UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, September 21, 2023

Albanian Language Media:

Escobar wants Kosovo government to have “new approach” to dialogue (media)
Osmani meets Biden in New York; “alliance of freedom, eternal alliance” (media)
Opposition, ruling party MPs clash over inquiry committee for state reserves (Telegrafi)
Stano on arrests of Serbs for war crimes: We’re monitoring situation (Gazeta Express)
Begaj: We’re together with Kosovo at UN; Kurti-Rama relations are very good (media)
“Pressure against Serbs in north comes directly from BIA and Vucic” (Kosovapress)
German deputy ambassador: EU is not complete without Western Balkans (EO)
Haradinaj: Kosovo Army has capacities to protect peace with NATO anywhere (Klan)

Serbian Language Media:

Escobar: Kosovo should change "take it or leave it" approach, Milatovic agrees with American position on government (VoA)
Vucic informed Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan about violence against Serbs in Kosovo (NMagazin, Beta)
Rada Trajkovic: Arrest of Serbs deliberate destabilisation, Kurti wanted to be Zelensky, but I'm afraid he went the way of Aliyev (KoSSev)
Miletic resigned from position of adviser in Kosovo PM’s cabinet (KiM Radio, KoSSev)
Radakovic: Every autumn in north is "hot", I am afraid of mass arrests (Kosovo Online)
Hill: US does not have many details about yesterday's arrests of Serbs in Kosovo (KiM Radio, Tanjug, RTV)
Stano: EU closely monitors situation in northern Kosovo (RTS, Tanjug, Radio KIM)
FM Dacic holds bilateral meetings on sidelines of UNGA (N1, BETA)

International:

Kosovo and Taiwan Eye an Alliance of Outsiders (Foreign Policy)
Fact-Check: Kosovo Is Attracting More FDI, But Not Where It’s Needed (BIRN)
Romania FA sanctioned over 'Serbia' chants in Kosovo match (Reuters)

Albanian Language Media

Escobar wants Kosovo government to have “new approach” to dialogue (media)

U.S. special envoy for the Western Balkans, Gabriel Escobar, said in an interview with the Voice of America that the Kosovo government needs to be more pragmatic and have “a new approach” to the dialogue on the normalisation of relations with Serbia. He said that it is clear for the Kosovo government what it needs to do in the process of dialogue. “The time has come for a new approach by some persons who have taken the dialogue only as a ‘yes or no’ option. And I mean specifically the Government of Kosovo. They have a clear obligation on what they need to do. And I think that the statement of [EU High Representative] Borrell [after the last round of the dialogue] was very clear. We encourage Serbia to continue to be constructive and patient, but we also continue to ask Serbia not to do anything destabilising in Kosovo. We need to continue to work on the dialogue. There is no alternative. There is no alternative for the region except for European integration,” he said.

Asked to comment on Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti’s criticism against EU Special Representative Miroslav Lajcak for being a biassed facilitator and positioning himself against Kosovo, Escobar said that Lajcak has the full support of the EU and the U.S. “Lajcak is not going away. The dialogue is not going away. And I don’t think that a country of 1.5 million will convince the trans-Atlantic community of 700 million to change its tactics. I think a more pragmatic approach is needed by the Government of Kosovo. I must say something more. Last week I was alarmed by the personal attacks against Lajcak in Kosovo’s social sphere. I asked President Osmani and Prime Minister Kurti to condemn these attacks. I am not saying that they come from the Government of Kosovo, but the Government of Kosovo needs to be very clear that personal attacks against the Special Representative are unacceptable,” Escobar said.

Osmani meets Biden in New York; “alliance of freedom, eternal alliance” (media)

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani met with U.S. President Joe Biden in New York. Osmani published a photo on Facebook with the caption “The alliance of freedom. An eternal alliance”.

Opposition, ruling party MPs clash over inquiry committee for state reserves (Telegrafi)

MPs from opposition parties and the ruling party have clashed in today’s session of the Assembly about the formation of a parliamentary inquiry committee for state reserves. Opposition representatives said the committee needs to be formed because of grounded suspicion about the misuse of state reserves, while Vetevendosje MPs said this would be an interference in the judiciary, as the prosecution is already investigating the case.

Head of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) parliamentary group, Arben Gashi, who initiated the formation of the committee, said all doubts about abuse need to be clarified. “For the purpose of implementing our constitutional mandate in parliament, we reiterate the great need to conduct this inquiry, especially because of the fact that state reserves are a matter of national security,” he said.

Head of the Vetevendosje parliamentary group, Mimoza Kusari-Lila, however, said the formation of the committee is hasty and that opposition MPs want to become investigators and create parallelisms with the prosecution. She also raised doubts that the proposal by the head of the committee is in opposition with the Assembly’s regulation. “A simple question for the MPs that have signed the initiative: don’t you trust the prosecution? Or do you consider yourself better investigators than the prosecution and police?” she asked.

Gashi reacted to Kusari-Lila’s remarks saying that the committee does not interfere in the work of the prosecution. “The prosecution does its job, and the committee does not request documents from the prosecution,” he said.

Head of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) parliamentary group, Abelard Tahiri, said the purpose of the committee is to shed light on the government’s scandal with state reserves. He argued that all procedures to form the committee are based on the regulation of the Assembly. “We don’t want to become investigators. This is an untruth expressed by Kusari-Lila. We want to implement our mandate as MPs and based on the Constitution of Kosovo. The Constitution gives the parliament the right to a parliamentary inquiry, therefore, we want to exercise our right,” Tahiri said.

Head of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK), Besnik Tahiri, too said the inquiry committee needs to be formed. “We want to see this major scandal from a political standpoint, because you came to power calling for ‘the fight against corruption’ and you never stopped talking about state reserves that we allegedly spent. Now we want to see how you have treated them,” he argued.

Stano on arrests of Serbs for war crimes: We’re monitoring situation (Gazeta Express)

The European Union is in contact with the authorities in Pristina to get all the information about the latest arrests of three Serbs in the north of Kosovo on the suspicion of having committed war crimes against the civilian population. “We are monitoring the situation and we are in close contact with the authorities in Kosovo to find out everything related to the further development of the situation and we will react if necessary,” EU spokesperson Peter Stano told reporters today.

Begaj: We’re together with Kosovo at UN; Kurti-Rama relations are very good (media)

Albanian President Bajram Begaj, who leads the Albanian delegation at the United Nations General Assembly, said in an interview with ABC News that the issue of Kosovo and the situation of Albanians in Presevo Valley need to be discussed in such forums. “During this forum, we can express issues related to Albanians, issues that concern us greatly, especially for Albanians living outside Albania. We will certainly discuss the situation in Kosovo and the situation of Albanians in Presevo Valley,” he said.

Begaj said he has excellent communication with his Kosovo counterpart, Vjosa Osmani. “We are certainly together. We are one nation and two countries. The Albanian nation has proved that it has in its DNA the European spirit and the Euro-Atlantic path. On this path, which is a dream for all Albanians, we need to stand united with Kosovo,” he argued. “The same goes for the level of relations between the Prime Ministers. You have a wrong perception. It may seem to you differently, but their relations are very good.”

“Pressure against Serbs in north comes directly from BIA and Vucic” (Kosovapress)

Serb political commentator from the north of Kosovo, Branislav Krstic, in an interview with the news agency, commented on threats and intimidation of the Serb population in the north, claiming that the blackmail and pressure against them comes directly from the Serbian intelligence service and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic. Krstic acknowledged the presence and activity of criminal groups in the north which he said were developed through the Serbian List. “The blackmail (against Serb citizens in the north) comes directly from the BIA and the office of the President of Serbia, which means that now we have a different blackmail and pressure against those that are willing to accept the independence of the state of Kosovo and who are ready to apply for the formation of political parties in the state of Kosovo. They are now targeted by the Serbian List and the Serbian President,” he said.

Kosovo Police deputy director for the region of the north, Veton Elshani, said that the threats against the new Serb police officers come from Serbia and groups that are sponsored by Belgrade. He argued that the problem needs to be resolved politically and not operationally on the ground. “We think that in the north of the country there are criminal groups and people involved in criminal activities that are punishable by Kosovo laws. We are dealing with them … The risk and threats against our colleague do not come from the north, but from Serbia and groups that are sponsored by the state. The threats come from state institutions,” he said.

Aleksandar Arsenijevic, leader of the civic initiative ‘Serbian Survival’ in Mitrovica North, said that the Serb police officers who resigned now have contracts with Serbia, through which they get paid by Belgrade and do not have to work.

German deputy ambassador: EU is not complete without Western Balkans (EO)

On the second day of the Kosovo Peace and Democracy Summit in Pristina, German deputy ambassador Matthias Conrad mentioned the tensions in the north and the suspension of Klan Kosova’s licence by the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Entrepreneurship. He said it was important to work as much as possible to safeguard democracy and that the European Union is not complete without the Western Balkans. “There is progress in some areas, and in some others, there is regress. Kosovo has had its ups and downs, including the increased tensions in the north, the licence of Klan Kosova, and the prosecution,” Conrad said. “Without the Western Balkans, the EU is incomplete. The EU needs to be ready for the next round of enlargement. Civil society has a powerful voice, and it needs to make its voice heard. The lack of a clear path toward the EU has created an uneasy sentiment in this respect. In this period, when democracy is challenged, a lot of work is needed. We have a lot of work to do, because these processes require a great deal of engagement. This conference is important precisely because of this.”

The panel also discussed the current state of democracy in Kosovo and the region, and the situation of the media as the fourth power. Panellists from civil society and the media discussed different factors.

Misa Popovic, project coordinator at the Skopje-based Center of Good Governance at the Institute for Democracy, Societas Civilis, said that despite the wish of people to have greater democracy, there is a tendency to control the media and oppress dissidents. “People want stronger leaders to resolve their problems, and, in a way, this leads to tendencies to control the media and to oppress dissidents,” he argued.

Nermina Kuloglija-Zolj, a journalist with BIRN, said that the oppositions in Bosnia and in Serbia are seen and act as powerless. “In Bosnia there is an opposition that moves with the premise ‘we are not going anywhere’. In Serbia too the opposition cannot do more, and we have had this situation for many years now,” she said.

Eraldin Fazliu, a journalist with KTV, said the government has not been open or transparent with the media, journalists, and their work. “As a journalist I can say we have made hundreds of requests and questions to the government on different issues, but they don’t have an open approach. I think it is important to say that this is not the first time we are being attacked in Kosovo or that the treatment of the media here is better than in Serbia or Albania, but the climate that has been created here, if the Prime Minister does not condemn certain attacks, it means that he is either supporting them or favouring these attacks (against the journalists and the media). I don’t know if this is the case, but that is what I am led to believe. He gives more interviews to international media because it is easier to talk about the Kosovo-Serbia issue, than about internal issues. For example they very rarely talk about inflation,” he said.

Haradinaj: Kosovo Army has capacities to protect peace with NATO anywhere (Klan)

Leader of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK), Ramush Haradinaj, said today on World Peace Day, that peace and guaranteeing it, is a shared success of the people of Kosovo and the democratic countries of the world. “We want to be an active part, together with NATO, in reaching and protecting peace anywhere in the world … Our people proudly support the possibility of Kosovo’s soldiers helping peace in the world,” he said.

Serbian Language Media

Escobar: Kosovo should change "take it or leave it" approach, Milatovic agrees with American position on government (VoA)

It is time for a new approach of partners within the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue, Deputy Assistant US Secretary of State Gabriel Escobar said, Voice of America (VoA) reported.

This American diplomat is staying in New York on the occasion of the UN GA session, where he discussed and planned meetings with the leaders of the Western Balkans.

In an interview with the Voice of America, Escobar specified that, after another collapse in the talks between Belgrade and Pristina, the approach should be changed by the side that, as he indicated, acts according to the principle - take it or leave it.

"I am specifically referring to the Government of Kosovo. They are clear about what their responsibilities are. And I think Borell's statement was very clear. We continue to encourage Serbia to be constructive and patient. We continue to ask (Serbia) not to do anything that could contribute to the destabilisation of Kosovo. We must continue to work on dialogue. There is no alternative for the region - except for European integration”, Escobar said in an interview with Voice of America.

He added that he does not accept criticism of the involvement of the mediator in the talks, diplomat Miroslav Lajcak.

"Lajcak enjoys the full confidence of the European Union and the United States. After the collapse of the talks, 27 member states of the European Union publicly expressed their support to Lajcak. So that's something he (Kurti) will have to deal with. Lajcak and dialogue will not disappear. A country of one and a half million inhabitants will not convince the transatlantic community with 700,000,000 people to change tactics", Escobar said - adding that a more pragmatic approach by Kosovo Government is needed.

"I have to add something else. During the last week, I was disturbed by the information that Lajcak was the target of attacks on Kosovo's social networks. I asked President Osmani and Prime Minister Kurti to condemn it. I am not saying that they are coming from the ranks of the Government of Kosovo, but it is necessary to be clear to point out that personal attacks against the special envoy are unacceptable", he specified.

In reference to the fact that Serbia once again failed to comply with the punitive policy of the Western allies towards Russia, Escobar pointed out that that country should not be, as he put it, a stranger in the European family.

"I will say that we believe that Serbia should introduce sanctions. It has no legal obligation to do so, and it is obvious that it is a state that independently implements its own foreign policy. So, that's what we've been consistently conveying, and I'll repeat it", noted Escobar - who, as he stated, has not yet spoken with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic due to his tight schedule.

"I hope we will meet during the week", added Escobar.

He also noted that the American diplomats in the Montenegrin delegation, specifically President Jakov Milatovic, saw an understanding regarding the need for pro-European parties to form the Government.

"President Milatovic had important and productive meetings with Councilor Chollet, the State Secretary and representatives of the White House. The United States has been very clear that we want the government to consist exclusively of parties focused on European integration and committed to NATO, which share our position regarding Russia. I think we were very clear about that, and he signalled that he agreed with that. We want to form a government and bring together the parties. He, as head of state, has a very important role to convey the right message to the people. So, we are convinced that he understood what we conveyed to him," specified Escobar.

The American diplomat, however, also expressed concern that the Western Balkans, as he pointed out, is developing at two speeds.

"On the one hand, there are members of the North Atlantic Alliance who are very committed to their NATO and European path. There are also the remaining three who are struggling with difficulties. During my meetings with them, I consistently conveyed that the United States supports their Euro-Atlantic path. We would like and wish that all of them would resolve the internal and regional differences that prevent them from progressing," stated the interlocutor of the Voice of America.

In a more concrete answer, he indicated the important role of North Macedonia in the current processes.

"We are grateful to them for their regional leadership and for their pro-European leadership. As chairperson of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), I think that North Macedonia consistently proves to be an excellent partner. In this sense, we would also like to see it in the European Union. Albania had a great approach to membership in the Security Council, in bilateral relations, as well as with NATO," said Escobar.

He then pointed to concerns about Bosnia and Herzegovina.

"It, as you know, has big challenges ahead of her. The biggest one is that Milorad Dodik calls into question the foundations of stability and security established more than 25 years ago - the Dayton Peace Agreement and all the structures within it, including the establishment of peace and the position of the high representative. This is currently the biggest challenge for Bosnia and Herzegovina", said Escobar.

He advocated that the parties who, as he indicated, have a developed sense of responsibility - find a way to strengthen the Dayton Agreement and start the European path of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Vucic informed Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan about violence against Serbs in Kosovo (NMagazin, Beta)

The President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, "informed in detail about the violence perpetrated against the Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija" the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, in New York.

Vucic was at a reception organised by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the UAE on the occasion of the 78th UN General Assembly in New York.

"We exchanged opinions on the most important issues on the agenda of the UN General Assembly session, and I informed Sheikh Abdullah in detail about the violence perpetrated against Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija. I called on the friendly UAE to use their influence and engagement to help protect and survive our people on their centuries-old fireplaces," said Vucic on Instagram.

He added that he asked Sheikh al-Nahyan to convey warm greetings and expressions of deep appreciation to the President of the Emirates, Sheikh Muhammad bin Zayed al-Nahyan, with the expectation that he will visit Serbia again.

"I repeated that I am particularly proud of our friendship, as well as the fact that one of the most influential leaders of the world considers our country an important partner and that he personally pays great attention to the further strengthening of relations with Serbia," Vucic wrote.

Rada Trajkovic: Arrest of Serbs deliberate destabilisation, Kurti wanted to be Zelensky, but I'm afraid he went the way of Aliyev (KoSSev)

KFOR did not respond to the attack in the North at that time, because it is aware that escalation leads to destabilisation. The arrests of Serbs in Kosovo are a clear and deliberate escalation, Rada Trajkovic, adviser to the Minister for Communities and Return in the Kosovo government, said today.

Her reaction comes a day after new arrests of Serbs in Kosovo. Three men were arrested in the northern part of Mitrovica, Zvecan and Priluzje, and the Kosovo authorities charged them with alleged war crimes.

"Coordinated arrests of Serbs throughout Kosovo are a clear and conscious escalation and destabilisation of our community," Rada Trajkovic believes, reported KoSSev.

Consequently, she directly compared the Kosovo PM Albin Kurti to the Azerbaijani President, Ilham Aliyev

"Kurti wanted to be Zelensky, and I'm afraid he went down the path of Aliyev," Trajkovic believes.

One of the most topical news of the last few days is the situation in Armenia, and the latest offensive by Azerbaijan against what it is being presented as "Armenian separatist forces" in Nagorno-Karabakh, reported KoSSev.

Miletic resigned from position of adviser in Kosovo PM’s cabinet (KiM Radio, KoSSev)

The advisor in the cabinet of Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti, Petar Miletic, resigned from his position. He sent a letter to the Kosovo PM, but also to some international addresses, and the news was confirmed for KoSSev by Miletic himself.

"I would like to be able to say that I am resigning, but that would be pretentious because I have nothing to resign from. Therefore, consider that from today, as I said in the introduction, I am not even formally an external political advisor to the Prime Minister of Kosovo," stated Miletic in a letter addressed to the Prime Minister of Kosovo, through which he explained his decision.

He stated that at the beginning of this year he realised that his role "will not be important, nor functional in terms of helping the Serbs in Kosovo", because, as he writes in this letter, he was neither asked nor consulted about any decision of the Prime Minister or the Government.

Everything, as he emphasised, took place "beyond him".

The biggest proof for him is that, as he pointed out, that the Kosovo government does not want cooperation with the Serbs - was the non-appointment of the director of the Office for Communities in the prime minister's office, regardless of the insistence of domestic and international actors, but also the reduction of the budget of that office from one million three hundred thousand to five hundred thousands of euros.

He also stated that, after he realised that his role in political issues, i.e. the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, the implementation of the Ohrid Agreement, the crisis in the north of Kosovo, would not come to anything, during this spring with his colleague Elizabeth Gowing and a group of Serbs from the civil society identified about fifteen everyday problems that could easily be solved.

If there was political will of the government, he stressed, most of the problems would be solved within a few days.

"According to my free estimate, 90 percent of those problems could have been solved within a few days if there was the political will of the Government. Although colleague Gowing made a huge effort, none of that happened," he pointed out.

He particularly referred to the allocation of funds from the Prime Minister's office intended for communities, that is, to the fact that almost all the money was received by Albanian non-governmental organisations.

"The pinnacle of hypocrisy and insolence and arrogance," Miletic stated in a letter to Kurti.

Along with a message to the Kosovo PM that during 2023 he deeply crossed the line "from where there is no turning back in relations with the Serbian community" in Kosovo, Miletic also touched on the situation in the north:

"Your statements that you have a problem with Belgrade and not with the Kosovo Serbs are simply not correct, not to use a harsher term. Sending special forces to the north, arresting innocent people (some of them I personally know are innocent, one of whom was arrested yesterday is in a very serious condition), institutional violence against Serbs are not acts against Belgrade, but against your neighbours and citizens of Kosovo, and the matter being worse, such anti-Serbian behaviour spilled over into the streets and society, fortunately not the entire Kosovo society."

"Unfortunately, you can no longer establish even a normal relationship with the Kosovo Serbs, and without the coexistence of Albanians and Serbs, there is no chance for the progress of Kosovo or the region."

In the letter, Miletic emphasised that he did not make this decision "under pressure from anyone".

"On the contrary, apart from being held on Merdare, I had no more serious inconveniences than anyone," he emphasised in this letter.

Miletic held the position of foreign political advisor in the office of the Prime Minister of Kosovo. He was appointed to that position almost exactly one year ago, on September 22, 2022.

Radakovic: Every autumn in north is "hot", I am afraid of mass arrests (Kosovo Online)

The executive director of the NGO Center for the Representation of Democratic Culture from North Mitrovica, Dusan Radakovic, says that, after the failed round of dialogue in Brussels, there could be mass arrests of Serbs in the north of Kosovo and incidents that could seriously escalate, such as break into the premises of the Office for Kosovo in North Mitrovica.

"I'm afraid that after the failed negotiations, there will be more reactions from Kurti and Pristina, the opening of new hot spots. I'm afraid of raids on the premises of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija, next to the former fire station, or even perhaps more massive arrests. It doesn't matter here at all production of drugs and weapons, here a bigger incident is looked for that will escalate into an even bigger crisis, problem, and even bigger threats and pressure on the Serbian community, above all on the Serbs living in the north of Kosovo," Radakovic told Kosovo Online.

He says that every autumn in the north of Kosovo is "hot" and points out once again that he is afraid of an arrest, or of initiating a major incident, which can directly escalate into an even bigger conflict or perhaps a repetition of the situation from May 26 or 29, when started protests by Serbs from the north against the imposition of illegitimately elected Albanian mayors and the occupation of municipal buildings by members of the Kosovo Police.

The failure of the negotiations, on the other hand, will cause even greater pressure on the Pristina side, on the government and the Prime Minister of Kosovo, explains Radakovic.

"I hope that the parties will return to the negotiating table, because this situation is even worse than before September 13, before the unsuccessful negotiations," says Radakovic.

Hill: US does not have many details about yesterday's arrests of Serbs in Kosovo (KiM radio, Tanjug, RTV)

The US Ambassador in Belgrade, Christopher Hill, said that the USA does not know many details about yesterday's arrest of three Serbs from Kosovo, reported KiM radio.

"It was said that it was connected to crimes that allegedly occurred thirty years ago", Hill told Tanjug.

He pointed out that he will leave it to others to conclude why the arrests came immediately after the unsuccessful round of dialogue in Brussels, and during the UN GA.

"I believe that this can be resolved quickly, and I would like to see more discussion about cooperation and less about arrests," Hill concluded. He also pointed out that the USA does not understand how the ban on the import of goods from central Serbia to Kosovo, which was introduced by the authorities in Pristina, can help the overall situation in relations between Belgrade and Pristina.

"Regarding Kosovo and the ban on the import of (Serbian) products, I really don't understand it. I know that my colleagues at the embassy in Pristina are working hard to resolve the issue. I simply don't understand how these banning measures can help," Hill told Tanjug during a tour of the Bambi factory in Pozarevac.

He added that the most important thing now is to calm tensions and increase the level of cooperation.

"What needs to be seen in this region of Southeastern Europe is a greater level of cooperation, tolerance, joint work in order to achieve forms of cooperation that will last," said Hill.

Stano: EU closely monitors situation in northern Kosovo (RTS, Tanjug, Radio KIM)

EU Spokesperson Peter Stano said, in relation to the arrest of three Serbs in Kosovo, that the European Union is closely monitoring recent events in the north of Kosovo, gathers information, and will react in an appropriate manner afterwards, RTS reports.

“The stance of the EU and 27 member states about the situation was clearly expressed in the statement, and everything is written there. We are following the situation, we are in close contact with our partners and responsible actors”, Stano told a press conference after being asked by a Tanjug journalist to comment on the arrest of the three Serbs in Kosovo yesterday and whether the EU plans to do something in this regard.

Asked by an Albanian journalist if the EU thinks that the Community of Serb Municipalities must be established in line with Kosovo Constitution, Stano said the stance of the EU was clear, it must be established without further delay and conditioning.

“The work on establishing the Association/Community of Serb Municipalities must continue without any further delays or conditioning. How, in what way and form – this will be discussed within the dialogue, which is a platform for resolving the problems. Therefore, everything must be done within the dialogue, not outside of it, publicly or in the media”, Stano added.

FM Dacic holds bilateral meetings on sidelines of UNGA (N1, BETA)

On the third day of his visit to New York, Serbian Foreign Affairs Minister Ivica Dacic held meetings on the sidelines of the 78th UN General Assembly session with the foreign ministers of Equatorial Guinea, Mongolia, Panama, Azerbaijan, Somalia, East Timor and Greece and with the Executive Director of the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), BETA news agency reports.

The Serbian Foreign Affairs Ministry said Dacic’s talks focused on possibilities for further strengthening of bilateral political cooperation and cooperation and in other areas such as economy, culture, education and agriculture.

International

Kosovo and Taiwan Eye an Alliance of Outsiders (Foreign Policy)

Both nations are championed by Washington but under threat from revanchism.

Nowhere is Washington held in higher esteem than in the small Balkan nation of Kosovo. On Bill Clinton Boulevard in Pristina, Kosovo’s capital, a statue of the former U.S. president waves cheerily to passersby. Clinton’s secretary of state, Madeleine Albright—who in 1999 pushed for U.S. intervention against Serbia in the Kosovo War—is honored with a small plaza and bust near Pristina’s city center.

But the love is faltering. On April 23, Kosovo held elections in four majority-Serb municipalities in the north of the country. Pristina’s refusal to address calls for greater autonomy in these districts led to a Serb boycott of the elections, leaving turnout at around 3.5 percent. Unopposed, the Albanian candidates were voted in. Violent protests ensued in late May, when those candidates assumed the mayorships of the municipalities. Serb protesters attacked Kosovar police and NATO peacekeepers, and dozens were injured on each side. Kosovar Prime Minister Albin Kurti branded the protesters a “fascist militia” and blamed Serbia and its populist President Aleksandar Vucic for orchestrating the boycott and unrest.