Albanian Language Media:

• Serbia blocks around 300 Kosovars at border with Croatia (media)
• MFA and MIA call on citizens of Kosovo: Avoid at all costs passage through Serbia (media)
• Apart from Croatia, Kosovars are also blocked in Hungary, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs informs QUINT (media)
• Zulfaj on blocking of Kosovars in Serbia: "little Putin" cannot stand success of Kosovo (Koha)
• Von Cramon: Serbia should release the Kosovars, stop embarrassing itself (media)
• Kusari-Lila: Serbia should be removed from Council of Europe (Klan Kosova)
• Hoxhaj condemns behavior of Serbian Police (media)
• Kandic on PACE vote for CoE: Serbia's opposition is an own goal (EO)
• Pacolli: Parties in Brussels are discussing how to find a way for Serbia to legally bring money to Kosovo (media) 
• U.S. Embassy flag at half-mast, Hovenier: Recent killings of women show urgency to do more (media)
• Osmani commemorates Poklek massacre; “six-month-old victim called Liberty” (Telegrafi)
• Police arrest one of the leaders of group that blackmailed women (Koha)
• Retrial: 35 years imprisonment for man who killed his wife in 2022 (media)

Serbian Language Media: 

• Vucevic: Voting in Strasbourg continuation of the festival of hypocrisy (KiM radio, RTS)
• Pantic Pilja: In PACE, it was shown that international law means nothing, they trampled on everything they advocate for (Kosovo Online)
• Elek: Members of the CoE trampled on international law and the rule of law (Kosovo Online, TV Most, Tanjug)
• Kurti from Strasbourg: No need to talk about A/CSM, when Serbs are boycotting the Assembly (Danas, Kosovo Online)
• Gogic: Growth Plan will be reason for another promise from Kosovo to form CSM (Kosovo Online)
• Trajkovic and Gogic on Kosovo and CoE: It’s part of geopolitical regrouping, nothing to do with Kosovo and Serbia (N1)
• Vehicle of a driver of Provisional Authority President in Leposavic set on fire (Kosovo Online)
• Drecun: What follows the CoE adoption of the recommendation for the admission of Kosovo is very dangerous (Blic, Blic TV)
• KP on the shooting on the Gracanica-Laplje Selo road: Attempted murder, two people arrested (Kosovo Online, KiM radio)

Opinion:

• Are the Kosovo media repeating the mistakes of 2004? (KoSSev)
• UN Resolution on the Balkans Would Be a Mistake (Real Clear World)

 

 

 

Albanian Language Media  

 

Serbia blocks around 300 Kosovars at border with Croatia (media)

Secretary at Kosovo’s liaison office in Belgrade, Fatmir Haxholli, confirmed today that Serbian authorities have blocked four buses with Kosovars at the border between Serbia and Croatia since last evening. According to Haxholli, this was being done as a sign “revenge and absurd nervousness over the vote at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe”. “The blocking of around 300 citizens, by holding their passports and travel documents, is a flagrant violation not only of the Brussels agreements, but also of universally guaranteed human rights. Only the most authoritarian regimes block the passengers of another country with the explanation that ‘this is an order from Belgrade’,” Haxholli said in a Facebook post.

MFA and MIA call on citizens of Kosovo: Avoid at all costs passage through Serbia (media)

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora and the Ministry of Internal Affairs have issued communiqués after the situation created at the border points in Serbia and as highlighted the arbitrary stop of citizens of Kosovo in border crossings.

"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora and the Ministry of Internal Affairs announce that after the situation created at the border points in Serbia and the arbitrary stopping of citizens of Kosovo at border crossings, all compatriots and citizens who are on the move should avoid at all costs passing through Serbia.

MFA and MIA are taking the necessary actions and will keep you informed about new details. All travelers are requested to follow the tense security situation closely and not to travel through Serbia.

Considering the fact that there is a lot of fake news in circulation, which aims to spread fear and chaos, please follow @Kosovo_Police about the latest official updates in this regard", the announcement states.

Apart from Croatia, Kosovars are also blocked in Hungary, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs informs QUINT (media)

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora has announced that the personal documents, as well as those of the buses, have been taken from the citizens stranded at the border with Serbia.

Also, some of them are still being interrogated.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora has notified the QUINT states, the EU and other international institutions about this situation.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, through a press release, announced that citizens who were coming towards Kosovo, in addition to the border with Croatia, were also stopped at the border with Hungary, at the border points in Shid and Subotica, and at Dheu i Bardhe. According to the announcement, they are not being allowed to move forward or back.

"On April 16, in the late hours, a few hours after the vote in favor of Kosovo by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, our institutions were notified that at the Croatia-Serbia border crossing, in Batrovci, buses of various operators of the Republic of Kosovars, who had to transit through Serbia, were stopped by Serbian border authorities. Citizens of Kosovo who were coming in the direction of Kosovo have also been stopped at the border with Hungary, at the border points in Shid and Subotica, at the Dheu i Bardhe border crossing and are not allowed to move forward or back," the announcement of the Ministry of Justice states.

Indeksonline reports that 30 people are being interrogated by the Serbian Police at the border between Croatia and Serbia.

Zulfaj on blocking of Kosovars in Serbia: "little Putin" cannot stand success of Kosovo (Koha)

Jeton Zulfaj, political advisor of Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti, has said that Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic cannot stand the success of Kosovo and for this reason he has decided to stop hundreds of Kosovars.

“Little Putin in Belgrade cannot handle Kosova's success. After yesterday's successful vote at PACE he has launched massive arrests at border crossings, detaining hundreds of Kosova citizens, including the deputy director of the Kosova Police, Dejan Janković (who is from the Serb community). They are all being held hostage, including dozens of children, without being provided food and medication.

This is a blatant breach of the Agreement on Freedom of Movement in the Berlin Process among WB6 and an attempt to escalate tensions,” Zulfaj wrote on X.

Von Cramon: Serbia should release the Kosovars, stop embarrassing itself (media)

The MEP Viola von Cramon has called on Serbia to immediately release the citizens of Kosovo from the Serbian border crossing points.

Hundreds of Kosovars are being held in the neutral areas of Serbia's border crossings with other countries. Their identification documents were taken and they were left in neutral zones for more than 15 hours.

“Serbia should stop embarrassing itself and immediately let Kosovo ID/passport holders pass the Batrovci border! Freedom of movement of all must be ensured, with no discrimination based on nationality,” von Cramon wrote on X.

Kusari-Lila: Serbia should be removed from Council of Europe (Klan Kosova)

Head of the Vetevendosje Movement parliamentary group, Mimoza Kusari-Lila, said today that the blocking of over 300 Kosovars by Serbian authorities at the border between Serbia and Croatia is a threat to their lives. “Yesterday, Serbian representatives at the Council of Europe warned they would withdraw if Kosovo were admitted. In fact, Serbia should be removed [from the Council] just like Russia … Actions like the blocking of 300 passengers at the border between Serbia and Kosovo threatens lives and damages innocent citizens,” she argued.

Hoxhaj condemns behavior of Serbian Police (media)

Senior member of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) and former Foreign Minister of Kosovo, Enver Hoxhaj, said in a post on X today that he condemns “the behavior of the serbian police at Croatia-Serbia border, who, since yesterday, without any reason, have stopped hundreds of women, men, children and the elderly, by taking their passports! This a senseless provocation and an attack against the people of Kosovo!” Hoxhaj also tagged EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Affairs, Josep Borrell, in his post.

Kandic on PACE vote for CoE: Serbia's opposition is an own goal (EO)

The founder of the Fund for Humanitarian Law, Natasha Kandic, has commented on Kosovo's journey towards membership in the Council of Europe. According to her, this membership enables citizens to submit complaints to the European Court of Human Rights.

"Kosovo's membership in the Council of Europe enables citizens to submit complaints to the European Court of Human Rights and obliges the institutions to respect the decisions of that court. Serbia's opposition is an own goal" - Kandic wrote.

Pacolli: Parties in Brussels are discussing how to find a way for Serbia to legally bring money to Kosovo (media) 

Fitore Pacolli, MP of the Vetevendosje Movement (LVV) said that the issue of the dinar is not being discussed in Brussels, but an attempt is being made to find a way for Serbia to bring the money legally to Kosovo.

There, are trying to find a way for Serbia to send the money to Kosovo, that is, in a legal way, through the institutional way and not as it has been sent until now. There is no dialogue on the dinar issue. We already have the CBK decision that must be respected. Local businesses and citizens there have started to respect it, Serbia simply needs to find a way to bring the money to Kosovo", Pacolli said. She added that she expects Serbia to reflect and respect the decision of the CBK and find a way to bring the money to Kosovo.

“Kosovo has defined the steps that Serbia should follow in order to bring the money to Kosovo", she emphasized adding that Serbia does not find it convenient to admit that until now, the money it has sent to Kosovo has been sent illegally, financing crime and terrorists, not telling even the people in Serbia how much money they have brought in Kosovo.

U.S. Embassy flag at half-mast, Hovenier: Recent killings of women show urgency to do more (media)

The U.S. Ambassador to Kosovo, Jeffry Hovenier, has said that the recent cases of murders, as well as those of domestic violence, underscore the urgent need for more work to prevent violence against women and girls. "Today, we stand with the people of Kosovo on The National Day of Mourning, honoring and remembering the victims of femicide and all Kosovar women who are victims of domestic violence. Recent murders and acts of domestic violence underscore the urgent need to do more to address and prevent all forms of violence against women and girls. We must try to build a society where every individual can live without fear and without being hurt", Hovenier wrote.

Osmani commemorates Poklek massacre; “six-month-old victim called Liberty” (Telegrafi)

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani and Assembly Speaker Glauk Konjufca paid homage at the graves of those killed 25 years ago during the massacre in the village of Poklek i Vjeter. Osmani said that it was one of the most atrocious crimes committed against children, elderly, women and babies. She said that the perpetrators were not only not sentenced but that they received medals and are being promoted by Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic. “The youngest victim of the massacre was a six-month-old called Liberty … On this anniversary and every other anniversary, our call is for justice. Those who ordered the massacre are well known. The Humanitarian Law Center has collected evidence for the person that was leading the police forces that day, which burned and executed these families. Unfortunately, they were not only not sentenced, but received medals and promotions from Aleksandar Vucic, who leads Serbia today,” Osmani said.

Police arrest one of the leaders of group that blackmailed women (Koha)

The Basic Prosecution in Pristina said in a statement today that late on Tuesday it had arrested a person who is believed to be one of the leaders of a group on Telegram called “Albkings” which shared various intimate photos and videos of women and girls. There were many reactions in public against the group, which had over 100,000 members. The prosecution had initiated investigations against the group early this year and several weeks ago it was closed. But no arrests were made then. The prosecution said today that it had launched investigations to identify the people that managed the profile and other groups related to this group and that so far one arrest was made. “ … in coordination with the police, we will investigate further to identify other people involved in the case,” the statement notes.

Retrial: 35 years imprisonment for man who killed his wife in 2022 (media)

The Basic Court in Pristina after a retrial sentenced Izet Godeni to 35 years in prison for killing his wife in Pristina in 2022. The defendant was not present at the session when the verdict was announced, and police said he is at the Palace of Justice. The court had initially sentenced Godeni to 25 years in prison.

 

 

Serbian Language Media

 

Vucevic: Voting in Strasbourg continuation of the festival of hypocrisy (KiM radio, RTS)

Milos Vucevic, the Deputy PM, Minister of Defense in the technical mandate and prime minister designate of the new government of Serbia, told RTS this morning that what was seen in Strasbourg is continuation of the festival of hypocrisy and another nail in the coffin of international law, reported KiM radio.

Vucevic told RTS morning news edition, on the occasion of the vote in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, that Serbia is in the historical place where it has always been and can look everyone in the eyes. He pointed out that Serbia, above all, did not violate the basic principles of international public law and the basic rules and standards that should apply to all countries.

"What we saw yesterday in Strasbourg was the continuation of that festival of hypocrisy and another nail in the coffin of international public law and all the standards that should apply," Vucevic pointed out. A day after the vote in the CoE, he said that it was not only a question of whether Kosovo was ''a state'', because it is not, but also that basic principles that they themselves set before Pristina, the most important of which is the formation of the A/CSM, have not been respected.

"It is not a question of our perception of KiM as the cradle of identity, but they themselves trampled on what they set, because someone asked them to do so by phone or email. Serbia will fight with arguments, facts, law, morality, and self-belief, because if we don't believe in ourselves, we can't expect others to either," said Vucevic.

He said that there was not much room for maneuver, but also that there was no retreat and surrender.

"The fact that they trample on the basic norms will eventually be their shame, but what is illegal cannot be legal permanently," said Vucevic.

Pantic Pilja: In PACE, it was shown that international law means nothing, they trampled on everything they advocate for (Kosovo Online)

The head of the Serbian delegation in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), Biljana Pantic Pilja said the decision of this body to accept the report on the recommendation for Kosovo's membership in the organization was shameful and a gross violation of international law.

"The position, which I presented also at the session, is that this is a shameful, gross violation of international law. It's disgraceful that no one talks about the exodus of the Serbian people from Kosovo and Metohija. They forget about the CSM, that it should be the first condition. In the discussion, it was seen that they have their agenda which they decided to fulfill, and they really don't care about human rights and the rule of law. All that matters to them is to give a positive opinion", Pantic Pilja told Kosovo Online after the session.

She also said diplomatic battle in the Council of Europe continues, adding she believes that despite the difficult times in which Serbia is being attacked from all sides, something can be done so that "this shameful opinion" does not make it onto the agenda of the Committee of Ministers of the CoE.

Read more at: https://shorturl.at/xzTX4

Elek: Members of the CoE trampled on international law and the rule of law (Kosovo Online, TV Most, Tanjug)

On the occasion of yesterday's adoption of the recommendations in the PACE that Kosovo be granted membership in that organization, the president of the Serbian List Dr. Zlatan Elek said that the members of the CoE "spit on international law and the rule of law", reported Kosovo Online, citing TV Most.

"Unfortunately, yesterday's day will be remembered for the fact that one of the oldest European organizations, which is celebrating 75 years of its existence, simply trampled on international law. This means that the members of the CoE, those who fight for democracy and the rule of law, simply yesterday spat on international law and the rule of law and the rights of the Serbian people," said Elek.

He stated that there is no greater irony than the adoption of the recommendation for the admission of "this kind of Kosovo, with this kind of government that suppresses everything that is Serbian, that does not recognize the agreements, does not implement the signed agreements."

"I will remind you that we, as representatives of the Serbian people, met with Mrs. Dora Bakoyannis. At that meeting, we discussed and presented hundreds of arguments and facts why Kosovo should not be admitted to the Council of Europe. In her report there was no space for  our facts or arguments. It is obvious that she wrote the report according to the dictates of her mentors, or perhaps, even worse, she received a written report, which she only read," stressed Elek.

He points out that the Serbs have been patient enough, in the sense that they have been waiting for the formation of the A/CSM, which would protect the rights of the Serbian people, for 4,000 days, that is, more than 10 years.

"We expect that someone from Europe will raise their voice against the seizure of land from the Serbian owners, against the expulsion, arrest of the Serbian hosts, who are still in the casemates south of the Ibar. In contrast, the adoption of the recommendation for the entry of Kosovo to the CoE arrived. I personally believe that they will get recommendations for entry into the EU, if there are no Serbs in this territory, if they expel us all, take away our houses and our Serbian sanctuaries. That would not surprise me at all," said the president of the Serbian List.

According to Elek, Serbs in Kosovo still have faith in their country, faith in the struggle of President Aleksandar Vucic, who is using the last atoms of his strength for a just struggle, in terms of recognition of international law.

"Injustice like the one that happened yesterday should unite us even more, to be united, patient, smart and unwavering in the basic thing, which is that we live here in our own, in our centuries-old homes, and I believe that we will succeed with the help of our country and the president," Elek said.

Kurti from Strasbourg: No need to talk about A/CSM, when Serbs are boycotting the Assembly (Danas, Kosovo Online)

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti said that his government does not want to turn the Basic Agreement with Serbia into a tool for establishing the Association/Community of Serbian Municipalities (A/CSM), reported Danas daily, citing Kosovo Online.

According to Reporteri, Kurti said from Strasbourg that the A/CSM issue is part of that agreement, and not the other way around.

He added that the Serbs in Kosovo have many rights, as a minority that makes up four percent of the population, and he also raised the question of how come they demand more rights when they boycott what they have now.

"We have 10 seats reserved for Serbs in the parliament, the Serbian language is official, 10 out of 38 municipalities have a Serbian majority. We made efforts to integrate Serbs into government policy in all areas. As a society, as a government, we must constantly mention how much the Serbian minority enjoys in Kosovo, which makes up four percent of the population. And, not to mention that they are boycotting those 10 seats in the Kosovo Assembly. How can you demand more rights when you are boycotting the current ones," Kurti said.

He expressed optimism about Kosovo's membership in the Council of Europe in May, saying that there had never been a case for the Committee of Ministers to ignore the decision of the Parliamentary Assembly and vote against its recommendation.

Gogic: Growth Plan will be reason for another promise from Kosovo to form CSM (Kosovo Online)

European Union institutions have agreed on the Growth Plan for the Western Balkans for the period from 2024 to 2027, worth six billion euros, and political analyst Ognjen Gogic said it is obvious the EU will continue to promote the Growth Plan despite not all reforms being implemented in the countries of the region and regardless of someone breaking their promises, such as, when it comes to Kosovo, the formation of the Community of Serb Municipalities, Kosovo Online portal reported.

"So the EU is lenient and selective there because it has its own interest in all of this. As for the promise of the CSM, Kosovo has already 'sold' it so many times. First, it was given in 2013 in exchange for the integration of the northern part of Kosovo, then in 2015 in exchange for a series of agreements, including telecommunications and the prefix code, in 2023 the promise was given again that the CSM would be formed for Serbia to accept the Brussels-Ohrid Agreement, and now we have the CSM as a promise that Kosovo gives in exchange for membership in the Council of Europe. So even if that condition is set for the Growth Plan, it will only be for Kosovo to make a promise to form the CSM once again, but it has no significance because no one realistically expects Kosovo to form the CSM to gain certain concessions", Gogic says.

He added it is very likely that the CSM will be 'sold' once again by Pristina, both for the Council of Europe and later for access to the Growth Plan, but no one will say that the CSM must first be formed before any benefit is obtained, instead, it will be accepted as a promise that will mean nothing.

Trajkovic and Gogic on Kosovo and CoE: It’s part of geopolitical regrouping, nothing to do with Kosovo and Serbia (N1)

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) adopted yesterday by majority of votes the recommendation for admission of Kosovo to CoE. Commenting on the decision political analyst Ognjen Gogic said neither Serbia nor Kosovo are responsible for this, since “this was real politics in practice yesterday, the most powerful countries in Europe have their own interests, primarily Germany, which is why they are ready to ignore all regulations and rules”.

“The decision to have Kosovo join the Council of Europe was made two years ago when Russia left it, this is primarily part of the process of geopolitical regrouping and consolidation of this area. I don’t think it’s about the fact that Kosovo deserved to enter, nor that Serbia was punished”, Gogic said. In response to the statement that Serbia, with the Ohrid Agreement, undertook an obligation not to prevent Kosovo’s membership in international organizations, Gogic noted the agreement is very ambiguous, “and it was done on purpose so that no one would be clear about what it was about”.

“In principle, Serbia has accepted Kosovo membership in international organizations, but on the condition that the conditions for that are met. This is not a blank acceptance, because if it had been blank, Kosovo would have been admitted to the Council of Europe last year... The Council of Europe itself hired legal experts who evaluated the compliance of the situation in Kosovo with CoE standards (human rights, rule of law, protection of minority rights) and they found serious discrepancies. As for the Parliamentary Assembly of CoE, the politicians ignored it and said that Kosovo meets the conditions”, he pointed out.

Serb politician in Kosovo Rada Trajkovic said admission of Kosovo to the Council of Europe is a defeat for Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and his policies, “a defeat for our country as a whole, but those who are completely broken suffer the biggest consequences of that and I don’t know how they will deal with all these decisions - Serbs, especially from the north of Kosovo, are disappearing, people are leaving, emigrating”, she said.

She added that “geostrategic position of Kosovo is also at stake, so that there is no division project - pushing Kosovo into international organizations to prevent further fragmentation, that is a big geostrategic story”.

When asked whether, as it was claimed, the admission of Kosovo to CoE will defuse the situation in the region, Gogic said that it will not, because “(Albin) Kurti is pursuing a policy that seeks open recognition of Kosovo by Serbia, and until he receives it, he will cause crises”.

Recalling the standards of the Council of Europe that should be met before becoming a member of that organization, Rada Trajkovic said that at the moment there are 60 Serbs who are in Kosovo prisons, without having any legal procedure initiated against them, and that this is certainly not in accordance with those standards.

She also stated that some Serbs perceive the arguments of the Serbian side in the Council of Europe as the protection of the diaspora. “Serbia somehow accepted the status of the Serbs in Kosovo. The most urgent thing we need is institutionalization and a solution to the return of Serbs to Kosovo”, she underlined.

Gogic also pointed out that Kosovo is a dangerous precedent, because for the first time there was some kind of discord in the CoE, because there is no agreement that something is a state. He reminded that Spain is very angry, and that Catalonia or the Basque Country could be called on the case of Kosovo tomorrow. “Kosovo is causing discord in the international community”, he warned.

Vehicle of a driver of Provisional Authority President in Leposavic set on fire (Kosovo Online)

A Volkswagen Passat with Raska license plates, belonging to a staff of the Provisional Municipal Authority in Leposavic, functioning within the Serbian system, was set on fire last night in this town, Kosovo Online portal reported.

The vehicle was set on fire in a parking lot, nearby café bars and Institute for the Serbian Culture Pristina – Leposavic. Larger material damages were caused to the vehicle, and due to firefighters’ intervention the fire did not spread onto other parked vehicles.

Drecun: What follows the CoE adoption of the recommendation for the admission of Kosovo is very dangerous (Blic, Blic TV)

Milovan Drecun, former president of the Parliamentary Committee for Kosovo and Metohija, spoke in "Morning on Blic" TV SHow about further steps, both legal and political, and what is Serbia's response after the Council of Europe adopted the recommendation for Kosovo's admission to that international organization. Drecun said this morning that this decision is not a surprise for him, but that Serbia is in a dangerous period.

In his guest appearance on Blic TV, he also spoke about concerns that a very strong military formation is being built in Kosovo on the way to joining NATO.

- Its strength lies in its partnership with NATO. When you take that formation and NATO together, that strength increases tenfold. It seems to me that they will try to open that process for membership in NATO. What scares me is what I heard at the NATO command when I was recently, that there are some initiatives that lead to KFOR having joint patrols with the Kosovo Security Forces along the administrative line, including in the north. This will mean the introduction of members of the Kosovo army to the north - says Drecun.

Drecun sees the Bloomberg warning, of the possibility of opening a new front in Kosovo, by Russian President Vladimir Putin through Serbia, and media in the world claims that Belgrade is preparing an attack Kosovo, as:

- Preparations of the ground for something, and I think it refers to the introduction of the Kosovo army through the small door to the north. This is a great danger for the Serbian people in the north. We must work much more actively on that front. We would have to stop this narrative after the events in Banjska that Belgrade is a destabilizing factor - he said.

KP on the shooting on the Gracanica-Laplje Selo road: Attempted murder, two people arrested (Kosovo Online, KiM radio)

Two people were arrested after yesterday's shooting from a moving car that took place on the road Gracanica-Laplje Selo, according to a statement by the Kosovo police, reported Kosovo Online.

According to the press release, it was reported to the police that yesterday around 2:50 p.m. suspects shot at another moving car from a suspicious car, which was moving at high speed, and that the vehicles then collided with each other.

"The police unit went to the scene where they found a suspect of Kosovo citizenship near the car, who voluntarily handed over the gun. Forensic police units on the spot found and seized five bullets from firearms," the statement said.

In connection with this case, two persons were arrested and sent to custody by the prosecutor's decision after the hearing. The case is classified as attempted murder.

 

 

Opinion

 

Are the Kosovo media repeating the mistakes of 2004? (KoSSev)

By: Andjela Milivojevic

Two decades after the violent riots that engulfed Kosovo in March 2004, an analysis of the reporting methods employed by the Kosovo media shows an attempt to relativize the targeting of Serbs and cover up the facts about the extent of the violence.

While reading the news published by the Kosovo media on March 17, 2024, on the riots that took place twenty years ago, a small number of people would be able to grasp what happened. There is no information on how the violence started, there is no information about who burned the churches and houses, there is no information about whose churches and houses were burned, and who was the target.

A 2004 OSCE report harshly criticized the Kosovo media, particularly RTK, for their sensationalist and biased coverage of the March 2004 riots. The problem they emphasized was the media’s tendency to downplay or ignore cases in which Serbs were victims of violence and when their property was damaged.

An analysis of Kosovo media articles on the occasion of the 20th anniversary shows that the majority of media outlets repeated the mistake of 2004 and that the media, intentionally or not, did not portray the extent of the suffering and losses that the Serbian community suffered during the unrest, nor did they provide relevant context.

Of the seven analyzed media articles of influential Kosovo media, not a single one mentioned the fact that the violence against Serbs started after fake news was shared by the national service broadcaster RTK.

Several media outlets only mentioned in passing that "several Serbian houses and churches were burned“ without specifying who carried out the burning. Not a single article provided information on Serbian casualties, the number of homes destroyed, or the damage to Orthodox churches and other Serbian cultural sites during the two days of unrest.

In some texts, information about the violence, murders, and cultural destruction faced by the Serbs was completely omitted, as if it did not happen.

The lack of context on Serbian suffering is quite obvious when compared to the fact that the majority of articles reported in detail about the deaths of three ethnic Albanian children who catalyzed the riots, as well as the deaths and injuries sustained by Albanians during the riots.

Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/5fr6wkjw

UN Resolution on the Balkans Would Be a Mistake (Real Clear World)

By Marko Djuric, Serbian Ambassador to US

A draft U.N. resolution, proposed by Germany, Rwanda and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and supported by a group of countries including the U.S., France and Türkiye, that declares July 11 the International Day of Reflection and Remembrance of the 1995 Srebrenica Genocide threatens to undermine our collective understanding of reconciliation and the decades-long effort to bring justice to the Balkans.

The resolution is ill-advised. It would undermine the delicate peace and stability in Bosnia and Herzegovina and threatens to derail essential reconciliation efforts that have been painstakingly advanced by all parties. In addition, the opaque and unilateral manner the resolution was proposed raises serious concerns about the integrity of the process.

Serbia’s position on the resolution has been misrepresented. As a guarantor of the Dayton Agreement – the treaty that ended the conflict in Bosnia and Herzegovina – Serbia is firmly committed to preserving peace and promoting reconciliation in the Balkans. Serbia’s devotion to this ideal has been proven by its actions. It has reliably supported the Dayton Agreement over the past three decades. That’s why Serbia sounds the alarm whenever peace is undermined by unilateral actions outside the scope of the Dayton Agreement. Anything that stokes ethnic tensions is anathema to Serbia and that, unfortunately, is the case with this proposed resolution.

Read more at: https://shorturl.at/dHMZ0