Albanian Language Media:

• Kosovo government holds first meeting under Hoti’s lead (media)
• Heldt: Standards set by previous government to be maintained (media)
• French Embassy congratulates Hoti on election as prime minister (media)
• Mustafa to Osmani and Kurti: Your coordinated actions bore no fruit (media)
• Border changes, war crimes amnesty not expected to be on table of talks (Koha)

Serbian Language Media:

• Serbian List: New government will revoke tariffs and “reciprocity measures” (Radio KIM)
• Djuric: Revoking tariffs first test of new Kosovo government (Kosovo-online)
• RFE: Serbia ceased campaign against Kosovo (N1)
• LDK and Serbian List coalition agreement does not mention ZSO (Radio KIM)
• Families of missing persons ask Serbian List why it has forgotten them (Kosovo-online, Tanjug)
• Dacic: It is not up to EU to determine what would be result of dialogue (Tanjug)
• Milorad Zajic acquitted of war crimes charges (Radio KIM)
• Trucks at Jarinje halted since Sunday; those transporting foreign goods enter Kosovo (RTS)
• Xharra on new Kosovo government, Serbian List and deal with Serbia (KoSSev)
• Spahiu, Stojanovic comment on new Kosovo government (Sputnik, Kosovo-online)
• No new Covid-19 infection cases in Serb areas in Kosovo (Radio KIM)

Opinion:

• An assault on freedom of expression (Prishtina Insight)

International:

• Lynch Mob’ Campaign Against Kosovo Rights Activist Condemned (Balkan Insight)
• Kosovo Activist to Sue Presidential Bodyguards Over Alleged Attack (Balkan Insight)

Humanitarian: 

• Pandemic Brings Even Tougher Times for Kosovo Arts Scene (Balkan Insight)

Albanian Language Media

Kosovo government holds first meeting under Hoti’s lead (media)

The new Prime Minister of Kosovo Avdullah Hoti presided today over the meeting of the Kosovo Government where he said that their duty is to fight for internal democracy and the rule of law.

“We will go back to work and not the daily rhetorics so as not to burden the citizens with words but at the same time we need to be open for criticism. Our priorities are strengthening the rule of law, empowering alliances with international partners,” Hoti is quoted as saying.

Hoti said that the immediate focus of the new government will be in handling the Covid-19 pandemic and the economic recovery saying they will soon adopt a programme to this end. “It is a voluminous programme that will enable businesses, families and citizens to overcome this unprecedented crisis as soon as possible,” he said.

He underlined that he will work closely with coalition partners in implementing the governing programme and by setting a new discourse in the political scene. “We have an ambitious programme. I believe in this programme and this excellent team. We will deliver on the citizens’ expectations.”

Heldt: Standards set by previous government to be maintained (media)

The German Ambassador to Kosovo, Christian Heldt, commented on the formation of the new government of Kosovo led by Avdullah Hoti from the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK). 

“Kosovo has a new government, voted for by a necessary majority of 61 elected parliamentarians.  Previous gov. with LDK participation  has set standards in governance, transparency and fight against corruption and nepotism. These are now standards we expect to start off with,” Heldt wrote on Twitter.

French Embassy congratulates Hoti on election as prime minister (media)

The French Embassy in Kosovo congratulated Avdullah Hoti on his election as the new prime minister of Kosovo and wished him success during his term in office.

“The Embassy hopes to have a close and fruitful cooperation with him and his team. The challenges facing his government are numerous, starting with addressing the health crisis, continuation of reforms, the consolidation of the rule of law, the fight against corruption and the resumption of dialogue, under the facilitation of the European Union,” the statement posted on social media reads. 

Mustafa to Osmani and Kurti: Your coordinated actions bore no fruit (media)

Leader of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) Isa Mustafa criticised Assembly Speaker Vjosa Osmani and former Prime Minister Albin Kurti for, as he said, avoiding institutional responsibility. 

“Coordinated boycott of Ms. Vjosa Osmani, Assembly Speaker, and Mr. Albin Kurti, former Prime Minister, was unsuccessful. 

The first avoided responsibility of chairing the Assembly session where her hellow party member from the LDK was being voted as prime minister and her party, LDK, where she still is deputy leader, was set to lead the governing coalition. An unprecedented and irresponsible action.

“Today, Albin Kurti avoided responsibility of handing over the post to Prime Minister Hoti. His statement that he would not hand over the post to a man he dismissed is low and inaccurate. In fact, before dismissing Mr. Hoti from the post of first deputy prime minister, Kurti dismissed himself with the vote of over 2/3 of MPs,” Mustafa wrote in a Facebook post. 

Border changes, amnesty of war crimes not expected to be on table of talks (Koha)

Citing a high-ranking EU official in Brussels, the news agency’s Brussels-based correspondent, Augustin Palokaj, reports that changes to Kosovo’s borders through a territorial exchange and the amnesty of war crimes are not expected to be on the table of talks between Kosovo and Serbia. Border changes is seen as an idea that goes against European values and would have negative effects in the region, and on the second issue the EU believes that this falls in the jurisdiction of other mechanisms such as international and local courts. EU officials expect the missing persons issue to be addressed in the dialogue as a comprehensive agreement would help heal all wounds from the past. The diplomat said EU Special Representative Miroslav Lajcak has had many contacts with politicians from Kosovo and Serbia but that his attempts for a conversation with Kosovo President Hashim Thaci have not been successful as the latter reportedly said “he is busy with the fight against the pandemic”.

The news agency recalls that Thaci said on several occasions that he would not take part in negotiations mediated by Miroslav Lajcak because Slovakia has not recognised Kosovo’s independence.

Diplomatic sources in the EU also said Lajcak has been in contact with senior representatives of the U.S. administration, but not with U.S. former ambassador to Germany and Presidential Envoy for the Kosovo – Serbia talks, Richard Grenell, who too said he was “busy with the coronavirus pandemic”.

According to the same sources, Lajcak is planning to visit Prishtina and Belgrade very soon, to initiate personal contacts with the partners in order to restart the process of dialogue.

Asked if the recognition of Kosovo’s statehood is the final objective of the dialogue, the EU high-ranking diplomat said “the full normalisation of relations has a clear meaning”.

Serbian Language Media

Serbian List: New government will revoke tariffs and “reciprocity measures” (Radio KIM)

Serbian List (SL) said it supported the establishment of the government in Pristina with the aim of protecting interests of the Serbian people and announced that the new government would revoke tariffs and “reciprocity measures,” RTV KIM reports.

“With the aim of protecting the interests of the Serbian people, Serbian List supported establishment of the government in Pristina, in which our ministers would strive to revoke as soon all obstacles to continue the dialogue for normalization of relations and advancement of the rights and position of the Serbs in the province,” Serbian List said in a statement.

SL also announced that the new government would revoke the tariffs and “reciprocity measures.”

“In line with our collation agreement, the new government undertook an obligation to implement all agreements reached thus far in the Belgrade-Pristina negotiations, and that it would respect the rights of the Serbian people in Kosovo and Metohija,” Serbian List concluded.

Meanwhile, Serbian Government Office for Kosovo and Metohija Director Marko Djuric, commenting on the election of new government and appointment of Goran Rakic as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Local Governance and Administration, as well as Dalibor Jevtic as Minister for communities and Returns, said that “Serbian List would give a sincere contribution to the normalization of circumstances in Kosovo and would work on advancing inter-ethnic relations.”

“Serbian List guided by the Serbian state and national interests would continue to be a reliable defender and symbol of the presence of the Serbian state in the southern province,” the Office for KiM said in a statement.

Djuric: Revoking tariffs first test of new Kosovo government (Kosovo-online)

Serbian Government Office for Kosovo and Metohija Director Marko Djuric said today that revoking the tariffs, reciprocity measures, blockades and pressure on Serbs in Kosovo would be the first test of new Kosovo government by which it would demonstrate the attitude towards coalition agreement with the Serbian List, Kosovo-online portal reports.

Djuric told Happy TV that Serbian List would have a stronger institutional influence in the new government because it depends upon support of the Serbian MPs and this can bring about relaxation of relations between Belgrade and Pristina.

According to him the new Kosovo government would certainly be the one requested by the international community and Serbian List to have more normal relations towards Belgrade and Serbs. 

RFE: Serbia ceased campaign against Kosovo (N1)

Serbia has agreed to cease its campaign on retracting recognitions of Kosovo independence, diplomatic sources from Brussels confirmed to the journalists, Radio Free Europe reports.

According to the Radio Free Europe, Belgrade authorities made such consent in order to contribute to the environment of restarting the dialogue on normalization of relations between Kosovo and Serbia.

“As a token of good will to create an environment conducive for continuation of the dialogue, the sides in Belgrade agreed not to continue this campaign,” a high ranking diplomat source in the EU confirmed to Radio Free Europe.

According to RFE one of the high EU officials dealing with the dialogue process said that the Serbian campaign was “an irritating issue.”

“We must build positive impetus, and not irritate each other,” the official said, according to RFE.  

LDK and Serbian List coalition agreement does not mention ZSO (Radio KIM)

Coalition agreement between Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) and Serbian List (SL) despite constant requests of Serbian side to establish the Community of Serb-majority Municipalities (ZSO) does not include obligation to form it, Radio KIM reports.

The agreement published yesterday contains 12 points and notes that the Serbian List would have two ministries, the Ministry of Local Governance Administration and the Ministry for Communities and Returns, while the President of Serbian List, Goran Rakic is also appointed as Deputy Prime Minister. At the same time, the Serbian List would have an advisor for communities to the prime minister, who is also a director of the Office for Communities.

The first point note that LDK and Serbian List agreed to establish cooperation and jointly administer at the central level, within the seventh composition of the Kosovo Assembly.

The second point said the two agree to work hard in the interests of citizens, by strengthening the rule of law, fighting corruption and organized crime, any sort of extremism, respecting the rights of the Serbs in line with the Constitution and laws in force, develop economy, open new employment opportunities, continue the dialogue under the EU and US mediation and remove all obstacles that stand on the way to continue it.

Third point refers to the joint government within the seventh composition of the parliament.

LDK and Serbian List agreed to support governmental policy and propose laws necessary for the administration program implementation. The sixth point said that LDK and Serbian List agreed that persons who have issues with the law should not be included in the cabinet of the government.

The point seven said that LDK and Serbian List agreed that any appointment or relieving of duties of the members of Serbian List must be undertaken in coordination and agreement of the both sides. Point eight notes that LDK and Serbian List caucuses’ groups would not support proposals that the government did not adopt and for which there is no previous agreement between the two caucuses.

They will not also support a move of no confidence vote that could be initiated by the parties in the parliament. The point ten says that the government would insist on economic empowerment of all citizens, in particular having in mind municipalities with the Serb-majority population.

The two last points note that this agreement is implemented for the period of seven years, and would enter in force on a day when signed by the two parties’ leaders, Radio KIM reported.  

Families of missing persons ask Serbian List why it has forgotten them (Kosovo-online, Tanjug)

Association of the families of kidnapped and murdered persons in Kosovo sent a letter to the Serbian List today in which they voiced dissatisfaction because, as they said, they were forgotten in a collation agreement that Serbian List signed with Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK), Kosovo-online portal reports.

“Why did you from the Serbian List forget about kidnapped Serbs and executive powers of the Community of the Serb-majority Municipalities in the agreement with Hoti’s so-called government?” the Association asked, adding that two ministerial posts Serbian List has received could not be more important than kidnapped Serbs, Tanjug news agency reported. 

Dacic: It is not up to EU to determine what would be result of dialogue (Tanjug)

Serbian Foreign Affairs Minister Ivica Dacic said today it is not up to the EU representatives or Miroslav Lajcak to determine in advance the outcome of the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue, Tanjug news agency reports.  

Dacic underlined the dialogue with Pristina in the forthcoming period is of vital, crucial importance for Serbia, noting that appointment of Miroslav Lajcak as EU’s special envoy for Belgrade-Pristina dialogue has both positive and negative sides.

Speaking about positive aspects Dacic said these are that he is a good connoisseur of the situation and he comes from a country which did not recognize Kosovo (Slovakia).

“On the other hand it is our handicap that he would need to prove himself he is not that much inclined to that option. He is now making statements that the resolution of the dialogue must be in line with European values and there would be no exchange of territories. I would need to call him and tell him as a friend this is not his competency. It is not up to him to determine what result of the dialogue would be,” Dacic said.

He also wondered what it means that there would be no change of borders, what to discuss about then, what solution would they propose?

“If they say there is no change of borders, then there is no change of Serbia’s borders either. Since we do not accept that, and Pristina does not accept the latter, let us see what the compromise is,” Dacic added.  

He underlined it was unrealistic to expect Serbia would accept independence of Kosovo for the sake of lies and promises that Serbia would become a member of the EU in the coming decades.

“They can say whatever they want, but the decision whether we agree or not Serbia makes. That is why it matters that Serbia is politically stable and elections held in a democratic environment,” Dacic concluded.  

Milorad Zajic acquitted of war crimes charges (Radio KIM)

Kosovo Supreme Court upheld the decision to acquit Milorad Zajic form Klina, accused of committing war crimes against civilian population, lawyer Dejan A. Vasic told RTV KIM.

Initially, the Basic Court in Pec acquitted Zajic and the verdict was upheld by the Appellate Court. Zajic spent almost one year under house arrest.

“I am very pleased that Milorad is now fully acquitted, however I need to express regret that in pursuing the justice, he completely alone spent one year under house arrest,” Vasic said.

Zajic was the first Serb to be prosecuted for a criminal offence of war crime against the civilian population before the local judicial council, following the closure of EULEX judicial mission. Special prosecution accused Zajijc of being responsible for the death of three elderly and helpless civilians in the village of Dusevic, near Klina during the conflict in Kosovo.

Trucks at Jarinje halted since Sunday; those transporting foreign goods enter Kosovo (RTS)

Trucks transporting Serbian goods are waiting at Jarinje crossing point since Sunday to enter Kosovo, while those transporting the foreign goods were allowed in, RTS reporter said.

The reporter spoke with the truck drivers waiting at Jarinje who do not have documents requested by Pristina authorities, respectively declaration including “Republic of Kosovo” label. They said no truck with Serbian goods entered Kosovo, and some of them are at Jarinje since Sunday

As RTS reported some trucks with Serbian registration plates were allowed to enter Kosovo, however they do not transport the Serbian goods, but the foreign goods or are in transit.

RTS recalled that Pristina customs spokesperson Adriatik Stavilevci said earlier that around 20 trucks with Serbian goods entered Kosovo with documentation marking the Kosovo statehood. 

Xharra on new Kosovo government, Serbian List and deal with Serbia (KoSSev)

An inexperienced minister of health, a quick and bad deal with Serbia and an agreement with Serbian List, which is likely to be very compromising – a journalist and the head of BIRN Kosovo, Jeta Xharra cited as her biggest worries when it comes to the new Kosovo government, the second government voted in the same, seventh convocation of the Assembly of Kosovo.

According to Xharra, the Avdullah Hoti-led government conditioned by posts will not bring a better quality of life to Kosovo citizens.

“We will see now that this will be a government with many more posts, more deputy PMs, more deputy ministers which are posts awarded just to get enough votes in the parliament to pass this government,” she told KoSSev.

The Kosovo government was overthrown in the middle of the coronavirus outbreak, and it has been functioning in a technical mandate for the last month and a half. Despite such a situation, however, the work of the former Minister of Health, Arben Vitia received numerous positive reactions, both in Kosovo and in the European media. Vitia will now be replaced by Armend Zemaj (LDK).

See more at: https://bit.ly/3dADbxE

Spahiu, Stojanovic comment on new Kosovo government (Sputnik, Kosovo-online)

Political analyst Nexhmedin Spahiu when asked what would be different in Avdullah Hoti’s government compared to Kurti’s government said, inter alia, that this government would be more successful in foreign affairs than Kurti’s, but more unsuccessful internally, Kosovo-online portal reports.

“Kurti’s cabinet had results in domestic politics, because the government had the legitimacy of strength and courage, but it also had a series of stupid moves when it comes to foreign policy” Spahiu said.

Although he believes Hoti’s government has a much smarter attitude towards foreign policy, Spahiu opined that it would not last long.

“This government will last until an agreement is reached or not reached with Belgrade. When we reach that moment, a moment of success or failure of the dialogue – this government will fall”, Spahiu is convinced.

He claims that PDK, Hashim Thaci’s party, although not in power, but in opposition, would have the main say in this government. Spahiu expects the Vetevendosje to keep its promise and be a fierce opposition both in parliament and on the streets, but believes it is a waste of time.

“It will only go in Hashim Thaci’s favour. Vetevendosje will not achieve much with the protests and will only waste energy, because the government will survive as long as it is in the interest of Thaci and his policy. He played masterfully and, in some way, deceived Albin Kurti and forced him to oppose America, which led to the fall of the government” Spahiu believes.

Meanwhile, Branimir Stojanovic, a member of the Serbian List, told Sputnik it was good that Kurti was no longer the prime minister, because now there would be a chance to abolish the meaningless measures of his government – from economic to medical ones.

“I believe that there will be tension in the coming days, because it is obvious that Kurti will not hand over power peacefully. We hope, however, that a part of the Albanian political leaders will make decisions that will abolish all measures that harm us and them”, Stojanovic said.

As for the continuation of the dialogue with Belgrade, he pointed out that “we should wait and see how much political courage and opportunities there will be for the new Kosovo government and the Albanian leaders who now have a majority, to continue this process”.

“It will also depend on how peaceful the overall political situation will be, because it is certain that everything will not go so easily. But I do not see an alternative to dialogue and it is clear that talks must be continued (…)”, Stojanovic added.

When asked whether this government could be expected to establish Community of Serb-majority Municipalities, Stojanovic responded that the experience has shown when

“Albanians have to do something, and even when their biggest allies expect it to happen – it still doesn’t happen. Even when the Americans have been sincerely committed to abolishment of the tariffs, Pristina somehow was avoiding it. I believe that those who are rational and who understand that the economy cannot function as before, will make decisions in the direction of respecting what was agreed in Brussels”, he concluded.

No new Covid-19 infection cases in Serb areas in Kosovo (Radio KIM)

Over the last 24 hours there were no new Covid-19 infection cases registered in the Serb-populated areas in Kosovo, Crisis Committee of Mitrovica North announced, Radio KIM reports.

At the same time no person has been cured or passed away.

The two remaining active cases are staying at the Clinical Hospital Center in Mitrovica North. 

Opinion

An assault on freedom of expression (Prishtina Insight)

President Thaci’s nonchalant justification of his security team’s violent handling of protestors exposes his intentions to mute dissident voices, and is a direct attack on civil liberties, Labinot Leposhtica writes for Prishtina Insight.

See more at: https://bit.ly/2AzJdzY

International

Lynch Mob’ Campaign Against Kosovo Rights Activist Condemned (Balkan Insight)

Over 40 civil society organisations condemned threats against rights activist Shkelzen Gashi, who was sacked as adviser to Kosovo’s prime minister for saying individual Kosovo Liberation Army fighters committed crimes during and after the war.

A group of over 40 civil society organisations in Kosovo said in a joint statement on Thursday that Shkelzen Gashi has been “threatened and insulted in the worst way by the general public, but also by many personalities and politicians including President Hashim Thaci”.

Gashi was fired in April by then Prime Minister Albin Kurti amid a public backlash about his comments about crimes having been committed by individual Kosovo Liberation Army fighters.

The civil society organisations’ statement said that President Thaci accused Gashi of making the comments because he hated the Kosovo Liberation Army, “deliberately misrepresenting” what Gashi had said.

The statement described the campaign as an attempted “public lynching” which proves that 21 years after the war, “in our country it is still extremely dangerous to open discussions on war crimes… in a society where a culture of impunity has taken root”.

Gashi told BIRN that Thaci’s comments have incited further reactions against him.

See at: https://bit.ly/2XXhW2p

Kosovo Activist to Sue Presidential Bodyguards Over Alleged Attack (Balkan Insight)

A supporter of the former Vetevendosje government has said he will sue President Hashim Thaci’s team of bodyguards – accusing them of beating him up after he called the President a ‘thief’.

A Kosovo activist, Veron Hasani, has pressed charges against the bodyguards of President Hashim Thaci, after being detained for calling the president a “thief” and, he said, violently attacked.

On the local TV station T7, Thaci defended the action, calling Hasani “a Kurti activist” – meaning a supporter of Vetevendosje party leader Albin Kurti – and praising the actions of his bodyguards as an “excellent reaction”.

Flutura Kusari, a media lawyer and advocate of freedom of speech, said the detention had been totally unjustified. In a Facebook post, she noted that “under the laws in Kosovo, calling a politician a ‘thief’ is not a criminal act”. Therefore, she continued, “you cannot be detained by the police” for such words. According to Kusari, “there may also be circumstances when such a statement does not even constitute defamation”.

See at: https://bit.ly/2U9JTCQ

Humanitarian 

Pandemic Brings Even Tougher Times for Kosovo Arts Scene (Balkan Insight)

Kosovo’s theatres hope to reopen their doors in mid-June, but these are precarious times for the young country’s arts scene.

Ben Apolloni, a freelance theater director and script writer, spent his days in lockdown in Kosovo reading old works, translating two plays and writing a screenplay.

But surviving, “as people and as artists”, was difficult, he said.

Without a regular employment contract, 40-year-old Apolloni has no way to benefit from an emergency fiscal package adopted by Kosovo’s former government to support businesses and employees through the pandemic.

The stage performances Apolloni had planned were put on ice, as was shooting for a television project. He hopes theatres will reopen and work will resume from mid-June, but these are uncertain times for Kosovar artists like Apolloni.

“Freelance artists, who don’t work in institutions, have not received any support,” he told BIRN.

See at: https://bit.ly/2Y5CUMG