Albanian Language Media:

• EU: All points of Agreement must be implemented without distinction (media)
• Osmani disappointed that mutual recognition is not explicitly included in EU proposal (media)
• Kurti confirms purchase of British comedian's villa to convert it into an Embassy (media)
• Ceku reacts after Serbia wrote to UEFA: Kosovo will not tolerate any illegal activity (Koha)
• CEC: Preparations for the elections in the north ongoing (media)
• Lawyer: Special Court should have respected official holiday in Kosovo (Indeksonline)
• LDK: This government is incompetent, it is costing Kosovo dearly (Reporteri)
• Should the Kurti-Vucic agreement be registered at the UN? (Nacionale)

Serbian Language Media:

• New meeting of Vucic and Serb political representatives from Kosovo this Thursday (BETA, N1, Prva TV)
• Serb wounded near Bistrica bridge in Zvecan municipality (KoSSev, Radio KIM, Kosovo Online)
• SRSG Ziadeh meets President Vucic (Radio KIM, media, social media)
• Dacic, Branbic voice concern over incidents, security in Kosovo (N1, BETA)
• Serbian Football Association writes to UEFA over situation in Kosovo (Tanjug)
• Serbian Parliament Committee for Kosovo meets behind closed doors (media)
• Dacic: Sanctions on Russia would not change its stance on Kosovo, but our relations would change (Prva TV, Tanjug)

Opinion:

• Milicevic: People in northern Kosovo afraid of what new day will bring (Radio KIM)

 

 

Albanian Language Media  

 

EU: All points of Agreement must be implemented without distinction (media)

The European Union is insisting that Kosovo and Serbia have an obligation to implement all points of the Agreement for the normalisation of relations, together with the annex to it, as otherwise they will face consequences.

The EU spokesperson, Peter Stano, answered on Tuesday the questions about the statements of the president of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, who was quoted - by the media in Serbia - as having said that he will implement some parts of the Agreement, but will not accept some others. He was also quoted as saying that he has clearly expressed his views on non-implementation of some points of the Agreement to some European interlocutors.

Responding to the question "is the Agreement dead, since one party says that it will not implement some of its parts", the EU spokesperson said that "the Agreement is still alive and moving".

"As long as we do not comment on possible statements, without knowing the context, and without wanting to enter into comments on each statement about this Agreement, I want to focus on the Agreement as such. Both parties, Kosovo and Serbia, agreed in Ohrid to immediately start the implementation of all parts of the Agreement, including the annex. This is what we agreed on. This is the political obligation that both parties received and what the EU member states and institutions expect from them," said Stano, repeating that it is very clear that what the parties have agreed on must be implemented.

"The points of the Agreement, as well as the annex, will be included in chapter 35 of the negotiating framework in the case of Serbia. This means that Serbia has a contractual obligation to implement the points of the Agreement, if it wants to achieve progress in the membership process. So, we have an agreement and an obligation to implement it, without selecting parts of it," said Stano, adding that the non-implementation will have consequences for the international reputation as well.

According to him, implementation is key for the parties to prove how reliable partners they are for the EU and the member states.

"Monitoring the implementation on the ground, the actions of the parties, will be the main tool of the European Union, the member countries and the international community, to judge the progress, and whether or not the agreement is alive. And of course there will be consequences. There will be political consequences, consequences for reputation, but also financial consequences," he said.

Osmani: Disappointed that mutual recognition is not explicitly included in EU proposal (media)

The President of Kosovo, Vjosa Osmani, said that Kosovo is disappointed that mutual recognition was not explicitly included in the Ohrid Agreement.

"Because this is the only solution that can lead to long-term peace and stability. Serbia must reach the point where they understand that the reality of Kosovo as an independent sovereign state is a reality that will exist forever, we will not return, this will not change."

"So, the sooner and the more our partners say this and make it clear to Serbia, the better for Serbia, the better for the region and of course for our relations," Osmani said in an interview for The Sun.

Find the interview here: http://bit.ly/3KuvZoo

Kurti confirms the purchase of the British comedian's villa to convert it into an Embassy (media)

The Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, has confirmed that Kosovo has bought the former villa of the late British comedian, Spike Milligan, to transform it into the Embassy of Kosovo in Great Britain.

"Happy to announce that the Embassy of Kosovo in Great Britain has a new address and that it will soon move to "Hyde Park" in a house that was once owned by the late comedian Spike Milligan. We are honoured with the cultural history that the location contains and we intend to strengthen our ties with Britain from there," Kurti wrote on Twitter. 

Ceku reacts after Serbia wrote to UEFA: Kosovo will not tolerate any illegal activity (Koha)

The Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports Hajrulla Ceku has reacted after the Football Federation of Serbia addressed a letter to UEFA about its illegal competitions in the territory of Kosovo, in which the reality on the ground was not shown, namely the fact that the competitions of local Serbs in Kosovo are organised by the Football Federation of Serbia.

Ceku said that Serbia is continuing with harmful actions towards Kosovo, in complete violation of good faith and the basis of the last agreement in the dialogue process.

According to him, the letter of the Football Federation of Serbia addressed to the UEFA president, in addition to distorting reality, also uses insulting language. 

"Kosovo is a country of sports, but we will not tolerate illegal activities that violate our constitutional and legal order, as well as European and world sports charters. Kosovo is an independent and sovereign state. The Football Federation of Kosovo is a full member of UEFA and FIFA. We call on all sports clubs to become part of the legitimate sports system of Kosovo," Ceku wrote on Facebook.

"For years, the sports federations of Serbia have organised parallel and illegal activity as part of their official championships in certain areas within the territory of the Republic of Kosovo. The latest agreement between Kosovo and Serbia, mediated by the EU, foresees, among other things, equal relations and good neighbourliness. The parties have also agreed not to represent each other internationally," Ceku wrote.

CEC: Preparations for the elections in the north ongoing (media)

The Central Election Commission (CEC) has postponed Tuesday's meeting to Wednesday, as the spokesperson of this institution Valmir Elezi said, CEC members requested more information about the election operation.

Elezi told the media that the CEC is continuing preparations for the holding of extraordinary local elections in the north of Kosovo.

"The Central Election Commission is continuing preparations within the planning framework. We also consider the challenges that accompany this electoral process. We are committed to fulfilling our constitutional and legal duties, planning is being done on the basis of dynamics. About the polling stations, the list of polling stations will be approved at the next meeting. We are performing our constitutional and legal duties for the organisation of these elections", added the spokesperson of the CEC.

Extraordinary elections in the north are expected to be held on April 23.

Lawyer: Special Court should have respected official holiday in Kosovo (Indeksonline)

After more than two and a half years in detention, the hearing of witnesses in The Hague in the case of the former leaders of the Kosovo Liberation Army in The Hague began today.

The hearing of the witnesses started on the day that is an official holiday in Kosovo.

Lawyer Xhevdet Smaiqi says that the Specialized Chambers of Kosovo have their constitutional and legal basis within the legal system of Kosovo, and in principle as bodies of Kosovo, they have been obliged by the judicial branch to respect the official holiday of the state of Kosovo.

"As for the SPK witness, who is testifying in private sessions today, in principle the concealment of witnesses from the public, contradicts the principle of publicity and transparency as basic principles of the trial. However, in specific cases such as the trial already in The Hague, it is allowed in certain cases and under certain conditions, to testify with witnesses who are not shown in public either by name, voice or appearance, a principle that should be applied as little as possible, but that for the parties, the equality of interrogation and confrontation in criminal proceedings should be ensured. SPK - in the case of the prosecution and accusation of the leaders of the KLA, is very little taking care of the principle of publicity and transparency, that is, most of the witnesses are coded, but the court panel should raise the standards for the specific conditions, the strong justifications of the SPK that the number of these witnesses is limited to the maximum," Smakiqi told the news portal.

"Justice for the victims will not come to the country with coded witnesses and fabrications from Serbia", he concluded.

LDK: This government is incompetent, it is costing Kosovo dearly (Reporteri)

According to the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK), the Kurti government came with the promise of increasing local production, but according to them they have already increased the trade deficit. LDK took to Facebook to write that:

-5 billion euros is the value of the trade deficit, a record for the post-war period

-Record increase in imports, including increase in the import of wheat, flour, milk and electricity

-No fiscal reform, which would encourage the growth of domestic production

-No foreign investment in production

This government is disabled! It is costing Kosovo dearly!

Should the Kurti-Vucic agreement be registered at the UN? (Nacionale)

The Ohrid Agreement between Kosovo and Serbia is binding for both parties, although it was not signed by Albin Kurti and Aleksander Vucic. The parties have agreed that the document will enter into force upon its publication by the EU's foreign policy chief, Josef Borrell.

However, experts in international relations and international law have indicated that it would be good for this agreement to be sent for registration at the UN. According to them, the registration of the agreement at the UN Secretariat would strengthen the agreement and send important messages to the countries that have not recognized Kosovo.

Gazeta Nacionale has requested clarifications from the EU on this matter, but the spokesperson of the European Union for Foreign Policy and Security, Peter Stano, has not responded to the newspaper's questions.

American professor Edward P. Joseph told the Nationale newspaper that Kosovo should ask the mediator to send the agreement to the UN as soon as possible.

"Yes, the EU must immediately - without delay or justification - register the Brussels-Ohrid Agreement at the UN. President Osmani and Prime Minister Kurti, along with other Kosovo officials and party leaders, should call on the EU to register the agreement at the UN, immediately," he said.

The professor of international law, Besfort Rrecaj, has informed that if the states wish to invoke those agreements with the UN bodies, they must be registered with the Secretary General.

"International agreements, in principle, are not required to be registered with the UN to determine their validity. However, according to the UN Charter, if the states wish to be called to those agreements with the UN bodies, they must be registered in this organisation with the Secretary General," Rrecaj said.

However, he said that UN bodies are accepting international agreements even if they are not registered in the secretariat.

"However, in practice, UN bodies and even the ICJ have interpreted and invoked international agreements that were not registered at the UN. In other words, the UN and its bodies are increasingly accepting agreements that do not appear in its register for discussions and interpretations in certain situations," Rrecaj added.

 

 

Serbian Language Media 

 

New meeting of Vucic and Serb political representatives from Kosovo this Thursday (BETA, N1, Prva TV)

Office for Kosovo and Metohija Director, Petar Petkovic said a new meeting between President Aleksandar Vucic, Serbian Government and Serb political representatives from Kosovo will take place this Thursday, N1 reports. “We will also discuss political conclusions we should make, to see what we shall do and how to do in the upcoming period”, Petkovic told Prva TV. 

Vucic previously met Serb political representatives from Kosovo in Belgrade on Friday, April 7. Following the meeting Vucic said that a joint statement would be made this week covering several issues including the April 23 elections.

He said that Serbs in the north and south of Kosovo are angry with the authorities in Pristina and over the silence of the international community. “The dissatisfaction of our people over the violations of the agreement on licence plates and arrests is peaking. My idea was to agree to a stand today but that was not possible so I withdrew it”, he said. “We are working on conclusions. The Serbs are in a horrible situation with the terrible repression waged by the Kurti’s regime with the silence of the international community”, he added.

According to Vucic, a platform will be agreed before this week’s meeting with the Kosovo Serb politicians in Raska which will be attended by the prime minister. He said that Pristina’s only desire is to drive Serbs out of Kosovo, adding that this will never happen because it is their home.

Serb wounded near Bistrica bridge in Zvecan municipality (KoSSev, Radio KIM, Kosovo Online)

M.J. a Serb from Zerovnica village was wounded near Bistrica bridge, in Zvecan municipality where Kosovo special police man the checkpoint. He was transferred to Mitrovica Clinical Hospital Center last night, underwent medical treatment and is currently out of danger, Serbian media report.

M.J. told Kosovo Online portal that while returning home from Leposavic, in Bistrica, where the Kosovo special police base is located “upon passing the checkpoint I heard the shoot and felt pain in my shoulder. I can’t be one hundred percent sure who shot, but I believe that in that base no one else but their police and army is present”, he said. M.J. added that after hearing the cracking of his vehicle’s window he got afraid and continued driving, but reached only the place called Saren Kamen. “What happened afterwards, where is my vehicle, and who brought me (to the hospital) I have no idea”, he told the portal.

Petkovic: Why do police not show video footage from Bristrica bridge?

Office for Kosovo and Metohija Director Petar Petkovic condemned the wounding of M.J. and accused Kosovo police of being responsible for the attack.

"We are talking about a family man, who has three children, a taxi driver. At that completely illegal checkpoint near the Bistrica bridge, the Kosovo police stop Serbs every day and harass them. We have repeatedly said that they have no right to be in the north of Kosovo and Metohija, because it is contrary to all agreements. However, Albin Kurti and Pristina do not care about it, they violate all agreements, with additional provocations, they are trying to cause some inappropriate reaction of the Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija, because apparently tensions and crisis are needed today only in Pristina, since that is the only way to avoid CSM", Petkovic said.

“You will see reactions from Kosovo police, they have two approaches. Either they will criminalise Serbs on one side, or will refute allegations”, Petkovic said, asking “why Kosovo police do not show video footage from Bistrica bridge”?.

“I asked the same last time Dzelal Svecla to show the recordings, he didn’t want to do so”, Petkovic recalled.

Serbian List also requested video footage to be shown, condemning the attempted murder of M.J. “by Kurti’s special police officers”. Serbian List requested withdrawal of all Kosovo special police units illegally present in the north of Kosovo, adding that they constantly mistreat the Serbian people in this area. They also requested those responsible for the latest incident to be held accountable, noting that the checkpoint at Bistrica bridge “became a symbol of Albin Kurti’s regime repression against Serbs, where a second attempted murder against the Serbs took place”.

The Serbian List called on international representatives to most urgently “condemn the savagery of the parapolice units carrying out repression against ordinary citizens”.

Kosovo police told KoSSev portal late last night it has nothing to do with the shooting incident near Bistrica bridge. The police also said it was not involved in “any exchange of fire or shooting case, at no location in northern Kosovo, including the mentioned one”.

SRSG Ziadeh meets President Vucic (Radio KIM, media, social media)

Special Representative of the Secretary General and Head of UNMIK Caroline Ziadeh met with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, as part of her regular consultations ahead of the upcoming UN SC session on Kosovo, due on April 27.

Ziadeh and Vucic discussed the upcoming session of UN SC on Kosovo, at which UN SG report on work of UNMIK will be presented, situation of Serbs in Kosovo and Belgrade-Pristina dialogue, Radio KIM reports.

According to the statement of Serbian President’s press office Vucic said security situation in Kosovo is complex and within this context “we deem as important timely and adequate reactions by the UN to numerous incidents, provocations and unilateral acts of Pristina violating UN SC Resolution 1244 and endangering the rights and security of Serbs and other non-Albanian population”.

He underlined that Serbia insists on preserving peace and stability in the region, respect for international law and implementation of UN SC Resolution 1244.

SRSG Ziadeh voiced support for the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue and stressed the need of turning political commitments into concrete actions to the benefit of both Serbs and Albanians in Kosovo.

Interlocutors also agreed that continued deliberation of the Kosovo issue at UN SC is of crucial importance so the international community is regularly updated about the situation on the ground, Radio KIM said.

Dacic, Brnabic voice concern over incidents, security in Kosovo (N1, BETA)

Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic during the meeting with Special Representative of the Secretary General (SRSG) and Head of UNMIK Caroline Ziadeh voiced his concerns over the security and political situation in Kosovo, increasingly frequent incidents against Serbs and Pristina’s unilateral moves, Foreign Ministry said in a statement, N1 reports.

Discussing the UN Secretary General’s biannual report on UNMIK that is to be presented at the UN Security Council meeting on April 27, Dacic stressed the importance Serbia attaches to the mission’s engagement in all matters important for the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1244, as well as to UN status neutral activities in Kosovo, the press release adds.

Dacic informed the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General that Belgrade is committed to dialogue as the only way to normalise relations between Belgrade and Pristina, adding everything that has been already agreed must be honoured.

He stressed there is still no progress in the implementation of the obligations undertaken by the other side, primarily in regard to the establishment of the Community of Serb Municipalities, and once again emphasised what Serbia’s ‘red lines’ in the dialogue process are. According to Serbian officials, any form of recognition of Kosovo independence and its membership in the United Nations are Serbia’s “red lines”.

SRSG Ziadeh also met Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic. On her part Brnabic voiced great concerns over the security of Serbs in Kosovo, who she said were constantly targeted by Pristina’s provocations.

Brnabic pointed out that Serbian Orthodox churches and cemeteries are continuously being destroyed and that the perpetrators were sending a clear message Serbs are undesirable in Kosovo, the Serbian Government's press office said in a statement. Brnabic also noted that Pristina had been failing to implement the Brussels Agreement for a full ten years.

Serbian Football Association writes to UEFA over situation in Kosovo (Tanjug)

The Football Association of Serbia (FSS) on Monday wrote to UEFA over the situation in Kosovo and Metohija and Pristina's ban on competitions organised by Serbs there, Tanjug news agency reports. The letter to UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin and Secretary General Theodore Theodoridis, addressed as urgent, was signed by FSS President Dragan Dzajic and Secretary General Jovan Surbatovic.

"It is with great concern that we inform you that the interim institutions in Pristina have over the past several days been exerting illegal and inhumane pressure on football clubs based in the autonomous province of Kosovo and Metohija whose members (footballers and officials) are of Serb nationality. The interim institutions in Pristina are intimidating footballers and sports professionals of Serb nationality by banning them from training in their own stadiums and organising local competitions", reads the letter.

"Members of football clubs in Kosovo and Metohija are being threatened with arrest and prison sentences if they continue the process of training and competing in local football league competitions. Such a practice is contrary to the European Sports Charter of the Council of Europe and also represents a violation of the UN Convention on Fundamental Human Rights and Freedoms", the letter adds. FSS also asked UEFA for help to end this practice and prevent further escalation of the problem.

Serbian media earlier reported, quoting head of Serbian Football Association in Kosovo, Igor Uljarevic that the association received a notification from Kosovo police that organisation of games which are not under patronage of sports associations from Pristina is banned. Uljarevic also said Kosovo police threatened organisers of the games or participants with arrests, adding that the police banned them from training as well.

“This is the gravest form of discrimination. We will take further steps in agreement with FSS. We had postponed the league this weekend until we see what to do next. When it comes to junior categories, they continue training, at least for now”, Uljarevic siad.

Serbian Parliament Committee for Kosovo meets behind closed doors (media)

The Serbian Parliament Committee for Kosovo and Metohija met behind closed doors on Monday, opposition MPs told a news conference after they walked out of the meeting because they were not allowed to discuss the European Union plan, Serbian media report.

The meeting was called by Committee Chair Milovan Drecun MP from the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS). Oath-keepers (Zavetnici) leader Milica Djurdjevic Stamenkovsi, deputy chair of the committee, said they were notified on Saturday at noon that the committee would meet on Monday at 10.30.

Dveri Leader Bosko Obradovic said that they walked out because Drecun refused to allow them to add a discussion of the European plan for Kosovo to the agenda. According to the opposition MPs, the meeting was called to discuss the Government Office for Kosovo and Metohija report for 2022.

Meanwhile, Office for Kosovo and Metohija Director Petar Petkovic said it was “a hypocrisy and particular shame” that opposition representatives walked out from the Committee's session, adding he had intention to talk about a European proposal but that they didn’t want to wait. He added the session was closed to the public because the office report on Belgrade-Pristina dialogue was presented there and there were confidential matters, including those what Serbia will do in the further course of the dialogue.

Dacic: Sanctions on Russia would not change its stance on Kosovo, but our relations would change (Prva TV, Tanjug)

Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic said Monday he did not believe Moscow would change its stance on Kosovo if Serbia were to impose sanctions on Russia, but noted that Serbia's relations with Russia would be different as a result.

Speaking to Prva TV, Dacic said Serbia condemned the violation of the territorial integrity of Ukraine and that principled reasons were behind its refusal to impose sanctions on Russia.

"There are 84 countries, out of 193, that recognise Kosovo and Metohija. If someone raised the question of its UN membership, a vote in the UN Security Council - where Russia and China have the right of veto - would take place first", Dacic said.

Some European countries that are much more developed than Serbia now have much better cooperation with Russia than they did before the sanctions, Dacic noted. "We have to look after our own interests, to preserve our European path and our national and state interests. Peace in the region and stability, as well as protecting the interests of our people in Kosovo and Metohija, is our interest", he said.

 

 

Opinion 

 

Milicevic: People in northern Kosovo afraid of what new day will bring (Radio KIM)

“Security situation is getting complicated, people are afraid of what the new day will bring and who will be the next”, NGO Aktiv Executive Director Miodrag Milicevic told Radio KIM, following the wounding of Milan Jovanovic near Bistrica bridge in Zvecan municipality. He also opined that the international community was crucial to calming the situation in northern Kosovo down.

“This latest incident, if I can call it that way, is very bad having in mind that Mr. Jovanovic was directly exposed to the attack by so far unknown persons. It is unclear under what circumstances the wounding took place, because his testimony points out only that it happened near the (special police) checkpoint at Bistrica bridge. It is unclear who shot and from where”, Milicevic said, adding if the incident is not linked with special police, as Kosovo police claims, then the situation is even more dangerous because it is unclear who had the motives to shoot at random passerby and inflict him injuries.

Milicevic recalled that the checkpoint near Bistrica bridge is covered with surveillance cameras and that video recordings could be of crucial importance in investigation.

He said that despite the strong presence of Kosovo police in the north, the situation is not moving towards stabilisation but it is deteriorating.

“There is no critical level of trust on the side of the local community into deployed police forces, it leads to deterioration of the situation”, he said.

According to him, the international community is a crucial factor for calming the situation at Belgrade-Pristina level but also at the level of Local Serbs. “It must intervene now in order for the situation to calm down and to take this serious security instability in the north to the political sphere”, he added.