UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, January 27, 2025
Albanian Language Media:
- EU confirms Peter Sorensen as envoy for Kosovo-Serbia dialogue (media)
- Fajon: Kosovo-Serbia dialogue remains high on EU agenda (reporteri)
- Gervalla in Poland to honor Holocaust victims (eo)
- PSD submits Maqedonci’s letter to KFOR to Special Prosecutor's Office (media)
- Serbian nationalist slogan placed at entrance of Kosovo Embassy in Norway (Koha)
- Weapons and equipment for production of cryptocurrencies confiscated in Mitrovica north (media)
- War Crimes Institute collects also materials in Albania (RTK)
- Access to Justice for victims of sexual violence during the conflict (RTK)
Serbian Language Media:
- Three Serbian parties fined several thousand euros again (Alternativna)
- A former colleague of Dragisa Milenkovic testified in the trial (KiM radio)
- Brnabic announced address of top government regarding current situation in country (Beta, N1, media)
- Today 24-hour student blockade of Autokomanda in Belgrade starts; support to protests throughout diaspora (media, KoSSev)
- Students in Mitrovica North paid silent tribute to victims of Novi Sad railway station tragedy (KoSSev)
- Vucic: Serbia is being attacked from both outside and inside (Tanjug, media)
- Djuric discusses cooperation with NATO with German, Finnish ambassadors (media)
- Djuric: Grenell is an ally and steadfast support for Serbia (Kosovo Online, social media)
- Vucevic lays wreath to commemorate International Holocaust Remembrance Day (Tanjug, media)
International Media:
- BIRN fact-check: Is Kosovo leaving poverty behind, as PM claims? (BIRN)
- The battle for the soul of Serbia (newstatesman.com)
Albanian Language Media
EU confirms Peter Sorensen as envoy for Kosovo-Serbia dialogue (media)
EU foreign ministers have confirmed the appointment of Peter Sorensen as the next European envoy for dialogue. His appointment was previously approved by the ambassadors of EU member states. Sorensen is expected to take office on February 1st, as the mandate of outgoing envoy Miroslav Lajcak expires on January 31st of this year.
Fajon: Kosovo-Serbia dialogue remains high on EU agenda (reporteri)
Slovenian Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Tanja Fajon said today that EU member state ministers will support the election of Danish diplomat Peter Sorensen as the new EU special envoy for the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia. “Today we will support the new EU special envoy for the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, the respected and well-known Danish diplomat Sorensen, who has already led European delegations to Bosnia and Herzegovina and North Macedonia,” Fajon told reporters after arriving in the EU from a meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council.
She added that “the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia will continue to be high on the European Union’s agenda.”
Gervalla in Poland to honor Holocaust victims (eo)
At the invitation of the Auschwitz Birkenau State Museum, a delegation from Kosovo has been invited for the first time to participate in the event of the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz concentration and extermination camp. The event organized by the Museum and its Director Piotr Cywiński, is being supported by the State of Poland and the delegations of the participating states are being welcomed by the President of the Republic of Poland, Andrzej Duda. Alongside the President of Kosovo, Vjosa Osmani Sadriu, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, Donika Gervalla is participating on behalf of the government of Kosovo. Around 50 state delegations are participating in the event, with nearly 10 states participating with the Head of State (King or President) and the Head of Government (Prime Minister or Deputy Prime Minister). Although there were no Jewish people from Kosovo interned or killed in the Auschwitz camp, Kosovo shares the pain of the more than 1.1 million people killed in Auschwitz, and is proud of its legacy of protecting Jewish people during World War II.
PSD submits Maqedonci’s letter to KFOR to Special Prosecutor's Office (media)
The Social Democratic Party submitted to the Special Prosecutor's Office on Monday the letter of Minister Maqedonci addressed to the KFOR commander. As stated by this party, this letter reaffirms the commitment that the Kosovo Security Forces will not go to the north without prior coordination with KFOR.
"In 2020, Kurti had denounced this action as inexcusable, unacceptable and unconstitutional. What can we say about his action today?! Why is this thing okay now?! How is it justified that the action that was once a reason for the dismissal of the prime minister now becomes a routine procedure? This is not simply hypocrisy. When you see yourself as an instrument for the realization of historical necessity, the range of means opens up to infinity. This is why Bolshevism is the most radical Machiavellianism," the party's announcement states.
Serbian nationalist slogan placed at entrance of Kosovo Embassy in Norway (Koha)
The Serbian nationalist slogan “When army returns to Kosovo” has been placed at the entrance of the Kosovo Embassy in Oslo. This act has been condemned by the Kosovo Embassy in Norway. “Deeply concerned about the alarming image and Serbian nationalist slogan placed at the entrance of our embassy in Oslo. This act is a direct threat to the Republic of Kosovo, the embassy staff, violates international norms, and undermines the principles of diplomacy and mutual respect,” the reaction states, among other things.
Such graffiti has been written for years on the streets of North Mitrovica and other municipalities in northern Kosovo.
Weapons and equipment for production of cryptocurrencies confiscated in Mitrovica north (media)
The Kosovo Police in Mitrovica North region on 27.01.2025 during a routine check stopped a vehicle, where after a detailed search found in the trunk of the vehicle and then confiscated: an AK-47 type weapon, a magazine, five 7.62 mm caliber cartridges and equipment for the production of cryptocurrencies. According to a media release, it is announced that the suspect S.D. 52 years old , resident of Kosovo, was arrested, and by order of the prosecutor, was detained for 48 hours.
A case has been initiated against him for the criminal offense of 'Unauthorized ownership, control or possession of weapons', the release stated.
The announcement also added that these police activities reflect the continued commitment and efforts against illegal firearms, to ensure public safety, respect for the law and protection of the rights of all residents. “Meanwhile, at the same time, we call on the public to report any suspicious activity to help us in our mission to maintain peace and security,” the announcement reads.
War Crimes Institute collects also materials in Albania (RTK)
The Institute for War Crimes in Kosovo has announced that during the past week, part of the Institute’s team visited Albania, collected important materials and held a series of meetings to build new bridges of cooperation and strengthen existing ties with key figures and institutions.
“In Kukes, Mr. Izet Ademaj, former border policeman and currently head of an organization that supports landmine survivors, donated the album ‘Kukesian Days of Kosovar Drama’ and the books of Jonuz Kola from the AlbAid Association. Also, Mr. Sokol Kolgjini contributed by donating the books of Sulejman Dida, signed by the USA, which further enrich the IWCK’s archive with valuable materials”, announced the Institute for War Crimes in Kosovo.
In Tirana, the IWCK team held meetings at the National Library, where they were welcomed by Deputy Director Ms. Majlinda Toci, and at the Archives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where met Ms. Mira Hoxha. Both institutions expressed their willingness to contribute relevant materials to the IWCK archive. “Also, renowned journalists Mr. Mero Baze and Mr. Rexhep Shahu contributed by donating important materials to our archives, while Mr. Armand Mero, a journalist for Voice of America, shared his professional perspective and media experience, providing a unique insight for our team.”
In Durres, during the meeting with Mr. Kudusi Lama, a constructive exchange of views took place, further deepening the cooperation in this important city. "Our commitment to preserving historical memory and building sustainable collaborations with individuals and institutions that share the same values and goals remains unwavering," the Kosovo War Crimes Institute announced.
Access to Justice for victims of sexual violence during the conflict (RTK)
The Kosovo Center for the Rehabilitation of Torture Survivors (KRRT) organized a roundtable on the topic “Advancing Access to Justice for Survivors of Conflict-Related Sexual Violence”. According to the KRRT analysis, victims of sexual violence during the conflict have faced extraordinary challenges in achieving justice after the end of the conflict. In Kosovo, the process of accessing justice has been slow and difficult, characterized by the lack of punishment for perpetrators and institutional and social barriers.
Since 2018, existing evidence has been transferred from EULEX to the Special Prosecution of Kosovo. So far, seven indictments have been filed for rape as a war crime, while the KRRT has supported around 40 cases to testify at this institution.
Of these, six are ongoing, while one has been completed, in which case Zoran Vukotic was sentenced in 2021. He was initially sentenced by the Basic Court in Pristina to 10 years in prison, while after the case passed to the Court of Appeal, he was sentenced to 13 years in prison, a decision confirmed by the Supreme Court.
Serbian Language Media
Three Serbian parties fined several thousand euros again (Alternativna)
Three Serbian political subjects were fined several thousand euros, according to complaints filed by the Self-Determination Movement, reported Alternativna FB page.
Serbian Democracy and the Party of Kosovo Serbs have been punished for the second time - according to the Electoral Panel for Complaints and Petitions.
Serbian Democracy was fined another 4,000 euros, after the fine of 3,500 euros.
The Kosovo Serb Party was fined another 3,700 euros, and after the fine of 3,500 euros.
The Serbian List was also fined this time, with 4,000 euros.
Alternativna recalls that Self-Determination filed as many as 10 complaints against these three political entities for, as they assessed, improper placement of election materials.
They filed four complaints each against Serbian Democracy and the Party of Kosovo Serbs, and two against the Serbian List.
Alternativna informed readers on its FB page during the weekend that their website was currently only accessible from “specific IP addresses or networks registered in Serbia”. The media expected the issue to be resolved by today, while posting news on social media.
A former colleague of Dragisa Milenkovic testified in the trial (KiM radio)
The trial of Dragisa Milenkovic from Kisnica, who was accused of alleged war crimes in the period 1998-1999 in Lipljan prison, continued at Basic Court in Pristina. Today the witness was his former colleague, reported KiM radio.
Witness E.G., stated that he worked in the correctional center in Lipljan until July 1998, when, as he said, he was removed from his job.
When asked by the prosecutor, Ade Demaj, what was the behavior of the guards towards the prisoners, the witness answered that, except for a few cases, they behaved correctly.
The witness emphasized that he knows Dragisa Milenkovic.
"We worked together; we were rarely together in shifts. I know him as a person, as a colleague," said the witness.
The prosecutor asked the witness "how Dragisa Milenkovic behaved towards the prisoners", to which he replied: "I did not hear or see that he behaved badly".
The prosecutor read the witness's earlier statement, where he stated that he had heard of only one case in which Dragisa Milenkovic mistreated a prisoner. According to him, it was a Roma who, when he got out of prison, wounded Milenkovic.
The defense attorney of Dragisa Milenkovic, Dejan A. Vasic, objected to this question.
"This, we have only here, have you heard this and that. Here the witnesses tell what the witnesses saw and heard with their own ears. We mentioned the case from the very beginning, who injured Dragisa, we mention him by his full name. If the prosecutor wants to know something, let him call that person. What are we dealing with here, president of the court, hearsay, what kind of trial is this," he said.
Since it is a question of confronting an earlier statement, the trial panel allowed the prosecutor's question.
The witness confirmed that what the prosecutor read was true, i.e., that he had mentioned the wounding of Dragisa Milenkovic in an earlier statement.
The family of Dragisa Milenkovic also attended the trial.
Dragisa Milenkovic was arrested on June 21 in Kisnica, and is accused of being a prison guard during the conflict in Kosovo in 1998 and 1999 in the prison in Lipljan, in the capacity of an official and in complicity with other officials, violating the rules of international law during the conflict, "systematically mistreated Albanian prisoners, torturing them in an inhumane manner with various objects".
Kosovo Special Prosecutor's Office filed an indictment against Milenkovic on December 26, 2023.
KiM radio recalled that at the previous hearing, the defense stated that the accusations of the witnesses were not substantiated and that the police investigation was conducted against the law.
Brnabic announced address of top government regarding current situation in country (Beta, N1, media)
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, Prime Minister and Speaker of the Parliament, Milos Vucevic and Ana Brnabic will address the public this afternoon, "on the occasion of the current situation in the country".
Brnabic confirmed this last night and told TV Pink that "some important decisions will be announced", without specifying which ones, adding ''the three of us will address the current situation in the country tomorrow".
She also said that "Vucic, the man with the greatest legitimacy" will speak and that he "has the greatest trust of the people".
She added that "due to the current situation in the country, some important decisions will be announced", reads the article published on TV’s website.
"Certainly, it's not for me to talk about it. At the end of the day, I guess we'll be working on it tonight and tomorrow as well…” she told TV Pink show Hit Tweet.
Today 24-hour student blockade of Autokomanda in Belgrade starts; support to protests throughout diaspora (media, KoSSev)
The 24-hour blockade of Autokomanda starts today at 10:00 a.m., announced the students of the Faculty of Law in the blockade. They invited citizens to join them and stated that the shifts would last four hours each. They appealed to everyone to adhere to the agreed rules and to respect the instructions of the guards, in order to contribute to the safety of those present. They stated that the organization of the blockade is intended as a peaceful protest that sends a clear message, "but must not lead to incidents or unnecessary risks". Students will come to Autokomanda in two groups - from Student Square and from Boulevard King Aleksandar. Previously, they should meet at Slavia square. They asked the citizens not to go on the highway, nor on the tram tracks. One border of the blockade will be at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, and the other at the roundabout towards Ustanicka Street.
"We will have tents and heaters, as well as some activities like a tea party with students, mini football, chess tournaments and many more," they said in the announcement.
It was announced that at 11:52 a.m. they will organize 15 minutes of silence for the victims of the fall of the railway station canopy in Novi Sad.
The first performance will be cooking with the students, then at 4:00 p.m. block basketball, and at 6:00 p.m. the workers are expected to arrive and address the crowd.
At 8:00 p.m., the reading of student demands will be organized, among which are the determination of responsibility for the accident, as well as the prosecution of all those who attacked students during earlier gatherings.
Minister of the Interior Ivica Dacic announced on Sunday evening that the police will divert traffic at Autokomanda.
Students in Mitrovica North paid silent tribute to victims of Novi Sad railway station tragedy (KoSSev)
A silent vigil to tribute 15 victims of Novi Sad railway station tragedy was organized for the second time in Mitrovica North, and for the first time by students in front of the Faculty of Philosophy in this town, KoSSev portal reported.
The gathering commenced at 11.52 and lasted until 12.07, dedicating one minute of silence for each victim of Novi Sad railway station tragedy. Those gathered carried banners “Support to students and pupils from Kosovo and Metohija”, “If you managed to buy a person, you wasted your money on stupidity”. Around a hundred people gathered, including children and elderly residents. Students extended an invitation to people in Mitrovica North to join the gathering but distanced themselves from political parties, noting “they have no room at the gathering”.
Vucic: Serbia is being attacked from both outside and inside (Tanjug, media)
Addressing a Jagodina rally about the establishment of a Movement for the People and the State, President of Serbia and Serbian Progressive Party member Aleksandar Vucic said the gathering demonstrated how large a number of people wanted to protect and defend their Serbia from attacks from both the outside and the inside, Tanjug news agency reported.
"As I speak about that and as I say that big thank you, I am fully aware of the gravity of the times we are in. Our people are under pressure in Kosovo and Metohija. In Kosovo and Metohija, they are trying to expel the Serbs from both the north and the south. Those who are attacking Serbia from the outside have no problem with that whatsoever. On the contrary, they support that. And that is not even a topic for many who are in the country", Vucic said, noting that this had also not been a topic when Albanians in Kosovo had declared independence in 2008.
"They were also silent in 2004, when Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija suffered a pogrom and when 30 churches and monasteries were razed", he added.
Read more at: https://shorturl.at/7uCGH
Djuric discusses cooperation with NATO with German, Finnish ambassadors (media)
Serbian Foreign Minister Marko Djuric received the ambassadors of Germany and Finland to Serbia, Anke Konrad and Niklas Lindqvist, on Friday. Noting that he was pleased Germany and Finland were jointly taking over as NATO contact embassies for Serbia-NATO cooperation, Djuric said Serbia was open to continued cooperation and coordination of activities through mechanisms available in the Partnership for Peace Programme, the Serbian MFA said in a statement.
He noted that public diplomacy activities aimed at providing adequate and objective information about the scope and substance of that form of cooperation were especially significant. Djuric stressed that Serbia-NATO relations were based on a partnership cooperation in line with Serbia's policy of military neutrality and with the aim of preserving stability and security in the region.
He said Serbia maintained regular dialogue with political and military structures in NATO, which he noted contributed to better mutual understanding on the most important issues of interest to Serbia, especially in terms of the situation in Kosovo, the statement added.
Djuric: Grenell is an ally and steadfast support for Serbia (Kosovo Online, social media)
Serbian Foreign Minister Marko Djuric said understanding of Serbian issues demonstrated by US President Donald Trump’s Special Envoy for Special Missions, Richard Grenell, provides significant support in complex geopolitical circumstances. He also emphasized that Serbia’s national and state issues cannot be resolved without allies like Grenell, Kosovo Online portal reported.
Djuric also expressed concern over the wave of insults directed at Grenell by certain opposition leaders in Serbia following his statement on X. In a post on X Grenel wrote that "it is always important to raise your voice and to be heard. But everyone must condemn violence and stick to peaceful demonstrations. The democratic process must be respected. We do not support those who undermine the rule of law or who forcefully take over government buildings. If you don’t like a law or a leader then work to change it – but don’t resort to violence”.
In an opinion piece for Novosti, Djuric emphasized that losing such an ally due to thoughtless actions or statements would be a serious blow to Serbia’s strategic interests.
"His understanding of Serbian issues and his support for our legitimate interests provide a significant pillar of support in complex geopolitical circumstances. Losing such an ally due to thoughtless actions or statements would be a serious blow to our strategic interests. Our national and state issues cannot be resolved without allies like him. Those who insult him should show less blindness and shortsightedness and more responsibility", Djuric said.
He added Serbia must be aware that "if we waste valuable time now in internal conflicts or revolutions, we risk facing a decade of political wandering and instability similar to what we experienced after the revolution in the first decade of this century". "This would mean, alongside all other catastrophic economic and broader societal consequences, missing a historic opportunity to establish a strategic partnership with the new US administration, which offers us something we haven’t had in over 80 years – a series of interlocutors who are well-intentioned and aligned with our priorities. Such an opportunity must not be taken lightly. My stance is not in conflict with consistent efforts to keep our foreign policy balanced. On the contrary, it preserves this unique potential of ours", Djuric stressed.
President of the Party of Freedom and Justice Dragan Djilas, responding to Grenell’s statement, said that Serbians “would fight for their freedom themselves and would owe nothing to anyone”. His deputy, Borko Stefanovic, called Grenell’s statement “shameful”. Democratic Party President Srdjan Milivojevic also reacted to Grenell’s statement, saying that Grenell, like Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, has no authority in this matter.
Vucevic lays wreath to commemorate International Holocaust Remembrance Day (Tanjug, media)
Serbian Prime Minister Milos Vucevic laid a wreath at the Menorah In Flames memorial at Belgrade's Danube Quay on Monday, marking the start of International Holocaust Remembrance Day commemorations.
Vucevic laid the wreath as a special envoy of the president of the Republic, at a ceremony also attended by government ministers Adrijana Mesarovic, Zoran Gajic, Nemanja Starovic, Tatjana Macura, Novica Toncev and Tomislav Zigmanov.
The ambassadors of Israel and Russia, Avivit Bar-Ilan and Alexander Botsan-Kharchenko, Belgrade Deputy Mayor Vesna Vidovic, Serbian Armed Forces officials and representatives of foreign military and diplomatic missions, as well as descendants of Holocaust victims and survivors, were also in attendance. Rabbi Isaac Asiel read a prayer at the beginning of the ceremony.
The International Holocaust Remembrance Day, marked annually on January 27, commemorates the WWII liberation of the Nazi Auschwitz concentration camp by Soviet troops in 1945.
International
BIRN fact-check: Is Kosovo leaving poverty behind, as PM claims? (BIRN)
Economic output is up and the poverty rate slightly down, but Kosovo’s economy remains overly dependent on consumption and diaspora investment in real estate, neither of which are going to create many jobs or put the country on the path to real prosperity.
Facing a general election on February 9, Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti made the claim this month that his young country has taken “enormous steps out of poverty”.
Gross Domestic Product, GDP, “has increased by 50 per cent compared to the first pre-pandemic year, 2019”, he said.
That’s not strictly true, however, at least based on data from the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, IMF, which suggest GDP grew 41.4 percent between 2019 and 2024.
Factoring in inflation, Kosovo’s estimated real GDP growth rate in 2024 was 3.8 per cent, so lower than the 4.8 per cent registered in 2019. Much of that has been driven by consumption and diaspora investment in the real estate sector, neither of which represent a healthy basis for sustainable economic development.
Read more at: https://shorturl.at/CBxAn
The battle for the soul of Serbia (newstatesman.com)
The need for lithium is driving a global race for resources – and plans for a mine 120 miles from Belgrade have triggered social and political turmoil.
In early May 2019, Momčilo Alimpić was carrying out some routine work on his family’s farmland in Rađevina, a hamlet in the hills of Jadar, north-west Serbia. That afternoon, he had been surprised by an unusual clamour nearby. Alimpić followed the noise and found a group of men striding busily across his land. To his astonishment, they told him they were researchers working for the Anglo-Australian mining giant Rio Tinto. They also revealed that the family’s land sat on the periphery of an area rich with lithium, the much-coveted metal found in phone and laptop batteries, which is – far more importantly – key to the global clean energy transition.
“Until then, we had no clue about it. The company hadn’t contacted us, or anyone in the region,” explained Alimpić’s daughter Marija, who works as a language teacher, when I met her and her father for coffee in the autumn of 2024 at a hotel in Loznica, the nearest city to their quiet rural community. Over the next weeks and months after that first encounter with the researchers, as they asked more and more questions, the truth gradually revealed itself. Rio Tinto had spent years quietly doing the groundwork for a $2.4bn lithium mine that would, on projected completion in 2027, stand as Europe’s largest. From those earliest days of creeping realisation, local activism has been fierce and well coordinated, with savvy media campaigns and mass protest an increasingly regular feature of life. “We said we don’t want this in our village,” explained Marija, whose family’s land has been selected as the designated site to dump waste produced by the project. The resulting chemical waste and pollution would blast their arable land and its surrounds into barrenness. “We don’t want this mine,” she told me. “To stop Rio Tinto, people thought we were crazy. But somehow, we have continued to fight.”
Read more at:https://tinyurl.com/4zkvh6un