• Kurti: Kosovo in the first place in terms of the rule of law in the Balkans (RTK)
• President Osmani participated in inauguration of new President of Albania (media)
• Kosovo ready to implement reciprocity measures with Serbia on ID cards (media)
• Italian ambassador optimistic about visa liberalization for Kosovo (media)
• Albania’s new president Bajram Begaj gets sworn into office (media)
• Haxhiu leaves open possibility for Specialist Chambers to have supervisory mechanism (media)
• The Serbian List holds hostage two laws (Koha)
• False bomb alert in the complex of the University of Pristina (RTK)
• Fractured History: Why Kosovo has no proper wartime archive (BIRN)

Kurti: Kosovo in the first place in terms of the rule of law in the Balkans (RTK)

The Prime Minister of Kosovo Albin Kurti received on Sunday in a meeting the executive chairman of the Atlantic Council General James Jones, founder and chairman of the Malama Ka’u Foundation, Mr. Mel Yokoyama, as well as the former Minister of Defense of the Republic of Albania, Mr. Fatmir Mediu.

They discussed political developments, investment opportunities and security issues in Kosovo and the region.

Prime Minister Kurti singled out the ranking of Kosovo in the first place in terms of the rule of law in the Balkans, according to the World Justice Project, the rise of 17 places in terms of the fight against corruption, according to Transparency International and the rise of 17 places higher in terms of media freedom according to Reporters Without Borders.

As an inevitable ally and friend, we need the help of the United States of America to become part of the NATO Partnership for Peace Program, until we become a full member of NATO, said Kurti, while emphasizing the growth of the defense budget for 52 percent and the very good cooperation and participation in joint missions and exercises of the Kosovo Security Force with the American army and NATO.

President Osmani participated in inauguration of new President of Albania (media)

The President of Kosovo Vjosa Osmani Sadriu at the invitation of the President’s Institution, participated on Sunday in the inauguration of the new President of the Republic of Albania, Mr. Bajram Begaj.

On behalf of the citizens of Kosovo, Osmani has conveyed the most sincere congratulations for success in this important task to the President of Albania.

“I am convinced that we will intensify cooperation, not only in the fraternal relations between Kosovo and Albania, but also in terms of our common Euro-Atlantic path,” Osmani said.

Kosovo ready to implement reciprocity measures with Serbia on ID cards (media)

At the end of June, the government of Kosovo decided on the measure of reciprocity in the matter of personal documents. This decision is expected to enter into force on August 1. Kosovo police says that they have made all the necessary preparations.

“As provided by the decision, from August 1, 2022, every person who appears to cross the state border with a personal identification document issued by the authorities of Serbia, will be provided at the border crossing points with an entry/exit document that temporarily replaces the use of such document. The entry/exit document will create a basis for movement in the territory of the Republic of Kosovo and for use within state institutions,” informs Kosovo Police.

All citizens of Kosovo who enter the territory of Serbia are familiar with this procedure, media report.

Italian ambassador optimistic about visa liberalization for Kosovo (media)

The ambassador of Italy in Kosovo Antonello De Riu said that his country supports the liberalization of visas because Kosovo remains the only country in the Western Balkans that is subject to this discipline. He is optimistic that the first step to liberalize visas for Kosovo will be made under the Czech presidency.

In an interview for KosovaPress, he said that he supports the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue, emphasizing that European integration is difficult for two countries that have critical issues between them. He stressed that the Kosovar side’s principle of mutual recognition was not included at the beginning of the dialogue. According to him, the two countries should bear in mind that only by finding a solution will they have a European future.

Albania’s new president Bajram Begaj gets sworn into office (media)

Bajram Begaj took his presidential oath and was sworn in during a solemn ceremony held at Albanian Parliament on Sunday. MPs, ambassadors, and leaders of independent institutions participated at the event. Kosovo’s President Vjosa Osmani also participated at the ceremony.

During his remarks, the new president called for political cooperation and an improvement in relations between political parties.

“I will be a servant of our people, a steadfast supporter of the Euro-Atlantic integration of all Albanians of Albania, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Presheva Valley and wherever they work,” Begaj said.

Bajram Begaj was elected president of Albania back in April, in a vote conducted in Parliament by 83 MPs.Begaj was elected with 78 votes in favor, 4 against, and no abstentions.

Haxhiu leaves open possibility for Specialist Chambers to have a supervisory mechanism (media)

Kosovo’s Minister of Justice Albulena Haxhiu today in a media conference, announced that they are discussing the Special Court case.

According to her, it is unprecedented that the Special Court has no mechanism. “I have expressed my concerns, after the visit I made there, for all the questions they did not give us answers there, they told us that they are confidential. As for the supervisory mechanism, it is being considered, I guarantee you that we are discussing this issue. It is unprecedented for an institution to not have other supervising mechanism for its work. A mechanism in which our citizens have faith. A mechanism considered to have such credibility. As soon as we agree, we will let you know about it,” she said.

Asked about the resolution on Dick Marty’s claims endorsed by the Parliament of Albania, she said ‘the government of the Republic of Kosovo welcomes any discussion in relation to this. Of course, it is important for us that the rights of our citizens held there are respected. I think it is still too early to give an opinion on this (the impact of the resolution). However, you know very well that the Special Court has been included in the Constitution of the Republic of Kosovo and the Constitution cannot be changed without the votes of 2/3 of the Albanian MPs and without the votes of 2/3 of the MPs representing the non-majority community. We also have the Serbian List in the Assembly of Kosovo, which will not support such a thing, however we have found the Special Court as a fait accompli, we cannot be held responsible as a government for this.’

The Serbian List holds hostage two laws (Koha)

Completion-amendment of the Law on local self-government and that on official holidays have remained hostage to the Serbian List, the news portal reports. The Minister of Local Government Administration, Elbert Krasniqi, has said that Serbian List has no specific reason not to vote on the Law on local self-government, but is simply not participating in the session when this draft law is scheduled to be voted on. The amendment requires the majority of the votes of the communities.

The initiation of these changes was made after the case of the Municipality of Gracanica, where the election of the deputy from the communities, in this case an Albanian, has not been proposed for four years.

While  amendment of the Law on official holidays, among other things, foresees that if a holiday falls during the weekend, there will be no rest during working days.

False bomb alert in the complex of the University of Pristina (RTK)

The Kosovo Police received Sunday evening information about a possible explosion at the “Hasan Prishtina” University Complex in Pristina.

The Police Spokesperson for the Prishtina Region Flora Ahmeti told RTK that they received information around 7:30 p.m. about suspicions related to a possible explosion at the “Hasan Prishtina” University Complex in Prishtina.

“The police immediately went to the scene and started taking the necessary operational actions to manage the situation,” she told RTK.

Fractured History: Why Kosovo has no proper wartime archive (BIRN)

Important files, photographs and witness records that illuminate the history of the Kosovo war are being kept separately by human rights groups, amateur archivists and the State Archives, as the authorities haven’t managed to establish a proper central archive.

Bexhet Shala runs his fingers across shelves containing a hundred boxes with thousands of files, including cassettes and CDs.

Shala is head of the Pristina-based Council for the Defence of Human Rights and Freedoms, a NGO whose activists documented every killing, injury, incident of torture, rape or any other kind of abuse by Serbian police and Yugoslav troops between 1989 and 1999, sometimes working with international rights watchdog organisations Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International.

As he tried to give a chronological explanation of the material in his files, Shala stopped and groaned, raising his eyebrows with a sigh.

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