UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, December 6, 2024

Albanian Language Media:

Kurti meets members of the presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina (RFE)
Gervalla: Kurti visit to Sarajevo, another example for regional cooperation (media)
EU: Serbia with insufficient steps for perpetrators of attacks in Kosovo (media)
Osmani on 25 years of Kosovo-Germany development cooperation (media)
“Adoption of Law on Bureau, important step in fight against corruption” (media)
Citizen of Serbia arrested in Kosovo, suspected of preparing a murder (media)

Serbian Language Media:

Stojanovic tells OSCE Ministerial Council that situation of Serbs in Kosovo deteriorated (Kosovo Online)
Vucevic: Kurti’s ‘poor directing’, Serbia insists on international investigation (RTS, Radio KIM)
Gogic: Kosovo undertook obligation to recognize documents from ‘not-integrated’ Serbian bodies, back in 2015 (media)
Antonijevic: Registration in central civil status register is important for exercising rights (media)
Delevic: Evidence show that M.J. in no way endangered life of Kosovo special police officer who shot at him (KoSSev)
Deda on Konjufca’s clash with Serbian List: Diverting attention from nepotism (Kosovo Online)
Nezir Mehmetaj from Kosovo sentenced to 6 years in prison by first-instance court in Belgrade (Radio KIM)
Kosovo police on confiscation of keys of Innovation Centre in Zubin Potok (Alternativna.com)
Vucic meets with BIE's Kerkentzes (Tanjug)

Opinion:

Politics that exhausts the people and erases their future (KoSSev)

International:

Kosovo’s parliament speaker ejects ethnic Serb lawmakers because of their truancy (AP)
Three reported arrested in Kosovo in Hague court justice obstruction probe (PI)
Overlooked taxi drivers (Kosovo 2.0)

Albanian Language Media

Kurti meets members of the presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina (RFE)

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti has met today in Sarajevo with two members of the tripartite presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Zeljko Komsic and Denis Becirovic. “I thank the Prime Minister of the Republic of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, for his decision to remove the visa regime for the citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina. We appreciate this exceptional step. This act will certainly contribute to better ties between the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo, as well as to increased trade exchange,” Komsic said in a Facebook post.

Gervalla: Kurti visit to Sarajevo, another example for regional cooperation (media)

Kosovo’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Donika Gervalla, said in a post on X that Prime Minister Albin Kurti’s visit to Sarajevo is another example for regional cooperation. “Kosova has already lifted visa restrictions for citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Extremists will not block intensifying cooperation in our region. Dodik’s barking is the past, we are working for a European Union future,” she said.

EU: Serbia with insufficient steps for perpetrators of attacks in Kosovo (media)

The European Union will repeat its calls to Serbia to “urgently” bring to justice the perpetrators of the violence in the north of Kosovo in 2023 and to cooperate fully on the cases. The call is expected to be part of the enlargement conclusions for Serbia and which are expected to be adopted later this month. Radio Free Europe has seen the draft conclusions which also call on Serbia to refrain from inciting rhetoric and unilateral and provocative steps. “The Council strongly condemns the acts of violence by Kosovo Serb protesters against citizens KFOR troops, law enforcement authorities and the media on May 29 2023 and the violent attacks against Kosovo Police in September 2023 in the north of Kosovo. There is no justification for violence … The Council repeats its calls for Serbia to fully cooperate and take the necessary steps to urgently bring to justice the perpetrators of the attacks in 2023. The Council highlights the need for full accountability and expresses deep regret that Serbia has not taken sufficient steps in this regard,” the draft conclusions note.

Osmani on 25 years of Kosovo-Germany development cooperation (media)

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani, on the 25th anniversary of the development cooperation between Kosovo and Germany said that “the relationship between Kosovo and Germany is not merely a relationship between two partner countries but an alliance rooted in shared values, a history of support, solidarity and active exchange, as well as a bond nurtured by the unique people to people ties. Being among the first countries to recognize our independence, that decision marked a pivotal moment that fueled our journey as a sovereign state. Since then, you have consistently stood by supporting Kosovo’s integration in the international community, including our aspirations to join the Euro-Atlantic family. As a key NATO member, Germany has also played an essential role within KFOR ensuring Kosovo’s safety and stability from the very start. Your ongoing commitment to peacekeeping and regional security remains crucial to Kosovo stability and not only. Economically throughout the years we have continuously strengthened our ties. Today Germany is one of Kosovo’s top trading partners and investors, particularly in energy, infrastructure and manufacturing. This partnership built on trust and mutual exchange is creating new opportunities for both our countries. Culturally the ties between our countries run deep, with Kosovo’s large diaspora in Germany playing a pivotal role in both societies. This vibrant exchange fosters a shared European identity and enriches our cultures. While education has long been a cornerstone of our relationship, with many Kosovo students that have benefited from scholarships, Germany has helped shape a new generation of leaders, professionals and entrepreneurs. As it is clearly evident the Kosovo-Germany relationship is one of partnership and progress, built on common goals and shared values. We are confident that our ties will continue to strengthen, creating even greater opportunities for both countries and peoples. Here is wishing to new chapters of cooperation and continuous mutual success”.

“Adoption of Law on Bureau, important step in fight against corruption” (media)

Kosovo’s Minister of Justice, Albulena Haxhiu, said in a Facebook post that the Kosovo Assembly adopted two important laws on Thursday, “the Law on the Bureau for the Confiscation of Unjustifiable Wealth and the Law on the Administrative Court”. “This is an important step for strengthening the rule of law and the fight against corruption. I thank the MPs for their engagement and support in the process, and hope that the opposition will not use the Constitutional Court to delay them,” she said.

Citizen of Serbia arrested in Kosovo, suspected of preparing a murder (media)

Several news websites report that Kosovo Police arrested a citizen of Serbia in Fushe Kosove on Thursday under the suspicion that he was preparing to carry out a murder. Police said that the suspect also presented himself as an official person. During a raid in his apartment, police seized different documents as material evidence.

Serbian Language Media

Stojanovic tells OSCE Ministerial Council that situation of Serbs in Kosovo deteriorated (Kosovo Online)

Delegation of Serbia, led by State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Nikola Stojanovic, participated in the 31st OSCE Ministerial Council in Malta. Stojanovic warned about the worsening situation in Kosovo, where Serbs are subjected to physical, institutional, and political violence, and dismissed as unfounded the recent accusations from Pristina against Belgrade, Kosovo Online portal reported.

The OSCE Ministerial Council brought together high representatives of member states to discuss challenges and solutions in the areas of security, cooperation, and dialogue. Stojanovic emphasized the importance of the OSCE as a platform based on consensus and dialogue, providing a unique approach to comprehensive security through political, economic, and human dimensions.

He specifically highlighted the principles of the Helsinki Final Act as the cornerstone of the international order, including respect for territorial integrity and sovereignty, peaceful dispute resolution, and non-interference in the internal affairs of states, according to the statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Serbia.

Read more at: https://shorturl.at/bvB3c

Vucevic: Kurti’s ‘poor directing’, Serbia insists on international investigation (RTS, Radio KIM)

Serbian Prime Minister Milos Vucevic told RTS that Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti “overplayed” himslef, adding that Serbia insists on an international investigation into the explosion on Ibar-Lepenac water canal, Radio KIM reported.

Commenting on water canal explosion and incident in Kosovo Assembly where Self-determination MPs and Assembly Speaker Glauk Konjufca attempted to prevent Serbin List MPs from attending the session, Vucevic said it was about “poor Kurti’s directing” and that Kurti “overplayed himself in this scenography and cinematography”.“After almost a week we have not heard about a single concrete evidence which would confirm what Albin Kurti said only free hours after the event”, Vucevic said.

“It is of life importance, if I may put it that way, for Serbia to exactly determine what happened in Zubin Potok, because we are absolutely certain none of the Serbs, respectively Serbia had anything to do with that, and that this is about a set up which should demonstrate how (Albin) Kurti was a victim, respectively an attempt to drag Serbia into some conflict”, Vucevic said.

As far as scenes in the Kosovo Assembly from yesterday are concerned he said it would be interesting to hear what Quint states and the European Union have to say about that.

“What will they say, that these are European values or someone would now positively rate development of democracy and institutions in the province, in Kosovo and Metohija? What exactly would they say because we have reached the level that someone bans MP or MPs from taking part in discussion”, Vucevic said.

Gogic: Kosovo undertook obligation to recognize documents from ‘not-integrated’ Serbian bodies, back in 2015 (media)

Political analyst Ognjen Gogic told Kosovo Online decision of Kosovo Interior Ministry based on which residents in possession of civil registration documents in the Serbian system can file request to register their records in the Kosovo central civil registry is a sort of turning point given that Pristina until now did not recognize documents issued in the Serbian system.

He also said that back in 2015, as part of Brussels dialogue, Kosovo undertook an obligation to recognize documents from the Serbian institutions, but had never implemented that obligation in practice. “{…} Instructions were never given to the Kosovo institutions on how to recognize the validity of documents issued by both public administration in the Serbian system and the courts”, Gogic said.

He added, although this is only a part of the wider issue related to recognition of the documents, it still represents significant step, as in line with previous agreement the recognition of the documents related to the period until 2016, and now validity of all documents issued by Serbian institutions, from 1999 to the date of this instruction, had been recognized.

Antonijevic: Registration in central civil status register is important for exercising rights (media)

Legal expert Milan Antonijevic told Kosovo Online it is extremely important for people in Kosovo who are not “recognized” within the Kosovo system to be able to register in Kosovo central civil status register based on documents from the Serbian system. This will help resolve issues they face and, he hopes, pave the way for addressing property rights for Serbs in Kosovo.

Antonijevic recalled a similar issue in Slovenia, where individuals had been effectively erased from the system, leading to ongoing legal proceedings.

“It is good to address these matters early on so that no one feels like a second-class citizen. This allows individuals to present documents issued in Serbia to legitimize their status and access certain rights. One set of problems is clearly being addressed here, while the other pertains to property rights, which remain unresolved in a quick and straightforward manner due to numerous open cases and proceedings. I hope that once the issues with documents, birth and death records, and similar matters are resolved, attention will shift to the equally, if not more, important issue of property rights for Serbs in Kosovo”, Antonijevic said.

Delevic: Evidence show that M.J. in no way endangered life of Kosovo special police officer who shot at him (KoSSev)

A hearing was held at Mitrovica Basic Court yesterday in the case of wounding of a Serb M.J. from Zerovnica village at Bistrica Kosovo special police checkpoint in April, last year, KoSSev portal reported.

M.J. was wounded after the member of Kosovo special police K.P. shot at him, as he allegedly did not stop the vehicle after police signaled him to do so. K.P. is accused of “attempted murder” and “manipulating with evidence” as he took away from his official weapon two bullet cases and hid them. Three other Kosovo special police officers who were with him at the time of incident are accused of “not reporting a criminal act or its perpetrator”, because they knew about the use of a weapon by their colleague, and failed to report it.

In a trial yesterday, K.P. claimed that “he had the right to use weapons whenever his life is in danger”.

Lawyer: All evidence show that M. J. in no way endanger police

“The public should understand that a defendant can defend himself by presenting untruths without legal consequences”, lawyer Milos Delevic said. He added that evidence shows M.J. was close to losing his life.

“Evidence shows that because at the part of the body where he was hit (with a bullet) there are vital parts, but also that defendant K.P. shot in the direction of his vehicle, and that M.J. in no way endangered him, or brought his life to danger, as he claims”, Delevic said.

He added all this is clearly seen in a video recording from surveillance cameras covering the Bistrica checkpoint that was watched at the main hearing.

He also announced that next week on December 10, the affected M.J. and defense will make closing remarks.

Deda on Konjufca’s clash with Serbian List: Diverting attention from nepotism (Kosovo Online)

Political analyst Ilir Deda opined that the act of Kosovo Assembly Speaker to interrupt the session of the parliament because of the presence of Serbian List serves in fact “to divert attention from employing members of the families of Self-determination”, Kosovo Online portal reported citing Klan Kosova.

“They enjoy employing family members, unbelievable”, Deda said. As he added, there were talks previously for much smaller abuses that something like that should not be done.

Nezir Mehmetaj from Kosovo sentenced to 6 years in prison by first-instance court in Belgrade (Radio KIM)

Nezire Mehmetaj from Kosovo had been sentenced to 6 years in prison at the Higher Court in Belgrade over the war crimes against civilian population in the village of Rudice, near Klina, in Kosovo in 1999, Radio KIM reported.

The court said it had been determined that Mehmetaj took part in taking away Roma civilian Jelaj Ramadani in June 1999, whose mortal remains had not been found yet. Other members of Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) were with him.

The verdict said Mehmetaj was a member of KLA and was seen in the village wearing KLA uniform. Nine witnesses were heard in this case, two of whom were present in the village of Rudice.

The indictment also said that Mehmetaj in mid-June in 1999 took part in the murder of five members of the Serb Dasic family, and at the end of the month in the murders of Jelaj Ramadani and Serb woman Zorka Siljakovic. The court said that his participation in the murders of Dasic family members and Zorka Siljakovic has not been proved, same as that Mehmetaj in July 1999 took part in plundering and setting on fire dozens of houses in the village that belonged to non-Albanians.

Nezir Mehmetaj was arrested on January 4, 2020 at Merdare crossing point as per warrant of the Serbian judiciary. He remains in detention ever since. The indictment was raised on June 30, 2020. The time he spent in detention is included in the sentence.

Kosovo police on confiscation of keys of Innovation Centre in Zubin Potok (Alternativna.com)

Hydro-power company Ibar Lepenac has requested “release of its premise” in Donje Varage in Zubin Potok municipality, claiming that it belongs to them. The Kosovo police said they opened the case of “unlawful usurpation of immovable property” and interviewed one person as a witness.

Alternativna.com portal reported it is about the premise where Innovation Centre in Zubin Potok is located. Police confiscated the keys of the Innovation Centre on December 2. Following the confiscation of the keys The Innovation Centre and Local Action Youth Council in Zubin Potok have sent the letter to the international community calling for their support to resolve the issue.

Vucic meets with BIE's Kerkentzes (Tanjug)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic met with Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) Secretary General Dimitri Kerkentzes in Belgrade on Friday, noting that, by taking over the EXPO 2027 flag later in the day, Serbia would take a step further to making a dream come true.

Vucic said his discussion with Kerkentzes had addressed all that had been done to host the prestigious event in Serbia as well as what remained to be finished. "Besides technical details, we also discussed the potentials EXPO 2027 brings to our country and our citizens, from attracting foreign investment to promoting the country on the global scene. It will be an opportunity to showcase our progress, our values, abilities, hospitality and the wealth of our culture and tradition", Vucic wrote in a post on his official Instagram account.

As a presidential envoy, Serbian Prime Minister Milos Vucevic will take over the flag of the specialized EXPO 2027 at the Sava Centre on Friday. The flag was presented to a Serbian delegation in Paris on November 26. The EXPO 2027 in Belgrade will take place from May 15 through August 15.

Opinion

Politics that exhausts the people and erases their future (KoSSev)

By Darko Dimitrijevic, Editor-in-Chief of Radio Gorazdevac

The representatives of the Serbian List have returned to the Kosovo Assembly after an absence of nearly six months. However, their return was marked by the abrupt suspension of the session and a sharp rebuke from the Assembly President, Glauk Konjufca, who addressed them with, “Shame on you,“ and, “Go stand at attention before your criminal boss, Radoičić“.

Glauk Konjufca, the President of Kosovo’s Parliament, chose to exercise autocracy in the name of democracy—a move that could be described as the pinnacle of political paradox in the Kosovo Assembly.

In Kosovo, as in much of the Western Balkans, democracy is often treated as theater. This latest act, unconstitutional and unlawful, prompted a reaction only from the Kosovo Democratic Institute (KDI).

If this is the “democratic standard“ Kosovo’s political establishment prides itself on, it is no wonder that both Serbs and Albanians are increasingly choosing to leave Kosovo rather than stay.