Albanian Language Media:

• COVID-19: 7 new cases, no deaths (media)
• Kurti maintains silence over US report on Lake Ujmani (Prishtina Insight)
• US Ambassador congratulates new President of Constitutional Court (media)
• KSF to buy four military drones; they will cost millions of Euros (Lajmi)
• Legal battle between church and university over land on campus (RFE)

Serbian Language Media:

• Lajcak discussed the dialogue between Serbia and Kosovo with UNSG Guterres (Kosovo Online)
• Belgrade wants to join OIF (N1)
• Bundestag extends mandate of German soldiers in Kosovo (RTS)
• Mayors of Gracanica, Partes and Novo Brdo: Statements of employees about Kurti without weight, the event was staged (KiM radio, RTV pulse)
• Stefanovic thanks Russia over support to Serbia regarding Kosovo (RTS)
• Selakovic thanks Kazakhstan over support to Serbia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity (Kosovo-online
• Brnabic: Dialogue with Pristina in line with Constitution (FoNet, Radio kontakt plus)
• Office for KiM: Stanojevic family house in Babin Most robbed (Radio kontakt plus)
• Morton: Britain supports dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina (Blic, Tanjug)
• Office for KiM: Experts will do detailed analysis of report on Gazivode (Radio Mitrovica sever)

International:

• Albin Kurti: Quand la Serbie sera-t-elle prête à reconnaître le Kosovo? (Le Monde)
• The path to recognition: Kosovo’s and Serbia’s evolving dialogue (ecfr.eu)
• Kosovo’s Broadcaster at Crossroads as MPs Ready to Sack Board (Balkan Insight)

Humanitarian/Development:

• New case of sexual violence in Serbia, this time in science centre (N1)

Albanian Language Media  

COVID-19: 7 new cases, no deaths (media)

Kosovo has recorded 7 new cases of COVID-19 and no deaths from the virus in the last 24 hours. 12 persons have recovered from the virus during this time. There are 173 active cases of COVID-19 in Kosovo.

Kurti maintains silence over US report on Lake Ujmani (Prishtina Insight)

Prime Minister Albin Kurti insisted on Friday that he has not yet read a US report on the management of Lake Ujmani, which was compiled as part of the September 2020 Washington Agreements.

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti told the media on Friday that he has not yet read a report authored by the US Department Energy on water resources at Lake Ujmani, which was published earlier this week.

“I have not read the report yet,” Kurti said. “We have teams that handle this. When we have dealt with it, then you will receive an answer.”

The US Embassy in Prishtina tweeted on Wednesday that the report had been delivered to the Serbian and Kosovo governments, adding that its completion represented the fulfillment of “one of the September 4 Washington commitments.” 

Two sets of ‘economic normalisation’ agreements were signed in September 2020 by both Serbia and Kosovo, then represented by former prime minister Avdullah Hoti, under the auspices of former US President Donald Trump. 

One of the pledges stated that “both parties will agree to work with the US Department of Energy on a feasibility study for the purpose of sharing Gazivode/Ujmani Lake as a reliable water and energy supply.”

Kurti and his party, Vetevendosje, were outspoken critics of the agreements reached in DC, and particularly the point relating to Lake Ujmani. 

“Lake Ujmani is Kosovo’s most important water source, and is wholly owned by the Republic of Kosovo,” the party stated the day the Washington Agreements were reached. “Recognition of Serbia’s right to Lake Ujmani makes this agreement unacceptable to Kosovo.”

Later that week, Kurti insisted that the party was “not bound by the commitments of Kosovo’s illegitimate PM when we return to office.”

On Thursday, Hoti defended the pledge during a parliamentary session of the Kosovo Assembly, requesting an apology from Kurti.

“Yesterday the Government accepted the feasibility study for Ujmani,” Hoti said. “It was absurd to state that this Agreement violates Kosovo’s independence. Now I want to ask the Government: does the feasibility study for Lake Ujman violate sovereignty? It would be wise to apologise.”

The US Department of Energy’s report on water resource opportunities provides four recommendations, including upgrading infrastructure, establishing a commission for the Ibar River, which feeds into the lake, and exploring the use of European Commission forecasts to improve operational efficiency.

US Ambassador congratulates new President of Constitutional Court (media)

The United States Ambassador to Kosovo, Philip S. Kosnett, took to Twitter today to congratulate Judge Gresa Caka-Nimani on her new position as President of the Constitutional Court of Kosovo. “Judicial independence is a cornerstone of every resilient democracy and we remain committed to assisting Kosovo institutions to promote and strengthen rule of law,” Kosnett tweeted.

KSF to buy four military drones; they will cost millions of Euros (Lajmi)

The news website reports that during the Kosovo government meeting today, which voted on the reviewed budget for 2021, Kosovo’s Minister of Defence Armend Mehaj asked for additional support from the government for his ministry. “The Ministry of Defence has made a request to purchase four drones. The cost offered for four drones is US$ 4.6 millions or €11.9 million,” Mehaj said. The drones will be purchased from the United States of America.

Legal battle between church and university over land on campus (RFE)

There are two months left until the Basic Court of Prishtina is expected to rule on who has the right to use over 4 hectares of land on the campus of the University of Prishtina (UP), where there is also an Orthodox church. This land will be challenged in court by the UP and the Serbian Orthodox Church.

Surrounded by several faculties and parts of the university campus, stands the unfinished building of the Orthodox Church called the Church of Christ the Savior.

The silence and emptiness that pervades this structure was broken on June 10, when a liturgy was held by the Serbian Orthodox Church, which Kosovo institutions called “violations of public safety rules.”

What should happen to the church and how the disputed land should be used has been the subject of controversy for a long time.

UP students, consider that the political problems that surround this issue, are preventing them from fully using the land that, according to them, should belong to the university.

Donat Prekopuca, a student at the Faculty of Law, said the unfinished church should serve to reflect the war crimes in Kosovo of 1998-99.

“I do not think it is right, as far as I know there is no permit. But if it is not already demolished, I think a museum should be built to see the war crimes committed by the occupier who built the church,” he said.

Meanwhile, Qëndresa Burrniku, a student of the Faculty of Philosophy, considers that religious facilities of any kind have no place near or within the university campus.

“I think the church should not be located at all in the yards of the faculties. Just a park or something more attractive, not a church or a mosque or whatever,” she said.

Kosovo’s Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports, Harulla Ceku said, holding the liturgy in the church was a political action. “Organizing a political liturgy makes you a political church. “So instead of uniting people, you initiate conflict,” he wrote on Facebook.

Representatives of the Serbian Orthodox Church did not respond to a request for comment from Radio Free Europe.

However, the representative of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Kosovo, Abbot Sava Janjic in 2015 stated that this church is legal and does not belong to Milosevic as it is being portrayed.

“We consider that it is not a political church. Our position is and we have repeated several times, that we have all the documents that the church was built legally and that it is not Milosevic’s church. “He did not build it,” he said.

Despite the reactions to the church liturgy, Milica Radovanovic, a law student who also works for the New Social Initiative in North Mitrovica, thinks that no one can stop the use of land to the Orthodox Church, as they are currently the legal owners. of this parcel.

“Something that is often forgotten in Kosovo is that at this time, the Serbian Orthodox Church is the legal owner of the land in accordance with the legislation in force in Kosovo and has the right to use the land and the building built on it. The court has confirmed the ownership of the Serbian Orthodox Church twice so far and until the end of this trial and possibly even after it, the Serbian Orthodox Church is the full owner in accordance with Kosovo law and its right to use the land, “It should not be questioned,” she said.

Serbian Language Media

Lajcak discussed the dialogue between Serbia and Kosovo with UNSG Guterres (Kosovo Online)

EU Special Envoy for Dialogue between Serbia and Kosovo, Miroslav Lajcak met today with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, with whom he discussed, among other things, the dialogue between Serbia and Kosovo, reported Kosovo Online. 

As Lajcak stated on Twitter, the engagement of the EU in the Western Balkans was discussed with Guterres. 

“I am glad to have met UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres during his visit to Brussels today. We discussed EU engagement in the Western Balkans, and especially the dialogue and normalization of relations between Kosovo and Serbia,” Lajcak stressed.

Belgrade wants to join OIF (N1)

Serbia needs to make additional efforts to move closer to full membership in the International Organisation of La Francophonie (OIF), Foreign Minister Nikola Selakovic has said Thursday, N1 reports.

In the second meeting of the Working Group for Cooperation with the OIF in Belgrade, Selakovic said that progress should be made to improve French language learning, especially in primary schools, he added.

Selakovic said it was “essential“ that Belgrade’s efforts so far were noticed by the Association of Francophone Universities (AUF), which he said “recognised Serbia as a regional leader in that field“, the statement said.

He added that the AUF decided to open a regional office in Belgrade, which would also cover Croatia, BiH, Slovenia and North Macedonia.

See at: https://bit.ly/3qtY3h5

Bundestag extends mandate of German soldiers in Kosovo (RTS)

German Bundestag has extended the mandate of German soldiers in the KFOR Mission in Kosovo, RTS reports. According to its decision, the number of German soldiers remains the same, 400.

Members of the German Army are taking part in KFOR Mission in Kosovo, since NATO bombing of the-then Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in 1999, which is the first military engagement of Germany abroad after WWII, RTS recalled.

The number of German soldiers was twice higher earlier, however the number was reduced in 2019 from 800 to 400. The current number of soldiers would remain, since, as it was said, the situation in Kosovo is perceived calm and stable in general.

Participation of German soldiers is not time limited, however, the German Government last year announced that the Bundestag would decide every 12 months on the engagement of German soldiers in Kosovo.

Mayors of Gracanica, Partes and Novo Brdo: Statements of employees about Kurti without weight, the event was staged (KiM radio, RTV pulse)

After a report was published on the KiM radio portal yesterday entitled “Kurti is welcome if he is well-meaning”, Serbian List issued a joint statement by the mayors of Gracanica, Partes and Novo Brdo municipalities and pointed out that the employees’ statements were weightless, and did not reflect their views, reported KiM radio.

“We, the undersigned mayors, point out that the statements given by the workers of our municipalities Nebojsa Peric, Ivica Jancic and Zoran Cvetkovic about Albin Kurti are without any weight, because they did not perform at this staged event in front of our municipalities, nor do they have any representative capacity, therefore they cannot represent the views of the citizens of our municipalities on any issue, and especially not on political topics,” said mayors Srdjan Popovic, Dragan Petkovic and Svetislav Ivanovic.

However, Peric, Jancic and Cvetkovic were not ordinary employees but directors of municipal departments, KiM radio wrote.

The portal recalled that at the event in the Media Center in Caglavica, the director of the Forum for Development and Interethnic Cooperation (FDIC), Dejan Radivojevic, presented a report on cooperation between representatives of institutions and citizens and that participant were Nebojsa Peric (Municipality of Gracanica), Ivica Jancic (Partes municipality) and Zoran Cvetkovic (Novo Brdo municipality).

The portal wrote that Cvetkovic participated at the conference instead of the mayor Svetislav Ivanovic, who was announced as a participant by the organizers.

Answering Budimir Nicic’s question about whether the Prime Minister of Kosovo should visit Serbian communities, considering that he announced cooperation with all communities in the election campaign, Dejan Radivojevic answered: “One hundred days is not a long period, but a promise is a promise. I think that the initiative itself should come from the PM himself or his team. For a start, if not the Prime Minister, his team should be engaged to fulfill that promise, because I think that after the election itself, he completely forgot about the topic, which is one of the main ones,” Radivojevic said

However, the mayors stated that “the organizer of this staged event, Dejan Radivojevic, has no capacity to speak about the attitudes of the Serb people living in the municipalities of Gracanica, Partes and Novo Brdo because none of the citizens elected him as their representative nor his statements are a reflection of the views of our people”, KiM radio cited.

KiM radio commented that Radivojevic did not speak on behalf of the representatives of the municipality, nor the citizens, but on his own behalf also the representative of the Partes municipality, and added that the media emphasized that in the quote. “My opinion is that the Prime Minister should visit our municipality, to get personally acquainted with the problems faced by a small municipality that is of a rural type and composed of three administrative units. Our annual income is around 30 to 40 thousand euros, and that is enough to paint the primary and secondary schools, because we have money for that much,” Jancic said at the conference.

Nebojsa Peric, but also two other municipal representatives also answered the question of Budimir Nicic – “Is Kurti welcome to visit your municipalities and talk to citizens, councilors…?”:

“We are traditionally good hosts in the municipality of Gracanica, but also in all other Serbian communities and municipalities with a Serbian majority. Everyone with good intentions is welcome. You are witnesses of how many visits of local and world officials were organized in the Municipality of Gracanica, so well-intentioned, welcome,” said Nebojsa Peric.

“The population expects some changes as promised. They expect improvement, new investments. Our municipality is very poor. Any kind of investment is welcome. If he brings some good information, if it is not an even bigger rift between the population, why not,” said Zoran Cvetkovic.

During yesterday afternoon, Nebojsa Peric himself wanted to deny the news, telling our journalist that our headline “Kurti is welcome if he is well-meaning” was wrong, and that he did not say that Kurti was welcome, but that everyone well-meaning are welcomed. When asked by a KiM radio journalist, did that mean that Kurti was not welcome after all, Peric answered that he did not say that.

KiM radio concluded that the headline ”Kurti is welcome if he is well-meaning” was the conclusion of the author of the news based on what was said at the event; it did not contain the name of any participant in the event.

Stefanovic thanks Russia over support to Serbia regarding Kosovo (RTS)

Serbian Minister of Defense, Nebojsa Stefanovic thanked Russia for the support provided to Serbia regarding the latter’s requests to protect its sovereignty and territorial integrity, RTS reports.“Serbian people will not forget it, and I thank you from my heart”, he added.

Speaking on a second day of Moscow Conference on International Security, Stefanovic said that “the world faces today security challenges that are beyond any dilemma of increasingly global character, starting from terrorism, organized crime to cyber threats. Those who believe that they can overcome such challenges on their own alone are deeply mistaken (…)’ Stevanovic said.

He also said Serbia remains committed to dialogue also when it comes to Kosovo, and it invests efforts to contribute to the normalization of relations and thus protect the Serbian population and holy shrines there.

Stefanovic said Serbia would continue to strongly advocate for consistent adherence to the international law norms and the UN SC Resolution 1244. He also said that the states “which are sponsors of the so-called Kosovo independence do not dispute the fact any longer that it is a base of narcotics trade and also an exporter of radical extremism in the heart of Europe”.   

“Today it is a place without normal life, for Kosovo Albanians as well let alone for Serbs and other people”, Stefanovic underlined.

Selakovic thanks Kazakhstan over support to Serbia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity (Kosovo-online)

Serbian Foreign Affairs Minister Nikola Selakovic received in a farewell meeting Kazakhstan Ambassador to Serbia, Gabit Syzdykbekov, Kosovo-online portal reports.

Selakovic assessed that bilateral relations between the two states are very good, adding Serbia remains committed to intensifying political dialogue and deepening all-encompassing cooperation.

He emphasized that the opening of the Kazakhstan Embassy in Belgrade in 2019 in particular contributed to the advancement of Serbian-Kazakh relations. He also thanked Kazakhstan for the support to Serbia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and for “stance not to recognize unilaterally declared independence of Kosovo”. 

Brnabic: Dialogue with Pristina in line with Constitution (FoNet, Radio kontakt plus)

Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic said she will not reveal all the cards of Belgrade in the talks with Pristina, adding she knows “what our positions are, red lines, but it is enough that citizens know these talks are held in line with the Constitution of Serbia”, Radio kontakt plus reports citing FoNet news agency.

We are trying to protect the peace, long-term stability and to save what could be saved, Brnabic said in the Serbian Parliament answering to independent MP Vladan Glisic’s question.

“He clearly said what our positions are, the red lines, what we are trying to get out of it and what we can expect”, Brbanic said, in reference to the President Aleksandar Vucic’s report on dialogue with Pristina presented earlier. 

She also said it remains unclear to her that “someone insists all the time to tell what our positions are, and thus lose the possibility to defend them in the dialogue and gain something practically”.

Glisic asked why Serbia doesn’t have a platform for negotiations with Pristina, but reacts only to Pristina’s proposals. He asked what would  happen with Serbia’s membership in the EU, if, as he said, “Brussels and Washington break the spine” of five EU non-recognizing members and they recognize Kosovo.

Brnabic responded that the EU is status neutral towards Kosovo. “It runs contrary to our interests to reveal our positions, and if you do not understand that, then I do not know who to explain it to you”, she said, adding that the Government of Serbia should deal with real politics, and not what would be if something happens.

She also said Pristina suspended its campaign to seek recognitions because the campaign of Belgrade to retract them was successful.   

Office for KiM: Stanojevic family house in Babin Most robbed (Radio kontakt plus)

The house of a six-member Stanojevic family in the village of Babin Most, Obilic municipality has been robbed yesterday, Office for Kosovo and Metohija said in a statement, Radio kontakt plus reports.

It added this latest incident represents “a continuation of attacks against Serbian people, living south of the Ibar River”.

The Stanojevic family was working on the field, when the robbery occurred, and upon return they found a ransacked house and a certain amount of money was stolen.

Kosovo police are informed about the case.

“The Stojanovic family has no hope that the perpetrators will be caught since they have no trust in the Kosovo police”, the Office said.

It added this is the 66th incident since the beginning of the year that took place in Kosovo and targeted the Serbs, their properties, churches, health houses, schools.

Morton: Britain supports dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina (Blic, Tanjug)

The British Minister for Europe and America, Wendy Morton announced that in a conversation with the EU Special Envoy for Dialogue, Miroslav Lajcak, she confirmed the support of Great Britain for the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina.

– We agreed to continue working together to create opportunities for reaching a comprehensive and sustainable agreement on normalization for the benefit of the entire region – Morton wrote on Twitter.

Office for KiM: Experts will do detailed analysis of report on Gazivode (Radio Mitrovica sever)

“On Wednesday, the Office for Kosovo and Metohija of the Government of Serbia received a report prepared by the United States Department of Energy on hydro resources and other potentials of Lake Gazivode”, the Office for Kosovo and Metohija told Kosovo-online portal on Thursday. It added it was an expert analysis of American experts in this field.

“The Office for Kosovo and Metohija submitted this material to all relevant state institutions whose departments are involved in this topic, so that our experts could get acquainted in details with the report and give their suggestions. At this stage, the expert review that will be performed by our experts is very important, and ahead of us is a period for the analysis of this material and a period in which all departments and competent institutions should get acquainted in detail and thoroughly with the content of this document”, it said in a statement. 

International

Albin Kurti: Quand la Serbie sera-t-elle prête à reconnaître le Kosovo? (Le Monde)

Le premier ministre kosovar, Albin Kurti, a effectué, mercredi, sa première visite en France. Sa priorité diplomatique est d’obtenir une reconnaissance de la Serbie, ce que Belgrade a toujours refusé depuis le conflit.

Le premier ministre kosovar, Albin Kurti, a effectué, mercredi 23 juin, sa première visite en France. M. Kurti est un ancien activiste de l’aile politique de la guérilla kosovare, l’Armée de libération du Kosovo (UCK), qui fut, à l’époque de la guerre du Kosovo, détenu deux ans en Serbie. Il a ensuite créé le mouvement Vetëvendosje (Autodétermination), au programme révolutionnaire, et il est devenu un farouche opposant des « gouvernements des commandants de l’UCK » successifs. Albin Kurti se présente aujourd’hui comme un social-démocrate, et a été élu sur un programme de lutte contre le chômage, la corruption et le crime organisé. Après un bref premier passage au poste de premier ministre en 2020, son mouvement a nettement remporté les législatives de mars, et il est revenu à la tête du gouvernement le 22 mars. Treize ans après la déclaration d’indépendance du Kosovo, sa priorité diplomatique est d’obtenir une reconnaissance de la Serbie, ce que Belgrade a toujours refusé depuis le conflit.

Vous venez de rencontrer pour la première fois le président de Serbie, Aleksandar Vucic, à Bruxelles. Quelle fut votre impression ?

C’est une première rencontre, pour un dialogue futur. Ce ne fut pas facile, mais constructif. J’ai insisté sur le fait qu’il ne faut rien cacher sous le tapis, c’est-à-dire qu’il faut aborder franchement la question de la reconnaissance mutuelle entre le Kosovo et la Serbie. Nous avons tous besoin de cette reconnaissance mutuelle. M. Vucic a répondu qu’il ne reconnaîtrait jamais le Kosovo. Ne pas accepter la réalité d’un côté, ni la vérité d’un autre côté, vient de la même logique. La Serbie devrait maintenant prendre ses distances avec l’époque de [Slobodan] Milosevic, qui a commencé avec un apartheid et a fini avec un génocide au Kosovo. Les dirigeants de Serbie doivent rompre avec l’héritage de Milosevic. L’indépendance du Kosovo a treize ans. Nous ne pouvons pas avoir des discussions comme avant 2008.

Read full interview here: https://bit.ly/3deZ33d

The path to recognition: Kosovo’s and Serbia’s evolving dialogue (ecfr.eu)

The EU-sponsored dialogue between Pristina and Belgrade is entering a critical phase. The two parties in the negotiation will have to agree on whether they want to stick to the established dialogue agenda or redefine it. The new prime minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, seemingly aims to not only change the tone of the talks – stating that “Kosovars should be treated as equals by the Serbs” – but also to question their substance. Paradoxically, this may be exactly what Belgrade was hoping for. As Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic sees it, Kosovo’s questioning of, or failure to implement, measures the sides have already agreed on is evidence of its lack of maturity and reliability – and he is not shy about pointing out that the other side is to blame. In reality, as Vucic recently stated, Serbia’s current leadership does not intend to ever recognise Kosovo, even at the end of successful negotiations.

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

Kosovo’s Broadcaster at Crossroads as MPs Ready to Sack Board (Balkan Insight)

As parliament readies to dismiss the board of RTK because of nepotism and mismanagement, experts say the next board must not be politicised and drawn from members of the ruling party.

Ilir Bytyci, member of the board of Kosovo’s public broadcaster, Radio Television of Kosovo, RTK, submitted his abrupt resignation on Thursday, claiming he was quitting to distance himself from “all the illegal actions and possible ethical code violations” occurring in RTK. He also cited an inability to “change things from the inside”.

Sali Bashota, head of the RTK board, followed by issuing a statement saying the resignation was illegal, as it should have been submitted three months in advance.

In recent months, BIRN has reported that while Bashota was a member of the board, his son-in-law was hired as a janitor in RTK, which is against the law, as members of the board are forbidden from employing relatives.

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

Humanitarian/Development

New case of sexual violence in Serbia, this time in science centre (N1)

The Belgrade independent Vreme weekly shocked Serbia by its Thursday’s edition with a report on a case in the western village of Petnica’s Science Centre involving a professor who had sexually harassed many young students for years, N1 reports.

Petnica exists for nearly 40 years and has science programmes for primary, secondary school pupils, as well as students.

Its website says UNESCO supports the Centre “for its obvious contribution to sciences”.

The girls and young women spoke out after several actresses went public about rape and sexual harassment they had suffered in once most prestigious private drama school in Belgrade.

The owner and teacher Miroslav Aleksic has ended up behind bars and is awaiting trial.

Read more at: https://bit.ly/3j8kl6y