Albanian Language Media:

• Council could consider pursuing presidential statement to avoid unilateral actions (Koha)
• Svecla: Vucic’s request for return of former police officers in north out of the question (Koha)
• Lajcak: This week I’ll focus on preparing next chief negotiators’ meeting (media)
• Gervalla: We won’t stop creating equal conditions for all in Kosovo (media)
• Maqedonci: €238 mil spent in buying weapons; army is getting stronger (Telegrafi)
• Osmani: Cooperation with partners in Francophonie of utmost importance (media)
• Three dead after their car falls in Badoc lake (RFE)
• Kurti after floods in Bosnia and Herzegovina: Ready to help (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Vucic on October 5: “They allowed the pogrom of Serbs in 2004, and Kosovo declared independence in 2008” (Kosovo Online, TV Pink, Blic)
• Vucic to speak about batteries at Hamburg conference while Serbia’s Assembly debates lithium mining (N1, Beta)
• Lajcak: Belgrade and Pristina normalization of relations and Pristina and modernization of the BiH Constitution priorities in the region (RTS, RFE)
• Brnabic: Important laws before the parliament, above all regulations related to Kosovo (KiM radio, RTS, media)
• Manojlovic: Whoever negotiated the CSM (ZSO), either knows nothing about law, or bought a diploma (KiM radio)
• The Municipality of Strpce: The Privatization Agency leasing out properties in the municipality's territory without our consent (Kosovo Online)
• Kupchan: Kurti's "muscle show" popular but dangerous in the long run (RFE, Kosovo Online)

International Media: 

• Flash floods in BiH: Death toll 20, rescue teams from neighbouring countries arriving (N1 Sarajevo)

Albanian Language Media 

Council could consider pursuing presidential statement to avoid unilateral actions (Koha)

Citing a document by the Security Council Report on the eve of the UNSC session on Kosovo, the news website reports that “the Council’s priority is to maintain stability in Kosovo and promote the de-escalation of tensions in the north. It will continue to monitor diplomatic efforts to advance the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue and any efforts towards reaching a final, legally binding agreement on Kosovo. To this end, the Council could consider pursuing a presidential statement calling on all parties to refrain from unilateral actions and to resolve outstanding issues through the EU-facilitated dialogue”.

The document describes the developments of the last couple of months in the north, as well as the failed efforts of the European Union to push the parties toward the implementation of the Basic Agreement and the Ohrid Annex. It also notes the failure of the pares to find a solution with regards to the enforcement of the Central Bank’s regulation among the Serb community, mandating the use of the euro as the sole currency for cash transactions in Kosovo. 

Following the failed talks, Kosovo police conducted several operations targeting banking facilities in northern Kosovo. On 20 May, they closed and confiscated six offices of the Serbian Postal Savings Bank in four northern municipalities, alleging in a press release that these institutions had been “operating illegally” and that the actions were taken to “establish law and order.” The following day, the EU described the operation as “escalatory” and said it contradicted the “spirit of normalisation.” On 31 May, Ziadeh stressed the importance of avoiding “unilateral actions that could increase tensions, jeopardize stability and undermine trust among communities”.

On 5 August, Kosovo police shut down nine offices of the Serbian national postal service, Pošta Srbije, citing suspicions that these offices were operating without proper licensing and registration. The move was criticised by several international interlocutors, including the EU, the UN, and the US. The EU pointed out that, according to the arrangements regarding telecommunications reached in 2013 and the action plan agreed upon in 2015, both parties had committed to addressing postal services “at a later stage”.

On 30 August, Kosovo police closed several municipal institutions in northern Kosovo that it described as “illegal structures”. The closures were again met with international criticism. The EU stressed that the operation put “the fragile security situation on the ground at risk” and noted that the EU Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo (EULEX) was deployed to monitor the conduct of the operation. Similarly, the US expressed disappointment with the “uncoordinated actions” taken by Kosovo authorities and cautioned that such actions “put Kosovan citizens and [Kosovo Force] soldiers at greater risk, unnecessarily escalate regional tensions, and undermine Kosovo’s reputation as a reliable international partner”. Ziadeh highlighted that such actions “undermine efforts to consolidate trust between different communities and to maintain security, stability and peace”.

The document also notes that “the issue of modifying UNMIK’s mandate with a view to its possible drawdown is another point of contention among Council members. The US has been the most vocal advocate for reviewing UNMIK’s operations and ultimately phasing out the mission. Several other Council members—including Japan, Switzerland, the ROK, and the UK—have expressed support for a strategic review and potential modification of UNMIK’s mandate, arguing that the situation on the ground has changed significantly since the mission was established in 1999. Russia has opposed any changes to UNMIK’s mandate or budget reduction, maintaining that the mission continues to play a crucial role”.

See full document at: https://shorturl.at/mumho

Svecla: Vucic’s request for return of former police officers in north out of the question (Koha)

Kosovo’s Minister of Interior Affairs, Xhelal Svecla, said on Sunday that the request of Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic for the return to work of former Serb police officers in the north of Kosovo is out of the question and that it would constitute a violation of the Constitution of Kosovo. 

“The resignation of these police officers in fact for a large number of them was a cleanup of the criminal element in that region. The request of Aleksandar Vucic for the return of the former police officers to the Kosovo Police is out of the question. In addition to being a legal violation, it would also be a violation of the political will of the citizens of the Republic of Kosovo,” he said in his address at the General Council of the Vetevendosje Movement. 

Lajcak: This week I’ll focus on preparing next chief negotiators’ meeting (media)

EU Special Representative for the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia, Miroslav Lajcak, said in a Facebook post on Sunday that this coming week he will focus on preparing for the next meeting of chief negotiators [from Kosovo and Serbia] in Brussels, “which I would like to host in the coming weeks”.

Gervalla: We won’t stop creating equal conditions for all in Kosovo (media)

Several media cover an interview that Kosovo’s Foreign Minister Donika Gervalla gave to the Slovenian Radio Television, highlighting her remark that Kosovo’s authorities will never stop creating equal conditions for all people living in Kosovo. 

Asked if she was referring to Serb citizens, Gervalla said: “precisely. We will not stop freeing our people, especially the population in the north of our country, from criminal gangs, which for years in a row have left them isolated and without access to the institutions”. 

Maqedonci: €238 mil spent in buying weapons; army is getting stronger (Telegrafi)

Kosovo’s Minister for Defense, Ejup Maqedonci, said on Sunday that the Kosovo army is comparable to other armies of countries in the Balkans and that it even surpasses some of them. During a discussion on defense and security policies organized by the Vetevendosje Movement, Maqedonci mentioned progress in modernizing the armed forces, including the purchase of Bayraktar and Javelin systems, as well as the procurement of some other systems that are expected to increase Kosovo’s defense capacities. “Investments in weapons have marked an increase of 6,000 percent. In the period 2018-2020 we spent less than four million euros in weapons, while from 2021 to 2023 we spent 238 million. These purchases have saved millions of euros from the Kosovo budget,” he is quoted as saying. 

Osmani: Cooperation with partners in Francophonie of utmost importance (media)

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani said in a post on X that at the plenary session of the Francophonie Summit, she emphasized that “Kosovo embodies the core values of this organization: cooperation for the promotion of peace, democracy, and human rights”. “In our efforts not only to strengthen Kosovo’s international standing but also to achieve sustainable economic development, our cooperation with partners in the Francophonie is of utmost importance,” Osmani added.

Three dead after their car falls in Badoc lake (RFE)

Three people died when their car fell on Badoc lake on the night between Saturday and Sunday. Kosovo’s Interior Minister Xhelal Svecla said upon receiving the information Kosovo Police intervened, and with the help of the Kosovo Security Force, managed to take the bodies out of the lake. “Experts of the field are currently investigating the cause that led to the accident,” he said, and called on people to drive carefully in order to avoid such accidents. 

Kurti after floods in Bosnia and Herzegovina: Ready to help (media)

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti, in a post on X, expressed deepest condolences to the families and communities affected by the floods in Bosnia and Herzegovina. He said that Kosovo and its people “stand with you during these difficult times and are ready to help in any way we can. Republika Kosova je uz vas!”

Serbian Language Media 

Vucic on October 5: “They allowed the pogrom of Serbs in 2004, and Kosovo declared independence in 2008” (Kosovo Online, TV Pink, Blic)

President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic said last night to TV Pink on the occasion of the 24th anniversary of the change of government on October 5, 2000, that it was a positive thing that Serbia opened up to the world then, but dozens of "negative, terrible things happened then", recalling that in 2004 ''a pogrom of Serbs took place in Kosovo'' which then in 2008 unilaterally declared independence. 

"They brought us complete ruin - national, state and economic; the people quarrelled, they divided the people, they threatened people from Milorad Dodik to other Serbs across the Drina, to people in Kosovo and Metohija that only what they say is accepted..." said Vucic on TV Pink.

"Montenegro left, and they knew that it was a prerequisite, due to UN Security Council Resolution 1244 and other things, for Kosovo to secede from Serbia. Before that, they allowed the pogrom of Serbs in 2004 and started negotiations in Vienna in 2006, and in 2008 we got an 'independent' Kosovo, which was supported by 90 of the most powerful and important countries in the West," Vucic said. 

He added that, in economic terms, 500,000 jobs were lost in those years, while today, although there are fewer people in Serbia, there are ''550,000 more formally employed than then''.

"Our country was devastated at that time. And yesterday, after 24 years, exactly on October 5, we received an investment rating as a reward for all the effort and work,'' noted Vucic. 

Vucic pointed out that receiving a credit rating is extremely good news for the citizens of Serbia, which shows that Serbia is in the "first league".

"It is the result of the work of the previous years. It is extremely good news for the citizens of Serbia. So good news that everyone else who is expecting different news is now silent. That is why you saw a loud silence, because all the stories about a dictatorship, an autocratic regime that lies, and that it is impossible, we will be the first to receive an investment rating," said Vucic. 

He pointed out that Serbia is the only candidate country for EU membership that has an investment rating, and that it has thus equaled Romania and Hungary.

Vucic also pointed out that the coming week will be difficult regarding the introduction of sanctions against Russia. As he said, the "format" of Southeast Europe, plus Zelensky, is scheduled for Wednesday, where all participants are asked to introduce sanctions. "There will be trouble this week for both us and them," said Vucic, reported Blic.

Vucic to speak about batteries at Hamburg conference while Serbia’s Assembly debates lithium mining (N1, Beta)

Serbia’s President, Aleksandar Vucic, will start a two-day visit to Germany on Monday where he will participate in the Hamburg Sustainability Conference.

Vucic’s office announced that he will participate in the panel “Negotiations on a new alliance – a responsible and circular battery supply chain“. He is also scheduled to meet with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and other officials.

President of Serbia’s Assembly, Ana Brnabic, called a session of the parliament for Monday where the opposition’s proposal of the law on banning the mining of lithium and boron is to be discussed.

Lajcak: Belgrade and Pristina normalization of relations and Pristina and modernization of the BiH Constitution priorities in the region (RTS, RFE)

The EU special envoy for dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina and other regional issues of the WB, Miroslav Lajcak, stated at the 2BS forum in Budva that the implementation of the Agreement on the path to the normalization of relations between Belgrade and Pristina, as well as the modernization of the BiH Constitution, should be among the priorities in the region. 

He said that relations between Belgrade and Pristina represent the biggest strategic challenge in the region, because, as he stated, they affect regional cooperation and European integration, reported RTS on Saturday, citing FRE. 

He added that Belgrade and Pristina reached an agreement at the beginning of last year on the path to the normalization of relations, but that, according to him, 18 months later there was no visible progress in its implementation.

Speaking about the closure of Serbian institutions in the north of Kosovo by Pristina, Lajcak said that "everyone supports the rule of law, but, unfortunately, it was done in a way that encourages the opposition of the international community and the frustration of the local community". He indicated that this led to rising tensions.

"I ask the question: what is the alternative to this confrontation, tension? Who benefits? Certainly not the citizens, nor Kosovo, Serbia and the region. So, we know what needs to be done, and now the question arises, why are we not doing it?" said Lajcak.

When asked if he expects progress in relations between Belgrade and Pristina by the end of his mandate in January 2025, Lajcak replied that elections are being held in Kosovo in February and that he knows from political experience that major changes can rarely be expected before the elections. "But we are preparing the ground for rapid progress right after the elections," added Lajcak.

Speaking about BiH, he said that it has received the status of a candidate for the EU, but an adequate response was needed. "The essential question is how to modernize the Constitution, because (the Dayton Agreement) is not compatible with European values and integrations," said Lajcak.

In a post on Facebook, Lajcak also said that “This coming week, I will focus on preparing for the next meeting of Chief negotiators in Brussels, which I would like to host in the coming weeks’’. 

Brnabic: Important laws before the parliament, above all regulations related to Kosovo (KiM radio, RTS, media)

The President of the Assembly of Serbia, Ana Brnabic, said today that important laws will be presented to the parliament this fall, primarily regulations related to Kosovo and the budget for 2025.

"A lot of work until the New Year. Certainly, what is extremely important is a set of laws that should reflect all those measures towards Kosovo and Metohija, i.e. measures of additional support for our people in KiM, which were initiated by President Aleksandar Vucic," the Speaker of the Parliament told RTS.

She pointed out that these laws, as soon as they are approved by the parliament and thus give the "green light" to the Government of Serbia to implement the measures, will directly affect the life of Serbs in Kosovo through greater financial allocations and greater legal certainty, reported KiM radio.

Manojlovic: Whoever negotiated the CSM (ZSO), either knows nothing about law, or bought a diploma (KiM radio)

Serbia gave up the judiciary, the police, Gazivode, gave up the Brezovica complex and the energy industry in Kosovo, because of the Community of Serbian Municipalities (ZSO), said Savo Manojlovic, the leader of the Kreni-Promeni movement, told FoNet and assessed that the person who negotiated this does not know anything about constitutional law or bought a diploma, reported KiM radio. 

"The Community of Serbian municipalities does not have serious constitutional powers, it does not have executive or judicial power, it is a set of local self-governments with local powers", Manojlovic pointed out in the Kosinus interview series on the resolution of the Kosovo issue.

He believes that staged conflicts coordinated by Belgrade and Pristina pose the greatest danger and explains that one such case happened in Banjska. When asked, the European Union or Kosovo, Manojlovic replied that "there is no European Union without European values, and there are no European values where the Kosovo police beat children, where they arrest people for no reason and where they steal their property." According to him, the chair for Kosovo in the UN would mean the end of the principles on which that system was based.

"The Kosovo case and the NATO aggression in 1999 are the opening of Pandora's box. The Kosovo case is an exception that is used as an excuse for the war in Ukraine and will be used by every big power against every small state," warned Manojlovic.

Regarding the possible referendum on the Kosovo problem, Manojlovic said that it would mean that politicians avoid responsibility. He believes that an agreement based on the surrender of one side would create new historical injustices that would lead to new conflicts. "The agreement is realistic if it respects the interests of both parties," said Manojlovic. He chooses dialogue between dialogue and the international community.

"It is better to talk for 100 years, than to make historical mistakes, which will be a prelude to new conflicts", assessed Manojlovic and concluded that for him the solution was to "unfreeze peace".

The Municipality of Strpce: The Privatization Agency leasing out properties in the municipality's territory without our consent (Kosovo Online)

The Kosovo Privatization Agency has made the decision to issue a public call for leasing several properties in the territory of Strpce without the municipality's consent, the local government announced on Friday. 

The Agency has decided to issue a call for leasing, among others, the properties of the "City Café" in Strpce and the "Breza" hotel in Brezovica, as well as the "Partizanka" and "Express Restaurant" located in the "Molika" hotel in the ski resort.

"This decision by the Agency was made without the consent of the local government and is against the interests of the citizens of Strpce," the municipality stated.

It was noted that this decision follows the dismissal of the director of the Kosovo Privatization Agency, who had previously been formally informed in writing of the local government’s position in Strpce.

Namely, Jevtic sent a letter on July 23 this year, informing the General Director of the Agency that the Municipality opposes the process of privatization or leasing of several properties within the "Inex" company. He referred to a provision of the Law on Local Self-Government, which grants the mayor and the Municipality the right to expropriate immovable property of public interest.

"This procedure was initiated by the Municipality on two occasions, first by a decision of the Assembly on April 26, 2013, which the Government of Kosovo approved on August 28, 2018. That decision was not implemented, so a renewed request for expropriation was submitted on December 29, 2021, immediately after the current mayor Dalibor Jevtic took office," the Municipality of Strpce's statement reads.

Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/5n96rt5w

Kupchan: Kurti's "muscle show" popular but dangerous in the long run (RFE, Kosovo Online)

Under the leadership of Prime Minister Albin Kurti, Kosovo has taken steps that some analysts say defy traditional diplomatic norms, Kosovo Online reported, citing RFE. 

Charles Kupchan, a professor at Georgetown University, says Kurti "puts political interests ahead of national ones."

"Standing up against Washington, showing muscle and showing autonomy seems to be helping Kurti gain popularity. I see this as a short-sighted game. It can be politically useful in the short term, but it is dangerous in the long term," says Kupchan.

Kurti's government replaced Serbian license plates with Kosovo ones, brought Albanian mayors in Serb-majority municipalities, and removed the Serbian dinar from use.

For the US, which demands that all issues related to the situation in the north be resolved within the dialogue for the normalization of relations with Serbia, all these steps are unilateral and uncoordinated and have affected the partnership between Kosovo and the US.

Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/454j6yce

International Media

Flash floods in BiH: Death toll 20, rescue teams from neighbouring countries arriving (N1 Sarajevo)

The death toll from the floods that devastated large parts of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the night between Thursday to Friday is now 20, after two more bodies were found in Donja Jablanica on Sunday morning.

Rescue efforts are ongoing and teams from neighbouring countries, as well as several EU countries, are arriving to help clear the debris and find those who are still missing.

On Saturday evening, the BiH Security Ministry requested international assistance through the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism.

BiH’s Armed Forces are still engaged in helping local services clear the debris.

Search and rescue teams from Croatia and Serbia have already arrived in the country and will be deployed to the most affected areas.