activists and locals argue the plants are destroying their "lifeline."

See at: https://bit.ly/2PcfjHe NGOs, Council of Europe denounce situation for migrants in Balkans (infomigrants.net)

A group of NGOs in Italy and the Balkans have denounced that migrants along the Balkan migrant route continue to be illegally expelled from one state to the next. The Commissioner for Human Rights at the Council of Europe meanwhile has warned of a "humanitarian emergency" due to squalid conditions at the Vucjak migrant camp in Bosnia.

See at: https://bit.ly/2ByeW1w