Albanian Language Media:

• Barduani: Kosovo-Serbia problems cannot be solved by military means (media)

• Kurti and Clark discuss regional developments (media)

• Osmani hopes Kosovo will continue to be in focus of USA (media)

• Bislimi meets deputy head of U.S. mission, talk about dialogue (RTK)

• PDK, LDK reject Haradinaj’s proposal for PM post (RTV21)

• Kurti hosts NDI Director in Kosovo Nancy Soderberg (media)

• Maqedonci meets Clark, briefs him on progress of Kosovo Security Force (media)

• Kosovo adapts 30% rebate on cinematography and audiovisuals works (media)

• Police distribute flyers to encourage police-citizen cooperation, Arsenijevic criticises law enforcement agencies(Kallxo)

Serbian Language Media:

• Serbia, Hungary ink several agreements, Vucic, Orban sign political declaration (Tanjug)

• Vucic: Serbia-Hungary ties stronger than ever (media)

• Orban: Europe must realise Serbia does not need EU, but that EU needs Serbia (Tanjug)

• Brnabic receives French senator (media)

• Serbian Government adopts Strategy on Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons (RTS, media)
• Mijacic: Regardless of dialogue format, Pristina cannot avoid its obligations (Kosovo Online)
• KFOR Commander meets Raska-Prizren Eparchy Bishop Teodosije (media, social media)

International Media: 

• What is the take of the MEPs in charge of the Western Balkans on the hearing of Kaja Kallas? (EWB)

Albanian Language Media 

Barduani: Kosovo-Serbia problems cannot be solved by military means (media)

The commander of KFOR, Major General Enrico Barduani, in an exclusive interview with RTK, said that they are ready to face all security challenges, and that, after the attack in Banjska last year, they have increased their forces, especially along the border line with Serbia. He also spoke about the issue of the Iber Bridge, stressing that the solution between Kosovo and Serbia for all problems is not military but political. “KFOR's position on the bridge has been stable and clear that: any decision in this direction must be taken through dialogue and in coordination with the international community.”

The KFOR commander said that he has accepted his duty at a rather complex time in terms of security, which he considers fragile. "Overall, the situation on the ground is calm but still fragile, and the many unilateral actions taken by some stakeholders really do not help to stabilize it. This makes us closely follow any relevant security developments," he said.

Major General Enrico Barduani's top priority, is to ensure that KFOR remains well positioned to continue its contribution to security and stability for all people and communities in Kosovo. "To this end, we must maintain KFOR's operational readiness to face any security challenge that may arise. But let me add that, in addition to operational preparation, also strong cooperation and regular and trust-based communication with our local, regional and international partners are essential for regional stability", he said.

Among other things, Barduani said that KFOR continues to support the dialogue between Pristina and Belgrade, which according to him remains the framework for addressing unresolved issues, for the benefit of all communities living in Kosovo.

Kurti and Clark discuss regional developments (media)

Kosovo Prime, Albin Kurti, hosted former supreme commander of NATO during the war in Kosovo, General Wesley Clark. The Prime Minister's Office announced that accompanied by his son and associates from different countries, Clark expressed interest in Kosovo's development plans at a time of great changes and opportunities in the world. “They discussed the progress our country has made, current regional developments, and cooperation opportunities.”

Osmani hopes Kosovo will continue to be in focus of USA (media)

Kosovo President, Vjosa Osmani, met on Thursday the ambassador of the United States of America in Kosovo, Jeffrey Hovenier. They discussed several issues, including the election of Donald Trump as the 47th president of the USA. Osmani has expressed the hope that even with the new administration "the excellent cooperation will continue" and that Kosovo will continue to "remain in the American focus". In the regular meeting, as stated in the communiqué, the topics of the current security situation in Kosovo and the strengthening of bilateral cooperation were also touched upon.

Bislimi meets deputy head of U.S. mission, talk about dialogue (RTK)

Kosovo’s Deputy Prime Minister, Besnik Bislimi, has met with the Deputy Chief of Mission of the United States of America in Kosovo, Anu Prattipati. According to the announcement of the Prime Minister's Office, Bislimi expressed his gratitude for the partnership and alliance of the United States of America. "Further, there was a discussion about the security situation, the dialogue process, regional cooperation and the Berlin Process. Deputy Prime Minister Bislimi underlined the constructiveness of the Republic of Kosovo in each process", reads the OPM communique.

PDK, LDK reject Haradinaj’s proposal for PM post (RTV21)

The Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) and the Democratic League (LDK) have rejected a proposal by Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) leader Ramush Haradinaj to have a rotation post for Prime Minister in the next government after next year’s February elections.

PDK MP Bekim Haxhiu told the TV station that they are ready to cooperate after the elections but not on the post of Prime Minister, and that PDK’s candidate for the post, Bedri Hamza, is the best solution for Kosovo. “First we will win the elections and then the numbers will determine the coalitions. The Vetevendosje Movement needs to go in the opposition because of their four-year failure. The people will know how to make the change and I’m confident that the PDK with its candidate for prime minister Bedri Hamza will win the elections. Hamza will be the prime minister that can make the change in terms of economic development and improved wellbeing. And then everything depends on the numbers. If the opposition parties have the numbers to form the government, there can certainly be a coalition. I believe that Kosovo does not have a better candidate for prime minister than Bedri Hamza,” he said.

LDK MP Driton Selmanaj said that the only condition to cooperate with other parties after the elections is for [LDK leader] Lumir Abdixhiku to be Prime Minister of Kosovo. “The LDK has made its decision known and it has only one condition for being part of government coalitions, LDK leader Lumir Abdixhiku must be the prime minister. This is our condition for any negotiations or talks to form an eventual post-election coalition. We don’t have any red lines, we are ready to cooperate with all, but our condition is for the LDK and our leader to be at the helm of the government,” he argued.

Kurti hosts NDI Director in Kosovo Nancy Soderberg (media)

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti met on Thursday in Pristina with the director of the National Democratic Institute in Kosovo, Nancy Soderberg, and discussed “democratic progress in various areas of society and the commitment for inclusiveness in policy development”. Kurti thanked Soderberg for her continuous commitment in many priority areas including democratization, transparency and institutional accountability. 

Maqedonci meets Clark, briefs him on progress of Kosovo Security Force (media)

Kosovo’s Minister of Defense, Ejup Maqedonci, met on Thursday in Pristina with retired U.S. General Wesley Clark, who was NATO SACEUR during the war in Kosovo in 1999. “The Minister briefed General Clark in detail about the tangible progress of the Kosovo Security Force in meeting the objectives agreed in the Comprehensive Transition Plan. He highlighted that the high level of professionalism that the Kosovo Security Force today is primarily a result of close relations and cooperation in the area of defense and security between our two countries, and for which General Clark’s contribution remains very important … When we were fighting together with our fellow combatants against the evil that was threatening our country, the air support from NATO was crucial in ending the war. Wesley Clark was commanding NATO forces in the humanitarian intervention that would forever change the future of our country,” a statement by the Ministry of Defense notes.

Kosovo adapts 30% rebate on cinematography and audiovisuals works (media)

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti said in a post on X that starting from Wednesday “Kosovo has adapted the 30% rebate on cinematography and audiovisual works for productions taking place within our territory. As a low-cost & high-quality production hub, we invite all serious film production and gaming companies to collaborate and bring their projects to life in Kosova”.

Police distribute flyers to encourage police-citizen cooperation, Arsenijevic criticises law enforcement agencies(Kallxo)

In "Car Llazar" square in North Mitrovica, police officers of the Kosovo Police distributed on Thursday flyers for the project "Through communication in the service and protection of citizens". However, this initiative of the Police was opposed by the Kosovo Serb politician, Aleksandar Arsenijevic, leader of the Serbian Democracy party and his group. They held a banner in their hands, on which were placed photos of the Police, inscriptions, posts on social networks and media. Arsenijević told news website that the citizens want a multi-ethnic police and not a nationalist Albanian police, criticising the Kosovo Police for their unprofessional behaviour.

"We are here with the real face of the Police. As seen in the photo, it is not professional behaviour. We have come to help the Police in promoting contact (cooperation) with citizens. The behaviour as in the photo below should be processed so that the citizens gain the confidence that they want to be the multi-ethnic police of the citizens and not the nationalist Albanian police, as seen in the photo, vengeful police and the promotion of Greater Albania. All this is on social networks with millions of clicks. As long as the Police behaves as such, it is useless" - said Arsenijevic. After the police activity ended, Arsenijevic and his group did the same.

Serbian Language Media 

Serbia, Hungary ink several agreements, Vucic, Orban sign political declaration (Tanjug)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban signed on Thursday a joint political declaration between Serbia and Hungary, and the two countries also signed six bilateral agreements on cooperation. After a session of a Serbia-Hungary Council on Strategic Cooperation in Budapest, Serbian and Hungarian delegations signed agreements on the judiciary, culture, EU integration and diplomacy, Tanjug news agency reported.

Justice Ministers Maja Popovic and Bence Tuzson signed a bilateral agreement on legal assistance in civil matters. Serbian Minister of Culture Nikola Selakovic and Hungarian Minister of Culture and Innovation Balazs Hanko signed a 2024-2027 programme on cultural cooperation. Serbian Minister of Science, Technological Development and Innovation Jelena Begovic and Hanko signed a MoU between their ministries. Serbian Minister for European Integration Tanja Miscevic and Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto signed an extension of a work plan for Hungarian experts on EU integration. Serbian Foreign Minister Marko Djuric and Szijjarto signed a MoU on cooperation between their ministries as well as a MoU on development cooperation between the ministries.

Vucic: Serbia-Hungary ties stronger than ever (media)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic met with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban in Budapest on Thursday, noting that Serbia-Hungary ties were stronger than ever, Tanjug news agency reported.

In an Instagram post, Vucic thanked Orban for his hospitality and for hosting a second session of the Serbia-Hungary Council on Strategic Cooperation. "Proud of the fact that we do not only have a strategic political partner but also a sincere friend in PM Orban and his government, and our ties are stronger than ever", Vucic wrote in the post. Vucic and Orban held a separate meeting before the session of the Council.

Orban: Europe must realise Serbia does not need EU, but that EU needs Serbia (Tanjug)

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on Thursday Europe must realise Serbia did not need the EU but that the EU needed Serbia, as well as that Europe had problems with growth and dynamics and only new EU member states, including Serbia as the best candidate, could lend it a new impetus, Tanjug news agency reported.

Speaking after a session of a Serbia-Hungary Council on Strategic Cooperation in Budapest, Orban said that, during its Council of the EU presidency, Hungary had been able to help Serbia make greater strides and accelerate its EU integration process. "If someone wants to see for themselves what Serbia can offer to the European economy, I suggest that they visit Belgrade again after three months to see with their own eyes what Serbia can offer to the EU", Orban said at a press conference with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic.

He added Hungary would keep the interests of Serbia and the EU in mind. He also said the US presidential elections had created a new reality and that sovereigntists and patriots had emerged, as well as a new situation was emerging in which sovereign peoples wanted to achieve success. "That is the new reality in Europe and everyone should adapt their policies to that new reality", Orban said, noting that Hungary and Serbia were responding to that new reality by deepening their relations, which he noted they also wanted to develop in areas that had been out of focus until now.

Brnabic receives French senator (media)

At a meeting with French Senator Olivier Cadic, Serbian Parliament Speaker Ana Brnabic highlighted the exceptional cooperation between Serbia and France and noted that the 185^th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two countries, celebrated this year, confirmed a long tradition of bilateral relations, Tanjug news agency reported. Cadic is also deputy chair of the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Armed Forces.

Brnabic said the cooperation was solidified further by a strategic partnership and the numerous bilateral agreements signed during French President Emmanuel Macron's visit to Belgrade. According to a statement released by the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia, Brnabic said the agreements included key areas such as agriculture, energy, environmental protection, science and defence, representing a foundation for further development of relations.

Brnabic thanked France for supporting Serbia's EU integration process and noted the significance of French investments in priority projects in Serbia, which she said contributed further to economic development and bilateral ties. Cadic especially stressed France's firm support for Serbia's European path, noting that Paris was ready to help Serbia open new clusters in the process of its EU talks.

Serbian Government adopts Strategy on Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons (RTS, media)

The Serbian Government has adopted the Strategy for Resolving the Problems of Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons for the period 2024-2030, RTS reported. The Strategy is to ensure continuity in implementing policies, measures and activities aiming to resolve the issues affecting the most vulnerable families, refugees and internally displaced persons.

One of the particular goals of this Strategy is creating conditions for sustainable return of displaced persons to the places in Kosovo. The Strategy also specified the general goal - improving the position of refugees and internally displaced persons in their places of origin, facilitating integration and improving living conditions in the places of displacement in Serbia, in accordance with their decisions on permanent solutions.

Mijacic: Regardless of dialogue format, Pristina cannot avoid its obligations (Kosovo Online)

Dragisa Mijacic, Coordinator of the National Convention on the EU Working Group for Chapter 35 said that the Brussels Agreement remains the foundation for all future discussions on the normalisation of relations between Belgrade and Pristina. Speaking to Kosovo Online, he emphasised that the format of the dialogue is less important than fulfilling the agreed-upon obligations.

Commenting on the statement of Marta Kos during her hearing in the European Parliament, where she called for new approaches to the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, Mijacic noted that while her perspective deserves attention, it is merely a subjective opinion that does not influence or alter the essence of the negotiation process.

He also pointed out that Kos has not yet been confirmed as the Commissioner for Enlargement, and her appointment must go through various EU bodies.

Read more at: https://shorturl.at/U9GlO

KFOR Commander meets Raska-Prizren Eparchy Bishop Teodosije (media, social media)

KFOR Commander Major General Enrico Barduani said during the meeting with Serbian Orthodox Church Raska-Prizren Eparchy Bishop Teodosije that this Mission is committed to enabling a safe and secure environment for all communities in Kosovo, regardless of their ethnicity, gender or religion, or political affiliations, Euronews in Serbian reported.

“The Commander of the NATO-led KFOR mission recognized the importance of maintaining the excellent relations with representatives of all religions, he believed that religious leaders have a significant role in society and religions continue to be a catalyst for peaceful cohabitation and values we can all share”, KFOR said in a post on Facebook. It added the visit was part of the KFOR Commander’s regular exchanges with his main counterparts, in Kosovo and across the region.

International Media 

What is the take of the MEPs in charge of the Western Balkans on the hearing of Kaja Kallas? (EWB)

MEPs in charge of the Western Balkans welcome the fact that Kaja Kallas, during her confirmation hearing, talked about the need to strengthen the strategic autonomy and security of the EU and that she stressed the need for further enlargement in the next five years. However, some of them also stressed that they expected to hear more details about Kallas’ future engagement in the Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue.

Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/2unj7wrz