Albanian Language Media:

• Osmani: EU to keep its promise on visa liberalisation (media)
• Foreign Ministry with new recognition strategy (RTK)
• Serbia warns of new de-recognition campaign (Reporter)
• Kosovo Academy of Sciences and Arts: ‘Open Balkan’ politically isolates Kosovo (Kallxo)
• In his letter to Vucic, Blinken requests recognition of Kosovo (RTK)
• Macron’s letter to Vucic: I hope Kosovo-Serbia reach final agreement in the coming months (media)
• COVID-19: 373 new cases, two deaths (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• 28 cases of Covid-19 in Serbian communities in Kosovo (KoSSev)
• Serbia celebrates Statehood Day (N1)
• Officials of countries worldwide congratulate Vucic on occasion of Statehood Day (Tanjug)
• Office for KiM, Serbian List react to latest incident against Serbs in Kosovo (Kosovo-online)
• Rakic with the US Ambassador Hovenier: ”We’re not giving up the establishment of CSM” (Radio Mitrovica sever, KiM radio, Kosovo Online)
• Head of EULEX: In Kosovo, healing the scars of war is a daily task (KiM radio, eeas.europa.eu)

Albanian Language Media  

Osmani: EU to keep its promise on visa liberalisation (media)

President Vjosa Osmani met with the Dutch Ambassador to Kosovo, Carin Lobbezoo. The general situation in Kosovo, dealing with the pandemic and the possibilities of intensifying cooperation between Kosovo and the Netherlands were discussed at the meeting.

Osmani reiterated that Kosovo has already met the criteria for visa liberalisation, so in this context she expressed hope that she will have the support of the Dutch state. According to Osmani, it is the turn of the EU to keep its promise to the citizens of Kosovo regarding visa liberalisation.

Developments in the region and the need for integration of the Balkan countries in the EU were also discussed. They also discussed political and economic cooperation between the Netherlands and Kosovo. Osmani emphasised that Kosovo has made substantial steps in the rule of law and the creation of a suitable environment for foreign investors.

At the end of the meeting, Ambassador Lobbezoo handed over to President Osmani the congratulating telegram of the King of the Netherlands Willem-Alexander R., on the 14th anniversary of Kosovo’s independence.

Foreign Ministry with new recognition strategy (RTK)

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora has drafted the strategy for new recognitions.

In addition, Kosovo is soon expected to establish bilateral relations with several countries, said the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora Kreshnik Ahmeti.

Ahmeti said at the roundtable discussion of the non-governmental organisation “PIPS”, that there is no moratorium on membership in international organisations and new recognitions.

“We have set a list of priorities and when the time is right, we will apply,” he said.

Presenting the work of diplomacy during a year of government, Ahmeti said that the biggest goal has been the functioning and reorganization of the MFA.

During this discussion, the most critical for the work of Kosovar diplomacy was the deputy chairman of PDK, Vlora Citaku.

Meanwhile, the professor at the University of Dublin Gezim Visoka said that there were no developments in foreign policy and there were more maintenance policies in 2021.

Serbia warns of new de-recognition campaign (Reporteri)

Serbian Foreign Minister Nikola Selakovic has stated that Serbia will not stand idly by if Kosovo begins to secure new recognitions.

“If someone thinks that in that way he will push us by the wall, turn his hand to us to agree on something, he should know that we too can change the way we behave,” he said.

Selakovic stressed that there is no reasonable alternative to the negotiations between Pristina and Belgrade.

The U.S. Special Envoy for the Western Balkans Gabriel Escobar, after his visit to Kosovo reiterated that the U.S. fully supports Kosovo’s independence and its territorial integrity.

Escobar told a news conference that the U.S. supports dialogue and the integration of the entire Western Balkans into the EU.

Kosovo Academy of Sciences and Arts: ‘Open Balkan’ politically isolates Kosovo (Kallxo)

The Kosovo Academy of Sciences and Arts has accused Serbia of trying to destabilise Kosovo and the Western Balkans through different ways and that the ‘Open Balkan’ initiative undermines the EU-led integration processes and would lead to Kosovo’s political isolation.

The Academy said that the events that occurred several months ago in the north of Kosovo have made it necessary for the international community to “focus its attention on clear signals being sent by Serbia towards reigniting a new conflict with Kosovo.” 

“The Academy believes that the ‘Open Balkan’ initiative undermines the ‘Berlin Process’ as it politically isolates Kosovo and will have long term consequences in future relations between the countries of the Western Balkans,” the Kosovo Academy of Sciences and Arts is quoted as saying in a statement. 

On the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue, the Academy said the process so far has been ‘unfruitful’ and that Serbia has been obstructing it. At the same time, the Academy hailed the United States engagement in the dialogue and the position expressed by its envoy Gabriel Escobar in reconfirming support for Kosovo’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

In his letter to Vucic, Blinken requests recognition of Kosovo (RTK)

The U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken in a letter to Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, congratulated the Serbian people on their national holiday. Blinken also mentioned the recognition of Kosovo’s independence.

“Our countries have built strong ties over the last 140 years and the United States looks forward to building an even brighter future together as partners in Europe and on the global stage. We are committed to supporting Serbia’s goal of European integration and encouraging the comprehensive normalisation of relations centred on mutual recognition with Kosovo, which will promote greater security and stability in the region,” said Secretary Blinken in the letter.

Macron’s letter to Vucic: I hope Kosovo-Serbia reach final agreement in the coming months (media)

The President of France Emanuel Macron has sent a letter to the Serbian President Aleksandar Vuicic on the occasion of Citizenship Day.

Macron in his letter said that he expects that in the coming months the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue will receive an epilogue, writes the online newspaper “Reporteri.net”.

The French President has said that he expects this dialogue to end with mutual recognition between the two countries.

“Also, I will continue to support the dialogue with Pristina, assisted by European mediation, in order to conclude a comprehensive and final agreement on the normalisation of relations. I wish the successes in this direction to happen in the coming months”, Macron’s letter reads.

COVID-19: 373 new cases, two deaths (media)

373 new cases with COVID-19 and two deaths from the virus were recorded in the last 24 hours in Kosovo.

There are 9,461 active cases with COVID-19 in Kosovo.

Serbian Language Media

28 cases of Covid-19 in Serbian communities in Kosovo (KoSSev)

According to the latest data from the majority Serb areas in Kosovo, another 28 cases of coronavirus were registered, the Crisis Staff of the Municipality of Kosovska Mitrovica announced.

A total of 89 samples were tested, and the new patients were from: Gracanica – 8, North Mitrovica and Leposavic 6 each, Zvecan – 4, Gnjilane – 3 and one from Strpce, reported KoSSev.

Serbia celebrates Statehood Day (N1)

Serbia celebrates statehood day on Tuesday, marking the anniversaries of the 1st Serbian Uprising against the Ottoman Empire in 1804 and the confirmation of the first Constitution of the Principality of Serbia in 1835, N1 reports.

The state holiday is celebrated on Candlemas (Sretenje in Serbian) based on the Julian calendar which the Serbian Orthodox Church follows. The central ceremony is in the town of Orasac where the gathering that launched the 1804 uprising was held. That ceremony will be attended by Prime Minister Ana Brnabic, as envoy of the Serbian President, and Radovan Viskovic, Prime Minister of the Republika Srpska and Bosnia-Herzegovina Presidency member Milorad Dodik.

In a separate ceremony, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic is presenting state decorations to individuals and institutions.

The Kingdom of Serbia celebrated statehood day on February 15 until the holiday was abolished with the formation of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croatia and Slovenes after World War I.

Officials of countries worldwide congratulate Vucic on occasion of Statehood Day (Tanjug, media)

On the occasion of Serbia’s Statehood Day, President Aleksandar Vucic has received congratulatory messages from officials of countries worldwide, including from US President Joe Biden, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin and French President Emmanuel Macron, Tanjug news agency reports.

While some Pristina-based media reported that Macron in his congratulatory message on the occasion of Serbia’s Statehood Day said the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue should end with mutual recognition, Serbian independent daily Danas and Belgrade-based N1 TV in their reports mentioned no recognition remarks, saying that Macron concluded the message by expressing support to the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue “aiming to conclude a comprehensive and final agreement on normalisation of relations”.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Italian President Sergio Mattarella also sent congratulatory messages, the press office of the president of Serbia said in a statement.

Messages also came from the president and the PM of Hungary, Janos Ader and Viktor Orban, as well as from Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen, Slovenian President Borut Pahor, Croatian President Zoran Milanovic, North Macedonian President Stevo Pendarovski, Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou, Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades, Czech President Milos Zeman and Slovak President Zuzana Caputova.

Vucic has also received congratulatory messages from British Queen Elizabeth II, the presidents of Finland, Switzerland and Portugal, the kings of the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and Saudi Arabia and the emir of Qatar.

The presidents of India, Sri Lanka, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Iran, Egypt, Morocco, Algeria, Cuba, South Korea, Indonesia, Singapore and the UAE also sent messages on the occasion of Serbia’s national holiday, as did many other international officials, representatives of international organisations and institutions and foreign diplomats serving in Belgrade.

Office for KiM, Serbian List react to latest incident against Serbs in Kosovo (Kosovo-online)

Serbian Government Office for Kosovo and Metohija reacting to last night’s attack on a Serbian young man and girl in Staro Gracko village said that “a new ethnically motivated attack on two underage Serbs took place”, Kosovo-online portal reports.  

The statement added that “without any reason, Sanja D. and Veljko T. were attacked, which brought great fear and anxiety among the remaining Serbs in this village near Lipljan”.

“Sanja D. and Veljko T. were intercepted tonight during a walk, when an unknown man got out of the taxi, started running after them and shouted in Albanian. At the last minute, they managed to hide in a nearby house and call for help, while the attacker continued to bang on the door and windows. The young man and the girl gave a statement to the police tonight, and they were also visited by the president of the interim body of Lipljan municipality, Milan Joksimović”, the Office said.  

It also said it will inform EU Special Envoy for Belgrade-Pristina dialogue Miroslav Lajcak about the incident.

Staro Gracko village suffered one of the worst killings of Serbs which took place after the end of the conflict in 1999. 14 farmers from the village were killed on July 23, 1999 while harvesting the crops. Perpetrators and organisers of the killings still remain unknown.    

Meanwhile, Serbian List also reacted by condemning the attack on a Serbian young man and girl and called on the competent institutions to react urgently.

“A series of incidents in which Serbs and the Serbian Orthodox Church in Kosovo and Metohija are victims culminated tonight in an attack on a Serbian young man and girl in Staro Gracko in Lipljan municipality (…)”, they said in a statement.  

“We also appeal to international representatives to use their authority to influence the leaders of Kosovo institutions to stop the attacks on Serbs and Serbian Orthodox Church”, Serbian List said.

Rakic with the US Ambassador Hovenier: ”We’re not giving up the establishment of CSM”   (Radio Mitrovica sever, KiM radio, Kosovo Online)

Minister of Communities and Returns, Goran Rakic met yesterday the US Ambassador, Jeffrey Hovenier, reported Serbian media in Kosovo, citing a press release from the ministry. 

”Better conditions for returnees and greater commitment of other institutions when it comes to the return process, the formation of the Community of Serbian Municipalities, resolution of all open issues through dialogue because it is the only path towards prosperity, as well as the realisation of all commitments, is something we insist on and which we will not give up,” said Rakic during the meeting, according to the statement.  

Rakic said that minority communities in Kosovo were not asking for less or more, but only what belongs to them, and those rights absolutely don’t endanger anyone, reported the media. 

”Only when we solve the issue of security, because you know yourself that several attacks on Serbian churches took place in a short period of time, and when we manage to provide a better economic position for minority communities, we will solve many problems,” the Minister said. 

It was added that the upcoming elections on April 3 were also discussed during the meeting. 

Yesterday, the US Ambassador to Pristina, Jeff Hovenier, following the meeting, posted on Twitter that the meeting focused on the United States’ commitment to ”a multi-ethnic, sovereign and independent Kosovo”. 

”With Minister Goran Rakic, reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to a multi-ethnic, sovereign, and independent Kosovo where all citizens from every community enjoy equal rights and an equal voice in advancing Kosovo’s European future, Hovenier tweeted. 

Head of EULEX: In Kosovo, healing the scars of war is a daily task (KiM radio, eeas.europa.eu)

The head of the EU Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo (EULEX), Lars-Gunnar Wigemark said that political differences and games should be set aside in order to resolve the fate of all missing persons, regardless of ethnicity or religion, adding that it is “a complex, difficult and sensitive task.,” reported KiM radio.

Stating that missing persons are one of the most devastating legacies of the wars in the former Yugoslavia, Wigemark said that the mission he leads is determined to support the basic right of families to know what happened to the missing, reported the media.

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