Albanian Language Media:

• Szunyog: The future of Kosovo is in the European Union (media)
• On Europe Day, Kurti calls for accelerated EU integration (media)
• Kosovo and Israel deepen cooperation, sign three MoUs (media)
• Kosovo civil society sends open letter to Macron on visa liberalisation (media)
• Montenegro authorities find no basis for prosecution of Kosovo ambassador (Express)
• Prices in March were 10% higher than last year, only in February the increase was 2.7% (ekonomia)
• COVID-19: Two new cases (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Vucic: Serbia under pressure over Kosovo after Putin statement (N1)
• Serbian opposition parties on Vucic’s address on Friday (Danas)
• Serbs from Kosovo on Vucic’s address on Friday (Danas)
• Serbian List reacts to Trajkovic, Jaksic, Bogdanovic statements on Vucic (Kosovo-online)
• Kharchenko: The West brutally arm-twisting Serbia; position on Kosovo the same (NMagazin, N1, Beta, Politika)
• Serbian Patriarch meets US Ambassador: Peace and dialogue most important (N1)
• Brnabic: Our objective is to join EU – the sooner, the better (Tanjug)
• “Adding fuel to the fire with the list of Serbs suspected of overthrowing the constitutional order” (KiM radio)

Humanitarian/Development:

• Sexism, hate speech and misogyny are most present in the Western Balkan media (NMagazin, Beta)
• For Refugees on Serbia-Hungary Border, ‘the Game’ Goes on (Balkan Insight)

Albanian Language Media  

Szunyog: The future of Kosovo is in the European Union (media)

“The future of Kosovo is in the EU, and we have no alternative but to continue to move forward on its European path,” said the EU Ambassador in Kosovo, Tomas Szunyog.

A press release issued by the EU in Kosovo in marking the Europe Day further quotes Szunyog noting that the EU will not be complete without the Western Balkans and that the Russian aggression against Ukraine has made joint efforts on the European integrations of the region even more important. “I am proud of the progress that Kosovo has accomplished with the support of the European Union and our Member States. Regardless of any challenges, EU solidarity will never diminish, and the EU will continue to be the closest partner to Kosovo, as it is now.” 

Szunyog called for Kosovo’s continued commitment to making progress on its European path. “Rule of law is the foundation of a healthy democratic society, and together with the protection and promotion of human rights, it needs to remain a priority for Kosovo institutions,” Szunyog said, adding that the media must be free from any pressure and enjoy safety and freedom of expression.

On Europe Day, Kurti calls for accelerated EU integration (media)

Marking the Europe Day, Prime Minister of Kosovo Albin Kurti recalled the ideas and ideals of European Union founders who realised that “for peace to be sustainable, it needs to be linked to justice, equality, cooperation and opportunity for a better life.”

Kurti said that as the European Union values are currently being defended in Ukraine. “On this day we need to pledge to defend and accelerate the European Union project by integrating Kosovo, the entire Western Balkans and all European peace-loving countries that embrace our common values, including Ukraine, Georgia, and Moldova.”

He added that Kosovo believes in a democracy that fights autocrats, in the rule of law that fights corruption and in a developed economy that increases the well-being of all. “With our governance we are proving that for Kosovo the European Union begins at home by implementing changes that transform our country and speed up European Union accession.” 

Kosovo and Israel deepen cooperation, sign three MoUs (media)

Kosovo’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Donika Gervalla and Israeli Minister of Foreign Affairs Yair Lapid have signed today in Jerusalem three Memorandums of Understanding (MoU).

Through a post on Twitter, Kosovo’s Foreign Ministry informed that MoU for cooperation in education, science and culture; joint declaration on cooperation in many fields; and MoU on film coproduction were signed.

Establishment of Kosovo-Israel diplomatic relations derives from the framework of the Kosovo-Serbia economic agreement signed in the White House in September 2020, in the presence of former U.S. President Donald Trump.

Kosovo opened its embassy in Jerusalem, just weeks after establishing diplomatic relations with the state of Israel on February 1, 2021.

Kosovo civil society sends open letter to Macron on visa liberalisation (media)

81 civil society organisations in Kosovo sent an open letter to French President Emmanuel Macron calling for visa liberalisation for Kosovo citizens. “Kosovo remains the only country in the region … whose citizens cannot move freely in the Schengen Zone,” the letter notes. 

Emphasising that despite Kosovo having already met all visa liberalisation criteria and that both the European Commission and the European Parliament confirmed this back in 2018, the NGOs said that continuous calls to the EU Council to “end Kosovo’s isolation” have so far not been heeded. 

“The story of the fading promise of the EU for visa liberalisation has been accompanied by the democratic development of Kosovo. Last year, Kosovo reconfirmed its democratic maturity through exemplary elections and a smooth transition of power. Since then, Kosovo has made steady progress on all fronts,” they said, adding: “Our country today is freer and more democratic than ever before.”

The civil society organisations also noted that Kosovo has stood in support of allies’ efforts for global peace. “Kosovo is in full harmony with EU’s foreign policy in the sanctions against Russia aspect and has demonstrated readiness to accommodate 5,000 Ukrainian refugees.” 

“Free movement of people is a basic human right and promotes socio-economic development. The sufferings from this ghetto disproportionately target ordinary citizens, youth and students, civil society activists, business community, as well as those in need for medical treatment in the EU countries. Continuation of isolation will only incentivize ordinary citizens to find alternative routes to travel for legitimate reasons, and those routes are often illegal, costly and dangerous.”

Read the full letter here: https://bit.ly/3LWG8d2

Montenegro authorities find no basis for prosecution of Kosovo ambassador (Express)

Special Prosecution of Montenegro told Gazeta Express that it launched an investigation after reports in the Slovenian media about the alleged involvement of Kosovo’s ambassador to Croatia, Martin Berishaj, in a financial scandal through his company  based in Montenegro.

After collecting evidence during the preliminary stage of the investigation, the prosecution concluded there is no basis to launch a criminal prosecution against Berishaj. 

Prices in March were 10% higher than last year, only in February the increase was 2.7% (ekonomia)

Ibish Asllani, head of the price division in Kosovo’s Agency of Statistics, told the news website that consumer prices increased in March by 2.7 percent, compared to February of this year. He said that electricity price has increased by 13 percent, oils and fats by 11.3 percent, while petroleum prices by 10.9 percent.

He said that compare to 2021, consumer prices increased by 10 percent, explaining further that bread and cereals increased by 23 percent, meat by 9.6, cheese and eggs by 18.3 percent.  

Then vegetables had an increase of 14.0%, sugar and sweets from sugar, chocolate had an increase of 12.9%. Various food products, sauces, spices, salt, baby food, etc., have had an increase of 8.4%. Mineral water, non-alcoholic beverages, fruit and vegetable juices have increased by 5.2%.

Tobacco had an increase of 4.7%, the price of electricity in this period of one year had an increase of 26.9%, then there was an increase of gas by 28.3%, solid fuels , firewood, curtains 16.75. Furniture and furnishings, carpets, other floor coverings 3.5% and so on. Home and garden tools and equipment 9.7%, fuels and lubricants for personal transport equipment, namely oil and gasoline byproducts had an increase of 35.8% and this is in the subgroup, so products that are mainly from import the prices of these are created on the basis of the stock market.

“According to the announcements we have, there are changes almost every day, price changes are not so big, they are soft changes but there are price increases. It is like an artery, but this has happened,” he said. 

COVID-19: Two new cases (media)

Two new cases with COVID-19 were confirmed in the last 24 hours in Kosovo. 29 persons recovered during this period. There are 363 active cases with COVID-19 in Kosovo.

Serbian Language Media

Vucic: Serbia under pressure over Kosovo after Putin statement (N1)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said Friday Serbia was under pressure to quickly recognize Kosovo following Russian President Vladimir Putin’s statements on Donetsk and Luhansk regions as well as International Court of Justice ruling, N1 reports.

Vucic addressed the nation at a news conference to speak about the political and economic problems that official Belgrade is facing. The news conference was scheduled for last Friday but was postponed prior to his trip to Berlin and meetings with German government officials. There was speculation that Vucic could announce that Serbia was joining in the sanctions against Russia but that did not happen.

Vucic spent several minutes trying to explain what Putin meant when he told UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres that a precedent had been set by the International Court of Justice when it ruled on Kosovo unilateral declaration of independence and that parts of Ukraine bordering Russia could declare independence. He said that Western officials are now trying to ruin Putin’s argument by saying that Kosovo and the Donbas region are different cases.

“We are now in a problem because the West will call Serbia to head quickly towards recognizing Kosovo so that they can tell Putin that the Donbas and Kosovo are not about the same issue”, he said, adding that Kosovo will be the dominant issue in future. “Let me tell you right now, all European leaders told me that Putin insisted on the Kosovo case in talks with them”, he said.

Vucic also said that he does not expect Russia to recognize Kosovo and added that Serbia is paying a high price for not imposing sanctions on Russia.

The Serbian president warned that the country is “100 percent dependent on Russian gas and will continue to be so for at least two more years”. He said that talks are underway with Russia’s Gazprom on the purchase of natural gas, adding that a deal has to be signed by the end of May.

According to Vucic, Serbia is on the road to Europe and will continue down that road more strongly.

Serbian opposition parties on Vucic’s address on Friday (Danas)

Serbian opposition parties reacted to the address of Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic on Friday in which he spoke about Kosovo, EU, Ukraine and Russian President Vladimir Putin’s statement on International Court of Justice and Kosovo, Danas daily reports.

The People’s Party (NS) in its reaction said that President Vucic in his address to the public “presented defeatist disinformation that the International Court of Justice (ICJ) by its opinion confirmed independence of self-declared Kosovo”.

NS Vice President Slobodan Doklestic said it was not Serbia that sent the question to the court, but the UN General Assembly as per Serbia’s proposal. He argued it took a serious diplomatic skill to find a way and propose the question that would be acceptable to the majority of UN GA members. According to him, ICJ instead of deliberating on the question “is unilateral declaration of independence by provisional self-government institutions in Kosovo and Metohija in line with international law”, on its own decided to provide an opinion on a different question – does declaration of independence of Kosovo violate international law? By switching the thesis, the court found that this was the document of a private group of individuals and not an act of provisional institutions in Kosovo.

“As such this act is not a topic of interest and regulating international law, and therefore it can not violate it either. That is ICJ opinion”, Doklestic said.

Zavetnici in their reaction opined that President Vucic attempted to “shift the blame to Russia for his own and his party’s bad policy on Kosovo and Metohija”. They also said Vucic’s messages on Friday were “products of inaccurate and ill intended interpretations”.

“An attempt to portray Russia as a state working against Serbian interests by selective and superficial interpretations of (President Vladimir) Putin’s statements are part of a wider campaign pursued lately by some regime affiliated media”, Zavetnici said.  

Together for Vojvodina – Vojvodjani member Aleksandar Olenik termed Vucic’s address “as the final episode of a soap opera”. He said the conference may be summarised in one sentence – We are ready to impose sanctions on Russia, but maybe we won’t.”

Former president of Serbia and leader of Social Democratic Party (SDS) Boris Tadic said that President Aleksandar Vucic “interpreted the decision of the International Court of Justice in line with the interests of those advocating for independent Kosovo, and not in line with Serbia’s interests”.

Radomir Lazovic, from the Let’s Not Drawn Belgrade Movement said, he has no sympathy for Vucic “as he did nothing over the last ten years to advance energy independence from Russia but in fact only deepened it (…)”.

Serbs from Kosovo on Vucic’s address on Friday (Danas)

Following the address of the Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic last Friday including on Kosovo, President Putin’s statement, EU and Ukraine, some Serb interlocutors from Kosovo told Belgrade-based daily Danas that Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija feel they were “collateral damage of Vucic’s victories, Kurti’s ambitions and blindness of US, Great Britain and the EU”. They added that possible recognition of Kosovo by Serbia would only accelerate their disappearance from this territory.

President of the Serb European Movement from Kosovo and politician Rada Trajkovic argued that in calculation about Kosovo, public opinion is not that much important, given that people were “already passivised for years due to systematic regime propaganda”.

“President Vucic persistently interprets international relations regarding Kosovo in a manner which doesn’t suit Serbia. I do not know his reasons for it, but I do know that his claim that recognition of Kosovo by Serbia would strip Putin of the argument (for secession of the territories) in Ukraine is completely illogical and nonsense. It would go very much in favour of Putin if the central authorities of one state recognize results of ethno-secessionist movement on its own territory. It would mean that  Putin could clearly expect that the Government of Ukraine, same as the Serbian Government, could before or later recognize so-called ‘reality on the ground’, and accept self-declared statehood of Donetsk and Luhansk”, Trajkovic said.

She added if it is true that Serbia is under pressure by some international actors to recognize Kosovo based on this logic, then they are short-sighted and do not see far-reaching consequences of such an act that would boost ethnic nationalism and secessionism in the Balkans but also in the wider European context.

Marko Jaksic, a lawyer and once close associate of the late leader of Civic Initiative, Freedom, Democracy and Justice, Oliver Ivanovic opined that Vucic wants to “manipulate the public in Serbia and prepare them for a difficult choice that is being imposed”. A choice between future and better life linked with the EU membership and recognition of Kosovo, he said.

“This choice in reality doesn’t exist, because Serbia will not become part of the EU not even in the next ten years, even if it recognizes Kosovo, same as the existence of the EU, following Brexit is questionable”.

The interlocutors also told Danas that Belgrade-Pristina dialogue entered a stalemate, and once the war in Ukraine reaffirmed the principles of territorial integrity and sovereignty, the issue of Kosovo recognition by Serbia, is only needed, as they said, to those who created that precedent and now they would like to end it be so.

According to Jaksic, a serious statesman in the talks with representatives of the states that recognized Kosovo would recall how wrong their decisions were, given the situation in Ukraine, and ask them to revoke recognitions. He also said that the decision of the International Court of Justice, Vucic was referring to in light of Putin’s reference to it, “tells nothing about secession of Kosovo, but says that the text of the declaration adopted by a group of private individuals was not contrary to the international law”. As he said Putin’s reference to this decision and to the unilateral declaration of independence of Kosovo aiming to justify actions in Ukraine can only strengthen Serbia’s position.  

Goran Bogdanovic, former minister in the government before Vucic came to power, said that members of Vucic’s Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) since assuming the power constantly look for a culprit somewhere else, and now it is Russian President Vladimir Putin. 

Serbian List reacts to Trajkovic, Jaksic, Bogdanovic statements on Vucic (Kosovo-online)

Serbian List in a statement today said that in a moment when there are clear intentions to exert pressure on Serbia regarding Kosovo and Russia, in light of the conflict in Ukraine, “a trio who never received more than dozens of votes in Kosovo and Metohija rushed in to aid Pristina”, Kosovo-online portal reports.

Serbian List made those remarks in relation to the interview Rada Tajkovic, Marko Jaksic and Goran Bogdanovic gave to Belgrade-based daily Danas, in which they criticised statements and policy of Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic regarding Kosovo and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The Serbian List added in a statement “that at the times of crisis everyone exposes a true face”, adding that “Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija know the best that only President Aleksandar Vucic fights for our interests, while the mentioned trio competes to ingratiate foreign mentors and embassies”.

Kharchenko: The West brutally arm-twisting Serbia; position on Kosovo the same (NMagazin, N1, Beta, Politika)

Russia’s ambassador to Serbia, Alexander Botsan-Kharchenko, said that pressures on Serbia are “incredible”, that “brutal pressure, specifically arm-twisting and attempts to stifle the country and its will, is complete ignoring of its interests”, reported NMagazin portal.

“We understand very well the incredible pressure of the West on Belgrade and the difficult situation in which Serbia finds itself. And, of course, we highly appreciate the principled line it maintains in non-recognition and non-acceptance of anti-Russian sanctions,” Kharchenko told today’s Politika daily, cited the portal.

He also stated that “there is no and cannot be any change in the position of the Russian Federation towards the Kosovo issue”.

“We do not recognize Kosovo and most actively support Belgrade in international forums, especially in the UN Security Council. Everything concerning the alleged change in Russia’s position was invented with the aim of spoiling Moscow-Belgrade relations and for Serbia to adhere to anti-Russian measures,” he said when asked about the statement of Russian President Vladimir Putin, in which he quoted the verdict of the International Court of Justice on Kosovo.

Speaking about energy, the Russian ambassador said that Moscow expects the start of gas negotiations with Serbia and “that is why we cannot run in front of the ore, but I am convinced that they will be conducted in the most acceptable way, given the real situation in the market and that Serbia is a friendly country for us.”

“When we add these two aspects, I think that a golden mean will be found that will suit the interests of both Russia and Serbia,” Kharchenko said.

When asked if gas can be paid in dinars, he answered – “we will see how it will be next”.

”This will be the result of negotiations and agreements between the two governments, Gazprom and Srbijagas. I would put this even wider and say that we, and not only in individual sectors but as a whole, see a perspective in the transition to more active payments in national currencies,” said Kharchenko, cited NMagazin.

Serbian Patriarch meets US Ambassador: Peace and dialogue most important (N1)

The Patriarch of the Serbian Orthodox Church Profitije talked in Belgrade with the American Ambassador Christopher Hill, N1 reports.

“In a friendly conversation, it was emphasised that dialogue and peace are the most important and necessary everywhere, especially in Ukraine. The Patriarch emphasised the importance and role of the Serbian Orthodox Church (SOC) in the Serbian people, both in the country and in the region“, the SOC Information Service reported.

The statement recalls that Patriarch Porfitije was in Kosovo in the previous days and it is stated that this was the first meeting with Hill since his inauguration as Ambassador in Belgrade.

The reception was attended by a member of the Synod of the Serbian Orthodox Church, Bishop Fotija of Zvornik and Tuzla, the head of the Patriarch’s cabinet, Bishop Sava of Marcana, and the political adviser of the US Embassy, Michael Kelleher.

Brnabic: Our objective is to join EU – the sooner, the better (Tanjug)

The strategic objective and priority of Serbia, as well as the entire Western Balkan region, is to join the EU, Serbian PM Ana Brnabic said on Friday at a Florence conference on the state of affairs in the EU, Tanjug news agency reports.

“The sooner, the better”, Brnabic told a panel on the European perspective of the Western Balkans, also attended by the EU special envoy for the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue, Miroslav Lajcak, and Austrian FM Alexander Schallenberg.

Brnabic said she hoped the war in Ukraine would restore the focus on the EU enlargement process and that EU member states that had opposed the process in the past would change their opinion and understand it was a priority for everyone.

She said Serbia had invested much time and energy into implementing reforms to join the EU, and added that the reforms were in the interest of citizens.

When asked by Lajcak, the panel moderator, whether recent developments in the EU were a challenge or an opportunity for Serbia and the region, Brnabic said she hoped they were an opportunity because she was always optimistic.

She said all EU member states, the European Commission and the bloc’s institutions were able to see how hard Serbia had worked to join the EU. Regardless of the political situation, the Western Balkans should not be neglected and the door should not be opened to someone else instead because that would be unfair and a big mistake, she said.

“Adding fuel to the fire with the list of Serbs suspected of overthrowing the constitutional order” (KiM radio)

The situation could escalate into a bigger conflict if the next ROSU incursion to the north and attempts to arrest those 58 people occur, Dusan Radakovic, executive director of the Center for the Advocacy of Democratic Culture (ACDC), told RTV KiM about the confirmed existence of a list of 58 people from the north suspected of undermining Kosovo’s constitutional order. The existence of such a list is not good, RTV Mir director Nenad Radosavljevic agrees. Aleksandar Arsenijevic from CI Srpski opstanak (Serbian survival) also warned about possible conflicts, reported KiM radio on Saturday.

The commander of the Mitrovica North police station, Goran Zivkovic, confirmed at the session of the North Mitrovica Municipal Assembly yesterday that there are lists of people from Leposavic, Zubin Potok, Zvecan and Mitrovica who are suspected of undermining the constitutional order of Kosovo (58), but also attempted aggravated murders (14) and other crimes. An invitation is being handed out to those persons to report for an informative conversation in Pristina, reported KiM radio.

As stated earlier by the Serbian List, but also during the Municipal assembly session, the persons from the larger list are linked to last year’s crisis in the north of Kosovo regarding license plates, when the Kosovo government decided to terminate Serbian license plates in Kosovo. 

Radakovic: A paradox 

“The current commander of the Mitrovica North police station, Goran Zivkovic, explained that there is a list and that, in fact, it is public. We from the ACDC organization attended that session. Mayor Milan Radojevic himself said that it was for something that was not done, and that it was perhaps one of the rare events where there were no incidents. We all remember that Igor Simic, Stevan Vulovic and Goran Rakic provided personally these people from ROSU with free passage without any problems, and for the first time the action passed without any incidents. And people are accused, which is paradoxical,” stated Dusan Radakovic.

He believes that this is another pressure from the central institutions and that, after the confirmation of the existence of the lists, “the situation is even worse”.

Radosavljevic: It could have been different

“Unfortunately, that is not good. From the position of Kurti’s model of the fight against corruption and all that, it was possible to start from some other people who are Albanians,” said the director of RTV Mir, Nenad Radosavljevic.

He is convinced that there are people of “such caliber” when it comes to the list of 14 people who are charged with attempted aggravated murders.

“How and in what way it worked, and I’m not part of that milieu, but I know it exists, directly from communication with ordinary people. Crime has gone too far, it is not from now, it was in 2001, 2002 and 2003, and there were criminals then, but they were not of this rank,” concluded Radosavljevic.

Arsenijevic: Everyday fear

Speaking about the list of the Directorate for Investigation of Serious Crimes in Pristina, which includes 58 people suspected of overthrowing the constitutional order of Kosovo, the leader of the CI Serbian Survival, Aleksandar Arsenijevic, whose name, according to some media, is also on the list, said at press conference that these are the events in front of the pharmacy in Mitrovica from the end of last year, as well as the blockade of the administrative crossings Jarinje and Brnjak due to problems with the plates.

He added that every action of the Kosovo Police in the north can have far-reaching consequences, because he does not know how the citizens will react. He said that the daily fear that permeates people’s lives can turn into rebellion.

“Obviously, someone wants to provoke conflicts on a larger scale. We ask the international community, all relevant factors, to address the issue so that people are less scared,” he said.

Arsenijevic called on his fellow citizens to stay calm and not go anywhere, stating that “as citizens and as a people we have gone through much worse things”.

Humanitarian/Development

Sexism, hate speech and misogyny are most present in the Western Balkan media (NMagazin, Beta)

According to the results of media monitoring in the Western Balkans, sexism, misogyny, hate speech against women and the LGBT + community, as well as hate speech based on ethnicity are most present in the Western Balkans media and is something common to the entire region, reported portal NMagazin.

The results of the monitoring were presented at the regional conference “Where have diverse voices gone” in Belgrade and follow the problematic trends in reporting on social diversity.

“Gender hate speech mainly takes the form of narratives blaming the victim for violence, continuing the tradition that women should possess a chastity, as well as objectifying women for fun,” said Kristina Lani of the Albanian Media Institute at the conference.

Zeljana Kandic from the Center for Investigative Journalism of Montenegro pointed out that in Montenegro, the most frequent targets of hate speech are women who are engaged in public affairs.

“Most often, women who are engaged in public affairs are targeted, i.e., politicians, journalists, representatives of the NGO sector. In the last few years, various examples of misogyny have been noticed – from insulting comments, through caricatures depicting women naked and in a subordinate position, to death threats, “she said.

Ivana Jovanovic from the Institute for Media and Diversity – Western Balkans said that the situation is not better in Serbia either.

According to her, the results show that women are most exposed to hate speech.

”Certain tabloids, as well as national television stations, spread narratives that shift the blame to the victim who reported (sexual) violence, but also conspiracy theories that rape and sexual harassment charges ‘represent an attack on Serbia’, thus participating in a secondary victimization of victims “she said.

What is also common to all Western Balkan societies is the absence of Roma from the media.

“Roma are reported about only on the occasion of World Roma Day or in a black chronicle and similar negative context,” it was said at the conference.

Monitoring of hate speech and diversity representation is conducted within the Diversity Reporting Network, reported the portal.

For Refugees on Serbia-Hungary Border, ‘the Game’ Goes on (Balkan Insight)

While Europe shows compassion to refugees from Ukraine, those from outside Europe face the same obstacles to get to the West as before – as BIRN found out on a nighttime visit to a forest in northern Serbia.

If you didn’t know the context, it might look like a rave festival was taking place in the forest of Radanovac, on the outskirts of Subotica in northern Serbia, less than a kilometer from the Hungarian border.

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