Albanian Language Media:

• Hoti: We have made our offer – everything is in LVV’s hands now (media)
• Haxhiu: LDK wants the Assembly speaker post, but to LVV, this is a done deal (Koha)
• President Thaci expected to address Constitutional Court (Indeksonline)
• William Walker, Kosnett at LDK Headquarters (media)
• LDK: Kosnett requests from political leaders to quickly form the government (RTK)

Serbian Language Media:

• Vucic: Serbia is against Taiwan independence (N1, FoNet)
• Serbia's FM Dacic: Belgrade priorities are Kosovo and European integrations (N1)
• Albanian flag on Serbian cemetery near Gnjilane (RTS, RTV Puls)
• Milena Ivanovic: I am convinced trail will take a long time (RTS, Kosovo-online)
• Another car set on fire in Leposavic (KoSSev)

International:

• Kosovo Guerrillas’ Gun-Runners Demand Political Prisoner Status (Balkan Insight)
• Time for Policy Change on Western Balkans Emigration (Balkan Insight)

   

 Albanian Language Media

  Hoti: We have made our offer – everything is in LVV’s hands now (media)

Avdullah Hoti, MP from the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) said his political entity made its offer to co-govern in the latest meeting and that everything is in the hands of the Vetevendosje Movement (LVV) now.

“In all the meetings held so far with Vetevendosje Movement, we have expressed our readiness to co-govern by respecting the will of the citizens expressed on 6 October 2019.

Only an agreement which reflects this will is acceptable for the LDK and ensures stability of the government to commence its full mandate, which is more than required to complete the reforms for economic and social development and European integration.

Unfortunately, such agreement has not been reached so far.

Despite the lack of the agreement, we have made it clear at the 26 December 2019 constitutive session of the Assembly that the LDK is engaged for establishment of the new institutions as soon as possible.

It is in the hands of the winning party to find the manner of establishment of the new institutions.

We made our offer to co-govern in the latest meeting. And now, everything is in the hands of the Vetevendosje Movement.

The next meeting can be held if the winning party offers solution for agreement. We are interested in this meeting, but only a meeting for agreement, and not only for the sake of meeting,” Hoti told Radio Free Europe in Albanian. 

Haxhiu: LDK wants the Assembly speaker post, but to LVV, this is a done deal (Koha)

According to Vetevendosje Movement (LVV) MP Albulena Haxhiu, the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) wants the situation of the negotiations for the formation of the government to return to the point when the post of the Assembly Speaker belonged to LDK. However, Haxhiu said, to LVV Glauk Konjufca’s election as Assembly Speaker, is a done deal.

You know that a day after the elections, LVV insisted to reach coalition with LDK. Unfortunately. despite our will, we do not have an agreement with LDK yet. Initially we worked on the governing program and we managed to include fifty percent of LDK’s program. We closed all the matters of education, healthcare, justice and other priorities. When we entered the process of dividing responsibilities, we faced resistance. We have had meetings during the last days. We held many meetings as we had disagreements. I cannot guarantee that LVV-LDK agreement will certainly happen as it does not depend only on us. Negotiations are stuck at LDK’s request to return to the point before 26 December, a return of the decision of MPs on the Assembly Speaker, which is unacceptable to us. We have made an offer and we are waiting for the response,” she said.

President Thaci expected to address Constitutional Court (Indeksonline)

Citing sources close to the Office of Kosovo President, the news website reports that President Thaci will soon address the Constitutional Court on the timeline for the winning party to nominate a Prime Minister candidate and what happens when the party or the winning coalition refuses to nominate a PM candidate. According to the source, Thaci is expected to address the court later this week.

William Walker, Kosnett at LDK Headquarters (media)

Former OSCE chief William Walker has arrived at the headquarters of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK), to meet the leaders of this political party.

Walker, who is visiting Kosovo for the 21 anniversary of Racak massacre, is visiting Isa Mustafa’s party to discuss eventual coalition between LDK and the Vetevendosje Movement (LVV).

This meeting was not announced to the media in advance and it is not clear if Walker will visit LVV as well. 

RTK reports that after Walker, the U.S. Ambassador to Kosovo Philip Kosnett also visited LDK Headquarters. 

While Kosnett did not make a statement after the meeting, LDK leader Isa Mustafa told the media that the solution for the new government should come from Vetevendosje Movement and not from them.

LDK: Kosnett requests from political leaders to quickly form the government (RTK)

The Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) issued a press release informing about the details of the visit of the U.S. Ambassador Philip Kosnett to their headquarters. 

The communique informs that the leader of this political party Isa Mustafa and three deputy leaders participated at the meeting and that the main subject of discussion was LVV-LDK coalition. 

“Leader Mustafa informed Ambassador  Kosnett on the flow of the discussions with LVV on the reach of the agreement to co-govern,” notes the press release. 

According to LDK, Kosnett invited the political leaders to form the new government as soon as possible. “Ambassador Kosnett invited political leaders to form the new government which would fulfill the voters’ mandate as soon as possible,” reads the press release. 

   

Serbian Language Media

  Vucic: Serbia is against Taiwan independence (N1, FoNet)

Serbia's President Aleksandar Vucic told his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping that Belgrade considered Taiwan as a part of China and that it was against its independence, condemning any attempt of endangering Chinese unity, the FoNet news agency reported on Monday.

In a letter to Jinping, Vucic said that "Serbia supports the preservation of Chinese territorial integrity and sovereignty, the policy of 'One China' and Chinese efforts in peaceful unification of the country."

Vucic thanked Jinping for China's support to Serbia regarding the issue of Kosovo and said the "friendship of steel" between the two countries would further improve as would the strategic partnership in all areas.

"I'm looking forward to your visit to Serbia," due this year, Vucic wrote.  

See at: https://bit.ly/2TjZSP3 Serbia's FM Dacic: Belgrade priorities are Kosovo and European integrations (N1)

The key foreign policy priorities of Serbia are the European integrations and the country's full European Union membership, Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic told diplomats on Monday, N1 reported on Monday.

He added Belgrade expected Zagreb to primarily support the enlargement policy during six months of Croatia's Council of Europe Presidency.

Dacic also said Serbia's priority would be to preserve its territorial integrity and that he hoped that Belgrade and Pristina would resume the dialogue on the normalisation of relations during 2020 which had been on hold for over a year.

"The EU-Western Balkans Summit planned for May in Zagreb should have a concrete result in the methodology of the accession process," Dacic told the foreign diplomats at the New Year's cocktail.

He added that the countries like Serbia which had opened over half of the negotiating chapters "should know the dynamics of the process with clear political support."

Dacic reminded the guests that 17 countries had withdrawn the decision to recognise Kosovo's independence, adding that over half of the UN member states now did not treat former Serbia's province as an independent country.

He said Serbia was ready to continue the dialogue and that Belgrade was working hard with all its international partners to go back to the process as soon as possible.

Dacic added that Belgrade preserved the high level of political and economic relations with the South-Eastern European countries in 2019, recalling the joint sessions with the Slovenian and Hungarian governments.

As especially important events, Dacic mentioned the Third meeting of the High Council of Serbia and Greece and the signing of the Joint Declaration on the two countries strategic partnership.

"Serbia also initiated the so-called 'mini Schengen,' a regional zone of free movements of people, goods, services and capital," Dacic said.

He also said that the bilateral cooperation last year included visits to Serbia by foreign ministers from 21 countries and that he had been in 33 states around the world.

Dacic particularly mentioned the visit by the French President Emmanuel Macron and meetings with the Russian head of state Vladimir Putin as well as the improvement of the relations with the US and the strategic partnership with China as the results of Belgrade open foreign policy.

"Serbia also continues to re-establish links with old friends in Africa and the Middle East," Dacic added.

See at: https://bit.ly/35L2VT3 Albanian flag on Serbian cemetery near Gnjilane (RTS, RTV Puls)

Unknown persons have placed an Albanian flag on the fence of the Serbian Orthodox cemetery in the village of Gornji Livoc in Gnjilane municipality, RTS reports.

Residents saw the flag on Friday, RTS said, adding that event caused distress among the remaining Serbs in the village. There are around 20 Serb families living in the village, while before the conflict their number was three times higher.

Milena Ivanovic: I am convinced trail will take a long time (RTS, Kosovo-online)

On the eve of second anniversary of Oliver Ivanovic’s murder, his widow, Milena Ivanovic told Kosovo-online that she tries to look at the information from different angels, adding the court process that is supposed to start on February 11 will take long time.

Ivanovic said she did not receive much information from Pristina’s responsible bodies about the murder of her husband, and that she mostly learnt about details from the media or people from Pristina who could pass on to her this information.

Commenting on the indictment of Silvana Arsovic, close long-term associate and secretary of Oliver Ivanovic, Milena Ivanovic said it was a major surprise to her, adding Silvana was like Oliver’s sister.  

“I think it is scandalous and horrible. I am in contact with her on a daily basis. Silvana has nobody. Oliver meant everything to her. During her entire life he was her support and a friend. And these are horrible things, when suddenly someone, due to some reason, accuses you of committing such a horrible thing. It is not easy at all,” Milena Ivanovic said.

She once again repeated “she is absolutely certain Silvana has nothing to do with what she was charged for.”

Another car set on fire in Leposavic (KoSSev)

Less than a week after Srpska Lista member, Slavko Simic’s car was torched in Leposavic, another privately-owned vehicle was set on fire in the same municipality late last night, KoSSev portal reports.

The burned vehicle was gray ‘Fiat Punto’ with Mitrovica license plates, owned by A.D. (1976), deputy commander of the Kosovo police for the region north, Besim Hoti confirmed for KoSSev.

Fire crews and investigating officers came to the scene, and the fire was contained shortly after it was reported at 3:47 p.m.

See at: https://bit.ly/36OoELp    

International

  Kosovo Guerrillas’ Gun-Runners Demand Political Prisoner Status (Balkan Insight)

People who were jailed for supplying the Kosovo resistance with weapons for an armed uprising when the country was under Yugoslav rule are angry because they do not qualify for benefits as former political prisoners.

In June 1994, Atom Krasniqi used a variety of back roads from the Albanian capital Tirana to send weapons into Kosovo along a route that went through the territory of today’s North Macedonia.

Krasniqi was a member of a group of Kosovo Albanian students involved in preparations for war in Kosovo as part of guerrilla group which would later be known as the Kosovo Liberation Army and fight a war of resistance against repressive Yugoslav rule.

See at: http://bit.ly/30i4Vks Time for Policy Change on Western Balkans Emigration (Balkan Insight)

The exodus of skilled workers from the Western Balkans has reached such critical levels that governments can no longer keep their heads in the sand.

It is no secret that the Western Balkans is experiencing massive emigration. Last year alone, 230,000 people left the region, with the greatest numbers coming from Kosovo and Bosnia and Herzegovina, according to Eurostat. Many were highly skilled.

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