Albanian Language Media:

• Kurti to non-majority communities: You’re a value and identity of our state (media) 
• Government: EU should remove unfair measures, Kosovo met its obligation (RTK)
• Kusari-Lila: Serbia is obstructing integration of Kosovo Serbs (media)
• Tahiri: EU should lift measures, people are being penalized (Kallxo)
• AAK: Referendum revealed Vucic’s heavy influence on Serbs (Indeksonline)
• Rohde: Boycott requested by Serbian List, regrettable and destructive (Klan)
• Osmani-Vucic confrontation, Security Council to meet on Kosovo today (RTK)
• Kurti meets Glavchev in Sofia as part of Vienna Economic Forum (media)
• Hoxhaj proposes for Assembly to support UN resolution on Srebrenica (media)

Serbian Language Media: 

• The Ohrid Agreement entered the negotiation framework for Serbia’s membership in the EU (RTS)
• Serbian Democracy: EU to look again at its requests for de-escalation which Pristina did not fulfill (KoSSev)
• The UN SC in NY today on Kosovo, Vucic to represent Serbia (Tanjug, media)
• Dacic: The UN SC session another opportunity for Vucic to point out the problems of the Serbs in Kosovo (Tanjug, RTV, Kosovo Online, media)
• Sentic: Special forces in the Leposavic municipality during voting; respecting the rights of Serbs remains a challenge after the failed referendum (KoSSev, KiM radio)
• European Parliament plenary session begins, visa liberalization for Serbs in Kosovo on agenda (Tanjug)
• Roundtable on ”the occupation and (high) treason of Kosovo and Metohija” (Beta, NMagazin)
• Confiscated weapons and marijuana worth around 70,000 euros in Suhareke/Suva Reka, four people arrested (KoSSev)

Albanian Language Media  

Kurti to non-majority communities: You’re a value and identity of our state (media) 

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti through a video message today called on non-majority communities to not hesitate and take part in the population census. “The participation of each and everyone is not merely a statistical note, but a strong declaration of the identity, rights, and place of every citizen in our society. The registration of the population is not just a bureaucratic exercise; it is a mechanism through which we develop policies and allocate resources to make sure that every citizen regardless of their ethnicity or religion, will get the merited support and services. Based on this process, the distribution of the state budget is made too. Its results determine the social and development policies of the state, investments in your communities, subsidies for your support, social and healthcare programs and services,” he said.

“The registers will come door to door. Welcome them as the good hosts that you are. The non-majority communities are a value and identity of our state. Our society is rich because you are part of it. Therefore, do not hesitate, register.”

Government: EU should remove unfair measures, Kosovo met its obligation (RTK)

The government of Kosovo has assessed that Kosovo, by organizing the voting process for the dismissal of the mayors in the north, has fulfilled its obligations and has asked the European Union to remove the measures imposed on Kosovo.  “With the completion of this process, regardless of the result, the Republic of Kosovo has fulfilled its obligation to its citizens and the responsibility taken from the agreement with the European Union for the de-escalation of the situation in the north of the country. Therefore, after yesterday’s vote, it is time for the unjust measures against Kosovo to be finally removed”, the statement reads.

“The Government of the Republic of Kosovo regrets the low turnout in yesterday’s voting and thanks those who exercised their democratic and legal right. We are aware of the circumstances in the four municipalities in the north of Kosovo, especially the great pressure exerted by the Belgrade authorities on the Kosovo Serb citizens in these municipalities. The results of yesterday’s voting show that there is no will to dismiss the current mayors”, the statement says.

The government has blamed the Serbian List for the boycott of the process by the Serbs in these municipalities. “We recall that this process was prompted by the constant demand for new elections in these municipalities, resulting from the lack of full legitimacy of the current mayors after the low turnout of citizens in the elections of April 23, 2023. It began with the collection of signatures of the necessary 20% of citizens with the right to vote. However, the Serbian List, which was initially the cause of the April 23 elections through the resignation of its leaders, and then the initiator of yesterday’s vote, again boycotted democratic processes, despite the calls of the international community and civic interest,” the statement said.

Also, the government has expressed readiness to support the mayors. “On this occasion, the Government of the Republic of Kosovo once again expresses its support and willingness to cooperate with the mayors of the municipalities of North Mitrovica, Zvecan, Zubin-Potok and Leposaviq in fulfilling their responsibilities and serving the citizens of these four municipalities, without distinction”, the statement says.

Kusari-Lila: Serbia is obstructing integration of Kosovo Serbs (media)

Head of the Vetevendosje Movement parliamentary group, Mimoza Kusari-Lila, told reporters in Pristina today that the failure of the vote in the northern municipalities showed that Serbia, through the Serbian List, is using all mechanisms to obstruct the integration of Kosovo Serbs. “It is apparent that Serbia is the main obstacle for the integration of Serbs in Kosovo, especially in the north. It is meaningless for Kosovo to be under [EU] measures and not to get the status of a candidate country,” she argued.

Tahiri: EU should lift measures, people are being penalized (Kallxo)

Head of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) parliamentary group, Abelard Tahiri, said that during the vote on the dismissal of the Albanian mayor of the four Serb-majority municipalities there was an apparent interference of Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic in Kosovo’s internal affairs. He called on the international community to keep their eyes open to this interference.

According to Tahiri, with the vote in the north, “Kosovo unnecessarily put itself in a trap with this issue. Unfortunately, we are still faced with the same problem and we are seeing an increased interference of the Serbian President in our internal affairs, and this is unacceptable. First of all, the international community should open their eyes to this major and very detrimental interference”.

Tahiri also said that the PDK calls on the EU to lift its measures against Kosovo “because they are penalizing the people and not the government”.

AAK: Referendum revealed Vucic’s heavy influence on Serbs (Indeksonline)

Head of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) parliamentary group, Besnik Tahiri, said that in the next session of the Kosovo Assembly they have asked for a debate on the three years of the Kurti-led government. “The debate will reveal the total degradation of this government in the last three years, especially with regards to economic developments. Kosovo is still under sanctions from the European Union. We will discuss all these topics,” he said.

Commenting on the vote in the northern municipalities on Sunday, Tahiri said that the process revealed the heavy influence of Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic on the Kosovo Serbs. “Serbia needs to understand that Kosovo has its own constitutional and legal arrangements, and it needs to have elected institutions. Second, it revealed Vucic’s heavy political influence on the Serbs. We have a problem with legitimacy there. Our request as the AAK is that topics related to sovereignty and integration should be treated with high sensitivity,” he added.

Osmani-Vucic confrontation, Security Council to meet on Kosovo today (RTK)

The United Nations Security Council will be holding the regular session on Kosovo today. The session starts at 16:00 hours, according to local time in Kosovo, respectively at 10:00, according to New York time. The President of Kosovo, Vjosa Osmani, has traveled to the U.S. to represent Kosovo in the Security Council.

“At the session of the UNSC, President Osmani is expected to speak about progress, the implementation of reforms, human rights, democracy, the rule of law and other important areas for Kosovo. The President will also speak about the need for justice for the crimes committed by Serbia in Kosovo,” the announcement of the Presidency states.

It also informed that during her stay in New York, Osmani is expected to meet and coordinate with some of the representatives of friendly countries in the United Nations.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic will be representing Serbia at the UNSC. “We will continue to fight for Serbia, for our people, for the lives and future of our children, so that we can go with our heads high, regardless of the fact that they tried to humiliate us with violence”, wrote the president of Serbia in his account on social networks.

Rohde: Boycott requested by Serbian List, regrettable and destructive (Klan)

The German ambassador to Kosovo, Jorn Rohde, has stated that the request of the Serbian List to boycott the election process in the north is “unfortunate and destructive”.

In an answer to Klankosova.tv, Rohde stated that the situation has not yet been reached when all citizens feel represented by the mayors of the four northern municipalities. “However, at the same time, the Kosovar government has done its part, presenting a process that could have led to more representation if it had been used by the voters,” Rohde said. He emphasized that “those who called for a boycott got exactly what they asked for”.

The boycott demanded by political actors such as Lista Srpska, as I said before, is regrettable and destructive when it comes to democratic culture, problem solving and care for the actual daily life of citizens,” said the German ambassador to Kosovo.

Kurti meets Glavchev in Sofia as part of Vienna Economic Forum (media)

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti said in a post on X that he met his Bulgarian counterpart, Dimitar Glavchev, during his stay in Sofia as part of the Vienna Economic Forum. “I thanked him for his warm welcome and we discussed areas where we can increase cooperation and strengthen our very good bilateral relations,” Kurti said.

Hoxhaj proposes for Assembly to support UN resolution on Srebrenica (media)

Kosovo’s former Minister of Foreign Affairs and senior member of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK), Enver Hoxhaj, said that he proposed to the Presidency of the Kosovo Assembly today to support the resolution which is expected to be adopted by the UN General Assembly remembering the genocide in Srebrenica. Hoxhaj said in a Facebook post that by not being a member of the UN, this is the best way for Kosovo to join the democratic world in condemning and remembering the genocide in Srebrenica. “Dealing with the past is more than necessary and the genocidal policy of Belgrade against Kosovo, Bosnia and Croatia, must be condemned and remembered, so that it never comes back to the region again,” Hoxhaj said.

Serbian Language Media

The Ohrid Agreement entered the negotiation framework for Serbia’s membership in the EU (RTS)

The ministers of foreign affairs of the member states of the European Union adopted amendments to Chapter 35 in the accession negotiations with Serbia, which refer to Serbia’s obligations arising from the agreements reached with Pristina last year in Brussels and Ohrid, reported Radio Television of Serbia.

RTS reported that it was about the formal confirmation of the changes that the member states at the level of ambassadors adopted on April 15, which made the changes officially an integral part of the negotiation process on Serbia’s membership in the EU.

“Serbia should fully implement its obligations arising from the Agreement on the Road to Normalization with Kosovo, in accordance with the annex on implementation, agreed on March 18,” states the adopted text, which RTS had insight to.

The document also states that “all discussions related to the implementation of the agreement will take place within the dialogue under the auspices of the EU”, reported RTS, adding that after the formal confirmation, it is expected that the changes will be sent to Serbia in the form of a letter.

The document states that the agenda of the “Special Group of Kosovo for Normalization will be supplemented in the same way, in order to include the obligations of Pristina arising from the Agreement”.

In point three of the Annex on implementation from Ohrid from March last year, it is foreseen that the obligations from this agreement will become an integral part of the accession process for Belgrade and Pristina.

In the case of Belgrade, it is about negotiation chapter 35, which deals with Kosovo. This chapter, along with chapters 23 and 24 on the rule of law, has particular weight in membership negotiations. According to the negotiating framework, a lack of progress in these areas can slow down or stop progress in all other negotiating chapters as well.

Serbian Democracy: EU to look again at its requests for de-escalation which Pristina did not fulfill (KoSSev)

Although on the eve of holding mayoral recall vote in northern Kosovo, slated on April 21, Serbian Democracy said it will not take part in it, in a statement today this party said if the failed referendum in the north yesterday led to lifting EU punitive measures on Kosovo, the Serbian List is responsible for that, KoSSev portal reported.

Serbian Democracy said this is not because the Serbian List decided to withdraw from the process and encourage Serbs not to participate, but because of them making the referendum to happen.

Which EU’s requests for de-escalation Pristina did (not) fulfill?

Serbian Democracy reminded the EU of all requests they put forward at the times of introducing punitive measures on Kosovo and related to de-escalation of the situation in northern Kosovo.

The EU said back then that extraordinary elections in all four northern municipalities should be called as soon as possible and organized in a fully inclusive manner.

Recalling that such extraordinary elections should include both mayoral and municipal assemblies elections, Serbian Democracy said Pristina took no steps to organize municipal assembly elections, nor did the Kosovo side ever consider it.

As far as the second EU’s request to Pristina was concerned saying that they expect “Kosovo to act in a de-escalatory manner and immediately cease police operations in the vicinity of municipal facilities in the north”, Serbian Democracy underlined that police, despite this request, is still present in the very same municipal facilities.

They also recalled EU’s request that Albanian mayors temporarily carry out their duties from other locations, and not in the municipal buildings, but that however, the real situation on the ground is different and that “at least two mayors are all the time at the municipal buildings”.

Referring to the part that Pristina and Belgrade were called to immediately and unconditionally undertake measures for de-escalation, stop using divisive rhetoric and restrain from further uncoordinated acts, Serbian Democracy noted that during this time Pristina abolished payments from the Serbian budget thus directly impoverishing Serbian citizens in Kosovo, banned Serbian products import, continued with expropriation of land for the needs of police and military infrastructure in the north, special police units in their illegal composition are still present, and citizens continue complaining about them, mayors made a number of escalatory measures, including decision to allocate land to Kosovo Ministry of Internal Affairs in the center of Mitrovica North, closed projects financed from the Serbian budget and many others.

At the end, they noted that even last EU’s demand was not met, that sides engage in the dialogue mediated by the EU, including to start working on establishing a Community of Serbian Municipalities without further delays and preconditions.

The UN SC in NY today on Kosovo, Vucic to represent Serbia (Tanjug, media)

A United Nations Security Council session devoted to the six-month report of UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres on the work of UNMIK will be held today in New York, and Serbia will be represented by President Aleksandar Vucic, reported Tanjug agency.

The regular six-month report on the work of the UN Mission in Kosovo will be presented by the Special Representative of the UN Secretary General and the Head of UNMIK, Caroline Ziadeh.

The session will begin at 10:00 am Eastern time, i.e. at 4:00 pm Central European time, and the session will be opened by the President of the Security Council for April, Vanessa Frazier.

Dacic: The UN SC session another opportunity for Vucic to point out the problems of the Serbs in Kosovo (Tanjug, RTV, Kosovo Online, media)

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Serbia, Ivica Dacic, said that today’s session of the UN Security Council in New York, which is dedicated to the six-month report of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on the work of UNMIK, is another opportunity for the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic to highlight all the fundamental principles that Serbia stands for, also to point out all the problems faced by Serbs in Kosovo, reported Kosovo Online, citing RTV.

Dacic stated today that the session is an opportunity for Vucic to point out that the report, which, as he stated, is always prepared in a pattern, is insufficient and does not properly depict all the difficulties that the Serbian people are facing.

“It is also an opportunity to point out that not all problems are described in it, nor is it clear where all these problems stem from,” said Dacic.

Dacic reminded that the PM of Kosovo Albin Kurti will not attend the session, stating that the reason is that he did not do well in the earlier “duels” with Vucic.

“It is interesting that Kurti will not be at the meeting, but Osmani. He ran away from that meeting and the meeting with Vucic. Mostly he came to these meetings, but it is obvious that he did not do very well in all those duels because he takes it as a type of duel,” said Dacic.

He also pointed out that the SC session that will be held today in New York is regular, but that Western countries are trying and succeeding in reducing the number of those sessions.

“Previously, they were held four times, that is, it was every three months, then it was reduced to three, and now to two. And now you have that illogical situation which is that BiH is discussed twice a year, and it bothers them that Kosovo and Metohija is discussed twice a year,” Dacic said.

When asked if he expects someone to respond to the referendum held in the north of Kosovo and the Serb boycott at today’s session, Dacic stated that the issue is not formally included in the report, but that it will certainly be a topic.

He added that the referendum in the north of Kosovo failed.

“You know what kind of spin it is now; they are now blaming us for that referendum, that we boycotted the referendum – I mean the EU. Well, we are not constructive, and it turns out that Pristina is. And they have created that whole situation. There were fake elections, fake mayors were elected. Then they said that they will resign. But now they must go to a referendum. That’s a whole list of some fantastic ideas that are constantly causing problems,” concluded Dacic.

Dacic also pointed out that ”the goal of the unilateral acts coming from Kurti is to constantly cause some problems and to complicate the life of Serbs living in Kosovo, by which would be achieved the long-term goal – the continuation of the policy of ethnic cleansing”.

Sentic: Special forces in the Leposavic municipality during voting; respecting the rights of Serbs remains a challenge after the failed referendum (KoSSev, KiM radio)

The referendum for removal of mayors in the North of Kosovo failed due to the low voter turnout, that is, the boycott of this process by the Serbian community. “Such an outcome can make the already complex political situation even more difficult and cause uncertainty regarding future steps,” Srdjan Sentic, deputy Kosovo Ombudsperson, told KoSSev, expressing his opinion – “that respect for the rights and quality of life of the Serbian community in the North of Kosovo will remain challenging question.”

Yesterday, the institution of the Ombudsperson visited all the municipalities in the North of Kosovo where the voting took place for or against the removal of the mayor. Deputy Ombudsman, Srdjan Sentic, visited polling stations in the municipalities of North Mitrovica and Leposavic.

Voting booths placed upside down, and cameras near them

Asked if he noticed irregularities in the polling centers, Sentic referred to the cameras that are being used for the first time in Kosovo during election processes.

“The decision of the CEC to install cameras at polling stations is a precedent in the practice of organizing election processes in Kosovo. However, their use causes concern among citizens due to the potential violation of the secrecy of the vote and the creation of a feeling of pressure, especially due to the installation of cameras near the polling booths,” he said.

Sentic said that at the polling stations in Leposavic, North Mitrovica, he noticed that the polling booths were placed upside down, which was contrary to the standard practice of protecting the secrecy of voting.

“Such omissions can be interpreted as an attempt to intimidate voters, and the cameras could not only record the identity of the voters, but also threaten the secrecy of their voting,” said KoSSev’s interlocutor.

Special police forces in municipal buildings

He also points to the reports of organizations that monitored vote process yesterday:

“Some polling stations did not meet the technical requirements, including insufficient distance between voters, members of municipal election commissions, observers and media representatives. Also, it is worrying that some observers and the media reported the presence of members of special units of the Kosovo Police at polling stations, especially in the buildings of the municipalities of Leposavic and Zvecan, which I personally noticed in the case of the building of the municipality of Leposavic,” he said.

He pointed out that the citizens were not adequately informed about the locations of the voting centers, and that they could not even establish this through the service available on the CEC website.

“The final decision on the locations of the polling centers was made only one day before the voting took place. In most cases, the polling stations did not meet the requirements for voting by people with special needs, and there were no visible signs in front of the polling centers,” said Sentic.

Worrying situation

When asked about the low turnout, Sentic said that not participating in the specific political process represents a democratic attitude that expresses the will of the citizens, but also that:

“The absence of participation in the vote to change the mayors indicates the presence of a worrying situation that requires adequate attention and solving the concerns and needs of citizens living in the North of Kosovo, while respecting the demographic structure.”

He emphasizes that it is necessary to direct efforts towards the creation and implementation of public policies that rely on European values and respect for human rights.

“Decision makers should be committed to identifying the causes of these problems and addressing them effectively.”

KoSSev asked Sentic about his personal position regarding the respect of the rights of the Serbian community in the North in the future, and due to the unsuccessful referendum:

“My expectations are that respect for the rights and the quality of life of the Serbian community in the North of Kosovo will remain a challenging issue after the very weak response of the voters in the process of voting for the removal of the mayor,” he said.

This outcome, he said, can further complicate the already complex political situation and cause uncertainty regarding future steps.

“It is crucial that decision-makers take concrete steps to ensure that the rights and interests of citizens are adequately protected, while respecting democratic principles, the rule of law and human rights. This will require the active participation of all relevant parties, including the necessary support of the international community, to reduce tensions and create an environment that will enable fair reintegration and inclusion in appropriate political processes,” concluded KoSSev’s interlocutor.

European Parliament plenary session begins, visa liberalization for Serbs in Kosovo on agenda (Tanjug)

The last plenary session in the current composition of the European Parliament begins today in Strasbourg and among others, the visa liberalization of Serbian Coordination Directorate passport holders in Kosovo, will be on the agenda.

During the plenary session lasting from April 22 to April 25, the MPs will vote on establishing Instrument for Reform and Growth for the Western Balkan, by which the region, including Serbia, is offered additional 6 billion financial aid in the period from 2024 to 2027.

The vote on visa liberalization of Coordination Directorate passport holders should take place on Tuesday, after the EP Committee for Civic Liberties, Judiciary and Internal Affairs (LIBE) adopted the draft report on visa liberalization for those passport holders on April 9, as submitted by EP MP and rapporteur for visa liberalization Matjaz Nemec.

Roundtable on ”the occupation and (high) treason of Kosovo and Metohija” (Beta, NMagazin)

On the occasion of 11 years since the signing of the Brussels Agreement, the Serbian National Council of Kosovo and Metohija, the Serbian National Forum and the People’s Movement “Fatherland” today will organize a round table on the topic “Kosovo and Metohija – between occupation and (high) treason”, reported NMagazin portal.

The debate will be held at Hotel M in Belgrade starting at 11 a.m., and participation was confirmed by Kosta Cavoski, Vesna Rakic Vodinelic, Milo Lompar, Bozo Prelevic, Tanasije Marinkovic, Dragomir Andjelkovic, Djordje Vukadinovic, Momir Stojanovic, Marko Jaksic, Momcilo Trajkovic…

The organizers announced that the main topics of the round table will be the consequences of the Brussels and Franco-German agreements and the Ohrid annex.

It was emphasized that the criminal-legal responsibility of the holders of state offices in the Republic of Serbia, as well as the responsibility of state and judicial bodies for failure to act according to the law in preventing unconstitutional actions, will also be discussed.

Confiscated weapons and marijuana worth around 70,000 euros in Suhareke/Suva Reka, four people arrested (KoSSev)

Kosovo police arrested four people three days ago, after finding more than 50 kilograms of marijuana, as well as weapons, in the house of one of them in Suhareke/Suva Reka, it was announced yesterday, reported KoSSev.

Through a previous operational investigation in cooperation with the KIA, the police identified four persons suspected of the criminal offense of “unauthorized purchase, possession, placement and circulation and sale of narcotic drugs”, which they detained.

In this regard, on April 18, they conducted a search operation in a house in this village, owned by one of the suspects with the initials S.S.

The police found and confiscated, among other things, ”five packages filled with a marijuana-type narcotic substance with a total weight of 50 kilograms and 600 grams, a digital scale, one hunting rifle and 30 bullets” adding that the value of the found drugs was about 70,000 euros. All four were detained for up to 48 hours.