• Kurti meets Wieland, “unconditional implementation of agreement” (media)
• Chollet, Escobar to discuss about Western Balkans at U.S. Senate (Dukagjini)
• Chollet: Provocations between Kosovo and Serbia must be avoided (media)
• Koopman meets Kurti: Kosovo is part of the European family (media)
• Kosovo Police joins the operational network against organized crime (media)
• Zubin Potok mayor: Harmonizing actions with U.S. and other factors (media)
• LVV MP: Lajcak should’ve made his statement in Belgrade (Telegrafi)
• Switzerland grants visa-free travel to Kosovars starting on 2024 (Schengen Visa)
• Kosovo failing to punish violent crime, BIRN Finds (BIRN)
• Kosovo government building illuminated in colors of LGBTQI+ flag (media)
• SL List claims persons that shot in Uglare were speaking in Albanian (media)
• OSCE mission releases guidelines on domestic violence coordination (media)
• EU Council urges Kosovo to step up energy transition (SeeNews)

Kurti meets Wieland, “unconditional implementation of agreement” (media)

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti met on Wednesday with the Vice President of the European Parliament, Rainer Wieland, and discussed the normalization of relations with Serbia. Kurti said that the agreement of February 27 in Brussels as well as its annex, agreed in Ohrid, must be implemented quickly and unconditionally.

A press release issued by Kurti’s office said Wieland talked about Kosovo’s obvious progress compared to the region which he said does not go unnoticed.

“The meeting also discussed regional cooperation, economic integration of the region and neighboring relations, including the normalization of relations with Serbia. Regarding the latter, the Prime Minister said that the Basic Agreement of February 27 in Brussels and its Annex of March 18 in Ohrid should be implemented quickly, in full and without conditions,” the press release notes.

Chollet and Escobar to discuss about Western Balkans at U.S. Senate (Dukagjini)

Counselor to the U.S. State Department, Derek Chollet, and the U.S. Envoy for the Western Balkans, Gabriel Escobar, will attend a discussion at the U.S. Senate about the U.S. policies on the Western Balkans. The U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations will hold a hearing session on “Assessment of U.S. policy on the Western Balkans”. One day before the session, Chollet said it was necessary to avoid provocations and conflicts between Kosovo and Serbia.

Chollet: Provocations between Kosovo and Serbia must be avoided (media)

Counselor to the U.S. Department of State, Derek Chollet, said during a phone call with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic on Wednesday, that it is necessary to avoid provocations and conflicts between Kosovo and Serbia.

A press release issued by Vucic’s office notes that Chollet said it is important for Kosovo and Serbia to continue working on the normalization of relations and expressed the U.S. support for the EU-facilitated dialogue.

“President Vucic stressed that Serbia continues to be committed to the policy of peace and cooperation in the region,” the press release notes.

Vucic and Chollet also talked about cooperation in economy and trade between Washington and Belgrade.

Koopman meets Kurti: Kosovo is part of the European family (media)

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti hosted on Wednesday in his office the EU General Director for Neighborhood and Enlargement Negotiations Gert Jan Koopman, who was also accompanied by the Head of the EU Office in Kosovo, Tomas Szunyog.

“The Prime Minister thanked Mr. Koopman for the visit and for the great help of the European Union for the state and citizens of Kosovo in the last 15 years. He said that there is no alternative for Kosovo to join the European Union,” a press release issued by Kurti’s office notes.

“After informing him about the democratic and economic progress recorded in the last two years, which is continuously evidenced by credible international reports, the prime minister said that in December of last year we submitted the application for membership in the European Union, and this year we have the decisions for the liberalization of visas for the citizens of Kosovo and the passage of the first phase for membership in the Council of Europe, which are clear evidence of Kosovo’s commitment to integration and progress,” it continues.

Koopman said that Kosovo is part of the European family. “He congratulated Kosovo on the reforms and emphasized the need to accelerate them and the need to pursue the economic integration of the region and the integration into the economic market of the European Union,” the EU official said.

Kosovo Police joins the operational network against organized crime (media)

The Kosovo Police has become a member of the operational network ON Network, which strengthens international police cooperation against mafia-style criminal groups, making it possible for EU member states to request, in coordination with Europol, the deployment of specialized investigators.

The Director General of the Kosovo Police, Gazmend Hoxha, accompanied by the Director for International Police Cooperation, Lt. Col. Arben Pacarizi, participated in the signing ceremony of the Declaration of Partnership in the ON Network project that was held in Rome, Italy at the headquarters of the Directorate of Investigations Antimafia.

The membership of the Kosovo Police in the ON Network, which is a project of the European Commission under the leadership of the Italian Police, was made together with the Police of Finland, Cyprus and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Zubin Potok mayor: We’re harmonizing actions with U.S. and other factors (media)

The newly elect mayor of the municipality of Zubin Potok, Izmir Zeqiri, said on Wednesday that the new mayors of the four northern municipalities are harmonizing their future actions with all factors, including the U.S. Embassy. He said that one of the reasons why not all new mayors take the oath on Friday, like Erden Atiq, from North Mitrovica, is a technical aspect.

“These are technical problems regarding organizations in all municipalities, this is the first reason that all oaths are not being held on the same date. The certification itself, for example the municipality of Leposaviq, has delays in the certification of candidates, it is not said to be held on one date. We also had a meeting with representatives of the American and English embassies, we are harmonizing with all the factors… we will always harmonize with the American embassy”, he said.

Asked to comment on the statement of U.S. Ambassador to Kosovo, Jeffrey Hovenier, that the new mayors should only have technical competences, Zeqiri said that they will have sufficient competences to respond to the needs of the citizens. “I believe that we will have the capacity and competence to serve the citizens without any difference. It is important to take as big steps as possible in the direction of establishing the administration, which the law of Kosovo calls us to. I do not prejudge, we are on the way, and we will try to give our best,” he said.

LVV MP: Lajcak should’ve made his statement in Belgrade (Telegrafi)

MP from the Vetevendosje Movement, Arbereshe Kryeziu-Hyseni, criticized the representative of the European Union for the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue, Miroslav Lajcak for his statement that between Kosovo and Serbia there can be either be normalization or conflict and that the European Union is working for the first. Hyseni argued that Lajcak should have made such a statement in Belgrade and not in Pristina.

“If there is a party that is blocking the process and has a tendency to lead the situation to conflict, it is Serbia,” she said in an interview with the news website. “In fact we have shown readiness to accept the French-German proposal, submit our comments and request that those comments be integrated into the agreement, we have done this and accepted the agreement, shown readiness to sign and are ready to sit down and discuss each point and implement as much as we can to implement this agreement, while the Serbian side is not doing the same. This criticism should go to Serbia as it is continuously violating the agreement and is not showing willingness to implement any point of that agreement.”

According to Kryeziu-Hyseni, the EU cannot impose blockades on Kosovo now because the latter is not causing problems in the process. “It is quite clear who is preventing dialogue between the parties and who is asking for dialogue only on an issue that is in their interest. For both Kosovo and Serbia, there are many more important issues that can be discussed, the Association is not the only important topic,” she said.

Kryeziu-Hyseni said that it is true that the EU has offered 16 models for the establishment of the Association, now the one that is most suitable for the implementation format in Kosovo must be chosen.

Switzerland grants visa-free travel to Kosovars starting on 2024 (Schengen Visa)

Starting from January 1, 2024, Kosovar nationals will be able to enter Switzerland for short-term stays without a visa, the Swiss Federal Council has decided.

The decision for Kosovar nationals to be exempted from visa requirements was made on May 17, with the Federal Council passing the amendment to the Ordinance on Entry and Visa Issuance (VEV), SchengenVisaInfo.com reports.

The European Parliament and the EU Council passed the Schengen regulation regarding Kosovo on April 19, indicating that Kosovo has met the visa waiver requirements that prove security, border controls and migration management.

This means that Kosovar nationals are exempted from visa requirements to enter the Schengen area for short stays of 90 days every 180 days. Since Switzerland is part of the Schengen area, Kosovar nationals are also allowed entry to this country, provided they present a biometric passport.

Read more at: https://bit.ly/3WsPO5b

Kosovo failing to punish violent crime, BIRN Finds (BIRN)

Police and prosecutors in Kosovo are struggling to solve violent crimes, particularly when they occur in a northern pocket of the country populated mainly by Serbs, according to a BIRN analysis of crime data illustrated in an interactive map.

Violent crime in Kosovo frequently goes unpunished, particularly in the Serb-majority north, according to a BIRN analysis of 62 incidents involving firearms, knives, stones and physical assault since 2017. In the few cases in which justice is served, the process can take years.

Thirty-one of the cases, or half, occurred in the north, where Serbs are the majority; in the Mitrovica region, which itself is split between Serbs on the north side of the Ibar River and Albanians in the south, around 89 per cent of cases occurred in the Serbian majority municipalities in the north of Kosovo: North Mitrovica, Zvecan, Leposavic, and Zubin Potok.

In these 31 cases, BIRN managed to confirm that the police made arrests in three cases – of four Kosovo police officers apprehended on suspicion of failing to report a criminal offence in 2023, in the case of the murder of Kosovo Serb politician Oliver Ivanovic in 2018, and in an attack against journalists in 2020.

Read more at: https://shorturl.at/ainxB

Kosovo government building illuminated in colors of LGBTQI+ flag (media)

The Kosovo Government building has been illuminated with the colors of the flag of the LGBTI+ community to mark the international day against homophobia, biphobia and transphobia. Images of the building have been shared by the Prime Minister’s Office for Good Governance.

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti wrote on Twitter: “Today our government lit up in rainbow colors to mark the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia. It is a fundamental right to live and thrive authentically without fear, judgment, threat, or discrimination. As a government, we stand united in diversity.”

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani wrote in a Twitter post: “Universal human rights demand equal treatment & the freedom to be true to oneself, without fear or discrimination. Let’s continue to champion this cause, standing up for the rights of every individual, everywhere & always. On #IDAHOT, we repeat: love is & will always be, love.”

SL claims persons that shot in Uglare were speaking in Albanian (media)

The Serbian List said on Wednesday that persons suspected of shooting from a vehicle at the direction of an elementary school in Uglare were speaking in Albanian. The SL said that when the shooting happened there were Serb pupils on the school yard. “Fortunately, none of the children were injured in the attack but this has caused fear and sadness among Serbs living in Kosovo, especially in the central part,” the SL said.

OSCE mission releases guidelines on domestic violence coordination (media)

The OSCE Mission in Kosovo on Wednesday launched Guidelines for the Effective Performance of Municipal Coordination Mechanisms against Domestic Violence (MCMDV), a tool to facilitate more effective and co-ordinated responses to domestic violence cases.

The MCMDVs aim to strengthen co-ordination, information sharing, and engagement of all relevant actors at the local level. They consist of representatives of the court and prosecution, Kosovo Police, relevant municipal directorates, Victims’ Advocacy and Assistance Office, Centre for Social Work, local shelters for victims of domestic violence and civil society organizations.

The Guidelines cover the legal basis and purpose of the MCMDVs, and facilitate a multi-institutional coordinated approach, which includes data collection, reporting, training and capacity building for the MCMDV members.

“We all understand how important it is to work together to both prevent and address the problem of domestic violence. The MCMDVs, as coordination bodies at the local level, are a step in the right direction,” said Ambassador Michael Davenport, the Head of the OSCE Mission in Kosovo. “The Guidelines released today should serve as a practical tool to help members further increase the MCMDVs efficiency through better understanding of their roles and responsibilities,” Ambassador Davenport added.

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

EU Council urges Kosovo to step up energy transition (SeeNews)

Kosovo needs to act towards the transition to renewable sources and take steps to reduce the grey economy in order to boost its competitiveness and growth, the Council of the European Union said.

Kosovo should adopt a long-term energy and climate strategy for lowering carbon emissions, including plans for a phase-out of coal and fossil fuels subsidies, the Council said in a report on the economic and financial dialogue with the Western Balkans published on Tuesday.

“In line with the commitments of the Green Agenda for the Western Balkans: [Kosovo should] increase energy efficiency incentives for the private sector and households and improve the support schemes for renewable energy projects with the introduction of competitive bidding/auctions; adopt an action plan for the gradual adjustment of energy tariffs reflecting actual costs and providing mitigation measures for vulnerable consumers, and implement the plan to liberalise the retail energy market,” it noted.

Read more at: https://bit.ly/3Wa8ZjX