• Kosovo leaders condemn attack on bus that killed three (Prishtina Insight)
• Bus attack in Gllogjan: Several tracks of investigation, no arrested (Koha)
• Thousands gather to pay tribute for 3 victims of tragic bus attack (euronews.al)
• Serbian authorities reject visit by Kosovo government ministers (RFE)
• Kurti for the KSF: You are a continuation of the KLA (Telegrafi)
• Robelli: On the empty rhetoric of unification (Koha)
• COVID-19: Six new cases, no deaths (media)
• Kosovo – Serbia dialogue must continue, Slovenian President says (media)
• Serbia ranks Albania and Kosovo as “hostile countries” (Express/Informer.rs)

Kosovo leaders condemn attack on bus that killed three (Prishtina Insight)

Kosovo's political leaders have united in condemnation of the fatal attack on a bus on Friday night in the village of Gllogjan in Deçan that killed the driver and two teenagers on board.

It is suspected that the unidentified gunman used an AK-47.

The director of Peja Hospital, Skender Dreshaj, told BIRN that the driver died immediately and that three wounded teenagers were taken to hospital, where two of them died. The injured third passenger is out of danger.

The motives for the murderous attack are still unknown and the suspect has escaped. The deputy head of Police of the Peja Region, Veton Elshani, told BIRN that police are working on the case.

Prime Minister Albin Kurti said the police were being mobilized “at full capacity to investigate such a serious crime and bring it to justice”.

President Vjosa Osmani called the attack “shocking” and urged law enforcement to find the perpetrators as soon as possible.

“The attack on a bus with students is a blow to our public order and security. Citizens’ security is a priority and we shall not withdraw from fulfilling such a mission,” Osmani wrote on Facebook.

Interior Minister Xhelal Sveçla, the Minister of Education, Science and Technology Arbërie Nagavci and the Deputy Minister of Health, Dafina Gexha-Bunjaku, all went to the scene after midnight Friday to inspect.

Bashkim Ramosaj, mayor of Deçan, said that he hoped it was not a terrorist attack. Elshani, from the police, doubted this was the case. “We have no reason to believe that we are dealing with a terrorist act,” said Elshani.

The State Prosecutor’s Office has invited citizens to cooperate and share any information they have about the shooting, in order to solve the case.

On Friday night, the Chief Prosecutor of the Special Prosecution, Blerim Isufaj, told the media said that some people were being interviewed as witnesses.

Bus attack in Gllogjan: Several tracks of investigation, no arrested (Koha)

The daily reported on its front page on Sunday that Kosovo’s Minster of Interior Affairs, Xhelal Svecla, gave an ultimatum to surrender to the main suspect behind the killing of three people during an attack on a bus in Gllogjan. The main suspect has not been identified yet, while the prosecution and police have said they have several tracks of investigation but that they have no concrete results yet. The bus attack was condemned by international representatives, the European Union, the U.S. Embassy, the German Embassy and UNMIK, who called for the perpetrators of the crime to be brought before justice as soon as possible.

The daily reports this morning that Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti has offered €20,000 for anyone that shares information that may help resolve the case.

Thousands gather to pay tribute for the 3 victims of tragic bus attack (euronews.al)

Thousands of citizens attended a vigil in Decan to mourn the 3 victims that were killed Friday evening after a masked man opened fire on a bus carrying teenagers.

The victims were a boy and a girl, reportedly 17 and 18, as well as the bus driver. Another 17-year-old boy was taken to the hospital where doctors successfully removed a bullet and now is in a stable condition.

The motive remains unknown, although the chief of police excluded possibilities that it might have been a terrorist act. The assailant is still at large and the police are urging anyone with information to come forward.

Serbian authorities reject visit by Kosovo government ministers (RFE)

Authorities in Serbia have rejected a request for a two-day visit by four Kosovo Government ministers to the region of Presevo, Medvedja and Bujanovac, known as Presevo Valley.

Kosovo’s Minister of Environment, Spatial Planning and Infrastructure, Liburn Aliu, said the request was rejected “without any justification shortly before the departure” of the delegation of the Kosovo Government.

“We made a regular request on November 24, presenting the agenda of the visit. The refusal was made to us today at 07:13. The negative response received through our liaison office in Belgrade, included no reason for the refusal,” Aliu wrote in a Facebook post.

Minister Aliu, together with Finance Minister Hekuran Murati, Culture Minister Hajrulla Ceku and Education Minister Arberie Nagavci, were scheduled to visit Presevo Valley. Aliu said they were planning to meet mayors of the three municipalities and other political representatives of the Albanian community in Serbia. “The rejection of our request is an open obstacle to help the discriminated Albanian citizens in Presevo, Medvedja and Bujanovac,” he said.

RFE notes that on November 23, the government in Prishtina rejected a request for a visit to Kosovo by the head of the Serbian Government’s Office for Kosovo, Petar Petkovic. Kosovo’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs told the news agency that they were ready to reconsider the position on allowing Petkovic to visit Kosovo in the future “if he refrains from using provocative language toward the citizens and institutions of the Republic of Kosovo”.

Kurti for the KSF: You are a continuation of the KLA (Telegrafi)

In the ceremony marking the Day of the Force, Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti told Kosovo Security Force (KSF) members that they are a continuation of the former Kosovo Liberation Army. Kurti said the KSF proved it is a professional force.

“You are a continuation of the KLA. We have many reasons to celebrate today. The KSF has once again proved it is professional. Kosovo, this year too, has proved it is a trusted partner of international allies. Kosovo opened its doors for world armies this year and the Defender Europe 21 field exercise was held,” he said.

Kosovo’s Minister of Defense, Armend Mehaj, said in his address that the aspirations of the people will be realised when the KSF becomes a member of NATO. “On this day we are proud with our professional army which is getting stronger by the day. The people’s aspirations will be realised the day that we become a member of NATO. We are proud that the KSF has served alongside the United States of America,” Mehaj said.

Robelli: On the empty rhetoric of unification (Koha)

Op-ed by columnist Enver Robelli.

When within a decade, over half a million people flee Albania and Kosovo, the politicians are seeking “salvation” in the rhetoric for unification. They speak differently in front of Albanians, and differently in Brussels and Washington. On the big stage of world politics, they sign every treaty for no border changes, whereas on the small local stage they speak big words. Is it difficult to understand this parody? Not really.

Beyond theoretical observations about the unification of Albanians, which implies the unification of the Republic of Kosovo with the Republic of Albania, one should take this into account: both Kosovo and Serbia have guaranteed the inviolability of borders and they have done this through all international agreements. It is said that Kosovo was declaring its statehood with the free will of the majority of its citizens. It is not said that this is a deception for the international community to make Kosovo independent and to join it with Albania.

The wish for unification comes more as a result of the frustration in these countries with crime and corruption rather than from a clear vision about what this unification implies, how possible it is, or what it causes within the Albanian space especially in the political sense. Can the unification of Kosovo with Albania be imagined with Kosovo’s current borders? Wishing is something else.

The unification of a nation in the Balkans would arouse the appetites of others too, regardless of what Albanians may think. Germany and Austria live close to each other without any problems. Why should this be so difficult in the case of Kosovo and Albania? It is not. Kosovo is being (mis)used by the populist parade in Tirana (and the ruling party in Kosovo has some “merits” for this too).

The rhetoric of politicians about the topic of unification is empty. We will have a joint president, the Prime Minister of Albania used to say in 2018. Did he ask anyone about this? This is not a joke. Or maybe it is, because on the one hand you say “unification, unification” while on the other hand Tirana has signed every international treaty about the inviolability of borders (OSCE, NATO, the process of European integration). Kosovo has done the same.

Instead of the rhetoric for unification it is better to talk about crucial issues: why in both countries, freedom has meaning only for a small “elite” that divides, steals and appropriates resources, while the rest of the people suffer from inequality? Division has already happened: the “elites” live separately from the citizens, they live in “special villages” near the metropoles, far from the “lumpenproletariat” who see the world of the rich only when they go to deliver a pizza, fresh fish or to fix electricity or a sewage. As no one is addressing this huge social divide, politicians have found their topic to entertain the people: they say unification here but speak completely differently in Brussels and Washington. Is it difficult to understand this parody?

Spain confirms decision not to recognise Kosovo (Koha)

The Spanish government has reconfirmed its decision not to recognise Kosovo’s independence saying the declaration of independence was a unilateral act. The government said in a statement that from a constructive standpoint, it is time to make final efforts to resolve the issue of Kosovo’s territory through the dialogue between Belgrade and Prishtina and with an agreement that respects international law.

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

Six new cases with COVID-19 were recorded in the last 24 hours in Kosovo. Five people recovered from the virus during this time. There are 335 active cases with COVID-19 in Kosovo.

Kallxo news website reported on Sunday that according to official data, over 2,600 businesses closed in Kosovo due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Koha Ditore reported on Sunday that according to health experts in Kosovo a new wave of COVID-19 is inevitable in Kosovo too if there is no increase in the vaccination rates. While the number of infected persons in Kosovo remains low, the situation in neighboring countries is different. 400 new cases and nine deaths were reported in Albania on Sunday. North Macedonia had over 70 fatalities from the virus last week. Meanwhile, Serbia recorded 369 deaths and 18,000 new cases with the virus.

Most news websites reported over the weekend that Kosovo’s Ministry of Health could announce new measures against COVID-19. “Given the epidemiological situation with COVID-19, the variants that are around and with the aim of protecting public health, the measures in force will be reviewed next week and new measures will be taken in accordance with developments related to COVID-19,” the Ministry said in a statement.

Kosovo – Serbia dialogue must continue, Slovenian President says (media)

Slovenian President Borut Pahor said on Sunday that the enlargement of the European Union is the only response to increased nationalism and ideas for border changes in the Western Balkans and that the EU must be more committed.

After meeting Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, Pahor said: “I am concerned with some processes in the Western Balkans, today even more so because of some statements that we can hear and I think that we can respond to them only with a faster and successful enlargement of the European Union in that part of Europe.”

Pahor also said that remains committed to the integration of the Western Balkans in the European Union and that this is important for the wellbeing of people in the region. He added that the EU integration of the Western Balkans is very slow and that political nationalism and statements for border changes in the region are on the rise again.

“This is a matter of peace and security. These can become irreversible processes, and this is why we need to be careful,” Pahor said.

Pahor will visit Kosovo today and is scheduled to meet President Vjosa Osmani, Prime Minister Albin Kurti and COMKFOR Ferenc Kajari.

Serbia ranks Albania and Kosovo as “hostile countries” (Express/Informer.rs)

The Serbian state leadership adopted a strategic document for the long-term development of its armed forces, Gazeta Express reports citing an article published in Serbian newspaper Informer. The strategy outlines the development of the Serbian defense system and notes that Serbian armed forces “must be stronger than all other armed forces of potentially hostile countries in the region combined”.

“Analyses show that at this point we are around 65-70 percent in relation to the combined armed forces of Croatia, Bosnia, Albania and Kosovo. This however is not enough. The new strategy aims to raise the Serbian army at least at 110 percent of the military power compared to these four countries in the coming years,” the document notes.