Albanian Language Media: 

• EU: We plan to put status of Iber Bridge on agenda of next meeting in Brussels (Reporteri

• Kurti meets UNKT coordinator, discuss joint projects (RTK)

• Durmishi: We are waiting for report on stability of Iber Bridge (media)

• Maqedonci rewards KSF members who participated in training of Ukrainian army (media)

• Abdixiku: LDK is working, others attack the media, businesses, embassies... (media)

• Diaspora individual enters Iber Bridge, carabinieri and police stop him (Klan)

Serbian Language Media: 

• 21 years since the Bistrica crime (KoSSev, media) 

• Srbljak on the crime in Gorazdevac: I still relive that August 13, the injustice hurts even more (Kosovo Online)

• Petition of women from the North requesting from Ulutas not to open the bridge (KoSSev, N1) 

• Gornje Korminjane: Physical attack and shooting in Nenad Jovanovic's yard (Kosovo Online, RTV Puls, N1)

• Marinkovic: Is the Kosovo government trying to change the ethnic structure in the North of Kosovo? (KoSSev)

• Elek: Kurti's intention is not to open the bridge, but to create tensions and expel the Serbs (KiM radio, Vecernje Novosti)

• EULEX: We continue to monitor the security situation in Kosovo (RTS, Tanjug) 

Opinion:

• Bugajski: What to expect in Balkans from President Harris (The Geopost)

International: 

• Jihadists specifically recruit children from the Balkan diaspora (Der Standard)

 

Albanian Language Media  

 

EU: We plan to put status of Iber Bridge on agenda of next meeting in Brussels (Reporteri

The European Union has announced that it plans to discuss the status of the bridge over the Iber River in the next round of talks between Kosovo and Serbia in Brussels. This is what EU spokesperson Nabila Masrali confirmed today at a press conference.

"As usual, when it comes to the new round of talks, it will be communicated in time. As for the issue of the Iber Bridge, this is part of the dialogue, even though the government of Kosovo says otherwise. The EU will put the status of the Iber Bridge on the agenda at the next meeting in Brussels", said Masarali.

Kurti meets UNKT coordinator, discuss joint projects (RTK)

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti met today the Resident Coordinator of the United Nations in Kosovo, Arnhild Spence.

According to the announcement, they discussed the cooperation of Kosovo with the United Nations Development Agency (UNDA), in the development of joint projects that contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations. 

Durmishi: We are waiting for report on stability of Iber Bridge (media)

It has been almost a week since the tests started on the Iber Bridge.

The Deputy Minister of Infrastructure, Hysen Durmishi, told RTKlive today that they are waiting for the report on the stability of the Iber Bridge and that as soon as they receive it, they will make it public.

After the measurements and tests with heavy vehicles, the walls of the Bridge are being painted for several days now. 

Maqedonci rewards KSF members who participated in training of Ukrainian army (media)

Kosovo’s Minister of Defense, Ejup Maqedonci, has rewarded with medals the members of the KSF who participated in the international operation "Interflex".

"On this occasion, for the exceptional performance and contribution made within the "Interflex" operation, the minister rewarded them with medals for "Participation in International Operations".

Maqedonci expressed gratitude to the soldiers "who, with the professionalism, dedication and commitment shown during the service in this operation, decently represented the Republic of Kosovo".

"In these times, the support offered to Ukraine is essential for the right to triumph in the face of the aggressor," said Maqedonci.

"In this operation, for six months in a row, alongside the British army and twelve other participating countries, the KSF soldiers provided training for the Ukrainian Armed Forces, at the tactical and combat level.

Abdixiku: LDK is working, others attack the media, businesses, embassies... (media)

The leader of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK), Lumir Abdixhiku, has published images of renovated health facilities and those undergoing renovation in the municipality of Pristina, which is governed by the LDK.

Abdixiku, in a post on Facebook, said that the number of health care centers that have been renovated is 10. He emphasized that while the LDK is working, others are dealing with attacks on the media, businesses, embassies, judges, teachers and everyone who thinks differently.

"With the new health spaces renovated and under renovation; 10 completed so far. For conferences with attacks on the media, businesses, embassies, judges, teachers and practically anyone who thinks differently, you have the others. We, meanwhile, continue", wrote Abdixhiku.

IKD: Government and Assembly ignore Constitutional Court, the rights of thousands of civil servants violated (media)

Disapproval of the Law on Wages in the Public Sector by the Government and the Assembly of Kosovo within the deadline set according to the Judgment of the Constitutional Court, represents a violation of this judgment, disregard of this Court, violation of the Constitution, violation of rights in additional salary according to the work experience of tens of thousands of civil servants in Kosovo, as well as creating a harmful practice for the promotion of democracy.

With the decision of December 23, 2023, the Constitutional Court (CJK) decided to declare some provisions of the Law on Wages in the Public Sector contrary to the Constitution of Kosovo and declared them invalid. For some others, in addition to declaring them contrary to the Constitution, this court ordered the Assembly of Kosovo to initiate the necessary legal changes for the same in order to correct the inappropriate provisions within a period of six months from when the judgment in case number KO79/23 entered into force on February 1, 2024.

This decision of the GJK was an important step in order for the necessary reform in the public sector to be delivered safely to the employees so that the latter are fairly compensated for their professional experience and commitment. The court overturned the provision where tens of thousands of civil servants were halved the right to the work experience bonus, from zero point five percent (0.5%) to zero point twenty five percent (0.25%) per year, halving the bonus of work experience for the first fifteen (15) years, consequently the salary level for all categories of functionaries/officials/employees that come within the scope of the contested law, respectively by determining additional experience twice lower compared to the previous legislation regarding the first fifteen (15 ) years of work experience.

Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/b38jmeau

Diaspora individual enters Iber Bridge, carabinieri and police stop him (Klan)

A vehicle with foreign license plates, which is claimed to belong to a Kosovar immigrant, passed over the Ibri Bridge today.

However, upon being noticed, the car was stopped by the positioned carabinieri and the Kosovo Police.

 

Serbian Language Media 

 

21 years since the Bistrica crime (KoSSev, media) 

In the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Gorazdevac, a memorial service is held today for the murdered children of Gorazdevac. With a visit to the graves of Ivan Jovovic and Panta Dakic, 21 years since the murder of children in Bistrica are marked, reported KoSSev portal.

Bishop Teodosije of Raska-Prizren will serve the memorial service for the martyred children in front of the Church of St. Jeremija in Gorazdevac at 10 a.m.

Even after more than two decades, the perpetrators of the murder of two and wounding of four Serbian children in Gorazdevac have not been found.

In an armed attack on August 13, 2003, on the coast of Bistrica, near Gorazdevac, Ivan Jovovic (19) was killed on the spot. Pantelija Dakic (12) succumbed to his injuries in a hospital in Pec. Bogdan Bukumiric (14), Djordje Ugrenovic (20), Marko Bogicevic (12) and Dragana Srbljak (13) were seriously wounded.

The most seriously injured Bukumiric was transferred to the French hospital in South Mitrovica, and on the way to the hospital, an ambulance was also attacked. After the first operation, Bukumiric, without signs of life, was again urgently transferred to another hospital, in northern Mitrovica, and from there by helicopter to the VMA in Belgrade, where he spent six days in a coma and survived four difficult operations.

Two decades later - the killers have not been found, while the Special Prosecutor's Office of Kosovo and EULEX suspended the investigation in 2010 due to the fact that it "did not lead to concrete results, or potential suspects", although the UNMIK Police Commissioner, Stefan Feller, said after the crime that they would "overturn every piece of land to find the killers of children." The same thing Kouchner said in June 1999, after the massacre of 14 Serbian harvesters in another village.

"The Special Prosecutor's Office of Kosovo closed this case, because the police investigation did not lead to concrete results, or potential suspects. Of course, this case can be reopened if new information is made available to the prosecutor again," EULEX spokesperson Dragana Nikolic-Solomon told Serbian agency Tanjug in 2014, appealing to citizens who have any information regarding this case to report to the prosecutors.

In December 2018, EULEX handed over the police, prosecution and court case files and supporting evidence to the Kosovo authorities. That's how they answered Radio KiM's question "why the investigation was suspended."

Srbljak on the crime in Gorazdevac: I still relive that August 13, the injustice hurts even more (Kosovo Online)

One of the children who survived the crime in Gorazdevac in 2003, Dragana Srbljak, says that even today, 21 years later, she continues to relive that August 13th, and that the hardest thing for her is the fact that in Kosovo it has become a rule that the perpetrators of crimes against Serbs are never found or held accountable.

"On that fateful August 13th, 2003, at the Bistrica River, a monstrous crime occurred when two unknown attackers opened fire on children while they were swimming in the river. Unfortunately, my godbrother, Pantelija Dakic, who was 12 years old at the time, and my first neighbor, Ivan Jovovic, who was 19 years old, were killed. Four of us were injured," Srbljak recounts that day in a conversation with Kosovo Online.

Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/mwmjnnf2

Petition of women from the North requesting from Ulutas not to open the bridge (KoSSev, N1) 

"If, under political pressure from the government or perhaps some NATO countries, you decide to reduce your presence on the Ibar bridge, you will send the community in the north a terrible message that their fears and anxieties about the policies and intentions of the government in Kosovo are irrelevant. You would send a message that the destruction of inter-ethnic relations and escalation are something that should be rewarded," KoSSev cited a part of the letter of a group of women from North addressed to the commander of KFOR, which was delivered today on the main bridge on the Ibar through the Carabinieri. 

The delegation of women who brought the letter to the Carabinieri was made up of several activists from the civil sector, and all of them, they emphasized, are not acting on behalf of their organizations, but as citizens.

Along with Milica Andric Rakic, Milica Radovanovic, Milena Stevic, Dusica Jovicic, Vesna Generalovic and Jelena Cvetanovic - the letter was handed over by Danica Kabasic today.

In an address to the media immediately before the handover, Milica Radovanovic pointed out that the women expressed deep concern and dissatisfaction due to the increasingly serious security and social problems they face.

They complained about the loss of jobs due to bans on the import of Serbian goods, the risk faced by pregnant women and chronically ill women due to the irregular supply of medicines.

They also expressed concern about the threat of men's arrest and the threat to children's safety.

They accused the GoK of leading a nationalist policy, one of the consequences of which they claim is the sexual harassment of women in the North by individuals from the South.

They also complained that they have no partner in the Kosovo Police.

They demand more decisive action from KFOR in relation to the embassies of the member countries.

"It's time to accept that EU and Quint statements have not had a positive effect on security in Kosovo for several years, and take steps to ensure that everything that has happened in recent years does not have a negative impact on the further endangerment of NATO soldiers and ethnic and religious minorities in Kosovo," the letter states.

"You cannot allow yourself to observe the militarization of the north on a daily basis and at the same time appreciate the arguments about how the bridge should be demilitarized. Such realities cannot exist at the same time," it was also emphasized.

This group of women demands to meet with KFOR commander Ozkan Ulutas.

Such a request was due to, as they state, "Pristina's constant attempts to constantly present a good state of inter-ethnic relations and the alleged maintenance of close ties with the community", while what is really happening is "a reflection of a complete breakdown of communication and the filling of public space with Albanians who interpret what it is that the Kosovo Serbs want", reported KoSSev portal.

Gornje Korminjane: Physical attack and shooting in Nenad Jovanovic's yard (Kosovo Online, RTV Puls, N1)

Two masked assailants attacked Nenad Jovanovic from the village of Korminjane near Ranilug last night, in his family home, and inflicted minor injuries on him, reported Kosovo online. 

The attack happened half an hour after midnight when Nenad and his family were getting ready to sleep. 

"First they hit me with a metal bar and injured my shoulder. After that, they fired three shots from a pistol, and then they moved away when my wife appeared on the spot and started shouting at them," says Nenad and notes that the attackers did not say anything, that is, they did not request anything, so he cannot assume their nationality and possible motives of the crime.

No one was injured, and apart from the traces of fired bullets, there was no major damage on the house itself.

The attackers left the scene on foot, towards Binacka Morava, which is a few hundred meters away.

The police were immediately informed, they investigated and are looking for the attackers, and the case was characterized as causing general danger.

As announced by the Kosovo Police for the Gnjilane region, "police investigators, in coordination with the prosecutor, are currently working on shading light on all the circumstances of the case, which the prosecution characterized as causing general danger".

Marinkovic: Is the Kosovo government trying to change the ethnic structure in the North of Kosovo? (KoSSev)

''The government of Albin Kurti arbitrarily interprets the laws, applies them selectively, choosing only those that correspond to their political program. Under the pretext of the rule of law, he is introducing police terror in the North, and under the pretext of integrating Serbs into the Kosovo legal system, he is disintegrating normal life in the North, making it unbearable,'' this is the evaluation of one the civil leaders from the North for KoSSev portal, interpreting the newly announced activity of the government in Pristina on the construction of new houses.

Yesterday, an agreement on the financing of more than 200 houses in four northern municipalities was signed between Kosovo's Minister of Local Self-Government, Elbert Krasniqi, and representatives of the "Orphans of the Balkans" association.

According to the president of this association, Halit Kastrati, which deals with "charitable work for those who need help in all Albanian countries", houses are being built for non-majority communities living in the North. This includes Albanians, Bosniaks, Ashkali, Roma and Egyptians, while Krasniqi briefly states that it is for residents from the North. The Serbs were not mentioned.

If it is a returnee project, why is the agreement not signed by the Ministry of Return?

"This is one more in a series of moves by the Government in Pristina that causes concern among the residents of the North of Kosovo," Miodrag Marinkovic, executive director of the NGO "CASA" assesses for KoSSev.

The reason for this is the lack of transparent information about what the goal of this program is and what are the criteria for the allocation of these housing units, he explains, adding the question: "Is this a return process?"

"We understand the right to return and in principle - the Serbian community in Kosovo cannot have anything against that process. But if that is the case, then the question of competence arises: how come this agreement is signed by the Minister of Local Self-Government if in the Kosovo system of government there is a Ministry of Return and Communities that manages the return process," Marinkovic pointed out.

Where is the dialogue with the "host community"? Double standards?

He also points out that there are established procedures for the return of displaced persons, which, among other things, foresee cooperation with international organizations, precisely to ensure a sustainable return, but also more importantly, as Marinkovic points out:

"Dialogue and consultation with the 'receiving community', i.e. the Serbian community in the North of Kosovo".

It was precisely for the projects of the return of displaced Serbs that, over the course of 25 years, the practice of "go and see" for potential returnees, via "individual return", with work with the "receiving community", i.e. the Albanian community, was developed - in rare environments and occasions when sustainable return was worked on. 

Marinkovic now points to possible double standards:

"If those steps are not foreseen, then the question arises whether the Government in Pristina considers that one procedure applies for the return of Serbs and another for the return of Albanians, and what then is the justification for such discrimination?"

Where is the help for the Serbs?

In line with what he assessed as the absence of transparent information after yesterdays, but also previous news that came from Kosovo government officials regarding the issue of specific plans for returning to the North, Marinkovic also states that it may be about the allocation of housing units to socially vulnerable families.

"And that's something we can understand, there are poor people all over Kosovo and they need help. However, why doesn't that program also include socially vulnerable families from the Serbian community in the north, of which there are also a lot?" - he notes.

If the criterion for construction is assistance to socially vulnerable families, Marinkovic, based on the absence of mention of Serbs, notices obvious discrimination based on ethnicity.

“Based on which law is created a social support program that excludes one ethnic community?”

Discrimination

We can also assume further, Marinkovic listed what he recognizes as problematic in the announced activities.

"If the religious affiliation of the user is one of the criteria, it is discrimination based on religion. Therefore, no matter how this initiative and decision of the Kosovo government is interpreted, it is obvious that it is discrimination and that there is no legal basis for this decision".

He also notes the possible arbitrary application of the law, recalling the decision of the municipal authorities in North Mitrovica to stop the construction of all residential units in the North of Kosovo, including the activities of private entrepreneurs, under the pretext of the absence of legal procedures for the legalization of these facilities.

"Then how is it possible that there is a legal basis for the construction of 200 houses for the non-Serb population?" - asks Marinkovic.

A hidden political motive

Adding that ''legal inconsistencies can be listed the entire day", he points out that the logical conclusion is that this is not a legally regulated process - it has a "hidden political motive".

"And that is the key to this question, what is it's political motive? Is it the intention of the Kosovo government to change the ethnic structure in the North of Kosovo through selective settlement? Does it bring additional insecurity to the Serbian community and encourage further emigration of Serbs? That maybe the plan is to reduce the number of Serbs to a level that will justify the request of the Kosovo government to narrow down and change the constitutional powers given to the Serbian community?"

Marinkovic finally believes that this is the closest to the truth because the latest move by the government in Pristina is part of the pattern that "we have been living for the last two years".

"According to that pattern, Albin Kurti's government applies laws selectively, choosing only those that correspond to their political program, interpreting them arbitrarily, in the way that suits them. Under the pretext of the rule of law, he is introducing police terror, and under the pretext of integration of Serbs into the Kosovo legal system, he is destabilizing normal life in the North, making it unbearable," said Marinkovic.

Leaving institutions is a bitter lesson

The Serbian community must learn a lesson from this, he emphasized at the end of the interview for KoSSev Marinkovic, recalling that leaving the institutions and boycotting the elections was the wrong way to fight for the survival of the Serbs.

"It is precisely this that made such programs possible, the opening of the bridge, stopping the construction of apartments in Serbian areas and many other harmful initiatives. Next year is the year of elections at all levels in Kosovo, I hope we have learned this lesson," said Miodrag Marinkovic for KoSSev.

Elek: Kurti's intention is not to open the bridge, but to create tensions and expel the Serbs (KiM radio, Vecernje Novosti)

The President of the Serbian List, Zlatan Elek, stated that the true intention of the PM of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, is not to open the bridge, but to cause tension and oppress the Serbian people to the point that every citizen gives up and leaves Kosovo, reported KiM radio. 

Elek told Belgrade based Vecernje Novosti that Kurti gave clear instructions to his associates a little over a year ago - that ''half of the Serbs should be arrested and half deported''.

"With 15 percent fewer Serbs, Kurti is not satisfied with what has been done and towards the end of his mandate, at the beginning of the campaign, he only wants to persecute the Serbian people or, as stated in his party's strategic documents, to solve the issue of the north," said Elek.

According to Elek, it is high time for the international community to act, as well as that the warnings, appeals, recommendations and announcements in Kurti's eyes act as weakness, and not a sincere intention to stop the persecution of Serbs and create an ethnically pure Kosovo, without Serbs.

He pointed out that at the recent protest, the Serbian people clearly said "no" to the opening of the bridge, which is a symbol of the suffering of the Serbian people in the previous 25 years.

"Hundreds of Serbs were wounded and many of them were killed in more than 1,000 ethnically motivated attacks on that bridge. That is reason enough for KFOR, EULEX, and representatives of Quint, to stop Kurti in his intention. They have the capacity for such a thing, and I want to tell them to listen to the opinion of the people, anything else can lead us to an unpredictable development of events," said Elek.

When asked if he thinks that the EU will more specifically punish Kurti's unilateral moves, Elek says that the current sanctions worry Kurti as much as last year's snow, because he is a populist, without any positive result for the Albanians who voted for him, and that the only way to collect votes is ''a nationalist agenda aimed at terrorizing and persecuting Serbs''.

"That's why the international community should stop the evil he is preparing. Putting Kurti on the blacklist, activating KFOR to take over security in the north, requesting KFOR to withdraw special monoethnic Albanian units from the north - these are all concrete moves that would stop Kurti and save the Serbs and the north," said the president of the Serbian List.

He emphasizes that the international community must stand on the dividing line and stop Kurti's phalanxes, and KFOR and EULEX must provide security to the Serbs and create conditions for the situation to return to the period before the unilateral anti-Serb decisions.

At the same time, according to Elek, it is necessary to return to the negotiating table and implement the agreements, first of all to form the A/CSM, which the Serbian people have been waiting more than 11 years.

"KFOR and EULEX must not be silent observers while Kurti implements the dream of a mono-ethnic Kosovo. At the meetings we had as Serbian political representatives with foreign representatives, we warned about this development. We repeated that their inaction is seen by the Serbian people as complicity in the evil that Kurti is conducting," he said among other things, reported KiM radio, citing Vecernje Novosti. 

Speaking about the possibility that the pressure on the Serbs will begin to intensify, Elek says that ''all more prominent Serbs are on some kind of secret arrest lists'', adding that anyone who is ''not ready to bow his head before Kurti and his thugs can be arrested and imprisoned''.

"I wonder how it is possible for someone to survive in such circumstances. How is it possible for the democratic and civilized world to be silent and watch while a nation disappears from its centuries-old homes? However, I believe that they will also see it and react before it is too late. Second, we have our country with us, with President Vucic at the helm, who is doing everything to protect our people in impossible conditions," said Elek.

EULEX: We continue to monitor the security situation in Kosovo (RTS, Tanjug) 

In accordance with its mandate, the EULEX mission continues to closely monitor the security situation in Kosovo, read the EULEX's response to Tanjug on the reason for increased patrols on the main bridge over the Ibar in Mitrovica.

"In order to gain situational awareness, the formed EULEX police unit conducts regular mobile reconnaissance patrols 24 hours a day, seven days a week, including - but not limited to North Mitrovica and the vicinity of the bridge," EULEX told Tanjug, adding that EULEX "does this in coordination with the Kosovo Police and KFOR, in accordance with the three-level security response mechanism in Kosovo, where the Kosovo Police is the first security responder, EULEX the second, and KFOR the third in order of security response".

Media reported previously that on the main bridge over the Ibar in North Mitrovica, larger KFOR forces, EULEX vehicles, and a police car were visible.

 

Opinion

 

Bugajski: What to expect in Balkans from President Harris (The Geopost)

US allies and adversaries are calculating whether a potential Kamala Harris presidency will mean political continuity from the Biden administration or some innovation. Neither Harris nor her nominee for Vice President Tim Walz have extensive foreign affairs experience, but they can bring new vigor into policy making. And they will certainly seek to distinguish themselves from Trump's "America First" isolationism and may need some early political successes.

Observers believe Harris will continue Biden's foreign policy approach but will also want to make her own distinct mark. In particular, Harris may target dictators more effectively than Biden to demonstrate America's commitment to freedom and democracy and to distinguish herself from Trump. As the first female President, she will also want to prove her toughness early on in her mandate. Harris is a fierce critic of Putin and attacked Trump for embracing him as a "great leader." She declared Russia's attacks on Ukrainian civilians as "crimes against humanity" and pledged to hold Moscow accountable.

Harris has expressed her full commitment to NATO and will underscore that America is not abandoning its allies. She has already replaced Biden at important international gatherings including the Munich Security Conference where she voiced strong support for Ukraine's President Zelenskyy. Military supplies for Ukraine may actually intensify with fewer restrictions on their use in destroying Russia's military logistics and fuel supplies inside Russia. Much will also depend on the congressional elections and if internationalist Republicans are elected to key Senate and House positions.

Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/4ktjefmc

 

International 

 

Jihadists specifically recruit children from the Balkan diaspora (Der Standard)

The terror suspect Beran A. has his roots in North Macedonia. Jihadist preachers are also highly active there

In the suburban district of Pitarnica, not far from the Macedonian city of Gostivar, where single-family homes are lined up next to gardens and fields, people are cautious when it comes to the family of 19-year-old Beran A., who comes from this district. Local media have tried to get statements from family members and neighbors in recent days. But hardly anyone is talking. People are shocked and ashamed that a young man whose family comes from here is suspected of planning a terrorist attack.

According to local media, Beran A.'s cousins, who live in Pitarnica, regret what their relative from Ternitz had planned. The city administration of Gostivar has not yet commented. Beran A. is said to have visited his parents' hometown often as a child, but rarely recently. His parents are religious, but certainly not radical, according to locals. Many families in the region are strongly patriarchal and conservative. And many carry identity conflicts with them that stem from political conflicts.

Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/4uu7ppk6