Albanian Language Media:

• Osmani: U.S. proposal on dinar partially accepted, the rest to be discussed in Brussels (media)
• Kurti on international criticism: Welcome, but I must protect Kosovo (Koha)
• Kurti meets NDI director, discuss about advancement of cooperation (media)
• Konjufca criticizes Escobar: he is pushing Lajcak’s biased concept (media)
• U.S. official to visit Albania and Kosovo, to meet with Rama and Osmani (media)
• Vucic warns the West with a threatening statement about Kosovo (Klan)
• Petkovic used harsh language towards Osmani, Presidency reacts (Express)
• Rama: Kosovo-Serbia agreement should be included as part of EU membership (RTK)
• Knaus: Association desirable, but not a condition for CoE membership (RFE)
• Over 46,000 citizens with right to vote for process of dismissing mayors in the north (Koha)
• Haliti: I have information that after elections in north, Serbia will unilaterally announce Association (Koha)
• Haradinaj: Kosovo would provide regional and global security as NATO member (RTK)
• President of Germany awards Flutura Kusari medal of Order of Merit (media)
• The U.S. sanctions former mayor of Kacanik, Xhabir Zharku (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Petkovic: No agreement regarding dinar has been reached (Kosovo Online, social media)
• Dacic: UNSC session on NATO bombing of FRY scheduled for March 25 (Tanjug)
• 1.153 voters more than for local elections in 2023 in northern Kosovo (KoSSev)
• Vucic meets with Dodik, Patriarch Porfirije (Tanjug, Kosovo Online, social media)
• Brnabic: De-recognitions of Kosovo biggest success of Serbian authorities (media)
• Employees of RTK2 and RTK1 Serbian redaction distance themselves from article on March violence (Radio KIM, KoSSev)
• Vanovac: UNS and DNKiM expect thorough investigation into burning of Dusan Milanovic’s car (Kosovo Online)
• ODIHR confirms invitation to observe Belgrade elections (N1)

Albanian Language Media

Osmani: U.S. proposal on dinar partially accepted, the rest to be discussed in Brussels (media) 

President Vjosa Osmani expects that at Tuesday’s meeting in Brussels, the parties will reach an agreement regarding the dinar issue. She announced that agreement has already been reached for a part of the U.S.proposal that was presented in Pristina by the U.S. emissary for the Western Balkans Gabriel Escobar. And for the rest, she said she expects an agreement to be reached at the meeting in Brussels

The international community, led by the United States of America, agrees that in Kosovo there will no longer be dinar circulation and that the financial aid from Serbia to Serb citizens in Kosovo will be in euros, President Vjosa Osmani announced.

“Now the second part for which there is still no agreement, but I am hopeful that we will reach that point very soon, is how we should make sure that any financial aid that comes from Serbia does not go into the hands of people who have abused, that they have been corrupted and they have taken the money maybe in the name of the citizens but they have used it for corruption and organized crime and that part of plan which is still being drawn up, will involve the institutions of the Republic of Kosovo, including those law enforcement”, emphasized Osmani.

According to her, it is necessary to reach an agreement with international partners on the dinar issue. Osmani expects that an agreement on the dinar will be reached in the meeting in Brussels.

“It would be best if it were reached in Brussels, because the meeting is tomorrow, it would be welcome if this agreement was reached in Brussels, and if not in Brussels, it is urgent that this issue be resolved,” she said, adding that  it would help citizens overcome some of the challenges they face. 

Kurti on international criticism: Welcome, but I must protect Kosovo (Koha)

Kosovo Prime Minister, Albin Kurti, in a conversation on the “Rest is Politics” podcast with Alastair Campbell and Rory Stewart, spoke about various topics, including the issue of criticism he is receiving from international allies and also about the period he spent as a political prisoner from 1999.

Kurti, regarding the criticisms he has received from the USA and the European Union regarding the “dinar” issue, said that the criticisms are welcome. 

“First of all, criticism doesn’t bother me… Criticism is healthy. There is no progress without criticism. We may disagree, but the U.S. j, the EU and the UK are our allies, our friends and our partners. It does not mean that our cooperation is a one-way street. We must listen to each other. And in this sense, I believe that I should protect Kosovo, I should represent it better than our allies. I would not be prime minister if Kosovo was not a Republic and is not only partially recognized, but by 117 countries around the world, 22 out of 27 EU member states and 26 out of 30 NATO member states… Kosovo has also taken over the organization of the 2030 Mediterranean Games together with Durres”, Kurti said.

For the period spent in prison, Kurti has described the tortures, but also how that period helped him learn to connect with people who came from the village and that later this led him to the creation of the Vetevendosje Movement. 

“I can talk about how it is in prison, for the period when I was imprisoned by UNMIK, EULEX and the Kosovo Police. But during Serbia it was like a concentration camp. I lost almost 30 kilograms in 1999. There was systematic torture. Beatings, which sometimes occured several times a day. Caning, multiple guards at once. These were the guards. I was tortured by the uniform,” Kurti said.

He told how he was sentenced to 15 years in prison, but he served 2 years and 7 months, first in Lipjan and then he was transferred to Pozharevc.

Kurti meets NDI director, discuss about advancement of cooperation (media)

Kosovo Prime Minister, Albin Kurti, hosted the director of the National Democratic Institute (NDI), Nancy Soderberg and her colleagues. They talked about the current developments, the cooperation so far, the results and common objectives.

Prime Minister Kurti appreciated her and NDI’s commitment, for the continuous contribution in areas such as the strengthening of democratic aspects in social and political life, the advancement of transparency and institutional accountability.

Konjufca criticizes Escobar: he is pushing Lajcak’s biased concept (media)

The Speaker of the Assembly of Kosovo, Glauk Konjufca, has said that the special envoy of the European Union for the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue, Miroslav Lajcak, has openly positioned himself on the side of Serbia, and for this, according to him, he also has the support of the Special Envoy of the States of the United States for the Western Balkans, Gabriel Escobar.

“Mr. Escobar pushes Mr. Lajcak’s concept. I don’t think Escobar has an agenda of the United States of America. Escobar pushes forward what Mr. Lajcak specifies, which is very biased. Mr. Escobar pretty much supports this direction that Mr. Lajcak has specified. Serbia is being considered more important and this is not correct,” said Konjufca in an interview for Kanal 10.

According to him, the decision to ban the dinar in the municipalities inhabited by Serb majority does not destroy the relations with the United States of America, despite the great criticism.

“On the dinar, there must be a solution by the government that convinces the international community. We need to share more information with our allies about what our actions will be even where the saw hits the nail, where the reaction of the international community is so great that Kosovo becomes the topic of the world media”, he emphasized.

Konjufca also expressed his conviction that there are no other conditions for Kosovo’s membership in the Council of Europe, even though the Special Envoy of the United States of America for the Western Balkans, Gabriel Escobar, emphasized that two other conditions must be fulfilled in order for Kosovo to become a member of this international organization, the establishment of the Association of Municipalities with a Serb Majority and expropriations in the North.

U.S. official to visit Albania and Kosovo, to meet with Rama and Osmani (media) 

Nine months ago, when the north of Kosovo was at the height of tensions, an important visit by the United States of America to Kosovo was canceled. The senior American official, assistant secretary Todd Robinson, postponed the planned visit to Kosovo. But Robinson is making this visit, now, after nine months, media report. 

“Assistant Secretary at the International Bureau of Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, Todd Robinson, will travel to Tirana, Albania from March 18 to 20 where he will meet with Prime Minister Edi Rama and INL partners who support the work of Albania in strengthening the rule of law, fighting organized crime and corruption, as well as building strong institutions.

From March 20 to 22, Robinson will travel to Pristina, where he will meet President Vjosa Osmani and INL partners in support of strengthening the rule of law and the justice sectors,” says Mr. Robinson’s agenda on visits to Kosovo and Albania.

Vucic warns the West with a threatening statement about Kosovo (Klan)

The Serbian President, Aleksandar Vucic, has recently issued a warning to the West, that they should choose between Kosovo and Serbia. In a presentation on Monday at an academy, Vucic made it clear that if the West chooses Kosovo, they will take advantage of the opportunity, unlike what they experienced 25 years ago. X platform users consider this statement by Vucic to be a direct military threat to Kosovo.

“It’s not a problem if you love them and you don’t love us, if you love them, you won’t have us. You love them and you want to help them, we will survive! But we are educated enough and wise enough and brave enough and we have learned enough and gained experiences after all that you have done to us in the past 25 years, to wait for the best possible moment and use the opportunity, our opportunity” Vucic said.

Petkovic used harsh language towards Osmani, Presidency reacts (Express)

Acting Chief of Staff of the Presidency Cabinet, Learta Hollaj, reacted strongly to the chief negotiator of Serbia in the Dialogue with Kosovo, Petar Petkovic, after he used insulting language towards the President of Kosovo, Vjosa Osmani.

“Your boss called our President ‘a rat’, your gov’t compared her to ‘flies’ and now you call her a ‘dog’.  This dehumanizing rhetoric mirrors the genocidal mindset of Milosevic and Putin, revealing a chilling ignorance of history’s lessons – just what you’d expect from a chauvinist,”  Hollaj wrote on “X”.

Petar Petkovic previously wrote that “President of Kosovo Vjosa Osmani lies like a dog!”

Rama: Kosovo-Serbia agreement should be included as part of EU membership (RTK) 

The Prime Minister of Albania, Edi Rama demanded on Monday evening, the implementation of the Agreement on Normalization and its Annex between Kosovo and Serbia, considering this very important for the region. 

“As we approach the 21st March European Council meeting, it’s crucial to remember that the implementation of the Agreement on the Path to Normalization of Relations between Kosovo and Serbia, along with its Implementation Annex, is of the utmost importance for maintaining security, stability, and peace in the Western Balkans. Mere acknowledgment of the Agreement being legally binding is not enough. To ensure progress, the Agreement and the Implementation Annex must be formally included as integral parts of Kosovo and Serbia’s respective EU accession processes. Any delay in doing so only strengthens the status quo. And the status quo about this strategic key for a peaceful, prosperous and European neighborhood in the middle of Europe does not serve the security of Europe itself,” Rama wrote.

Knaus: Association desirable, but not a condition for CoE membership (RFE) 

Gerald Knaus, from the European Initiative for Stability, said that the conditions for Kosovo’s membership in the Council of Europe should only be related to the European Convention on Human Rights and the standards of the Council of Europe, “and not to other things, such as dialogue with Serbia”. 

Knaus – whose organization has recently published a document on Kosovo’s path towards the Council of Europe – says that the formation of the Association of municipalities with a Serbian majority cannot be a condition, because “it does not depend only on Kosovo, it also depends on Serbia “.

The U.S. envoy for the Western Balkans, Gabriel Escobar, on March 15, suggested that the Association and the issue of some expropriations in the north of Kosovo could be issued as additional conditions by some European states.

“Let’s take a look at the different phases – there are three phases that Kosovo must go through. The first is the recommendation of the Political Affairs Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. The meeting will be held at the end of March. For this, we know that the conditions have been met, because the report of the rapporteur [for Kosovo], Dora Bakoyannis, will be discussed. Although it will be an extraordinary session, it will take place in the week of the [Easter] holiday and the challenge will be the attendance of people. But I am convinced that – if there are enough people – the vote will be positive. This will then go to the Parliamentary Assembly in April. Even there, if the Committee recommends that Kosovo should be a member – which I think will happen – then the Parliamentary Assembly will also recommend that Kosovo be a member”, he told Radio Free Europe.

Over 46,000 citizens with right to vote for process of dismissing mayors in the north (Koha)

Kosovo’s Central Election Commission approved on Monday the list of voters and announced that 46 thousand 248 is the number of voters who can use their right to vote for or against the dismissal of the mayors in the four municipalities inhabited by Serb majority. Arianit Elshani, member of the CEC, said that unlike the elections held last year in the four municipalities in the north, the number of voters has increased by more than 1,000.

“The number of voters for this voting process is 46 thousand 248 voters in total. In particular, for Leposaviq it is 13 thousand 639 voters, in Zubin Potok it is 6 thousand 862, Zvecan 7 thousand 201 and North Mitrovica 18 546 voters. Compared to the elections that were held in April last year, the total number increased by 1,153 voters. Of course, this increase includes the category of persons who have turned 18 during this time period, but also other persons registered in this case with identification documents in the central civil registry”, he said.

The CEC, on Monday, approved the point on the polling stations, while Elshani said that they will be public spaces.

“Voting centers continue to remain the same as those that were planned before the April elections. During March of last year we approved a list of voting centers for everyone at the country level and these continue to remain the same. So, it will not be developed in private facilities but in institutions, in public spaces in this case”, said Elshani, at the meeting of the CEC.

In this meeting, the appointment of officials in the municipal election commissions in the four municipalities in the north was also announced. Each of them will be headed by an official from other Kosovo municipalities, such as Gracanica, Shterpca, Ranillug and Partesh.

Haliti: I have information that after elections in north, Serbia will unilaterally announce Association (Koha)

The MP of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK), Xhavit Haliti, has said that he has information that Serbia will unilaterally declare the Association of municipalities with a Serb majority. According to him, this will be done after the elections in the four municipalities in the north.

“I have information that the government of Serbia, due to the failure to implement the agreements and the failure to approve the Association, is making a project which will implement immediately after the elections in the north, four Serbian mayors will be elected and in their election they will hold a meeting and will declare the Association established and will elect the president of the Association”, Haliti stated on Monday in an interview on the “Interaktiv” show on KTV.

According to him, this is a project of the government of Serbia together with the Serbian List.

“They will announce it as an Association or a parallel institution that functions within the territory of Kosovo, since the government of Kosovo or the institutions of Kosovo are not accepting something like this”, Haliti said.

Haradinaj: Kosovo would provide regional and global security as a NATO member (RTK)

The leader of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK), Ramush Haradinaj, has said that Kosovo aims to become a provider of regional and global security through active engagement as a member of NATO. He made this comment on the 25th anniversary of the Czech Republic’s entry into NATO, at the photo exhibition organized by the Czech Embassy in Kosovo.

“25 years ago, on March 12, the Czech Republic, together with Poland and Hungary, became the first countries from the former Warsaw Pact to join NATO. This event changed the course of history, both for the Czech Republic and for NATO. 12 days after accession, these countries joined democratic countries led by America in a 78-day bombing campaign on Serbian targets to end Milosevic’s criminal regime.

Today I had the honor to join the Czech Ambassador, Bohumil Mazànek, at the opening ceremony of the photo exhibition “Twenty-five years of the Czech Republic in NATO”, Haradinaj said.

“As Kosovo, we must aim to become a provider of regional and global security, through active engagement, as a member side by side with the armies of the NATO states led by America”, said Haradinaj.

President of Germany awards Flutura Kusari medal of the Order of Merit (media)

Media lawyer, Flutura Kusari, received on Monday the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany, for her dedication to media freedom and democracy in Kosovo and beyond. This tribute to her was made by the ambassador of Germany in Kosovo, Jorn Rohde.

The ceremony was also greeted by the former president Atifete Jahjaga and the member of the European Parliament, Viola von Cramon.

Kusari is the first Kosovar citizen to be honored with the medal of the Cross of Merit class in the Federal Republic of Germany.

The U.S. sanctions former mayor of Kacanik, Xhabir Zharku (media) 

The U.S. Department of State has announced that it has blacklisted the former mayor of the municipality of Kacanik, Xhabir Zharku, due to, as was said, his involvement in corrupt acts. 

“In his official capacity as mayor of Kacanik municipality, Kosovo, Zharku was involved in corrupt acts, including using his position to interfere with procurement processes to unlawfully permit construction on property owned by the municipality, to benefit himself and his associates.

These designations reaffirm the U.S. commitment to supporting the rule of law and strengthening democratic institutions throughout the Balkans. The Department will continue to use all available authorities to promote accountability for corrupt actors in the region and globally,” it is stated in the U.S. State Department press release.

Serbian Language Media 

Petkovic: No agreement regarding dinar has been reached (Kosovo Online, social media)

Office for Kosovo and Metohija Director Petar Petkovic said that Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani’s claims were untrue and no agreement regarding the dinar had been reached, Kosovo Online portal reports.

Reacting to Osmani’s claims that there is already an agreement on a part of the US proposal regarding the dinar, Petkovic emphasized that there was no agreement whatsoever, but rather solutions are being imposed on the Serbs in Kosovo.

Petkovic accused Osmani of not telling the truth, adding that “no agreement on dinar has been reached, and what those who are mighty and powerful are only doing is to impose solutions on the Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija”. 

Dacic: UNSC session on NATO bombing of FRY scheduled for March 25 (Tanjug)

Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic confirmed on Monday that Russia, as a UNSC member state, had proposed that the UN top body meet this month to mark the 25th anniversary of the 1999 NATO bombing of the-then Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY) and that Japan, which presides over the UNSC this month, had said it would grant such a request, Tanjug news agency reported.

“That does not mean there will be no additional obstructions but, as things now stand, the proposal is that the session be held on Monday, March 25, and it will be dedicated to the 25th anniversary of the bombing of the-then Federal Republic of Yugoslavia”, Dacic told Tanjug news agency. 

He added that details – including whether a state would request a vote on the procedure and whether the session be open to the public or held behind closed doors – were yet to be discussed. “We will see in the days to come. What is certain is that a high-ranking representative of Serbia will definitely take part in the session”, Dacic said. He said that, above all, Serbia expected its stance to be heard at the session.

“Because it was an illegal aggression, an illegal decision without UNSC consent, and the start of the destruction of international law and, in general, the principle of preservation of territorial integrity and sovereignty”, Dacic said.

1.153 voters more than for local elections in 2023 in northern Kosovo (KoSSev)

Kosovo Central Election Commission (CEC) approved the report on voters list for the process of voting for or against replacement of mayors in four northern Kosovo municipalities, which is not final yet, KoSSev portal reported citing Pristina-based Ekonomia Online.

According to this report, the incomplete number of citizens who are eligible voters in those four municipalities is 46.248 voters, respectively 1.153 voters more compared to the total number of voters at extraordinary mayoral elections held on April 23, 2023, while the number of polling stations is 44.

Serbian media earlier reported that the number of voters for the April 2023 extraordinary elections was 1.345 higher compared to the number of voters at local elections in the four northern Kosovo municipalities in 2021. 

Vucic meets with Dodik, Patriarch Porfirije (Tanjug, Kosovo Online, social media)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic met with Republika Srpska (Serb-majority entity in B&H) President Milorad Dodik and Patriarch Porfirije of the Serbian Orthodox Church (SOC) on Monday. “One of the most important meetings with His Holiness Patriarch Porfirije and Republika Srpska President Milorad Dodik”, Vucic wrote in a post on his official Instagram profile.

Vucic said that on 5 and 6 May, a large Easter assembly of Serbia and Republika Srpska will be held and, as he said, an important decisions related to the remain of Serbian people, economic progress, preservation of Serbian language and Cyrillic alphabet and joint cultural heritage will be made.

Vucic added that he and Dodik informed Patriarch Porfirije about the difficult political situation that the entire Serbian population is facing, and asked for the blessing and SOC support. Vucic also said the public will be informed about all other details in the upcoming period. 

Brnabic: De-recognitions of Kosovo biggest success of Serbian authorities (media)

The candidate for Serbian parliament speaker, Ana Brnabic, said on Monday de-recognitions of Kosovo by 28 countries since 2012 were the greatest success of the present Serbian authorities, Tanjug news agency reported.

Brnabic added that all what was to be lost in Kosovo was lost by 2012 in order to appease the West and Western partners, starting from 2001, when the authorities at the time released more than 1,800 Kosovo Albanians. “That is how it started, and it continued in 2004, when there was a pogrom against Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija but the Belgrade authorities were silent and doing absolutely nothing”, she said.

“And then, there was a declaration of independence by a group of people in Pristina in 2008, when our authorities at the time issued a press release. Then, in 2010, the talks were moved to Brussels from the UN, where we also have friends and partners that do not recognise the so-called, false republic of Kosovo, and so on”, she said. Brnabic also said de-recognitions of Kosovo and unity of Serbs in Kosovo were the greatest successes of the present Serbian authorities.

Employees of RTK2 and RTK1 Serbian redaction distance themselves from article on March violence (Radio KIM, KoSSev)

RTK2 collegium headed by acting director Aleksandra Zdravkovic and Serbian redaction of RTK1 distanced themselves from the article on March violence published on Kosovo public broadcaster (RTK) website in Serbian language, demanding professional accountability to be established in relation to the disputable article, Radio KIM reported.

As they said in a press statement the article published on March 17 on RTK website in Serbian language, was taken from the RTK website in Albanian language. “It had been translated and published in Serbian, but it was not a product of journalistic or editorial decisions of the Serbian redactions”, employees of the RTK Serbian redaction said.

At the same time they stressed that reports of the RTK2 journalists on commemorating the March 2004 violence anniversary, same as the report on the memorial service in Gracanica were not published on the RTK website in the Serbian language. They also shared the link to RTK2 news edition including reports on ceremonies to mark March 2004 violence anniversary, noting that their approach was professional, impartial, objective and factual. At the same time they noted that RTK1 does not broadcast Serbian program on weekends. 

RTK2 employees and employees of RTK1 Serbian redaction supported reactions from professional journalists’ associations demanding from RTK and regulatory bodies to determine the degree of professional standards violations in relation with the aforementioned article.

KoSSev portal reported late last night that the news on RTK website in Serbian language had been corrected meanwhile, part of the article saying that three Albanian boys drowned “while running away from the group of Serbian young men” was removed and other smaller changes made, along with an apology that it was about “unintentional technical journalistic mistake”. The Association of Journalists of Serbia (UNS) and its branch in Kosovo (DNKiM) reacted one more time, this time requesting the article to be urgently removed.

“The UNS and DNKiM strongly condemn the “corrections” which are only formal and basically retain the spirit and essence of the previous news and do not at any moment inform the readers and the public that it is fake news”, reads their statement. At the same time, they also said that the “new news” of RTK does not mention for a single moment that the March pogrom – “riots” – were directed against Serbs, their heritage and property.

“This interpretation of the facts and “correction” of yesterday’s news led to the fact that it does not mention the Serbs and the reader cannot conclude that it is about them, while it is written that “on the other hand, property and hundreds of private buildings of Albanians were destroyed” . UNS and DNKiM are now demanding this news be immediately removed from the website because it contains hate speech, unprofessional and inaccurate reporting, and carries out revision of the crime committed in March 2004.

Vanovac: UNS and DNKiM expect thorough investigation into burning of Dusan Milanovic’s car (Kosovo Online)

Ivana Vanovac, President of the Association of Journalists of Serbia (UNS) branch in Kosovo (DNKiM) said UNS and DNKiM expected a thorough investigation into the burning of Dusan Milanovic’s vehicle. Milanovic is an owner of VIM Info company in the Kosovo system, which was the founder of Kosovo Online portal. They also expect to determine whether this act was in any way related to the reporting of Kosovo Online portal.

Vanovac emphasized that the Association of Journalists of Serbia and its branch Association of Journalists in Kosovo and Metohija always condemned any form of violence.

“The least we expect now is for the investigation to be carried out to the end, to see what the reason for the burning of that car was, and on the other hand to determine in the further proceedings whether this act is in any way related to the reporting of Kosovo Online. If truthful reporting by Kosovo Online bothers someone, and that stands behind such an act of crime. In any case, the Association of Journalists of Serbia and the Association of Journalists in Kosovo and Metohija are here to provide full support to colleagues and to demand further what is our right, and that is better protection of journalists who are just doing their job”, she underlined. 

ODIHR confirms invitation to observe Belgrade elections (N1)

ODIHR sources told N1 that the organization received an invitation from the Serbian authorities to observe the June elections for the Belgrade City Assembly. The sources said that the OSCE/ODIHR will send an observer mission to Belgrade in June.

They added that no details about the mission, its size or date of deployment have been agreed because the date of the elections has not been officially set.