Albanian Language Media:

• Osmani informs Cameron on “Serbia’s constant destabilization efforts” (media)
• Gervalla meets Cameron: West needs new approach towards Balkans (media)
• Kearns: It is time to stand together, unwavering against irredentism (Reporteri)
• Serbia authorities refuse Svecla’s visit to Presevo Valley (media)
• Svecla after denied visit to Serbia: We will act on principles of reciprocity (Koha)
• Kamberi: Govt in Belgrade remains paranoid and hateful against Albanians (RTK)
• COMKFOR: KFOR presence in north quadrupled, patrols tripled (AP)
• Peci: Serbia’s military mobilization means more NATO troops in region (Koha)
• Environmental NGOs sue ministry, claim it secretly gave permits (Express)
• ICK: Task against New Year celebration, mistake that shouldn’t be repeated (RFE)

Serbian Language Media:

• What is written in Serbian Government decision on Kosovo license plates (KoSSev)
• Bislimi on Constitutional Court decisions, police bases in northern Kosovo, dialogue (Radio Gorazdevac, KoSSev, Radio KIM)
• Dacic: I expect strongest pressure on Kosovo issue by March (Tanjug, TV Pink)
• Serbian Army General Staff launches initiative to introduce military service again (Tanjug)
• Dacic: Cameron’s statement on helping Kosovo gain new recognitions deserves strongest condemnation (Kosovo Online, RTV)
• Andric-Rakic: Bill for U.S. to suspend all aid to Kosovo an additional guarantee for implementation of agreement (Kosovo Online)
• Marinkovic: CASA does not take part in initiative to recall mayors (Radio KIM)

   

Albanian Language Media  

  Osmani informs Cameron on “Serbia’s constant destabilization efforts” (media)

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani said today that she informed UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron about “Serbia’s constant efforts for destabilization” in their meeting in Pristina “The meeting also discussed the security situation in the region and beyond, with President Osmani informing Secretary Cameron about Serbia’s constant efforts for destabilization, including the act of aggression and the terrorist act against the Republic of Kosovo on September 24. The President also thanked Secretary Cameron for increasing British troops in KFOR, and highlighted the importance of cooperating for the security of the border with Serbia,” a press release issued by Osmani’s office notes.

Osmani also highlighted the importance of Kosovo’s membership in NATO, “starting with the Partnership for Peace program, as a necessary step to secure long-term peace and security in the region and beyond”. She also talked about the importance of membership in the Council of Europe to further empower and advance human rights.

Gervalla meets Cameron: West needs new approach towards Balkans (media)

Kosovo’s Foreign Minister Donika Gervalla, after the meeting with the British Foreign Secretary, David Cameron, said that the West has always been successful when it has had a clear position and when it has acted decisively. In a press conference on Thursday in Pristina, Gervalla said that there is a societal consensus that Kosovo should be part of the West.

Gervalla thanked Cameron for the continuous support that Britain is giving to Kosovo in various fields. "It is a special pleasure to have the British Foreign Minister in Kosovo. After a long time, it is the first visit of a British Foreign Minister to Kosovo. During the conversation, we talked about the extraordinary development of Kosovo in various fields, especially in the rule of law and democracy. I thanked him for the support that Britain has given to Kosovo before and after the war and Britain's role in stopping the genocide of Serbia in the 90s. Kosovo will be forever grateful. I thanked him for sending additional troops after the attack on Kosovo by Serbia on September 24", Gervalla added. She also said that views Britain as a very important ally in NATO, "where Kosovo intends to join".

Cameron said that the UK supports Kosovo “in its right to be recognized by others”. “Above all the most important thing is to build a state where everyone and all communities feel they have a safe future,” he said. “We are big supporters of the independence and sovereignty of Kosovo and its right to be fully recognized by others as a sovereign country … We will certainly help you in the battle to get recognition in international forums, which is important and something that you deserve”.

Kearns: It is time to stand together, unwavering against irredentism (Reporteri)

UK Parliament Foreign Affairs Committee chief Alicia Kearns welcomed the visit of the Foreign Secretary, David Cameron, to Kosovo. “Good to see David Cameron in Kosovo today. The UK has an important role to play as an independent voice and to challenge the lack of fairness in the Berlin Process. It is time for us to find our backbone and our voice on Kosovo, and to stand firm with them against irredentism,” Kearns wrote on X platform.

Serbian authorities refuse Svecla’s visit to Presevo Valley (media)

Most news websites report that Serbian authorities have not allowed Kosovo’s Minister of Interior Affairs, Xhelal Svecla, to visit Presevo Valley today, following an invitation by the Albanian National Council there. The information was confirmed by the Council’s president Nevzat Lutfiu. Svecla was scheduled to visit the municipalities of Presevo, Bujanovac and Medvedja, and hold meetings with Council representatives and local officials there. The reasons for not allowing his visit have not been announced.

Svecla after denied visit to Serbia: We will act on principles of reciprocity (Koha)

Kosovo’s Minister of Interior Affairs, Xhelal Svecla, commented on a decision by Serbian authorities to reject his visit to Presevo Valley, claiming that this is proof of “Serbia’s destructive approach and its continuous oppression against Albanians in Presevo Valley”. “On the issue of visits by state officials, we will act based on the principles of reciprocity as a value of equality between our two countries … Serbia’s refusal without any explanation several hours before the visit, does not diminish our objectives and engagement for Albanians in [Presevo] Valley,” Svecla said in a Facebook post.

Svecla said he wanted to visit Presevo Valley after an invitation from Nevzad Lutfiu, president of the Albanian National Council. “According to the agenda, there were plans for meetings in the headquarters of the Council in three municipalities and a meeting with the only Albanian member of the Serbian Parliament, Shaip Kamberi. I gladly accepted the invitation and started the preparations,” he said. “With respect to the Brussels agreement and the practices so far, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, we sent the agenda and necessary information about the delegation to the liaison office of Serbia to give us the permit to enter Serbia and carry out the visit.”

Kamberi: Govt in Belgrade remains paranoid and hateful against Albanians (RTK)

Shaip Kamberi, the only Albanian member of the Serbian Parliament, reacted to reports that Serbian authorities have rejected a visit to Presevo Valley by Kosovo’s Minister of Interior Affairs, Xhelal Svecla. Kamberi said that visits by officials from Kosovo and Albania to Presevo Valley “are necessary and should be seen as ordinary as in all democratic countries”.

According to Kamberi, “regardless of the elections, the government in Belgrade doesn’t change, it remains paranoid and hateful against anything that is Albanian! We harshly condemn this approach by the government in Belgrade which continues the ghettoization of Presevo Valley”.

COMKFOR: KFOR presence in north quadrupled, patrols tripled (AP)

Commander of NATO peacekeeping troops (KFOR) in Kosovo, Ozkan Ulutas, said in an interview with the news website that due to the fragile security situation, NATO troops have quadrupled their presence in the north of Kosovo and tripled the number of patrols. 

Ulutas said in general the situation on the ground is quiet but fragile. “We are closely following every important security development. KFOR is focused on the full, daily, and impartial implementation of its UN mandate based on UNSC Resolution 1244 – to provide a safe and secure environment for all people living in Kosovo and freedom of movement. After an increase in tensions in the last months, NATO has deployed an additional 1,000 troops and heavy armored forces. We have quadrupled the presence of KFOR in the north of Kosovo and we have tripled the number of patrols, including along the administrative boundary line. These are careful steps to ensure that the KFOR mission has the necessary resources. We have a skilled and flexible position throughout Kosovo that allows us to respond to any scenario with full respect to our UN mandate,” he said.

Asked if there is a threat from another situation similar to the attack in Banjska in September last year, Ulutas said he doesn’t want to speculate on possible scenarios. “We are closely monitoring every important security development in the region … We remain vigilant and laser focused on the daily implementation of our mission mandated by the United Nations. We are well equipped and ready to address any situation that may affect the security environment,” he said.

Peci: Serbia’s military mobilization means more NATO troops in region (Koha)

Director of the Pristina-based KIPRED research institute, Lulzim Peci, said today that Serbia’s military mobilization means more NATO troops in the region. In reaction to a statement by the Serbian Defence Minister about reintroducing mandatory military service, Peci said that the international community should focus on what Serbia is planning to do. “In addition to politics in Pristina and Tirana, the west should also pay full attention to what Serbia is doing in this field. Serbia’s armament and military mobilization means more NATO military troops to ensure peace and stability in the region,” he writes in a Facebook post.

Peci said that Serbia’s policy [mandatory military service] will also have an impact on Albanians living in Presevo Valley, arguing that the goal is to further change the ethnic structure in that region. “In addition to preparing the people for military situations, this policy will also lead to the immigration of Albanian youths from Presevo Valley, because they will be forced to be part of the mandatory military service. Through this policy there will without a doubt be silent further changes to the ethnic structure in those territories,” he said.

Environmental NGOs sue ministry, claim it secretly gave permits (Express)

Three environmental organizations filed a lawsuit today against Kosovo’s Ministry of Environment, Spatial Planning, and Infrastructure, led by Liburn Aliu, claiming that the ministry secretly gave permits to the Kelkos company for a hydropower plant in Decan. According to the organizations, Aliu met secretly with Kelkos representatives and after the meetings the company was equipped with water and environmental permits for the hydropower plant. “Today we filed a lawsuit against the Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning, after finding out that they secretly gave permits to Kelkos company, while ignoring the devastated environment and denied public participation. We have learned that a year ago, Minister Liburn Aliu held several secret meetings with the Kelkos company and after the meetings, the company was equipped with water and environmental permits for the Lumbardhi hydropower plant in Decan. Kelkos was never equipped with the permits and operated without them since 2009. Currently, Kelkos company operates freely with all hydropower plants regardless of multi-million and irreparable damages that continue to destroy the environment in Kosovo,” the organizations argued. According to them, Aliu ignored the legal instructions and illegally favored Kelkos. They also called on Prime Minister Albin Kurti to immediately intervene on the matter.

ICK: Task against New Year celebration, mistake that shouldn’t be repeated (RFE)

The Islamic Community of Kosovo (ICK) distanced itself from an activity that was held on December 31 in a mosque in Pristina, where children were given a task to think about ways they can persuade their children not to celebrate New Year. ICK said that they would interview the imam of the mosque on the matter.

Artan Muhaxhiri, a sociologist, commented on the activity saying that children were misused and that the Islamic Community should be more informed about activities held in mosques. 

The Women’s Department of the Islamic Community said the activity was not planned in coordination with the ICK. The head of the department said that the activity, which triggered public debates, was not intentional or planned by the department that she heads. “It was planned by the teacher. We as a department do not accept this,” she said.

   

Serbian Language Media

  What is written in Serbian Government decision on Kosovo license plates (KoSSev)

KoSSev portal writes today it has been the fourth day since vehicles with “RKS” license plates can enter central Serbia without accompanying procedures and use of stickers. This was made possible by the decision of the Serbian Government made at the end of the last year. The portal said the decision was not officially published, adding it had an insight into this document.

It relates to the conclusion of the Serbian Government made on December 25, as per a proposal of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The document contains three topics. The first topic says that by this conclusion previous conclusions of the Serbian Government number 27-10533/2016 from November 3, 2016 and number 27-7768/2019 from August 1, 2019 are invalidated. At the same time there is no concrete explanation as to what is being invalidated.

Second topic refers to a decision that Office for Kosovo and Metohija Director Petar Petkovic spoke about, respectively that movement of vehicles with “RKS” plates is being allowed, stressing this does not mean that Serbia recognized Kosovo, adding the decision was made for purely practical reasons.

The third and last topic says this conclusion, because of implementation, is sent to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Ministry of Finance, Customs Management and for the information to the Office for Kosovo and Metohija and the Office for Coordinating Affairs in the negotiations process with Pristina.

Legal expert Dragutin Nenezic told KoSSev portal that as far as conclusions of the Serbian Government are concerned they are not published in general and when it comes to their access, an access to the electronic service of the government is needed.

Bislimi on Constitutional Court decisions, police bases in northern Kosovo, dialogue (Radio Gorazdevac, KoSSev, Radio KIM)

Kosovo Deputy Prime Minister and Pristina’s chief negotiator in the talks with Belgrade, Besnik Bislimi told Radio Gorazdevac in a New Year’s interview that lack of the signature on the European proposal lead to, as he said, further complications including the event in Banjska, KoSSev portal reports.

He opined that last year was “very conducive” to implement the so-called Franco-German plan, which has been officially declared as a European plan, as it was a year without elections. On the other hand, he perceives 2024 as less conducive because of the number of elections taking place in US, EU, Kosovo. Bislimi also opined that recently organized elections in Serbia “were obstruction” in implementation of the European plan. He said repeated voting at a number of polling stations in Serbia would further prolong the establishment of the Serbian Government, and once the new government in Belgrade is established there would be a series of elections in crucial EU bodies, and later in the US.

Asked if Pristina would revoke decision on stickers for Serbian license plates, as Belgrade did recently for Kosovo ones, Bislimi recalled already known stance that once Pristina authorities report that Serbian authorities are fully implementing this decision, and once this decision is published or printed somewhere, then Kosovo would decide the same, meaning the stickers would become the past.

Serbs in north trust Kosovo police

Bislimi also claimed in the interview that the trust of citizens in Kosovo police in the north is increasing, which is supported, as he said, by photographs and video recordings on which “Kosovo police distributes food to the citizens and other necessities”.

“And reports received are as such that citizens in larger numbers report their problems to the police, which means the trust is built”, he said.

Asked about police bases constructed in northern Kosovo, Bislimi justified their reconstruction as “a measure to protect the citizens”. He also said those bases were reconstructed because of the security vacuum once Serbs left the institutions. However, he avoided directly responding to the question on the long-term perspective of those bases, and true intention of the government, justifying it “with presence of paramilitary groups”, Radio Gorazdevac reported.  

On returning land to Visoki Decani Monastery: Constitutional Court known for disputable decisions, we see it daily

Commenting on the fact that the Constitutional Court decision on returning the land to Visoki Decani Monastery had not been implemented for eight years, Bislimi said it does not fall within “his portfolio”, as it is a matter of the Constitutional Court, local authorities and cadastre service.

Although he did not want to comment, he said he knows “about the concern of domestic policy creators due to the quality of such a decision of the Constitutional Court”.

“Our Constitutional Court is known for making disputable documents and decisions, and we see it daily, because we think that they lack competency and credibility. And this is not a decision of the Constitutional Court that could not have been implemented in the past”, he said.

On independence of judiciary with a comment of situation in Serbia

Bislimi also said it is not a secret that Constitutional Courts in the entire Western Balkans are “far from perfection”.

Asked about returning the land to Visoki Decani Monastery, the portal further reports that Bislimi in a long answer moved at the end to the political and legal field of Serbia, saying it was Vucic who “took over the role” of the Constitutional Court of Serbia, and that he decides about Constitutional Court of Serbia decisions.

The fact, that Bislimi in the interview for Radio Gorazdevac and other Kosovo officials for years comment on the decisions of courts in Kosovo, Bislimi perceives as his right that he and the government “interpret decisions” and that Vucic is, as he said, the one “who takes over the role of the Constitutional Court”, KoSSev portal reported.

Dacic: I expect strongest pressure on Kosovo issue by March (Tanjug, TV Pink)

Serbian Foreign Minister and leader of the Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS) Ivica Dacic said today a turbulent period awaits Serbia, adding he expects the strongest pressure on Kosovo issue by March.

"In the first months, there will be pressure over Kosovo and Metohija. By March, that pressure will be concentrated to meet Pristina’s demands even more", Dacic told TV Pink, adding that a turbulent period is also expected regarding Republika Srpska.

He assessed that Pristina continues to abuse the dialogue and is doing everything to complicate the situation in Kosovo and lead to further escalation.

Serbian Army General Staff launches initiative to introduce military service again (Tanjug)

Serbian Armed Forces General Staff proposed today to President of the Republic and Supreme Commander of the Serbian Armed Forces, Aleksandar Vucic re-introduction of the obligation to serve in the military for up to four months, the Ministry of Defence said in a statement, Tanjug news agency reported.

As it was said, the goal of the initiative is to increase the defense capabilities of the Serbian Armed Forces, through rejuvenation and advancement of the recruitment and training of the active and reserve forces.

The proposal comes after a detailed consideration of the general security situation and the contemporary challenges facing Serbia as a militarily neutral country, which imposed the need for adjusting the recruitment model of the Serbian Armed Forces, which would enable the strengthening of the overall recruiting potential and the training of a greater number of citizens for the defense of the country, the statement added.

Dacic: Cameron’s statement on helping Kosovo gain new recognitions deserves strongest condemnation (Kosovo Online, RTV)

Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic said today the statement of UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron that Great Britain will help Kosovo gain new recognitions was “utterly hypocritical and deserves the strongest condemnation”, Kosovo Online portal reports.

“While not mentioning in a single word that Albin Kurti and Kosovo for 11 years already refuse to implement Brussels agreement, which, among other, was signed and guaranteed on behalf of the EU, by British Catherine Ashton, while he did not mention in a single word terror and forceful expulsion of more than 200.000 Serbs, destruction of Serbian Orthodox Christian churches and monasteries from medieval times, Cameron promises to so-called Kosovo help with new recognitions and admissions in international institutions”, Dacic said.

Dacic recalled that although Great Britain recognized Kosovo only one day after it unilaterally declared independence and supported it over the last 16 years, Kosovo at this moment is recognized by only 84 UN member states, while 109 states support the stance of Serbia. He said Serbia will continue to be a constructive factor in the dialogue, but has the right as any other country in the world to protect its national and state interests as well as its territorial integrity. 

Andric-Rakic: Bill for U.S. to suspend all aid to Kosovo an additional guarantee for implementation of agreement (Kosovo Online)

“The adoption of a law in support of the Brussels Agreement, which would mean the denial of any kind of U.S. aid to Kosovo until it fulfills its obligations from the dialogue with Serbia, proposed by Congresswoman Claudia Tenney, can be one of the types of international guarantees for the implementation of existing agreements”, Milica Andric Rakic, program manager of NGO New Social Initiative told Kosovo online today.

“It is a form of one of the possible international guarantees for the implementation of existing agreements. With the fact that the US is not directly involved as a mediator in the dialogue, I am not sure that it will be easy to gather the appropriate support within the U.S. legislative institutions, in order to actually pass the bill”, she added. Andric Rakic said that it is quite similar to the announcement of the European Union about the aid package for the Western Balkans.

“There is already talk of a similar model, where financial support packages for countries of the Western Balkans, which include Serbia and Kosovo, would be unlocked only when certain criteria were met. Most of them are dialogue related, but not necessarily all of them. It is assumed that in the case of Kosovo, the criteria will also be related to the position of non-majority communities and all the objections that the EU has, not only presented in the report of the European Commission, but also in the preliminary report of the Council of Europe (…)”, she said.

She opined that re-election of Donald Trump as the American President is possible, and therefore a change in stances towards dialogue.

The said proposal called “Backing the 2013 Brussels Agreement Act” put forward on December 19 by Congresswoman Claudia Tenney can be seen at: https://shorturl.at/bwFIZ

Marinkovic: CASA does not take part in initiative to recall mayors (Radio KIM)

Mitrovica North based non-governmental organization CASA said the statement Kosovo Deputy Prime Minister Besnik Bislimi made in an interview with Radio Gorazdevac that this organization was the initiator of an initiative to recall a mayor in Mitrovica North was not true, Radio KIM reports.

In the interview Bislimi, while expressing reservation for accuracy of his claim, marked NGO CASA as initiator of the initiative.  

"In order to accurately inform citizens and better understand the role of the organization, NGO CASA wants to inform the public that the organization did not take part in any part of that process, conceptually or organizationally. We believe that the statements of the deputy prime minister are an unintentional mistake without hidden motives and that it probably came due to the fact that one of the initiators of the initiative is a former employee of the organization who left the NGO CASA few weeks before the initiation of the initiative to replace the mayor", Miodrag Marinkovic, CASA director said in a statement.

Marinkovic added that the aforementioned former employee did not represent the NGO CASA in any capacity, but that, as he pointed out, the organization will continue to make its contribution to the normalization of the situation in the north of Kosovo, and considers establishment of legitimate local authorities to be a key step in that direction.