• Escobar: Implementation of Ohrid agreement must start with Association (RFE)
• Rohde: Association statute to be in line with Constitution of Kosovo (Telegrafi)
• EU: Management team should be functional until statute is approved (Kallxo)
• EU insists Association is main issue and biggest priority (Koha)
• Serwer: Bilateral isn’t working, so… (media)
• EFJ calls on Kurti “not to allow further politicization of IMC” (media)
• Osmani, Kurti messages on World Press Freedom Day (media)
• Szunyog: Media institutional setup in Kosovo needs to be enhanced (media)
• LDK: Reporters in Kosovo at threat from attacks and intimidation (media)
• Kosovo rises in World Press Freedom Index, media independence still at risk (Prishtina Insight)
• Balkan, Central European journalists highlight safety concerns on Press Freedom Day (BIRN)
• Haki Abazi expelled from Vetevendosje parliamentary group (media)
• Kosovo solar farm goes even greener, using sheep to mow the grass (Reuters)
• EU, W. Balkans telcos to cut data roaming charges from October (SeeNews)
• Mass shooting in Belgrade school kills nine, shocks Serbia (BIRN)
• Osmani, Kurti, Bislimi send condolences after school shooting in Belgrade (media)

Escobar: Implementation of Ohrid agreement must start with Association (RFE)

U.S. Special Envoy for the Western Balkans, Gabriel Escobar, said on Wednesday that the implementation of the agreement between Kosovo and Serbia for the normalisation of relations should start with the Association of Serb-majority municipalities. “The EU and U.S. are focused that this agreement [reached in Ohrid] becomes a reality. The implementation starts with the formation of the Association of Serb-majority municipalities,” Escobar told a press conference online. “Normalisation is focused on the rights of minorities, especially the rights of Serbs. We expect and request to move forward with this”.

Escobar said work on the formation of the Association has started but that “we need to constantly push forward until we reach a model”.

He said he expects chief negotiators Besnik Bislimi and Petar Petkovic will meet in the coming two weeks “to discuss the process again”. “This process is important, and it is very important for both parties, especially Kosovo, to seriously address the process and to move swiftly to conclude it,” he added.

Escobar said that “little progress” was made in Brussels and that the parties must come up with a proposal that is acceptable for both countries. He said he believes both Kosovo and Serbia are serious about the issue “the same way that the U.S. is very serious about the expectations that progress will be made on this issue”.

Escobar said both proposals for the statute of the Association – coming from Kurti and the management team – presented in Brussels were serious, but “it is not up to me to decide, this is not a process facilitated by the U.S., but a process facilitated by Europe”.

Asked if Serbia violated the agreement when it voted against Kosovo’s membership in the Council of Europe, Escobar said he was not certain. “I am not sure if it was a violation. This depends on the European Union, who is the guarantor of the agreement. The process of implementation was not decided when the voting took place; I don’t know if Serbia was obliged not to block it,” he argued.

Escobar also said that he personally believes “there is room” for the Council of Europe “to look into the conditions and status of the Serb minority in Kosovo”. “The Council of Europe needs to ensure the full implementation of democratic standards and democratic freedoms in Europe and in countries that apply for membership,” he said.

Rohde: Statute of Association to be in line with Constitution of Kosovo (Telegrafi)

German Ambassador to Kosovo, Jorn Rohde, said in an interview with RTK that any statute of the Association of Serb-majority municipalities must be in line with the Constitution of Kosovo. “We are very far from understanding the nature of the Association, however, Germany will continue to support the full implementation of all agreements accorded and signed in Brussels. But also to support Kosovo. We have always said that any kind of statute must be in line with the Constitution of Kosovo,” he said.

Rohde argued that the politicians must work on the implementation of agreements in order to achieve what everyone wants, stability and peace.

“Now we have a situation where we still have parallel structures. The whole purpose of the Association is to bring the parallel structures within Kosovo’s legislation,” he said.

Rohde also criticised the Kosovo government for relieving from duty the members of the Management Team, saying that the decision is not in line with the Brussels agreements.

EU: Management team should be functional until statute is approved (Kallxo)

Spokesperson for the European Union, Peter Stano, told the news website that the dialogue agreements state clearly that the Management Team should be functional until the statute of the Association of Serb-majority municipalities is approved.

“As for the reported decision of Kosovo to dismiss the management team, the dialogue agreements clearly state that the management team must be in operation until the statute of the Association/Community of Serb-majority Municipalities is approved,” Stano said. He added that the decision to dismiss the team is in violation of the letter and spirit of the dialogue agreements.

Stano said that “any decision regarding the management team must be approved in the framework of the EU-facilitated dialogue”. He said that the facilitators will invite the chief negotiators to start negotiations on the statute and that the Management Team will be invited to take part in the process if necessary.

EU insists Association is main issue and biggest priority (Koha)

Following the meeting between Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic in Brussels, European diplomats insist that despite the disagreements, the Association of Serb-majority municipalities is the main issue and biggest priority. They called on parties to be more constructive in their approach and to work on creating an atmosphere where reaching a compromise will be possible.

European officials say they are most interested in avoiding a tense situation in the north of Kosovo after the recent elections there. This is why they will continue to look for modalities to overcome the crisis that was created with the withdrawal of Serbs from Kosovo’s institutions in the north.

Serwer: Bilateral isn’t working, so… (media)

Opinion piece by U.S. analyst on the Balkans, Daniel Serwer.

Yesterday Serbian President Vucic and Kosovo Prime Minister Kurti failed to reach any further agreement at their umpteenth meeting of the EU-sponsored Belgrade/Pristina dialogue in Brussels. The two leaders merely reiterated a longstanding pledge to deal with the outstanding issue of missing persons from the 1998/99 Serbian repression and Kosovo rebellion. The best that can be hoped is that they will now fulfill that pledge.

Prime Minister Kurti explicitly rejected a Serbian government proposal to create an Association of Serb-majority Municipalities (ASM) inside Kosovo. Suzana Starikov (@Intetyst) reports that he called it:

fundamentally incompatible w/Constitution, w/democratic & European values, w/human & minority rights according to European standards

That is a thoroughgoing repudiation. Petrit Selimi reports:

The statute of Association proposed by the Management Team led by a Serbian MP doesn’t pass, what one diplomat called a “laughability test”. Belgrade wants ASM to “execute laws”, “organize referendums”, “establish institutions & agencies”. It’s a non-starter in 90% of content.

Kosovo seems not to have put forward its own proposal, despite many urgings to do so.

The bilateral approach just isn’t working

The EU is warning about possible violence due to this stalemate. That is realistic. Belgrade has several times in the past year or so precipitated violence in Serb-majority northern Kosovo. Serbia is trying its best to demonstrate that Kosovo cannot govern there and to get the Americans and Europeans to convince Pristina to let Belgrade do it through the ASM. Kurti isn’t buying, not only because he wants to protect Kosovo’s sovereignty and territorial integrity but also because Serbia, the US and the EU are offering him little in exchange.

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

EFJ calls on Kurti “not to allow further politicization of IMC” (media)

Ricardo Gutierrez, Secretary of the European Federation of Journalists, said in a Facebook post on Wednesday that Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti should not allow the further politicization of the Independent Media Commission. “The Kosovo Assembly is expected to elect today three new members of the Independent Media Commission (IMC). I am deeply concerned to hear that Kosovo ruling party Levizja Vetvendosje is about to elect persons who are public supporters of their party! I call on PM Albin Kurti not to allow further politization of IMC,” Gutierrez wrote.

Osmani, Kurti messages on World Press Freedom Day (media)

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani said on World Press Freedom Day on Wednesday that “media freedom is not just a sign of a healthy society, it is a pillar of a thriving democracy”. “Today, on #WorldPressFreedomDay, we celebrate Kosovo’s continued successes in international indices, but we also renew our commitment to defend the invaluable role of free and unbiased media,” Osmani wrote on Twitter.

Prime Minister Albin Kurti wrote on Twitter: “On World Press Freedom Day we’re proud to announce that according to Reporters without Borders, Kosova improved its standing by 22 places in 2 years for its journalistic environment. A free and independent press will always remain an important pillar of democracy and Kosovo”. “Kosovo has once again made progress in terms of press freedom, according to the World Press Freedom Index 2023, published by Reporters Without Borders,” he said.

Szunyog: Media institutional setup in Kosovo needs to be enhanced (media)

Head of the EU Office in Kosovo, Tomas Szunyog, said on World Press Freedom Day on Wednesday, that despite Kosovo enjoying a lively and pluralistic media environment, physical attacks, threats, and smear campaigns against journos, women in particular, remain a concern. “Was honoured to support today the Association of Journalists of Kosovo in marking the World Press Freedom Day along with Arnhild Spence [the United Nations Development Coordinator in Kosovo] and the OSCE Mission in Kosovo. Despite Kosovo enjoying a lively and pluralistic media environment, physical attacks, threats, and smear campaigns against journos, women in particular, remain a concern. Further to this, media institutional set-up in Kosovo needs to be enhanced to enable the professional and impartial functioning of the media, and the laws on RTK and Independent Media Commission amended to align with the EU’s Audiovisual Media Services Directive. By hosting and providing shelter to Ukraine and Afghani journalists, Kosovo set an example of how to assist journalists in dire situations. The EU and its partners will continue to support the development of free and professional media in Kosovo, helping ensure media freedom as a pillar of democracy,” Szynuog wrote in a Twitter post.

LDK: Reporters in Kosovo at threat from attacks and intimidation (media)

The Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) said on Wednesday that the lives of reporters in Kosovo are at threat from constant attacks and intimidation. On World Press Freedom Day, the LDK said the judiciary must address these with high priority. “The LDK is grateful to the commitment of reporters that continue their unwavering work to investigate, report and tell the truth despite pressure and intimidation,” the statement notes.

Kosovo rises in World Press Freedom Index, media independence still at risk (Prishtina Insight)

Kosovo moved up five places in the World Press Freedom Index, according to the worldwide organization Journalists Without Borders, but dangers still exist.

On World Press Freedom Day, the media watchdog organization Journalists Without Borders published its Country Index, and Kosovo ranked in 56th place, an improvement of five places from last year’s 61st position.

However, media independence in Kosovo is still at risk due to weak regulations and dependence on party distribution of public funds and the increased targeting of journalists by SLAPPs by business groups, according to the report.

The report states that Kosovo has a pluralistic and vibrant media market, but even if the media manages to hold politicians accountable, journalists remain the target of political attacks.

Read more at: https://bit.ly/3Nw1S2Z

Balkan, Central European journalists highlight safety concerns on Press Freedom Day (BIRN)

Journalists’ associations in Balkan countries used the World Press Freedom Day to urge authorities to take the ongoing threats made against them more seriously.

Marking World Press Freedom day through different activities, media organisations in Balkan and Central Europe countries called on authorities to address growing threats to journalists, treat such threats in courts with a higher priority, and provide a safer environment for the media’s daily work.

In Kosovo, the head of the Association of Journalists, AJK, Xhemajl Rexha, held a press conference in front of the justice system where he expressed concern about the treatment of cases of violence against journalists.

In the last five years, the AJK has recorded 120 cases of threats against journalists with 33 cases recorded only in the last few years.

“Attacks on journalists not only represent criminal charges as such, they also affect one of the basic freedoms – freedom of expression,” Rexha said.

In Serbia, media organisations invited journalists and media to turn off the sound, darken screens and silently join the international symbolic action of “Five Minutes of Thunderous Silence” in order to again warn the authorities and the public about the consequences of the threat to media freedom.

According to Serbia’s Journalists’ Association, 137 incidents against journalists were recorded in 2022 while in the first three months of this year there were 33 incidents: eight verbal attacks, three physical attacks and 22 acts of pressure on the media and journalists.

Read more at: https://bit.ly/426G5Dp

Haki Abazi expelled from Vetevendosje parliamentary group (media)

Most news websites reported on Wednesday that Haki Abazi has been expelled from the Vetevendosje parliamentary group. Mimoza Kusari-Lila, head of the parliamentary group, told the media that the decision was unanimous, and that Abazi was informed. The latter however told Reporteri news website that he learned about the decision only from the media.

Kosovo solar farm goes even greener, using sheep to mow the grass (Reuters)

When workers at a solar energy farm in Kosovo got tired of wasting their own energy cutting the grass around their solar panels, they turned to a greener and much more powerful mowing machine: a flock of sheep.

More than 100 sheep and a few goats graze twice a week at the Rogane solar farm near the small town of Kamenica in eastern Kosovo where more than 12,000 photovoltaic panels are installed.

“The workers realised that mowing the fields was very hard, they asked me whether I could bring my sheep,” said 72-year-old shepherd Rexhep Rrudhani as he ordered his sheepdogs to manoeuvre the flock grazing under the panels. “The sheep eat all kind of grass here, good or bad grass, and they clean everything. We are all benefiting.”

Kosovo has between 12-14 billion tonnes of proven low-grade lignite coal reserves, the fifth largest in the world. More than 90% of its electricity is produced from coal and the rest is from renewables, mainly wind and solar.

The country aims to phase out coal by 2050.

Read more at: https://reut.rs/3NDbqt9

EU, W. Balkans telcos to cut data roaming charges from October (SeeNews)

Telecommunications operators from the European Union and the countries from the Western Balkans have agreed to gradually decrease data roaming prices from October 2023 to 2028, the European Commission said on Wednesday.

A total of 38 operators committed to introducing maximum retail price caps of 18 euro ($19.9) for 1 gigabyte from October 2023, 14 euro from 2026 and 9 euro from 2028 for data usage in both directions between the EU and the Western Balkans, the EU executive said in a press release.

The introduction of price caps will reduce data roaming prices for consumers by at least a third of the current average price for data roaming, the Commission said.

“This voluntary agreement will bring predictability, help eliminate consumer bill shocks, and facilitate substantially lowering data roaming charges for the EU and Western Balkan consumers,” Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement, Olivér Várhelyi, commented.

In December, telecommunications operators from the EU member states and the Western Balkan countries signed an agreement to reduce roaming charges between the EU and the Western Balkans as of October 1. In June 2021, leaders of the counties in the Western Balkans – Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Albania, and Kosovo – agreed to abolish roaming charges.

Mass shooting in Belgrade school kills nine, shocks Serbia (BIRN)

Eight pupils and one security worker in the Belgrade elementary school Vladislav Ribnikar were killed in a mass shooting on Wednesday morning. Seven more people were injured in the attack, six pupils and a history teacher.

Police said they had arrested a minor, born in 2009, for the shooting, allegedly committed with his father’s guns. The father was also detained. He had a licence for both guns his son used.

Chief of Belgrade police Veselin Milic said police received the first call about the shooting around 8:40am during the first class, when the school deputy director reported a shooting incident. Soon after, according to Milic, the suspect called the police and told them what he did.

According to Milic, the victims were seven girls and one boy. Five of the killed children were born in 2009, one in 2010 and two in 2011.

Milic said police had established that the suspect “planned the execution of this criminal offence over a long period of time”.

“The motive has not yet been determined nor has he told us,” Milic told media.

Read more at: https://bit.ly/3nuEKY3

Osmani, Kurti, Bislimi send condolences after school shooting in Belgrade (media)

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani took to Twitter on Wednesday to react the shooting in a school in Belgrade, Serbia. “There’s nothing more valuable than the life of a child and nothing more painful than the loss of that life. I send my deepest condolences to all parents who lost their children in a horrible school shooting today in Belgrade and we pray for a speedy recovery to all those injured,” Osmani tweeted.

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti tweeted: “I’d like to express my deepest condolences to the victims of the school shooting in Belgrade and to their families. I also wish a very speedy recovery to those injured in this tragic event.”

Kosovo’s First Deputy Prime Minister, Besnik Bislimi, wrote on Twitter: “The school shooting in Belgrade this morning was both tragic and shocking. Nothing can justify such actions. I express my condolences to the families of the victims, wishing also a speedy recovery to the wounded.”