Albanian Language Media:

• Kurti talks with Chollet, calls for unconditional implementation of agreement (media) 
• Czech and Finnish presidents call for Kosovo’s membership at CoE (Gazeta 10)
• Bislimi: Kosovo evaluated for highest economic growth in the region (media)
• Kosovo Police Union admitted in European Council of Police Unions (Klan)
• Police ready for swearing-in of new mayors of northern municipalities (RTV21)
• Selimi says Kosovo falling for traps set up by Vucic in the north (media)
• Expropriation in the north, a slippery slope for the Kosovo Government (RFE)
• Pamuk’s visit to Kosovo postponed to autumn, Ministry says (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Vucic says situation in northern Kosovo is very tense (Danas, FoNet, Kosovo Online)
• Vucic speaks with Chollet (Tanjug)
• Serbian Government says security situation stable (FoNet, N1)
• Vucic, Serbian patriarch discuss fateful matters (Tanjug)
• “Serbia forced to reconsider meaningfulness of Council of Europe membership” (BETA, Radio KIM, media)
• PIK launches preliminary investigation of Rakocevic’s complaint about police mistreatment (KoSSev)
• West’s plan being prepared for Kosovo, Dayton 2? (Blic)
• Ficovic: Local media are essential for objectively informing Serbs in Kosovo (KiM radio)

Opinion:

• If It Ain’t Broken, Don’t Fix It: Turkish Foreign Policy in the Balkans After the Elections (EWB)

Albanian Language Media  

Kurti talks with Chollet, calls for unconditional implementation of agreement (media) 

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti had a telephone conversation on Wednesday evening with Counselor and Senior Adviser for Security and Defense Policy at the U.S. State Department, Derek Chollet. A press release issued by Kurti’s office notes that “the conversation started with the successful visit to Kosovo by USAID Administrator, Samantha Power, who together with Prime Minister Kurti and Minister Rizvanolli announced the auction for the first solar energy park to generate 100 megawatts. On this topic, Chollet said that she was left with the best impressions and thanked the Prime Minister for the reception. The Prime Minister said he was honoured and grateful for Administrator Power’s visit and for the continuous support from the USAID and the United States of America for Kosovo.” 

“They also talked about the process of dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia, with emphasis on the full and unconditional implementation of the Basic Agreement, and for Monday’s meeting between the chief negotiators in Brussels. They also talked about the situation in the four northern municipalities of Kosovo after the April 23 elections and the finalisation of the election process with the holding of constitutive sessions and the swearing-in of elected mayors”.

“The institutions of the Republic of Kosovo remain committed to guaranteeing constitutionality and legality, and at the same time ensure the smooth course of services for the citizens”.

Czech and Finnish presidents call for Kosovo’s membership at CoE (Gazeta 10)

President of the Czech Republic, Petr Pavel, and the President of Finland, Sauli Niinisto, expressed their support for Kosovo’s membership in the Council of Europe during the Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Council of Europe in Reykjavík. 

Although the summit was dedicated to Ukraine, Pavel said in his address that Kosovo must become a member of the Council of Europe. “As we focus on the situation in Ukraine, we must not forget about other partners … They can count on our support, including their path toward membership in the European Union. I would also like to use this opportunity to reiterate our full support for Kosovo’s objective to become a member of the Council of Europe as soon as possible,” Pavel said.

Niinisto said that the Western Balkans must not be forgotten and reiterated support for Kosovo’s membership. “Finland welcomes the further steps in advancing Kosovo’s membership in the Council of Europe. As the rules-based multilateral system is challenged, the Council of Europe deserves stronger support from our side,” he said. 

Bislimi: Kosovo evaluated for highest economic growth in the region (media)

Kosovo’s First Deputy Prime Minister, Besnik Bislimi, said today in a Twitter post today that “recently, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development found that Kosova as the country with the highest economic growth in the region for 2023. It predicts that this trend will continue in the near future. The World Bank & the IMF have also evaluated our country for its economic growth and positive trend.”

Kosovo Police Union admitted in European Council of Police Unions (Klan)

The Kosovo Police Union is the newest member of the European Council of Police Unions (CESP). The admission of the police union happened during the congress held in Rome, Italy. A press release issued by the Kosovo Police Union notes: “All representatives of member states as well as non-recognising countries such as Spain, Greece and Cyprus, voted unanimously in favour of the admission of the Union of Kosovo Police as a full-fledged member at the CESP”. “The admission of the Kosovo Police Union into the family of European unions is a great achievement for Kosovo Police in guaranteeing social-economic and legal rights,” the press release notes.

Police ready for swearing-in of new mayors of northern municipalities (RTV21)

The municipal assembly of Mitrovica North will meet tomorrow and the new mayor from the Vetevendosje Movement, Erden Atiq, is expected to swear in. Head of the municipal assembly, Nexhat Uglanin, said final preparations are being made for Friday. “We are finalising preparations for the swearing-in of mayor Erden Atiq and today we will have consultations with the mayor for the session which will take place on May 19, at 11:00. We are aware that there may be some escalation, but we are prepared,” he said.

Kosovo Police have prepared an operational plan to make sure that the swearing-in of Atiq will go without incidents. “In the security aspect, police are fully prepared for the swearing-in to proceed regularly. We are prepared for all situations. Police planning requires this. The situation for now is quiet but fragile and let’s see what happens in the coming days. Police are prepared for any situations that may arise,” Kosovo Police Deputy Director for the north region, Veton Elshani, told RTV21.

Selimi says Kosovo falling for traps set up by Vucic in the north (media)

Kosovo’s former Foreign Minister and CEO of Millenium Foundation Kosovo, Petrit Selimi, argued in a Twitter post today that “Kosovo policies in north of our own country have become a series of continuous, willful runs, with unexplainable vigour, towards trap after trap after trap after trap set up by Vucic. We haven’t missed one. And we’re running towards the next one I fear, just around the corner”.

Expropriation in the north, a slippery slope for the Kosovo Government (RFE)

Masan Jovanovic from Leposavic – in the north of Kosovo – the expropriation of land initiated by the Kosovo Government in this Serb-majority region, is “usurpation or sequestration of personal property”. He says that former municipal officials told him that eight hectares of his forest in the village of Mekiniq, located near the house of the family where he lives, will undergo expropriation.

Leposavic is one of the municipalities, where officials of the Serb community – unsatisfied with the Kosovo Government’s decision for the re-registration of vehicles with Serbian licence plates – resigned six months ago.

Speaking to Radio Free Europe, Jovanovic said that the Kosovo Government was carrying out an “illegal” wealth confiscation process. “The people are angry and persistent. We want to stay there, save our property,” he said.

Residents of the villages of Dren and Zasele in the same municipality expressed a similar position to Radio Free Europe and said that they believe that their property too will be subject to expropriation but did not want to talk publicly to the media.

The owners of the parcels addressed the People’s Attorney in Pristina, Naim Qalaj, and his office told the news website that “the investigation is ongoing”. “After investigating the cases based on legal provisions, the People’s Attorney will announce a public opinion,” they said.

The Kosovo Government, meanwhile, says that the purpose of the expropriation is “the implementation of infrastructure projects of public importance” and that it is proceeding in compliance with the law.

Kosovo Police confirmed to RFE that the construction of a police station was planned in the expropriated area. The European Union meanwhile has expressed concern over “the creation of police bases in private and social lands”.

Pamuk’s visit to Kosovo postponed to autumn, Ministry says (media)

Kosovo’s Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports, said in a Facebook post today that the visit to Kosovo by renowned Turkish novelist, Orhan Pamuk, scheduled for late this month, has been postponed to autumn.

Serbian Language Media 

Vucic says situation in northern Kosovo is very tense (Danas, FoNet, Kosovo Online)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said today that situation in northern Kosovo is very difficult and tense, because of Pristina’s intention to hold constitutive sessions for the three northern municipalities in Mitrovica North tomorrow “and elect three fake mayors following the most shameful and the most miserable elections in the world with an average turnout of 3.4 percent”.

Vucic told journalists, after opening of the factory in Novi Sad, that he had spoken with US diplomats Derek Chollet, Gabriel Escobar and US Ambassador to Serbia, Christopher Hill about the situation in Kosovo.

“The situation is very difficult and tense, in particular in the north of Kosovo and Metohija. I kindly ask Serbs that we preserve peace, because they shall never be accepted as mayors. This is pressure against the Serbs and an attempt to create an environment that would force them to leave their homes”, Vucic said. 

Asked to comment on people who took off on foot from Kosovo to attend the gathering on May 26 in Belgrade, Vucic publicly thanked them.

“I thank them for their attention and respect. Those people didn’t find it difficult to take off on foot. They know what the real situation is, how difficult it is, and how much and in what way the state leadership fought. My message to them is that we will fight together, that our people remain in Kosovo and Metohija and that our Constitution is preserved. And it is better not to tell you how much I am worried about what will happen tomorrow”, he said.

Vucic speaks with Chollet (Tanjug)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic spoke with US State Department Counsellor Derek Chollet by phone on Wednesday about bilateral cooperation, Kosovo and Metohija as well as the situation in the region, Tanjug news agency reports.

Vucic and Chollet agreed that US-Serbia relations were developing in a good direction, especially in the field of economic cooperation, as also indicated by a growing trade volume, the presidential press office said in a statement.

Vucic noted that Air Serbia flights between Belgrade and Chicago, launched earlier yesterday, would boost Serbia-US ties further.

The parties also discussed the situation in Kosovo and Metohija. Chollet said it was necessary to avert provocations and conflicts and that it was important to continue to work on normalisation. He also expressed support for the Brussels dialogue.

Vucic noted that Serbia remained committed to a policy of peace and cooperation in the region.

Serbian Government says security situation stable (FoNet, N1)

The government handed to the Serbian Parliament its report on the security situation in the country following two mass shootings which says that the public security situation is stable, N1 reports.

According to the report, the most wide-spread crimes committed by minors after the shooting at a Belgrade school were threats to students and school staff. “Every third crime was one of those activities in direct communication or on social networks and Viber groups. Importantly, none of the threats were realised and the police acted immediately and efficiently in cooperation with prosecutors”, the report says. It will be presented in parliament by Internal Affairs Minister Bratislav Gasic.

The report says that the Internal Affairs Ministry (MUP) has introduced a number of measures to improve security in schools and among the general public. Those include the engagement of a maximum number of police officers to patrol school areas and operations to find weapons and other items that can be used to attack students and school staff.

It says that more illegal weapons were turned in since the two shootings than in four previous attempts to collect illegal weapons. It specified that 11,500 firearms were turned in since May 8 compared to 10,600 between 2016 and 2020.

N1 was told unofficially that the report will be debated by MPs on Thursday. According to N1 sources, MPs will debate the report, a report from the electronic media regulator (REM), demands to dismiss its members and an opposition demand for the dismissal of Internal Affairs Minister Bratislav Gasic.

Vucic, Serbian patriarch discuss fateful matters (Tanjug)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic hosted a lunch for Serbian Patriarch Porfirije and the Holy Assembly of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church on Wednesday to discuss all fateful matters for the Serbs and Serbia, as well as looming difficulties in the international political arena, especially with regards to Kosovo issue, Tanjug news agency reports.

“As always, I listened attentively to the opinion of the patriarch and the esteemed bishops, with whom I agreed that unity of the people, especially in times of great challenges, is the pillar for preserving the state and Serbia’s national interests, and that the Church, as one of the most significant institutions in our country, has an exceptional role in maintaining that unity”, Vucic wrote in an Instagram post.

In a statement, the press service of the Serbian Orthodox Church said the patriarch and the bishops had discussed with Vucic several matters that were very important to the Serbs, in particular the ongoing and upcoming pressure regarding dialogue on Kosovo and Metohija.

“Serbia forced to reconsider meaningfulness of Council of Europe membership” (BETA, Radio KIM, media)

Serbian Ambassador to the Council of Europe (CoE) Aleksandra Djurovic told the summit at Reykjavik that Serbia is brought to the situation to reconsider further meaningfulness and modalities of its membership to this organisation, because of the decision to initiate admission procedure for Kosovo, Radio KIM reports.

Addressing the summit of the heads of states and governments of Council of Europe members, boycotted by the highest Serbian officials, Djurovic also said that “by recent decision of the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers to launch procedure of the so-called Kosovo admission to the organisation, certain number of states had scarified unity and neglected fundamental principles of the Council of Europe for the sake of scoring political interests and goals”.

“This act directly endangers Serbia’s vital interests in the CoE, and opens a legitimate question what the future of Serbia is like in this organisation and what damage it may expect in the future”, she said.

She also said Serbia decided to abstain with regards to the adoption of a declaration “United Around Our Values” in the summit because of the unreadiness of the majority of the members to protect inviolability of borders for all CoE member states. This is also a reason why the highest Serbian officials decided to boycott the summit.

Djurovic noted that Serbia distances itself from double standards with regards to respecting the international law and principle of inviolability of the borders, adding that Serbia respects territorial integrity of Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova, within their internationally recognized borders, but also has an obligation to defend and respect its own territorial integrity, therefore it will not renounce any part of its territory.

“It is up to the members to decide whether they will selectively interpret fundamental values or shall they understand that precedents and deviations from respecting the principles lead to uncontrolled sequence of events in the world”, she added.

At the beginning of her address, she said that Serbia appeals to all who may influence the course of the war in Ukraine to use this influence and end that war as soon as possible. 

PIK launches preliminary investigation of Rakocevic’s complaint about police mistreatment (KoSSev)

Kosovo Police Inspectorate (PIK) confirmed to KoSSev portal that it had launched a preliminary investigation with regards to the claims of Association of Journalists of Serbia (UNS) President Zivojin Rakocevic about mistreatment by Kosovo police officers.

Rakocevic stated last Friday that he and the editor of a literary program at House of Culture Gracanica Zarko Milenkovic, the night before, were mistreated by a group of police officers in the village of Preoce, in the vicinity of Gracanica.

He also told RTV KIM that they filed a complaint to the Kosovo Police Inspectorate.

KoSSev said it contacted PIK last Friday enquiring about the case and the response arrived today (Thursday).

It confirmed that a preliminary investigation had been launched and that they interviewed one of the complainants.

West’s plan being prepared for Kosovo, Dayton 2? (Blic)

”Negotiators closed between four walls until they reach a compromise, the EU and US are helping them in the dialogue, and everyone is chasing a historic agreement together. Sounds familiar? This kind of direction almost thirty years ago led to the Dayton Agreement, and it seems that some international actors wish for a repeat, only that this time Belgrade and Pristina would be on the scene,” daily Blic reported today.

The implementation of the agreement in Ohrid, will not be easy, reported Blic, adding that progress in the negotiations is being hindered by Pristina’s refusal to form the CSM (ZSO). 

According to this daily, behind all of it is ”hidden hellish plan” of certain EU members: To direct “Dayton 2”, only that instead of the USA this time everything would take place in Italy.

Milovan Drecun, the President of the Committee for Kosovo and Metohija, mentioned it two days ago, and assessed that “Pristina’s behaviour in the dialogue is not at all accidental, but planned in cooperation with some Western countries”.

– Otherwise, it wouldn’t just be unofficially said in diplomatic circles that a proposal by European mediators is being prepared to gather experts from our side and from Pristina at one point and lock them up in a villa, Rome offered to host that meeting, and that they negotiate the CSM (ZSO) there – said Drecun, recalled Blic. 

Drecun claimed that the deadline for reaching an agreement was ready. 

– They would negotiate until they reach an agreement, and then a donor conference would be organised, say in July, where some funds would be collected, the implementation of which would be postponed until the moment when an agreement is reached in accordance with the EU proposal – Drecun said.

Suzana Grubjesic from the Center for Foreign Policy told Blic that the dialogue was not progressing as expected and there are no indications that the positions of Belgrade and Pristina have converged on the key issue, which was the CSM (ZSO). 

”Therefore, I assume that in some places there may be ideas about how something should be changed in order to reach an agreement,” said Grubjesic, adding that some previous experiences like Dayton or Rambouillet could serve as a model that leads to such speculations.

– Otherwise, the whole process is quite non-transparent, and I believe it will remain so, which has both good and bad sides – she said.

Blic reported that such an option has not been mentioned for the first time, adding that the last time appeared when one of the versions of the European proposal for Kosovo was disclosed.

A proven and effective formula

At the time, it was announced that the international powers had “a ready way to speed up the achievement of reconciliation – by taking the leaders and negotiating teams out of their comfort zone and bringing all the parties together in one place, in order to reach an agreement within days”.

Former diplomat Srecko Djukic believes in this idea. He told Blic that such solutions are characteristic of diplomacy in situations where major agreements need to be reached.

– Like Dayton, the negotiators “lock themselves up” and do not come out until they deliver the result. Thanks to mediators from the EU and the USA, Belgrade and Pristina reached major agreements in Brussels and Ohrid. Now it is time to implement them, and it is quite realistic to resort to the tried and tested formula, which is always effective, to close the negotiator and not let them go until a solution is reached – he recalled.

Djukic also linked this plan with reaching a compromise regarding Pristina’s refusal to implement its obligations for ten years.

– In this case, it is about the solution for the CSM (ZSO) where the positions of the two parties are not only distant but also diametrically opposed. In addition to the two parties directly interested, international experts would certainly be involved as mediators, and the solution, I am convinced, would have to be based on international law and the experience of individual countries. That would certainly be primary and not the mutually exclusive positions of Belgrade and Pristina – said Djukic.

Djukic explained further, saying that after a certain time, maybe a month, two, three, the result would see the light of day. He opined that there was hardly any other solution because those were tried. 

”The donor conference represents an earlier idea, which should be welcomed and supported, and of course no one is ready to give money to a project that is not peaceful,” concluded Djukic. 

Ficovic: Local media are essential for objectively informing Serbs in Kosovo (KiM radio)

The conference for the media of Southeast Europe “At the crossroads – safeguarding media freedoms for the sake of protecting democracy”, organised by the OSCE mission in Skopje from May 15 to 17, gathered participants in seven debates, as well as in workshops, film screenings. Artificial intelligence and freedom of expression was at the forefront, reported KiM radio. 

Member of the Executive Board of the Association of Journalists of Kosovo and Metohija (UNS-DNKiM), Maja Ficovic, as part of the panel “Strengthening the sustainability of the media of South-Eastern Europe”, spoke about the challenges in the work of media that broadcast programs in the Serbian language in Kosovo.

Ficovic emphasised the problem of financial sustainability, the disinterest of young people in working in newsrooms and in the field, as well as how much the development of technology has multiplied the work of journalists today. She added that the greatest pressure is felt by newsrooms with a small number of people, which includes almost all media reporting in Serbian language. 

The importance of local media is essential for objectively informing Serbs in Kosovo, adding that it was necessary to find successful models for their sustainability in order to manage to survive and keep their impartiality in reporting.

She also stated the networking of local media as one of the models of survival, stressing that the exchange of information contributes to better informed citizens and more opportunities to be recognised by donors for possible financing of media projects.

More than 150 participants, including journalists, media experts and lawyers, took part in the conference, reported KiM radio.

Opinion 

If It Ain’t Broken, Don’t Fix It: Turkish Foreign Policy in the Balkans After the Elections (EWB)

By Vuk Vuksanović and Srđan Hercigonja

The first round of Turkish presidential elections is over. A runoff for the Turkish presidency will be held on May 28 2023, promising a tough fight between the incumbent President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his opposition contender Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu. How will Turkish foreign policy unfold if the opposition candidate wins? Regardless of the outcome of the elections, there will be a surprising continuity in the country’s foreign policy, particularly towards the Balkans.

Read more at: https://bit.ly/3MD8kEs