Albanian Language Media:

• COVID-19: 537 new cases, 15 deaths (media)
• “Cannot talk dialogue, while our people are dying from lack of vaccines” (media)
• Germany against border changes in the Balkans (media)
• Slovenian President: I’m strongly against border changes (media)
• European Council has no comment on Slovenian non-paper (Express)
• Tahiri: PDK initiated three parliamentary debates on the pandemic (media)
• Kurti confirms he will attend Prespa Summit (media)
• Reactions follow after Lajcak does not refer to Kosovo in tweet (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Covid-19 in Serbian communities: 17 new cases, one death (Kontakt plus radio)
• Petkovic banned from entering Kosovo, explanation is that he endangers the health and safety of people (Beta, Novi Magazin, RTS)
• Office for KiM: Incidents in Serb areas in Kosovo a consequence of systematic non-response (KiM radio, Radio Mitrovica sever)
• Young men waving Albanian flag in Mitrovica brought in (Radio KIM)
• Serbian List urges international missions and security institutions to preserve peace and prevent incidents (Kosovo-online)
• Commander of the Gracanica police station: I am not thinking of resigning, regardless of the pressures (KiM radio)
• Auto protest over beating of Luka Dimitrijevic in Gracanica (KoSSev)
• Dodik: Separation of Kosovo from Serbia inseparable from the Bosnian state survival (KoSSev)
• Vucic to Quinta envoys and EU: I’m sure Serbia can move faster towards EU (N1)
• Beqaj: The Balkans are a “powder keg”; Jansa’s idea against the values of the EU (Kosovo Online)
• Committee on Constitutional Affairs: Amending the Constitution does not change the preamble on KiM (Tanjug, Kosovo Online, RTS)

International:

• Slovenia Raises Uncomfortable Questions With Talk Of Bosnia’s ‘Dissolution’ (RFE)
• Anti-Semitism Used as Tool in Balkan Disputes: Report (Balkan Insight)

Albanian Language Media  

COVID-19: 537 new cases, 15 deaths (media)

537 new cases with COVID-19 and 15 deaths from the virus were recorded in the last 24 hours in Kosovo. 729 persons have recovered from the virus during this time. There are 13,565 active cases with COVID-19 in Kosovo. 

“Cannot talk dialogue, while our people are dying from lack of vaccines” (media)

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani said today that “we cannot talk about the dialogue with Serbia, while our people in Kosovo are dying from the lack of vaccines”. “The vaccines are our priority and we will do the impossible in cooperation with our partners to secure them,” she said after meeting Jean Louis Servais, head of the Belgian Diplomatic Office in Prishtina.

Germany against border changes in the Balkans (media)

German Minister of State for Europe, Michael Roth, took to Twitter today to comment on reports about the possible eventual changing of borders in the Balkans. “Countries on Western Balkans have a future only as multiethnic and multi-religious societies. Regional reconciliation and cooperation are the keys for peace, democracy and prosperity. Drawing new frontiers is a dangerous path,” he tweeted.

Slovenian President: I’m strongly against border changes (media)

Slovenian President Borut Pahor said today he is against the idea of border changes in the Balkans after some media reported about a non-paper that Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Jansha sent to the European Council President suggesting the initiative.

Pahor said: “As President of the Republic, I visited Bosnia seven times. Neither during my last visit, nor earlier, was I aware of an unofficial document. I strongly oppose the idea of the final breakup of Yugoslavia and border changes.”

Pahor also said that the enlargement and integration in the European Union will prevent dangerous ideas for border changes. He also said that delays in the membership of countries of the Western Balkans “could lead to growing nationalism and increased influence from third countries”. 

European Council has no comment on Slovenian non-paper (Express)

The news website contacted the European Council after several media reports that Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Jansha sent a non-paper to European Council President Charles Michel suggesting border changes in the Balkans. “Thank you for your email. Unfortunately, we don’t have any comment on the matter,” a press officer for the Council wrote to the news website when asked if Michel has received the non-paper.

Tahiri: PDK initiated three parliamentary debates on the pandemic (media)

Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) parliamentary group chief, Abelard Tahiri, has submitted three requests to the Kosovo Assembly for parliamentary debates about the alarming state of the coronavirus pandemic.

Tahiri said the first debate will focus on the government’s failure to secure vaccines against the virus. He said Prime Minister Albin Kurti had promised that 60 percent of the population would get vaccinated, “but his government has failed to secure even 60 vaccines so far”. “Kosovo continues to be in the list of the last countries in the world for vaccination and this is not only a concern but also a direct threat to the lives of our people,” he said.

Tahiri said the second debate would focus on organising education in all levels during the pandemic and the third debate will be on the grave economic situation. “We have yet to see a concrete plan or an idea how the Kurti government plans to manage the impact of the pandemic on the economy. We don’t understand what will happen with the economic recovery law that was adopted by the Kosovo Assembly. As we speak, around 60,000 citizens have lost their jobs and thousands of businesses have gone bankrupt during the pandemic,” he added.

Kurti confirms he will attend Prespa Summit (media)

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti agreed with North Macedonia Ambassador to Kosovo, Shpresa Jusufi, today that governments of the two countries will hold a joint meeting soon also depending on the epidemiological situation. The governments are expected to sign a series of agreement, including the agreement for a feasibility study for the Prizren – Tetovo road. During the meeting, Kurti confirmed he will attend the Prespa Summit scheduled for July this year.

Reactions follow after Lajcak does not refer to Kosovo in tweet (media)

European Union Special Representative for the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia, Miroslav Lajcak, said in a Twitter post that he had a virtual meeting with Kosovo’s Deputy Prime Minister Besnik Bislimi but made no reference to Kosovo in the text. This triggered numerous reactions on Twitter. Kosovo’s former Ambassador to the United States, Vlora Citaku, said in a Twitter post: “I think the idea here is to generate some curiosity and have people google DPM Bislimi”. Donika Emini, a representative of civil society in Kosovo, tweeted: “Lajcak should stop tweeting for a while. While trying to be status neutral, Lajcak constantly makes gaffes. This approach will NOT help him in the Dialogue. Also, he cannot afford another political failure in the region!!!”

Serbian Language Media

Covid-19 in Serbian communities: 17 new cases, one death (Kontakt plus radio)

In Serbian areas in Kosovo, according to the latest data, one person died from the consequences of the coronavirus, 17 new cases of infection were registered, while 83 people came out of isolation, the Crisis Staff of the Municipality of Kosovska Mitrovica announced.

Based on 40 processed samples, positive cases were recorded in the municipalities: Leposavic (7), North Mitrovica (6), Zvecan (2), Orahovac (1) and Pec (1).

There are currently 614 active cases.

In the Serbian communities in Kosovo, 136 people have died as a result of Covid-19 so far, reported Kontakt plus radio.

Gracanica: Three new cases in two days (KiM radio)

During the past two days, three people were infected with Covid -19in the municipality of Gracanica, the Crisis Staff announced.

15 patients were hospitalized at the Infectious Diseases Department in Laplje Selo.

The number of patients is gradually falling, but there is still no room for relaxation, adds the statement of the Crisis Staff. 

Petkovic banned from entering Kosovo, explanation is that he endangers the health and safety of people (Beta, Novi Magazin, RTS)

The director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija, Petar Petkovic stated today that he was banned from entering Kosovo, with the explanation that he endangers the health and safety of people.

“I don’t know what Pristina and (Kosovo Prime Minister Albin) Kurti are thinking when they forbid the chief negotiator in the technical dialogue to enter Kosovo and Metohija,” Petkovic told Radio and Television Serbia (RTS).

Petkovic stated that he received the letter on the ban through the Delegation of the European Union in Belgrade, and added that the ban was a violation of the agreement on official visits, “on the eve of the eighth anniversary of the signing of the Brussels Agreement.”

“Today I was supposed to be in Zvecan, to allocate 12 apartments there, the construction of which was financed by the Government of Serbia, and then in Gracanica to visit Luka Dimitrijevic, who was beaten by Albanians two days ago,” he said.

Petkovic stressed that Belgrade is abiding by all signed agreements and added that all international representatives have already been informed about the case.

He said that one of the goals of the visit to Kosovo should have been to calm down the Serbs, “not to fall prey to provocations”, because, as he assessed, “Pristina’s obvious intention is to provoke a negative reaction to the attacks”, quoted Serbian media.

Office for KiM: Incidents in Serb areas in Kosovo a consequence of systematic non-response (KiM radio, Radio Mitrovica sever)

The Office for Kosovo and Metohija announced last night that everyday provocations in Serbian communities in Kosovo have become a reality that the Serbian people live and face, reported KiM radio. 

A statement from the Office sent to the media reads that “after the beating of two Serb young men in the northern part of Kosovska Mitrovica, and then in Gracanica, the last incident was recorded again in the northern part of Kosovska Mitrovica, when two Albanians drove the Albanian flag through the streets of this city and tried to enter the Clinical Hospital Center”.

“Such behavior is a consequence of the systematic non-reaction of the competent authorities in Pristina and the international community, which is interpreted by the Albanians as tacit consent for any kind of provocation and attack on Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija. This is not about isolated incidents, but deliberate provocations aimed at provoking an unbalanced reaction from the Serbian side. However, such a scenario will not come true,” the Office for Kosovo and Metohija said in a statement.

Young men waving Albanian flag in Mitrovica brought in (Radio KIM)

Kosovo police brought in two younger Albanians and issued a misdemeanor report to them over the movement during the curfew hours. They also waved the Albanian flag while driving through the part of Mitrovica populated by Serbs, Radio KIM reports.

“Two persons of the Albanian ethnicity, one with residence in Cabra village (Zubin Potok) and the other one from South Mitrovica, around midnight, at times of movement restriction, drove in Opel Corsa vehicle visibly displaying an Albanian flag on the streets in Mitrovica North, they even entered the Clinical Hospital Center in Mitrovica”, police spokesperson Branislav Radovic stated.

He added, the police noticed the vehicle and it has been stopped on the way to Suvi Do (Mitrovica North) village and they were issued a “misdemeanor report over the movement during the curfew”. 

Serbian List urges international missions and security institutions to preserve peace and prevent incidents (Kosovo-online)

The Serbian List said in a statement that provocation of two young Kosovo Albanian men who rampaged in the streets of Mitrovica North in early morning hours during curfew was extremely dangerous and planned with the intention of provoking large-scale incidents, Kosovo-online portal reports.

The Serbian List recalled the latest incident took place only a few days after young men of Serbian nationality were attacked in the city center, warning that such excesses could irreversibly endanger peace in this area.

“The series of incidents targeting Serbs must be stopped immediately before it grows into a serious threat to peace in this area because the citizens in the north of Kosovo and Metohija are upset, but also determined not to be clay pigeons for uncontrollable gangs”, it was said in a statement.

The SL called on the institutions in charge of security to act most urgently and preserve the peace of the residents, to guarantee security for everyone and prevent incidents that are obviously part of a deliberate plan, and not individual incidents.

Commander of the Gracanica police station: I am not thinking of resigning, regardless of the pressures (KiM radio)

The commander of the police station in Gracanica, Bratislav Trajkovic stated for portal Kosovo Online that he was not thinking about resigning because, as he claimed, the prosecutor, not the police, decides on the case of beating a Serbian young man and the attacker, reported KiM radio. 

On yesterday’s requests of parents, locals and local authorities in Gracanica to resign due to the manner of investigation in the case of a Serbian young man beating, he answered that the director general of the police and the Ministry of Internal Affairs were to decide on his dismissal.

“If the Internal Control of the Police and the Inspectorate of Kosovo find irregularities in my work, they can remove me from the position of commander of the police station,” said Trajkovic, adding:

“There may be pressure from citizens as well as political structures to resign, but I am not afraid of those pressures and I do not want to give up what I have been doing for so many years. My dismissal may be based on the law on the police and the decision of the director general of the police.”

On the accusations that the investigation in the case of beating the young man was bad, Trajkovic emphasized that data and facts about the whole case are being collected in detail and that the police did not decide on the release of persons involved in an incident, but the prosecutor.

“In order not to jeopardize the course of the investigation and reveal all the information, you as the media can get certain information and videos of what happened and resulted in this incident occurring,” said Trajkovic.

Auto protest over beating of Luka Dimitrijevic in Gracanica (KoSSev)

For a third day in a row, protests are held in Gracanica over the beating of Luka Dimitrijevic by three security workers of a private company for mushroom production and processing owned by Kosovo Albanian, KoSSev portal reports.

Today unlike two previous days, a protest drive of several dozens of vehicles was organized instead of gatherings. The starting point was in front of the enterprise, where Luka, his girlfriend and sister were on Tuesday evening.

“This was a peaceful drive of the vehicles by which we respected all the measures so no one would get endangered by Covid, nor by any other problem”, Luka’s father, Dejan Dimitrijevic said. He was issued a financial fine over yesterday’s gathering of the citizens in front of the police station in Gracanica.

Dimitrijevic requested a new investigation into his son’s beating, since, as he said, there were omissions in the investigation made by those responsible in the police station in Gracanica. He also announced filing a complaint to the Police Inspectorate in Pristina.

Meanwhile, the prosecutor in this case, also suspected Srdjan Dimitrijevic, Luka’s uncle for “involvement in a fight”, who came that night “to the scene in order to defend his nephew”. Srdjan said there was “pushing” between him and the attackers, adding he is not completely sure if he hit someone, because, as he said, he was under adrenaline.

Dodik: Separation of Kosovo from Serbia inseparable from the Bosnian state survival (KoSSev)

Separating the concept of separation of Kosovo from Serbia from internal relations in Bosnia and Herzegovina is impossible – the Serb member of Bosnia and Herzegovina Presidency, Milorad Dodik, said in Belgrade yesterday, KoSSev portal reports.

The Serbian President, Aleksandar Vucic warned of pressure against Serbia to accept its borders, but if one wants to discuss comprehensive relations in the Balkans, the answer is: ‘look at the bastard, what’s he up to now?!’. Dodik’s and Vucic’s reactions arrive following this morning’s commotion caused by the “mysterious“ non-paper about the annexation of RS to Serbia along with the unification of Kosovo and Albania.

Read more at: https://bit.ly/3ggifjm

Vucic to Quinta envoys and EU: I’m sure Serbia can move faster towards EU (N1)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on Thursday his country could accelerate its approach to the European Union “in a period ahead of us”, N1 reports.

He published on his Instagram profile that he had “good and open talks with the ambassadors of the Quinta countries in Serbia and the head of the EU Delegation (US’ Anthony Godfrey, UK’s Sian MacLeod, France’s Jean-Louis Falconi, Italy’s Carlo Lo Cascio, charge d’affaires at the German Embassy a.i. Dorotea Gizelman and Sem Fabrizi) about all important issues related to Serbia and its future.

“An important visit to Brussels is soon. We’ll talk about all regional issues, the rule of law and our progress on the European road. I’m convinced that in a period ahead, Serbia can move forward faster“, Vucic wrote.

See at: https://bit.ly/3tpjReA

Beqaj: The Balkans are a “powder keg”; Jansa’s idea against the values of the EU (Kosovo Online)

In a statement to portal Kosovo Online, political analyst and professor of political sciences Belul Beqaj assessed that the actualization of the change in the borders of the Western Balkan countries, which aspire to become part of the European Union, was unnecessary and unacceptable. He added that the alleged ideas of the Prime Minister of Slovenia, Janez Jansa, were anti-historical and inappropriate for the circumstances and times in which we are.

“It is incomprehensible that Mr. Jansa, a representative of a state that is part of the European community, advocates the thesis of so-called ethnic states. The very idea of ethnic states is in contradiction with the concept of creating a European community which raised multiculture and multinationality to the highest degree of coexistence,” Beqaj said. 

According to the media, Slovenian Prime Minister Jansa was allegedly in favor of changing the borders of Serbia and Kosovo, and envisages the possibility of secession of Republika Srpska, annexation of parts of Montenegro and Northern Macedonia with the Albanian majority to Albania, and annexation of western Herzegovina to Croatia

Beqaj noted that the Balkans are a “powder keg” and that opening the issue of border changes would open the possibility of new conflicts. For that reason, even such informal proposals should be rejected immediately, Beqaj pointed out, reminding that the exchange of territories was a topic that was unsuccessfully discussed by former President of Kosovo Hashim Thaci and President of Serbia Aleksandar Vucic. 

Despite that, according to Beqaj, the idea of changing the borders, that is, the desire for “Greater Serbia” or “Greater Albania”, has not yet disappeared.

“Ideas about ethnic states exist among Albanians, Serbs and Croats, I think that such a view is unacceptable, but it is acceptable for everyone to think together about the advantages of multiculturalism and multiethnicity and to see the final solution in this context. We cannot be separated in a single integrated Europe, and the formula for solving this problem is that we speed up the process of European integration and to find ourselves all together in the European process, to simply experience what is our common value,” Beqaj concluded.

Committee on Constitutional Affairs: Amending the Constitution does not change the preamble on KiM (Tanjug, Kosovo Online, RTS)

Prime Minister of Serbia, Ana Brnabic said today that the proposed amendment to the constitution in the field of justice envisages that the judiciary will be independent and efficient, adding that this is one of the basic requirements in the field of rule of law within European integration, while Serbian Parliament Speaker Ivica Dacic rejected speculation that the preamble on Kosovo and Metohija will be changed by the Constitution amending, reports news agency Tanjug.

At the session of the Committee on Constitutional Issues, Brnabic said that on December 3, 2020, the Government of Serbia adopted an initiative to change the Constitution in the field of justice, stating that it was the result of the work of the previous government that organized a public debate on that issue.

She added that the public debate went in the direction of making the judiciary independent and efficient according to all citizens.

“We are not doing this because of European integration, but because we sincerely believe in reforms and changes in a way that we want to have public administration tailored to citizens, and dynamic economic growth, and growth of salaries and pensions, and an independent judiciary when it comes to the rule of law,  that the citizens believe that justice will be the same for everyone,” said Brnabic.

The Prime Minister pointed out that the change was done in coordination with the Venice Commission, which approved the proposed amendments of the Ministry of Justice.

“After 18 months of public debate and two rounds of consultations, we have reached the standard, and that is the consent of the Venice Commission,” said Brnabic.

Dacic underlined that the preamble on Kosovo and Metohija will not change, specifying that the changes refer to the area of justice, and that the proposed amendments of the Ministry of Justice will be the subject of an agreement.

He stated that the European Union was interested that Serbia change the Constitution in the field of justice, but he also pointed out that some professional associations were against (lawyers), as well as a part of the opposition, which contested the parliament to change the Constitution at all.

“The position of the European Commission and the European Union and international and European institutions is very important to us in terms of a clear answer to the question – is that it? Don’t let the assembly do the job, for which someone, at the end of it, will say that it is not that. Therefore, it is important to hold consultations once again,”, underlined the President of the Parliament.

He announced that the Committee on Constitutional Affairs awaited a big work, considering that consultations with professional and international organizations should be held.

When it comes to the procedure, Dacic says that the Committee for Constitutional Issues should determine whether the Proposal for changing the Constitution was submitted in the prescribed form, and that a special session be convened after that, which would consider the proposal

The change of the Constitution, said Dacic, must be adopted by a two-thirds majority of the total number of deputies, and he explained that deputies can adopt the proposal or not, but that the text of the authorized proposer cannot be changed

If the proposal was adopted, then a referendum will be called, said Dacic.

“Bearing in mind that in case of an early parliamentary elections are held, the assembly will have to be dissolved at a certain moment, which would mean that it is not possible to hold a referendum on the day of the elections,” Dacic explained

Dacic said that the Government of Serbia was the authorized proposer for the change of the Constitution, that the Assembly would be a very active factor, not only when it comes to changes to the Constitution, but also on other issues.

International

Slovenia Raises Uncomfortable Questions With Talk Of Bosnia’s ‘Dissolution’ (RFE)

Its provenance was unexpected, the underlying motives unclear, and its seriousness questioned.

But a public squabble born of Slovenian indelicacy rippled through the Bosnian and EU capitals this week and raised uncomfortable questions about the durability of borders and institutions in the Balkans, particularly Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Slovenian President Borut Pahor reportedly broached the possible “dissolution” of Bosnia-Herzegovina in conversation with Bosnia’s tripartite presidency last month, and unconfirmed reports this week cited a phantom “non-paper” by Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Jansa echoing talk of possible border changes to address lingering malaise in the former Yugoslavia.

Both leaders publicly dismissed suggestions that they were advocating or agitating for such an outcome.

But the alarm was duly raised and, strategic or not, the flap has unsettled outsiders to whom tinkering with decades-old borders is anathema and who think reforms are the best way to lift ethnically fraught Bosnia out of political paralysis.

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

Anti-Semitism Used as Tool in Balkan Disputes: Report (Balkan Insight)

Anti-Semitic rhetoric is being used as a political tool in Balkan countries in regional disputes related to World War II and the 1990s wars, says a new report from the US-based International Republican Institute.

Although there is a “low presence of anti-Semitism” and only a few thousand Jews remaining in Western Balkan countries, the issue is being appropriated for use in ongoing regional political disputes, says a new report published by the International Republican Institute NGO on Thursday.

“In a region where tensions between ethnic groups are often exacerbated by nationalist politics, both anti-Semitic speech and the fight against anti-Semitism are used as tools in regional or international political battles. Moreover, this is often done in concert with a deliberate adjusting of the historical facts to political needs,” the report says.

See more at: https://bit.ly/32kFUHj