Albanian Language Media:

• Kurti: No date yet for meeting with Vucic (Telegrafi)
• Abdixhiku: No vetting without full coordination with EU and US (media)
• President Osmani addresses the Global Summit of Women in Lisbon (media)
• Rama: Kosovo-Albania unification, mind game more likely outside than inside EU (Koha)
• COVID-19: 28 new cases, no deaths (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Vucic: We are not changing our Constitution either and what will we do then? (Tanjug, Kosovo Online, KoSSev)
• Jukic: Witnesses against KLA afraid, some relocated (Radio KIM, RTS)
• Varhelyi: EU closely monitors transformation of Kosovo Security Force (N1)
• New figures and the same messages from the Crisis Staff in Gracanica (KiM radio)
• US goals: W. Balkans in EU; reduce Russian and Chinese influence, Escobar says (Beta, N1, VoA)
• Discrimination at competition for journalist award, AJK says membership not explicit requirement (Radio KIM)
• Selakovic: Slovakia supports Serbia’s integrity and sovereignty (Tanjug, RTK2)
• Sending Hill and Hovenier to the Balkans halted, Senator Cruz blocks Biden's ambassadors (Kosovo Online, Washington Post)
• Djuric on protest in front of Serbian Consulate in New York (Kosovo-online)

   

Albanian Language Media  

  Kurti: No date yet for meeting with Vucic (Telegrafi)

Kosovo Prime Minister, Albin Kurti, said today that there is no date yet for a meeting with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic in Brussels. Kurti said that by stopping boxers from Kosovo to attend the world boxing championship in Belgrade, Serbia showed its true face. “We will address all these issues in Brussels, even before the meeting because we are in contact with them with the letters we send to them,” he said.

Kurti said that the meeting between Kosovo and Serbia delegations in Brussels could take place in the second half of November, and that “there is no date yet for a meeting between the heads of states but this depends on EU High Representative Borrell and his envoy Lajcak”.

Abdixhiku: No vetting without full coordination with EU and US (media)

Leader of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK), Lumir Abdixhiku, said his party would not support a vetting process that would try to use the judiciary against political opponents. He said the LDK would accept a vetting in the judiciary only if there is full coordination with the European Union and the United States.

“When we talked with representatives of the international community, we have always said that we should not do it as in the case of Albania. Reforms in the judiciary are necessary … We have basic problems in the judiciary. Vetting is needed as a means of improving the system, but it is unfair as a means of the government to control the system against political opponents and we will not allow this to happen. We will accept a vetting system with full coordination with the EU and US,” Abdixhiku said.

President Osmani addresses the Global Summit of Women in Lisbon (media)

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani in her address to the Global Summit of Women in Lisbon, pointed out that the pandemic has augmented the inequalities that women face every day both at work and at home. Osmani said that the women however did not stop. “What we are witnessing today is extraordinary. An increasing trend of women and girls who do not take 'NO' for an answer; women and girls who do not give up. Instead, we see more and more women and girls who fight hard, stand up for what’s right, stand up for each other, and most importantly – they speak up,” Osmani said at the Summit, which this year addresses the role of women in transforming the economy.

Osmani mentioned in her address the commitment of the women of Krushë, who despite the suffering they face, did manage to triumph. “I want to share with you for a moment a homegrown story of resilience and triumph of women from the village of Krushë. Fahrije Hoti, whose husband is among the 1,600 forcibly disappeared, still missing since the war, managed to turn this war-torn village into a history of economic empowerment. She’s made it while defying gender stereotypes and demonstrating outstanding courage, perseverance, and resilience. Not only has she managed to turn her pain into hard work, but today she stands behind more than 100 jobs created for the women of the village of Krushë,” she said. 

According to Osmani, the story of the women of Krushë is the best example of the transformative power of women who unite and stand up for each other. “Her life and struggle are masterfully portrayed in the film "Hive", Kosovo’s official Oscar nominee and triple- award winner at the Sundance Festival awards. I invite you all to watch it!” she said.

Osmani also emphasized the empowerment of women in decision-making processes. “Finally, it is by now clear that when women participate in high-level political and state circles, they contribute to more balanced, gender-sensitive, environmentally friendly and progressive policies. It is only through such a policymaking approach that we stand a chance to deliver on our promise of building societies centered on people’s needs and the economic systems fit to the needs of the future,” she said. 

Rama: Kosovo-Albania unification, mind game more likely outside than inside EU (Koha)

Prime Minister of Albania Edi Rama spoke to a German media outlet and is reported to have also addressed the prospects of Kosovo and Albania unification saying such a scenario is much more likely to happen if they do not join the EU than if they actually do, Koha reports.

Rama was also asked about growing tensions in the region, especially between Kosovo and Serbia saying they cannot be compared to the tensions of the past. "Incidentally, this is also due to the fact that the opponents of yore today all want to join the EU. Military conflicts arise when states are isolated and not when they are in a community. Think of the positive development in Franco-German relations or Ireland. The risk that the EU will import a conflict is low. Unification with Kosovo? Such mind games are much more likely outside the EU than inside."

COVID-19: 28 new cases, no deaths (media)

28 new cases with COVID-19 and no deaths from the virus were confirmed in the last 24 hours in Kosovo. 25 persons recovered from the virus during this time. 

There are 431 active cases with COVID-19 in Kosovo.

     

Serbian Language Media

  Vucic: We are not changing our Constitution either and what will we do then? (Tanjug, Kosovo Online, KoSSev)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said today that Pristina's refusal to fulfill what was agreed by the Brussels agreement and the arrogance of the politicians speaks more about them than about Belgrade, and that the European Union should provide an answer to their refusal to implement the Community of Serbian Municipalities (CSM), reported Kosovo Online, citing Tanjug. 

When asked to comment on Vjosa Osmani's statement that Kosovo will not change the Constitution because of the CSM and that "Serbia is the cancer of Europe", Vucic said that it was an issue for Europe.

"If they do not want to change it, we understand their message and we will wait for a response from Europe and the EU. We will not change our Constitution in that part either and what will we do then? Do they want to kill Serbs, to expel them?” Vucic said, reported the portal. 

Vucic pointed out that the arrogance of the representatives of Pristina, and their disagreement with the implementation of what they have already signed, speaks much more about them than about Belgrade.

"You saw how famously the protest in the United States failed, it was announced by Albanians from all over the world… After all, these people also want to live normally and nothing more," said Vucic. 

He added that Pristina can behave arrogantly, but that Belgrade will always behave responsibly and keep peace and stability.

Vucic on Escobar’s ''ideal mutual recognition between Serbia and Kosovo''

President of Serbia Aleksandar Vucic said that Serbia is recognised by everyone, thus replying to the comment of US Envoy Gabriel Escobar that “it would be ideal to reach mutual recognition in the dialogue between Serbian and Kosovo authorities in Brussels”, reported portal KoSSev. 

Vucic recalled that the US, in his view, started such a policy of mutual recognition three years ago and added: 

''And we can immediately tell them that we do not need that recognition, we are recognized by everyone. As for them (Kosovo), America is a great power, the greatest power in the world. It recognized Kosovo. It will not change its mind. They have invested a lot in Kosovo’s independence''. 

In addition to explaining the US position, he added what the citizens of Serbia themselves “must” do: 

''So, we must understand that, and understand it well. So that we would not fool ourselves and think about how we are going to change American opinion and that it presents lobbying''. 

He opined that ''this does not mean that we should accept everything they say, nor is it possible'', but: “We need to understand the scale and framework in which we are moving because we do not need America as an enemy, but as a friend.''

He emphasized that we still have our views and policies in Serbia, which is why he is proud of Serbia. 

''Because it makes its own decisions, and it is a libertarian state. We will preserve our own and see to it that we do not get on the wrong side of the more powerful ones,'' Vucic pointed out. 

Vucic said that he hopes that the US will have the strength to ''at least make the Albanians respect what they have signed'', which is important to him. ''And that is why Escobar was fair, because he said on several occasions that the agreements signed in Brussels should be respected''. 

''We will protect Serbia, and we will best protect it with new investments, work, diligence, dedication, trains such as this one, new railways, factories,'' Aleksandar Vucic said.

Jukic: Witnesses against KLA afraid, some relocated (Radio KIM, RTS)

Chief of the team for security and treatment of witnesses at the Specialist Prosecutor's Office for the Investigation of KLA crimes, Miro Jukic said witnesses in Kosovo were scared and worried, so several of them had to be relocated abroad, Radio KIM reports.

Jukic, who is a third witness of the Specialist Prosecution in a trial of former KLA war veterans association Hisni Gucati and Nasim Haradinaj in the Hague, said there were witnesses who contacted prosecution officials themselves.

He added he spoke with about 30 witnesses, while the rest of the team spoke with 200 witnesses in total.

“They were all very much concerned, some started calling us by phone, some told us not to contact them any longer, and their reactions in general were not good. All people who have contacted me were concerned and afraid”, Jukic pointed out.

According to him, one of the witnesses left Kosovo after he learnt about publishing confidential information, and some of the witnesses were relocated because they were intimidated.

“The Prosecution undertook many steps, and based on that we undertook the measures. Some of them received new phone numbers and phone equipment for secure communication with us. For many of them I am preparing plans for managing risky situations, and some of them we relocated outside of Kosovo”, Jukic said.

While making decisions on their relocations, we took into consideration threats and statements of the witnesses, he added.

Juric, Croatian citizen, also said he worked in the area of witness protection in Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina as well as six years in the Tribunal for former Yugoslavia as an officer for support to the witnesses and victims.

Previously coordinator of investigations in the Specialist Prosecution Zdenka Pumper and former journalists Halil Berisha testified in the process against Gucati and Haradinaj.

Gucati and Haradinaj are charged with committing criminal acts against administration of the justice, respectively obstructing official persons in carrying out official duties, for intimidation of witnesses, vengeance and violation of the secrecy of the proceedings. 

Varhelyi: EU closely monitors transformation of Kosovo Security Force (N1)

The European Union is closely monitoring the transformation of the Kosovo Security Force and, like NATO, continues to believe that the organisation's mandate can be changed only through an inclusive and gradual process in line with the Kosovo Constitution, Olivér Várhelyi, Enlargement and Neighborhood Policy Commissioner, has said on Friday, reported N1.

The members of the ultra-right group’ Identity and Democracy’ in the European Parliament (EP) asked Várhelyi to disclose the agreement that Kosovo signed with Turkey on the purchase of 14 armoured vehicles’ Vuran 4 × 4′ worth 9.7 billion euros.

The mandate of the Kosovo Security Force originally covered only civilian security, and they were allowed to carry only light weapons. Does the Commission intend to condemn the gradual transformation of the Security Forces into an army, especially having in mind the opposition of the Serb, a French MEP Dominique Bild asked in July, wrote N1.

New figures and the same messages from the Crisis Staff in Gracanica (KiM radio)

On the territory of the municipality of Gracanica, 12 positive people have been registered for Covid-19 in the past three days, the Crisis Staff announced.

From day to day, the Crisis Staff of the Municipality of Gracanica sends identical messages, and apart from the new number of infected, there are no other details about the infected, citizens who are in isolation, and in hospital treatment, reported KiM radio

Despite the promise given by the representatives of the Crisis Staff last year that they would hold press conferences on a weekly basis, that did not happen.

Today, as in previous days, the Crisis Staff of the municipality of Gracanica appeals to citizens and businesses to adhere to measures and recommendations to reduce the number of patients with coronavirus, especially mandatory wearing of protective masks, keeping distance, enhanced hygiene, and compliance with measures to limit the number of those gathered, both indoors and outdoors.

They also call on the locals to show social and personal responsibility and get vaccinated against Covid-19.

US goals: W. Balkans in EU; reduce Russian and Chinese influence, Escobar says (Beta, N1, VoA)

The US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Gabriel Escobar said his country's goals were to help the Western Balkans to join the European Union and to reduce the Russian and Chinese influence in the region, the Voice of America (VOA) reported.

Escobar, who also serves as the US special envoy for the Western Balkans, addressed a debate in the Foreign Affairs Committee of the House of Representatives on the engagement of the US administration in the Western Balkans, saying President Joe Biden’s administration had doubled the US’ work with allies and partners to help the Western Balkans make progress on the European path.

Addressing the subcommittee members on Europe, energy, environment and high technology, Escobar also referred to the US financial aid set aside for the Western Balkans.

“The United States has allocated more than $ 2.4 billion in aid to the region over the past decade. In 2021 alone, more than $ 145 million has been provided for the region’s progress on the European path and building resilience to negative external influences. Moscow and Beijing are actively opposing the region’s Western integration, using misinformation and exploiting vulnerabilities to divert Western Balkan countries from their democratically chosen path while gaining an economic and political foothold in the region,” Escobar warned in a statement.

According to him, Russia is instrumentalizing energy reserves to pressure politicians, encourage corruption and suppress the growth potential, while China is expanding its influence in vital infrastructure and economic extortion.

“We can’t let them succeed,” Escobar said. 

He recalled a joint statement issued by Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and EU High Representative Josep Borrell on October 14, pledging that EU accession was the only way forward for the region’s progress.

“Peace, stability and prosperity through EU integration is our goal, which we strive to achieve together, among other things, by supporting the dialogue mediated by the Union – as the best way to normalise relations between Serbia and Kosovo,” Escobar said.

He added that as part of efforts to put pressure on both sides to ease tensions over license plates, they were told that only “dialogue is a way to normalise relations – ideally through mutual recognition.

See at:https://bit.ly/3Bx6wUU Discrimination at competition for journalist award, AJK says membership not explicit requirement (Radio KIM)

Radio KIM reported yesterday that the Association of Journalists of Kosovo (AJK) and UNKT have announced a competition for the best story on poverty, something they have been doing for the last 16 years. 

The Radio further said that this year, however, a new condition was introduced and it is that journalists competing for the award must be members of the Association of Journalists of Kosovo. 

Serbian journalists Darko Dimitrijevic and Zorica Vorgucic deemed this new condition as a discrimination against the journalists, in particular those from the Serbian media outlets. 

Vorgucic said that after she submitted an application for the competition, she received a response from the Association of Journalists of Kosovo. 

“They thanked me for submitting the application, but emphasised that I have to fill in one more application that implies membership in the Association of Journalists of Kosovo. They said that membership in this journalists’ association, in which members are mostly journalists from Albanian media outlets, was a requirement for participation at his competition”, she said. 

Membership in journalists associations being Albanian or Serbian, until now was no requirement to participate at any competition for journalistic awards, also not for those supported by UNKT. 

Vorgucic also said she was surprised after hearing about this new condition. She said she finds “this requirement of the Association of Journalists of Kosovo and UNKT wrong and discriminatory, in particular towards journalists from Serbian media outlets”, given that as far as she knows, none of them is a member of the said Association. 

Darko Dimitrijevic, Editor-in-Chief of Radio Gorazdevac, who was a member of a panel to select the best story on poverty last year said that the competition was set on completely discriminatory basis and the worst thing was that such an idea, as he said, was supported by UNKT. 

“Association of Journalists of Kosovo is not the only journalists’ association in Kosovo and not all the journalists are members of this association, being it from Albanian or Serbian community”, Dimitrijevic said. 

He added, his remarks go to the last year’s competition as well, as he as a member of the panel had the impression he had no right to interfere in assessing the stories submitted by Albanian journalists, but only those submitted by the Serbian journalists.

Meanwhile, the Association of Journalists of Kosovo in its reply to KIM Radio said that “membership in the AJK is not an explicit requirement for taking part in competition on poverty stories”.

“As any other year, any journalist reporting on the territory of Kosovo may apply for the award that our association awards in cooperation with UNKT. However, we encourage all the journalists in Kosovo to become part of our organization, in order to receive all updates and have benefits from many activities we organize in cooperation with our partners”, the Association said responding to a media inquire by Radio KIM “since when and why the membership in the Association of Journalists of Kosovo has became one of the requirement to apply for competition on the best story on poverty”. 

Selakovic: Slovakia supports Serbia’s integrity and sovereignty (Tanjug, RTK2)

Slovakia firmly supports the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Serbia, as well as its efforts on the path to EU membership, Serbian FM Nikola Selakovic said late on Thursday after meetings with Slovak officials in Bratislava, reported Tanjug.

"We had extremely good conversations. A continuation of a firm and principled support to Serbia for the preservation of territorial integrity and sovereignty was reaffirmed, with support also expressed for continuing the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue to find a compromise solution," Selakovic said.

He said Slovak officials had also expressed "firm and unequivocally clear" support for Serbia's efforts aimed at accomplishing the country's strategic objective of EU membership.

On the first day of his visit to Bratislava, Selakovic spoke with Slovak PM Eduard Heger, FM Ivan Korcok and Parliament Speaker Milan Laurencik.

Selakovic said the meetings had addressed a need to deepen economic and business ties, as well as a vast untapped potential for cooperation between the business communities of the two countries.

He said the two sides had agreed to hold a major Serbian-Slovak business forum in Veliko Gradiste, eastern Serbia, early next year.

Sending Hill and Hovenier to the Balkans halted, Senator Cruz blocks Biden's ambassadors (Kosovo Online, Washington Post)

Jeffrey Hovenier was recently nominated for the new US ambassador to Pristina, and Christopher Hill in Belgrade, but as things currently stand, the mentioned diplomats will not soon move to the Balkans because Republican Senator Ted Cruz currently is blocking all President Biden's elections for ambassadors around the world, reported Kosovo Online, citing Washington Post. 

According to American media, Cruz himself postponed dozens of key State Department candidates "in retaliation for Biden's decision to give up US opposition to the Russian gas pipeline to Germany."

"The president's weakness and incompetence are what raise the issue of national security. When Vladimir Putin is given a multibillion-dollar pipeline (Russian Stream 2), strengthening Russia and weakening Europe and our allies, it raises the issue of national security," Cruz told The Texas Tribune, reported the portal.

To date, the Senate has approved only four of Biden's elections for the post of US ambassador (Mexico, Turkey, New Zealand and Austria), and three have been confirmed only on Tuesday.

Djuric on protest in front of Serbian Consulate in New York (Kosovo-online)

Serbian Ambassador to the US, Marko Djuric commented on the protest in front of Serbian Consulate in New York saying that those protesting were mainly Serbian citizens of Albanian ethnicity, who come to the consulate to obtain documents, Kosovo-online portal reports.

“It was about a minor, really minor number of our citizens, and many of them come to the General Consulate of Serbia to obtain passports and other personal documents. I think they have the right to express their stances, because the consulate of Serbia is their consulate as well”, Djuric said.

He added that unlike in Kosovo, where, as he said, protestors are shot at the back, everybody may protest peacefully in New York.