UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, 18 April, 2024

Albanian Language Media:

Kurti: Serbia has violated several agreements (media)
Kurti: Vucic is retaliating over Kosovo’s success at CoE (media)
Osmani: Five Kosovo police officers held hostage by Serbia (RFE)
Rohde: Detention of Kosovo law enforcement officials is unacceptable (media)
Hovenier: Concerned over detention of Jankovic by Serbian authorities (media)
Svecla: Jankovic sent to detention for breaking Serbia constitutional order (media)
Reuten: Predictable and dangerous provocations by Serbian authorities (media)
Haradinaj: Kosovo must send ultimatum for immediate release of officers (media)
Svecla on Serbia stopping of police deputy director: Unprecedented (media)
Krasniqi: Serbia stopped K-Serb police officers, hypocritical position (media)
Kosovo Chamber of Commerce on Serbia’s stoppings: Unacceptable (media)
House Speaker says if allowed Putin will march through Europe (media)
NATO General: More troops and artillery should be sent to Kosovo (media)
Hargreaves welcomes PACE decision in favor of Kosovo’s membership (media)
Schwabe: Kosovo’s CoE membership should not be linked with dialogue (media)
Knaus: Kosovo should send Association draft to court, before vote in May (RFE)
Haxhiu: The Criminal Code will be reviewed (Koha)
IRI survey: Kosovo and Albania dominate the region for Euro-optimism (media)
Osmani honored with Coudenhove-Kalergi Europe Prize 2024 award (media)
Kurti remembers 77 civilians killed by Serb forces in Paklek and Cikatova (media)
Blast in the north, a hand grenade suspected (Koha/RFE)

Serbian Language Media:

Serbian MIA: 48 hours detention ordered for Kosovo Police Deputy Director; others released (Tanjug, RTS, KoSSev)
Brnabic on detention of KP members: We are talking about people who are undermining constitutional order of Serbia (Kosovo Online)
Serbian MIA: Four members of Kosovo police brought in, one held (Kosovo Online)
Dacic: Brussels agreement “sad reminder of questionable credibility of EU as guarantor” (Radio KIM, BETA)
Mijacic: Narrow chances that Kosovo Government would adopt CSM draft statute by May 10 (Kosovo Online, social media)
New round of Belgrade-Pristina dialogue under way (N1)
A hand grenade thrown at property of the ''Devolli Vita'', ''Buquku'' distributor in Zerovnica: I am obviously disturbing someone's business (KoSSev, Kontakt plus radio)
Radakovic: Process of election organization has never been worse, complete secrecy and non-transparency (Kosovo Online, Danas)
Dacic speaks with FMs of Lebanon, Tunisia and Belarus (Tanjug)
Cavoli: NATO forces increasing in Kosovo and BiH, we will bring more heavy equipment (RTS, Tanjug)
Makovec’s visit ended: Deal urgently with the negative impact of the CBK decree on communities (KoSSev)
Parliament Speaker Brnabic: Both Belgrade and local elections on June 2 (N1)

Opinion:

FAZ: The West should not fall into Serbia's trap (Koha)

International:

Montenegrin President Asks for Justice for 1999 Killings of Kosovo Albanians (BIRN)
Laibach: Newton's third law started to happen in Kosovo and Yugoslavia was soon over (Kosovo 2.0)

Albanian Language Media

Kurti: Serbia has violated several agreements (media)

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti said at the meeting of the Kosovo government today that by arbitrarily stopping and detaining Kosovo citizens, Serbia violated several agreements, Albanian Post reports. “With its actions yesterday, Serbia violated several agreements, including the July 2011 agreement on the free movement of citizens, the November 2022 agreement on the free movement with ID cards between the countries of the Western Balkans and the Basic Agreement reached in February 2023 in Brussels on the normalization of relations and good neighborly relations,” he said.

Kurti said Serbia’s actions bring back memories of Slobodan Milosevic in 1998-1999. “The arbitrary and ungrounded stopping and detention and mistreatment of Kosovo citizens by Serbia, only because they use Serbia as a transit country, brought back bitter memories of Milosevic’s Serbia, and reminded us that it remains the same because it is led by a former subordinate of his,” he said.

Kurti also said that five out of 10 Kosovo Police officers who were stopped yesterday were released, and five others, including Kosovo Police Deputy Director from the Serb community, are still being held by Serbian authorities. Several news websites report that Kurti has mentioned the names of the police officers being held by Serbian authorities. Later in the meeting, Kurti would announce that all police officers were released, except for the deputy director, who according to him is being kept in jail in Serbia.

Gazeta Express quotes Kurti as saying that by stopping Kosovo buses and passengers on Wednesday, Serbia tried to create tensions, “because normality, peace, and calmness in the region, especially in Kosovo, does not suit Serbia”.

Nacionale reports that when asked to comment on EU’s reactions to the stoppings by Serbian authorities, Kurti said “first of all, if there were sanctions against Belgrade when three of our police in the north of Kosovo were kidnapped, or when police sergeant Afrim Bunjaku was killed on September 24, we wouldn’t have this situation. Today, the mass arrests by Serbia of both ordinary citizens and state officials like the Deputy Director of Police, would be out of the question, if Serbia was under sanctions”. He further argued that “the lack of sanctions has emboldened Serbia”.

Kurti said that “Kosovo is a state of law, a state that respects the freedoms and rights of its citizens and that Serbia is practically a mafia state where one person launches a persecution campaign against everyone else”.

Kurti also called on the international community that all Albanians who are being kept in jail in Serbia to be released immediately, especially the Kosovo Police Deputy Director Dejan Jankovic.

Kurti: Vucic is retaliating over Kosovo’s success at CoE (media)

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti said today that the stopping of buses and passengers from Kosovo by Serbian authorities was ordered by Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic. “Vucic said he will start to retaliate. What is happening this week was announced on Saturday when the Serbian President visited the ‘Kobra’ military units on their birthday, a unit that we had accused in mid-June last year of kidnapping three of our police officers in the north,” Kurti told reporters.

Kurti said that “the mass arrests yesterday, when hundreds of civilians were left without medication, food and water, for almost a full day, is a result of Kosovo’s success at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and this persecution was an intense retaliation”.

Kurti also argued that Serbia is to blame for the situation in the north of Kosovo and that it is trying to obstruct the referendum for the removal of the mayors of the four Serb-majority municipalities.

Osmani: Five Kosovo police officers held hostage by Serbia (RFE)

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani said today that five officers of the Kosovo Police “are being held hostage” by Serbia, a country which she referred to as “chauvinist”, the news website reports. During a graduation ceremony of Kosovo Police cadets, Osmani called on the international community to react to this. “We call on all our allies to speak out and step up efforts in order to stop these chauvinistic actions against our citizens and police. But I am certain that this ceremony today and all these cadets and this multiethnic group is the best and most powerful response against such efforts,” Osmani said. “While we are constantly faced with security challenges, let us not forget that at this time five police officers of our Republic are being held hostage by a chauvinistic state, Serbia”.

Rohde: Detention of Kosovo law enforcement officials is unacceptable (media)

German Ambassador to Kosovo, Jorn Rohde, said in a post on X today that the detention of Kosovo law enforcement officials, including Kosovo Serbs, by Serbian authorities is unacceptable. “De-escalation now! Detention of Kosovo law enforcement officials, including Kosovo Serbs, by Serbian authorities is unacceptable and certainly not what can be expected by a EU-candidate country. This has to end immediately and we expect Kosovo Serb politicians to also speak up for their fellow citizens!”

Hovenier: Concerned over detention of Jankovic by Serbian authorities (media)

U.S. Ambassador to Kosovo, Jeffrey Hovenier, met today with President Vjosa Osmani, and discussed the stopping by Serbian authorities of several hundred Kosovo passengers at the border between Serbia and Croatia on Wednesday, and the detention of Kosovo Police Deputy Director from the Serb community, Dejan Jankovic. “I am very concerned, especially for someone that we have known for years, and who has helped a lot with the integration of the Serb community in the Kosovo Police and for protecting Kosovo’s cultural heritage,” he said.

Hovenier also said that chief negotiators from Kosovo and Serbia, who are meeting in Brussels today, will be able to find a solution on the issue of the Serbian Dinar in Kosovo. “We hope that a solution on the Dinar will be found, but I don’t question the authority of the Central Bank of Kosovo to regulate the financial sector. However, we need to keep in mind the impact of decisions on the Serb community. I appreciate the engagement to find a solution on this matter. We hope the issue will be resolved by the two parties,” Hovenier is quoted as saying in the Albanian Post.

Hovenier also said that the U.S. wants the Brussels and Ohrid agreements to be implemented fully and without any delay.

Svecla: Jankovic sent to detention for breaking Serbia constitutional order (media)

Kosovo’s Minister of Interior Affairs, Xhelal Svecla, said today that Kosovo Police Deputy Director from the Serb community, Dejan Jankovic, who was stopped by Serbian authorities on Wednesday has been sent to 48-hours in detention. He said that “according to the latest information we have, he was sent to detention on the accusation of breaking the constitutional order”. “By arresting Deputy Director Jankovic, Vucic wants to send messages of fear to the Kosovo Serbs that have integrated or want to integrate in Kosovo Police,” Svecla added.

Svecla said that according to their information other Kosovo citizens are under arrest and called for their immediate release. He also called on the international community to condemn Serbia’s actions. “The events on Wednesday are not simply a matter of freedom of movement and violations of agreements, because they happen continuously. These are violations of human rights, and they constitute a major threat to the security and stability of the region. Stopping people based on their ethnic and national background is a major threat to security and stability in the region,” he argued.

Reuten: Predictable and dangerous provocations by Serbian authorities (media)

Thijs Reuten, Dutch member of the European Parliament, commented on the stoppings of Kosovo citizens and police officers by Serbian authorities on Wednesday. “Predictable, childish, and dangerous provocations by Serbian authorities. Deputy head of Kosovo police Jankovic is still being detained. He must be released immediately. We know this pattern of escalation and also of intimidation of Serbian-Kosovo citizens and we must stop it,” Reuten wrote in a post on X.

Haradinaj: Kosovo must send ultimatum for immediate release of officers (media)

Leader of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK), Ramush Haradinaj, said in a Facebook post today that the Kosovo Government, President, the Ministry of Interior Affairs and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, must send a firm ultimatum for the immediate release of Kosovo Police Deputy Director Dejan Jankovic and Kosovo police officers arrested in Serbia, “otherwise Kosovo should act with reciprocity toward members of Serbia’s security institutions whenever they enter the territory of Kosovo”.

Svecla on Serbia stopping of police deputy director: Unprecedented (media)

Kosovo’s Minister of Interior Affairs, Xhelal Svecla, said today that the stopping by Serbian authorities of the Kosovo Police Deputy Director and four police officers from the Kosovo Serb community is an unprecedented act. During the graduation ceremony of the 59th generation of Kosovo Police, Svecla said Jankovic is not at the ceremony because he is held without any justification in Serbia. “This is an unprecedented act along with many other actions and attacks against the Kosovo Police … This is a direct attack by Serbia against members of the Serb community in the Kosovo Police who have the will and courage to join on the joint path and provide security for all citizens and stability in Kosovo,” he argued.

Krasniqi: Serbia stopped K-Serb police officers, hypocritical position (media)

Kosovo’s Minister for Local Government, Elbert Krasniqi, reacted in a Facebook post on the stopping of Kosovo Police Deputy Director and several other police officers from the Serb community by Serbian authorities. “The Republic of Kosovo, as part of advanced rights for non-majority communities, provides that the Deputy Director of Police needs to be from the Serb community. Meanwhile, Serbia falsely complains about the rights of Serbs in Kosovo, and it arrests, mistreats, and threatens every Serb that enjoys his/her rights in Kosovo and is integrated in their country. Today’s stoppings by Serbia of [Kosovo Police] Deputy Director Jankovic and several other officers of Kosovo Serbs from the Serb community is the clearest evidence of Serbia’s hypocritical position,” Krasniqi said.

Kosovo Chamber of Commerce on Serbia’s stoppings: Unacceptable (media)

The Kosovo Chamber of Commerce (OEK) reacted on Wednesday to the stopping by Serbian authorities of Kosovo citizens at the border between Serbia and Croatia, saying that it was an unacceptable and damaging act and is in opposition with the spirit of cooperation and integration promoted by Kosovo. OEK said that the citizens and businesses in Kosovo have shown to be open to cooperating with all without any difference and that they expect the same from other people and countries in the region. “We appeal to everyone to take measures in order not to obstruct the free movement between countries of the Western Balkans and for citizens and businesses from Kosovo to have an equal treatment as others. As we welcome the reactions coming from local and international authorities, we appeal especially to EU institutions to make concrete steps so that all countries of the Western Balkans respect the integration of the region as a principle of the Berlin Process and a precondition for membership in the European Union,” the statement notes.

House Speaker says if allowed Putin will march through Europe (media)

Speaker of the House of Representatives in the United States, Mike Johnson, has insisted on his plan to adopt an aid package for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan, regardless of the criticism he has faced, several news websites report. In his latest address, Johnson said the package is crucial to stop Russian President Vladimir Putin from expanding the war in the Balkans too. "I'm doing here what I believe to be the right thing. I think providing lethal aid to Ukraine right now is critically important. I really do believe the intel and the briefings that we’ve gotten … I think that Vladimir Putin would continue to march through Europe if he were allowed. I think he might go to the Balkans next. I think he might have a showdown with Poland or with one of our NATO allies,” he is quoted as saying.

NATO General: More troops and artillery should be sent to Kosovo (media)

General Christopher Cavoli, NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Europe, has authorized the deployment of more NATO troops to Kosovo and Bosnia and Herzegovina, at a time when the region is under threat from third parties.

Reporting before the U.S. Senate, General Cavoli said that NATO should send not only more troops, but also heavier artillery to Kosovo, while he appreciated the role of France, whose aircraft carrier is located in the Adriatic Sea.

"We have done a review of the plan and it showed that we need not only more forces, but also heavier NATO artillery to be deployed in the region. Troops in Bosnia and Herzegovina and those of KFOR in Kosovo must be increased for surveillance, detection and to monitor threats against them", said General Cavoli.

Hargreaves welcomes PACE decision in favor of Kosovo’s membership (media)

UK Ambassador to Kosovo, Jonathan Hargreaves, welcomed the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe’s vote in favor of Kosovo’s membership at the Council of Europe. He also said that they “look forward to working with Kosovo on the next steps towards a positive decision by the Committee of Ministers”.

Schwabe: Kosovo’s CoE membership should not be linked with dialogue (media)

Frank Schwabe, head of the German delegation at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and chairman of the biggest parliamentary group, said in an interview with RTK that Kosovo’s membership at the Council of Europe is a value in itself and that it should not be linked with the EU-facilitated dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia, as some countries are requesting.

“There will be two thirds of votes at the Council of Ministers. The two thirds were secured earlier, but we need to see if there will be a vote, if membership will be included in the voting agenda, because there are some countries that are involved in the talks between Kosovo and Serbia and they want to use the Council of Europe and membership in the Council of Europe as a tool in these talks and I am critical of this, because I believe that membership in the Council of Europe is a value in itself and that it has nothing to do with the issue of the dialogue,” he said.

Schwabe also said that the talks in Brussels are facilitated by the European Union and are supported by the QUINT countries, “and this is not a matter of the Council of Europe”. “Therefore, for some of the reasons that I mentioned, it is not certain that it will be voted on. Nevertheless, we have made another important step forward,” he added.

Knaus: Kosovo should send Association draft to court, before vote in May (RFE)

Gerald Knaus, founding chairman of the European Stability Initiative (ESI), said in an interview with the news website, that the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) vote in favor of Kosovo’s membership is the most powerful possible signal that Kosovo got on its path toward membership in the Council of Europe. He also said that the governments of many states have not yet decided how they will vote in May when a final decision on Kosovo’s membership will be held, and that therefore Kosovo needs to make some “positive surprises” in the coming weeks. “My advice would be to send the draft statute of the Association of Serb-majority municipalities to the Constitutional Court,” he suggested.

Knaus also said that “the Parliamentary Assembly said that the formation of the Association cannot be set as a condition for Kosovo’s membership. There is a very simple reason why this cannot be done. The Government of Kosovo cannot form the Association of Serb-majority municipalities without the participation of Serbs. Currently, in the four Serb-majority municipalities in the north there are no Serb mayors, because they resigned, and then boycotted the elections. Now they are boycotting efforts that would lead to new elections. If you don’t have Serb mayors in the Serb-majority municipalities, who are responsible for talking with the government, you cannot form the Association”.

Haxhiu: The Criminal Code will be reviewed (Koha)

Kosovo’s Minister of Justice, Albulena Haxhiu, called today for greater engagement by the institutions in preventing the violence against women, and said that the Ministry of Justice would engage in additional measures. “When proper actions from the institutions are lacking, the violators become murderers. Although we have taken measures in this respect, we need to step up our engagement. Serious work is required of us to win this battle and to make sure there is justice for every single case. If all institutions are not firmly determined to fight this phenomenon, we know what the answer will be, we risk continuing counting the victims,” she said.

Haxhiu also said that the Criminal Code will be reviewed, including provisions on the illegal possession of arms. “We will once again review the Criminal Code for all cases of domestic violence. We are also working to change provisions on the illegal possession of arms because as a result of low punishments, we need to review these provisions so that the prosecutors cannot neglect these cases,” she explained.

IRI survey: Kosovo and Albania dominate the region for Euro-optimism (media)

The latest multinational survey of the Western Balkans by the International Republican Institute's (IRI) Center for Insights in Survey Research (CISR) shows broad support for joining the European Union (EU) The answers that the citizens of Kosovo have given in this survey to some of the questions have put Kosovo in the lead for issues such as NATO and EU membership.

In the question "If a referendum was held today for the membership of our country in the European Union, how would you vote?", no less than 89% of the citizens of Kosovo stated that they would vote in favor. Although Kosovo has scored a high percentage, Albania has "exploded" in this regard with 92 percent of its citizens who have expressed their support for EU membership. Montenegro is ranked third with 79%, Bosnia with 68%, as much as North Macedonia, while the last is Serbia with 40% of its citizens who were in favor of membership in the European Union.

"Is the European Union serious in its intentions to offer membership to the countries of the Western Balkans", was another question in which Kosovo came first. 62 percent of Kosovars believe in this statement. Montenegrins are in second place with 59%, then Albania with 54%, Bosnia with 44%, North Macedonia with 34% and Serbia with 30%.

In the question of "What should be the course of your country's foreign policy", 87% of Kosovo citizens have chosen "Only pro-European and pro-West". After Kosovo, Albania is immediately ranked with 82 percent of citizens who think the same. Bosnia and Herzegovina came in third place, but with a much lower percentage than the two Albanian states: 39%; then Montenegro with 36%, North Macedonia with 31% and last on the list came Serbia as the most Euro-sceptic, with only 10% of its citizens who have chosen the European path.

In the question "In your opinion, the future of our country is best served by having what kind of relations with NATO", Kosovars came first with 88% who expressed the desire for full membership in this organization.Albania came second with 85%, then North Macedonia with 52%, Bosnia with 50%, Montenegro with 41% and finally, as usual, Serbia with only 21% of citizens who want full membership in NATO .

View the full report here: https://tinyurl.com/y5reus8j

Osmani honored with Coudenhove-Kalergi Europe Prize 2024 award (media)

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani has been awarded the Coudenhove-Kalergi Europe Prize for 2024 by the European Society Coudenhove-Kalergi, most news websites report. The same prize has also been awarded to Moldovan President Maia Sandu. The society said in a statement that the prize is awarded to personalities who are meritorious and committed to peaceful European unification in the spirit of the pan-European idea. Both presidents are committed to a clear European orientation of their countries and are committed to defending it, also in view of the delicate security situation in the region.

“President Vjosa Osmani-Sadriu is committed to democracy and the rule of law as well as to Kosovo's integration into the European Union, also in view of the threat from Serbia. She is a staunch advocate of transatlantic relations and in her commitment she cultivates the philosophy of the architect of Kosovo's independence, Ibrahim Rugova, who was honoured with this award 20 years ago,” the statement notes.

Kurti remembers 77 civilians killed by Serbforces in Paklek and Cikatova (media)

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti said in a post on X that “25 years ago Serb forces killed 77 civilians in Paklek & Cikatova e Vjetër – including 25 children. 9 victims remain unaccounted for. In clear violation of our 2023 agreement, Serbia refuses to open the archives of the 37th Motorized Brigade, perpetrators of numerous enforced disappearances.”

Blast in the north, a hand grenade suspected (Koha/RFE)

Kosovo Police said today that a blast suspected from a hand grenade happened in the yard of a house of Zherovnica in the municipality of Zvecan. Kosovo Police Deputy Director for the north, Veton Elshani, said there were only material damages and no human injuries from the explosion.

Dragan Mladjovic confirmed to Radio Free Europe today that a bomb was thrown at the yard of his house on the night between Wednesday and Thursday. Mladjovic is a distributor of products of the “Devolli Vita Corporation” in the north of Kosovo. He believes the reason behind the attack is that in addition to distributing dairy products from the Peja-based company he started distributing in the north the meat of this company too. “Last month we started distributing meat from Peja, which is of high quality and restaurants and stores here started buying it. I suspect, and I told the police, that the reason for everything [the explosion] is that we are working with those companies … Now someone minds us, and they want to scare us with bombs in an attempt to stop us. Now that we are working on this, they want to scare us … The whole north works with Albanians. Why shouldn’t I do the same? Because I am the only distributor that has these products, and now I have problems. Why shouldn’t I work and also employ people,” he said.

The news website also learns that in December last year, Mladjovic was called “a traitor” on Telegram channels and his photograph was published along with 12 other Serbs with the message that “they are the biggest scum of society”.

Serbian Language Media

Serbian MIA: 48 hours detention ordered for Kosovo Police Deputy director; others released (Tanjug, RTS, KoSSev)

After the arrest of four members of Kosovo police, detention of up to 48 hours was ordered for the Kosovo police deputy director, Dejan Jankovic, to establish the facts and necessary checks regarding the security of the Republic of Serbia, Tanjug was told in the Serbian Interior Ministry.

The other persons were released after security checks.

Brnabic on detention of KP members: We are talking about people who are undermining constitutional order of Serbia (Kosovo Online)

The President of the Assembly of Serbia, Ana Brnabic, said, commenting on the detention of members of the Kosovo police, that they are undermining the constitutional order of the Republic of Serbia and that she assumes that the international community will welcome this, reported Kosovo Online.

Brnabic stated that ''she expects praise from the international community for members of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Serbia and the prosecution''.

She pointed out that these are people who are undermining the constitutional order of the Republic of Serbia, and that Serbs in Kosovo are being mistreated every day "because someone in Pristina says that they are undermining the constitutional order."

"I assume that people have finally responded to the appeals to defend the constitutional order of the Republic of Serbia and every single institution in this country. Nobody from the international community has been reacting for years to everything that Albin Kurti is doing, mistreating those people, I guess they will welcome this now. Great. They have their so-called constitutional order. Nice, we have a real constitutional order, because we are an internationally recognized country, so I expect praise from the international community for our members of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, as well as for our prosecution and all relevant institutions,'' said Brnabic.

Serbian MIA: Four members of Kosovo police brought in, one held (Kosovo Online)

After the Kosovo Interior Ministry said that Serbian police brought in ten members of the Kosovo police, Serbian Ministry of Internal Affairs told Kosovo Online that they brought in yesterday four members of the Kosovo police and one was held.

“Four members of the Kosovo police were brought in, one was held – deputy director of the Kosovo police”, Serbian MIA said.

As they added Kosovo police officers were brought in during check ups at the crossing points, because of security checks.

Serbian MIA previously dismissed allegations of Pristina officials and institutions about holding of the buses with Kosovo registration plates on the border between Serbia and Croatia, noting that police did not hold any citizen, nor did it prevent entry and exit.

Dacic: Brussels agreement “sad reminder of questionable credibility of EU as guarantor” (Radio KIM, BETA)

Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic said today Serbia will continue to fight to stop Kosovo admission to the Council of Europe and that establishment of the Community of Serbian Municipalities must be one of the conditions, Radio KIM reports.

Speaking in a joint press conference with his Suriname counterpart Dacic said Pristina claims having no intention to establish Community of Serbian Municipalities (CSM) and that Brussels agreement, by which the establishment of CSM has been agreed upon, represents “a sad reminder of how questionable credibility of the European Union as mediator and guarantor of the implementation of the agreement is”.

“By this the European Union has lost credibility, because Kosovo is playing with the credibility of the EU”, Dacic said. He added that “some major states promised” to the Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic that three conditions set by rapporteur Dora Bakoyannis would have to be fulfilled for admission of Kosovo to the Council of Europe, including establishment of the CSM, implementation of Constitutional Court decision to return the land to Visoki Decani Monastery and expropriations problem affecting properties of the Serbian community in the north.

“She remained with a single condition. Thank you nicely for this condition. Whose land it was, if not of Decani Monastery? It is a condition to declare paradise in Kosovo, it is shameful”, he added.

Mijacic: Narrow chances that Kosovo Government would adopt CSM draft statute by May 10 (Kosovo Online, social media)

Coordinator of the National Convent for Chapter 35, Dragisa Mijacic said chances are narrow that Kosovo Government will adopt the draft statute of the Community of Serbian Municipalities (CSM) by May 10, which is a crucial precondition for the draft statue of CMS to be accepted by Constitutional Court, Kosovo Online portal reported.

He added this is an oxymoron Pristina uses aiming to calm down international public and stakeholders in order to have a positive outcome of the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers’ vote.

“It won’t happen that easily that the Kosovo Government sends an opinion on the CSM draft statute to the Constitutional Court, because the Constitutional Court is not a constitutive mechanism. In order for the government to send such a document, it is necessary for the government to adopt it beforehand, and then send it to the Constitutional Court for consideration as an internationally legal obligation. If the government sends such a document, without previously adopting it, the Constitutional Court will reject it in accordance with its acts, and I am not certain that the Kosovo Government would adopt the CSM draft statute by May 10”, Mijacic said.

He pointed out there is a clear sequence of steps to be taken in order to form the Community of Serbian Municipalities and that any skipping will lead to failure and a new argument that the document is not in accordance with the Constitution and legislation.

He said the first step in that procedure is for the Kosovo Government to accept the draft agreement that has been on the table for a long time and send it to the Assembly for consideration, and only after that the document can be sent to the Constitutional Court.

New round of Belgrade-Pristina dialogue under way (N1)

The Belgrade-Pristina dialogue at the technical level began on Thursday morning in Brussels with a meeting between the Belgrade delegation led by Petar Petkovic and the European Union (EU) team headed by EU Special Representative Miroslav Lajcak. The dialogue will focus on resolving the problems caused by the dinar ban in Kosovo, so N1 learns that financial experts are also part of the Belgrade delegation.

Belgrade is demanding that the Postal Savings Bank be allowed to operate in Kosovo so that citizens can receive payments in Serbian dinars, while Pristina is offering interbank conversion of dinars into euros, meaning that the citizens in Kosovo would receive euros.

Unlike the last time, when the Pristina delegation did not have a separate meeting with Lajcak, after his talks with the Belgrade delegation, the special representative will on Thursday also have a meeting with the Pristina representatives, which is to be followed by a trilateral meeting. Statements from both sides after the previous four meetings indicate that the positions are very far apart and that it will be difficult to reach an agreement, despite Lajcak’s optimism in recent weeks that an agreement is possible.

A hand grenade thrown at property of ''Devolli Vita'', ''Buquku'' distributor in Zerovnica: I am obviously disturbing someone's business (KoSSev, Kontakt plus radio)

"I work honestly, but obviously I'm bothering someone in their work," Dragan Mladjovic told KoSSev, who is the distributor of the ''Devolli Vita'' dairy and the ''Buquku'' Pec meat products in the North.

Hand grenade that went off last night in the village of Zerovnica was thrown on the property of Dragan Mladjovic. He said that he is intimidated precisely because of his cooperation with these companies.

He described for the portal what awaited him this morning.

"I was at home, and I heard a detonation around 2:34 a.m., but I didn't know what it was. It wasn't until this morning, when I got up around 6, that I saw the broken windows on the van, as well as some on the house. That's when I realized that something had been thrown there," says Mladjovic.

Already in the first minutes, he says, he had no doubt why his property was targeted. He claims that he does not deal with politics, but with the job of representative of dairy and meat products for the North, so he believes that this is the reason and that someone, unknown to him, wanted to warn him.

"My company started cooperating with the Buquku company from Peja/Pec, which deals with meat products. I started supplying restaurants. I also work with dairy products from Devolli Vita. And that is all. I have nothing to do with politics, I'm not in it. It's obvious that I'm bothering someone at work and that they want to scare me. I work honestly, but it seems that it cannot pass here."

He confirms that the police immediately came to the scene this morning and found that a hand grenade had been thrown in front of his house. He hopes that the perpetrators will be found, because, as he says, the police told him that there are clues that could reveal it.

In addition to the KP, he also filed a report with the police in Serbia.

This is not the first time

Mladjovic also recalled the case from December last year, when, as he also gave a statement for KoSSev, he was exposed to labeling on the Telegram group.

Even then, Mladjovic had no doubt that the reason for being branded a traitor was his cooperation with the Kosovo company.

And then he filed a complaint with the Kosovo police and the police in Serbia, and today he reveals that the KP should soon prosecute those responsible.

"And for the case from before, the police here in Kosovo have clues as to who they should arrest," he said.

Radakovic: Process of election organization has never been worse, complete secrecy and non-transparency (Kosovo Online, Danas)

Referendum on recalling four Albanian mayors in Serb-majority municipalities in northern Kosovo is scheduled to take place on April 21, the coming Sunday. Three days prior to the voting polling stations, members of the municipal election commissions and functioning of the announced video surveillance system remain unknown.

Dusan Radakovic from the Advocacy Centre of Democratic Culture (ACDC) termed such organization of election process as “never worse, inefficient and non-transparent”. Radakovic since 2013 follows and monitors all election processes in the north of Kosovo.

“There are definelty many problems in the organization of these elections. I think the organization of the elections has never been worse, at least since 2013, since we monitor (elections) though Democracy in Action. There has never been a process as this one, with complete secrecy, non-transparency and inefficiency. ACDC monitored the entire processes in all previous elections, we were always invited to the meetings and to take part in organization of elections, and we were supporting monitoring. On the other hand, the Central Election Commission (CEC) did not contact us a single time (in relation to mayoral recall vote). I have been following elections since 2013, and to be honest I do not know who is part of the Municipal Election Commission now. There are many meetings in Pristina, we asked about surveillance cameras, but we never got a response, what, how, in what way, what is the reason, what is being recorded and will be used, we received no response”, he underlined.

He also opined that this process leads to pressure to organize elections, but also to have it unsuccessful. He also argued that people from the northern municipalities had to organize the entire election process, and not to bring people from other parts of Kosovo.

Dacic speaks with FMs of Lebanon, Tunisia and Belarus (Tanjug)

Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic spoke by phone with the Foreign Ministers of Lebanon, Tunisia and Belarus on Wednesday.

With Lebanese counterpart Abdallah Bou Habib, Dacic discussed bilateral relations between Serbia and Lebanon and cooperation at multilateral level, the Serbian MFA said in a post on the social media network X.

Dacic's conversation with Tunisian FM Nabil Ammar focused, among other affairs, on the friendly relations between the two countries, their cooperation in the UN and a mutual commitment to respect of international law.

Dacic and Belarusian FM Sergei Aleinik discussed cooperation within international organizations.

Cavoli: NATO forces increasing in Kosovo and BiH, we will bring more heavy equipment (RTS, Tanjug)

The Supreme Commander of the NATO Forces for Europe and the Commander of the European Command of the US Army, Christopher Cavoli, said that NATO has decided to strengthen the reserve forces within the mission in Kosovo (KFOR) and in Bosnia and Herzegovina (Mission EUFOR Althea), reported RTS.

Christopher Cavoli spoke about strengthening the reserve forces of the missions in Kosovo and in BiH during the hearing before the Committee on Armed Forces of the US Senate, which was held on April 11.

"After we did a complete review of KFOR, we came to the conclusion that we need not only more forces, but also stronger forces. This process is ongoing. We will bring more heavy equipment to the field, as well as more people," stated Cavoli.

He added that at least two focused missions were launched with the aim of gathering more information and better understanding of the events in Kosovo and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Cavoli assessed that ethnic tensions in Bosnia and Herzegovina also have the potential to escalate and destabilize the Western Balkan region.

He noted that ''Russia's activities on, as he stated, inciting tensions between ethnic Bosniaks, Serbs and Croats are aimed at weakening the country and preventing the deepening of ties with the EU and NATO''.

"Ethno-nationalist politics prevents Bosnia and Herzegovina from adopting much-needed political, legal and economic reforms that would advance its Euro-Atlantic integration," the American general said.

He claimed that Republika Srpska was trying to weaken state power and BiH's relations with the EU and NATO, maintaining close ties with Russia.

Makovec’s visit ended: Deal urgently with the negative impact of the CBK decree on communities (KoSSev)

Serbian List to review the decision and participate in the referendum for the impeachment of the mayors. It is important that all citizens can exercise their democratic rights in that vote. The main negotiators in Brussels to urgently address the negative impact of Kosovo Central Bank regulation on cash operations on non-majority communities - these are the main messages of the Deputy Director General for Europe in the European External Affairs Service, Marko Makovec, who spent three days in Kosovo, reported KoSSev portal.

He concluded his visit yesterday, and he came, as he said, to gather first-hand information about the political and security situation in Kosovo.

He met with the highest Kosovo officials, the opposition, Serbian List, representatives of the CBK and CEC, the Kosovo police, visited the institutions in Kosovo that function in the Serbian system, Visoki Decani and spoke with representatives of civil society. Makovec discussed the process of voting for the removal of the mayors with the representatives of the Serbian List, but also with Kosovo President, Vjosa Osmani.

"He emphasized the importance of all citizens being able to exercise their democratic rights at the upcoming vote on the impeachment of the mayors. With the representatives of the Serbian List, Makovec referred to a number of issues and called on them to reconsider their decision and participate in the vote on the impeachment of the mayors," announced the Office of the European Union in Kosovo.

Among other health and educational institutions, he visited the Clinical Hospital Center in the northern part of Mitrovica, as well as a school in the returnee village of Osojane.

"They discussed the impact of the CBK Regulation on cash operations, as well as other problems faced by communities," he stated.

As he ended his visit ahead of today's meeting in Brussels specifically on the dinar issue, he had, according to the EU Office, a message for the main negotiators:

"Ahead of the chief negotiator's meeting in Brussels, he reiterated the urgency to address the negative impact of the CBK Regulation on Cash Operations on non-majority communities in Kosovo."

During this visit, he also reminded of, as he said, the obligation of Kosovo in the dialogue conducted under the mediation of the European Union, which is the A/CSM.

"In the context of the normalization of relations with Serbia, he also reminded of Kosovo's obligations in the Dialogue with the support of the EU, especially the establishment of the A/CSM in Kosovo," the announcement states.

He also exchanged opinions on everything with EU representatives in Kosovo, and EULEX and KFOR informed him about the security situation. During his last day in Kosovo, he also spoke with representatives of Pristina research centers about security, but also misinformation and inter-ethnic issues.

Parliament Speaker Brnabic: Both Belgrade and local elections on June 2 (N1)

Serbian Parliament Speaker Ana Brnabic said that both the local elections and the Belgrade elections will be held on the same day, June 2, N1 reported.

She said the decision was made following consultations with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, and although she described the government’s proposal as better, she said the decision was a good one.

In consultation with the president, we have decided to accept the request of the opposition assembled around the Serbia Against Violence (SPN) and NADA coalitions, and to call all the elections that were to be held in July and August, said Brnabic.

Opinion

FAZ: The West should not fall into Serbia's trap (Koha)

The German newspaper "Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung" wrote how the West is falling into Serbia's trap and believes that "the key to stability in the Western Balkans lies in Belgrade".

At a glance, journalist Michael Martens has noted that the president of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, wants to set preconditions for Kosovo's membership in the Council of Europe and at the same time make it impossible to fulfill them.

"The advantages are obvious: If Kosovo wants to join the Council of Europe, then all citizens of Europe's newest state will have access to the European Court of Human Rights, where they can sue their government. This is particularly important for the Serbian minority in Kosovo, when it comes to the protection of their rights", the review states.

Martens said that Vucic has noticed that Kosovo is on a course of movement and is trying to block it. "Therefore, he is trying by all means to influence the European states, in order to at least postpone the planned vote in May. It is no coincidence that he traveled to Paris to order French fighter jets," said Martens.

He has also written how the Hungarian Prime Minister, Viktor Orban, who is known as Vucic’s ally, is also lobbying in Italy. "The statements made by the Italian MPs in the Council of Europe are proof of this", Martens wrote.

"You have to look further to see how Belgrade's politics is achieving the opposite of stability. Belgrade's latest scam is very easy to see. Serbia is trying to achieve a majority that supports the position that Pristina must first agree to the formation of the Association of municipalities with a Serb majority before being admitted to the Council of Europe. At the same time, however, it is systematically blocking the formation of this association, recently announcing the boycott of new elections in four Serb-majority municipalities in the north of Kosovo. In other words, Serbia wants to impose a precondition on Kosovo, which at the same time is making it impossible to fulfill," wrote Martens.

The well-known German journalist has also written how the Greek reporter, Dora Bakoyannis, although coming from a country that does not recognize Kosovo, has noticed Belgrade's intention and has spoken openly against this intersection and has pushed forward Kosovo's application to the Council of Europe.

But, Martens has said that some governments are still in doubt if they want to approve Kosovo's request for membership. "In some Western capitals, this appears to be based on an old misconception that has caused trouble in the past: the view that Serbia, as the relatively largest of the small Western Balkan states, is the decisive factor for stability in the region, and which must be appeased at all costs", Martens wrote.

International

Montenegrin President Asks for Justice for 1999 Killings of Kosovo Albanians (BIRN)

Exactly 25 years after Yugoslav Army troops killed six Kosovo Albanians, including two children, in a border village, President says the quest for justice and truth about the crime must continue – and a memorial should be put up to the victims.

Victims of the crime in Kaludjerski Laz, committed exactly 25 years ago in 1999 in Montenegro, deserve justice, and the authorities must not give up on establishing the truth and the responsibility of the perpetrators, President Jakov Milatovic said on Wednesday.

At Kaludjerski laz, a village near the border with Kosovo, members of the Yugoslav Army, JNA, killed six Kosovo Albanian civilians, including two children, on April 18, 1999.

Five others were injured in the attack, which took place during NATO’s 78-day bombing of Yugoslavia, aimed at forcing President Slobodan Milosevic to withdraw Serbian forces from Kosovo.

According to prosecution data, from April to May 1999, 11 more ethnic Albanians were also killed in nearby areas while they were fleeing Kosovo during the NATO bombing.

The crimes have gone unpunished.