Albanian Language Media:

• Sarrazin in Kosovo on Thursday; aims to restore dialogue with Serbia (Indeksonline)
• Sarrazin: Kosovo needs visa liberalisation; we must not miss opportunity (Express)
• Kurti in U.S.; Borrell invites Western Balkans leaders to Brussels (Express)
• Kurti: Kosovo offers favorable climate for investment by U.S. companies (media)
• S. supports Kosovo’s membership in Partnership for Peace (RFE)
• At opening of Munich Leaders Meeting, Osmani meets U.S., European officials (media)
• Thaci, Veseli plead not guilty to new war crimes charges (media)
• Albanian PM Rama visits Thaci in Hague (Klan Kosova)
• Konjufca received representatives of the Venice Commission (Koha)
• Education Union: One-hour strike on Thursday; preparing for general strike (Telegrafi)
• COVID-19: Four new cases (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Western Balkans leaders at the traditional Brussels annual dinner tomorrow (RTS) 
• Vucic with Sarrazin: Belgrade-Pristina talks only way to reaching sustainable agreement (Kosovo-online)
• Dacic met German ambassador (Tanjug)
• Rakic meets Japanese Embassy Chargé d’Affaires (Kosovo-online)
• Energy minister says ownership of Serbian oil company could change (N1, Beta)
• Le Monde: Macron and Draghi for EU “confederation” with Western Balkans, Scholz abstains (Beta, N1)
• Less than half of Serbians support EU membership (FoNet, N1)

Opinion:

• Western Balkans must once again become a priority for the EU (brusselstimes.com)

International:

• EBRD affirms Kosovo’s 2022 economic growth forecast at 4% (SeeNews)
• Constantinople Ends Schism with North Macedonia Church (Balkan Insight)
• Montenegro Govt Urged to Compensate NATO Bombing Victims’ Families (Balkan Insight)

Humanitarian/Development:

• Lessons of War: Kosovo Trains Ukrainian Women in Demining (BIRN)
• Kosovo War Widow Wins ‘European of the Year’ Award (BIRN)
• Helping Migrants in the Western Balkans End “the Game” (gmfus.org)
• Oracle opened a regional IT center in Kragujevac (Beta, N1)

Albanian Language Media  

Sarrazin in Kosovo on Thursday; aims to restore dialogue with Serbia (Indeksonline)

German Special Representative for the Western Balkans, Manuel Sarrazin, is expected to visit Kosovo after his stay in Serbia. Citing sources in the Kosovo government, the news website reports that Sarrazin will arrive in Prishtina on Thursday.

Sarrazin: Kosovo needs visa liberalisation; we must not miss opportunity (Express)

German Special Representative for the Western Balkans, Manuel Sarrazin, said today that the European Union must keep its pledges to the countries of the Western Balkans, by lifting the visa regime for Kosovo and by opening membership talks with Albania and North Macedonia. “When it comes to the visa liberalisation issue, Germany is willing to provide a concrete answer in the future. The visa liberalisation of Kosovo is very important because it underlines the credibility of the EU. We should never miss this opportunity,” Sarrazin said during his stay in Serbia.

Kurti in U.S.; Borrell invites Western Balkans leaders to Brussels (Express)

The European Union High Representative Josep Borrell has organised an informal dinner with the leaders of the Western Balkans in Brussels tomorrow. It is not known if Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti, who is visiting the United States, will attend the dinner. Serbian media meanwhile have confirmed that Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic will be in Brussels tomorrow. A spokesperson for the EU said that the informal dinner is held once a year. The focus of the meeting will be on the situation in Ukraine and regional security.

Kurti: Kosovo offers a favorable climate for investment by American companies (media)

The Prime Minister of Kosovo Albin Kurti, who is staying in the US, has visited the well-known American company LinkedIn. Kurti in a meeting with the board of directors of this online platform said that Kosovo offers a favorable climate for investment by American companies. He said that these investments would create new jobs for citizens. “The high growth potential of Kosovo’s IT landscape provides an especially favorable investment climate for U.S. companies. This will in turn provide new, high-quality jobs for our people, as I shared during a meeting with LinkedIn executives,” Kurti tweeted.

U.S. supports Kosovo’s membership in Partnership for Peace (RFE)

The United States support membership of Kosovo in NATO’s Partnership for Peace programme, at the same time highlighting that such a decision requires the consent of all 30 member states of the Alliance, Radio Free Europe in Albanian reports. 

Spokesperson for the U.S. mission in NATO, Jeffrey Adler, confirmed the U.S. support for Kosovo joining the programme. He added: “All Alliance’s decisions, including those pertaining to Partnership for Peace, are taken through consensus.” 

RFE recalls Prime Minister of Kosovo Albin Kurti stating that Kosovo would request to become part of the Partnership for Peace programme. It also notes that of 30 member states of NATO, 27 have recognised independence of Kosovo while four – Greece, Romania, Slovakia, Spain – have not. Meanwhile, the Government of Kosovo has already set up a working group to lay the ground for NATO membership. 

At opening of Munich Leaders Meeting, Osmani meets U.S., European officials (media)

At the official opening of the Munich Leaders Meeting taking place in Washington D.C. this year, President of Kosovo Vjosa Osmani met U.S. officials, ministers from different countries as well as think-tank representatives. 

In the meeting with the U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, Osmani discussed the situation in the Western Balkans following the Russian invasion in Ukraine and the challenges the region faces. She also met the Finnish Minister for European Affairs Tytti Tuppurainen, German Federal Minister Wolfgang Schmidt, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis, U.S. senator Chris Coons, congresswoman Veronica Escobar, NATO Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoana, the chairman of the Munich Security Conference ambassador Christoph Heusgen, ambassador Wolfgang Ischinger, and other participants in the conference.

Thaci, Veseli plead not guilty to new war crimes charges (media)

Former president of Kosovo Hashim Thaci and former Assembly Speaker Kadri Veseli pleaded not guilty to new charges added to their war crimes indictment by the Kosovo Specialist Chambers. 

Speaking through video link, Thaci said he was innocent. He noted that he did not entirely understand all the amendments to the indictment, saying they had been redacted. 

Also pleading not guilty to the charges, Veseli said he would like to see the trial proceedings begin as quickly as possible to be able to “express my innocence before the citizens of the Republic of Kosovo, KLA fighters and this honourable court.” 

The amendment of the indictment accuses the former KLA leaders of having committed war crimes in the region of Gjilan and Suhareka.

Albanian PM Rama visits Thaci in Hague (Klan Kosova)

Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama visited former Kosovo President Hashim Thaci in the Hague today where he is awaiting trial at the Specialist Chambers. “I found President Thaci in excellent shape, confident perhaps even more than when I met him before he came here, that this is an inevitable path to prove before justice the full purity of the liberation war and the purity of the ideals of KLA fighters and leaders,” Rama said. “There is not much to say. We are all confident that Kosovo’s liberation war cannot be rewritten or put in other frames because it has already been put in the golden frame of heroism, the sacrifices made and all efforts for a free, democratic and sovereign Kosovo.” 

Konjufca received representatives of the Venice Commission (Koha)

The Speaker of the Assembly of Kosovo Glauk Konjufca, received today in a meeting representatives of the Venice Commission Dan Meridor, James Hamilton and Michael Janssen, as well as the Deputy Head of the Office of the Council of Europe in Kosovo Tankut Soykan.

The Assembly of Kosovo announced that Konjufca informed the participants about the agenda of the legislature and the objectives that are expected to be achieved during this term, having as a priority the Draft Law on State Bureau for Verification and Confiscation of Unjustifiable Assets.

He stressed that the Assembly, as the highest legislative body, has a very important role in approving the legal framework and controlling the implementation of legislation in force.

The Speaker of the Assembly thanked the Venice Commission for the cooperation with Kosovo and praised the role of this Commission in providing opinions and recommendations regarding legal issues addressed in the institutions of Kosovo.

Education Union: One-hour strike on Thursday; preparing for general strike (Telegrafi)

The Union of Education, Science and Culture of Kosovo (SBASHK) said today that a one-hour strike will be held throughout the educational system in Kosovo on Thursday in response to the government’s failure to meet the union’s demands. “In order not to damage the educational protest, we held the protest on April 8, which was a holiday, and we expected the government to reflect and to start a genuine dialogue, but this did not happen. Therefore, we are forced to proceed with union actions and one of them is the one-hour strike on May 12, throughout the educational system, from kindergartens to the University,” the statement notes.

COVID-19: Four new cases (media)

Four new cases with COVID-19 were confirmed in the last 24 hours in Kosovo. There are 347 active cases with COVID-19 in Kosovo.

Serbian Language Media

Western Balkans leaders at the traditional Brussels annual dinner tomorrow (RTS) 

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic will attend an informal dinner organized by EU Foreign Minister Josep Borrell for leaders from the Western Balkans, reported Radio Television of Serbia, citing Tanjug. 

EU spokesman Peter Stano told Tanjug that it was a traditional dinner, organized once a year by the EU foreign minister, while Tanjug’s diplomatic sources in Brussels specified that the focus of this dinner would be on the war in Ukraine, i.e. the consequences of “Russian aggression on regional security and the European economy “, but also the harmonization of the policies of the Western Balkan countries with the EU’s response to the” biggest security crisis on the European continent since the Second World War”.

Before the joint dinner with the leaders of the Western Balkan six, which is planned for 8.30 pm, Vucic will meet with the High Representative of the EU, Josep Borrell, at around 8 pm.

In addition to Vucic, the arrival at the dinner in Brussels was confirmed by the President of Montenegro Milo Djukanovic, the Prime Ministers of Albania and Northern Macedonia, Edi Rama and Dimitar Kovacevski, as well as the Chairman of the BiH Council of Ministers Zoran Tegeltija, and Kosovo Foreign Minister Donika Gervalla.

The tradition of organizing dinners with leaders from the Western Balkans was initiated by former EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini to encourage and improve co-operation within the region and the region with the EU.

Leaders from the Western Balkans are scheduled to address the media in Brussels at the end of the dinner.

Vucic with Sarrazin: Belgrade-Pristina talks only way to reaching sustainable agreement (Kosovo-online)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic met today in Belgrade German Special Envoy for the Western Balkans Manuel Sarrazin and concurred with him that the talks are the only way to resolve all open issues between Belgrade and Pristina as well as to reach a sustainable agreement, reads the statement of Vucic’s press office, Kosovo-online portal reports.

Vucic added he expects constructive support to the dialogue and finding a compromise solution that would enable lasting stability of the region and implementation of all reached agreements, primarily the one on the establishment of the Community of Serb-majority Municipalities. That agreement was signed in Brussels nine years ago and it still has not been implemented.

Vucic also said Serbia will more intensively continue to follow its European path and voiced expectation that engagement of the Special Envoy Sarrazin will give impetus to the cooperation between Western Blakans states.

Vucic said Serbia nurtures a serious and responsible approach to regional policy and is recognized as a reliable and accountable partner in the region. He highlighted the importance of the Berlin process, adding that the Open Balkan initiative represents yet another approach of Serbia to regional connection in the Balkans. 

Dacic met German ambassador (Tanjug)

Serbian Parliament Speaker Ivica Dacic met with German Ambassador to Serbia Thomas Schieb on Monday to discuss the current situation in Europe and in the Western Balkans, as well as further development of Serbia-Germany bilateral relations, reported agency Tanjug.

Dacic said he was pleased with the very high level of bilateral relations, reflected in intensive exchanges of visits by senior officials, and added that Serbia was open to and ready for further development of cooperation, in the economy and business.

EU membership remains Serbia’s foreign policy priority and it is ready to continue the process of necessary reforms once the conditions are in place, hopefully with Germany’s support, Dacic said.

Schieb noted that the Western Balkans was of particular significance to the EU and that Germany continued to support Serbia’s European integration and advocated a continuation of the process of the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue.

Considering the current global crisis, the ambassador welcomed Serbia’s decisions in recent votes in the UN, as well as its decision to send humanitarian aid to Ukraine.

Dacic briefed Schieb on the legal timeframes for convening the next parliament and forming other state authorities.

Rakic meets Japanese Embassy Chargé d’Affaires (Kosovo-online)

Serbian List President and Kosovo Minister of Communities and Returns met today with the Japanese Embassy in Pristina Chargé d’Affaires Keisuke Jamanaka and discussed with him ways to improve the position of non-majority communities in Kosovo, Kosovo-online portal reports.

In a post published on Facebook, Rakic said they touched upon most subjects that could have an impact on the better position of non-majority communities.

“During constructive talks we have touched upon most of the subjects that may have influence on better position of non-majority communities, as well as the ways on how Keisuke could, in cooperation with his government, help realisation of the projects that may impact everyday life of Serbs and other non-majority ethnicities in Kosovo”, Rakic said. 

Energy minister says ownership of Serbian oil company could change (N1, Beta)

Mining and Energy Minister Zorana Mihajlovic said on Tuesday that Serbia has to protect its energy stability even if that means a change in the ownership of the Serbian Oil Industry (NIS) which is majority owned by the Russian Gazprom Neft.

“We have to protect energy stability at any cost, even if that means a change in the ownership of NIS. We will not steal anything form anyone, but we have to take care of ourselves,” she told the Beta news agency, adding that the reality is that Europe is increasingly sanctioning Russian companies.

The minister said that Serbia has sufficient fuels and energy sources without having faced any shortages. “We have sufficient reserves, but people have to realize that this will last a while and everything costs a lot,” she said.

“The war in Ukraine changed the world and will change Serbia. It is very important for Serbia to have two things: political stability and energy security. We have political stability, and it was secured by Aleksandar Vucic’s victory at the presidential elections and the victory of the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) at all levels, but we have a lot to do to secure energy stability,” Mihajlovic said.

The minister said that talks are underway between SrbijaGas and the Rusian Gazprom on natural gas supplies. “Serbia is completely dependent on gas from Russia whether through the Balkan Stream or the pipeline through Ukraine and Hungary. We do not have other source,” she said and added that the authorities are considering storage facilities in Bulgaria and Hungary and gas from the Turkish Stream. She said that the new contract will take into consideration higher consumption of gas in Serbia. “It won’t be simple because gas is the most political weapon today,” she said.

See at: https://bit.ly/39ahqag

Le Monde: Macron and Draghi for EU “confederation” with Western Balkans, Scholz abstains (Beta, N1)

French President Emanuel Macron has Italy’s support for creating a “European political community” that would enable the countries of the Western Balkans, Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova to join the European Union economically if they respect European values, N1 reported, citing the French newspaper Le Monde. 

Macron has the support of Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi for the proposal to form a “European political community”, which, according to Le Monde, would create a “Europe in two-speed”.

This coincides with the statement of former Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta that it is especially necessary to open the door to Ukraine’s accession to the Union, which is at war with Russia, through the creation of a “European confederation”. Through which the Western Balkans, Georgia and Moldova would join the EU.

Macron’s proposal received a visible response from the public and the media in the EU, but it is also pointed out that German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, after yesterday’s conversation with the French President in Berlin, pointed out that it was “a very interesting idea given the great challenges” that the Union was facing.

“But this must not prevent what we have started, and these are the requirements for EU membership that we have been working on for a long time with the countries of the Western Balkans,” Scholz added.

French media recalled that the European confederation was proposed by the then president of France Francois Mitterrand in 1989, but did not find support, and they state that Macron has now emphasized that a situation has been created in which all European countries need to “start a historical thinking about the continent’s future”, reported N1.

Letta, secretary general of the Italian Democratic Party and president of the Institute, said the accession of the Western Balkans and Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova to the Union could remove disappointment and dissatisfaction with the slow progress of Western Balkan partners on EU membership.

Yesterday, during his speech in the European Parliament, Macron left the possibility for the “European political community” to include the countries that left the EU or withdrew from joining, Great Britain and Iceland, reported N1.

Less than half of Serbians support EU membership (FoNet, N1)

Less than half of Serbians support the country’s membership in the European Union according to a poll by the Institute for European Affairs, reported FoNet news agency.

The Institute said that its latest poll showed that 45 percent of Serbians want the country to join the EU compared to a 2016 poll when 55 percent said they favour membership.

It said that support for EU membership is the lowest it has ever been but that the evaluation of Serbia-EU relations is higher than in previous polls. It said that 60 percent of the polled said that Serbia benefits from cooperation with the EU while 27 percent said it does not.

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

Opinion

Western Balkans must once again become a priority for the EU (brusselstimes.com)

In view of the massive upheaval in Europe caused by the war against Ukraine, the EU states must also radically rethink their Western Balkans policy and regain trust.

The massive changes in the European security structure required many European states to radically change the foreign and security policies they had previously practiced. Europe was divided over Ukraine and Russia, but this must not happen when dealing with Southeastern Europe.

The war forces a common position

Central and Eastern European and Baltic states have followed a different line on the subject of Russia and Ukraine than, for example, France or Germany. In the reaction to the renewed invasion of Ukraine, the EU and allies stood together. This cohesion in Europe is also sorely needed.

But a rift also runs through the enlargement policy. Not just along geographical lines, but between states that have a political will to integrate the Western Balkans into a united Europe and those that have no interest in the region.

Read more at: https://bit.ly/3L5pfvb

International 

EBRD affirms Kosovo’s 2022 economic growth forecast at 4% (SeeNews)

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) said on Tuesday it expects Kosovo’s gross domestic product (GDP) to increase by 4% in 2022, unchanged compared with its March forecast.

In 2023, Kosovo’s economic output is projected to grow by 4% as well, the EBRD said in the May edition of its Regional Economic Prospects report.

“The main risks to the outlook are rising uncertainties, growing commodity prices and potential weaknesses in the external sector,” the EBRD noted.

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

Constantinople Ends Schism with North Macedonia Church (Balkan Insight)

After almost seven decades of isolation, the Macedonian Orthodox Church is no longer in schism with the rest of the Orthodox World, the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople has decided.

The Holy Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Constantinople, presided over by Bartholomew I, decided on Monday to end the long schism with the Ohrid Archbishopric, which is now today’s Macedonian Orthodox Church, MPC.

Read more at: https://bit.ly/3sp7sZo

Montenegro Govt Urged to Compensate NATO Bombing Victims’ Families (Balkan Insight)

Human rights campaigners urged Prime Minister Dritan Abazovic to pay compensation to families of six civilians killed in air strikes on the village of Murino in April 1999 during NATO’s bombing of Yugoslavia.

Montenegrin NGO Human Rights Action on Tuesday called on Prime Minister Dritan Abazovic to give compensation to families of six civilians, including three children, who were killed in NATO air strikes in the village of Murino on April 30, 1999.

Human rights activists and families of the victims made the same demands to previous premiers Dusko Markovic and Zdravko Krivokapic in 2016 and 2020, but there was no response from the authorities. 

“Compensation remains a moral obligation of Montenegro, which the state should fulfil voluntarily. In this case, the total amount of almost half a million euros that the state would spend on damages would be a negligible burden on the state budget,” Human Rights Action said in a press release.

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

Humanitarian/Development

Lessons of War: Kosovo Trains Ukrainian Women in Demining (BIRN)

For the past two weeks, Ukrainian student Anastasiia Minchukova has been spending her spring mornings in Peja/Pec in Kosovo, far from the war in her homeland.

Despite her worries about her family and friends back in Ukraine, she will remain in Kosovo for the next three weeks before returning home to help with demining efforts.

Minchukova and seven other Ukrainian women are being trained in Peja/Pec to dispose of unexploded ordnance, intensively learning the theory and practice of demining.

“I just want to go back as soon as possible and contribute there,” she told BIRN.

Read more at: https://bit.ly/3FxbtR4

Kosovo War Widow Wins ‘European of the Year’ Award (BIRN)

Fahrije Hoti, a Kosovo woman who started a successful agriculture business after losing her husband in the 1998-99 war, was given the annual European of the Year by the European Union’s office in Kosovo on Monday evening.

Hoti, from the war-ravaged village of Krusha e Madhe/Velika Krusa, was described by the head of the EU’s office, Tomas Szunyog, as “the best example of how to turn a painful experience into courage and resilience”.

Her husband went missing following a massacre by Serbian forces in the village of Krushe e Madhe/Velika Krusa on March 25, 1999 in which 240 ethnic Albanian civilians were killed.

Hoti’s company, Kooperativa Krusha, which was established after the war, currently employs some 50 women from the village. It sells 43 products across Kosovo and in a host of other European countries including Switzerland and Germany.

Her story became known worldwide last year when the film ‘Hive’ told the story of her life and post-war struggles.

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

Helping Migrants in the Western Balkans End “the Game” (gmfus.org)

From the Yugoslav wars to the record number of asylum-seekers in 2015, the Western Balkans have witnessed numerous migration movements. Against the backdrop of the ongoing migrant crisis from the Middle East, millions of people are seeking refuge due to the war in Ukraine. Grupa 484, a non-governmental organization (NGO) focusing on migration, is trying to find solutions to the challenges ahead.

Read more at: https://bit.ly/38ckS4r

Oracle opened a regional IT center in Kragujevac (Beta, N1)

A commercial agreement was signed today at the State Data Center with Oracle Corporation, which invested in opening the first regional center in Southeast Europe and IT infrastructure for providing IT services in various sectors, reported Beta news agency. 

Oracle Corporation Vice President for Cloud Technology and Regional Director for Northern and Eastern Europe Kenneth Johansen and Data Cloud Technology Director Danilo Savic signed the agreement.

The Prime Minister of Serbia, Ana Brnabic, told reporters, after signing the agreement, that today’s event is “a small crown of the success of Serbia’s digitalization”.

She stated that in the first two months of this year, Serbia recorded a “historically record export of services” from our information and communication sector.

Director of the Office for Information Technology and Electronic Administration Mihail Jovanovic said that today’s event is important for further positioning Serbia as a leader in digital transformation in the region of Southeast Europe, but also for faster development of various IT cloud services.

The signing of the agreement was attended by the Deputy Chief of Mission of the Embassy of the United States of America, John Ginkel, and the Mayor of Kragujevac, Nikola Dasic.