Albanian Language Media:

• German Defense Minister arrives in Kosovo (media)
• Osmani: CBK regulation is not against dinar and it does not mention it (media)
• Hovenier insists on postponing implementation of CBK regulation (media)
• Muja: No one is fueling the fire; some statements can be used for tensions (media)
• Kosovo citizens advised not to travel through Merdare (media)
• Feith: Kosovo should be careful, don’t make mistakes (Reporteri)
• Konjufca: Serbia poses a danger to our region and beyond (media)
• Gervalla in Rome with Western Balkans foreign ministers (Albanian Post)
• Zlatan Arsic acquitted of war crime charges (Koha)
• Gervalla meets Belgian Ambassador, focus on political situation (media)
• ​CEC: Signatures for dismissal of mayors in the north are being verified (Koha)
• ​ Police begin investigations into posters with Radoicic in the north (media)
• Serbian police continue to mistreat Nikola Sandulovic’s family (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Stano: Concern growing in EU due to decision of CBK and police operations against Serbian entities (N1)
• Brnabic on request for extraordinary session of UN SC: We will fight with all diplomatic means (Beta, NMagazin, TV Pink)
• Dacic: Kosovo and Metohija issue of paramount state and national interest of Serbia (Tanjug)
• Hovenier after meeting Kurti: We hope to see postponement of Central Bank decision (Kosovo Online)
• China: Unilateral Pristina’s actions do not lead toward resolution of Kosovo issue (Tanjug)
• Self-determination Movement lists their January successes including ban on dinar (KoSSev)
• Zlatan Arsic acquitted (RTS, N1)
• Lawyers: Zlatan Arsic is a free man (Kosovo Online)
• OSCE: It is of crucial importance that rights of Kosovo Serbs are fully respected (Kosovo Online, media)
• Rohde: Unilateral measures only add fuel to fire, opposite of reducing tensions (Kosovo Online, KoSSev, social media)
• Simic: Serbs in Kosovo frightened by silence of international community, statements are not enough (Beta, Danas, TV Pink)
• Grenell on German officials’ reactions to latest Pristina authorities acts (Kosovo Online, social media)
• Chinese Ambassador to Belgrade: Solve Kosovo issue without double standards (Beta, NMagazin, Politika, KiM radio)
• Haziri: Government increased national sentiment, reduced European one among citizens (Kosovo Online, VoA)

Opinion:

• Palokaj: Kosovo is asked not to do what it has the right to do (Koha)
• Serwer: How to counter the Serbian world (media)

International:

• Kosovo Euro Rule, Closure of Belgrade-Run Offices, Draw International Criticism (Balkan Insight)

Albanian Language Media  

German Defense Minister arrives in Kosovo (media)

The German Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a post on X today that German Defense Minister Postorius “is welcomed by Ambassador Rohde in Pristina. Kosovo must safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity in complex conditions. After the U.S., Germany is one of Kosovo’s biggest supporters – both civil and military.”

The German Minister of Defense, Boris Pistorius, in the joint conference with the President of Kosovo, Vjosa Osmani, spoke about the regulation of the Central Bank, which excludes the dinar as a currency for carrying out cash operations and allows only the euro. He said that Kosovo has the right to implement its legality, but that it is necessary to communicate in a more appropriate way.

“We are aware that Kosovo has the right to implement its legality, but de-escalation also includes legitimate measures regarding the establishment of the Euro as a single currency, but this needs to be communicated in a more appropriate way, in order for no one to be afraid and misinformed”, he said.

The President of Kosovo, Vjosa Osmani, said that Germany has stood close to Kosovo in difficult periods but also in the state formation process. “Germany has stood by us not only during difficult periods for the people of Kosovo, but also in the process of state formation and state building and continues to be our strong ally, as long as we continue to strengthen our democracy and our international position”, Osmani said.

“Together with the minister, we discussed issues of mutual interest, with special emphasis on how our countries can further advance cooperation in the field of security and defense. Our military cooperation is dynamic and in constant development, including the valuable contribution and commitment of Germany in supporting the KSF”, she said.

Osmani: CBK regulation is not against dinar and it does not mention it (media)

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani has said that the regulation of the Central Bank of Kosovo is not about the Serbian dinar. During a joint press conference with the German Minister of Defense, Boris Pistorius, she stressed that Kosovo has the back of its allies every time and that they do not want the Constitution of the country to be violated.

“We have our allies by our side, they have never been against the Constitution of Kosovo, they have never been in favor of the Serbian dinar, they have never been against the rule of law, on the contrary, this Constitution, and every success we have achieved, we have achieved together with our allies, USA and Germany” she said.

“I don’t see anything abnormal in the cooperation between the institutions of Kosovo and our allies in finding effective ways to inform citizens about how to apply the CBK regulation, which is not a regulation against the dinar, it does not mention the dinar, but it is the regulation that deals with the prevention of money laundering, a regulation that deals with the prevention of corruption and many, many other measures that are foreseen there”, Osmani said.

Hovenier insists on postponing implementation of CBK regulation (media)

The U.S. Ambassador to Kosovo, Jeffrey Hovenier, has said after a meeting with the Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, that he has repeated the request to the government of Kosovo to postpone the decision to implement the regulation of the Central Bank of Kosovo (CBK). “We hope that the government will be a partner with us” he stressed adding that if the opposite happens, this “will have an impact on the quality of our partnership”.

Hovenier has said that although the United States welcomes Kosovo’s decision to respect the country’s Constitution, the U.S. believes that there should be an educational period for the new regulation.

“I can say that the request of the U.S. is that this be postponed. There is a lot of work to be done until its implementation. The government has talked about a transition period, and we hope that this transition will take into account the concerns on this issue. We believe that the government will be our partner in this matter. If it decides otherwise, then this will have an impact on the quality of our partnership”, he said.

Muja: No one is fueling the fire; some statements can be used for tensions (media)

MP from the ruling Vetevendosje Movement, Armend Muja, took to Facebook today to ask “how can the shutting down of Serbia’s parallel municipalities/structures in Kosovo and the enforcement of the Constitution be considered as an unilateral step by Kosovo by the European Union and other allies? It is qualifications like these, while there is no measure against Serbia for the paramilitary attack in Banjska, that in fact cause a disbalance in the dialogue process and incite violent groups to act violently. No one is fueling the fire. But some statements by our partners can be used to fertilize the ground for tensions by Serbia through criminal groups, and at the same time discourage the further integration of Serb citizens in Kosovo”.

Kosovo citizens advised not to travel through Merdare (media)

All news websites report that Kosovo’s National Border Management Centre issued a statement today informing all Kosovo citizens that plan to travel through the border crossing point of Merdare, that on the Serbian side protests and roadblocks have been announced for today from 12:00-15:00. We encourage you to use other border crossing points for travel”.

Feith: Kosovo should be careful, don’t make mistakes (Reporteri)

Former head of the International Civilian Office (ICO), Pieter Feith, continues to closely follow the political developments in Kosovo. The Dutch diplomat has suggested to the Kurti government not to make unnecessary mistakes in this period taking into account the geopolitical developments. However, he said that he understands the difficulties Europe’s youngest country is facing.

“I would suggest that Kosovo continue with this momentum, and achieve results. We know that it will not be easy, as it was not until now, because Serbia is led by an authoritarian ruler, who is unpredictable. You know that we are now in the middle of a geopolitical crisis, and the security situation is very, very difficult at the moment. We know the position of Serbia towards the war in Ukraine and the friendship with Mr. Putin is not well received in Brussels. It is clear that Aleksandar Vucic is not taking steps towards the recognition of Kosovo’s independence. However, at this stage Kosovo should not make unnecessary mistakes. I think that Kurti’s approach to the dialogue was more nationalistic compared to the previous leaders, but it must be said that it was also constructive”, he said.

Konjufca: Serbia poses a danger to our region and beyond (media)

The Speaker of the Assembly, Glauk Konjufca, during his visit to Estonia, was received in a meeting by the President of Estonia, Alar Karis. Konjufca, through a post on the Facebook social network, said he thanked the Estonian president for the warm welcome and showed gratitude for the support that the Estonian state has shown towards Kosovo, for integration into European or international structures.

“We discussed the cooperation so far between us, stopping at the need to examine the possibilities to further strengthen the relations between our countries that share common interests, values and goals”.

“I informed Alan Karis about the political situation in our country, where it is worth noting that we remain maximally committed to security, especially after the terrorist attack in Banjska, with full awareness of the danger that Russian influence in Serbia poses for our region and beyond “.

“The commitment to peace, in times like these, is confirmed by the readiness to protect our values as well as our territories, at any cost and with all the necessary means. This is what, above all, should bring us closer each time, more and more”, said Konjufca.

Gervalla in Rome with Western Balkans foreign ministers (Albanian Post)

The Foreign Ministers of the Western Balkan countries will meet today in Rome to discuss the journey of the six Balkan countries towards European integration, where special attention is expected to be paid to strengthening cooperation between the countries of the region and the European Union enlargement.

The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Italy, Antonio Tajani, will be the host of the meeting, while the foreign ministers of Kosovo, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia, in an effort to promote and accelerate the European integration process.

“Good to be in Rome for another WB6 Friends of the Western Balkans Ministerial meeting hosted by DPM/FM Antonio Tajani. Also looking forward to engaging in several bilateral discussions with my counterpart and Italian institutions,” Kosovo’s Minister for Foreign Affairs wrote.

Zlatan Arsic acquitted of war crime charges (Koha)

Zlatan Arsic has been acquitted of the charges for war crimes. His detention has also been terminated. Arsic, former member of the Serbian police forces, who after the war was also member of the Kosovo Police, was accused of torture, inhumane treatment, deportation and burning of the houses of Albanians during February and March 1999 in Kamenica.

Gervalla meets Belgian Ambassador, focus on political situation (media)

Kosovo’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, met today with Belgian Ambassador to Kosovo, Gregoire Cuvelier, and discussed Kosovo’s integration process, Belgium’s support for Kosovo’s membership in the Council of Europe and other international organizations. “The meeting focused on the current political situation in Kosovo, the engagements of institutions in security, democratization and economic development, with emphasis that Kosovo remains determined in safeguarding peace and stability in the region and strengthening the rule of law and democracy,” a press release notes.

​CEC: Signatures for dismissal of mayors in the north are being verified (Koha)

The Central Election Commission  (CEC) has announced that they are in the process of verifying the signatures collected for the dismissal of the current mayors in Mitrovica North, Zvecan, Leposaviq and Zubin Potok.

The spokesperson of the CEC, Valmir Elezi, said that this process will take time since according to the data they are collected in physical manner.

“After the completion of the verification of the collected signatures, we will prepare a report for each municipality and notify the Ministry, the heads of the municipal assemblies, the mayors of the municipalities and the initiator groups. Likewise, the CEC’s response will be made public for citizens and the media,” he said.

​ Police begin investigations into posters with Radoicic in the north (media)

The Kosovo police have launched investigations about the posters that were placed in the north of Kosovo – in the municipality of Leposaviq and Zubin Potok – on the night between Saturday and Sunday, in which the photo of Milan Radoicic can be seen with the message “Come back to Kosovo, brother – Serbs can no longer suffer”.

The beginning of the investigation has been confirmed by the deputy director of the police for the northern region, Veton Elshani.

Serbian police continue to mistreat Nikola Sandulovic’s family (media)

The Serbian politician, Nikola Sandulovic, has announced that the state of Serbia continues to mistreat his family. He wrote in a post on “X” that his daughter Klara was detained at the airport in Serbia and is not allowed to travel to London.

“Aleksandar Vucic together with the BIA are abusing my daughter again! The police keep her at the airport and do not allow her to fly to London! How long will the EU and the U.S. allow this?” Sandulovic wrote.

Days ago, Klara Sandulovic was also detained at the border in Merdar, for more than four hours, after the visit she made to the Jashari family cemetery in Prekaz. Her father, the leader of the Serbian Republican Party, Nikola Sandulovic, was arrested and beaten by the Serbian secret service, just for the fact that he had visited Prekaz, media report.

Serbian Language Media

Stano: Concern growing in EU due to decision of CBK and police operations against Serbian entities (N1, Kosovo Online)

“There are at least two examples of activities that cause growing concern in the EU. One is the decision of the CBK, and the other is police operations against certain Serbian entities in the north of Kosovo,” said EU spokesperson Peter Stano, reported N1.

“Those steps are worrisome, because they do not contribute to calming the situation on the ground, usually they are not coordinated, usually they are unilateral, without the necessary level of prior consultation, the aim of which would be to prevent a negative impact on people on the ground,” said Stano.

So, he added, the EU reacted to both things and published several announcements on the subject.

“Of course, it’s worrying when you see that sequences of unilateral activities can lead to something we don’t want to see, which is a worsening of the situation on the ground. Because one thing is certain, it does not contribute to calming down the situation on the ground and it does not help people feel better, it is the other way around,” he says.

That is why it is important, he adds, “to return to dialogue under the auspices of the EU and seriously engage in it.”

“Work on it continues every day. EU Special Representative Miroslav Lajcak is working with partners in the region and in the EU, as well as in the wider international community, to help both sides to start behaving constructively and return to the negotiating table,” said Stano, reported N1.

Brnabic on request for extraordinary session of UN SC: We will fight with all diplomatic means (Beta, NMagazin, TV Pink)

Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic said today Serbia demands an extraordinary session of the United Nations Security Council because of a series of unilateral moves by Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti, which he made without any consultation with anyone.

Brnabic told TV Pink that Serbia will fight “with all diplomatic means”, reported portal NMagazin.

She said she believed that the request for an extraordinary session of the UN SC was the beginning of a new diplomatic effort.

Speaking about the constitutive session of the National Assembly, which is scheduled for tomorrow, she said that she was “sincerely looking forward to it”, and that “Serbia will be stable”. “It is a big and important day,” she said, adding she expects that a new government will be formed shortly after the constitution of the Serbian Parliament.

Speaking about announcements from the opposition that they will express their displeasure in the parliament in different ways due to allegations of election fraud, Brnabic said her question is “what is different compared to the previous convocation”, when the members of the opposition also performed different performances during the parliamentary sessions.

PM Brnabic said she had expected a guilty verdict for the defendants in the murder case of journalist and editor Slavko Curuvija, who were acquitted by the decision of the Appellate Court in Belgrade.

Brnabic told Pink that “the judiciary is currently independent in this country”, and that there is “a small million proofs for that”.

She asked how the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, is guilty of this, as the opposition representatives accuse him, when “he was the only one who did something”, in order to shed light on the circumstances of the murder that took place in April 1999.

“And Boris Tadic, who was president of Serbia for two terms, is not to blame. They were in power for 11 years, they did nothing, there was no political will”, said Brnabic.

Speaking about the vote in the European Parliament on conducting an international investigation into the elections in Serbia, which were held on December 17 last year, Brnabic said that such a request was signed by six out of a total of 705 members of the EP. She also said that, even if such a resolution happens to be adopted, it is not binding “even for members of the European Union, let alone for countries that are not”. She said “the MEPs do not represent their countries, but only themselves and their parties”.

“That resolution is a form of additional political pressure that continues on Serbia, on Aleksandar Vucic and on the Serbian Progressive Party”, said Brnabic, who assessed that such a resolution “has nothing to do” with the elections, reported the portal.

Dacic: Kosovo and Metohija issue of paramount state and national interest of Serbia (Tanjug)

Serbian First Deputy PM and FM Ivica Dacic said on Monday the KiM issue was a paramount state and national interest and that preserving the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Serbia was a top foreign policy priority, reported Tanjug agency.

In a speech to Diplomatic Academy students, Dacic said that, as in the past, Serbia would conduct an independent foreign policy based primarily on preservation of state and national interests while always respecting the fundamental principles of international law and the UN Charter.

“What is ahead of you is the very responsible task of investing maximum efforts in gaining new knowledge necessary for representing Serbia’s national interests in the best possible way. You need to always have in mind the foreign policy priorities of the Republic of Serbia, which I am certain you know well,” Dacic said.

He added that the list of foreign policy priorities also included full EU membership and military neutrality, advancement of good-neighborhood and regional cooperation, development of relations with all stakeholders in the international political arena both bilaterally and multilaterally, by building new and strengthening old and traditional friendships.

Hovenier after meeting Kurti: We hope to see postponement of Central Bank decision (Kosovo Online)

US Ambassador in Pristina, Jeffrey Hovenier addressed the media following his meeting with Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti, his deputy Besnik Bislimi and finance minister Hekuran Murati together with other Quint states ambassadors, Kosovo Online portal reports.

Referring to what US expectations are Hovenier said that “we hope to see a postponement in the implementation of this regulation, until more work has been done to develop a plan and a strategy, provisions that facture in some realities, the concerns of communities, but also some practicalities how does an individual who is being paid a social benefits in cash from a post office now receive it in a way that works for him or her. Those were conversations that we have been having, we also strongly believe that there is not sufficient public information explaining this. While we absolutely respect, support and welcome the full implementation of the Kosovo Constitution and while we acknowledge and respect the role of Central Bank in regulating the financial sector, in fact, the US played an important role in helping and supporting those institutions to be able to carry out their functions effectively and capably through training, through expedite advice and all the rest. And we of course support the efforts to avoid financial crimes, money laundering, terrorist financing, things like that, we have deep concerns about the manner in which this regulation is being implemented and does not take into account some realities and concerns of the communities”.

“(…) To the extent that the government is willing to be our partner in addressing these concerns, it will reinforce our broader partnership. To the extent that the government does not wish to partner with us on this very sensitive issue, it will have an impact on the quality of our partnership”, Hovenier added.

China: Unilateral Pristina’s actions do not lead toward resolution of Kosovo issue (Tanjug)

China Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Wang Wenbin said today unilateral actions of Pristina authorities do not lead to resolution of Kosovo issue, adding that territorial integrity of Serbia should be respected while seeking solution, Tanjug news agency reported.

“China considers that any unilateral action does not lead to resolving the Kosovo issue, nor to regional peace and stability. We support relevant parties to reach a mutually acceptable political solution through dialogue and within relevant UN SC resolution”, he told a press briefing commenting on Pristina’s decision to ban use of dinar in payment transactions.

He also said that while seeking a solution the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Serbia should be fully respected.

Self-determination Movement lists their January successes including ban on dinar (KoSSev)

Abolishment of dinars in payment transactions in Kosovo, opening of police bases, closure of Belgrade-run institutions, are some of the points on a long list of January successes, as presented by the ruling Self-determination Movement, KoSSev portal reports.

Topics discussed in a meeting of main boards, in presence of party leadership, including Albin Kurti, included local elections, but also 24^th anniversary of murder of 11 Albanians in Mitrovica North, on February 4, 2000, and expulsion of Albanian inhabitants from this city.

The portal writes further that this year as well only tragic balance affecting Albanians was mentioned, but not what preceded it – events in which Serbs were killed.

What happened in February 2000, but was not mentioned

For residents in northern Kosovo, February 4, respectively February 2, is known as “Belami case and UNHCR bus case”, KoSSev portal writes.

On the evening of February 3, out of several bombs thrown at the much visited café bar in Mitrovica North one exploded, wounding at least 25 young men and girls, some of them suffering serious bodily injuries, including limbs amputations. The violence against Albanian population in Mitrovica North was launched shortly afterwards, the portal recalled.

Only two days earlier, a UNHCR bus transporting elderly population and Serbian children from enclaves in Mitrovica South region was hit by a mortar shell, killing two passengers.

Zlatan Arsic acquitted (RTS, N1)

Three-member judicial panel at the Basic Court in Pristina made a decision to acquit Zlatan Arsic from Ajnovce, RTS reported. Arsic was arrested in March last year, at the crossing point Bela Zemlja and charged with allegedly committing war crimes against the civilian population in Kosovo.

He was an active member of Kosovo police since 2003, and in 2017 received a police medal. Following arrest and allegations that he committed war crimes as a member of Serbian police, his family claimed that he was never a member of the Serbian police and was 20 years old at the time of alleged crime.

His father, Predrag, told the media that he knew the person of Albanian ethnicity who accused his son as he worked as a postman and was delivering mails to this Albanian family. He also claimed that Albanian mistook Arsic with some other person, who confiscated from him a box of cigarettes under threat of weapons at the market in Kamenica.

Arsic was interrogated on the same report in 2017, he denied allegations and was set free. Five years after the interrogation, Zlatan was arrested.

Lawyers: Zlatan Arsic is a free man (Kosovo Online)

As of today, Zlatan Arsic is a free man, this is the first acquittal for the war crimes to a Serb, lawyer Vasilije Arsic said after the judicial panel in Pristina made decision in the case of Zlatan Arsic from Ajnovce village, near Kamenica, Kosovo Online portal reports.

Arsic said this is the first acquittal of a specialized chamber for war crimes made in the case of Serb defendants. “I thank the judicial panel which harnessed the strength to look at the evidence and made this just decision”, Arsic added. He thanked other members of the defense team and media for following this case.

“Zlatan is no longer a defendant, he is a free man, he leaves detention today. He spent 11 months in prison. Sadly, it is only him who knows how it was, still the wheels of justice turn slow, but grind exceedingly fine”. He also said the elaboration of the verdict confirms that accusations were groundless and not a single evidence confirmed the fact that Zlatan committed a war crime.

OSCE: It is of crucial importance that rights of Kosovo Serbs are fully respected (Kosovo Online, media)

The OSCE Mission in Kosovo has closely monitored recent decisions and actions by Kosovo institutions, including the introduction of a new regulation on currency transactions, the Mission said in a statement on X social platform, Kosovo Online portal reported.

“The Mission is concerned that this regulation will have a serious impact, especially for those residents receiving payments in dinars. However, the Mission acknowledges Kosovo institutions’ stated acceptance that there will be an impact on those residents, as well as their expression of readiness to provide for a transition period and invest in better communication in order to avoid difficulties and lack of clarity for those affected”, the Mission added.

“It is essential that the rights of non-majority communities, including the Kosovo Serb community, should be fully respected and that time is allowed for necessary consultation with those impacted. It is also important that all relevant public communication should be in both official languages.

The OSCE Mission has also monitored recent actions undertaken by Kosovo Police, including operations targeting the offices of Belgrade-run offices in the Kosovo municipalities of Dragash/Dragaš, Pejë/Peć, Istog/Istok and Klinë/Klina, as well as the NGO Centre for Peace and Tolerance in Prishtinë/Priština. The sudden closure of facilities offering social or health services to members of non-majority communities risks having a negative impact on individuals and families by restricting their access to some essential services.

Protecting the welfare of affected communities, including especially vulnerable groups, should be prioritized before such policies or decisions are implemented”, the Mission concluded in a statement.

Rohde: Unilateral measures only add fuel to fire, opposite of reducing tensions (Kosovo Online, KoSSev, social media)

“Again, I fully support this statement! Unilateral measures only add fuel to the fire and are exactly the opposite of reducing tensions. The EU-led dialogue between 🇽🇰 and 🇷🇸 is the only appropriate forum to address these issues. twitter.com/ExtSpoxEU/statement”, German Ambassador in Pristina Jorn Rohde wrote on X social platform, re-tweeting the EU spokesperson statement on Kosovo special police operations at the offices of Serbia-run institutions and call of the EU to Kosovo to avoid unilateral actions that could raise tensions and address these issues through EU-facilitated dialogue.

Simic: Serbs in Kosovo frightened by silence of international community, statements are not enough (Beta, Danas, TV Pink)

Serbian List official, Igor Simic, assessed last night that the international community’s silence scares the Serbs in Kosovo in relation to abolition of dinar in payment transactions and actions of Kosovo police in the provisional municipalities, noting that their announcements are not enough, reported Danas daily.

“Those anemic announcements we hear every day are accompanying all those bad decisions of the Albin Kurti government against the interests of the Serbian people, and as a rule remain as at that,” Simic told TV Pink.

According to him, the statements of international representatives alone will not be enough, but it is necessary to take certain steps urgently.

Simic believes Pristina should be threatened with a ban on use of euro, which he said is being used in Kosovo without the approval of the Central European Bank, as well as that incursions into the provisional authorities of Serbia should be prevented by deploying KFOR members.

“KFOR must stand up for the protection of the Serbian people, not allow to watch as they (Kosovo police) break into the clinic, mistreat doctors and nurses just because they provided medical services, not only to Serbs, but also to Albanians,” said Simic.

He said that criminal charges have been filed against dozens of Serbs from those institutions for “attacking the constitutional order”, specifying that some are written, others are being written, and some are being threatened with those charges.

Speaking about some of the problems that await Serbs after the abolition of the dinar, he said Serbs cannot open accounts in Kosovo banks if they receive incomes from Serbia.

According to him, among other things, soup kitchens will stop working, and hospitals will not be able to carry out public procurement.

“Albin Kurti made that phenomenal plan to achieve his goal, which is that there are no Serbs in the territory of Kosovo and Metohija, or that there are only enough of them to make the formation of the Community of Serbian Municipalities absolutely pointless”, assessed Simic.

Grenell on German officials’ reactions to latest Pristina authorities acts (Kosovo Online, social media)

Reacting to the German Ambassador in Pristina Jorn Rohde’s post on X saying that unilateral measures only add fuel to the fire and are exactly the opposite of reducing tensions, former US presidential envoy for Belgrade-Pristina talks Richard Grenell wrote in a post that “German Ambassador to Kosovo is publicly embarrassing the German socialist @MiRo_SPD over Kurti’s actions. You know it’s bad for @albinkurti when he loses German officials in his own country”.

Chair of German Bundestag Foreign Affairs Committee Michael Roth termed as “unbalanced” the statement of US Ambassador Jeffrey Hovenier who expressed deep concern over recent acts of Pristina authorities affecting Serb community in Kosovo.

Chinese Ambassador to Belgrade: Solve Kosovo issue without double standards (Beta, NMagazin, Politika, KiM radio)

Chinese Ambassador to Belgrade Li Ming said the Kosovo issue should be resolved without double standards. In an interview with Politika, Li said China firmly supports Serbia’s efforts to protect its national sovereignty and territorial integrity.

“In recent years, the situation in the north of Kosovo and Metohija has repeatedly shown that unilateral actions only raise tensions, disrupt regional peace and stability, and delay the final solution of the KiM issue, which is not in the interest of any party”, Ambassador Li said.

He added that the establishment of Association/Community of Serb-majority Municipalities (A/CSM) is an important element of the Brussels Agreement and expressed hope existing agreements will be implemented, which will help the two sides to build mutual trust and initiate dialogue. Li said that China supports the right of the Serbian people to independently choose the path of development, “opposing external interventions and creating pressures”.

“We congratulate you on the recent successful holding of elections in Serbia”, said the Chinese Ambassador.

Li pointed out that the free trade agreement between China and Serbia is the first such agreement between China and the countries of Central and Eastern Europe. “Although the agreement has not yet entered into force, it has already shown a stimulating effect, so that it has instilled strong confidence and expectations in the economic trade relations of the two countries”, he added.

Haziri: Government increased national sentiment, reduced European one among citizens (Kosovo Online, VoA)

Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) vice president Lutfi Haziri said the Albin Kurti-led government creates crises on a daily basis and this way strengthens nationalistic feelings in Kosovo, which directly impact anti-European orientation, Kosovo Online portal reported citing Voice of America.

“This government with an increase of national sentiment reduced the European one and pro-European culture of Kosovo people. The EU’s punitive measures increase the anti-European feelings in Kosovo”, he said.

He added that the current Kosovo leaders should return to close coordination with the US, including issues such as the decision to ban dinar transactions, and not to impact international partners by causing a crisis. Haziri opined that new tensions in Kosovo produced the crisis which forced Kosovo international partners to deal with them constantly. He said the recent conflict between Kosovo and the international community in relation to the ban on dinar is part of the same approach. LDK, he added, considers implementation of it a “constitutional obligation”, but that this party would be obliged to coordinate with international factors.

Opinion 

Palokaj: Kosovo is asked not to do what it has the right to do (Koha)

Brussels-based correspondent Augustin Palokaj writes in an opinion piece that “between Kosovo and Serbia there would not be any more open problems compared to other countries in the region, if there was an answer to the simple question: is Kosovo a state or not. All practical problems for the citizens of Kosovo, the citizens of Serbia that visit Kosovo and for Kosovo citizens with double nationality, are a consequence of opposite positions and differences in understanding the answer if Kosovo is a state or not”.

Palokaj writes that “if circumstances were normal and if the international community would act properly after the opinion of the International Court of Justice, there would be pressure on all non-recognizing countries to recognize Kosovo. There would especially be pressure on Serbia to recognize Kosovo, because the leading authority in the world for interpreting international law said that the declaration of independence is not against international law or against UN Security Council Resolution 1244”.

According to Palokaj, Kosovo made a mistake by entering into dialogue after the ICJ ruling. “Kosovo’s friends were wrong when they insisted for the dialogue to start in this way, because Serbia used the dialogue to deny Kosovo’s independence. And now more than 12 years later since the start of the dialogue, Serbia claims that Kosovo is not a state and that the dialogue is proof of this. Or as the Serbian President said two days ago in a highly offensive speech against Kosovo ‘why would the representatives of Pristina come to the dialogue if Kosovo were a state’.”

Kosovo has the right not to heed the requests for not acting as a state. Because no other state would tolerate in its territory the functioning of institutions of another state, which moreover does this with territorial tendencies. Therefore, there is no doubt that Kosovo has the right to close Serbia’s municipalities (not those of Serbs, but Serbia’s) in its territory. But Kosovo authorities must also be careful, because it is not a good tactic to surprise the international partners with their actions. Because they are partners, and not opponents, as Serbia”.

Palokaj further argues that “there is no doubt that Kosovo has problems in relations with the main partner states. To claim otherwise is dangerous manipulation. But Kosovo is not necessarily the only one to blame for this, because the approach of international partners seems strange too. For everything they say that ‘we don’t deny Kosovo’s right for such decisions’ but criticize the lack of coordination. They criticize and sanction Kosovo for everything that they say Kosovo has the right to do, but did not do at the right time and way.”

Palokaj adds that “when Serbia’s municipalities in Kosovo were closed, the EU and U.S. came out with criticism, while the EU also said that this should be resolved through the dialogue, related to the Association [of Serb-majority municipalities]. The impression is that the EU wants all of Serbia’s parallel structures (not of Serbs, but Serbia’s) to be allowed to operate until the Association of Serb-majority municipalities is formed. This leaves room that the Association too is a kind of presence of Serbia in the territory of Kosovo. This EU position proves more than anything else the complete failure of the dialogue. Because the EU too, just like the previous governments of Kosovo, claimed that the parallel structures were dissolved and integrated into Kosovo’s system, said that this was the biggest success in the dialogue. With such an approach by the international community, an impression is created that Kosovo needs to agree to be both an independent state and partly part of Serbia too. This approach creates more problems than it solves”.

Serwer: How to counter the Serbian world (media)

Several news websites in Kosovo cover an opinion piece by U.S. commentator on the Balkans, Daniel Serwer, which originally was published on peacefare.net.

Last week I said Europe will not be whole and free anytime soon. Serbia has chosen to be on the eastern side of a line that will be drawn through the Balkans. The question then is how keep the other Balkan countries on the western side of the line.

This is in part a question of what they should do about the ethnic Serb populations within their borders. Serbia is pursuing a “Serbian world” strategy intended to gain as much leverage on the neighbors as possible. Belgrade is also positioning itself so that it could demand secession of neighboring Serbs if geopolitical conditions in the region and the rest of the world would permit it.

Bosnia on the spot

This puts Bosnia and Herzegovina in a difficult spot. Forty-nine percent of its territory constitutes “Republika Sprska” (RS). Serbs make up perhaps 37% of Bosnia’s population, most of them in the RS. Many of their political leaders since the 1992-5 war have promised to separate, either de facto or de jure, from the other 51% of the territory. Milorad Dodik, who currently holds the presidency of the RS, has dominated the entity’s politics for more than 15 years. He has salami-sliced RS to within a centimeter of independence. He has also stolen a lot of its revenue and sought to cooperate with Belgrade in making the “Serbian world” a reality. Dodik also cooperates with ethnic nationalist Bosnian Croats, in particular Dragan Covic, in his anti-constitutional political, and corrupt economic, enterprises. The Bosnian Croat political leadership seeks to echo the RS. It wants a “Third Entity” that would provide to Croats whatever de facto or de jure separation the RS achieves. This would split the Bosniak-Croat “Federation,” which occupies 51% of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s territory. It would also leave a rump Muslim entity that would create serious problems for its neighbors, Europe, and the US.

Read more at: https://shorturl.at/jsKR0

International 

Kosovo Euro Rule, Closure of Belgrade-Run Offices, Draw International Criticism (Balkan Insight)

The EU, US and OSCE have called on Kosovo to halt ‘unilateral’ actions, urging that issues such as euro becoming the sole official currency and the closure of Serbia-run ‘parallel’ structures to be resolved within the EU-mediated dialogue.

The OSCE, EU, and the US have separately called on Kosovo to refrain from unilateral actions when it comes to decisions that affect the Serbian community, in order not to escalate tensions, requesting time for the implementation of a euro-only policy for the Kosovo Serbs. Coordination within the EU-mediated dialogue on the closure of Serbia-run “parallel” structures has also been urged.

Referring to a cash operations regulation, which stresses the euro as Kosovo’s only official currency, the OSCE on Sunday said it was “concerned that this regulation will have a serious impact, especially for those residents receiving payments in dinars”.

Read more at: https://shorturl.at/tx046