UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, April 11, 2022

Albanian Language Media:

Kurti meets Albanian representatives of Presevo Valley, discuss Serbia's elections (media)
Kusari-Lila expresses scepticism over progress in Kosovo-Serbia dialogue (EO)
Citaku: Serbia continuing attempts to stain the truth about Kosovo and KLA (media)
KCB governor complains to a Quint ambassador of political pressure (Kallxo)
COVID-19: 14 new cases, no deaths (media)

Serbian Language Media:

Escobar: Serbia more and more interested in relations with Europe than with the East (N1)
Unfulfillment of the Brussels agreement provisions should lead to consequences, says Petkovic (Kontakt plus radio, Kosovo online)
Serbian security agency refutes allegations on Marty’s murder threats (Tanjug, Danas)
Office for KiM: Church in Ropotovo robbed (Radio KIM)
Petkovic reacts to Kusari Lila statement on dialogue (Radio KIM)
Djuric in White House: We highly appreciate gesture of respect towards Serbia (N1)
Civil society: KP and EULEX to clarify the murder of Selver Haradinaj (KiM radio)
Selakovic speaks with Chinese counterpart Wang (Tanjug)

International:

BIRN Offers Grants to Explore War Crimes Archives (Balkan Insight)

Humanitarian/Development:

Rukiqi warns of economic recession threat, calls on Government to take measures (EO)
Unseen, Unpunished: The Endurance of Economic Violence in the Balkans (Balkan Insight)
World Bank warns of economic decline in Western Balkans (N1)

Albanian Language Media

Kurti meets Albanian representatives of Presevo Valley, discuss Serbia's elections (media)

Prime Minister of Kosovo Albin Kurti met today a group of Albanian political representatives from the Presevo, Medvedja and Bujanovac.

"Serbia's election results, particularly in the three municipalities with Albanian majority, were discussed in the meeting," said a statement issued by the Government of Kosovo.

Kurti is quoted to have said that Albanians in Presevo, Medvedja and Bujanovac were subjected to "great injustice" through the deactivisation of over 6,000 addresses. "Prime Minister Kurti said this constitutes silent administrative ethnic cleansing and is bringing grave consequences. He continued: "This method of Serbia, that denied the basic and democratic right, that of vote, brought unsatisfactory results. Therefore, these elections were neither free nor democratic."

Another aspect which Kurti said is responsible for the election result is "the lack of unity and coordination of Albanian political entities into one front."

Kusari-Lila expresses scepticism over progress in Kosovo-Serbia dialogue (EO)

Head of the Vetevendosje Movement parliamentary group, Mimoza Kusari-Lila, said that she expects delays in the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia, and blamed the Serbian side for “not having the will to move the process forward.”

Speaking to Ekonomia Online news website, Kusari-Lila said: “There will be delays in the dialogue for the fact that Serbia has always had the same goal that of using nationalist language ahead of election processes, and the same happened with 3 April elections. Since the outset it was evident that there was no readiness for progress in the regional integration agenda that included progress in dialogue. It remains to be seen now what will be the position following the election process although the voting results in Serbia are not at all promising in regards to the country's democratisation.”

At the same time, Kusari-Lila said, Kosovo “has demonstrated functional democracy and aligned with democratic countries” and while the Government of Kosovo is committed in carrying out all of its mandated duties, “in the context of dialogue there can be no success with only one side.”

Citaku: Serbia continuing attempts to stain the truth about Kosovo and KLA (media)

Deputy leader of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) Vlora Citaku commented at a press conference today reports that the Serbian intelligence service was trying to assassinate the former Swiss senator Dick Marty and blame the KLA for the act.

She said this is proof that Serbia is still trying to put a stain on the truth about Kosovo and the Kosovo Liberation Army. She said the situation should serve as a "spark" for Kosovo and the European Union to demand clarification of some issues by Marty.

"What were the circumstances that prompted or forced Mr. Marty to investigate allegations fabricated by the Serbian and Russian secret services about organ trafficking by the KLA? Who and what secret services provided evidence to Mr. Marty, which he used to come to his conclusions on KLA war crimes? Was he threatened or blackmailed then, and does he feel manipulated today, when his own life is in danger from the same structures that play the role of the criminal and the victim," Citaku said.

KCB governor complains to a Quint ambassador of political pressure (Kallxo)

The governor of the Kosovo Central Bank, Fehmi Mehmeti, is reported to have written to an ambassador of one of the Quint countries saying that he is facing political pressure to dismiss deputy governor, Sokol Havolli.

The Governor said in the letter, which Kallxo claims to be in possession of, that he has no reason to dismiss his deputy but that he is facing pressure to do so "on almost daily basis".

Governor Mehmeti is also said to have informed the ambassador that the Assembly of Kosovo, through the Committee on budget, labour and transfers, has put on the agenda the establishment of a working group tasked with implementing and overseeing the Law on the Central Bank and the Law on Insurance. Calling the move a political decision, Mehmeti said it would interfere with the independence of the Central Bank and weaken its relations with international mechanisms.

COVID-19: 14 new cases, no deaths (media)

14 new cases of COVID-19 have been recorded in Kosovo in the last 24 hours, the Ministry of Health reported. 24 persons recovered during this time. There are 534 active cases of COVID-19 in Kosovo.

Serbian Language Media

Escobar: Serbia more and more interested in relations with Europe than with the East (N1)

In an interview with N1, Deputy Assistant Secretary for European and Eurasian Affairs and Special Representative to the Western Balkans Gabriel Escobar said that although many Western Balkans countries were vulnerable, the attention that the EU and the USA have directed towards the region would help and isolate it from all destabilizing factors. He added that all countries that joined the EU have become more democratic, stable, and prosperous, and that this was what he wanted to happen to the countries in the Western Balkans, including Serbia.

N1: ''When we talk about Serbia, do you think that their policy should be more decisive, in the sense that they should decide whether to lean towards the East or the West? ''

Escobar: ''Well, that is a question for the Serbian people, but I can tell you that EU membership is a strategic goal of Serbia. In many ways, it is making progress in that direction. This year they have opened new negotiating chapters, they have made progress. I must say that Serbia is a European country, historically, culturally, and increasingly economically. I think that the Serbian people understand that and will expect it. Therefore, I really think that Serbia is more and more interested in its relationship with Europe than with the East.''

N1: ''What do you think, what is the time frame for Serbia's accession to the European Union? The President of Croatia said that European integration should be accelerated.''

Escobar: '' I agree with him. All countries that joined the EU have become more democratic, stable, and prosperous, at almost no cost to others. That is exactly what we want for all the countries of the Western Balkans, including Serbia. I hope that all these countries will have a clear path to Europe, an open door, and that they will be able to complete their process within a reasonable time. The actual time frame depends on their relationship with the EU, but we encourage them to make progress, and we also encourage our European partners to give a clear signal of how welcome those countries are.''

N1: ''Russia's aggression in Ukraine brought war to the European continent, for the first time since the 1990s. Do you think that instability will spill over into this region as well?''

Escobar: ''Actually, no.''

N1: ''Why?''

Escobar: ''The reason is partly the following: the countries of the region have committed themselves not to allow that to happen. And that was promised by all countries, including Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina. In the Western Balkans, we are actually focused on solving the problems of the Western Balkans. Although many countries are vulnerable, I think that the attention that the EU and the USA have focused on the region will help isolate it from all destabilizing factors. With that in mind, all Western Balkan countries have pledged to support humanitarian efforts. And they really do all that. And everyone in the UN General Assembly gave their vote in condemning the invasion. Therefore, I think that this region will make a positive contribution to stabilizing the crisis.''

N1: ''So, do you think that this rhetoric that we are witnessing here and there is more used for domestic daily political purposes, and that the promises that all countries have made are really sincere?''

Escobar: ''I hope they are because this conflict has only two sides. On one side is the victim, and on the other the unprovoked aggressor. And I think the leaders of the Western Balkans understand that.''

N1: ''Many issues focus on gas and Europe's commitment to diversifying natural gas sources, those coming from LNG and more exports from the United States. Russia says that gas will be more expensive for Europe, and that is what people are afraid of.''

Escobar: ''I am not an expert on gas, and I do not deal with issues related to Russia either. But I can say that the US and Europe have been struggling for years with the issue of diversification of energy supply routes, but we are also trying to get rid of the dependence on fossil fuels while setting goals for the fight against climate change. Honestly, I think this is an opportunity to move in that direction.''

N1: ''U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said, "we're keeping your back''. Is NATO united and ready to get involved if necessary?''

Escobar: ''NATO is focused on defending Europe and deterring threats to European space, its neighbours. The President constantly repeats that this is not a war between Russia and NATO, and it will not become one. When the Secretary of State said that we are guarding your back, he wanted to say that you are guarding ours as well. So that's what NATO is, a joint organization for our defense. We have not extended that security umbrella to anyone else, but in principle, NATO is a defense organization.

Unfulfillment of the Brussels agreement provisions should lead to consequences, says Petkovic (Kontakt plus radio, Kosovo online)

The director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija, Petar Petkovic, said that the government in Pristina, headed by Prime Minister Albin Kurti, does not want to implement what was signed during the dialogue in Brussels.

Petkovic told Kurti that the Brussels agreement is a legally binding document and that the obligations assumed by signing it must be implemented, reported Kontakt plus radio.

"Failure to fulfil the most important provisions of the Brussels agreement, which concern the formation of the Community of Serbian Municipalities, should lead to decisive consequences for Pristina and Albin Kurti by the international community, which is the guarantor of the implementation of the agreement," the statement said.

Respect and implementation of previous agreements, as Petkovic claims, are the only guarantor and basis for further normalization of relations between Belgrade and Pristina, reported the media.

Serbian security agency refutes allegations on Marty’s murder threats (Tanjug, Danas)

Serbian Security and Informative Agency (BIA) has sent a letter to the Federal Intelligence Service of Switzerland (FIS) in which in the strongest terms condemned and refuted “malicious claims on involvement of the Serbian security services in plotting anyone’s murder”, Tanjug news agency reports, citing BIA’s press statement.

BIA made those remarks in reaction to the alleged death threats to a former Council of Europe Rapporteur Dick Marty, who has investigated KLA crimes and organ harvesting, claimed to come from “certain cycles of the Serbian intelligence services”.

“At those difficult times such allegations unjustly inflict unforeseeable damages to Serbia and reputation of BIA and its members, who in a dedicated and professional manner carry out their tasks exclusively in line with the law. BIA, despite the pressure and attempts of destabilisation will continue working on preserving peace and stability of Serbia and its citizens”, the statement added.

Earlier, a lawyer, Goran Petronijevic in relation to the allegations said “that such threats can’t possibly come from Serbia, as Serbs care the most that he (Marty) is alive and able to testify (at former KLA leaders' war crimes trials)”.

Office for KiM: Church in Ropotovo robbed (Radio KIM)

The Serbian Government Office for Kosovo and Metohija said in a statement that the Church of Holy Archangels in the village of Veliko Ropotovo, Kamenica municipality, was robbed, Radio KIM reports.

As the statement said a safe deposit box was taken from the church, brought to a nearby cemetery, forcibly opened and a large amount of money from it stolen. The money was dedicated to the change of floor in this church and construction of another church in the village of Pancela.

“The Office for Kosovo and Metohija in the strongest terms condemns this and similar attacks against the Serbian Orthodox churches and monasteries in Kosovo and Metohija and calls on the international community and its relevant institutions in KiM to finally react”, the press statement reads.

The Office for KiM also said that attacks against the facilities of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Kosovo have become frequent lately, adding that since the beginning of the year 11 churches were robbed and desecrated.

Petkovic reacts to Kusari Lila statement on dialogue (Radio KIM)

“Belgrade remains firmly committed to resolving issues in Kosovo and Metohija by talks under mediation of European Union partners, while provisional institutions of the self-governance in Pristina systematically undermine the dialogue”, Office for Kosovo and Metohija Director Petar Petkovic said, Radio KIM reports.

Petkovic made those remarks reacting to the statement of Self-determination Movement caucus chief, Mimoza Kusari Lila who said earlier that dialogue had stalled “because the Serbian side had no willingness to put this process forward”.

“It is absurd that someone who won political function on the wings of populist statements of Albin Kurti about unimportance of dialogue with Belgrade and that Pristina is not obliged by Brussels agreements, accuses Belgrade today for a stalemate in the dialogue”, Petkovic said.

He added that Self-determination representatives instead of “uttering phrases about democracy and European values should prove their democratic capacity by enabling the creation of a Community of the Serb-majority Municipalities and thus revive the Brussels dialogue”.

Djuric in White House: We highly appreciate gesture of respect towards Serbia (N1)

“Serbia as responsible and reliable partner in international community, continues to consistently implement policy of regional stability, by advocating for peace, prosperity and economic progress of all Western Balkan citizens”, Serbian Ambassador to US, Marko Djuric wrote on his Instagram account, following the talks with US President Joseph Biden in the White House, N1 reports.

Djuric added that “Serbia highly appreciates the gesture of respect towards it and our 140-year long relations, that see the trend of constant improvement in numerous fields”, and posted photos of his meeting with Biden.

Hill: Pleasure to see excellent ambassador of friendly country in White House

US Ambassador to Serbia, Christopher Hill regarding the talks, wrote on Twitter that “it was a pleasure to see an excellent ambassador of a friendly country in the White House together with the US President”.

“A token of the importance of the friendship with Serbia, we share for more than 140 years”, Hill added.

Civil society: KP and EULEX to clarify the murder of Selver Haradinaj (KiM radio)

Civil society organizations gathered in the Open initiative expressed concern over Friday announcement made by Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti regarding the explosion in North Mitrovica of April 8, 2012, in which Selver Haradinaj lost his life, and called on the Kosovo Police and EULEX to clarify the case urgently, reported KiM radio.

According to the organizations, although in the earliest stages the potential ethnic motive for this crime was not eliminated, the then Minister of the Interior Bajram Rexhepi later disputed those doubts, stating that the results of the investigation at the time indicate that it was not about an ethnically motivated crime.

However, Kosovo PM said on Friday that it was a "terrorist" attack with a potential ethnically motivated background.

"Law enforcement officials said at the time that the attack could have an ethnic background and that it may have been carried out by Serbia's illegal and criminal structures, a prolonged post-war legacy of Milosevic's genocidal regime," Kurti said.

NGOs from the Serbian community gathered within the Open initiative consider it inappropriate and irresponsible that in moments when inter-ethnic and political tensions are at a high level, Kurti is abusing the most important executive function to spread unfounded claims about the ethnic motive of this attack.

"On the other hand, if it is information that is the result of a possible new investigation, we believe that this information should have been disclosed to the public by either the police or the prosecutor's office.

They remind that this case was qualified as a terrorist act and that it was investigated by the anti-terrorist unit of the Kosovo Police with the support of regional investigators and the EULEX Task Force.

They note that this incident was originally presented as an ethnically motivated incident, which was insisted on by the then opposition parties, including Self-Determination. However, at an extraordinary session on April 18, 2012, the then Prime Minister of Kosovo, Hashim Thaci, appealed to political parties and citizens not to prejudge the motive without conducting a full investigation.

"We are working closely with the authorities of EULEX and KFOR to reveal the truth about this crime, but I cannot agree with some voices of the opposition who pointed the finger at a certain community in Kosovo that it was involved in the murder. This incitement of interethnic violence, incitement of tensions among citizens and the claim to repeat what should not be repeated in Kosovo - 2004,'' Thaci said at the time in the assembly.

On the other hand, the Minister of the Interior, Bajram Rexhepi, on two occasions during 2012, stated that this was not an ethnically motivated crime.

"This is not known 100 percent. But something is known that the Serbs did not do that. These are almost certain facts because we often have prejudices about them. All the analyses done by the international community, together with the EULEX task force, do not indicate that he was killed by Serbs," said the then Kosovo Interior Minister Bajram Rexhepi in August 2012.

In an interview given on the RUBIKON KTV show on October 24, 2012, Rexhepi reiterated his claim that "the murder of Selver Haradinaj was not ethnically motivated".

The chief prosecutor in charge of this case, Shuqri Sula, did not agree with such assessments at the time.

"I say with full conviction that we in the prosecution do not know who killed him. Investigations into this murder are still ongoing and I publicly say that it is not known who killed Selver Haradinaj, Albanians or Serbs," Sula said.

The following year, on March 8, 2013, at the assembly session, answering Albulena Haxhiu (Self-Determination) and Vjosa Osmani (LDK), he stated that he was behind these words.

"I stand behind the words spoken, but at the same time I do not want to pretend to use the tragedy of the people for political points," Rexhepi said at the time.

The organizations gathered in the Open initiative call on the Kosovo Police and the Prosecutor's Office, as well as EULEX, which was part of the original investigation, to urgently clarify to the public why the Kosovo Prime Minister came out with claims regarding the ethnic motive of the attack, KiM radio reported, citing the statement from Open Initiative.

Selakovic speaks with Chinese counterpart Wang (Tanjug)

Serbian Foreign Minister Nikola Selakovic had a phone conversation with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on Friday, noting that Serbia was proud of its steely friendship and comprehensive strategic partnership with China and was ready for further strengthening of cooperation in all fields, Tanjug news agency reports.

Selakovic noted that the excellent relations were helped by the friendship and cooperation between the presidents of the two countries, Aleksandar Vucic and Xi Jinping, and noted that Serbia would be honoured to welcome Xi once the conditions were in place, the Serbian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.

Selakovic thanked China for its clear and firm support to Serbia on the Kosovo-Metohija issue, bilaterally as well as in international organisations.

He also said Serbia unequivocally supported the One China policy and the One Country - Two Systems principle, as well as China's fight against separatism.

Selakovic said Serbia attached great significance to Xi's Belt and Road initiative and the China-CEEC cooperation mechanism, established a decade ago.

International

BIRN Offers Grants to Explore War Crimes Archives (Balkan Insight)

BIRN is offering grants to journalists, artists, historians and activists to create projects based on the archives of the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia and domestic courts in former Yugoslav countries that held war crimes trials.

The Balkan Investigative Reporting Network has launched a call for proposals for small projects by journalists, artists, historians and civil society activists covering topics related to the archives of the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia and domestic courts in former Yugoslav countries that dealt with war crimes cases.

Humanitarian/Development

Rukiqi warns of economic recession threat, calls on Government to take measures (EO)

Berat Rukiqi, chairperson of the Kosovo Chamber of Commerce, said that inflation is expected to rise to the highest level in the last twenty years and warned this could have a direct impact on the wellbeing of the citizens of Kosovo.

He urged the Government of Kosovo to employ all necessary policies to avoid an economic recession. "Whoever says there is no economic crisis is ignoring the problem and this only adds to the inflation dose problem," he said.

Some of the measures Rukiqi argued the Government needs to look into include the review of the VAT norm, temporary suspension of the oil excise collection, review of salaries based on the inflation rate, and subsidise transport of certain goods.

Unseen, Unpunished: The Endurance of Economic Violence in the Balkans (Balkan Insight)

Economic violence against women in the Balkans is widespread, but frequently passes unnoticed and almost always unpunished. The consequences are profound.

Adina likens getting money from her husband to being fed from a “teaspoon”.

“And each time I have to explain why I need something when I buy it… Sometimes I literally beg him to give me the money,” she said.

Adina, who asked not to be identified by her real name, was in college in Bosnia and Herzegovina when she became pregnant in 2014. She dropped out and got married. Now, she says she’s not even sure what she would do for work. What little work she tried to do from home, online, her husband objected to, accusing her of spending too much time on the internet and communicating with “strangers”.

In the meantime, Adina’s husband holds the purse strings, and holds them tight.

“And often, when we fight, he doesn’t give me anything for a week, and I can’t afford food and basic hygiene items. Sometimes I need to borrow from my neighbour to buy sanitary pads.”

And her family? “They know. Of course they know. They say ‘Shut up and put up, he’s your man’. They say it was me who chose him; at least he doesn’t beat me… My mother had it the same.”

It might sound extreme, but Adina’s account is far from uncommon in the Balkans, where economic violence all too often passes unnoticed in largely patriarchal societies, where women spend twice as much time doing unpaid work than men and make up a disproportionately large proportion of the unemployed population.