UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, August 31, 2020

Albanian Language Media:

COVID-19: 120 new cases, nine deaths (media)
Zemaj seeks support to increase COVID-19 testing capacity (media)
Bytyqi family says their sons' deaths should be raised at Washington meeting (Koha)
Konjufca: Inauguration timing of 58 houses in the north, not coincidental (media)
Decan mayor: Road construction project will continue (Kallxo)

Serbian Language Media:

One case of Covid-19 registered in Serb areas in Kosovo on Sunday (Radio KIM)
Vucic spoke with Merkel, meeting with Lajcak (RTS)
Vucic: I expect surprises in Washington; a long night between September 3rd and 4th (KoSSev)
Ivanji: I had to laugh at Vucic’s statement that he would refuse Trump (N1, Danas)
Tadic invites Vucic for TV debate on Kosovo (N1)
Belgrade-Pristina meetings until all issues are resolved (B92)
Serbian List urges KFOR to ensure safety for all citizens (Radio KIM)
Sarcevic: School year in Kosovo to be slightly delayed (Radio KIM)
Djuric: It is difficult to receive blows “at home” ahead of important meetings (Kosovo-online)

Opinion:

Kosovo must not settle for a bad deal (Prishtina Insight)
Blood on their hands (Prishtina Insight)

Humanitarian/Development:

Missing but not forgotten (KoSSev)
‘He Was Gone’: Video Memories of the Balkan Wars’ Missing Persons (Balkan Insight)
WHO chief in Serbia says important to get kids back to school (N1)

Albanian Language Media

COVID-19: 120 new cases, nine deaths (media)

Kosovo’s National Institute for Public Health announced that of 452 tests carried out over the last 24-hour period, 120 have tested positive for coronavirus.

Meanwhile, nine deaths and 122 recoveries were recorded over the same time period.

Zemaj seeks support to increase COVID-19 testing capacity (media)

Kosovo's Minister of Health, Armend Zemaj, said today that he has requested support from international partners in efforts to increase COVID-19 testing capacities in Kosovo.

In a visit to the intensive care unit at the Kosovo University Clinical Center (QKUK), Zemaj called on the citizens of Kosovo to respect coronavirus preventive measures and thus avoid having to seek medical care at clinics which can lead to overwhelming of the healthcare system.

Bytyqi family says their sons' deaths should be raised at Washington meeting (Koha)

The Bytyqi family said the deaths of their sons should be discussed in the upcoming meeting in Washington between the Kosovo and Serbia delegations.

The three Bytyqi brothers, Ylli, Agron, and Mehmet, were U.S. citizens who had joined the Kosovo Liberation Army and were found in a mass grave after being executed while in custody of special Serbian police units in 1999. Despite repeated calls by the U.S. authorities, no one has been convicted for the crime.

"By representing Americans victimised abroad, President Trump should raise the case of Bytyqi brothers. By representing Kosovo and the ultimate sacrifice my brothers have made, Prime Minister Hoti should raise the case of Bytyqi brothers. By representing the honour of his word and the readiness of Serbia to move away from the past crimes of Milosevic's government, President Vucic should adequately present a way forward in the Bytyqi case," Bytyqi family said in a statement.

"Failure to do so sends a clear message to victims and war criminals that the U.S., Kosovo, and Serbia want to look the other way for a moment of political opportunity," the family added.

Konjufca: Inauguration timing of 58 houses in the north, not coincidental (media)

Glauk Konjufca from the Vetevendosje Movement has reacted to the inauguration of 58 houses constructed through Serbian government's funds in the north of Kosovo saying that the timing of the event, on the International Day of the Disappeared, has not been coincidentally set.

"This shows there is no remorse or regret for the genocide committed in Kosovo. On the contrary: not only does it [Serbia] keep the truth about the kidnapped imprisoned but continues colonisation of Kosovo in front of our government's nose," Konjufca wrote on social media.

He said that construction of 58 houses in a single area which was uninhabited in the past is a typical case of colonisation. "No reaction from the government and institutions of the Republic of Kosovo. When prime minister Hoti will learn about this act from the media, he will most likely come out and 'strongly' condemn it. And this is evidently less than what an active NGO can do on this matter," Konjufca added.

Decan mayor: Road construction project will continue (Kallxo)

Bashkim Ramosaj, mayor of Decan, said that the construction of the Decan-Plave road will continue but did not comment any further.

"We are preparing the details," Ramosaj told Kallxo news website.

Serbian Language Media

One case of Covid-19 registered in Serb areas in Kosovo on Sunday (Radio KIM)

One case of Covid-19 infection was registered in the Serb-populated areas in Kosovo on Sunday, while at the same time seven persons have recovered, the Crisis Committee of Mitrovica North announced, Radio KIM reports.

Out of 35 tested samples, one was positive. The case was registered in Mitrovica North. Among seven recovered persons five are from northern Kosovo, including two from Mitrovica North and three from Zubin Potok. Two persons recovered south of the Ibar River, one person each in Gracanica and Strpce.

It was also said that 61 persons are staying in house isolation, while 28 persons are being treated at the Clinical Hospital Center in Mitrovica North, one in Belgrade and three in Nis.

At the moment there are 93 active cases in the Serb-populated areas in Kosovo, while 839 persons have recovered.

A total of 36 persons died in the Serb populated areas in Kosovo since the outbreak of the pandemic.

Vucic spoke with Merkel, meeting with Lajcak (RTS)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic spoke over the phone with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Kosovo was the main topic, respectively the upcoming meetings in Washington and Brussels, RTS reports.

“I had an excellent phone conversation with Angela Merkel. I am thankful to the German Chancellor for the support to economic and political development of Serbia and for her understanding of our difficult regional political position”, Vucic said.

After the talks with Merkel, a separate meeting with the EU Special Envoy for Belgrade-Pristina dialogue Miroslav Lajcak started.

The talks with Merkel and Lajcak come on the eve of announced meetings on Kosovo in Washington and Brussels, RTS recalled.

Speaking at the Bled Strategic Forum, Vucic said that Serbia remains committed to the European path, but it expects stronger respect from the EU, adding he does not want to hide it.

Vucic said there is part of citizens who do not support European integration, in particular because of the Kosovo issue, however it does not impact the political decision that Serbia is on the European path.

Vucic: I expect surprises in Washington; a long night between September 3rd and 4th (KoSSev)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic announced on Pink TV on Saturday morning that the Serbian and Kosovo delegations will meet in Washington on September 3, while the September 4t meeting at a high-level is conditioned by what the hosts consider to be a success, KoSSev portal reports.

Vucic also alerted of a “long night“ between September 3 and September 4. Enthusiasm subsided also in relation to the Brussels dialogue which, as Vucic described this morning, is going towards recognition “one way or another“. This is in strong contrast to previous statements of Marko Djuric who assured the public this is not the topic.

“The meeting in Washington will take place on September 3, while September 4 meeting is conditional – meetings at the highest level will happen if they (cf. the hosts) are satisfied, Vucic told TV Pink.

He revealed that the Serbian delegation received an official agenda containing points that were to be discussed, i.e. economic topics, adding that there was also “one point that we did not want to accept.”

Without specifying what this point actually entails, Vucic alleged that he “is not sure that it will stop there“.

He also recalled that the Kosovo side has been claiming it is going to Washington to obtain recognition, adding that our state services recorded that. He warned that he expects surprises in Washington.

“I will apologize to the US administration if there are no surprises“, Vucic added.

Vucic also reminded that in a letter addressed to him and Thaci, the US President, Donald Trump spoke about mutual recognition. Furthermore, Vucic underlined that the US President did not change that attitude.

When asked if he expects a meeting with Trump, Vucic replied that he believes that it will not happen after all.

“If I accept that and if I am right that there will be surprises – when it comes to the demands presented to Serbia. If I accept that, I believe that I would be the first Serb and the first Serb President who could have, not only a meeting with Avdullah Hoti and Trump, but also a bilateral meeting with Trump. Since I believe I know what that surprise could be, I sense that, and not because I have data – most likely I will refuse it and that meeting will not take place“, he said on Saturday morning.

See more at: https://bit.ly/2DddFkW

Ivanji: I had to laugh at Vucic’s statement that he would refuse Trump (N1, Danas)

Weekly Vreme journalist Andrej Ivanji, said ahead of the Belgrade-Pristina meeting in Washington that the public in Serbia is completely excluded from all negotiations about Kosovo, adding President Vucic took over all leverages in this process, N1 reports.

President Vucic recently said he expects surprises at the upcoming meeting in Washington, implying, as N1 said, it would entail mutual recognition of Serbia and Kosovo, and that in this case he would refuse the meeting with the US President Donald Trump.

Asked to comment on that statement, Ivanji said “that he had to laugh at it”. He pointed out, it has to be clear to all if Serbia’s primary goal is to join the EU, it would not happen as long as Serbia doesn’t recognize Kosovo, and that everything else is procrastination, buying of time and scoring political goals.

“The President should return from Washington and tell us – this is on the table, we are requested (to do) this and that. Like this we are roaming in the darkness, and in some way get hooked to the small pieces of information we receive from the top of the authorities”, Ivanji said.

Meanwhile, Serbian opposition politicians termed the messages of the President Vucic ahead of the Washington meeting “as performance for the public and the attempt to shift the blame for the current situation related to Kosovo and Metohija on his current function predecessors”, Danas daily reports.

Tadic invites Vucic for TV debate on Kosovo (N1)

Boris Tadic, the Social Democratic Party (SDS) leader and former President of Serbia has invited current President Aleksandar Vucic for a TV debate to discuss the “accusations that Vucic presents on daily basis at the expense of former government” as well as the Kosovo issue, N1 reports.

Tadic said he was inviting Vucic as the former President and not as the opposition representative, adding that his opponent should show a “minimum of courage” and face the answers to the accusations “he has been presenting cowardly for almost a decade.”

“In desperate attempts to maintain the position of the 'grand patriot' in his electorate, while meeting the servility promised to the West in solving the Kosovo issue – which brought the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) into power in 2012, Vucic has been presenting to citizens only lies about the responsibility of former government as well as a primitive combination of whining and self-promotion of himself fighting like a lion”, Tadic said in a written statement.

According to him, Vucic's Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) is the only political party that has never presented a single plan for Kosovo. He assessed as a lie the allegation about the International Court of Justice (ICJ) making official the recognition of Kosovo independence.

“First of all, that court has never given an opinion but avoided providing one. If we had asked that court a wrong question, as Vucic claims, they would not have certainly avoided giving an answer. The fact that the Albanians interpret the court's answer as the legalisation of Kosovo independence is propaganda that they use to fight for their interests. But it is not only illegitimate but also illegal for the President of Serbia to use the same propaganda and directly deteriorate the interests of our state by doing so”, Tadic added.

See more at: https://bit.ly/3jvl5zv

Belgrade-Pristina meetings until all issues are resolved (B92)

Meetings on expert and high political level within the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina will continue until mutually acceptable solutions are found. Solutions need to be found for all open issues once and for all, EU spokesperson Peter Stano said, B92 reports.

After the questions of the Brussels correspondents about the conversation between Belgrade and Pristina, after which both sides issued conflicting statements, Stano repeated that the EU as a mediator doesn’t want to comment on "every step" in the process.

“The goal of expert talks is to prepare the next meeting on high political level, which is scheduled for September in Brussels, between the President of Serbia and the Prime Minister of Kosovo, but also to discuss all open issues that have to be solved in order to progress with the normalization of relations and to sign a legally binding agreement, where all the open issues will be solved once and for all“, Stano said.

The EU's spokesman adds that the EU's task, being the main mediator in the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, is to enable and facilitate both sides to talk to each other, find solutions to all open issues and reach an agreement on normalization of relations.

Asked about the agenda of the meeting of the leaders of Serbia and Kosovo on September 4th in Washington and the role of the USA in the normalization of relations, Peter Stano reiterated that the dialogue is “focused on legally binding agreement“ as well as Serbia and Kosovo progress on the EU path.

Individual economic projects are being solved “along the way“.

“Whatever else Serbia and Kosovo are doing, that serves as a support to the dialogue and gives sustainable results in normalization, modernization and EU path, is positive“, Stano noted.

He also pointed out that the USA is an important partner for the EU and that Brussels hopes for a “positive outcome“ of cooperation and the normalization of relations between Belgrade and Pristina.

See at: https://bit.ly/2EHi7cj

Serbian List urges KFOR to ensure safety for all citizens (Radio KIM)

Serbian List (SL) in the strongest terms condemned the assault against the Serb youngsters in the village of Babin Most and requested responsible bodies to prosecute those responsible without delay, Radio KIM reports citing the statement of SL.

“As per rule, a head of any Belgrade-Pristina negotiations attacks against Serbs become a part of daily life of our people in Kosovo and Metohija, which unequivocally puts Serbs in the position of hostages, used to exert pressure upon the both our people and the negotiation process”, the statement said.

Serbian List also urged KFOR that in line with its mandate ensure safety to all citizens, since as they said, “it is obvious that Kosovo police in Babin Most did not want to do so”.

Meanwhile, Office for Kosovo and Metohija Director Marko Djuric also reacted to the attack saying it was an expression of political hatred led by certain politicians from Pristina. He added the attack was not isolated, nor the first one that occurred, and that the police has not punished those responsible for the series of incidents.

Djuric also said Babin most village is located in a strategically important place between Pristina and Mitrovica North, and that the obvious goal of such incidents was to intimidate Serbs and force them to move out. He demanded that KFOR should establish a static presence in that place.

Radio KIM earlier reported that four Serbian secondary school students were attacked by a group of six Albanians from the same village and suffered bodily injuries on Friday evening.

All attacked youngsters were examined in a local health house in the village of Babin Most and then sent to Mitrovica North hospital for detailed checkups, Radio KIM reported. It was also reported that attacked youngsters were released for home treatment.

Sarcevic: School year in Kosovo to be slightly delayed (Radio KIM)

Serbian Minister of Education Mladen Sarcevic said today everything is ready for the new school year to begin in the territory of Serbia, however, the start of the teaching process in Kosovo “would be slightly delayed because authorities in Kosovo are not cooperative”, Radio KIM reports.

He added the “process would be slightly delayed” because the teaching process is in accordance with the Serbian system, while current authorities in Kosovo “are not cooperative”.

Djuric: It is difficult to receive blows “at home” ahead of important meetings (Kosovo-online)

Office for Kosovo and Metohija Director Marko Djuric said Serbian delegation finds it difficult to receive blows “at home” ahead of important meetings in Washington and Brussels, adding that Serbian unity when it comes to Kosovo is necessary, Tanjug news agency reports.

Djuric also said truth is the strongest weapon, and the truth is that nobody offers anything to Serbia when it comes to Kosovo.

“The truth is also that is some way expectations of the EU and Donald Trump are that mutual recognition happens at some point. Serbia does not accept independence of Kosovo and Metohija”, Djuric said, adding that the leadership headed by President Vucic since 2012 demonstrated it has sufficient political courage not to accept imposed independence of Kosovo.

Opinion

Kosovo must not settle for a bad deal (Prishtina Insight)

Friday’s meeting at the White House looks set to be the culmination of Richard Grenell’s calamitous attempts at diplomacy, and Kosovo must resist US pressure to accept a meaningless, quick-fix agreement, writes Jason Emert, attorney, Republican strategist, foreign affairs adviser and an adjunct professor of international law and international relations.

"All indications seem to be that the Trump Administration is looking for a deal – any deal – to justify the assertions of US Special Envoy Richard Grenell, and prove all his bloviating achieved something just in time for the US presidential election.

"Grenell has bungled Kosovo-Serbia relations from the start, which is unsurprising considering he had no experience or understanding of the dynamics of the Balkans.

"His most notable mistake has been cutting out the European Union. There are no two states with a greater connection to Kosovo than the United States and Germany, and Grenell had every opportunity to be a successful envoy by utilizing his position as US Ambassador to Germany to leverage a positive outcome for Kosovo. Instead, we have missed the chance to work together.

There is no long-term solution to Kosovo-Serbia issues without the sustained involvement of the European Union, and especially not without the Germans. Without European involvement, any announcement from the Trump Administration this week is moot."

Humanitarian/Development

Missing but not forgotten (KoSSev)

August 30 marks the ninth “International Day of the Disappeared“. This is a day for people across the world to pause and think of those who are missing, KoSSev portal writes.

To lose any loved one is painful. But to lose a loved one and never know their fate or resting place is heart-breaking. This has been the agonizing reality for many families across the Western Balkans for more than two decades.

As many as 40,000 people disappeared during the conflicts of the 1990s on the territory of the former Yugoslavia. Some 11,000 are still missing. This remains one of the most painful legacies of those conflicts.

As we remember the Disappeared, we pay tribute to all those who have worked so tirelessly to find and identify the victims of the conflict and to bring some comfort to their grieving families.

Amidst the prolonged pain and suffering there is also a remarkable story. More than 70 percent of those reported missing at the end of the fighting have been accounted for. No other post-conflict region has achieved such a high rate of identification.

One reason for this is the use of new technology that has revolutionised the process of identifying human remains. This uses DNA samples from extended family members as well as immediate family, and will enable further progress in closing this painful chapter of the legacy of conflict.

The United Kingdom has been privileged to support and work with government bodies and local and international organizations. They endeavor to give families hope that their loved ones will be found and identified, and give them closure.

Families of the missing have a powerful story to tell. Their voices and actions have continued to help support others who are dealing with this issue. We remain humbled by their courage and determination. As His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales said when meeting them in London, “their dignity and humanity is a lesson to us all, and a reminder that reconciliation is not simply a theoretical abstract concept”.

At the Western Balkans Summit in London in July 2018, in a Joint Declaration regional leaders committed to ensure impartial and effective investigations into missing persons cases; resolve as many cases as possible; actively engage families in the process; and refrain from politicizing the issue. We remind everyone of these commitments today.

See at: https://bit.ly/3gJpr4b

‘He Was Gone’: Video Memories of the Balkan Wars’ Missing Persons (Balkan Insight)

Missing persons’ relatives from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo and Serbia marked the International Day of the Disappeared by giving emotional video testimonies about loved ones who haven’t been found since they went missing during the wars of the 1990s.

A part of BIRN’s ‘If You Were Here’ campaign to raise awareness about the issue of wartime missing persons who have never been found, five people from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo and Serbia spoke about how their close relatives disappeared during the 1990s conflicts, and how efforts to find them have so far come to nothing.

The video interviews, published to mark Sunday’s International Day of the Disappeared, follow previous interviews with family members of missing persons that were published on Valentine’s Day, Father’s Day and on the 25th anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide.

According to the International Commission on Missing Persons, around 40,000 people were listed as missing right after the wars in the former Yugoslavia ended. Over 70 per cent of them have since been found, but over 11,000 individuals remain missing.

Family members of missing persons say that governments in the former Yugoslav region have not done enough to ensure justice and to establish the whereabouts of their loved ones’ remains, mainly due to the lack of cooperation between neighbouring countries.

See at: https://bit.ly/3hKvVkP

WHO chief in Serbia says important to get kids back to school (N1)

The World Health Organization (WHO) office chief in Serbia Marijan Ivanusa told N1 on Monday that the time is right to ease the restrictive measures imposed to combat the coronavirus pandemic but warned that they should not be lifted completely.

Ivanusa said that it’s very important to reopen schools so that children can socialize but that “all epidemiological measures have to be followed – disinfecting classrooms, maintaining physical distance and … making soap and water readily available so that children can wash their hands which are a very important protective measures”. He said that children were not a great source of infection to date and that the disease comes in a milder form among them.

See at: https://bit.ly/3jz0o5B