Albanian Language Media:

• Kurti comments on reports Kosovo could be used as transit point for MiG-29 fighter jets (media)
• Osmani meets Hovenier, discuss recent developments (media)
• Bislimi: Kosovo’s main geopolitical objective is EU membership (media)
• LDK’s Hoti criticises Lajcak, says dialogue has been demoted to a technical level (Kallxo)
• Speaker Konjufca meets Danish minister, Hækkerup (media)
• COVID-19: 37 new cases, one death (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Nuland welcomes Serbia’s progress on European path, support for Ukraine (N1)
• Germany FM on Western Balkans: We will not abandon region in heart of Europe (B92, media)
• German FM Annalena Baerbock’s first official visit to the Western Balkans (Politika)
• Mojsilovic met COM KFOR (Radio KIM)
• Selakovic: Serbia grateful to Brazil for its principled support on Kosovo issue (Kosovo-online)
• Office for KiM: Returnee house in Kovrage village, Istok municipality, robbed (Radio KIM)
• Rakic: There is no sincere will and desire for the return process to succeed (Radio Mitrovica sever)
• RFE: Strategic product supply in Kosovo is in crisis
• Vucic reacts to Haradinaj’s statement on bombing (Kosovo-online, B92)
• Jeremic: It is most obvious in Kosovo and Metohija how much bad politics can bring (KiM radio)
• Covid-19: Three new cases registered in Serbian areas (Radio KIM)

Albanian Language Media  

Kurti comments on reports Kosovo could be used as transit point for MiG-29 fighter jets (media)

Several Kosovo news websites carry a story published by the German media outlet Tagesschau about Poland’s offer to the U.S. to equip Ukraine with MiG-29 aircraft by way of a US-NATO air base in Germany. The U.S. has rejected the proposal.

Tagesschau wrote: “A direct transfer of the machines to Ukraine is apparently not planned by the USA. One possible scenario is that the jets could be repainted in Ramstein and flown to a non-NATO or non-EU country. Ukrainian pilots could fly them to Ukraine from there. No country was publicly named as a transit country; Kosovo is one of the possible options.”

At the same time, Associated Press reported that while no country has been publicly identified as a transit point, “Kosovo, a non-aligned country that is very friendly with the United States, has been mentioned as one of several nations that might be willing to serve as a middle point.”

Prime Minister Kurti was asked to comment on the issue today and said that Kosovo institutions have not received such a request from NATO but if they do, they would address it and provide an answer in “record time”. “In such an extraordinary situation, not only our continent but also our region cannot act normally and we have called on international actors, our strategic allies to seriously consider the acceleration of the Republic of Kosovo’s integration processes, including membership in NATO,” Kurti added. 

Osmani meets Hovenier, discuss recent developments (media)

President of Kosovo Vjosa Osmani met today the U.S. Ambassador Jeffrey Hovenier. They discussed developments in Kosovo, the region, and beyond.

According to a statement issued by Kosovo presidency, Osmani requested the support of the United States in addressing economic consequences of the recent food price increase in Kosovo and also “underlined that the support of the United States is crucial for deepening of relations and cooperation with NATO, considering Republic of Kosovo’s legitimate objective of being part of the North Atlantic Alliance, the Partnership for Peace programme and the Adriatic Charter.”

Bislimi: Kosovo’s main geopolitical objective is EU membership (media)

Kosovo’s Deputy Prime Minister Besnik Bislimi said that the main geopolitical and strategic objective of Kosovo is membership in the European Union.

Bislimi said that two other objectives of Kosovo include visa liberalisation and membership in the Council of Europe. “At the meeting of the EU-Kosovo Stabilisation and Association Parliamentary Committee, in Strasbourg, I underlined the position of Kosovo towards the conflict in Ukraine, joining sanctions applied by the EU towards Russia. I also informed the parliamentarians present about the resolution adopted at the Republic of Kosovo Assembly condemning Russian aggression in Ukraine,” he said.

In Strasbourg, Bislimi also met Council of Europe’s Deputy Secretary General Bjorn Berge and noted that Europe should speak in one voice not only on the Ukraine issue but also on the Western Balkans. He said they also spoke about Kosovo’s European integration.

LDK’s Hoti criticises Lajcak, says dialogue has been demoted to a technical level (Kallxo)

Former prime minister of Kosovo and MP from the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK), Avdullah Hoti, criticised the EU Special Representative for Kosovo-Serbia dialogue Miroslav Lajcak for, as he said, demoting the process of talks to a technical level.

In his remarks at the meeting of the EU-Kosovo Stabilisation and Association Parliamentary Committee in Strasbourg, Hoti said: “With all due respect for Mr. Lajcak, he is not there to open offices in Brussels when the parties agree to meet. He is not there to carry messages from one party to another. He is there to make sure that progress is being made towards a final agreement on mutual recognition. I think it is not the facilitator’s duty to keep the dialogue alive for the sake of it. His task is to bring the parties closer to the final agreement on mutual recognition and normalisation of relations.”

Hoti further argued that there is no decisiveness on the part of the EU to conclude the dialogue. “It has to be said that the Kosovo public opinion of the dialogue process has been shaken a while ago. Now, with this approach, this mistrust is deepening,” he warned.

Hoti said that as an opposition, the LDK will support the Government of Kosovo in the dialogue but not a technical dialogue which, according to him, only delays the achievement of the final agreement.

Speaker Konjufca meets Danish minister, Hækkerup (media)

Kosovo Assembly Speaker Glauk Konjufca met in Pristina today the Justice Minister of Denmark Nick Hækkerup and discussed the need for Kosovo Assembly to approve the agreement for Denmark renting prison cells in Kosovo for 300 of its inmates. They also spoke about deepening of cooperation and partnership in fields of mutual interest.

“Konjufca, on this occasion, expressed appreciation for the support that the Kingdom of Denmark has given for the liberation, development, state building and European integration of Kosovo. He stressed that the Republic of Kosovo and the Kingdom of Denmark have built very good partnership relations and expressed confidence that the support of the Danish state to our country will continue in the future. On his part, Minister Hækkerup confirmed the commitment of the Kingdom of Denmark for the support of the Republic of Kosovo in various development fields, as well as in the European path and membership in international organizations,” a press release issued by the Kosovo Assembly reads.

Hækkerup also met the Justice Minister Albulena Haxhiu and the two confirmed progress in the negotiations towards finalising the agreement for transfer of inmates from Denmark to Kosovo which is expected to be signed and ratified by the Assembly of Kosovo during this year.

COVID-19: 37 new cases, one death (media)

37 new cases of COVID-19 and one death have been recorded in Kosovo in the last 24 hours, the Ministry of Health said in its daily report. 55 persons recovered during this time.

There are 812 active cases of COVID-19 in Kosovo.

Serbian Language Media

Nuland welcomes Serbia’s progress on European path, support for Ukraine (N1)

Senior State Department official Victoria Nuland said on Wednesday that Washington welcomed Serbia’s continued progress along its European path, N1 reports.

The Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs expressed gratitude for Serbia’s support for Ukraine and its commitment to regional stability.

“Pleased to speak with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic to thank Serbia for its support for Ukraine, ongoing efforts to address the humanitarian crisis, and commitment to regional stability”, Nuland wrote in a Twitter post.

“We welcome Serbia’s good relations with neighbours & continued progress along its European path”, she added.

Nuland did not specify when she spoke to the Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, N1 said.

Germany FM on Western Balkans: We will not abandon region in heart of Europe (B92, media)

In a statement ahead of her visit to Sarajevo, Belgrade and Pristina, as well as Moldova, German Foreign Affairs Minister stressed that today’s peace in the Western Balkans may not be perfect, but it is precious, B92 reports.

“We must openly say that we have disappointed and neglected many of these countries in recent years. Actors like Russia are pushing on this open side, who have no interest in the European future and do not hesitate to rekindle unresolved conflicts. I am travelling now to the Western Balkans to hear what people there expect from us now, but also to make it clear that we will not abandon that region in the heart of Europe to Moscow’s influence”, Baerbock said.

“People in the region will measure us by whether our words are followed by deeds. Germany has a fundamental interest in the politically stable and economically prosperous Western Balkans, whose countries are oriented towards Europe. We will advocate for this in upcoming political talks and strategic investments, primarily in renewable energy sources”, she added.

Baerbock also said that she wants to devote herself to the German priority, which is the Western Balkans. That is why, she says, the German government has created a new position of special envoy for the Western Balkans.

“I am glad that the head of the Green Party Manuel Sarrazin has taken over this important position. I know that his heart is beating for the countries of the Western Balkans and their European future. He will accompany me on this journey and from now on will maintain an intensive and direct connection between the German government and countries within”, she said.

See at: https://bit.ly/3i0kdUE

German FM Annalena Baerbock’s first official visit to the Western Balkans (Politika)

Annalena Baerbock will start her visit to the Balkans in Sarajevo, will continue to Kosovo, where she will meet President Vjosa Osmani and Prime Minister Albin Kurti and KFOR leaders, reported Politika daily, citing Deutsche Welle. 

Baerbock will arrive in Belgrade on Friday, and then will continue to Moldova.

The main topic of the visit to Belgrade will be the war in Ukraine and possible consequences for the Balkans.

In early March, when Manuel Sarrazin was appointed Germany’s first envoy to the Western Balkans, Baerbock said that “especially in the current situation, stability and the European perspective of the Western Balkans are Germany’s top strategic priorities.”

“It is in Serbia’s interest to take a clear position,” Sarrazin told the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung in a first interview after being appointed envoy to the region.

“Ukraine is showing what can happen when you rely on Russian promises. I believe that this is clear to everyone in Belgrade. It is important for the EU to clearly formulate the expectations we have from Serbia, “the Green politician added.

As expected, Baerbock will “clearly formulate” expectations in talks with government officials.

The German minister will also meet with the representatives of the green coalition “Moramo” (We must) in Belgrade, DW learns.  The German Greens openly support this coalition, considering them the same family of European parties and movements.

It is still unclear whether other representatives of the opposition will be present at the same meeting, such as presidential candidates Zdravko Ponos and Boris Tadic.

In recent days, the Western Balkans have been frequently mentioned in Germany in the context of Ukraine. On Thursday, Chancellor Olaf Scholz was asked on the public TV what he thought about the requests of Ukraine, Georgia, and Moldova for an urgent EU accession, he said:

“On the agenda is a decision on the issue of the Western Balkan states and prospects for their admission. This has been talked about carefully and for a long time,” said Scholz, adding “as for other countries that are interested, it must be clearly stated that this has preconditions and that it is not being considered now,” reported Politika daily.

Mojsilovic met COM KFOR (Radio KIM)

Serbian Army Chief of Staff, General Milan Mojsilovic met in Belgrade yesterday KFOR Commander, Major General Ferenc Kajari and discussed with him the security situation in Kosovo, Radio KIM reports.

Referring to UN SC Resolution 1244 and Kumanovo Military Technical Agreement, Mojsilovic said that KFOR is responsible for the security of the population in Kosovo and Metohija, freedom of movement and protection of the Serbian national, cultural, historic and religious heritage, as the only legitimate security actor in Kosovo.

The two interlocutors also discussed joint activities of the Serbian Army and KFOR in preserving and advancing peace and security in Kosovo, the statement issued by the Serbian ministry reads.

Kajari visited Belgrade as per invitation of Mojsilovic, while high-level meetings contribute to the advancement of a general security situation on the ground and safety of the Serbian population in Kosovo, the statement added. 

Selakovic: Serbia grateful to Brazil for its principled support on Kosovo issue (Kosovo-online)

Serbia is committed to fostering relations with Brazil, Foreign Affairs Minister Nikola Selakovic said in a meeting with outgoing Ambassador of Brazil to Serbia, Eduardo Botelho Barbosa, Kosovo-online portal reports citing the statement of the ministry.

Selakovic also thanked Ambassador Barbosa for principled support of his country on Kosovo and Metohija issue, adding that the two countries are bound with several-decade long friendship, mutual understanding and support.

He added that Serbia is grateful to Brazil for the support it extends to Serbia in international organisations, in particular stressing the membership of Brazil as non-permanent UN SC member state, adding that Serbia expects continuation of the Brazilian support on the matters of interest for Serbia. Selakovic also said that Brazil is one of the most significant political and economic partners of Serbia in Latin America.  

Office for KiM: Returnee house in Kovrage village, Istok municipality, robbed (Radio KIM)

Unknown perpetrators have robbed the house of a Serb returnee Misko Pumpalovic in the village of Kovrage, Istok municipality, while its owner was away in central Serbia, undergoing medical treatment, Office for Kosovo and Metohija said in a statement, Radio KIM reports.

Pieces of furniture, a fridge, stove, laundry machine, tools and dishes were stolen, the Office added.

The Pumpalovic family was the target of the attacks several times already, while Misko’s brother Radoje, also a returnee, was attacked six times over the last years.

“Serb returnee families are often targets of the attacks and the fact that return rate of Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija is smaller than two percent, the lowest in a single post-conflict area speaks about the level of their endangerment”, the Office also said.

Radio KIM recalled that few days ago a back door of a school building in the village of Suvi Do, Gracanica municipality was broken, KLA graffiti inscribed on the four Serbian houses in the same village prior to that, while ten days ago shops in the villages of Skulanevo and Suvi Do were broken into and robbed.

Rakic: There is no sincere will and desire for the return process to succeed (Radio Mitrovica sever)

The president of the Serbian List, Goran Rakic, said that there is no will or desire for the return process to succeed, and that the returnees are under constant pressure. He wrote this in a Facebook post yesterday after the robbery of the house of the returnee family Pumpalovic in the village of Kovrage, in the municipality of Istok.

Rakic called on the institutions in charge of security to protect returnees.

“This is the answer to the question why we cannot achieve results in the return process. Returnees are under constant pressure because while there are such incidents, we know that there is no sincere will and desire for the return process to succeed.”

”My message is that we will not give up on returning all those who want to return to their homes, and it is up to the institutions in charge of security to do their part responsibly and protect returnees from incidents and contribute to our intentions to succeed,” Rakic wrote.

RFE: Strategic product supply in Kosovo is in crisis

Radio Free Europe in an article published today said that Kosovo mainly imports wheat and flour from Serbia, while the latter announced suspension of wheat, flour, corn and oil exports as of Thursday, March 10, because of the market crisis due to the war in Ukraine. Wheat is crucial for flour production and is therefore considered a strategic product, RFE says, adding that Kosovo is heavily dependent on imports of these products.

In 2021, Kosovo imported 84,000 tons of various types of wheat and flour from Serbia, out of a total of 115,000 tons it imported from different countries such as Croatia, Austria, North Macedonia, Hungary, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina. This means that Kosovo imports about 73 percent of wheat and flour from Serbia. The needs of people in Kosovo for wheat are about 400 thousand tons per year.

In a press conference held on Wednesday (March 9), Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti said people should not worry and that “we have no existential dependence on Serbia”. He added he spoke with the representatives of the Association of Millers, who assured him that they had reserves of wheat and flour for about five months.

However, Tahir Tahiri, president of the Kosovo Farmers’ Association, says Kosovo can meet only 35 percent of its flour needs with its own production.

“Every country that is in a security risk zone, even if it has wheat or flour to export, keeps reserves for itself. It is possible that in Kosovo, we, as large importers of these products, may not be able to import from those countries”, Tahiri told RFE.

He added that Kosovo does not have to import these products only from Serbia but also from other countries, but noted that the Kosovo leadership must make long-term plans for wheat production.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Development of Kosovo provided different figures when it comes to wheat production in Kosovo. In response to RFE, this ministry said that Kosovo satisfies the needs of citizens for wheat up to 67 percent.

Imer Rusinovci, a professor at the Faculty of Agriculture at the University of Pristina, opined that Kosovo should not depend on the import of strategic products, such as wheat. He added it was worrisome that Kosovo cannot meet the needs of the population for this grain.

“One of the basic priorities of every country is food safety. Due to the fact that the climate is not conducive to rice cultivation, wheat is one of the strategic products that provides food for the population. In that context, Kosovo has never met the needs of the population”, Rusinovci said.

He noted that the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine should be a clear sign to Kosovo institutions of the importance of growing wheat and subsidising it.

Kosovo also imports wheat and flour from Hungary, and that country banned the export of all grains on March 4, because of the rising prices following Russia’s attack on Ukraine, which is why Western countries imposed sanctions on official Moscow.

On February 26, Minister of Industry, Entrepreneurship and Trade Rosetta Hajdari said that Kosovo had increased its reserves, i.e. that it had procured additional food products, fuel and other necessities.

Vucic reacts to Haradinaj’s statement on bombing (Kosovo-online, B92)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic commented on the statement of AAK leader Ramush Haradinaj who said earlier that Belgrade will be bombed should a single Serbian soldier enter Kosovo, media report. Vucic asked if “Haradinaj personally will bomb Belgrade”?

“Let me get serious. I do not comment on nonsense and foolishness. Based on this you could see what they want. Serbia will preserve peace and stability, that is the most important to us. Our army is also our strength, and it will get stronger and stronger”, the media quoted Vucic as saying.

Vucic added for Serbia it was important not to take part in any wars and to maintain peace and stability. 

Jeremic: It is most obvious in Kosovo and Metohija how bad politics can bring (KiM radio)

“For me, all our fellow citizens, from any part of Serbia, including Kosovo and Metohija, are the same and everyone should have equal rights, including the right to vote and to be elected. No one should restrict them in any way, neither the Pristina authorities, nor the Serbian ones,” the founder and president of the People’s Party, Vuk Jeremic, told RTV Kim when asked what he thought about the possibility of Kosovo Serbs voting in the upcoming April elections.

Jeremic, former President of the United Nations General Assembly (2012-2013), former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Serbia (2007-2012), current President of the People’s Party and the Center for International Cooperation and Sustainable Development (CIRSD), is in a private visit to friends in Kosovo, reported KiM radio.

He emphasized that he did not want to send political messages from the monastery gate in Gracanica, especially because he is not a candidate for any position in the upcoming elections. “I gave a word,” he said, “I will not run, and I kept my word”.

“Engaging in politics does not necessarily mean chasing some seats and some functions. Engaging in politics, in my opinion, is for everyone to make their contribution, as much as they can and the best they can, for some higher public interest,” said Jeremic.

However, he supports his comrades running in these elections, the People’s Party committees throughout Serbia and the committees in Kosovo. He adds that he would not divide the people of Kosovo into members of this or that party.

“We all know what politics is like in Kosovo and Metohija, we all know how difficult it is to live in Kosovo and Metohija today. We all know how bad that division and political alignments has brought us. Maybe nowhere more than in KiM was obvious how much bad politics can bring. I would like us to change that together in the future, to fight together to stay in Kosovo and Metohija, to stay on our own. No matter how difficult the circumstances are today, they were even harder once in history. Let’s not make life difficult for each other, ourselves, Serbs to Serbs. I am afraid that this is happening today. But the Gracanica monastery gate is not the place, and this snowy day is not the time to enter some deeper political stories,” said Vuk Jeremic.

He added that the feeling of being in Kosovo cannot be compared to any other.

“This is the cradle of our spirituality, and this is the cradle of what we are. This feeling cannot be compared to any other. Here are the greatest shrines of our people, in Kosovo and Metohija. Gracanica is certainly one of them. It is not the first time for me coming here,” concluded Jeremic.

Covid-19: Three new cases registered in Serbian areas (Radio KIM)

Out of 22 tested samples in the Serb-populated areas in Kosovo, three were positive for Covid-19, the Crisis Committee of Mitrovica North announced today, Radio KIM reports.

The new cases were registered as follows: two in Leposavic, and one in Mitrovica North.

Currently there are 26 active cases of Covid-19 in the Serbian areas in Kosovo.