UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, August 18, 2022

Albanian Language Media:

The first round of the tripartite meeting in Brussels ends (media)
Palokaj: Agreement expected to avoid escalation in north on September 1 (Koha)
Price: Success of Kurti-Vucic talks is an absolute priority for the US (Express)
Ymeri: Without U.S. involvement in dialogue, mutual recognition is difficult (EO)
Kryeziu: Dialogue should not be linked only with government and PM (Nacionale)
Citizens in the north concerned over new graffiti (Kosovapress)
Kosovo Police seize undeclared medicaments from Serbia (media)
483 new cases and one death from COVID-19 in last 24 hours (media)

Serbian Language Media:

Vucic, Kurti, Borrell and Lajcak meeting ended (media)
Vucic from Brussels scheduled a meeting with Serbs from Kosovo on Sunday (Tanjug, media)
State Department: The success of the Brussels dialogue an absolute priority (Blic, Kosovo Online)
Vucic informed Stoltenberg of incidents, KFOR ready to react if needed (N1)
Vucic met Lajcak: Serbia doing everything to maintain peace, stability (Tanjug)
Vucic to Escobar: Serbia a serious, reliable, responsible side in dialogue (FoNet, N1)
The trial of the young man arrested on Vidovdan in Gazimestan has begun (RTS, KiM radio)
New graffiti in N. Mitrovica: “Don’t worry, we’re here – the Northern Brigade” (KoSSev)

Opinion:

Timothy Less: Everything leads to the creation of a great Albania, the only option for Kosovo to end the "state of limbo" is to merge with it (Blic, Danas, Kosovo Online, Beta)
Jeremic: We should not give up on Kosovo as long as we exist as a country (KiM radio, N1, KoSSev)

International:

Kosovo Festival Transforms Pristina (Radio Free Europe)
Studio Visit (Kosovo 2.0)

Humanitarian/Development:

Independent Unions announce general strike from August 25 (Koha/Telegrafi)
All education workers treated with exceptional care in draft law, minister says (EO)
Haxhiu: I am extremely concerned about violence against women (Klan Kosova)

Albanian Language Media

The first round of the tripartite meeting in Brussels ends (media)

The joint meeting between the leaders of Kosovo, Serbia and European Union mediators has started in Brussels. After the bilateral meetings, Borrell said that it is time for Kosovo and Serbia to move towards the full normalisation of relations.

Prime Minister Albin Kurti met this morning in Brussels with the High Representative of the EU for Foreign Policy and Security, Josep Borell and the Special Representative of the EU for Dialogue, Miroslav Lajcak, in the context of continuing the dialogue at the highest level. high between Kosovo and Serbia after more than a year.

The first round of the trilateral meeting between the EU, Prime Minister Albin Kurti and the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, has ended.

After this, the parties will hold separate bilateral meetings with the European side. It is decided that during the day the leaders will meet again.

Media report that after the first round of discussions, the president of Serbia Aleksandar Vucic has scheduled a meeting with the Serbs from Kosovo for Sunday at 11:00.

All political and institutional representatives of Kosovo Serbs, leaders of the Serbian List, all Serbian mayors, district mayors and hospital directors are invited.

Media also report that the EDU High Representative Josep Borrell, has assured the Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, that the intervention of KFOR in the north of Kosovo will not be necessary.

Klan Kosova reports that the second tripartite meeting has started.

Palokaj: Agreement expected to avoid escalation in north on September 1 (Koha)

Brussels-based correspondent Augustin Palokaj said in an interview with the TV station that an agreement on the security situation in the north of Kosovo is expected from today’s meeting between Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic. He said the parties are expected to agree to avoid an escalation of the situation on September 1, when the Kosovo government’s decision on reciprocity for Serbian nationals will enter into force.

“The meeting has two objectives. The priority is to reduce tensions and to avoid the possibility of tensions in early September. But even before the tensions, the EU had planned a high-level meeting to give a new impetus to the dialogue, because the process has not produced anything for two years. The EU now insists to have room for regular meetings between Kurti and Vucic and to start negotiations for a comprehensive agreement,” he added.

Palokaj also said the international community is concerned about the situation in the region. “There is certainly growing concern because the situation in the Western Balkans is calm, but as they say in NATO, fragile. Given the war in Ukraine, Russia’s efforts to have influence in the regions, the concern is growing. There is interest in the EU and NATO to reduce the tensions and to have no escalation in the region that is surrounded by NATO countries,” he argued.

Price: Success of Kurti-Vucic talks is an absolute priority for the US (Express)

Ned Price, spokesperson for the U.S. Department of State, spoke at a press conference on Wednesday about many issues and he was asked and gave the U.S. position on the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue.

“In general, we are pleased that the leaders of Serbia and Kosovo will meet tomorrow in Brussels in the framework of the EU-facilitated dialogue. We fully support this dialogue. It is important, we believe, that both sides will use this opportunity to advance their discussions on normalization. It is a priority of ours. We want to see progress in the implementation of past dialogue agreements," he said.

Price also mentioned the need for compromise, which he said is "not a sign of weakness," but it is "essential".

"A senior official here from the Department will travel to Brussels to support leaders' meetings in this EU-facilitated dialogue,” he said adding that U.S. is not a direct participant in these talks, but the success of these talks, is an absolute priority.

Ymeri: Without U.S. involvement in dialogue, mutual recognition is difficult (EO)

Former leader of the Vetevendosje Movement, Visar Ymeri, said in an interview with Ekonomia Online that Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic will not return from Brussels without signing at least a partial agreement. He said in Brussels there will be an agreement on the issue of licence plates and a declaration on missing persons as a pledge from both leaders to move forward with the dialogue.

Ymeri said that if the United States are involved in the dialogue there are great chances for mutual recognition and that otherwise there can be no progress in this respect.

“I think there can be partial agreements on certain issues especially on issues that have resulted in a problematic situation recently and this is related to travel documents and licence plates … There can be no quick agreement. I think there is interest among Western countries and the United States to have an accelerated process of dialogue and reach an agreement. This also depends on the level of the U.S. involvement in the process,” Ymeri said.

Kryeziu: Dialogue should not be linked only with government and PM (Nacionale)

Kosovo’s former Minister for European Integration, Taulant Kryeziu, said today that the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia should focus on a final and legally binding agreement centred around mutual recognition. “Today’s meeting in Brussels must focus on the framework of a final and legally binding agreement that has at its centre the de jure and irreversible recognition. This is the crucial step in the long-term and peaceful regulation of international relations with Serbia. The dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia must be held on the premises of respecting Kosovo’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. The social and political consensus must be built through a transparent and inclusive process, always respecting the legal-constitutional path of the process in order to reach a political consensus,” he argued.

According to Kryeziu, the process should not be linked only with the government and the prime minister. “This is a process that does not pertain only to one government, or to a coalition or let alone a political party. This process pertains to all of Kosovo society. We must be united and have a unified position on this matter and come up with a concrete offer that upholds Kosovo’s statehood and which ultimately results in a positive agreement.”

Citizens in the north concerned over new graffiti (Kosovapress)

The news agency reports that graffiti with the messages “We are here, don’t worry” and “We are here, we’re waiting” on behalf of the so-called North Brigade have caused concern and panic among the citizens of Mitrovica North. The latter told the news agency that they are feeling unsafe. According to unnamed sources, the graffiti written in Cyrillic and containing the colours of the Serbian flag were sprayed by masked persons after midnight. Kosovapress tried to contact Kosovo Police officers in the north but they were not available for comment.

Kosovo Police seize undeclared medicaments from Serbia (media)

Kosovo Police said in a statement today that it seized at one of the border crossings with Serbia “a significant amount of medicaments, with Serbian banners, and which were not declared for customs”. The medicaments were seized by the customs service and a procedure for customs violation was initiated against the suspect.

483 new cases and one death from COVID-19 in last 24 hours (media)

483 new cases with COVID-19 and one death from the virus were confirmed in the last 24 hours in Kosovo. There are 4,847 active cases with COVID-19 in Kosovo.

Serbian Language Media

Vucic, Kurti, Borrell and Lajcak meeting ended (media)

A new round of high-level dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina ended today in Brussels, media reported.

Separate bilateral meetings follow with the European side, with the aim of reconvening later in the day.

The US envoy for the Western Balkans, Gabriel Escobar, with whom Vucic and Kurti met the day before, on August 17, also arrived at the EU building where the dialogue is being held.

Let us recall that the American side did not participate in the dialogue, but the US supported the efforts of the EU in the process of normalizing relations between Belgrade and Pristina, recalled the media.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti, EU High Representative Jozep Borrell and EU Special Representative for Dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina Miroslav Lajcak participated in today’s meeting.

Before the joint meeting, Borrell met separately this morning in Brussels with the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, and the Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti.

Along with photos from the meetings, Borell wrote on Twitter that the recent tensions in the north of Kosovo have once again shown that it was time to move forward towards full normalization and that he expected both leaders to be open and flexible to find a common language.

Along with a photo of the meeting with Borell, Vucic wrote on Instagram: "The beginning of the conversation about the essential problems in Kosovo and Metohija. I hope for a solution, even though I do not believe in it at all".

Vucic from Brussels scheduled a meeting with Serbs from Kosovo on Sunday (Tanjug, media)

From Brussels, the President of Serbia scheduled a meeting with representatives of Serbs from Kosovo, reported Tanjug.

The meeting was scheduled on Sunday at 11:00 a.m. in the "Serbia" Palace, Tanjug learned in the Serbian delegation team.

All political and institutional representatives of Serbs from Kosovo, leaders of the Serbian List, all Serbian mayors, heads of districts, hospital directors were invited to the meeting, reported Tanjug.

State Department: The success of the Brussels dialogue an absolute priority (Blic, Kosovo Online)

Ahead of the continuation of the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina led by the EU, State Department spokesperson Ned Price said that the success of the Brussels negotiations was an "absolute priority" for the US, reported Blic daily, citing the Pavlovic today.

- We are glad that the leaders of Serbia and Kosovo will meet in Brussels as part of the EU-mediated dialogue. We fully support this dialogue. It is important that we believe that both sides use this opportunity to advance their talks on the normalization of relations. That is our priority. We would like to see the progress and implementation of the agreement - Price said last night.

Dialogue and compromise, he says, are not signs of weakness, but are essential for reaching a local agreement on the normalization of relations, which, he says, was still fundamental for both Kosovo and Serbia when it comes to their aspirations towards the EU.

- We hope that the leaders in Serbia and Kosovo understand the importance of moving forward, not backward, through the dialogue led by the EU - he said and added that a high official of the State Department (Gabriel Escobar) travelled to Brussels to support the talks.

Although the US, as he stated, was not participating in the dialogue, the success of these talks was an "absolute priority".

Price said that the statement by President Aleksandar Vucic that he did not support anyone's military bases in Serbia or anywhere in the Western Balkans was a step in the direction of preserving "the sovereignty of Serbia and its territorial integrity."

- These are sovereign decisions of the Government of Serbia, but the remarks of the president (Vucic) were also considered. It is his sovereign decision, but we have said all over the world, including that region, that there cannot be a normal business relationship with Russia and that countries must continue to speak clearly and act in support of our partners in Ukraine - he said, reported the daily.

Vucic informed Stoltenberg of incidents, KFOR ready to react if needed (N1)

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said following his meeting with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic that all parties need to act responsibly for the situation in Kosovo to improve. He called on Belgrade and Pristina to show restraint and to avoid violence. He said KFOR was ready to intervene if stability was jeopardized, and that it has already increased its presence in North Kosovo. Vucic said he informed the NATO Secretary General of all the incidents and attacks on the Serb population and rebutted the information that the Serbian army and police had crossed the administrative border and that “any kind of invasion” was being planned, as Pristina officials and media had said, reported N1.

“NATO continues to monitor closely the situation on the ground, our KFOR peacekeeping mission remains focused on its UN mandate: Should stability be jeopardized, KFOR stands ready to intervene,” Stoltenberg told a joint press conference following his meeting with Vucic.

Opinion

Timothy Less: Everything leads to the creation of a great Albania, the only option for Kosovo to end the "state of limbo" is to merge with it (Blic, Danas, Kosovo Online, Beta)

Professor of the Center for Geopolitics of the University of Cambridge, Timothy Less stated that "Albanians (in Kosovo) are concerned about the security of their territory and do not want to give an autonomous area to the Serbs when they are not sure that they will be able to keep the rest", reported Danas daily.

"In the absence of any chance of recognition by Serbia, the only real option for Kosovo to end its state of limbo is to merge with Albania. This is also what the majority of Kosovo Albanians want, since Kosovo is an artificial creation; a country which lacks a nation," said Less for today's Blic edition.

As he assessed, in the long term, a greater Albania was "almost inevitable".

He stated that he "does not see any immediate perspective for Kosovo or Albania to push this goal beyond the level of rhetoric because of the international veto and the occasional symbolic gesture", cited Danas daily.

"In reality, I assume that they will wait, as others in the region are waiting, for a change in geopolitical circumstances and the arrival of a time when the great powers will agree to a broad reorganization of the Balkans," said Less.

On the eve of the meeting in Brussels, he commented on current events and the statement of political analyst Nexhmedin Spahiu, who said that "a large part of the Albanian community does not believe that this country will exist in a few years", and that therefore Serbs cannot so easily accept the citizenship of Kosovo.

- I have several dozen bets with people close to me that after three, ten or 20 years, the state of Kosovo will not exist, which means that people do not believe in the state of Kosovo. How are we going to convince the Serbian minority, which cannot so easily accept the new reality, cannot so easily accept the state of Kosovo, when a large part of Albanians does not believe that the state of Kosovo will exist - Spahiu said, among other things, in Info magazine, Danas reported.

Jeremic: We should not give up on Kosovo as long as we exist as a country (KiM radio, N1, KoSSev)

The President of the People's Party Vuk Jeremic told N1 regarding the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina in Brussels that "we should never give up on Kosovo and Metohija in terms of identity, culture, territory and security - as long as we exist as a state", reported KiM radio.

"I do not share the opinion that this meeting (of Vucic and Kurti) is the meeting of all meetings. Rather, it will be one in a row. We have had situations like this before. I have had discussions with senior international representatives over the past few days, and their view is that there cannot be any escalation. Of course, the word 'never' should never be used, and it is very important to be vigilant in this regard," said Jeremic.

According to him, the attention of the international public was focused on what was happening in Kosovo, therefore he opined that there would be no major escalations in the near future.

"Such situations can get out of control from time to time. For years, we have been 'playing' with the lives of people who are primarily in the north of Kosovo and Metohija, and we are playing with their nerves. When I say, 'we are playing', I mean the government, as well as a series of irresponsible politicians in Pristina. A few weeks ago, we had a situation that almost got out of control," recalled Jeremic.

When asked if he was now in power, how would he be solving the situation in Kosovo, he answered: "First of all, I think we need a parliamentary discussion. We did not have it for more than three years. And when you have it, and when you adopt a negotiating framework for the one who represents you, in Brussels or New York, then you have a greater degree of stability... I do not think that is likely in our political circumstances, but what needs to be done now is that it needs to be done internationally, take certain steps and draw the attention not only of the actors involved but also of the wider planetary public".

He estimated that Serbia could propose a resolution to the UN on respecting the territorial integrity of the member states of the UN.

"Given what is happening in Ukraine and elsewhere on the planet, one such resolution, which would not have to explicitly mention Kosovo, could have a slight majority for adoption in the General Assembly," he said.

Jeremic pointed out that as far as Kosovo was concerned, Serbia should never give up on it.

"For Serbia, Kosovo is far more than a diplomatic, international matter... When it comes to Serbia, we should never give up on Kosovo and Metohija in the sense of identity, culture, territory, and security, as long as we exist as a country," Jeremic noted.

He believed that Serbia has given up a lot in relation to Kosovo, especially in the last ten years, reported KiM radio.

International

Kosovo Festival Transforms Pristina (Radio Free Europe)

Repainted socialist-era monuments, a visit from an A-list celebrity, and some questionable artworks mark the Manifesta biennial currently under way in Kosovo.

See more at: https://bit.ly/3SRtTSK

Studio Visit (Kosovo 2.0)

A new generation of artists breaks their way into Prishtina’s art scene.

The corridor in the Palace of Youth and Sports that leads to the artists’ studio is long and gloomy. Cool and quiet, it wrapped me in the familiar yet distant feeling of socialist modernism interior design. Built in the mid-1970s during Prishtina’s modern urban transformation, for the last couple decades, the Palace has not lived up to its promise of being a vibrant youth center. With its towering spiky metal spines, the partially derelict complex resembles the skeleton of an extinct beast sitting in the middle of the city.

A few months ago, the space the artists’ studio inhabits today was just one of the many vacant spots of the Palace. “You wouldn’t recognize the space if you compared it to how it once looked,” said Arbnor Karaliti, a painter and member of a collective of young visual artists who, at the beginning of this year, transformed the space into a hub of alternative, experimental art.

Inside the studio, is an inviting mess. Paintings of different sizes and styles hang on the white walls. Brushes, sketches and half-finished canvases lay on the paint-splattered floor, while quiet indie music plays in the background, giving the space the feel of both a working studio and a small alternative gallery.

For the six artists — Arbnor Karaliti, Blerta Hashani, Brilant Milazimi, Ermir Zhinipotoku, Lumturie Krasniqi and Mimoza Sahiti — who regularly use the open studio, it is more than just a place to work; it is a space where they nurture friendships forged in college, built upon a mutual interest in experimental visual art, protest and creative exploration.

Humanitarian/Development

Independent Unions announce general strike from August 25 (Koha/Telegrafi)

The Independent Unions of Kosovo (BSPK) said today that they will enter a general strike on August 25 after the government has failed to meet the demands of the workers. BSPK leader Atdhe Hykolli said they are forced to go on strike. “BSPK followed all legal channels so that our demands would be met but a meeting with the government to find the right path did not happen. Therefore, I want to inform you today that the law obliges us to go on strike and we are announcing a general strike because our demands have not been met,” he told a press conference.

Hykolli said the strike would continue until their demands are met. “We want additional payments of €100 until the law on wages is adopted,” he said.

The leader of the Independent Union of Education, Rrahman Jasharaj, said that the educational system will go on strike from August 24 or 25 until an agreement is reached with the government.

All education workers treated with exceptional care in draft law, minister says (EO)

Kosovo’s Minister of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation, Arberie Nagavci, said today that in the draft law on wages, all categories of education workers have been treated with exceptional care. She said the draft law is quite different from the earlier law, while its direct effect will be the improvement of the position of education workers, their motivation for the best possible performance, justice and equality.

Haxhiu: I am extremely concerned about violence against women (Klan Kosova)

Kosovo’s Minister of Justice Albulena Haxhiu said today that she is extremely concerned with the physical and emotional violence against women and that any form of violence against girls, women and children must be treated seriously and with immediate effect. “Unfortunately, this phenomenon is so deeply rooted in our society, that the abusers can do this even in public without any problem. If they use physical violence even in public, we can only imagine what goes on behind closed doors,” she said.