Albanian Language Media:

• Rama: Different positions on Open Balkan do not hurt us (media)
• Kurti to Rama: Let us speak like diplomats and work like patriots (Koha)
• Lajcak discusses security situation in Kosovo with KFOR and EULEX (RTK)
• Threatening tones of war must not be underestimated, analysts say (Telegrafi)
• Rama’s impossible dismissal, President risks violating Constitution (Demokracia)
• Meta: Albania fully supports Kosovo – Serbia dialogue (Klan Kosova)
• COVID-19: 17 new cases, no deaths (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Serbian Parliament adopted the Law on Referendum and People's Initiative, 50 percent turnout threshold abolished (media)
• Vucic’s interview to RTS on meeting with Putin, Kosovo issue (RTS) 
• Vucic: Putin to keep gas price same for Serbia, we saved one national stadium (N1)
• Djordjevic: Vucic was not received that well in Russia, as he claims (Danas)
• Szunyog: To implement Constitutional Court decision on Visoki Decani Monastery (Radio KIM)
• Escobar on Balkan (HINA, N1) 
• Serbian Ambassador elected Chair of UNESCO Executive Council (Kosovo Online)
• RIA Novosti: Russia will get a nuclear power plant in Serbia (NMagazin, Beta, Danas)
• Pahor to visit Serbia on Sunday, with Vucic about dialogue with Pristina and the Western Balkans (Tanjug, Kosovo Online)

International:

• Euronews Albania’s poll on unification, Rama and Kurti give their take (euronews.al)
• No more stops from Albania to Kosovo and vice-versa, all controls lifted (euronews.al)
• Serbia President Hails ‘Incredible’ Gas Deal With Russia (Balkan Insight)

   

Albanian Language Media  

  Rama: Different positions on Open Balkan do not hurt us (media)

Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama said today that Albania and Kosovo have different positions on the Open Balkan initiative but that this does not stop them from strengthening their relations, Koha reports. “As far as the Open Balkan is concerned, we have two different positions, but at the same time people need to get used to the fact that we might not think the same about all issues, and that this does not prevent us from joining all forces to do the rights things in the service of our future. The different opinions about the Open Balkan do not stop us from strengthening our relations. The two-headed eagle is a single body with one head looking at one side and the other head looking to the other side, but the body stands straight. So you should not have any doubts that the two-headed eagle is under threat of being caught by surprise from one side or the other because it controls both sides with its eyes, so there is no concern there,” Rama said.

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti said that meetings between the two governments are proof that Kosovo and Albania “can discuss, plan, agree without even thinking or mentioning the northern neighbor of the Republic of Kosovo”.

Radio Free Europe reports that Rama said today that if there were a peaceful referendum for the unification of Kosovo and Albania, he would vote in favor. “If you ask me about the hypothesis of a peaceful referendum for Albania’s unification with Kosovo, I would violate the law on the confidentiality of the vote and I would openly vote in favor,” Rama said in a press conference after the meeting of the governments of Kosovo and Albania. He also said that with his statement he answered a provocation with a provocation.

“Is this a question or a provocation? Now if you ask me about the hypothesis of a peaceful referendum on the unification of Albania with Kosovo, I would vote openly in favor. Now if you ask me if this will happen, I am provoking you and I say it will happen, I don’t know when it will happen, how or when, but that this will happen one day, I say yes. Now for those that will come out and shout about Greater Albania, I tell them that you cannot judge a fortune teller. If I were to cast a prediction and in this case I am making it with imagination, I am saying it will happen,” Rama is quoted as saying in Albanian Daily News.

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti said that the referendum is not something that the leaders of Kosovo and Serbia can choose. “The referendum is not something that we can choose. It is an intention that chooses us. We cannot be above these historical processes and set dates and ways how they need to happen,” Kurti said.

Kurti to Rama: Let us speak like diplomats and work like patriots (Koha)

At the joint meeting of the governments of Albania and Kosovo today, Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti said this is the seventh meeting and his first as Prime Minister. He said Kosovo and Albania are “a tree with two branches”. “To say that we are a divided nation would be insanity, to say that you are engaged for national unification you will be called a nationalist, and to say that we will join the EU they will call you a diplomat. So let us speak like diplomats and work like patriots,” Kurti said.

Kurti said that the integration of Kosovo and Albania is strategic and that cooperation between the two is not a wish or a choice but a duty. “The closer we are, the stronger and more powerful we get because we are more than two countries. We need to find the common call,” he said.

Lajcak discusses security situation in Kosovo with KFOR and EULEX (RTK)

The European Union Special Representative for the Kosovo – Serbia dialogue, Miroslav Lajcak, met with representatives of EULEX and KFOR, during his stay in Kosovo. “Had a very good exchange with @EULEXKosovo and @NATO_KFOR about the security situation and latest developments in Kosovo,” Lajcak tweeted.

Threatening tones of war must not be underestimated, analysts say (Telegrafi)

The news website reports that following a statement by Kosovo Foreign Minister Donika Gervalla about the real threat of war returning to the Balkans, political and security commentators in Prishtina argue that the security situation in the region must not be underestimated.

Ibrahim Gashi, a professor at Prishtina University and political commentator, told Dukagjini TV on Thursday that Kosovo was right to raise the alarm at the international level and that the security situation must not be underestimated. “This concern must be raised in international forums. It must be raised with alarm even. But before Gervalla voiced the concern, it should have been expressed by others too,” he said.

Drizan Shala, a security expert, argued that Serbia’s pressure in Bosnia and Herzegovina is a tendency to cause unrest in the Balkans. “The Balkans is very close to tensions that can have domino effects and threaten every country in the Western Balkans,” he said.

Rama’s impossible dismissal, President risks violating Constitution (Demokracia)

After media reports on Thursday that Kosovo’s Minister of Defense has recommended the dismissal of the Commander of the Kosovo Security Force Rrahman Rama, Demokracia.com reports that in accordance with the Constitution and other relevant laws, the President has the power to appoint, rank, dismiss and dismiss the Commander of the Kosovo Security Force, upon the recommendation of the Prime Minister, who upon the proposal of the Minister, may recommend this to the President.

However, Law no. 06 / L-123 on the Kosovo Security Force clearly states that the Commander of the KSF can be fired only after a serious violation of the Constitution, reports Demokracia.com.

The mandate of the Commander of the Kosovo Security Force, according to Law no. 06 / L-123 on the Kosovo Security Force, may expire before the deadline of five years in case of death, resignation, dismissal and medical disability.

"The dismissal of the Commander of the Kosovo Security Force is done in cases of violation of the Constitution or for serious violations of the law during the exercise of duty and performing acts and behaviors that seriously discredit the position and figure of the KSF Commander. The provisions for the end of the mandate and dismissal are appropriately applied for the ranks of generals ", it is stated in the Law on the Kosovo Security Force, reports Demokracia.com.

Meta: Albania fully supports Kosovo – Serbia dialogue (Klan Kosova)

Albanian President Ilir Meta met during his stay in Prishtina with European Union Special Representative for the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia, Miroslav Lajcak. Meta said that Albania fully supports the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia “and now is the time for an agreement for mutual recognition between the two countries”. “Together we highlighted the high importance of the Berlin Process and all other comprehensive initiatives for the regional and European integration of our countries,” he added.

COVID-19: 17 new cases, no deaths (media)

17 new cases with COVID-19 have been confirmed in the last 24 hours in Kosovo. Five persons recovered from the virus during this time. There are 335 active cases with COVID-19 in Kosovo.

   

Serbian Language Media

  Serbian Parliament adopted the Law on Referendum and People's Initiative, 50 percent turnout threshold abolished (media) 

The Law on Referendum and People's Initiative was adopted in the Assembly of Serbia. The exit threshold of 50 percent of registered voters is abolished. The submission of the people's initiative was also facilitated, the deadline for collecting signatures was extended to 90 days, but a fee of 40 dinars per signature was also introduced, reported RTS.

N1 reported that this caused great concern among experts, NGOs, political parties and the general public because they believed it could abuse the people's will and that it was adopted to enable the Rio Tinto' lithium mine in the west of the country.

Part of the opposition says that the Government wants to use the Law to facilitate decisions concerning the resolution of the Kosovo issue, reported N1.

“This law has nothing to do with Rio Tinto or Kosovo,” said Minister of State Administration and Local Self-Government Marija Obradovic told the Parliament, adding, “this should be repeated constantly”.

RTS reported that the Law on Referendum and People's Initiative should have been harmonized with the Constitution much earlier, more precisely by 2009. 

Obradovic said earlier that different types of referendums have been determined, according to the territory where it takes place, whether it is republican, provincial or local.

"We also changed the deadlines for collecting signatures. Previously, the deadline was seven days, and now it has been extended to 90 days. Signatures can also be collected electronically. When collecting signatures for a people's initiative, you no longer have the obligation to inform the MIA," she said. 

As she says, all phases of the referendum have now been defined, including the preparatory one, as well as the actions of the competent assemblies.

"We have well defined the duration of the referendum campaign, the way of financing the referendum campaign, all those things that were unclear before, and the Venice Commission helped us significantly in that," said Obradovic

Serbia has not had a better law for a long time, which it can boast of in the region, but also in the world, concluded Obradovic, reported RTS.

N1 reported that by the abolishment of the census of half of the registered voters plus one for a successfully conducted referendum, there is no longer a mandatory minimum of the number of people who turn out for the decision to be valid. Some opposition politicians sharply criticised such a provision of the Law, saying that the Government could use the Law to impose its political will. Environmentalists said they would block motorways for an hour if the Law was passed, and then the whole of the country if President Aleksandar Vucic signed the Law.

The Council of Europe’s Venice Commission welcomed the adoption of this Law. Still, in the urgent opinion forwarded to Serbia’s institutions, it expressed great regret that the Law came “on the agenda” ahead of the referendum on the Constitutional changes, recalled N1.

Vucic’s interview to RTS on meeting with Putin, Kosovo issue (RTS)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic in an interview to RTS last night said that the gas agreement with Russian President Vladimir Putin was a salvation for Serbia, because “we will not have problems with gas or electricity, but also with heating and overall supply”.

“It was my job to fight for Serbia, but President Putin also brought great joy to the citizens of Serbia with his decision”, Vucic said.

Vucic, who met earlier Russian President Vladimir Putin in Sochi, said the price of Russian gas in the next six months will be 270 dollars, i.e., it would remain the same, while the amount of gas would be increasing in those six months. He also said that the elements of a long-term contract for the delivery of gas to Serbia have also been agreed, adding Serbia will have an exceptional price, increase in the volume of delivery and flexibility even after six months.

Q: On the eve of your arrival in Sochi, you said that you would return from this meeting either as a failure or triumphant. Given the arrangement you made, can we say that you survived this meeting?

Vucic: My job was to fight for Serbia, but President Putin also brought great joy to the citizens of Serbia with his decision. People should know that the price on the stock exchange today is 1,064 dollars per 1,000 cubic meters, and in the next six months, when that price will certainly not be significantly lower, and the biggest consumption is coming, the coldest days, we will pay 270 dollars. We will also have an increase in volume, we will also have flexibility or adjustability…”

“These are huge financial savings for Serbia, but it is not just a question of financial savings, it is security, it is stability, it is a call to investors to know that they are coming to a safe country where they do not have to worry about shortages of gas, electricity or whatever”.

Q: While we are waiting for those details and the long-term calculation, what was Moscow’s calculation now, considering the price we got - more political than a business decision, and whether Moscow expects something in return or is it based only on good, friendly relations between the two countries?

Vucic: Well, we talked about everything, in politics, of course, interests are dominant, but I must say that you always talk about who wants what, what is someone asking for, but there is no doubt that this is the result of a true and friendly relationship and I do not know what more you can ask for. Will the Russians fight for one of their companies on our market, well that’s normal, we will do that here as well, that has always been the case and it will always be the case. But this really was a truly and sincerely friendly step forward”.

Vucic further emphasized that he cannot make long-term predictions about the increase of the price of gas, but pointed out that “during this winter, there will be no increase in the price of gas”.

He also briefed the public that he has “agreed with President Putin to make a significant ceremony on the occasion of the opening of the Pancevo Thermal Power Plant (TE-TO), which is very, very important”. “We will additionally spend more than 300 million cubic meters of gas there. Because of the growth of the industry, because of everything else, our gas consumption is growing”.

Q: Frequent crises are caused by the statements of political leaders, including the constant calls of Albin Kurti for the unification of the so-called Kosovo and Albania. You yourself mentioned on the eve of your arrival in Sochi that you will write to the presidents and prime ministers of many countries on that occasion. You had the opportunity to talk about this, not in writing but verbally, with President Putin. What message did you get from the Kremlin?

Vucic: We talked about it in a friendly way and we understand each other well. I spoke about double standards about not so rare hypocrisy in international relations, President Putin recognizes that and understands well what I am talking about, but he asked me for additional explanations, so we talked about the north of Kosovo, and I was showing him on the map as well. 

We talked about everything else, we talked about the region. I have listened to and learned from him many other things related to global politics, so there is a high level of agreement in international forums, international institutions and organizations between our two countries. We will soon sign a document on strategic-economic relations between our two countries, which is always a five-year plan until 2026 in the next seven to ten days. So we talked about all of that.

You know when you talk for three hours, and it’s just the two of you, then there are no details that we don’t talk about, so from our museums, monasteries, churches ... There is no area that we didn’t cover and to be honest, I’m very satisfied and I try not to show excess arrogance with my smile, happiness and satisfaction, and don’t blame me if that happens, he concluded.

Vucic: Putin to keep gas price same for Serbia, we saved one national stadium (N1)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on Thursday that his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin agreed the gas price for Serbia would not change in the next six months, remaining at 270 dollars per 1,000 cubic meter, adding that saved money for a national stadium, N1 reports.

After a tête-a-tête meeting and lunch with Putin in Sochi, Vucic told Pink TV it was an “incredible price“, adding that Serbia would receive more gas in those six months. He also said the two discussed a long-term contract on gas supply but did not want to give any detail before the deal was signed.

“I can only say two things. President Putin said we would be satisfied. And secondly, the elements we talked about tell us that we will have an exceptional price even after those six months, including the increase in volume“, Vucic said. He later said that “we saved over 300 million euros thanks to Putin’s friendship; we saved one national stadium“.

He added Putin would visit Belgrade and Serbia next year.

The Russian President wished Vucic success in the April elections, his office’s statement said.

“After three hours of productive and good talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, I thanked him for the hospitality and received confirmation that he will visit Belgrade and Serbia next year“, Vucic wrote on his Twitter account.

See at: https://bit.ly/3E9X2RD Djordjevic: Vucic was not received that well in Russia, as he claims (Danas)

(Serbian President) Aleksandar Vucic went to Russia only to start his pre-election campaign. Over the previous years he carefully crafted an image of himself as a great Russophile, which he sells to the voters in Serbia, but it goes opposite to what he really does, leader of Liberation (Oslobodjenje) Movement Mladjan Djordjevic said, Danas daily reports. Djordjevic also announced on social networks that he is in Russia as well.

According to Djordjevic what Vucic “really does” was “to work on achieving NATO interests in the Balkans, often against the very same Russia”. To support these claims Djordjevic listed as he said “fabricated espionage affair, selling the armament to Ukraine, accusations that Russia was organizing protests in Serbia, and also signing of the Washington Agreement by which Vucic got obliged to decrease acquisition of energy from Russia”.

He also opined it was “not true” that Vucic came to Russia to negotiate the price of gas, because it was already determined earlier, and in Russia it is not the president of the state who deals with that, but the management of gas and oil companies.

"After arriving in Moscow at the beginning of the week, I announced that Serbia has the best price due to the sale of NIS (Serbian Oil Industry), due to joint investments in gas infrastructure and because it is on the line of the Turkish Stream, and these are all agreements made by previous authorities and not Vucic. He is trying to present the price of gas as a personal success, and himself as a savior, but that is simply not true ", Djordjevic said, referring, as Danas reports, to the writing of the" reputable Kommersant ".

This newspaper, Djordjevic continues, commented on Vucic's visit as a condescending attempt to present a favorable gas price as a personal success before the elections, adding that on the other hand, the Russian state newspaper Izvestia writes that Vucic increasingly denies and underestimates the importance of Resolution 1244.

"The main reason for his arrival was to take selfies with Putin. Then, on Saturday, he will show it at the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) rally, which is already scheduled and timed to happen immediately upon his return from Russia. He will bring tens of thousands of blackmailed and enumerated people to the Belgrade Arena so that Vucic can brag about his friendship with Putin", Djordjevic said. 

Szunyog: To implement Constitutional Court decision on Visoki Decani Monastery (Radio KIM)

Head of the EU Office in Pristina Tomas Szunyog called on the Kosovo Government to implement the decision of the Constitutional Court and return property to Visoki Decani Monastery, Radio KIM reports. After his visit to Visoki Decani Monastery, he wrote on Twitter that property rights of the Monastery should be respected.

“(…) Tolerance & mutual respect are key for a multi-ethnic & democratic society. I call on the KS Government to implement CC judgment. The property rights of the Monastery should be respected”, he wrote.

Radio KIM recalled that following 16 years of dispute regarding the ownership of the Monastery’s land in Decane municipality, the Constitutional Court in May 2016 made a decision upholding previous decision of the Supreme Court from 2012 confirming the ownership rights of Visoki Decani Monastery over 24 hectares of land. 

Escobar on Balkan (HINA, N1) 

Bosnia and Herzegovina does not have a problem with ethnicity but with systemic corruption and the lack of credibility of political actors, which affect the functioning of the state institutions, the US special envoy to the Western Balkans, Gabriel Escobar, told Croatian state agency Hina on the sidelines of a US-Adriatic Charter meeting, reported broadcaster N1.

That’s why he said he was more concerned about demographic and economic problems than ethnic issues.

Unlike some of the Western European politicians who advocate abandoning the ethnic criteria, such as German Social Democrats, whose leader will be the new Chancellor, the US diplomat stressed that the constitutional setup with the three constituent peoples remains the foundation of the US policy in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

A political consensus can be reached with limited reforms, but not by changing the Dayton structure, Escobar said, adding that he is currently working with political actors in BiH on the reform of electoral legislation to satisfy all three constituent peoples in the country.

Bosniak voters have elected Zeljko Komsic the Croat member of the tripartite state presidency three times so far, and the political parties supported by a vast majority of Croat voters have twice been excluded from the government of the Bosniak-Croat Federation entity.

Croats must feel comfortable

We must have a vibrant and politically active Croat population in BiH. Without it, Dayton will not succeed, so our aim is to ensure that they feel secure, comfortable and economically sustainable in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the US envoy said.

The pressure on Bosnian politicians to accept reforms should come from its residents. It is important that they choose politicians seeking to reach solutions that will suit everyone in the country and not just their party or people, Escobar said.

The pressure can also be exerted through sanctions, but Escobar said that he does not like talking about sanctions because he does not want this region to get the impression that the US is involved in it mostly through sanctions.

Sanctions exist, but they will not be directed at the Republika Srpska and the Federation or their citizens, but at corrupt individuals, he added.

Escobar visited BiH earlier this month and met with its political leaders. Before that trip, he accused the Serb member of the presidency, Milorad Dodik, of trying to cover up corruption by provoking the crisis in the country.

In the interview with Hina, he said that Dodik, who is trying to weaken the central institutions of the state, is not the only problem, but is the most topical problem in BiH. 

EU enlargement needs to be accelerated

Asked if the US was discussing with Western European countries the need to speed up the EU enlargement process, Escobar said they have been discussing it all along.

Recently, there was a meeting of the Quint, an informal decision-making group consisting of the United States, the United Kingdom, Italy, France and Germany, where it was unanimously decided that the six Western Balkan states should become part of the European Union as soon as possible, he said.

We are hoping to speed up the enlargement process and we are discussing it with the Western states, Escobar said, adding that he is confident that Albania and North Macedonia will be the next success story of European integration.

He noted that the Western Balkan economies are growing two to three times faster that Western Europe. Europe will need such growth and the region will need Europe to continue it. That’s why enlargement is a question of time and not a question of whether the door is open or not, he added.

Serbia belongs in the EU

Commenting on statements such as one made by Croatian President Zoran Milanovic that Serbia does not have a sincere wish to join the EU, Escobar said that historically, culturally and increasingly economically Serbia belongs to Europe and most of its citizens believe that their future lies in that alliance.

Serbia has defined EU membership as its strategic goal and is already linked with this alliance. I think this process is well under way, the US diplomat said.

Serbia has not opened any negotiating chapters in the past two years, and Escobar agrees that it should be faster in this process. He, however, noted that some progress had been made despite the coronavirus pandemic.

As for the alignment of its foreign policy with that of the EU, this year Serbia was better than it has been for a long time, Escobar said, adding that two-thirds of Serbian foreign policy is in line with the EU.

Visa waiver is a great achievement

Escobar said he had also come to Zagreb to stress how much the present US administration appreciated its relationship with Croatia.

He said that Croatia has indeed become a strategic partner, as shown by the lifting of visa requirements for Croatian nationals traveling to the US.

That was not a gift, but the result of the work of Croatian institutions. This is a greater achievement than the public is aware of and it shows the trust of the US authorities in Croatia, Escobar said.

Bulgaria, Cyprus and Romania remain the only EU member states whose citizens need to apply for a visa when traveling to the United States.

Escobar said he hopes that soon Croatia and the US will launch a bilateral strategic dialogue to deepen their partnership in areas other than military and political, namely in commercial and financial areas, education and culture.

Croatia is one of the most impressive partners of the United States in this part of Europe, Escobar concluded.

See at: https://bit.ly/3nTrWb9 Serbian Ambassador elected Chair of UNESCO Executive Council (Kosovo Online)

Serbian Ambassador to UNESCO Tamara Rastovac Siamasvili was elected chair of the UNESCO Executive Council, reported portal Kosovo Online.

"Sincere gratitude to the members of the UNESCO Executive Board for electing Serbian Ambassador Tamara Rastovac Siamasvili as chairwoman! A great honor for our country! We are looking forward to this new opportunity to work together to promote UNESCO's goals!" stated the Serbian Delegation to UNESCO in a Twitter post.

RIA Novosti: Russia will get a nuclear power plant in Serbia (NMagazin, Beta, Danas)

The statement of the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic that Belgrade is considering the possibility of building a nuclear power plant and that negotiations are already underway with the Russian state company, represents a "tectonic shift" from the point of view of history and geopolitics, the Russian agency RIA Novosti estimated, reported portal NMagazin.

In a commentary entitled "Russia will get a nuclear power plant in Serbia", the agency states that this is "news whose depth and importance are difficult to assess immediately" adding that its own nuclear power plant isn't necessary for Serbia. 

"Of course, Russia cannot afford to work according to the Soviet-era method, when the allies from the Warsaw Bloc were practically overwhelmed with money, but Rosatom and the Ministry of Finance (of Russia) will undoubtedly find proposals that are acceptable to both sides," said RIA Novosti.

The comment states that, after all, a nuclear power plant is not a house in a computer game, which can be built with the push of a button, but also includes student training, constant staff training, fuel delivery, removal and disposal. And, the author adds, the term of exploitation of a modern nuclear power plant is at least 50 years.

"We are witnessing historical changes, when long-term political influence is not exercised by deploying a new military base, but by building key production facilities that can not only bring profit to the country, but also enable it to demonstrate its will to its neighbors," the commentary said

The author adds that Serbia is not the first to understand that, but that it has "independence and common sense to draw the right conclusion".

Pahor to visit Serbia on Sunday, with Vucic about dialogue with Pristina and the Western Balkans (Tanjug, Kosovo Online)

The President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic will meet on Sunday in Belgrade the Slovenian President, Borut Pahor, it was confirmed to Tanjug in the office of the President of Serbia.

According to the agenda of the Slovenian president, Pahor will visit Pristina after Belgrade, where he will talk with Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani and Prime Minister Albin Kurti a day later, on Monday.

According to the statement, reported by the Slovenian agency STA, the purpose of the talks is to exchange opinions on the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, the Western Balkans' situation, the European perspective of the region and preparations for the next Brdo-Brioni Process summit, and regional cooperation initiatives.

Slovenia will hold the EU presidency until the end of the year, and since it took over the presidency on July 1, Slovenian officials have emphasized that one of Slovenia's focuses will be the continuation of the EU enlargement process.

Thus, the EU-Western Balkans Summit was organized on Brdo near Kranj in early October, at which a Declaration was adopted in which the Union reaffirmed its unequivocal support for the European perspective of the Western Balkans and welcomed the commitment of partners in the Western Balkans towards the European perspective, which is in the common strategic interest. 

Earlier this year, in mid-May, Slovenia hosted the Brdo-Brioni Summit, which brought together the leaders of the Western Balkans and Croatia, and adopted a joint declaration urging the EU to speed up the European integration process for the Western Balkans.

As part of preparations for the summit, the Slovenian president visited Belgrade, Podgorica, Tirana and Pristina, and then Zagreb

Even then, Vucic and Pahor discussed regional issues, European integration of Serbia and bilateral relations.

Vucic also said then that Serbia's position on the issue of Kosovo was based on respect for the principles of international law, that Belgrade was committed to dialogue with Pristina, under the auspices of Brussels, and that it was against the "frozen conflict".

According to the announcement, Pahor will visit the Slovenian contingent in the KFOR mission and the KFOR command headquarters in Kosovo, with a reminder that most of the Slovenian troops are stationed in the barracks in Pec.

   

International 

  Euronews Albania’s poll on unification, Rama and Kurti give their take (euronews.al)

Edi Rama and Albin Kurti commented on Euronews Albania’s recent poll, asking Albanian citizens how they would vote in case of a possible referendum for the unification of both countries.

4 in 5 Albanian citizens in Albanian (79.2%) would vote in favor of the unification of Kosovo and Albania into one single state. This was based on findings by Euronews Albania’s Barometer, which also concluded that around 16% of citizens were against the unification of both countries.

The majority of Albanians (over 90%) believe that Albania and Kosovo are a single nation.

“If they ask me about the hypothesis of a possible peaceful referendum on the unification of Albania and Kosovo, I would break the law of the secrecy of the vote – and say that I would vote in favor of it. Now, if they ask me whether this will actually happen or not since you’re provoking me, I will do the same to you. One day, this will happen. I believe so,” – said Rama.

“In my opinion, there is more of a lack of understanding than a misunderstanding in regards to the matter of the unification of Albanians. This isn’t something we choose or pick. It is a collective initiative that chooses us or picks us. This is why we can’t decide on such historical processes or settle on dates or methods,” – said Kurti.

No more stops from Albania to Kosovo and vice-versa, all controls lifted (euronews.al)

The free circulation of citizens in Albania and Kosovo will be facilitated and checks at the border will be discontinued. The news was announced by Albania’s minister of internal affairs, Bledi Cuci, who said that in collaboration with his counterpart from Kosovo, Xhelal Svecla, cameras will be installed in border checkpoints that will serve to monitor the entries and departures in both countries.

According to Cuci, “although this isn’t part of today’s agreements, it has been requested by both Prime Ministers Rama and Kurti in their last meeting, which is why we won’t be waiting for the summer season to alleviate people’s free circulation, especially at the main border crossings in our countries.”

Cameras will be automatically registering the registration plates of cars passing by the border without the need to have a clerk check on every single driver.

The minister also clarified that in days with high influx like the festivities of November 28-29, both sides of the border have been advised to stop all checks and let motor vehicles pass by without stopping. “I believe that we are on the right way to start experiencing facilitated circulation without perceiving us as two different countries,” he said.

Serbia President Hails ‘Incredible’ Gas Deal With Russia (Balkan Insight)

After meeting Vladimir Putin in Sochi, Aleksandar Vucic said Russia had agreed to peg Serbia's current gas price for another six months, calling it a gesture of friendship towards his country.

Serbia will continue to pay $270 per 1,000 cubic metres of natural gas for the next six months, President Aleksandar Vucic said after a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The two presidents met in Sochi, Russia, where the renewal of a deal about natural gas deliveries was one of their topics. Vucic said: “Putin has shown friendship towards Serbia.”

See more at: https://bit.ly/3oWdJJy