Albanian Language Media:

• Murati hails World Bank decision to remove Kosovo from FCS list (media)
• Senior U.S. official to visit Kosovo, Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina (media)
• Trump mentions Kosovo and Serbia again (media)
• Police commander in Lipjan resigns after case of 27-year-old (media)
• Svecla: We support any action that raises readiness (Dukagjini)
• Kurti attends farewell reception of UN Resident Coordinator in Kosovo (media)
• Kamberi: Five requests of Presevo Valley Albanians for Kosovo, Albania (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Petkovic spoke to Jenca about Pristina's escalating moves (Tanjug, Radio Mitrovica sever, KoSSev)
• Mitrovica: Despite the petition, the machines continue working, a bridge is being built for road and pedestrian traffic (Alternativna)
• Rapajic: MPs will automatically lose their mandates if the deadline set by the Constitutional Court is not respected (Kosovo Online)
• The Conference for the Reconstruction of Ukraine begins in Rome, Minister Djuric represents Serbia (Tanjug)

Opinion:

• Frozen funds, frozen progress: Impact of EU’s measures against Kosovo (media)
• No, nationalism has not taken over the student protests in Serbia (EWB)
• The EU's fence-sitting as Serbia's Vučić steps up violent state (EUobserver)

International:

• Rule of Law Report 2025 for EU candidates: Pressures on judiciary and corruption remain issues of concern (EWB)

Albanian Language Media 

Murati hails World Bank decision to remove Kosovo from FCS list (media)

Kosovo’s caretaker Minister of Finance, Hekuran Murati, in a Facebook post, welcomed the decision by the World Bank to remove Kosovo from the List of Fragile and Conflict-Affected Situations. “After over 15 years as a member of the World Bank, this week we received notification that Kosovo has been removed from the list. This change represents an exceptional advancement and confirms our achievements as a state by proving institutional stability and economic sustainability. This good news will undoubtedly have a positive impact on the international perception of the Republic of Kosovo and lead to increased trust among foreign investors. At the same time, it is proof of the excellent cooperation with the World Bank, but also exceptional coordination between local institutions such as the Ministry of Finance and the Central Bank of Kosovo. A special thank you goes to all those who were engaged in this achievement,” Murati said.

Police commander in Lipjan resigns after the case of the 27-year-old (media)

The Police Commander at the Police Station in Lipjan, Argjend Gashi, has resigned from his position following the death of 27-year-old Agon Zejnullahu in Lipjan. 

"I have not been dismissed yet, I have resigned. Yes, I have submitted a resignation request — the new decision has not yet been issued, but I have resigned. Due to recent developments, I have offered my resignation. Technically, nothing is official yet; I am still in the same position as before, but I have given a moral resignation because of the recent events, and I am awaiting the new decision," Gashi said.

The 27-year-old died on Monday, shortly after being handcuffed by police officers. Five police officers involved in the case have been placed in one-month detention each for the offense of "negligent homicide".

Svecla: We support any action that raises readiness (Dukagjini)

The caretaker Minister of Internal Affairs, Xhelal Svecla, today commented on reports of various replacements of police captains in several municipalities of Kosovo, including Lipjan, Suhareka, and Klina. “Kosovo Police is the most credible guide in the Republic of Kosovo, and this is thanks to the tireless work of all its members, even those who are no longer in service. Its success also stems from its continuous self-improvement. Therefore, any action by Kosovo that aims to raise quality, enhance readiness, and increase success, we support it,” Svecla said.

When asked whether the Ministry of Internal Affairs might also take action, he emphasized the importance of operating within legal boundaries. “Absolutely. We consider it necessary to take action, always within our legal competencies, in the fight against [challenges],” he stated.

Senior U.S. official to visit Kosovo, Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina (media)

Brendan Hanrahan is the Senior Bureau Official for the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs (EUR) at the U.S. State Department, will visit Kosovo, Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. “I am headed to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, and Kosovo following productive conversations in Dayton and Washington. It is an important anniversary and pivotal time in the Western Balkans. I look forward to reinforcing ties between the U.S. and countries in the region,” Hanrahan wrote in a post on X.

Trump mentions Kosovo and Serbia again (media)

Several news websites report that US President Donald Trump has again mentioned Kosovo and Serbia, saying that they were very close to a war. He said he was able to resolve many situations, including the one between India and Pakistan, and Kosovo and Serbia. “Trade seems to be a foundation that I have been able to settle a lot of these disputes like as an example India and Pakistan. Kosovo-Serbia, I said if you guys are going to fight, we are not going to trade. And we seem to be quite successful in doing that,” Trump said in a video on X.

Kurti attends farewell reception of UN Resident Coordinator in Kosovo (media)

Several news websites report that Kosovo’s caretaker Prime Minister Albin Kurti attended a farewell reception organized for the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Kosovo, Arnhild Spence.  “Kurti said that Spence took the helm as coordinator at a time of global turmoil ‘with the world facing numerous challenges, from the Russian invasion of Ukraine to the impact on global living costs and energy crises.’ He also said that throughout this period, Kosovo was lucky to have Arnhild as a close partner of the Government,” a press release issued by the government notes. “‘Thanks to our excellent cooperation, the development of our country not only continued on the right path but has also flourished despite these challenges. This extraordinary progress continues to be confirmed in the latest data, which show that in the first quarter of 2025, Kosovo's economy grew at an annual rate of 3.6% … Spence has played an essential role in the Government's cooperation with the UN team. Inspired by your commitment, we will continue to advance the Sustainable Development Goals and work towards a brighter and more hopeful future for generations to come,” Kurti said.

Kamberi: Five requests of Presevo Valley Albanians for Kosovo and Albania (media)

Shaip Kamberi, the sole Albanian member of the Parliament of Serbia, said in a Facebook post that the governments in Pristina and Tirana need to coordinate to come to the aid of Albanians living in Presevo Valley in Serbia. “The five requests for Tirana and Pristina would be: first, a national strategy for Presevo Valley with long-term policies, second, diplomatic representation of our issue at international forums, third, support for Albanian education and media in the Valley, four, funds for economic development and support for the diaspora, five, permanent institutional coordination between the governments of Kosovo, Albania, and the Albanian representatives from Presevo Valley,” he said.

Kamberi said in an interview with Koha that he does not believe in the democratization of Serbia until it acknowledges its violent past and does not give up on its ambitions towards other countries. “26 years after the conflict, we [Albanians in Presevo Valley] are almost alone and we are faced with the discriminatory capacities of the Serbian state,” he said, referring to the passivization of addresses of Albanians in the Valley. 

Serbian Language Media

Petkovic spoke to Jenca about Pristina's escalating moves (Tanjug, Radio Mitrovica sever, KoSSev)

The Director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija, Petar Petkovic, spoke today in Belgrade with the Assistant Secretary General of the United Nations for Europe, Central Asia and the Americas, Miroslav Jenca, whom he informed about Pristina's numerous escalating moves and the impossible conditions for the life of the Serbian people in Kosovo, reported Tanjug agency.

The Office for Kosovo and Metohija announced that Petkovic specifically underlined the last in a series of unilateral moves by Pristina led by Albin Kurti, which is reflected in the plans to build two new bridges on the Ibar, which is directly directed against the interests of the majority Serb people in the north of Kosovo, who have clearly stated this by signing a petition against these infrastructure works.

"This move by Pristina followed immediately after the persecution of 11 Serbs from Kosovo and Metohija who are employed in police administrations in central Serbia, which clearly shows that Kurti is generating crisis after crisis with the aim of destabilizing the situation on the ground and expelling Serbs for the final change of the ethnic structure of Kosovo and Metohija," warned Petkovic and stated that since Kurti came to power, 667 ethnically motivated incidents have been recorded in Kosovo.

Petkovic underlined that the Serbs both south and north of the Ibar are faced with institutional and physical terror of Pristina, arbitrary arrests, staged political processes, closing of institutions of vital importance, all of which result in the existential threat of the Serbian people and their complete disenfranchisement.

"Belgrade remains strongly committed to the dialogue with Pristina as the only sustainable way to normalize relations in the area of Kosovo and Metohija and build peace and stability on the ground, and in this light it is necessary for Pristina to fulfill its part of the obligations from the dialogue and form the Community of Serbian Municipalities, which the Serbian people have been waiting for 12 years," said Petkovic.

He thanked his interlocutor for the constructive cooperation, especially with the UN Office in Belgrade and emphasized the importance of the role of the United Nations and the observance of Resolution 1244 of the UN Security Council in order to preserve the peace and sovereignty and territorial integrity of Serbia, but also the importance of the UNMIK mission, in which the Serbian people in Kosovo have great confidence and expect a stronger commitment to protect their endangered rights and existence.

Mitrovica: Despite the petition, the machines continue working, a bridge is being built for road and pedestrian traffic (Alternativna)

Portal Alernativna  recalled today that the petition against the construction of two new bridges that would connect North and South Mitrovica, called for by the Serbian List, was signed by 3,628 citizens. According to the SL, the people supported a clear position against the implementation of this project by signing.

Despite this, work on one of the bridges – which is planned for both road and pedestrian traffic – is well under way.  

On the northern side, in the meantime, two smaller houses that were located in the immediate vicinity of the route of the future bridge were also removed, reported Alternativna.

Rapajic: MPs will automatically lose their mandates if the deadline set by the Constitutional Court is not respected (Kosovo Online)

The program director of the NGO Center for the Representation of Democratic Culture from North Mitrovica, Aleksandar Rapajic, told Kosovo Online that he is not aware of the possibility that MPs can be prosecuted if the Assembly is not constituted within the time limit prescribed by the Constitutional Court, but he believes that in that case the MPs will automatically lose their mandates.

"Then we will have to go to new elections, which will most likely have to be called by the president," Rapajic told Kosovo Online.

As he states, the situation is very strange now and the campaign for future elections has already started.

"We see that the political parties have no desire to solve the problem at all, but have already entered the campaign, attacking the other side, releasing trial balloons to see how they react to it. I think the most logical thing is not to go to elections twice within a few months, but to merge the new elections with the local ones. Legally, it could be done by postponing the parliamentary elections to the time when the local ones are scheduled, but with these deadlines set by the Constitutional Court, it will be very complicated to perform," said Rapajic.

The Conference for the Reconstruction of Ukraine begins in Rome, Minister Djuric represents Serbia (Tanjug)

Minister of Foreign Affairs Marko Djuric will represent the Republic of Serbia at the Conference for the Reconstruction of Ukraine, which is being held today and tomorrow in Rome, reported Tanjug.

The conference in Rome is the fourth international conference of this type and is a continuation of the process started in 2022 with the conference in Lugano, after which conferences were held in London and Berlin, the Serbian MFA announced.

According to the organizers' announcement, the conference is being held at the La Nuvola Congress Center in Rome, under the joint patronage of Italy and Ukraine, reported Tanjug.

Opinion

Frozen funds, frozen progress: Impact of the EU’s measures against Kosovo (media)

Opinion by Federico Baccini and Arian Lumezi.

It has now been two years since Kosovo has been subject to restrictive measures imposed by the European Union. These are not sanctions, but rather “temporary and reversible measures” which, in reality, are proving to be neither temporary nor reversible, not even now that the European Commission has announced to start its lifting.

In the meantime, the financial toll on Kosovo—a country seeking EU membership—has become increasingly severe, with over €600 million worth of projects suspended or indefinitely delayed over the past two years.

“Even if the measures are lifted now, the impact of the two-year delay on these projects is greater than their face value,” said Rrona Zhuri, Research Coordinator at the GAP Institute for Advanced Studies who conducted the analysis on the financial impact of the EU measures on Kosovo.

An opaque procedure

In May 2023, tensions with neighbouring Serbia escalated in northern Kosovo, when protests against the Kosovo police’s intervention to facilitate the installation of four newly elected mayors descended into violent clashes, also involving NATO-led KFOR troops. The protests were led by the Serb List, the dominant Serb party in Kosovo, which maintains close ties with Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić.

Following a unanimous vote in the Council, the EU adopted “temporary and reversible” measures against Kosovo on 28 June 2023, in response to what the Commission described as a “lack of cooperation” from the authorities in Kosovo in de-escalating the situation in the north.

Since then, the EU has suspended all bilateral visits, except those conducted as part of the EU-facilitated Serbia-Kosovo Dialogue. The financial consequences have also been considerable. Funding through the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA) has been frozen, and proposals submitted under the Western Balkans Investment Framework (WBIF) are no longer being considered by the WBIF Management Board.

These measures are not formally classified as sanctions—which would require unanimous approval from all 27 member states every six months for renewal—but instead follow a procedure under the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) framework, which likewise requires unanimity in the Council for their removal.

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

No, nationalism has not taken over the student protests in Serbia (EWB)

By Aleksandar Ivkovic

Is the regime of Aleksandar Vučić nationalist? For those who would make that argument, there are plenty of examples to cite.

For instance, the vast majority of media outlets controlled by the regime have been spreading nationalist and anti-Western propaganda for over a decade, appealing to the nationalist voter base. Many of the warmongers from the 1990s have been welcomed into the ranks of the ruling party.

Vučić is now in a formal alliance with his political mentor, Vojislav Šešelj, and his extreme-right Serbian Radical Party, having formed coalitions with the party during last year’s local elections. It would come as no surprise if this coalition is formalised at the national level as well, as the regime has been shifting further to the right in recent years to compensate for a steady, though not dramatic, decline in the polls.

In addition, the main narrative promoted by Vučić and his allies regarding the ongoing student protest movement is that it represents a Western-backed colour revolution, aimed at installing a puppet government that would, among other things, recognise Kosovo’s independence.

Despite all these factors, one should still stop short of simply labeling Vučić’s regime as nationalist. Simultaneously with this kind of rhetoric, Vučić has continued to pursue a largely cautious and pragmatic foreign policy, carefully avoiding direct confrontation with the geopolitical interests of the EU and the U.S. in the Balkans. The position of national minorities in Serbia, though far from ideal, has not been significantly downgraded during Vučić’s rule.

This does not mean that the government is liberal or pro-European either. EU accession has long ago stopped being its priority, evidenced by the pace of reforms. The rhetoric of the state officials towards the EU has long been cold and sometimes outright hostile.

The point is – the situation is complex. Vučić’s regime is not purely nationalist, and even less purely pro-European. It is, above all, purely kleptocratic and increasingly authoritarian. Throughout most of its rule, it has relied on a broad, big-tent coalition to maintain power.

Just as one must appreciate the complexity of assigning an ideological label to Vučić’s regime, the same applies when discussing the student movement.

Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/yu8f36pc

The EU's fence-sitting as Serbia's Vučić steps up violent state (EUobserver)

By Kurt Bassuener and Toby Vogel

Throughout months of popular protests against the Serbian regime, the European Union has stubbornly backed president Aleksandar Vučić. But now, Vučić’s increasingly brutal repression of peaceful protests has put the EU’s policy at an inflection point: continue its transactional indulgence of Vučić, or embrace uncertainty — but with it, potential real progress.

Judging by the lack of response from Paris, Berlin, and the European Commission, the EU will try to sit on the fence for as long as it can. 

But accelerating events on the ground might soon force the EU into taking a position. 

At the close of a large protest in Belgrade on 28 June which drew over 100,000 people, speakers announced that the student movement was now a broader citizens’ movement and called for civil disobedience. 

The protest gathering was followed by scuffles and violent police repression in Belgrade — and soon after, by traffic blockades throughout Serbia. 

In the week since, police and apparent auxiliaries in police uniforms and masks (including, according to eyewitnesses, personnel from the Republika Srpska in neighbouring Bosnia and Herzegovina) engaged in brutal beatings and sweeps of protesters, triggering popular outrage at the violence, amplified by the fact that Vučić proclaimed himself “satisfied” with the police. 

Despite state violence, the blockades and protests show no sign of easing.

Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/y2hu6xcs

International

Rule of Law Report 2025 for EU candidates: Pressures on judiciary and corruption remain issues of concern (EWB)

STRASBOURG – Albania, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia continued implementing the reforms aimed at strengthening the judicial independence but there are still great pressures on the judicial systems, particularly by public officials and politicians, note the Rule of Law Reports 2025, published yesterday by the European Commission. In addition, the widespread corruption remains a matter of great concern in all these countries. There is also “a narrow space” for the functioning of the civil society organisations, and there are numerous challenges regarding media freedom, particularly in Serbia.

Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/38bpyh2t