Albanian Language Media:

 

• Kurti: Kosovo and North Macedonia do not have disagreements (Koha)
• Mickoski: Economic cooperation will be over half a billion euros (media)
• Hoxhaj slams “efforts to undermine Ohrid Agreement and Ahtisaari Plan” (media)
• Ahmeti: Do not remain silent about Albanians in North Macedonia (media)
• Kosovo ranked 12 safest place in world according to Gallup report (media)
• Osmani to give annual address at Kosovo Assembly on November 21 (media)
• Kurti: We want an independent judiciary and honest prosecutors (media)
• EU Office in Kosovo: Constitutional Court should be free from political pressure (media)
• Rasic: Rakic was beaten up because of his frauds (TeVe1)
• Former Kosovo FM warns Kosovo not to fall for “Vucic’s provocations” (media)

 

Serbian Language Media: 

 

• Vucic, Koopman discuss accelerating Serbia's EU path (Tanjug, Kosovo Online)
• Political overtones in football: Kurti supports captain’s “Kosovo is Albania“ amid fan provocations (KoSSev)
• Romanian PM: Kurti attempts to bring politics into sport (Kosovo Online)
• Drecun: Takeover of Dumos airport, new KSF base and danger for north of Kosovo (RTS)
• ‘Whistle’ website launched, serves to document cases of incidents, sexual harassment (social media)
• Serbian Democracy members protest in Mitrovica South, extend support to EULEX worker (Radio kontakt plus)
• Lazarevic: Between Kosovo and the EU, it seems that Serbia chose the Union (N1, FoNet, KiM radio)                                                                                                                                               

 

                     Albanian Language Media  

 

Kurti: Kosovo and North Macedonia do not have disagreements (Koha)

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti said that Kosovo and North Macedonia do not have disagreements, but extensive cooperation. Speaking about the joint meeting between the two governments that is being held today in Pristina, Kurti said that there is not only partnership through trade with this neighbouring country, but also family ties and businesses.

“Let me start this meeting by stressing an important point, the Republic of Kosovo and the Republic of North Macedonia do not have disagreements. We have open communication and extensive cooperation. We are neighbours, friends and partners, connected, not only through trade that is growing every time, but also through the ties between our families and businesses that are getting stronger and stronger,” Kurti said.

He added that Monday’s meeting also has symbolic importance because of the 15^th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Kosovo and North Macedonia. He said that over 50 agreements and memorandums have been signed so far.

Mickoski: Economic cooperation will be over half a billion euros (media)

The Prime Minister of North Macedonia, Hristijan Mickoski, has emphasised that next year the economic cooperation between the state he leads and Kosovo will reach half a billion euros. "Next year, economic cooperation will be over half a billion euros, including trade between our two countries. In the following years, we will work in the direction of economic cooperation being even greater, since this will bring us benefits for both countries", he said.

Mickoski emphasised that the agreements expected to be signed today during the day will concern the energy, border and economic fields. "I will be happy if in a few weeks from today, we have a border crossing point, where citizens will stop at one crossing point and not at two. In this way, there will be no confusion at the border and the transfer of citizens will be accelerated", he said.

Hoxhaj slams “efforts to undermine Ohrid Agreement and Ahtisaari Plan” (media)

 

Deputy leader of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK), Enver Hoxhaj, commented on today’s joint meeting of the governments of Kosovo and North Macedonia. “I personally proposed the idea in the Kosovo Government, and we adopted the concept of joint meetings of governments ten years ago. It is positive that there were joint meetings so far, but what is particular about this meeting is as follows: today in Kosovo comes the Government of North Macedonia which is committed to overturning and reconfiguring the Ohrid Agreement which is the biggest achievement of Albanians in Macedonia. I expect the Government of Kosovo to address the issue of threats against the Albanian language in North Macedonia. The Albanian language is of Albanians, not of one political party, but of the whole Albanian people, wherever they live in the Balkans. The Government of Kosovo must raise its voice today also about the despicable acts of the arrests of KLA veterans in North Macedonia! Unfortunately, we have a government which has tried everything to reconfigure the Ahtisaari Plan, which is the foundation of Kosovo’s independence, same as attempts to undo the Ohrid Agreement, which is the biggest political achievement of Albanians in North Macedonia! What worries me is that any effort to undermine the Ohrid Agreement and the Ahtisaari Plan and to reconfigure the political realities they created, is against the interests of Albanians and western partners in the Balkans,” Hoxhaj writes in a Facebook post.

 

Ahmeti: Do not remain silent about Albanians in North Macedonia (media)

 

The leader of the Democratic Union for Integration (DUI), Ali Ahmeti considers that the government of Kosovo should not remain silent regarding the concerns of the Albanians in North Macedonia. On the eve of the meeting of the two governments, which will be held today in Pristina, Ahmeti called on the Kosovar executive to talk to the Prime Minister of the Republic of Macedonia regarding the problems of the Albanians there.

The leader of DUI has expressed concern about non-compliance with the Ohrid Agreement, after the initiatives to repeal the Law on the use of languages. According to him, the political developments in North Macedonia do not promise any stable perspective, because of the initiatives to change the Law of the Albanian language.

 

Kosovo ranked 12 safest place in world according to Gallup report (media)

 

Several news websites report that the latest Gallup safety report ranks Kosovo among the 24 safest places in the world. In the report Kosovo is ranked on the 12th spot. See more at: https://shorturl.at/7t082

 

Osmani to give annual address at Kosovo Assembly on November 21 (media)

 

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani will give her annual address at the Kosovo Assembly on Thursday. The Office for Media and Public Relations of the Kosovo Assembly announced the information.

Kurti: We want an independent judiciary and honest prosecutors (media)

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti has stated that this government wants and independent and professional judiciary with honest and active prosecutors. “We have already stopped these, they will not return and that dark era for Kosovo has ended. After only one successful government, we have increased the performance index to 20 numbers… Now, corruption is no longer listed as one of the biggest problems of the government as it used to be during the previous governments… We have freed the north of our country from criminal gangs, who were supported, financed and directed by the Serbian government and the terror on the citizens has ended. We have opened the north for economic development through the opening of new businesses,” he said.

"We have already stopped these; they will not return and that dark era for Kosovo has ended. After only one successful government we had increased to 20 numbers in the performance index....now corruption 

EU Office in Kosovo: Constitutional Court should be free from political pressure (media)

The Office of the European Union in Kosovo has reacted against the approach of the Prime Minister, Albin Kurti, to the Constitutional Court. During the last week, Kurti said that the Court with the delays in dealing with laws and their overruling is blocking the positive and progressive reforms.

“The Constitutional Court has a fundamental role to ensure the supremacy of the Constitution and to protect the fundamental rights and principles therein. The independence of the judiciary is a cornerstone of the rule of law and an essential criterion for any democratic society. The Constitutional Court serves as the highest authority reviewing laws submitted for the review. Its decisions must be respected by all to ensure the effective functioning of the separation of powers and to strengthen the system of checks and balances. While it is accepted that the Constitutional Court must be independent and free from political pressure, it is also necessary to emphasise that the judiciary is not immune to scrutiny or open discussion provided that it is constructive, balanced and well-founded,” EU Office in Kosovo told RTV21.

Rasic: Rakic was beaten up because of his frauds (TeVe1)

 

Kosovo’s Minister for Communities and Returns, Nenad Rasic, said in an interview with the TV station, that the draft statute of the Association of Serb-majority municipalities has many flaws, and he confirmed that he and his party will take part in the February 2025 general elections. “Step by step, I believe we are on the right track, but a lot depends on Belgrade’s reaction, especially knowing the brutal approach they have used so far against their political opponents. Our chances are good in the political battle … we will face challenges, but we will take part [in the election process],” he said.

 

Asked about the draft statute of the Association, Rasic said: “if that is the original [version] I had several remarks and questions especially about some sectors that pertain to the wider population such as the healthcare and education. There were only brief and simple explanations, for example about primary and private healthcare, and it was not clear to me. If we acknowledge that the draft is real, then it is a basic proposal that does not include a deeper understanding of the situation in Kosovo and the implementation methodology. It is simply very basic,” he said.

 

Commenting on the assault against former Serbian List leader Goran Rakic in the north, Rakic said that “it is a public secret that this happened because of the frauds of the former minister. These are individual issues. They [people in the north] are certainly not satisfied, especially when he plays the dangerous games … Some of the people there were damaged by the actions of the Serbian List, could not tolerate that any longer and reacted that way”.

 

Rasic also stressed that the Kosovo government needs to support all communities in order to remove Belgrade’s influence.

 

Former Kosovo FM warns Kosovo not to fall for “Vucic’s provocations” (media)

 

Kosovo’s former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Meliza Haradinaj-Stublla, said in a Facebook post that “Putin is using the period of post-election transition in the U.S. to intensify attacks and annex new territories from independent Ukraine. Being aware that Vucic fanatically follows Putin’s gamebook, Kosovo must remain vigilant to similar possible efforts for destabilising its northern territory on the border with Serbia – especially in the transition period until the Trump Administration returns to the White House. Vucic is undoubtedly seeking a window to light destabilisation sparks in the north before the start of the election campaign in Kosovo, therefore, this time we should not fall for his provocations. Most importantly: the government must coordinate closely with U.S. security institutions and keep the north quiet at all costs especially until after the February 9 elections”.

 

Serbian Language Media 

 

Vucic, Koopman discuss accelerating Serbia's EU path (Tanjug, Kosovo Online)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic met on Monday with Gert Jan Koopman, director general of the European Commission's Directorate-General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations.

"A good and substantially important discussion with the director general of the Directorate-General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations about accelerating Serbia's EU path," Vucic wrote in a post on his official Instagram profile.

During the meeting, Vucic noted that Serbia's goal was to complete reform processes and alignment with EU legislation by 2027.

"Also, I expressed the expectation the EU and member states will acknowledge the efforts and progress our country is making and that, at an accelerated pace, we will head towards achieving the common objective - Serbia's EU membership," Vucic wrote in the post, which also included a photo of him with Koopman.

Political overtones in football: Kurti supports captain’s “Kosovo is Albania“ amid fan provocations (KoSSev)

The football pitch became a battleground for national identities during the UEFA Nations League match between Romania and Kosovo in Bucharest on Friday evening. What began as a competitive game ended in chaos and controversy, with sharp political overtones further straining relations between the two nations. Following the match, Kosovo PM Albin Kurti echoed a statement made by Kosovo captain Amir Rrahmani, declaring, “Kosovo is Kosovo, or Kosovo is Albania.”

The match itself, a high-stakes encounter in League C, was abandoned in the 93rd minute after Kosovo’s players walked off the field following chants of “Serbia! Serbia!“ from Romanian fans, perceived as a direct challenge to Kosovo political status. This followed earlier tensions, including symbolic gestures by Kosovo players and a heated altercation between Kosovo captain Rrahmani and Romanian striker Denis Alibec.

A Heated Match Turns Political

What initially seemed to be a tense but routine 0-0 draw - favourable to Romania’s bid for promotion to League B - soon escalated into a political dispute, as provocative chants from the stands and the players’ subsequent actions shifted the focus from sport to geopolitics. Kosovo players refused to resume play despite attempts to mediate, citing an “unacceptable and unsafe atmosphere.“

Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/52v7rdm9

Romanian PM: Kurti attempts to bring politics into sport (Kosovo Online)

Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Coilacu reacted to the statements of Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti supporting football players from Kosovo after they walked off the pitch using as a pretext chanting of Romanian fans in support of Serbia, by saying that Kurti should not mix politics and sport, Kosovo Online portal reported.

“What Albin Kurti attempts to do is completely unacceptable. He mixes politics and sports and supports the act of the football team which left the match against Romania. He is attempting to create political and diplomatic pressure in order to punish us. He is attempting in vain to portray the culprit as a victim. It is even more serious that he wants to apply political pressure on football and hopes for an illusionary decision”, Romanian PM Ciolacu said.

“I can tell him directly, no matter how hard he tries it, he can not change reality and he is going in the wrong direction, because there is no room for politics in sport. The truth is only one, and it is that their football players are responsible for everything that happened on Friday, and not Romain football players and the fans at the stadium. I can admit that they played better, but this does not justify the act they committed before the end of the match and they have to face consequences. I am convinced that is exactly what will happen”, he added. 

Drecun: Takeover of Dumos airport, new KSF base and danger for north of Kosovo (RTS)

Chair of the Serbian Parliamentary Committee for Defence and Internal Affairs, Milovan Drecun told RTS that taking over property of former Dumos airport by KSF represents a strategic move of Pristina, adding this base opens the way for them to the north of Kosovo. Drecun also asked what will happen if Pristina introduces mandatory military service, as announced, and Serbs refuse to serve, would they be imprisoned? He warned this could be an additional incentive for the emigration of Serbs from Kosovo. 

According to Drecun and based on the statements of Kosovo minister of defence, two more locations were assigned in the area of Karabeg and Radevar, i.e. there will not be just one base in Dumos, but two more.

“This base is significant because it opens the way to the north of Kosovo. Also, a base is being built in the area of Lukar, near Pristina, and a new base is planned just 1,000 metres from the administrative line”, Drecun said.

“Serbia is not expected to take any action by military means, because a violent solution to the Kosovo and Metohija issue is excluded. However, if they intend to act towards the north of Kosovo or destabilise the situation through the administrative line, that is already a serious issue”, he noted.

“This location, in my opinion, is the most important for possible action in the north of Kosovo. The ultimate goal of Albin Kurti is the stationing of special parapolice and so-called military units along the administrative line. Now KSF has no right to be present there, but there are indications that joint patrolling is being considered with KFOR. That would further threaten the security of the Serbian people”, he added.

About mandatory military service

As Drecun noted another concerning issue is what would happen when Pristina introduces mandatory military service, as announced, and if Serbs refuse to serve would they be imprisoned or punished?

“That would be an additional incentive for the emigration of Serbs and ethnic cleansing. However, we should not be worried about the security of central Serbia, our security forces absolutely control the situation on our side of the administrative line”, Drecun said.

‘Whistle’ website launched, serves to document cases of incidents, sexual harassment (social media)

In a post on Facebook Serbian Democracy vice president Stefan Veljkovic informed the public that “residents of northern Kosovo, at their own initiative and at their own expense have created a website “Pištaljka” (Whistle), where incidents with the police and sexual harassment are documented”.

The website can be found at: www.pistaljka.net

Serbian Democracy members protest in Mitrovica South, extend support to EULEX worker (Radio kontakt plus)

Serbian Democracy members staged a protest today in front of EULEX base in Mitrovica South, to extend support to a worker of this Mission, who, as they claimed, had been attacked, Radio kontakt plus reported.

As Serbian Democracy said the worker was attacked on October 31, in Pristina by Kosovo police, while he was at his working place.

Serbian Democracy President Aleksandar Arsenijevic said “the EULEX worker suffered broken ribs and arm from beating, and has been lying almost immovable for 20 days, while the EULEX Mission, did not make any statement regarding this incident”. He also asked how ordinary people should feel safe, when EULEX workers are being attacked. 

“What is very symptomatic is that even when EULEX is attacked, EULEX acts as a coalition partner of Self-determination. That is why we came here today, to publicly extend support to an EULEX worker who was beaten up by Kosovo police”, Arsenijevic said. 

Arsenijevic also announced the next step, filing a criminal report against Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti over his statement from the previous day that “Kosovo is Albania”. 

Lazarevic: Between Kosovo and the EU, it seems that Serbia chose the Union (N1, FoNet, KiM radio)

Tatjana Lazarevic, editor of the KoSSev portal, told FoNet that when it comes to the Community of Serb Municipalities in Kosovo, a solution based on the Croatian model, similar to the Serbian National Council there, is increasingly likely. 

“There is more and more speculation on the ground about the manner in which the Croatian authorities resolved the issue of the Serbian minority. Even in the formal sense, it is no longer called Community, but the word Council is widely used, as in Croatia,” Lazarevic said. 

She reminded that the Kosovo PM Albin Kurti was also in favour of such a solution.

Regarding the dilemma of Kosovo or the European Union (EU), Lazarevic opined that, according to the actions of Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, it seems that Serbia has chosen a side and is moving towards European integration.

“This can be seen in the purchase of French Rafales, as well as in the change of vocabulary in at least some parts of the ruling coalition,” she noted.

Lazarevic stated that for her the Brussels Agreement was a reality and obligations which the leaderships in Belgrade and Pristina are aware of.

“If you ask me personally, that agreement is primarily implemented unilaterally, as the Kosovo authorities are on a kind of offensive, politically, institutionally, administratively and security-wise, and that’s why a big change is happening on the ground,” Lazarevic pointed out.

She considers the dialogue between Belgrade and Priština at the highest political level to be unsuccessful and noted that the international community was also saying this. 

She opined that a referendum on the issue of Kosovo would not show the free will of the citizens but would be part of a PR and marketing strategy.

“We have seen the manner in which the government in Serbia skilfully manages the media, public opinion, propaganda and manipulation techniques,” Lazarevic explained.

She noted that the frozen conflict was over, and that Kosovo PM’s tactic was to thaw the conflict, which he was doing very successfully.

Lazarevic noted that Kosovo :is becoming more independent every day”, and so, as she admitted, it was not difficult for her to imagine that one day it will get a seat in the United Nations.

She opined that such a scenario was possible, if Belgrade’s policy towards the Kosovo issue continues, as well as the stance of the West towards Kosovo. She did not rule out the risk of conflict in Kosovo, mentioning the Banjska case, although she thinks that the incident was not part of an authentic rebellion of Serbs from the north of Kosovo.