• COMKFOR Major General Ferenc Kajari’s interview with RTK
• President Osmani meets U.S. envoy Escobar (media)
• Escobar meets opposition leaders, no statements after the meeting (media)
• Lajcak to meet opposition leaders today at 16:00, sources say (Express)
• Hill: Serbia was prepared for negotiations in Brussels, the other side not (media)
• Mayors of northern municipalities to meet today (Klan Kosova)
• Wisner: A round of Kosovo-Serbia talks never solves anything (VoA)
• Serwer: Tempest in a license plate (media)
• Kosovo war-era Yugoslav Army general dies in Russia (BIRN)
• Anti-LGBT sentiments flourish online in South-East Europe (BIRN)

COMKFOR Major General Ferenc Kajari’s interview with RTK

COMKFOR Major General, Ferenc Kajari, said in an interview with RTK on Tuesday evening that KFOR will not allow roadblocks because UNSC Resolution 1244 gives two main tasks to KFOR “to maintain a safe and secure environment and order in Kosovo and to secure the free movement of all citizens”. “If barricades are set up this impedes the freedom of movement and if an agreement is not reached, then there will come a moment when KFOR will have to act in order to enable the freedom of movement,” he said.

Kajari called on all sides to refrain from any unilateral actions and to engage in negotiations and a political agreement “because setting up barricades does not help solve the situation”.

The COMKFOR said the security situation in the north is calm and that he expects the ongoing negotiations to result in an agreement. He said KFOR has stepped up its presence in the north. “KFOR has set up observation points and technical control points in the area. We have also stepped up our patrolling activities in the area. These measures have been undertaken to react to any kind of incident and to have greater security. If there are tensions, we will act according to our mandate,” he said.

Kajari said that it was a request of the institutions of Kosovo and Minister for Communities and Returns, Goran Rakic, for KFOR to step up its presence in the north. He said that the forces in the north are not additional forces and that the eastern command has been moved there. “These are forces of the eastern command, we just increased our presence in that area. Even the institutions of Kosovo have asked for a greater presence for KFOR, and Minister Rakic has also asked for this,” he said.

Kajari also talked about the communication he had with the Serb community and with the head of the Serbian Armed Forces on July 31. “I contacted Minister Rakic and discussed the situation with him. I have been in contact with the head of the Armed Forces of Serbia so that the situation remains normal. These contacts, these talks and negotiations were necessary to clarify the situation,” he said.

Kajari did not want to comment if Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic asked him to concentrate KFOR troops on the main bridge over Ibar River, saying that only KFOR and no one else decides about the military activities and mission of KFOR troops.

Kajari said KFOR has regular and excellent cooperation with the Kosovo Police and that they coordinate activities on the ground and some joint patrols.

Kajari said KFOR is closely monitoring the administrative borderline and that they have not noticed any unusual activities.

Asked about the potential threat of war in Kosovo, the COMKFOR was very clear: “My simple answer is no. I think war is not a relevant issue. KFOR has not seen any indication about this. There is no threat of war in this part; NATO and KFOR are here.”

“In a relatively short period of time, NATO can increase its troops and additional equipment if needed, but it is not good to talk about war and we have discussed this with Prime Minister Kurti too,” he said.

Kajari said that the Kosovo Security Force (KSF) and NATO have an agreement about the activity of the KSF in the north of Kosovo and that based on the agreement they cannot go to the north without the consent of the commander of KFOR.

During the interview, Kajari also talked about Serb churches and monasteries in Kosovo. “KFOR is responsible for the security of Decani Monastery, and this is the last religious site that we cover, the security for the other sites has been handed over to the Kosovo Police and they are doing an excellent job for the security of these religious sites and the security and calmness there,” he said.

Kajari also said that during his command there has been no physical threat against the Decani Monastery “and we never had to engage our troops for security in that region”.

Asked about the activities of Serb criminal groups in the north, Kajari said KFOR closely follows the activities in the north. “We follow the activities of all groups in our area of operations, and this means that we follow all statements too. Resolution 1244 mandates KFOR to maintain the security situation in Kosovo and to provide a safe and secure environment,” he said. “We will use all our capacities as needed to maintain the security situation. KFOR has all the required capacities and resources and the mandate to act against any group that may threaten the security situation.”

Kajari said KFOR does not arrest individuals because this is not in their mandate but that if there is a need to react against violent groups that threaten the security situation then KFOR can stop those that resist KFOR activities. “The primary task of KFOR is to prevent violence and to create favorable conditions for negotiations. If we see increased tensions and if negotiations are not successful, we will operate according to our mandate,” he said.

Kajari said that if any individuals impede the activities of KFOR, they will stop them and hand them over to the respective authorities.

President Osmani meets U.S. envoy Escobar (media)

President of Kosovo Vjosa Osmani met on Tuesday with the U.S. envoy for the Western Balkans, Gabriel Escobar. After the two-hour meeting, Osmani and Escobar did not talk to the media. Later in a Facebook post, Osmani said that “Kosovo will continue to be a constructive and equal party committed to the process of the dialogue, while contributing to peace and stability in the country and the region. Our institutions are in constant communication and coordination with our international partners and every decision we make reflects the constitutional spirit of our country and our democratic values. Our partnership with the United States of America continues to be crucial”.

Escobar meets opposition leaders, no statements after the meeting (media)

All news websites reported on Tuesday evening about the meeting between U.S. envoy Gabriel Escobar and leaders of opposition parties. No media statements were given after the meeting.

Lajcak to meet opposition leaders today at 16:00, sources say (Express)

EU Special Representative for the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia, Miroslav Lajcak, will host a meeting with leaders of opposition parties in Kosovo today at 16:00 in Prishtina, the news website reports citing unnamed sources. The meeting will reportedly be held at the EU Office and U.S. envoy Gabriel Escobar and Ambassador Jeffrey Hovenier will also be attending.

Hill: Serbia was prepared for negotiations in Brussels, the other side not (media)

United States Ambassador to Belgrade, Christopher Hill, commended Serbia for the August 18 meeting in Brussels. “The Serbian side did a great job by coming to Brussels to negotiate and doing its homework. This is the most important thing for all negotiations,” Hill said in an interview for Serbian TV station N1. “I think the Serbian side tried to be flexible and to find a solution and this was confirmed in my morning conversation with Vucic”.

Asked what went wrong in the meeting between Vucic and Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti, Hill said: “The Serbian side was in its place, it knew what it should discuss, and it knew what was important. But I think that the other side was unfortunately not ready for a concrete discussion”. He also said “I think that to resolve these issues you must definitely talk about specifics. But you must also place these specifics in a broader context and the broader context is the issue of the Serb community and how this community will live in the future. For me it is crucial for the Serb community to feel at home and safe in Kosovo. So, there are some efforts that need to be discussed and I believe that these efforts will continue.”

Mayors of northern municipalities to meet today (Klan Kosova)

The mayors of the four northern municipalities, Mitrovica North, Zubin Potok, Leposavic and Zvecan, will hold a joint meeting today at 12:00. Representatives and MPs from the Serbian List are also expected to attend the meeting. They are expected to discuss the political and security situation in Kosovo, and developments about the license plates and ID cards.

Wisner: A round of Kosovo-Serbia talks never solves anything (VoA)

Former U.S. special envoy for Kosovo-Serbia talks, Frank Wisner, said on Tuesday that the issue of reciprocity of license plates and entry/exit documents should be resolved so that the parties can focus on normalizing relations. In an interview for the Voice of America, Wisner spoke about his experiences in the Kosovo-Serbia talks. “From my personal experience in the issues between Kosovo and Serbia, a round of talks never solves anything. You must have further rounds,” Wisner said.

Wisner said that the U.S. and the EU have clearly expressed that they do not agree with Serbia’s position on the issue of license plates and identification documents. “But we actually ask for much more than that: we ask for a normalization of relations between an independent Kosovo and Serbia. This position is unwavering on the part of the United States and the EU,” he added.

On the other hand, former senior CIA analyst for the Balkans and Europe, David Kanin, has said that there is only one problem in this matter, “it is the status of Kosovo”. “The license plate issue is simply a part of this problem, and it should be taken into account that this is the context of the current crisis,” Kanin said.

Serwer: Tempest in a license plate (media)

Several news websites cover an opinion piece by Daniel Serwer, a U.S. expert on Balkans affairs. Serwer writes:

President Vucic squirmed through a BBC interview yesterday morning, denying the use of obviously inflammatory language he had just (and has repeatedly) used. He sounded unnerved and desperate to claim persecution of Kosovo Serbs. He also threatened military intervention to protect them. Unfortunately, I can’t find the interview on the Newshour website. Let me know if you do.”

Kosovo Foreign Minister Gërvalla-Schwarz replied with focus on mutual recognition and the threat of Russian meddling in the aftermath of Moscow’s (assumed) defeat in Ukraine.

No, agreement does not appear imminent but it is not impossible

I’m often asked whether a “final” agreement is imminent. It certainly doesn’t appear so. Vucic has reverted to Milosevic-style claims of Serb victimhood and focus on the agreed (but not implemented) Association of Serb-majority Municipalities (ASM). Gërvalla-Schwarz won’t settle for less than progress towards mutual recognition. In the particular case of license plates, that would mean a solution that is strictly reciprocal.

But it is not really about license plates. It is about sovereignty. Kosovo i is insisting on reciprocity because that is the rule between sovereign states. Serbia rejects reciprocity because that is the rule between sovereign states.

This circle can, I think, be squared. The ASM Vucic wants will look different in the context of mutual recognition. The Kosovo constitutional court has already made clear it can have no executive functions. The ASM may eventually be helpful to calming Kosovo’s northern municipalities. Without executive functions and with recognition it is not a likely threat to Kosovo’s sovereignty.

Read the full piece at: https://bit.ly/3dULdXb

Kosovo war-era Yugoslav Army general dies in Russia (BIRN)

Bozidar Delic, a retired Yugoslav Army general and Kosovo war veteran who this month became one of seven vice-presidents of the Serbian parliament, died on Tuesday, Serbian media reported.

Beta news agency reported that Delic died in Moscow, where he went for medical treatment.

The New Democratic Party of Serbia, the leading party in the NADA coalition, which nominated Delic for the parliamentary role, told Danas newspaper that he died after a long and difficult illness. The exact nature of the illness was not specified.

During the Kosovo war in 1999, he was commander of the Yugoslav Army’s 549th Motorised Brigade, which has been accused of involvement in war crimes.

This year on August 3 he was elected as one of the parliamentary vice-presidents with 197 votes out of 250, including votes from ruling and opposition parties.

On August 16, a local NGO from the Kosovo town of Gjakove/Djakovica handed three lawsuits to Kosovo’s Special Prosecution accusing Delic of war crimes.

A representative of the War Crimes in Gjakove NGO, Shkendije Hoda, told media that it had collected evidence about crimes “which Delic is suspected of committing against Albanian civilians” in the town in 1999.

Read more at: https://bit.ly/3Al82up

Anti-LGBT sentiments flourish online in South-East Europe (BIRN)

LGBT communities in have continued to be targeted by the right in Central and South-East Europe over the past two weeks, BIRN’s monitoring has shown.

In Hungary, pro-government media supporting the traditionalist faction of the Fidesz ruling party continued to target activists from the LGBT movement. In Romania, one of the major LGBT community-based NGOs in the country denounced what it called a climate of growing online threats.

Meanwhile, remarks by public figures in North Macedonia caused ethnic tensions to re-emerge with the country’s Albanian and Bulgarian minorities over the past fortnight, while online scamming and fake news continue to spread in many online environments in Central and South-East Europe.

LGBT community targeted in Serbia, Hungary, Romania

Following the dramatic uptick in digital attacks targeting LGBT communities in the region caused by the announcement of Pride parades in several Balkan countries, anti-LGBT sentiment and homophobic incidents have not abated.

On August 14 in Belgrade, thousands of people gathered in the centre of the Serbian capital to protest against the holding of the Euro Pride march in the city. As reported by BIRN, a crowd of between 5,000 and 10,000 protesters assembled, some carrying placards saying “We don’t want a gay parade and occupation by the West!”, “We don’t surrender holy places”, and “Keep your hands off our children”.

Read more at: https://bit.ly/3T6sS9H