Albanian Language Media:

• Special Prosecution with indictment against two persons for war crimes (media)

• Hargreaves: Association would solve many important issues (Klan)

• Kurti travels to Switzerland to meet diaspora (Reporteri)

• COMKFOR meets Turkish Ambassador, discus security in Kosovo (Klan)

• Abdixhiku reminds Kurti of Promises he did not keep (media)

• Disappearance of hundreds of passports, PDK demands urgent investigation (Reporteri)

• Haradinaj: Progress Report proved Kurti’s agenda to leave Kosovo out of all Euro-Atlantic integrations (media)

• Vehbi Kajtazi: Suspicious device found in my car, police are dealing with case (Reporteri)

Serbian Language Media: 

• KLA member in trial to Thaci: KLA in July 1999 attacked Serbs in Opterusa ‘only because they were Serbs’ (KoSSev)

• Civic activists, analyst slam Kurti over his remarks at Harvard on rights of Serbs (social media)

• Vucevic: EU notes Serbia's progress in many areas, especially in economy (Tanjug)

• Party of Kosovo Serbs representatives met UK and Swedish ambassadors in Pristina, discussed political and security situation (Radio KIM)

• Gogic: UNSC members agree Pristina is cause of crisis in Kosovo and that solution is CSM (Kosovo Online)

• Radakovic: At the UN Security Council session on Kosovo, UNMIK tried to alleviate the situation (Kosovo Online)

• Trial of Gavrilo Milosavljevic for alleged war crimes continues (Kosovo Online)

International: 

• Key findings of the 2024 European Commission Report on Kosovo (EWB)

• EC releases the 2024 Enlargement Package: How much has each candidate advanced? (EWB)

                          Albanian Language Media  

Special Prosecution with indictment against two persons for war crimes (media)

Kosovo’s Special Prosecutor’s Office has filed an indictment against two persons for criminal offences related to war crimes.

A communique issued by this Office states that there is a well-grounded suspicion that in the period 1998-1999, they committed murders, physical and mental abuse, and looting of the movable property of the civilian population.

“The Special Prosecutor’s Office of Kosovo has filed an indictment in the Basic Court in Pristina – Special Department, against the defendants S.S. and M.S.” informed the press release.

"With this in complicity, they have committed the criminal offence, War Crime against the civilian population, sanctioned by Article 142, related to Article 22 of the Criminal Law of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (hereinafter "LP-RSFJ"), as the law in force at the time of the commission of the criminal offence", the communiqué further states.

Hargreaves: Association would solve many important issues (Klan)

The British ambassador in Kosovo, Jonathan Hargreaves, has said that the establishment of the Association of Municipalities with a Serbian Majority would solve many issues. Hargreaves said that the establishment of the Association would be the best way for many difficult issues to be addressed.

"There are still issues that need to be addressed in the context of the dialogue facilitated by the EU, and if they are clarified to the end in the context of the dialogue, I think that many of the issues would also be addressed through the establishment of the Association."

"I think this would be the best way to solve many difficult issues, which would ensure who is responsible and provide services and the security that the citizens here seem to consider to be important and more reasonable for management", he said.

Furthermore, he said that he hopes that as many Serbian parties as possible will participate in the national elections that will be held on February 9.

Kurti travels to Switzerland to meet diaspora (Reporteri)

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti will hold meetings with the diaspora in Switzerland. The Vetevendosje movement announced that he will be in the Swiss state on Friday.

"Dear compatriots, you who live in Switzerland, we inform you that this Friday, November 1, 2024, the Leader of the Vetevendosje Movement, Prime Minister Albin Kurti, will hold a meeting with our expatriates in Switzerland. Together with him, there will be the first Albanian MP in the Swiss parliament, Mr. Islam Aliaj, and the Co-President of the Swiss Social Democratic Party, at the same time MP in the Swiss parliament, Mr. Cédric Wermuth", says the announcement of the LVV.

A press release issued by the office of the Prime Minister informs that on Friday, Kurti will also meet with political and institutional representatives of the Swiss state.

COMKFOR meets Turkish Ambassador, discus security in Kosovo (Klan)

The commander of KFOR, Major General Enrico Barduani, met today at the General Headquarters of KFOR in Pristina with the Ambassador of Turkiye Sabri Tunc Anglli. “During the meeting, security trends in Kosovo and beyond in the region were discussed, emphasising the importance of cooperation between countries in International Organisations and the role of NATO,” informed KFOR’s Facebook post.

"Major General Enriko Barduani underlined the daily efforts of KFOR to fulfil its mandate and to support the dialogue mediated by the EU between Belgrade and Pristina", the announcement continues.

Abdixhiku reminds Kurti of Promises he did not keep (media)

The leader of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) Lumir Abdixhiku has published a video, where Prime Minister Kurti promises that during the first term of government, he will provide affordable housing for 4 thousand families for young couples, women heads of families and public servants.

"For young couples, women heads of families, but also for public servants such as teachers, nurses, policemen and firefighters, or even public administration, only during the first term of government, we will provide affordable housing for 4,000 families", Kurti had said.

Abdixhiku said that this promise was not kept, and that Kosovo deserves better. "What was said and what was not done, for young couples, women heads of families and public servants? Kosovo deserves better! Change is coming!", wrote Abdixhiku.

Disappearance of hundreds of passports, PDK demands urgent investigation (Reporteri)

Ariana Musliu, MP from the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) has said that the Prosecutor’s Office should urgently investigate the disappearance of hundreds of emigrants’ passports.

She said that the whereabouts of 406 emigrant’s passports, 165 identity cards and 4 decisions for release/acquiring citizenship, remain unknown. PDK has demanded accountability from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, saying that the loss of personal documents risks the misuse of the identity of compatriots.

Haradinaj: Progress Report proved Kurti’s agenda to leave Kosovo out of all Euro-Atlantic integrations (media)

Ramush Haradinaj, leader of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) has commented on the findings of the Progress Report that the European Commission published on Wednesday. He said that the report for this year largely reflects the corruption of the governing system in Kosovo and the alienation from all processes that bring it closer to the European Union. Haradinaj said that Kurti has removed and sabotaged Kosovo from the processes that make it a NATO member.

Vehbi Kajtazi: Suspicious device found in my car, police are dealing with case (Reporteri)

Journalist Vehbi Kajtazi said that a suspicious device was found in his car. He announced that the suspicious device was discovered during a service check of his car.

"Today I brought my car to the service for inspection. During the check, it was discovered that there is a suspicious device in my car located on the left side near the wheel", said Kajtazi.

He announced that he has reported the case to the police. "The state prosecutor has also been informed about this case", Kajtazi wrote.

Serbian Language Media 

KLA member in trial to Thaci: KLA in July 1999 attacked Serbs in Opterusa ‘only because they were Serbs’ (KoSSev)

Former member of KLA Haxhi Mazreku said in a testimony to the Specialist Court in the Hague that in July 1998 KLA attacked Serbs in the village of Opterusa, near Orahovac only because they were Serbs, KoSSev portal reported.

Mazreku also confirmed that KLA pursued all those it unfoundedly declared as collaborators, including him.   

Mazreku, who is a witness of the prosecution said this in a trial to former KLA leaders Hashim Thaci, Kadri Veseli, Rexhep Selimi and Jakup Krasniqi accused of war crimes against Albanians, Serbs and Romas in Kosovo and Albania in the period from 1998 to 1999.

According to the indictment, during the attack on Orahovac and villages in its surroundings, including Opterusa, KLA on July 17, 1998, kidnapped and murdered at several locations more than 40 Serbs.

Mazreku, who was a local KLA leader in the village of Opterusa, said the attack on Serbs in this village was carried out by a KLA unit from Suva Reka, whose leader told him that the order for attack ‘came from above’.

The witness said he was against this attack and only wanted to protect the local population, being Serbs, Albanians or Roma.

“They have falsely accused Serbs of being collaborators, but they were only civilians”, Mazreku said.

Asked by the prosecutor if there was “any legitimate reason because of which KLA would attack Serbs”, Mazreku responded that they were attacked “only because they were Serbs”. He denied that Serbian paramilitary formations were in the village which KLA cited as a reason for their attack on the village.

He described that in the night after the attack he saw how members of KLA took away Serbs on tractors who “were crying either because of beatings or out of fear”.

He also said he was targeted by the rival KLA group which declared him a collaborator. As a reason for this he mentioned his close ties with Serbs, with whom he cooperated as a carpenter.

“They called me a collaborator, traitor and spy in order to blackmail me because I did not support their actions that were fatal and because I wanted to protect the civilians. I was in KLA, but in a real one, not the fake KLA”, he emphasised.

He also said following the attack on Opterusa he was disarmed by KLA members and taken to the nearby village Semetiste where he was threatened of facing the similar fate as that of the Serbs from his village who were detained there. “I have ignored that threat”, he added.

He also said the KLA killed a forest guard in the village of Pagarusa and also accused him of cooperation with the Serbian authorities. “That was unacceptable, he only worked his job and guarded the forest”, he said.

Mazreku added KLA had a list with 17 to 18 names of alleged collaborators he had seen at three masked members in black uniforms, ten days before the attack on Opterusa.

“There were stories that they checked on these people at night”, he said, adding that “everybody was considered a collaborator .... even if you made a chair for a Serb or offered a coffee to them”.

His cross examination continues today. Mazreku is 102 witnesses of defence since the beginning of the trial on April 3, last year.  

Civic activists, analyst slam Kurti over his remarks at Harvard on rights of Serbs (social media)

Civic activists and an analyst took to X to react to the statements Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti made during the lecture at Harvard University talking about the rights of Serbs, referring to the community as minority and presenting claims that Serbs make four percent of the total population in Kosovo.

Dragisa Mijacic from InTer civil society organisation and Chair of the National Convent for the EU Chapter 35 Working Group in a post on X wrote “Dear Mr. Kurti please don’t lie to the Harvard community and the public. By Kosovo Constitution the Serbs are not a minority, yet a non-majority community. There is no evidence that Serbs are only 4 percent of the population in Kosovo and the Serbs are not governing 25 percent of the municipalities in Kosovo, even if you include the ones run by Atiq and Hetemi”.

Aleksandar Sljuka from New Social Initiative in response to Mijacic’s post wrote the following: “A bit unrelated to this, but it is not just propaganda. It is a psychological game that inflicts emotional harm. Consistently being told that Serbs enjoy more rights than any group in Europe, while facing daily violations of basic human rights, creates a painful disconnect”.

“This tactic goes beyond misinformation – it manipulates people’s perception of reality, forcing them to question their own experiences and feelings. The dissonance between the political narrative and harsh daily realities intensifies emotional suffering. People feel unheard, invalidated and isolated”, Sljuka added.

Reacting to Sljuka’s post, Marko Pelec, an analyst from International Crisis Group (ICG), tagged Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti and wrote “I think this is right, @albinkurti. As prime minister it is bad form to speak of your citizens in a way that is diametrically opposite to their lived experiences. It shows you do not hear them”. 

Vucevic: EU notes Serbia's progress in many areas, especially in economy (Tanjug)

Serbian Prime Minister Milos Vucevic said on Wednesday the European Commission's 2024 report on Serbia especially noted the country's economic progress, Tanjug news agency reported. "The EU notes Serbia's progress in numerous areas, above all, in the economy", Vucevic told a press conference after receiving the report from the head of the EU Delegation to Serbia, Emanuele Giaufret. He said Giaufret had provided clarification and that the government was yet to analyse the report.

"Ambassador Giaufret has just presented to us the annual report on Serbia for 2024, which was, as the ambassador said, finished a few hours before this meeting, so we also received verbal clarification or notes regarding key issues contained in the report. The government will now begin a detailed analysis of the whole report, and we will definitely also inform the Serbian public of this in more detail", he said.

He noted that the report was important for Serbia as it represented an essential road map for the country and its EU integration and was an analysis of Serbia's annual progress and an assessment of the achieved level of preparedness for EU membership. He said that, besides economic progress, he was pleased with progress on the green agenda, ecology and climate change. "That is noted, too, but much more work is still ahead of us there", Vucevic added.

"We also have progress on justice, freedoms, security, statistics, taxation, the trans-European network, but we certainly must do more. Of course, discussions about the most sensitive set of issues - alignment with the EU foreign and security policy, are ahead", he said. Giaufret said progressive alignment with the EU foreign and security policy was a part of the framework of EU accession talks.

Party of Kosovo Serbs representatives met UK and Swedish ambassadors in Pristina, discussed political and security situation (Radio KIM)

Representatives of the Party of Kosovo Serbs (PKS) had a meeting with UK and Swedish ambassadors in Pristina, Jonathan Hargreaves and Jonas Westerlund, Radio KIM reported.

As PKS said in a statement during the meeting they exchanged opinions and information about current political and security situations, with particular emphasis on the north of Kosovo. It was also said that one of the important topics of the meeting included upcoming parliamentary elections.

PKS representatives also informed ambassadors about difficult everyday challenges faced by the Serbian community and selective application of the law by the Kosovo government.

“We underlined the necessity that the Kosovo Government respects commitments deriving from the Brussels agreement and establish a Community of Serb Municipalities without conditioning. We underlined that the policy of the Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic was predictable and peaceful, while actions of Albin Kurti and Kosovo Government lead to unnecessary tensions and deterioration of the situation between two communities”, PKS said in a statement. 

Gogic: UNSC members agree Pristina is cause of crisis in Kosovo and that solution is CSM (Kosovo Online)

Political analyst Ognjen Gogic told Kosovo Online portal the main takeaway from the UN Security Council (UNSC) session on UNMIK report was that there is a kind of consensus and shared understanding among members that, as he said, Pristina's unilateral actions are cause of crisis in Kosovo, and that solution to the problem is formation of Community of Serb Municipalities (CSM).

Gogic also said some ambassadors called on "both sides" to refrain from unilateral actions, but that, for Belgrade, this was more of a hypothetical warning. According to him, “the UNMIK report is clear – Pristina's unilateral measures are the root of the crisis”.

"The impression after the UNSC session on the UNMIK report is that among UNSC members and ambassadors – all of whom spoke and gave their opinions – there is a certain consensus and shared understanding that Pristina's unilateral actions are the cause of the crisis in Kosovo. They called for both sides to refrain from unilateral measures, but this was more of a hypothetical appeal to pre-emptively ask Serbia not to take unilateral steps. However, the UNMIK report, or rather the report of the Secretary-General, is very clear – the crisis is caused by Pristina's unilateral actions. Here, it is not about both sides taking contentious actions, thus, the appeal was aimed at discouraging Serbia from taking any hypothetical unilateral actions", Gogic told the portal.

Read more at: https://shorturl.at/2KAWw

Radakovic: At UN Security Council session on Kosovo, UNMIK tried to alleviate situation (Kosovo Online) 

The executive director of the Advocacy Center for Democratic Culture, Dusan Radakovic, said that UNMIK tried to alleviate the situation at the session of the United Nations Security Council during the presentation of the report on Kosovo, reported Kosovo Online. 

Radakovic pointed out that at the session the difference in the attitudes of Belgrade and Pristina was once again seen.

"We could see the completely diametrically different views of Djuric and Gervalla, we even saw a softened view of UNMIK on the whole situation. We all know that the situation is very bad, that there is a huge escalation; it is a question of hours not days, nor months, when it can lead to an incident," said Radakovic.

As he added, while the Serbian side talked about the problems of the Serbs in Kosovo, the focus of Pristina was on Belgrade, without mentioning the bad situation in the north.

"A diametrical difference was presented at the session, where the Serbian side talked about problems, attacks, sexual harassment in the north, while on the other hand, Pristina increasingly wants to talk about Belgrade, and does not look at the situation in Mitrovica, and how the police are politicized, where even the international community recognizes that," Radakovic told Kosovo Online. 

"A realistic picture of the situation was presented, and everyone presented it in their own way, but I think that UNMIK tried to alleviate the whole situation, even though it is very difficult," concluded Radakovic.

Trial of Gavrilo Milosavljevic for alleged war crimes continues (Kosovo Online)

The trial of Gavrilo Milosavljevic from Istok for alleged war crimes continued today at the Basic Court in Pristina, Kosovo Online portal reported. At today’s hearing a witness of prosecution S.R was interviewed, but defence was not able to interview him, as they were not informed timely this witness would be present today. The witness was interviewed by the prosecutor only.

Lawyer, Nebojsa Vlajic explained that they expected this witness yesterday, so they did not take his statements for the purpose of interviewing. “Today’s hearing has concluded in an expedited manner, as it was yesterday. However, this is not the fault of a judge, but rather of a prosecutor who has witnesses who are not convincing and whom we have nothing to ask. I think the prosecution cannot rely on these witnesses, but that is their manner of conducting this proceeding”, Vlajic said.

Another lawyer, Dejan Vasic said defence would need brief time to interview this witness, and the court will decide about another date to continue the hearing.

Gavrilovic was arrested on December 2, 2022, and remains in detention ever since. Indictment against him was raised on November 29, 2023. He pleaded not guilty to the charges in a hearing on December 7, 2023. 

                                                                          International

Key findings of the 2024 European Commission Report on Kosovo (EWB)

The European Commission published its annual enlargement reports yesterday. We report the key findings of the Report on Kosovo in the area of democracy, rule of law and economic criteria:

The framework for elections is conducive to the organisation of democratic elections. Kosovo continued to consolidate its new electoral legal framework. On 21 April 2024, Kosovo held a mayoral recall vote that aimed to pave the way for new local elections in the north of Kosovo. Despite some challenges, the vote was generally well organised. However, it failed due to an extremely low voter turnout following the decision of political parties representing Kosovo Serbs in the north to withdraw from the process and call for a boycott. It is critical that inclusive local elections, in which Kosovo Serbs participate without preconditions, are held in all four municipalities in the north.

The Assembly faces a number of challenges in the exercise of its powers. The government still holds a solid majority in the Assembly, but disagreements and lack of cooperation within the majority and with opposition parties hindered the Assembly’s ability to adopt legislation, to appoint members of public bodies and to provide effective oversight. Srpska Lista members boycotted the Assembly’s work during the reporting period. Strengthening consensus-building, transparency and oversight could improve the Assembly’s performance and help bring about a more stable and efficient legislative process. The Assembly needs to improve its internal management, adopt work plans, and introduce an electronic voting and presence recording system.

The institutions in charge of the integration process are broadly in place. While Kosovo demonstrated strong commitment to its EU agenda, divisive domestic politics hampered implementation. The government should work to forge cross-party political support to pursue EU-related reforms more effectively. It should also include line ministries in decisions related to EU-related policies under their responsibility and increase interministerial coordination.

Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/2665wfyh

EC releases the 2024 Enlargement Package: How much has each candidate advanced? (EWB)

BRUSSELS – Annual European Commission reports on candidate countries, released today, show that compared to 2023, Albania, Montenegro and Serbia have each increased their levels of preparation in four out of 33 negotiating chapters. Kosovo and North Macedonia have increased their level of preparation in two negotiating chapters each, while the level of preparation of Bosnia and Herzegovina remains the same as in 2023.

Each European Commission report uses the following scale to describe the state of play in each of the 33 negotiating chapters: early stage, some level of preparation, moderately prepared, good level of preparation and well advanced.

This scale is often informally quantified and the numbers from 1 to 5 are given to each level. European Western Balkans calculated the average level of preparation on this scale for each country in the region.

Montenegro remains the frontrunner in the region, with an average grade of 3.2, on a scale from 1 to 5. It has improved its score from last year’s 3.12. Serbia, meanwhile, has improved its score to 3.11 from 3.05 in 2023.

Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/24zkex8p