Albanian Language Media:

• Kurti: Austria, a great friend of Kosovo and an important partner (media)
• Osmani welcomes the friendly delegation of Austria and MEP Mandl (media)
• Without recognition, EU proposal is unacceptable for the opposition (RFE)
• Serwer: Association was included in second version of proposal (media)
• British MP: An article of the French-German proposal, is disturbing (Reporteri)
• German MP advises Kurti for compromise regarding EU and Association proposal (media)
• Murati: Property tax increase was initiated by former governments (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Serbian List announces complaint on decision on land expropriation in Leposavic (Radio KIM, media)
• Leposavic: Municipality to meet residents affected by expropriation of land (Kosovo Online, Radio Mitrovica sever, media)
• Plazma biscuit again in the campaign – the American one: “Open market, open mind” (KoSSev)
• Dacic: Serbia’s position on French-German proposal very clear, responsible (Tanjug)
• Dacic: Turkey will insist on honouring of Belgrade-Pristina agreements (Beta, N1)
• Demostat: The PM, not Vucic, will sign the future agreement (Beta, N1)
• Vucic receives farewell visit from Palestinian ambassador (Tanjug)
• Ambassador of Greece to Serbia: We are not changing our position on Kosovo (Blic, Tanjug)
• Danas: West expects normalisation of Belgrade-Pristina relations by year end (N1, FoNet)
• Borko Stefanovic: To solve the Kosovo problem without recognizing independent Kosovo (NMagazin, Euronews, Beta)
• Jeremic: No normal person should sign the agreement that takes Kosovo to the UN
• Petkovic: Kurti’s attacks on ZSO cynical (Radio KIM) 

International:

• Kosovo’s War Rape Survivors Scheme Hindered by Enduring Stigmas (BIRN)

Albanian Language Media  

Kurti: Austria, a great friend of Kosovo and an important partner (media)

The Prime Minister of Kosovo Albin Kurti hosted the representatives of the Austria-Kosovo Friendship Association.

Part of the delegation were also he Lukas Mandl, Member of the European Parliament, founder and president of the Austria-Kosovo Friendship Association, Christoph Weidinger, Ambassador of Austria to Kosovo, Friedhelm Frischenschlager, former Minister of Defense of Austria, as well as members of the Austrian Parliament, Hannes Taborsky and Helmut Brandstatter.

“Prime Minister Kurti expressed gratitude for the support provided by Austria, a great friend of Kosovo and an important partner. The very good bilateral relations between the two countries were appreciated,” announced the press office of the Prime Minister.

The communique informed that they also discussed the joint projects with Austria, as well as the possibilities of expanding further cooperation, with special emphasis on cultural projects.

Osmani welcomes the friendly delegation of Austria and MEP Mandl (media)

The President of Kosovo, Vjosa Osmani, hosted a delegation of the Austria-Kosovo Friendship Group, headed by MEP Lukas Mandl. She thanked the state of Austria for its support to Kosovo throughout the various stages of history.

She has also mentioned the commitment to a stronger partnership with Austria, as one of the supporting allies in the Euro-Atlantic journey of Kosovo, it is stated in the media statement of the Presidency.

“The dialogue process with Serbia was also discussed, as President Osmani highlighted Serbia’s obstructions in the dialogue process, hindering the dialogue and trying to destabilise not only Kosovo through the use of criminal gangs in the north. In this spirit, President Osmani stressed that Kosovo is committed to contributing to the peace and stability of the country and the region, in coordination with the allies,” the comunique reads.

Without recognition, EU proposal is unacceptable for the opposition (RFE)

Opposition parties in Kosovo support the dialogue with Serbia but they say that they don’t agree with the EU proposal for the normalisation of relations between Kosovo and Serbia if the proposal does not result in mutual recognition. 

Political commentator, Agon Maliqi, said the statements of the government and the opposition parties are tactical and aimed at strengthening Kosovo’s position in the negotiations, but that they are also made for domestic politics.

The EU proposal was presented to Kosovo and Serbia in late summer last year, but its content has not been made public. The proposal, which Radio Free Europe claims to have seen, foresees equal rights for Kosovo and Serbia, respect for territorial integrity, the inviolability of borders, recognition of state symbols and special arrangements for the Serb community in Kosovo. The document does not mention mutual recognition between Kosovo and Serbia or Kosovo’s membership in the United Nations – something that Kosovo officials have insisted on – but it does note the support that the sides must give to each other in the process of European integration.

The EU proposal, which was earlier known as the French-German plan, is supported by the United States of America.

The Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) welcomed the EU proposal, but only as a basis for talks on a final agreement between Kosovo and Serbia, PDK MP Rashit Qalaj said. He said that the PDK position is that the proposal must include five necessary elements: preserving the unitary character of Kosovo, recognition from the five non-recognizing EU member states, integration in NATO structures or the Partnership for Peace, getting the candidate status for EU membership, and mutual recognition between Kosovo and Serbia.

“I think that the proposal is not the agreement which Kosovo has waited for a long time. An agreement that does not include mutual recognition between Kosovo and Serbia is an agreement that doesn’t bring stability in the Balkans and only postpones the resolution of the problem between Kosovo and Serbia,” Qalaj said.

He further argued that the EU proposal must be negotiated. “We know that the proposal is not final, but it is a good basis for talks, but our position is that the agreement must include the five elements that I mentioned,” he said.

Deputy leader of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) Lutfi Haziri told the news website that this party believes that an agreement between Kosovo and Serbia is necessary, it should be reached as soon as possible, and that it must result in mutual recognition. He argued that if the dialogue does not conclude with Serbia’s recognition of Kosovo, “it will have no meaning”. “No agreement that does not conclude with recognition, will be sufficient and will not be supported by the LDK. This is the position that we have reconfirmed, although we support the dialogue and we support the government,” he said.

Haziri also said they will express their position during the discussions that the U.S. Embassy in Pristina will hold with political parties and civil society on January 31. “No one ever expected that the basic documents would include in writing and explicitly the independence of Kosovo, because Serbia will continue to reject any sort of recognition of Kosovo and will try to find a backdoor to avoid this and to buy time by not recognising Kosovo. But we need to convince and argue before the international mediators, the international community, primarily to [EU High Representative] Borrell and the U.S. Government, that recognition is the solution of problems, and that with non-recognition Kosovo will remain an open problem,” he said.

Serwer: Association was included in second version of proposal (media)

U.S. expert on the Balkans and professor at John Hopkins University, Daniel Serwer, said in an interview with Austrian media that the formation of the Association of Serb-majority municipalities was not included in the first version of the French-German proposal, and that the Quint countries later met Belgrade’s request to include the Association in the second version of the proposal.

He said that the proposal foresees for the Serb community in Kosovo to be directly financed by Serbia. “It is certain that Belgrade can use the community to exercise control, but Belgrade already controls and finances Serb-majority municipalities through the Serbian List,” he said.

Serwer criticised the fact that the proposal does not refer to the Constitution of Kosovo as a starting point because the Constitutional Court said that some of the principles of the Association are in opposition with the Constitution.

Serwer said the proposal also does not mention the five non-recognising EU member states.

Serwer also argued that it was relatively easy to put pressure on Kosovo, because Pristina has no other choice but to pursue membership in NATO and the European Union.

British MP: An article of the French-German proposal, is disturbing (Reporteri)

The British MP who also heads the Committee for Foreign Affairs, Alicia Kearns, has reacted to the updated draft of the French-German proposal, which was delivered last Friday to Kosovar Prime Minister Albin Kurti and Serbian President Aleksandër Vucic, by the diplomatic five.

“Very concerned by the implications of the proposals under Article 7. No one should seek to entrench, let alone purposely design, any form of “self-government” along ethnic lines within the 

Balkans. No “Republika Srpska”-style entity should be created,” she wrote. 

Point 7 of the proposal, states that “Both sides advocate for reaching concrete agreements, in accordance with the relevant instruments of the Council of Europe and using existing European experiences, in order to ensure an appropriate level of self-government for the Serb community in Kosovo and the possibility of providing services in Kosovo in some specific areas, including the possibility of financial assistance from Serbia and direct channels of communication between the Serb community and the government of Kosovo”.

German MP advises Kurti for compromise regarding EU and Association proposal (media)

The German MP, Thomas Hacker, spoke about the latest developments in the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia. Hacker mentioned here the French-German proposal for the normalisation of relations between Kosovo and Serbia. He said that it would be advisable for the Kosovar side to give signals of readiness for compromise.

“It would be advisable for the Kosovar side to signal readiness for compromise. This includes the necessary pragmatism in order to create an association of Serbian communities. In the long term, we must continue to work towards mutual recognition of the citizenship of both countries,” Hacker said.

Murati: Property tax increase was initiated by former governments (media)

The Minister of Finance, Hekuran Murati, said that the current government cannot be held responsible for the property tax increase, because the decision for a 100 percent increase was made by the former Mustafa government and was executed by Haradinaj. According to him, only the entry into force is happening now, while the responsibilities should be sought from the previous ones.

Minister Murati made these comments today at a press conference. He, despite the journalists’ insistence, did not tell the value of the wage coefficient, giving priority to the increase in property tax. Murati said that most of this tax is generated by the land tax.

While giving details about the tax increase procedures, Murati said that the Property Tax Law entered into force on January 26, 2018, while it was predicted that its implementation will take place after 5 years, which falls exactly at the beginning of 2023.

Serbian Language Media 

Serbian List announces complaint on decision on land expropriation in Leposavic (Radio KIM, media) 

Serbian List officials Zoran Todic and Igor Simic held a meeting today with owners of the land parcels, their successors and representatives of Lesak, Zaselje settlement, Mekinice and Dren villages in Leposavic municipality, from whom, as they said, Albin Kurti attempts to confiscate the land in total surface of more than 83 hectares “by legal violence, violating their own legal provisions, without any prior notice and consultations with owners of the parcels, local authorities and legitimate representatives of Serbian people”, Radio KIM reports.

They said it is more than 83 hectares of land in cadastral zones of Lesak and Dren, out of which 57.5 hectares is socially owned and 25.8 hectares is private property.

“After the meeting held to inform the owners and legal successors of affected parcels about this latest unilateral decision, it was agreed to engage a legal team that will file complaint against this illegal decision, confiscating the Serbian properties by legal violence, and to inform about everything the EU Office in Pristina, UNMIK, OSCE, and Quint representatives”, Serbian List said in a statement.

They stressed no one has informed Serbs living in Leposavic municipality and caring for their households previously, consulted or asked if they consent with this expropriation, same as not owners of the parcels.

Serbian List also argued this decision was not made for the sake of public interest, but in the interest of those wishing to expel Serbs from Kosovo and Metohija.

“What public interest it is to appropriate from our people and our church even the parcel where a local  cemetery in Dren village is located and where their beloved ones are buried”, Serbian List said in a statement.

They also informed they will lodge a protest to all international representatives and demand an end to institutional violence by Pristina towards the Serbian people, as well as annulment of this disputable decision. 

Leposavic: Municipality to meet residents affected by expropriation of land (Kosovo Online, Radio Mitrovica sever, media)

Leposavic municipality said they still do not know for what purposes Pristina made a decision to expropriate a large parcel of land in this municipality, stressing they didn’t know for that plan earlier and that a public discussion on this issue was not held, Radio Mitrovica sever reports.

“Two cadastral zones in Dren and Lesak lean to one another, it is an entire hill. This is a huge area. In fact it is about 83 hectares of land”, Leposavic municipality confirmed to Radio Mitrovica sever.

The municipality said they were informed about the decision on expropriation by a brief announcement following the end of the session from the website of the Kosovo government, while details about planned expropriations they received “relatively recently”, and as they noted “rather late”.

The local self-government plans to invite individual owners of the affected private parcels who are on the list. 25 hectares belong to private individuals, 57 hectares are possession of a forestry company “Ibar” and municipality of Leposavic said one parcel belongs to them and in fact a local village cemetery is located on that parcel.

The Office for Kosovo and Metohija has been informed about the announced expropriations, and according to the municipality, the office informed international representatives about it.

The municipality also claims they addressed relevant bodies also during previous decisions on expropriations in the villages of Kosutovo and Bistrica, and also the Kosovo government, but received no information, apart from “completing documentation”.

The issue of land expropriation in the north by the Kosovo government has been an issue for months already and is mainly linked with construction of special police bases in the north. Kosovo government on the other hand didn’t provide additional details either, apart from saying it was “about infrastructural projects of public interest”.

The Radio recalls that Serbian representatives over the last year were also discreet on this issue, and only lately started talking about this topic after the news on expropriations became public.

Mid December last year land in Saljska Bistrica, Leposavic and Jasenovik, Zubin Potok had been expropriated. At the end of August of the same year, parcels in Zubin Potok and Leposavic municipalities were expropriated and a number of residents and local sources said at least part of the newly constructed special police base in Jasenovik was built on confiscated land.

In the first half of 2022, a number of Kosovo special police bases in Zubin Potok and Leposavic were built. It is expropriation of the private land, and reconstruction of a number of bases in the hamlets in northern Kosovo that concerns the residents, Radio reports. 

Plazma biscuit again in the campaign – the American one: “Open market, open mind” (KoSSev)

The US Embassy in Belgrade shared a video on Instagram showing two people swapping Serbian and American products.

The video shows two people taking “plazma” biscuits, a Serbian product, and Reese’s Cups, an American chocolate, from a store shelf.

They then swap packages, which contain sweets – biscuits and chocolate. The two then shake hands.

The video, along with the hashtag #SADznate (#NOWyouknow), also contains two messages: “Open market” and “Open mind”.

At the very end of the short video, a shelf with a bottle of “Sante” wine and a bottle of American whiskey “Jack Daniel’s” is shown, behind which, as revealed when the actors grab these bottles, there is Serbian brandy with the logo of the US Embassy in Belgrade.

The US embassy’s video was published just three days after a video creator Shqipdon Salijaj shared a video – in which the plazma biscuit also plays a prominent role – as part of a campaign to boycott Serbian products in Kosovo.

The video shows Salijaj buying Serbian products from the store, namely sweets and snacks from Serbia that have been popular for decades – chips, plazma biscuit, “medeno srce” and medela strudel.

Once he gets home, he opens one product after the other, but instead of candy and chips, the packages are filled with bullets.

In the background, scenes from the past are shown, baby’s cries and the voice of an old man reminding that they waged a war with the Serbs.

The soundtrack used in the video was actually taken from an older video – “We fought Serbs for 84 years, no sympathy for mothers, sisters, children, crops nor animals”.

The video is a continuation of a campaign for the boycott of Serbian products in Kosovo, which intensified on several occasions last year, primarily through social networks. At the beginning of last year, the Serbian and part of the regional public was disturbed by the video of the group Besa Besi. The video in question shows a girl in a store reminding her father who is reaching toward Serbian products about the crimes committed by the Serbs during the 1999 war.

See at: https://bit.ly/3DjjaKL

Dacic: Serbia’s position on French-German proposal very clear, responsible (Tanjug)

Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic said Friday Serbian official position on a French-German proposal for solving the Kosovo issue was very clear and responsible – that Serbia wanted to continue dialogue and take part in it and that everything must be discussed based on that plan.

Responding to questions from reporters in Belgrade, Dacic said Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic had made it clear that UN membership for Kosovo was a red line and unacceptable to Serbia.

“That is very important, because I have also had an opportunity to hear assessments in Brussels that, unlike Pristina, Vucic has acted constructively and responsibly. I think it is very important to try to preserve our state and national interests, as well as to preserve Serbia from various threats, blackmail, potential sanctions and anything that could jeopardise the future of Serbian citizens”, Dacic said.

Dacic: Turkey will insist on honouring of Belgrade-Pristina agreements (Beta, N1)

Serbia’s Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic said Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan confirmed to him that, in talks with Pristina, Ankara will insist on the honouring of all signed agreements and on peace and stability in the region.

During his visit to Ankara Dacic met with Erdogan behind closed doors.

“In all the talks that he and all Turkish officials will have with Pristina they will stress that all agreements must be honoured, that dialogue is vital, that peace needs to be preserved and that there should be no incidents,” Dacic told the Serbian media in Ankara.

He said that, for the Serbian side, “it is enough for someone to exert that kind of influence” so people in Pristina would not think that they enjoy support in “obstructing peace agreements and threatening peace and stability in the region.”

The Serbian Minister announced that Erdogan will visit Belgrade in February.

Dacic previously met with his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu and Parliament speaker Mustafa Sentop.

Demostat: The PM, not Vucic, will sign the future agreement (Beta, N1)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, who has been Belgrade’s de facto negotiator in the dialogue with Pristina for years now, will not be the one to sign the agreement when the time comes, the Serbian Prime Minister will do this, said the Demostat Research and Publishing Center.

Demostat said Vucic himself indirectly said this at a media conference when talking about the European proposal for the normalisation of relations between Belgrade and Pristina.

“I know what I will decide, but not on behalf of Serbia. Other competent state bodies and the citizens will be deciding on Serbia’s behalf because (otherwise) it would be contrary to the Serbian Constitution,” Vucic said at the time.

It would be usual and normal for the agreement to be signed by the Prime Minister because that follows from the constitutional provision under which the Government is the executive body implementing Serbia’s internal and foreign policy.

In the case of international agreements, the procedure entails steps, negotiations come first, followed by the adoption of the text of the agreement that the parties had agreed to. The parties then verify the agreement, which means that changes can no longer be made to it, said Demostat.

However, in order for an agreement to be valid, the Parliament must ratify it.

Law professor Vesna Rakic Vodinelic told Demostat that the agreement between Belgrade and Pristina will bear all the characteristics of an international agreement.

She explained that, under the Constitution, the internal and foreign policy is in the hands of the Serbian Government. The President’s powers include representing the Republic of Serbia in the country and abroad.

“The constitutional provision stipulating that the Government implements the internal and foreign policy is clear. What happened here is that Vucic took over the powers of other executive, sometimes also of the judicial bodies,” said Rakic Vodinelic.

If the Constitution is to be honoured, the Prime Minister should sign the agreement, she said.

Vucic receives farewell visit from Palestinian ambassador (Tanjug)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic received a farewell visit from Palestinian Ambassador Mohammed Nabhan on Thursday, thanking him for an exceptional contribution he has made to the close relations between the two countries and peoples during his long tenure in Belgrade.

Vucic noted that, with his personality and diligent work, the ambassador had left a deep mark in Serbian society, the presidential press office said in a statement.

“I believe that, as a proven friend of Serbia and someone who is well-versed on the situation in our country and the region, you will also be promoting our cooperation in the future as much as possibilities permit,” Vucic told the diplomat.

Nabhan said he had witnessed major economic progress in Serbia over the past decade and added that Vucic represented a model when it comes to how national interests should be defended.

Vucic thanked Palestine for supporting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Serbia.

The parties agreed there was interest in further development of cooperation in areas of mutual significance.

Ambassador of Greece in Serbia: We are not changing our position on Kosovo (Blic, Tanjug)

The Greek Ambassador to Serbia, Maria Levada, said today that the position of the Greek leadership has not changed, and that Athens is not changing its position on Kosovo and wants the entire Balkans in the European Union, reported daily Blic. 

The newly elected ambassador Levadi said this at a meeting with the president of the parliamentary group of friendship with Greece, Veroljub Arsic, and members of this group in the Parliament of Serbia.

And Ambassador Levadi pointed out that the relations between the two countries are excellent and friendly and that the two peoples are connected by a similar mentality, common history, and spiritual closeness.

Excellent cooperation in the field of tourism and culture was pointed out and it was assessed that there is room for improvement of economic cooperation between the two countries.

The MPs informed Ambassador Levadi about the situation and problems faced by our people in Kosovo and Metohija and pointed out that Serbia is committed to peace and ready for dialogue and compromise.

Danas: West expects normalisation of Belgrade-Pristina relations by year end (N1, FoNet)

Only the first phase of the process that should lead to Serbia and Kosovo signing the long-announced legally binding agreement should be completed by the end of the year, reports the daily Danas citing statements of US, European Union (EU), Kosovo and Serbian representatives involved in the process.

This phase can be called the normalisation of relations phase, which is particularly insisted on by the representatives of the US, but also of Germany and France.

The daily also carries EU Special Representative Miroslav Lajcak’s statement that the EU and the US will not focus much on the two sides’ dialogue next year, because election years await them, and that, since it is the very beginning of the year, it would be good if they all came together at the end of the year to say that a good job had been done.

Borko Stefanovic: To solve the Kosovo problem without recognizing independent Kosovo (NMagazin, Euronews, Beta)

The deputy president of the Party of Freedom and Justice (SSP), Borko Stefanovic, said today that the party advocates solving the Kosovo problem without official Belgrade’s consent for Kosovo’s membership in the United Nations and without recognizing independent Kosovo.

“Everything else must be negotiated. No one has the right to threaten our future, our economy, salaries and pensions, and lead Serbia into darkness and isolation. It would be a disaster to allow someone to give up on the European path and drag Serbia into additional trouble and poverty,” Stefanovic told Euronews, and SSP announced.

He stated that ”the document on Kosovo must be published so that the parties know what they are talking about and what they are declaring”.

As he pointed out, the SSP is again asking for the formation of a mixed commission in the assembly that would define the minimum negotiating framework, and which would include “the parties, the University, the Church and NGOs”.

“Now it is even more clear that we should have come to terms with the EU’s foreign policy regarding the sanctions against Russia. We would have been in a better position and avoided the danger of isolating our country. It is not too late,” Stefanovic said.

He said that Serbia’s obligation is to ensure the future for its citizens, as well as for the Serbian people to remain in Kosovo and Metohija.

“Saving Serbia’s economy, eradicating corruption, bringing freedom of the media and institutions. This is impossible if we are outside Europe and if we go into isolation or the dangerous adventurism proposed by the extreme right. Only negotiations and persistence, although it is difficult,” said Borko Stefanovic.

Jeremic: No normal person should sign the agreement that takes Kosovo to the UN (NMagazin, N1)

“I don’t think that anyone smart, normal, should put their signature on some kind of agreement that leads Kosovo to the United Nations. Even those who say how it should be accepted, I believe that their hand would tremble”, believes the president of the People’s Party, Vuk Jeremic. 

When asked if we are now at a turning point, Jeremic replied that we were not and that he did not expect anything significant to change. He did not believe that any significant document would be signed. 

“I cannot speculate on what is written in the proposal, because we had no insight, we asked them to provide us with the content of that proposal. Sometimes drafts are released that aren’t exactly what is being considered, so I wouldn’t speculate. We, as the People’s Party, think that the concept of discussing any paper should be rejected in the Quint format, because the UN Security Council is the only body where the future status of Kosovo can be discussed,” said Jeremic. 

As he pointed out, the proposal that takes Kosovo to the UN and anything that resolves the status of Kosovo outside the Security Council and takes it to the UN “has no one to sign”.

“I think Vucic has no intention of signing. It is dangerous to get caught in such a cycle in a format where you have no allies to negotiate on the future status of Kosovo, even if you do not intend to sign it. When you get into such a situation, then things can easily get out of control and overnight you find yourself in a new Rambouillet with a paper in front of you that you can neither sign nor sign. The concept of negotiating the status of Kosovo in this form should be rejected,” added the president of the People’s Party. 

He also believed that Vucic’s plan was to blame Albin Kurti for the failure of the current effort and added that Kurti has shown himself to be untalented in the diplomatic sense. 

“Getting into this kind of story is dangerous, you can find yourself in circumstances where you don’t have a good solution. The experience of Andouillette tells us that,” says Jeremic. 

When asked what the then government did when Kosovo declared independence, Jeremic said that there was diplomatic resistance. 

“We offered such diplomatic resistance that when they recognized independence, they thought that everything would be over in two or three months. We have done enough that years later Kosovo cannot move without Serbia’s consent,” he said. 

If the plan was close to what appeared in the media, the position of the People’s Party is that it should be rejected, said Jeremic. 

“The first reason is because acceptance would be pure treason against the Constitution, the people, morals and ethics. Another reason is that if they accepted and signed it, it would open an era of new instability and conflict in the Balkans like in the nineties. The consequence of that would be the accession of Kosovo to the UN, then the creation of Greater Albania, which would not bring peace in the Balkans. The third is that if there is a signature, it would cement the West’s support for Vucic’s criminal dictatorship. Everything that Vucic is doing today, he would do even more energetically, but with the applause of the West and the French Order of the Legion of Honor,” Jeremic said. 

He said that unity was possible only in the Serbian Parliament, which has the capacity to make decisions for the future, but, he said, the regime pushed it into a bind. 

“The People’s Party proposed a draft resolution on Kosovo at the last session, but it was not put on the agenda. We will not go to consultations because they are unconstitutional, someone took it upon themselves to negotiate without any platform; by going to Vucic, we would validate everything he was doing,” said Jeremic. 

Petkovic: Kurti’s attacks on ZSO cynical (Radio KIM) 

Office for Kosovo and Metohija Director, Petar Petkovic said opposition of Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti to the demands to establish a Community of Serb Municipalities in line with authorities that belong to it and based on agreements from Brussels was “understandable”, Radio KIM reports. Petkovic added the ZSO was supposed to be “a tool for defence from arbitrariness and chauvinism of Albanian politicians in Pristina”.

He also said the Community of Serb Municipalities is a necessity and requirement for the survival of Serbian people in Kosovo. 

“There can be no arguments against Community of Serb Municipalities, in particular not at the moment when Serbs and their children are almost on a daily basis attacked and shot at, and particularly not from a man who is the main inspirer and ideologist of that violence. Kurti’s attacks on Community of Serb Municipalities are supreme cynicism, because the struggle of the Serbian people is not related to arguing about some amendment in a public discussion, but it is a struggle for bare survival”, Petkovic said. 

He also accused Kurti of being a threat to peace and stability and termed his policy towards the Serbs in Kosovo as “negation of rights” and “the most bare violence”. 

International 

Kosovo’s War Rape Survivors Scheme Hindered by Enduring Stigmas (BIRN)

Kosovo has extended a scheme offering recognition and welfare benefits to survivors of sexual violence during the war – but the social stigmatisation of rape victims means that many may never apply, experts believe.

The Kosovo government this week decided to amend the law to extend the deadline for survivors of sexual violence during the 1998-99 war to apply for official recognition from the state as victims.

The deadline for applications to the government’s Commission to Recognise and Verify Survivors of Sexual Violence During the Kosovo War was due to expire on February 5, marking the end of a five-year process of registration.

But campaigners lobbied the authorities, arguing that this five-year period was not long enough, given widespread unease among survivors about coming forward to register. However, no new applications will be accepted after February 5 until the law is amended.

The move comes amid concern about what is seen by some activists in Kosovo as a low number of applications by survivors to be officially registered as victims and therefore become eligible for welfare benefits.

Kosovo officials and civil society organisations dealing with survivors have repeatedly cited an estimated statistic of more than 20,000 wartime rape victims. But so far, only around 1,870 people have applied to the government commission.

Vasfije Krasniqi Goodman, one of the very few wartime rape survivors to have spoken publicly about her ordeal, said she is deeply disappointed by the amount of applications so far.

“The number of victims who have applied is very small. I expected much more,” Krasniqi Goodman told BIRN.

Read more at: https://bit.ly/3Jey8FI