Albanian Language Media:

• OSCE Chairman-in-Office meets Kosovo leaders (media)
• President Osmani: Kosovo, a constructive party in dialogue with Serbia (media)
• “Kosovo will continue to participate constructively and actively in dialogue” (media)
• Decan mayor on Europa Nostra conclusions: Not based on facts (Zeri)
• Abazi: Companies tied to Grenell registered in the U.S. to control Kosovo assets (T7/G. Express)
• LDK: Ruling parties come and go; media remain caretakers of democracy (media)
• AAK senior member reacts to Baton Haxhiu’s statement (Express)
• PDK: Kurti government is deepening poverty, bankrupting companies (media)
• Over 1,200 new cases with COVID-19 in last 24 hours (media)
• Former Croatian President to be declared Honorary Citizen of Prizren (Indeksonline)
• The U.S. Congress votes on resolution, asking Serbia to punish killers of Bytyqi brothers (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• GrenelI to Politika: I do not expect too much from the Brussels dialogue (media)
• Petkovic with Italian Ambassador on dialogue (Radio KIM)
• New apple of discord: SOC in the dialogue on normalization (KiM radio)
• Stano: We expect Serbia to refrain from intensifying relations with Russia (N1)

International:

• Former inmates of ‘Prison from Hell’ recall its grim secrets (Prishtina Insight)

Humanitarian/Development:

• Kosovo could be among places that sells coal to Germany (Radio Kosova/RTK)
• About 700 new students enrolled in ten faculties of Mitrovica North (Radio Mitrovica sever)

Albanian Language Media  

OSCE Chairman-in-Office meets Kosovo leaders (media)

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Poland, and chairman of the OSCE Zbigniew Rau met today with the Prime Minister of Kosovo Albin Kurti.

Rau also met with President Vjosa Osmani, Foreign Minister Donika Gervalla, and Assembly Speaker Glauk Konjufca, media report.

Konjufca and Rau talked about the intensification of cooperation between Poland and Kosovo as well as Poland’s commitment in the region as the next chair of the OSCE. Opinions were also exchanged about the work of the legislature, the progress that Kosovo has made with the undertaking of reforms in the field of the rule of law, freedom of expression, democracy, the electoral system and human rights, as well as the cooperation of the Assembly with the OSCE mission in Kosovo.

President Osmani: Kosovo, a constructive party in dialogue with Serbia (media)

President of Kosovo Vjosa Osmani met today with the OSCE Chairman-in-Office and Foreign Minister of Poland, Zbigniew Rau, and discussed the role of the OSCE in supporting the institutions of Kosovo over the last two decades and security developments in the region and beyond. Osmani said Kosovo has achieved progress in the areas of rule of law, democracy, and human rights. On the dialogue with Serbia, Osmani said Kosovo remains a constructive party and that the process must focus on mutual recognition. “Kosovo is committed to contribute actively to a more united, peaceful and democratic Europe,” she said.

“Kosovo will continue to participate constructively and actively in dialogue” (media)

Principal Deputy Prime Minister of Kosovo Besnik Bislimi said on Thursday that Kosovo will continue to participate constructively and actively in the EU-facilitated dialogue with Serbia. “Together with EU Special Representative @MiroslavLajcak we discussed about the next steps in the dialogue process. Kosova will continue to participate constructively & actively in the dialogue process,” Bislimi tweeted after meeting Lajcak.

Decan mayor on Europa Nostra conclusions: Not based on facts (Zeri)

Mayor of Decan Bashkim Ramosaj reacted to the conclusions of Europa Nostra representatives that the reasons for inclusion of the Decan Monastery to the list of endangered sites remain valid. 

He said that Europa Nostra should have treated the issue with “competency” and “professionalism” and that he was outraged at how such an organisation declares the Decan Monastery to be among the endangered sites without facts, adding that such a finding does “not correspond to the reality”. “I can say with full confidence that at no time did Europa Nostra refer to official reports from relevant security mechanisms, including KFOR as the direct security respondent for this area,” Ramosaj said.

“I can say with the highest degree of responsibility that the objectives and goals of the institutions of the Republic of Kosovo and the citizens of the municipality of Decan are peaceful, include those of economic development and coexistence in harmony while respecting, protecting and recognising the values ​​of everyone in this country and in particularity of the Monastery in question”, he added.

Abazi: Companies tied to Grenell registered in the U.S. to control Kosovo assets (T7/G. Express)

Haki Abazi, MP from the Vetevendosje Movement, responded to remarks by the former U.S. envoy Richard Grenell during a lecture to University of Belgrade on a number of issues, including the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia. 

Abazi said that Grenell was an “accident” in U.S. politics and accused him of having ties to oligarchs in Moldova. He also said that at the time when Grenell was negotiating a Kosovo-Serbia agreement, many limited liability companies were being registered in the state of Delaware in the U.S. and that Grenell was trying to create an area outside Kosovo’s control which would include the largest economic assets in the north.

“They would have been outside the state control of Kosovo, like Ujman and Trepca. There were many companies being registered in Delaware to place all this wealth under independent management,” Abazi said. 

At the Belgrade university lecture, Grenell is reported to have blamed Prime Minister of Kosovo Albin Kurti and the EU for failing to reach the Kosovo-Serbia agreement. He said that KFOR should withdraw from Kosovo, since “in this way it is prolonging the conflict,” and that “the dialogue mediated by Brussels, which mentions the recognition of Kosovo’s independence, does not solve the problem.” In the lecture, Grenell also denied working for the government of Serbia, as previously reported by independent organisations in Serbia.

LDK: Ruling parties come and go; media remain caretakers of democracy (media)

Spokeswoman for the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) Sibel Halimi took to Facebook today to react to a statement by Vetevendosje MP Fitore Pacolli who called for measures by the government and parliament to look into the functioning of the media, their transparency and identify the ownerships. Halimi said in her reaction: “Attacks against the media have turned into a means of communication by the political government. This practice is common when a government proves it is incapable and transfers their problem to the media. In democratic societies, the media are a reflection of good governance, but for the ruling party this means facing the bitter reality which is difficult to accept. Ruling parties come and go, but the media remain caretakers of democratic values”.

AAK senior member reacts to Baton Haxhiu’s statement (Express)

Member of the chairmanship of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) Smajl Latifi reacted today to a statement by reporter and publicist Baton Haxhiu who argued on Thursday that AAK leader Ramush Haradinaj holds the main responsibility why Albin Kuti and the Vetevendosje Movement won over 50 percent of votes. Haxhiu also said that for pragmatic reasons, Haradinaj is willing to join a coalition with Kurti’s Vetevendosje. Latifi said in his reaction that Haxhiu is outraged with the AAK and Haradinaj because they “unmasked and stopped the project for Kosovo’s partition”. According to Latifi, Haxhiu “was always a speaker for all governments … He is clearly upset with the growth of the Alliance and tries to slam it with lies”.

PDK: Kurti government is deepening poverty, bankrupting companies (media)

Blerand Stavileci, member of the leadership of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) and Arben Mustafa, Coordinator of the Department for Finance within the Cabinet for Good Governance, called today in a press conference on the government to react urgently to the economic crisis in Kosovo.

“The increase in the prices of all essential products, inflation and the lack of action by the government with concrete packages, is causing families to go towards impoverishment, workers towards the west and companies towards bankruptcy,” he said.

Stavileci, enumerating the challenges that the people of Kosovo are facing today, said that the only government in the world that is not accepting the crisis and is not acting to alleviate it, is the Albin Kurti’s government.

Over 1,200 new cases with COVID-19 in last 24 hours (media)

All news websites report that over 1,200 new cases with COVID-19 were confirmed in the last 24 hours in Kosovo. There are 4,225 active cases with COVID-19 in Kosovo.

Former Croatian President to be declared Honorary Citizen of Prizren (Indeksonline)

Former President of Croatia Stipe Mesic will be declared Honorary Citizen of Prizren on Monday, the news website reports. On this occasion, the municipal assembly of Prizren will hold a solemn session.

The U.S. Congress votes on resolution, asking Serbia to punish killers of Bytyqi brothers (media)

The Congress of the United States of America has voted in favor of the Resolution on the case of the murder of the Bytyqi brothers. This five point resolution demands that the persons responsible for the murder of Ylli, Agron and Mehmet Bytyqi in July 1999 be brought to justice.

“Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), That it is the sense of Congress that those individuals responsible for the murders in July 1999 of United States citizens Ylli, Agron, and Mehmet Bytyqi in Serbia should be brought to justice; It is reprehensible that no individual has ever been found guilty for executing the Bytyqi brothers, or of any other crimes associated with their deaths, and that no individual is even facing charges for these horrible crimes; The Government of Serbia and its relevant ministries and offices, including the Serbian War Crimes Prosecutor’s Office, should make it a priority to investigate and prosecute as soon as possible those current or former officials believed to be responsible for their deaths, directly or indirectly; The United States should devote sufficient resources to fully assist and properly monitor efforts by the Government of Serbia and its relevant ministries and offices to investigate and prosecute as soon as possible those individuals believed to be responsible for their deaths, directly or indirectly; and progress in resolving this case, or the lack thereof, should remain a significant factor determining the further development of relations between the United States and the Republic of Serbia,” reads the U.S. Congress document.

Serbian Language Media

GrenelI to Politika: I do not expect too much from the Brussels dialogue (media)

Richard Grenell, former special envoy of US President Donald Trump said in an interview for daily Politika that parts of the Washington Agreement have been violated, and that parts still trying to be implemented, but there was no US leadership. He said that he did not expect too much from the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina. 

The former ambassador of the United States of America in Berlin, and then the coordinator of the American security services, during the mandate of the previous US president, assessed that the current American administration did not see Albin Kurti as a good leader, citing his recent visit to America as an example.

– Kurti went to Washington and did not reach the White House – recalled Grenell.

One of Donald Trump’s closest associates, from the time when the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, signed the Washington Agreement with the American administration in the White House, which was also done by the representatives of Pristina, this time came to Belgrade to hold a lecture on “America, the Balkans and Europe” at the Faculty of Political Sciences. In his presentation at the FPN, Grenell expressed a clear commitment to the idea of the “Open Balkans” initiative and recalled that its goal was the cooperation of the countries of the region and that this was the reason the USA also supported that project.

Politika: How do you evaluate the relations between Serbia and the USA, are they better or worse than during the administration of Donald Trump? 

Grenell: Excellent question. I have thought about it a lot over the past few years. It is a very important relationship. There is an understanding that there is some conflict in the region. Regardless of whether it is real, many Westerners believe that it is a real and existing conflict. It affects many decisions, especially in the private sector. Private individuals are reluctant to establish stronger economic ties because they have this kind of impression that there is a conflict. I am trying to dispel that belief, to convince those private companies that there is no conflict, that there is an interest in coming here economically. That is why I assess that those relations have become worse.

Politika: What could be the reason for that?

Grenell: It is hard to understand why it is not a priority now, and it was for President Trump. At that time, we had the President’s personal envoy in charge of economic negotiations. Just think about it. The president sent his envoy to help this region.

Politika: During the Trump administration, two Kosovo governments fell, Ramush Haradinaj and Albin Kurti. After the termination of your engagement, Kurti returned to the head of the government again?

Grenell: I do not think he is a good leader for the people of Kosovo, other leaders were better. It is not just my opinion; the current US government sees it that way too, I believe. Remember that he went to Washington, he did not even get to the White House, he did not go inside. He was across the street with the administration staff. That could not happen under Trump. We would organize high-level meetings and send strong, clear messages. Just remember that Kurti refused to approve the gas pipeline, and Kosovo needs energy. That does not make any sense.

Politika: Which Kosovo leaders would you prefer?

Grenell: The Europeans should not have placed Hashim Thaci in The Hague. The people of Kosovo, if they want to move forward, know that we made much more progress when Thaci was president.

Politika: In your opinion, what is the current situation in the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina? What can we expect in the future?

Grenell: You must ask the EU. They are now in charge, because the Biden administration has stated that it does not want to be involved and leaves the initiative to the European Union. I do not think anything has been done, but I do not expect too much either. If the European Union is in charge, you will have a lot of talk and little action.

Politika: Do you think that the Washington Agreement is still valid, considering Pristina’s application to the Council of Europe?

Grenell: Parts are broken, parts are still trying to be implemented, but there is no US leadership, no pressure to implement.

Politika: What is your relationship with Donald Trump? What outcome do you expect in the 2024 US elections?

Grenell: I am not going to predict what will happen. I talk to President Trump very regularly and I personally believe that he will run for president again.

Politika: What are your impressions of the regional situation, considering the events in Eastern Europe?

Grenell: I can only tell you that while Donald Trump was president, we did not start any new wars, we ended wars and we concentrated on economic development. That has all changed. As the US ambassador to Germany, I could not help but notice that during Merkel’s time, they pushed Europe into a very bad situation when it comes to energy.

Petkovic with Italian Ambassador on dialogue (Radio KIM)

Belgrade has fulfilled all obligations deriving from the Brussels agreement, and same can not be said about Pristina, which for the last nine years refuses to establish Community of Serb-majority Municipalities, Office for Kosovo and Metohija Director Petar Petkovic said in a meeting with Italian Ambassador to Serbia, Luca Gori, Radio KIM reports. Petkovic added that the Serbian side deems the Community of Serb-majority Municipalities as a crucial issue.

He also informed his interlocutor about the course of Belgrade-Pristina dialogue and discussed the problems in resolving the missing persons issue, implementation of energy agreement and other topics.

During the talks Petkovic also mentioned the two latest bans by Pristina, preventing him from entering Kosovo and Metohija, on June 12 and 13, adding that by doing so Pristina demonstrated clear intention to continue violating agreements, including the one on freedom of movement.

New apple of discord: SOC in the dialogue on normalization (KiM radio)

The NGO New Social Initiative from Kosovska Mitrovica has published an analysis on the topic “New apple of discord: the SOC in the dialogue on normalization”, which considers three possible options for (not) including the status of the SOC in the negotiations between Belgrade and Pristina, reported KiM radio.

According to the announcement of this NGO, the Serbian Orthodox Church (SOC) is a party that cannot be bypassed in the dialogue on the normalization of relations between Belgrade and Pristina. The influence that the SOC has on the Serbian public is rooted in the trust and historical continuity of this religious organization, which can therefore either play the role of a potential creator, but also a potential destroyer of the agreement between Belgrade and Pristina, reported KiM radio.

Qualitative research in the form of an analysis of public policy options “A new apple of discord: the SOC in the dialogue on normalization”, as announced, examines the likelihood of including the issue of the status of the SOC in the dialogue on the normalization of relations between Belgrade and Pristina and the acceptability of different models of the eventual participation of church representatives in the negotiations for the communities of Kosovo Serbs and Kosovo Albanians.

The reason for the research, they add further, was the report on the dialogue on the normalization of relations between Belgrade and Pristina, which was presented in mid-2021 by the Deputy Prime Minister of Kosovo in charge of the dialogue with Serbia, Besnik Bislimi, and in which it was stated that in the second half of 2020, the government of Avdullah Hoti agreed with the Serbian side to negotiate on eight topics, among which is the “status of the Serbian Orthodox Church”.

“While for the Kosovo Serb community, the direct participation of representatives of the Serbian Orthodox Church, specifically the Diocese of Raška-Prizren in the negotiating team of Belgrade is the most acceptable, for the Kosovo Albanians this issue is closed, and the negotiations on a very narrow number of issues, related to the better implementation of the already existing legal framework for the protection of religious freedom, cannot be prior to formal recognition. For interlocutors close to the SOC, however, the answer to the question of how SOC representatives could be involved in possible negotiations is in the already tested model applied with Ahtisaari – not as part of the negotiating team, but with direct contacts with the mediator in dialogue. At that time, direct talks were held with the team of Martti Ahtisaari, who thus got to know the situation additionally, and based on those contacts, Annex V was largely compiled,” the announcement stated, reported KiM radio. 

As an organization most trusted by the citizens and viewed as the most legitimate representative of the SOC, i.e., its Diocese of Raska and Prizren, by possibly participating in part of the negotiations on the comprehensive normalization of relations between Belgrade and Pristina, would contribute to the easier acceptance of that agreement in the Serbian community. However, the reputation of the SOC in the Kosovo public may contribute to the idea of including its representatives in the negotiations, in any way, in creating a new insurmountable obstacle in the negotiations, similar in magnitude to the Community of Serbian Municipalities, which has been burdening the negotiations for nine years.

“The Diocese itself has repeatedly publicly emphasized the need to raise the issue of property and the status of the SOC as part of the dialogue. According to informed interlocutors, the starting point of the negotiations would be the non-selective application of Annex V of Ahtisaari’s plan, which the Diocese of Raska and Prizren often points out is not fully included in the Kosovo legal system,” the announcement pointed out. 

For experts from Serbia, as stated, the rejection of negotiations that also include representatives of the SOC would “mean that the Albanian representatives have no respect for religious freedom”, while at the same time underlining that, since the dialogue does not provide answers to technical questions for more than a year, it is difficult to imagine that there are conditions to open identity questions in it.

“On the other hand, without solid guarantees for identity issues, the center of which is the SOC, it is impossible to imagine an agreement acceptable to the Serbian public. Finally, it is almost impossible to get the seal of approval of the SOC on an agreement that implies recognition, or which is acceptable to the Kosovo public. These circumstances put the SOC in the role of a potential creator, but also a potential destroyer of the agreement between Belgrade and Pristina, but regardless of how the SOC uses its influence, it is an actor that cannot be bypassed,” the statement concluded, reported KiM radio.

Stano: We expect Serbia to refrain from intensifying relations with Russia (N1)

Asked to comment on media reports that Russia Today is to open offices in Serbia, European Union (EU) spokesperson for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Peter Stano noted that the EU imposed restrictions against Russia Today as part of the sanctions against Russia and that Serbia as a candidate country is expected to progressively align with EU’s Common Foreign and Security Policy and its decisions. 

N1 recalled that Nova.rs reported Thursday it had learnt Russia Today is to open offices in Serbia.

“Without commenting on announcements of intentions, let me recall, that the EU imposed broadcasting, distribution and advertising restrictions against Russia Today as part of the sanctions to respond to the illegal aggression of Russia against Ukraine (…)” Stano said, adding “that Russia Today is part of Russia’s propaganda and disinformation instruments (…)”.  Stano also said that, as a candidate country, Serbia is expected to progressively align with the EU’s Common Foreign and Security Policy and respective decisions.

International 

Former inmates of ‘Prison from Hell’ recall its grim secrets (Prishtina Insight)

The slit of the door of the place where they were tortured still reminds former Kosovo Albanian political prisoners of their ordeal in the Prishtina prison that has now become a museum.

In the middle of the dark room at the end of the narrow corridor of the Prishtina Prison, a single chair still stands in front of which is a razor, with which the dry skin of Kosovo’s political prisoners was cut — but not only for shaving purposes.

Ramadan Nishori, from Komoran village in Drenas, then 19 years old, did not have a beard – but this was no obstacle for the Serbian barber who used his fresh face for the “art” of torture.

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

Humanitarian/Development

Kosovo could be among places that sells coal to Germany (Radio Kosova/RTK)

Kosovo could be one of the places that sells coal to Germany after the country announced that as of 1 August it would not be buying gas or coal from Russia, several online media outlets report quoting Radio Kosova.

Representatives of Kosovo’s commerce chambers view the situation as a good opportunity for Kosovo. “If Germany no longer gets gas and coal from Russia, the chances are that Kosovo will be one of the countries to export coal, because Kosovo’s coal supply is so high that there will be enough for the next 600 years,” said Agim Shahini, chairman of the Kosovo Businesses Alliance. He noted however that the Government of Kosovo must be very flexible and offer this opportunity not only to the countries in the Balkans but also to those beyond in helping them overcome the crisis.

Head of Kosovo’s Chamber of Business, Skender Krasniqi, agreed that Kosovo has an extraordinary opportunity to increase exports of coal and other products to the EU as a result of the current situation and the war in Ukraine but that this depends on the production and export capacities. 

Radio Kosova notes that Kosovo has the fifth largest coal reserves in the world. 

About 700 new students enrolled in ten faculties of Mitrovica North (Radio Mitrovica sever)

The interest of students in studying at the ten faculties of the University of Pristina, dislocated to Mitrovica North is not less than in previous years. The number of enrolled freshmen is approximately the same as last year, and this year students showed the greatest interest in study programs at the Faculty of Medicine, Mladjan Milic, expert associate for student affairs at the rectorate of the University of Pristina, told Radio Mitrovica sever.

“We have 700 to 740 newly enrolled students every year in the first enrollment period. This year, the total number is 689 at all ten faculties. We expect interest in the second enrollment period, because there are still free places on the budget. In accordance with the multi-year trend, by the end of the deadline in September, that number should exceed 1,000 freshmen”, Milic said.

Milic reiterated that the students showed the greatest interest in the Faculty of Medicine this year, even though tuition fees for integrated studies in medicine and dentistry are higher this year, but they introduced new study programs for basic and three-year academic studies, so it was expanded list of choices of future occupations in the field of health.

Seemingly, following the situation and interest at other faculties in central Serbia, this year, high school graduates showed the greatest interest in studying at the Faculty of Dentistry, then at the Faculty of Organisational Sciences and at the Faculty of Philosophy – Department of Psychology.