Albanian Language Media:

• Kurti: The term of the April 4 agreement is "violently disappeared victims" (media)
• Bislimi: There are five criteria on which to see how suitable the Association is (Klan)
• Kurti: We are getting ready for the elections in the north (media)
• The Serbian List returns to the Assembly (Koha)
• Kurti about two years in government: There is a long list of quality changes (media)
• Hoti: The government intends to put independent institutions under control (media)
• Krasniqi to Kurti: Kosovo is being emptied, our country is being depopulated (media)
• The Special Court recommends to Kosovo to create mechanism for compensating victims (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Vucic meets with US Senator Daines (Tanjug)
• Petkovic: Bislimi's pure lie about the five criteria for CSM (ZSO) (Twitter, Kosovo Online)
• Stano confirmed Missing Persons Declaration agreed (N1)
• Petkovic: The term 'forcibly disappeared' in the declaration on the missing is not a legal category (NMagazin, Beta)
• UN Security Council to discuss new report on UNMIK on April 27 (Tanjug)
• Vucic: I pointed out to bin Zayed what Belgrade can accept in dialogue with Pristina (Tanjug)
• Dacic: Kyrgyzstan will not change its position on non-recognition of Kosovo (FoNet, N1)
• Democracy in Action: Current circumstances do not allow holding free elections in the north of Kosovo (Beta, KiM radio)
• Changes in the top of the regional police in the north of Kosovo (RTS, Blic, KiM radio)
• Nova.rs: Vucic preparing a document on Kosovo for the Parliament (Danas)
• Vucic tomorrow with the political representatives of Serbs from Kosovo (Kosovo Online)
• Serbian List MPs show up in Kosovo Parliament after five months (Beta, N1, KoSSev)

International:

• Trial Panel I Orders Salih Mustafa to Pay €207,000 in Reparations to Victims (scp-ks.org)

 

 

 

Albanian Language Media  

 

Kurti: The term of the April 4 agreement is "violently disappeared victims" (media)

The Prime Minister of Kosovo Albin Kurti, said that the term used in the last agreement in Brussels between Deputy Prime Minister Besnik Bislimi and Petar Petkovic is "victims disappeared by violence".

Kurti said that it is the term that has been agreed and is in the content of the agreement.

"So, even when it is said "unfound persons", "disappeared", "missing", it is always about the disappeared by violence", Kurti said.

Further, Kurti said that together with Bislimi they will analyse the result of the meeting of April 4. He also announced that he is ready for a meeting with the president of Serbia Aleksandar Vucic this month.

"Well, once again I emphasise, the entire agreement must be implemented and within the agreement we have an article, the 10th, which is for the implementation of previous agreements".

"But as an urgent issue in the implementation annex that was agreed in Ohrid, it is precisely the issue of the missing from the war, that is, the disappeared by violence," Kurti said.

Bislimi: There are five criteria on which to see how suitable the Association is (Klan)

Deputy Prime Minister Besnik Bislimi reported on the dialogue process in the Committee for Foreign Affairs and Diaspora. During the reporting, he showed that there are five criteria on which the Association will not apply, for which he said that there is full agreement in Brussels.

"There is complete agreement in Brussels that there will be five criteria through which it will be seen whether the draft proposed by the management team is acceptable as a basis for discussion."

Among other things, Bislimi said that one of the points is the establishment of the Association.

"1. Does this draft require or suggest and predict a new layer of governance, if it predicts this, then it is not considered acceptable for additional discussions, 2. Does it imply collective rights, if it predicts this, it takes the epithet of an unacceptable draft, 3. To what extent is it in harmony with the agreements agreed in 2013 and 2015, 4. To what extent is it in harmony with the decision of the Constitutional Court of 2015, 5. To what extent is it in harmony with Mogherini's letter sent to the government of Kosovo, where it shows what powers the Association may or may not have," Bislimi said.

Among other things, Bislimi said that all these criteria make the Association different from what the party he belonged to, the Vetevendosje Movement, called "Zajdenica".

Bislimi confirmed that Kosovo and Serbia have agreed on the statement on the missing persons and that the same is expected to be approved in the next meeting between the two leaders.

Among other things, the deputy prime minister said that they had only one remark in the text and the same was accepted.

"The fourth point that has been discussed concerns the agreement of the parties for the persons who have disappeared by force. The text is to be approved and published by the leaders at the next meeting," Bislimi said.

Kurti: We are getting ready for the elections in the north (media)

The Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, has said that they are making all the preparations for the best possible progress of the extraordinary local elections in the four northern municipalities on April 23. He has invited the Serbs in the north to participate in the elections as much as possible. Kurti said that the ministers have made all preparations so that the elections in the north go as smoothly as possible. 

"At the same time, I call on the citizens in the north to vote for the candidates for mayor of municipalities. It is very important that all citizens come out to vote there, and we are making all the preparations. We are aware that the elections there are not the same as in the Albanian municipalities, as Serbia's obstructions are greater, both in terms of the media and the remaining parallel structures," Kurti said in the Assembly on Thursday.

"I find the opportunity to emphasise that political pluralism and the right to vote freely in the Serb community are essential. Anyone who wants to continue violating this fundamental right has nothing to expect other than the response of our institutions with the force of the law", said Kurti.

The Serbian List returns to the Assembly (Koha)

The MPs of the Serbian List have returned to the Assembly of Kosovo, after five months of absence. On Thursday, they took their seats in the Assembly.

Their return was accompanied by a debate between the MPs. It was MP Haki Abazi, who addressed the MPregistered as an independent, Adem Hoxha, with accusations that he comes to the Assembly "only for money". Abazi also addressed Hoxha with the words "do you want to set some vehicles on fire".

The MP of the Vetevendosje Movement (LVV) Dimal Basha, commented on the return of the Serbian List MPs, saying that they have returned only to secure their mandate.

"Yes, I believe it would be important for them to stay here and listen to the situation there with the burning of cars, the torture of citizens, their lynching... the difference is that the government is protecting the Serb citizensin the north of the country more than their Serb representatives in the Assembly. I believe that the international community should take this into account because the demands of the Serbian List are not the demands of the Serb citizens in the north", Basha said.

Media report that after staying for about an hour, the MPs of the Serbian List have once again adjourned the session of the Assembly of Kosovo. As Ekonomia Online learns, the presence of the MPs of the Serbian List was mandatory as their mandate would expire.

In the work regulations of the Assembly, an MP who is not present in the session for six months, loses the mandate.

Kurti about two years in the government: There is a long list of quality changes (media)

The Prime Minister of Kosovo Albin Kurti has spoken today about his work in the first two years of his mandate in this position. In the parliamentary session on Thursday, where the agenda was the review of the resolution for the two-year work of the government, Kurti said that there is a long list of qualitative changes. He said that 37 thousand jobs have been added in two years of government. 

Kurti said that the government's focus has been on justice and employment. "From the law that increases the minimum wage to the fact that the trust had a loss when it had a board and paradoxically has a profit without a board, this speaks to the contradiction of your question. I will talk about work and justice as the pillars of our government. We had a 10.7 percent increase in the gross domestic product in the first year of government, 4 percent in the second. If the average of the two years is taken, it is 7 percent, the highest. It's been two years and we still have a lot of work to do to help export and local production, but the situation has changed for the better. We managed to reduce the 2022 budget deficit to a historical record," Kurti said.

Hoti: The government intends to put independent institutions under control (media)

The MP of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) Avdullah Hoti in the session of the Assembly of Kosovo, said that the government in power has a tendency to establish control over some institutions that he says are independent according to the Constitution.

"The Central Bank, the Trust, the departments of the Ministry of Finance and the election of the Chief State Prosecutor are the institutions that have remained without function. The government intends to bring them under control," Hoti said.

He also criticised the president of Kosovo, who, according to Hoti, has not appointed the new Chief Prosecutor for a year now.

"In the tendency to establish control over institutions, which according to the Constitution are independent, those institutions have remained without function today. I'm going with the list: the Central Bank, the Trust is without a board, the Chief State Prosecutor has not been appointed for a year, with the tendency for someone else to be elected through that law on the KPK, which was against the constitution. The president is not decreeing it. Tax Administration of Kosovo has been operating without a director for a year. The treasury operates without a director. Financial Intelligence operates without a director. I hope you remember that we are all suffering the consequences," Hoti said.

Krasniqi to Kurti: Kosovo is being emptied, our country is being depopulated (media)

The leader of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) Memli Krasniqi, said at the session of the Assembly of Kosovo that over the past two years, 107,310 citizens have left Kosovo, emigrating for a better life.

"Not as tourists, but as emigrants who have lost hope and faith in the perspective that our country can offer. Young men and women, alone and with family, from the village and the city, from every corner of Kosovo. Unemployed and employed, doctors and teachers, nurses and architects, engineers and bankers. From every social category," he said.

Krasniqi invited Prime Minister Kurti to explain to about 100,000 families whose children ran away during his administration, what successes he has achieved in these two years.

"Kosovo is being emptied. Our country is depopulating. Our families are shrinking. This is the true face of your government, prime minister. This unprecedented migration speaks best of how satisfied people and families are with your work. Whatever the Prime Minister says today has no value. Don't mess with us here in the Assembly. Tell the 100,000 families whose children ran away during your government, what success you have achieved with your government and how well you have improved their lives," Krasniqi said.

The Special Court recommends to Kosovo to create mechanism for compensating victims (media)

After pronouncing the statement for compensation of 207,000 euros to the victims in the case of Salih Mustafa, the panel of judges in the Specialized Chambers has recommended to Kosovo the creation of a mechanism for the compensation of the victims, in cases where the accused are unable to pay.

In the case of Mustafa, the court found that he lacks the financial means to implement the order, therefore decided that as an appendix to this order, issue a decision ordering the delivery of data and documents, regarding Mr. Mustafa, to see if his current assets may be used for the partial implementation of this order.

The Chief Judge invited the President of the Specialized Chambers to appoint a judicial authority, responsible for monitoring the implementation of the compensation order in the Mustafa case.

"Consequently, the court called on Kosovo to adopt the necessary laws to create a mechanism for compensation, with the aim of fully compensating the victims of the crimes included in the jurisdiction of the Specialized Chambers. According to the panel of judges, this would guarantee - within the legal system of Kosovo, an equal treatment between victims, suspects or accused in the processes of the Specialized Chambers".

 

 

 

Serbian Language Media 

 

Vucic meets with US Senator Daines (Tanjug)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic received US Senator Steve Daines on Thursday, noting that the relationship and the cooperation with the US were of the greatest significance to Serbia.

Vucic presented to Daines the current trends in the region, noting that Serbia was promoting a positive agenda of cooperation in the Western Balkans as a precondition for peace and stability, the presidential press office said in a statement.

With its investments, the US is greatly contributing to the progress of the Serbian economy, Vucic said, expressing the hope new US investors would come to Serbia.

The parties discussed various current global affairs, including energy security, the statement said.

Petkovic: Bislimi's pure lie about the five criteria for CSM (ZSO) (Twitter, Kosovo Online)

The Director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija and Belgrade's chief negotiator in the dialogue with Pristina, Petar Petkovic, wrote in a Twitter post that "not a word was mentioned in Brussels about the five criteria" for the Community of Serbian Municipalities (ZSO), reported Kosovo Online. 

"A pure lie by Bislimi! Not a word was mentioned in Brussels about the "five criteria for CSM (ZSO)" that he was talking about today. The Statute of CSM (ZSO) and the Management Team were talked about today. Bislimi is making things up again, it seems that he heard what he wanted, not what was said! CSM (ZSO) can only be in accordance with the agreements from 2013 and 2015," Petkovic wrote. 

Bislimi said today that a full agreement was reached in Brussels that there will be five criteria through which it will be seen whether the draft proposed by the management team for the establishment of the CSM was acceptable as a basis for discussion, reported Kosovo Online.

Stano confirmed Missing Persons Declaration agreed (N1)

European Commission spokesman Peter Stano told N1 on Wednesday that the chief negotiators from Belgrade and Pristina agreed the text of a declaration on missing persons as the first step in line with the Basic Agreement Implementation Annex.

Stano said that Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti will uphold the declaration at their next meeting.

He said that negotiators Petar Petkovic and Besnik Bislimi discussed the implementation of all the articles in the agreement and annex at their meeting in Brussels on Tuesday as well as urgent issues including energy and vehicle license plates. He said more talks on all issues are needed to achieve progress adding that both sides agreed to meet again.

According to Stano, the European Union expects Serbia and Kosovo to meet all the obligations they accepted in the agreement and annex and implement them immediately. They should also avoid any counterproductive activities and statements which could upset the implementation of the agreement and stability on the ground, he said.

Petkovic: The term 'forcibly disappeared' in the declaration on the missing is not a legal category (NMagazin, Beta)

The director of the Office of the Government of Serbia for Kosovo and Metohija, Petar Petkovic, said yesterday that in the text of the declaration on missing persons agreed in Brussels as part of the continuation of the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, the term "enforced disappearance" was replaced by the term "forcibly disappeared", which does not represent a legal category, reported portal NMagazin.

Petkovic stated that the term "enforced disappearances'', which is a legal category defined by an international convention and which would imply the direct legal responsibility of the state of Serbia for all cases of disappearances during the conflict in Kosovo and Metohija, was rejected "thanks to the efforts of Belgrade".

"Instead of that term, the term 'forcibly disappeared' was adopted, which is not a legal category and is not found in any international convention, but exclusively describes the circumstances under which the disappearance occurred and therefore cannot produce any legal effect to the interests of the state of Serbia, nor its responsibility," he said in a statement. 

According to him, Pristina, and the head of their commission for missing persons, Andin Hoti, are "misleading and disillusioning the public" with incorrect interpretations that the term "enforced disappeared" is accepted and that they will be able to claim responsibility from the state.

"Besides the obvious politicization of this highly humanitarian topic, the dissatisfaction of Pristina is understandable, which failed in its plan to accuse Serbia of all cases of disappearances in Kosovo and Metohija and to attribute to Belgrade the atrocities of the so-called KLA (Kosovo Liberation Army), which was their intention from the beginning, which we saw through and thwarted," Petkovic assessed.

He also stated that in Brussels they managed to protect the interests of Serbia when it comes to missing persons, as well as that Belgrade showed readiness to solve this issue from the very beginning, but that Pristina "continues to politicize this topic and use it for daily political calculations and its internal political circumstances''.

UN Security Council to discuss new report on UNMIK on April 27 (Tanjug)

The UN Security Council will meet on April 27 to discuss UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres's new semiannual report on the work of the UN mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), a source at the Serbian Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed to Tanjug on Wednesday.

An announcement on the UN website said the session would take place in the afternoon New York time.

The session will be chaired by the Russian Federation.

Vucic: I pointed out to bin Zayed what Belgrade can accept in dialogue with Pristina (Tanjug)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic met with UAE Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed al Nahyan in Belgrade on Wednesday, pointing out the difficulties facing Serbia and what Belgrade can accept in the dialogue with Pristina.

"I said that Serbia's word means much more than someone's offer to sign something, but that, of course, there are things Serbia cannot even talk about," Vucic said at a press conference with bin Zayed.

Vucic noted that the discussions with the sheikh were very important because he had previously visited Pristina.

"I also received information about what his impressions are," Vucic said.

Thanking the UAE for supporting Serbia, Vucic said bin Zayed had outlined the present situation in the Gulf region, where he said nations lived in peace after years and decades of no dialogue and, in some cases, even wars.

"Today, everyone is talking to each other, and they have established long-term peace. Full stability. That is somehow visible in ever-improving relations further in the west, in the relations between Turkey and Greece," Vucic said.

Read more at:https://bit.ly/411PqeQ

Dacic: Kyrgyzstan will not change its position on non-recognition of Kosovo (FoNet, N1)

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Serbia, Ivica Dacic, said, after the meeting with the president and head of diplomacy of Kyrgyzstan in Bishkek, that the country will not change its attitude towards Kosovo and that the desire of both sides is to improve interstate relations, reported FoNet news agency.

Dacic reminded that Kyrgyzstan has always voted against the admission of Kosovo to UNESCO and Interpol, stating that the interlocutors told him that they will not recognize the independence of Kosovo if Serbia is against it.

"Kyrgyzstan is a country with which we have friendly relations, but not developed cooperation," said Dacic, who announced that the head of diplomacy, Jeenbek Kulubaev, would visit Serbia by the end of the year, while he extended to President  Sadyr Japarov an invitation from the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, to visit Belgrade.

He announced that he will visit Uzbekistan and Tajikistan in the next three days, stressing that these are "all friendly countries" to Serbia.

Democracy in Action: Current circumstances do not allow holding free elections in the north of Kosovo (Beta, KiM radio)

The coalition of non-governmental organizations, Democracy in Action, assessed that the current circumstances do not allow holding free elections in four municipalities in the north of Kosovo, scheduled for April 23, reported Beta news agency.

In a statement, NGOs warned that "despite multiple postponements of the election day and the deadlines for verification of political entities and their candidates, political entities, especially from the Serbian community, did not express their will to be part of the election race."

"Even in North Mitrovica and Zubin Potok, where the Serbian community makes up more than 90 percent of the population, no candidate from the Serbian community has been registered. Such a situation can undermine the legitimacy of the institutions that will emerge from the elections, because it does not guarantee a fair representation of the Serbian community," assessed the announcement of Democracy in Action.

It was also stated that due to the resignations of the representatives of the Serbian community in the electoral bodies, as well as their lack of interest in applying, the Central Election Commission (CEC) was facing "challenges in ensuring the necessary preparations for organizing and monitoring a regular and authentic election process".

"Uncertainty regarding the use of existing polling centers, the timely appointment and training of commissioners, the delivery of election materials are some of the key problems faced by the authorities for the implementation of elections," the statement said.

The coalition also assessed that the security situation in four municipalities in the north of Kosovo "is still fragile".

"The resignations of Serbian police officers in those municipalities represent a major handicap in guaranteeing security, especially during the election process. We recall that the creation of a safe environment is an essential prerequisite for guaranteeing free and fair elections," stated Democracy in Action.

Changes in the top of the regional police in the north of Kosovo (RTS, Blic, KiM radio)

The new deputy commander of the regional police in the north of Kosovo is Veton Elshani, the media in Pristina announced, referring to the statements of the previous deputy, Besim Hoti, who was transferred to another position, reported Radio Television of Serbia (RTS). 

Besim Hoti confirmed to the media that he was transferred to Pristina, to the police station ''Center''.

Veton Elshani, according to the media in Pristina, is coming to the position of deputy commander, worked in the position of deputy director of the regional police in Pec, while he was also the police spokesperson in Pristina for a while.

He also led the unit for international cooperation. In recent months, he has been active in the management of the intervention unit of the border police in the north of Kosovo. 

The Directorate of Police has not yet made an official statement on this matter, reported RTS.

Nova.rs: Vucic preparing a document on Kosovo for the Parliament (Danas)

Danas daily reported today that the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, did not invite the representatives of the parties in the Serbian Parliament to consultations regarding the European Agreement on Kosovo, as he promised after the negotiations in Ohrid. However, as Nova.rs learned, he was preparing a document that should be the basis for the continuation of negotiations between Belgrade and Pristina, with defined red lines regarding Kosovo's entry into the UN, which he will present to the deputies.

Although the regular spring session started a month ago, the parliamentary session has not yet been scheduled. According to the knowledge of Nova.rs, however, the plan is to hold a session where Aleksandar Vucic would come and "deliver" the report on the negotiations with Albin Kurti.

"Vucic should come to the Parliament to present what happened at the meetings with Kurti, and he will probably do that only after the end of this new round in Brussels, which is planned after April 20," the Nova.rs source stated.

According to our information, as part of the report on the negotiations, he will present a document that should be the basis for further negotiations with Pristina. Serbia's position regarding Kosovo's membership in the UN will also be expressed in that document.

"We are now considering how to define the part that refers to the UN and the red lines, without Brussels interpreting it as Serbia's refusal to implement the agreement," said the Nova.rs interlocutor.

Danas recalled that the President of Serbia talked repeatedly about the red lines of Serbia. 

That he was thinking of preparing such an act, the media cited Vucic mentioning this during his address to journalists after Ohrid, after accepting the annex to the agreement in Ohrid. 

"We will not implement anything related to Kosovo in the UN or any de facto and de jure recognition. I am even thinking that we should go through the Assembly with one general act to make it clear", Vucic said on March 19, Danas recalled. 

Vucic tomorrow with the political representatives of Serbs from Kosovo (Kosovo Online)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic will meet tomorrow with political representatives of Serbs from Kosovo, reported Kosovo Online. 

The Media Service of the President of the Republic announced the meeting of the president and political representatives of Kosovo Serbs.

The meeting will be held in the Palace of Serbia starting at 1 pm, after which a press release will be issued.

Serbian List MPs show up in Kosovo Parliament after five months (Beta, N1, KoSSev)

MPs of the Serbian List returned to the Kosovo Parliament on Thursday after five months of absence but left the session as soon as they signed the agenda.

New MPs of the Serbian List  and an MP from the ranks of the civil initiative For Freedom, Justice and Survival took their oath of office in mid-November last year after the previous ten Serb MPs handed in their resignation when Serbs from northern Kosovo withdrew from all Kosovo’s institution, reported KoSSev portal.

After they were sworn in on November 17, the new Serb MPs left the Parliament building and did not return until Thursday when, according to Pristina media, they left the session once the agenda was signed.

Under the Kosovo Constitution, an MP’s term of office is terminated, that is, becomes invalid, if the MP fails to attend Parliament sessions for six consecutive months.

Self-determination Movement MP Dimal Basha assessed that the Serb List MPs decided to do this in order to avoid losing their seats.

 

 

International 

 

Trial Panel I Orders Salih Mustafa to Pay €207,000 in Reparations to Victims (scp-ks.org)

Today, on 6 April 2023, Trial Panel I in a public hearing issued the reparation order in the case of Salih Mustafa who was found guilty on 16th December 2022 of the war crimes of arbitrary detention, torture, and murder, and sentenced to 26 years of imprisonment. The Panel ordered Mr. Mustafa to pay an overall sum of €207,000 as compensation for the harm inflicted on the victims of the crimes for which he is convicted.

The Panel determined that compensation for each of the victims on an individual basis constitutes the most appropriate type and modality of reparation and ordered varying amounts to be paid to each of the eight participating victims, ranging from €2000 to €80,000. These amounts followed the Victims’ Counsel’s request, which the Trial Panel considered to be reasonable and to reflect the scope and extent of the harm suffered by the victims.

Read full press release at: https://bit.ly/3MpGYlt