- Svecla: Jarinje and Bernjak border points opened, barricades removed (media)
- Opposition boycotts the meeting at the Presidency (Klan)
- NATO DSG: KFOR ready to intervene if stability in the north is threatened (media)
- EU confirms that Kurti and Vucic have been invited to Brussels (Klan Kosova)
- Petkovic: One step away from conflict because of Prishtina (media)
- NATO peacekeepers oversee the removal of roadblocks in Kosovo (Reuters)
- Serbia, Cyprus discuss Kosovo, Turkey (Cyprus Mail)
- Ukrainian MP: Putin’s scenario is being repeated in Kosovo (euronews.al)
- Social Media Disinformation Spreads Panic About Kosovo-Serbia ‘War’ (BIRN)
Svecla: Jarinje and Bernjak border points opened, barricades removed (media)
The Minister of Internal Affairs Xhelal Svecla, stated that all the barricades that were placed in the north by the Serbian groups have been removed. In a long status on Facebook, he also informed that some groups have shot guns at Kosovo policemen on Sunday and Monday.
“Masked groups with long guns, led by Belgrade and coming from Serbia, have started attacks on the country’s citizens, brutally beating them, and today they also shot at police officials with the aim of killing them,” he wrote.
“These attacks were prepared for a long time and these preparations culminated in the meetings in Belgrade and Raska. Such attacks do not contribute to the stability of our countries and the region because, above all, our government has made two decisions respecting local and international laws. As we promised last night, as the Government of the Republic of Kosovo, by removing the barricades and ensuring freedom of movement for our citizens, we moved the implementation of the decisions to September 1, 2022, in order to maintain stability in the country and the region,” Svecla added.
He added further that creating panic, causing general danger, moving of armed and masked persons within the country, the brutal beating of the citizens as well as the attempted murder of police officers are unacceptable actions and, in this regard, the investigations and justice will be done. “The use of such criminal groups to destabilize the country by the Serbian side does not only endanger our country, and this becomes even more serious when Serbia, which aims to achieve its goals through such groups, receives full and already public support from Moscow.
“In addition to attacks on citizens, material damage and attempted murders against police officers, last night we were also faced with cyber attacks that tried to hinder the functioning of the state. In this regard, we have taken all the necessary measures and the system has been successfully protected,“ he wrote.
Opposition boycotts the meeting at the Presidency (Klan)
The opposition parties have rejected the invitation of President Vjosa Osmani for a joint discussion with the heads of the government and the assembly, about the situation created on Sunday in the north.
The Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) justified this refusal by saying that it is an attempt to cover up failure and irresponsibility.
“The opposition must be consulted and heard before actions are taken. The opposition can help the Government not to make mistakes, but it cannot take over its failures,” reads the LDK communique.
The Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) called a press conference where Vlora Citaku said that blocking of the roads by local Serbs was ordered by the official Belgrade, but the government here also made mistakes, as it was not coordinated with the allies.
Chairman of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) Ramush Haradinaj said that police actions are not carried out in this manner.
“Any action left half way, like last night’s, is a loss for Kosovo. The state of Kosovo is not weakened only by the criminal gangs in the north, but also by the ignorant and interns in the government,” Haradinaj wrote.
A day before, all the opposition parties gave their support to the government for the establishment of document reciprocity with Serbia.
NATO DSG: KFOR ready to intervene if stability in the north is threatened (media)
The Deputy Secretary General of NATO Mircea Geoana has announced that he talked with the commander of KFOR, Ferenc Kajari, about the situation in the north of Kosovo.
“Spoke with NATO KFOR Commander MG Ferenc Kajári about the situation in Kosovo. KFOR is closely monitoring and remains prepared to intervene if stability is jeopardized in the North of Kosovo, based on its UN mandates,” Geoana tweeted.
EU confirms that Kurti and Vucic have been invited to Brussels (Klan Kosova)
EU spokesperson Peter Stano confirmed to Klan Kosova that Prime Minister Albin Kurti and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic have been invited to Brussels.
“All those involved must remain calm, and any uncoordinated and unilateral action that threatens stability and security on the ground and impedes the freedom of movement of all citizens must be stopped immediately,” he said.
“The only way to resolve disputes is through dialogue and negotiations. The EU has been and remains in close contact with both Kosovo and Serbia to calm tensions, and in close coordination with EULEX, KFOR and international partners, especially with the United States of America,” he added.
Stano confirmed that the EU has invited both sides to Brussels to discuss and added that the proposal of the EU High Representative Joseph Borrell, proposed the postponement of the measures and that the United States of America fully supported it.
“All open problems must be addressed through the EU-facilitated dialogue,” he added.
“The focus must return to the comprehensive normalization of relations between Kosovo and Serbia, which is essential for the respective integration paths,” Stano stressed.
Petkovic: One step away from conflict because of Prishtina (media)
The Serbian Director of the Office for Kosovo, Petar Petkovic, stated that the North was one step away from the conflict and according to him, this was because of Prishtina and not Belgrade.
In a statement to the press, Petkovic said that Albin Kurti is to blame for this situation as he said that he is dangerous, writes RTS.
“This shows how dangerous he is, but also that the threat to the Serbs in the north of Kosovo does not stop,” said Petkovic.
He added that Belgrade does not seek conflict, as President Aleksandar Vucic has mentioned the word peace in his speeches.
NATO peacekeepers oversee the removal of roadblocks in Kosovo (Reuters)
NATO-led peacekeepers backed by helicopters on Monday oversaw the removal of roadblocks protesters had set up in Kosovo, where political tensions have flared more than two decades since a NATO campaign of airstrikes drove out Serbian forces.
Kosovo police said the removal of the barricades in the north of the country allowed two border crossings with Serbia to be reopened.
“Roads are now free for traffic to pass, both border crossings are now open for people and goods to cross,” the police said in a statement.
The removal of the barricades came after the Kosovo government postponed the implementation of a decision that would oblige ethnic Serbs, who are a majority in the north, to apply for documents and car license plates issued by Kosovan institutions.
Read more at: https://reut.rs/3bj4Abv
Serbia, Cyprus discuss Kosovo, Turkey (Cyprus Mail)
The foreign ministers of Cyprus and Serbia on Monday condemned unilateral actions and stressed the need to respect the sovereignty of all states, while confirming the excellent relations between their two countries.
Serbia’s top diplomat Nikola Selakovic is on an official visit to the island.
In a joint news conference after talks in Nicosia, Foreign Minister Ioannis Kasoulides thanked Serbia for its “principled positions” on the Cyprus problem “and its constant support to a process eventually leading to a peaceful solution, on the basis of the relevant United Nations Security Council Resolutions.”
Kasoulides also reiterated Cyprus’ position on the issue of non-recognition of Kosovo.
Read more at: https://bit.ly/3zphJI3
Ukrainian MP: Putin’s scenario is being repeated in Kosovo (euronews.al)
Ukrainian MP Oleksiy Goncharenko says that Russia stands behind Serbia regarding the tensions caused in northern Kosovo.
In an interview for Euronews Albania, Oleksiy Goncharenko said that the same scenario, which was used by Putin for the invasion of Ukraine, was used in Kosovo, under the false pretenses that the goal is ‘denazification’.
“I am sure of this and I say it openly. The exact repetition of Putin’s scenario, where it’s precisely the MPs of Serbia that are starting to say that we are aiming for the denazification of the Balkans, is the same scenario as with us, that is, for the denazification of Ukraine, and denazification means the killing of Ukrainians and it means genocide.
Read more at: https://bit.ly/3zsbnr5
Social Media Disinformation Spreads Panic About Kosovo-Serbia ‘War’ (BIRN)
Social media users are spreading disinformation about a full-scale ‘war’ that has allegedly already broken out between Kosovo and Serbia after Kosovo Serbs barricaded roads to two border crossings.
While Kosovo Serb barricades blocking roads to two border crossing points to the border with Serbia are being removed, disinformation about the conflict is spreading on social media and several media platforms worldwide.
Kosovo is currently trending on Twitter with over 250,000 tweets.
Twitter users, mainly from Ukraine, Russia, Turkey, Spain, Serbia, Kosovo, and Albania, are all sharing disinformation of an alleged “war” that has broken out between Kosovo and Serbia or sharing propaganda against Kosovo’s independence from Serbia, declared in 2008.
Read more at: https://bit.ly/3JmCrN4
