Albanian Language Media:

• KLA war veterans protest, demanding inclusion in minimum wage increase (media)
• Kosovo Assembly fails to adopt minimum wage bill (media)
• Prime Minister Kurti travels to the UK (media)
• Lavrov: EU and NATO want a “Closed Balkan” (Klan Kosova)
• PDK calls on MPs not to vote on draft law on minimum wage (Ekonomia Online)
• Assembly rejects motion to withdraw draft law on minimum wage (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Selakovic: Serbia, Greece consistent in mutual support (Tanjug)
• Dendias: W. Balkans’ future is in EU, Serbia a key partner (Tanjug)
• Can the international community make Pristina return 24 hectares of land to Visoki Decani Monastery? (RTS)
• Representatives of Albanians from the south of Serbia on an official visit to the US (Politika, JUGpress) 
• Vucic: Lavrov not coming to Belgrade, Kharchenko informed me of reasons (Tanjug)
• Zakharova: Russia not making a new “iron curtain”, Europe fencing Russia off (N1)
• Kosovo Police called Sevce residents to an informative talk due to protest held (KiM radio)
• Gallup: Half of the respondents without democracy (FoNet, KiM radio)
• Autocephaly of Ohrid Archbishopric officially recognized (N1)

International:

• Turkey’s Nordic demands spark Western Balkan déjà vu (EURACTIV)

Humanitarian/Development:

• Kosovo Pupils Demand to be Heard, Save the Children Report shows (BIRN)

Albanian Language Media  

KLA war veterans protest, demanding inclusion in minimum wage increase (media)

One of the main stories in the media today is the protest by veterans of the former Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) in front of the Assembly building in downtown Prishtina. The war veterans are demanding that they are included in the minimum wage scheme. Two police officers were injured as protesters tried to storm the assembly premises. One protester has also been injured.

Kosovo Police issued a statement refuting reports in some media according to which police used teargas against the protesters. “Under no circumstance did we use teargas against the protesters. It is suspected that the gas/smoke was thrown from persons/protesters inside the crowd,” the police statement noted. 

Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) MP, Hisen Berisha, went before the protesters and said they have legitimate demands but that they should not engage in violent protests or injure police officers. “You are right in your demands, but these are our institutions and our police officers. They are the result of the blood of martyrs therefore we must protect them and not hurt them. Do not damage anything. If you hurt a police officer, you hurt what we fought for,” he told the protesters.

Acting head of the KLA War Veterans Organisations, Faton Klinaku, said at the start of the protest that the Government of Kosovo is trying to remove the veterans from the minimum wage scheme through the amendment of the law on salaries. “MPs should serve the interests of those who elected them to Assembly and not interests of daily politics,” he said. “We are a legal category; the Government has crippled the law in the last minute. We hope this law is not passed at the Assembly,” Klinaku added, vowing to continue protests until their demands are met.

Leader of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) Ramush Haradinaj voiced support for KLA war veterans in a social media post where he wrote: “With freedom categories, with Veterans, today and forever.”

Head of the Vetevendosje Movement (LVV) parliamentary group, Mimoza Kusari-Lila, said that today’s protest of KLA veterans is a result of the build-up of discontent over the years. “The right to protest is a democratic and legitimate right. Discontents through the years are now finding the space to be expressed despite all the efforts of the Government. Every veteran that has fought and strives for their country does not damage it or the Assembly building, does not cause damage to someone else. We are humans and we will reach a solution through dialogue,” she is quoted in Klan Kosova. Kusari-Lila said there is a “distortion” in the list of veterans which was believed to require serious attention. “All veterans deserve a much more dignified treatment than what they had so far.”

Kosovo Assembly fails to adopt minimum wage bill (media)

The Assembly of Kosovo failed to adopt today the draft law  on minimum wage due to lack of quorum. 

“Only 51 MPs voted for the draft law. The Assembly has no quorum for decision making,” said Assembly Speaker Glauk Konjufca and went on to declare today’s session over.

Prime Minister Kurti travels to the UK (media)

Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, has travelled to the UK today where he is expected to hold high-level meetings, including with Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, Liz Truss. Today Kurti will give an open lecture at Oxford Union and tomorrow a lecture at the University of Cambridge.

Lavrov: EU and NATO want a “Closed Balkan” (Klan Kosova)

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov accused NATO of being behind the decision of Bulgaria, Montenegro, and North Macedonia to close their respective airspaces to his aircraft as he planned to undertake a visit to Serbia. 

Lavrov said at a news conference that his trip to Serbia was aimed to serve as reconfirmation of Russia’s position on Western Balkans developments. “By visiting Serbia, among other things, I also wanted to confirm the Russian position on Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Open Balkan but Brussels did not want to allow it. It is clear that Brussels, NATO, and the EU want to turn the Balkans into their project of a ‘Closed Balkan’,” Lavrov said.

PDK calls on MPs not to vote on draft law on minimum wage (Ekonomia Online)

The Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) called on the Government today to withdraw the draft law on the minimum wage, to amend it and then send it to the Assembly for approval. PDK MP, Rashit Qalaj, told a press conference that the veterans of the former Kosovo Liberation Army were not included in the draft law and that this is unacceptable. According to him, the draft law is discriminatory and that it does not meet the needs of the people. 

“We call for the draft law to be withdrawn. No one needs riots in the country, and we don’t want protests on the streets. We will undertake all measures for the law not to be voted. The war veterans were forced to go out on the streets today. We owe our freedom to them. We will call on the ruling majority to withdraw the law,” Qalaj said.

Assembly rejects motion to withdraw draft law on minimum wage (media)

The Kosovo Assembly did not pass the motion, presented by the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK), to withdraw the draft law on the minimum wage from the agenda and send it for further review. 

32 MPs voted in favour of PDK’s request, online media report. 

Vetevendosje Movement (LVV) MP Armend Muja said the draft law needs to be processed today. “We are not saying that the veterans are paid enough but let us first increase the minimum wage and parallel to that have a debate on the needs of veterans and other categories of the society,” he is quoted by Gazeta Express. 

Serbian Language Media

Selakovic: Serbia, Greece consistent in mutual support (Tanjug)

Serbia is highly appreciative of Greece’s principled position and its active advocacy of continued EU enlargement and integration of the Western Balkans, Serbian Foreign Affairs Minister Nikola Selakovic said after a meeting with Greek counterpart Nikos Dendias in Belgrade on Friday, Tanjug news agency reports.

At a joint press conference with Dendias, Selakovic said the two countries remained consistent in mutual support on key issues of state and national interest.

EU membership is a strategic commitment and interest of Serbia, which finds support for the European integration process to be extremely important for it, Selakovic said.

He said the conversation with Dendias had confirmed the traditional friendship, closeness and solidarity between the two brotherly nations, Serbs and Greeks, and the two friendly countries, Serbia and Greece.

“Serbia and Greece stand committed to deepening their cooperation and to expanding dialogue in all areas and to consistent, principled mutual support on key issues of state and national interest”, Selakovic added.

He stressed that Serbia and the Serbs were grateful to Greece for its support of Serbia’s territorial integrity and sovereignty when it comes to Kosovo and Metohija, which he said was a top-priority state and political issue.

Selakovic said he and Dendias had also discussed the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue, affirming support for dialogue as the only reasonable means of finding a solution to the Kosovo-Metohija issue and demonstrating their advocacy of reaching a sustainable, lasting and compromise solution based on respect and fulfilment of the interests of both Serbs and Albanians in Kosovo.

Dendias: W. Balkans’ future is in EU, Serbia a key partner (Tanjug)

The future of the Western Balkans is in the EU and that is the only path towards regional prosperity and stability, Greek FM Nikos Dendias said in Belgrade after a closed-door meeting with Serbian Foreign Affairs Minister Nikola Selakovic on Friday.

At a joint press conference with Selakovic, Dendias said Greece was providing political support aimed at bringing Serbia closer to the EU and getting it to finally join the bloc.

He said he understood the fatigue and frustration over the slow progress of the EU accession process, but noted that it was the only path to prosperity and stability in the region.

He noted that Serbia was a key partner of the EU and urged Belgrade to continue its reform process and alignment with the EU foreign policy.

Dendias said the meeting with Selakovic had also addressed the issue of Kosovo and Metohija, and added that visible progress in the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue was needed to reach a comprehensive, legally binding agreement in line with international law.

Read more at: https://bit.ly/3asjU4C

Can the international community make Pristina return 24 hectares of land to Visoki Decani Monastery? (RTS)

Serbian public broadcaster RTS writes on Sunday morning that Serbian Orthodox Church (SOC) facing violations of the rule of law and religious freedoms, as well as open ethnic and religious discrimination has decided to cease all contacts with Kosovo authorities. The investigation launched by Basic Prosecution in Pec against Decani municipality over its refusal to register the land, Leposavic-based historian Petar Ristanovic termed as “shifting responsibility to the lower-level institution” adding positive outcome is unlikely to happen, given reluctance of the local administration to implement Kosovo Constitutional Court decision on the land made in 2016.

RTS further reports that five governments took power in Pristina since the Constitutional Court’s decision in 2016, but none of them has implemented it thus far, while current Decane mayor Bashkim Ramosaj was quoted as saying by the Serbian media recently that as far as cadaster office in Decane is concerned this decision will never be implemented.

“If there would be political willingness at the highest level, there would be a way to do so. Central cadaster office in Pristina could possibly make that decision. However, it is clear that there is an absence of political willingness”, Ristanovic said.

Commenting on the investigation of the Basic Prosecution against Decane municipality, Ristanovic said he is not certain the investigation has something to do with Pristina’s request to join the Council of Europe. According to him, the prosecution’s decision has more to do with pressure from the international community and ambassadors in Pristina over the non-implementation of the Constitutional Court decision.

Ristanovic also warned that Visoki Decani Monastery suffers great damage by non-implementation of the decision and attitude of the Kosovo authorities, both at local and central-level, towards it. He added the fact that 700 hectares of land were confiscated from Visoki Decani Monastery after WWII is also kept silent.

“Non-returning the property is just one of the disputable issues. Another major issue is the intention of the municipal authorities to build a road that passes by the monastery, the main road to Montenegro. That would certainly cause damage to this mediaeval monument,” he said.

Representatives of Albanians from the south of Serbia on an official visit to the US (Politika, JUGpress, KiM radio) 

A four-member delegation of Albanians from the south of Serbia left for a several-day official visit to the United States, reported Belgrade daily Politika, citing JUGpress. 

The president of the municipality of Bujanovac, Nagip Arifi, the president of the Party for Democratic Action Shaip Kamberi, the president of the Democratic Party of Albanians Ragmi Mustafa and the former president of the municipality of Presevo, Ardita Sinani were part of the delegation. 

They will meet with congressmen, members of the administration of US President Joseph Biden, as well as other political figures and representatives of the Albanian-American community.

The coalition of Albanians of the valley, whose objection and request for annulment of the parliamentary elections from May 27 in Veliki Trnovac were rejected by the Municipal Election Commission (MEC), announced a complaint to the Republic Election Commission (REC). MEC members from Serb parties and electoral lists, which make up the majority in the commission, voted against the objection, recalled the daily.

The coalition stated that, if the REC confirms the MEC’s decision, it will fight again before the Administrative Court to annul the elections on May 27 and repeat the voting.

The court annulled the April 3rd elections, following an appeal by the Albanian coalition to the Administrative Court. The repeated elections on April 28 were overthrown on the objection of the Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS).

In the elections on May 27, at the polling station number 6 in Veliki Trnovac, the Coalition of Albanians of the Valley received 598 votes, which was 12 less than the number of votes needed for the parliamentary mandate. These elections were the third at that polling station in less than two months.

“The issue of the Presevo Valley will be raised at the UN”

The issue of the Presevo Valley will now be raised at the United Nations, it was said after the meeting of the political representatives of the Albanians from Bujanovac, Presevo and Medvedja with the Ambassador of Albania to the United Nations (UN) Ferrit Hoxha in New York, reported KiM radio.

After meeting with Hoxha on Sunday, Arifi announced that he had briefed the ambassador on “the political situation in the Valley and the problems Albanians face in Serbia”.

“The issue of the Presevo Valley will now be raised at the UN. The inclusion of the Presevo Valley in the most comprehensive international organization is extremely important for revealing the truth about the situation and position of Albanians in the Presevo Valley,” said former Presevo mayor, Sinani in a FB post, reported KiM radio.

Vucic: Lavrov not coming to Belgrade, Kharchenko informed me of reasons (Tanjug)

Bulgaria, North Macedonia and Montenegro have not allowed passage of the Russian Foreign Affairs Minister Sergey Lavrov’s plane, Tanjug news agency reports. Lavrov was supposed to pay a two-day visit to Belgrade, today and tomorrow.

During the meeting with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, Russian Ambassador to Serbia, Alexander Botsan-Kharchenko informed him of the reasons that prevented the arrival of Minister Lavrov.

“Ambassador of the Russian Federation, Botsan-Kharchenko informed me of the reasons preventing the arrival of Minister Lavrov to Belgrade and he brought documents substantiating that”, Vucic wrote on his Instagram account ‘buducnostsrbije’. Media also reported that Vucic will talk more about this on the RTS main news edition, this evening at 19.30.

Meanwhile, commenting on the decision to ban the passage of his plane on the way to Belgrade, Russian Foreign Affairs Minister Sergey Lavrov said “it was an unprecedented decision” and “a policy of double standards”.

“They will tell the EU and NATO told them to do so, and NATO and the EU will say those countries make their own decisions”. 

“But let me make one thing clear, our relations with Serbia, nobody, and I repeat nobody, will be able to ruin”, he added. Lavrov also said that Serbian Foreign Affairs Minister Nikola Selakovic is invited to visit Moscow. 

Zakharova: Russia not making a new “iron curtain”, Europe fencing Russia off (N1)

The countries around Serbia have closed their airspace to Russian Foreign Affairs Minister Sergey Lavrov’s plane, shutting down another communication channel, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told Italian La7 TV, N1 reports.

“A Russian delegation was to arrive in Belgrade for talks. EU member countries and NATO closed the air space, they closed another communication channel”, she said, adding that Russia is not planning to make “an iron curtain” but this is exactly what Europe is doing.

“There will be no iron curtain, in the end, on our side, you needn’t worry, the EU is the one fencing Russia off with a curtain”, Zakharova said.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic is due to meet today with the Russian Ambassador to Belgrade Botsan-Kharchenko.

Kosovo Police called Sevce residents to an informative talk due to protest held (KiM radio)

Citizens who protested the illegal construction in the village of Sevce in the municipality of Strpce on May 21 were invited to an informative conversation with the Police in Strpce, and an investigation was launched against them on the order of the prosecutor. The President of the Municipality of Strpce, Dalibor Jevtic, believes that this is another type of pressure on the citizens and this municipality, reported KiM radio.

Residents of Sevce village, joined by representatives of the Municipality of Strpce, protested the illegal construction in this village two weeks ago. KiM radio reported that yesterday some locals were invited for an informative conversation at the Police Station in Strpce.

The municipality reminds that the owner of the plot B.M., at the very entrance to the village of Sevce, submitted a request to the Municipality of Strpce for obtaining a building permit and a permit for the construction of a facility on the said plot. The Municipality of Strpce, Department of Urbanism, after reviewing the documentation in accordance with the legal authorizations, rejected the request and informed the applicant. However, in March, B.M. continued with the construction and installation of large pipes in Lepenac (river).

As it was stated, the Department for Inspection of the Municipality of Strpce went to the field, made a report, and informed the Police about it. Residents of Sevce have organized gatherings on the mentioned location on several occasions, opposing illegal construction. A petition was initiated with a request to prevent the construction, KiM radio wrote.

“Citizens’ petition, signed by 99% of Sevce residents as well as the mayor, councillors, and members of the leadership of the Municipality of Strpce, was forwarded to the Assembly of the Municipality of Strpce where at the regular session of the Municipal Assembly Petition of Citizens was supported unanimously by all councillors, both Serbian and Albanian. On May 21, 2022, the owner of the plot, B.M. continues with the construction works, because of which the residents of the village of Sevce spontaneously gather and inform the mayor of Strpce, who joins them in that justifiable protest. On the spot, the mayor, through the present police officers, asks to talk to B.M. to ask him once again to stop the illegal activities of illegal construction. B.M. explicitly refused to talk,” said the Municipality of Strpce statement

As stated, the locals who have agricultural estates in that part of Sevce demanded removal of the pipes that B.M. illegally placed in the river. The pipes installed endanger the possibility of irrigation of their properties. After B.M. refused to do it himself, the locals decided to remove the pipes themselves because of the threat to their needs. After the pipes were removed, the locals peacefully dispersed, reported KiM radio, citing the statement.

The Municipality of Strpce stated that the entire leadership of this local self-government supports its citizens and calls on the competent institutions to protect them in this legal struggle.

Gallup: Half of the respondents without democracy (FoNet, KiM radio)

Almost half of the respondents, 49 percent of Serbian citizens, believe that the country’s rule is democratic, while 44 percent have the opposite view and do not believe that Serbia is ruled by the will of the people, according to a Gallup International survey on the rule of the will of the people and free elections in 44 countries of the world, reported KiM radio, citing FoNet agency. 

Compared to countries in the region, Serbian citizens are less critical of democratic rule in the country than citizens of other countries in the region, with 92 per cent of respondents from Bosnia and Herzegovina, 80 percent from Romania, 77 per cent of Bulgaria and 56 per cent of Northern Macedonians express doubts about the rule of democracy in their countries.

The Gallup survey covered 44 countries and about 41,000 respondents in the current cycle, and shows that, globally, 42 percent of respondents fully agree that their country is ruled by the will of the people, while more than half – 53 percent disagree.

Every other citizen around the world believes that the elections in their countries are free and fair, but the elected governments are not fully recognized as those who rule by the will of the people, the research estimates

Half of the respondents, 51 percent, think that the elections in their countries are free and fair, 43 percent think that they are not, while five percent of them are not sure.

The citizens of Ghana, Azerbaijan, Indonesia and Vietnam, Kosovo and the Czech Republic mostly believe that the elections in their countries are free and fair, while the citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Nigeria and Albania express the greatest doubts about the freedom of the election process.

Every second citizen of Serbia, exactly 50 percent, thinks that the elections are free and fair, while 43 percent do not agree with that statement, according to the results of the research.

Looking at the countries of the region, the results show that a smaller number of Serbian citizens, compared to their neighbours, express doubts about free and fair elections in their country.

By combining answers to the claims “My country is ruled by the will of the people” and “In general, elections in my country are free and fair”, an index was developed that reflects the opinion of citizens about the essential values of democracy, according to Gallup researchers.

The results show that a third of respondents worldwide – 34 percent believe that they live in conditions of strong democracy, i.e., that their country is ruled by the will of the people and that elections in their country are free and fair.

Almost as many, 35% of respondents around the world believe that they live in a weak democracy, where elections are not considered free and fair, nor is the government considered democratic.

Autocephaly of Ohrid Archbishopric officially recognized (N1)

Serbian Orthodox Church Patriarch Porfirije presented an official document recognizing the autocephaly of the Orthodox Church in North Macedonia to Ohrid Archbishop Stefan, N1 reports today.

The document, read out after Porfirije and Stefan served a liturgy in the Cathedral Church of St. Michael the Archangel in Belgrade, says that the full autocephaly refers to the home country of the North Macedonia Archbishopric of Ohrid and to the diaspora.

Partiarch Porfirije added the document confirms all Serbian Orthodox Church (SOC) Bishops’ Council previous decisions on the status of this kindred church and that it will be forwarded to other Orthodox Churches.

Archbishop Stefan said that Patriarch Porfirije and the SOC Bishops’ Council “took a step of historical importance for the North Macedonian Orthodox Church and for Orthodoxy in general”.

“You have shown, by your actions, how much you love peace and harmony among brothers, and the whole of the Orthodox Church”, Archbishop Stefan said.

International 

Turkey’s Nordic demands spark Western Balkan déjà vu (EURACTIV)

Turkey’s move to pressure Sweden and Finland into extraditing alleged “terrorists” they harbour is a method Ankara used for several years against countries in the Western Balkans, including EU candidate countries, under the idle gaze of Brussels.

While Turkey wields investment and aid as a sword of Damocles over the heads of poorer, less powerful countries, when it comes to the Nordic duo, it is their NATO application filed in May that hangs in the balance.

Read more at: https://bit.ly/3Q6xbQD

Humanitarian/Development

Kosovo Pupils Demand to be Heard, Save the Children Report shows (BIRN)

Marking International Children’s Day, June 1, the global NGO Save the Children in Kosovo published a report, “Young Voices”.

According to the report, 84 per cent of Kosovo’s children think that it is important that politicians and decision makers hear what children think.

“In most cases, our word has not been heard. Politicians have taken into account our needs only when they were interested in who is winning,” said a 14-year-old girl.

Save the Children Kosovo says in the report “New Voices”  that much work remains to be done in establishing a solid foundation for the implementation of the rights of all children in Kosovo.

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