Albanian Language Media:

• Osmani summons parties tomorrow, will set date for local elections (Express)
• Besa Shahini to run for mayor of Pristina in next local elections (Koha)
• Kos: Kosovo's path to EU goes through dialogue, not unilateral steps (Koha)
• Police operation in three regions against drugs trafficking, cybercrimes (media)
• UN Kosovo Team reacts: We cooperate strongly with the government (Express)
• US citizen who trained and fought for ISIS sentenced to 10 years in prison (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• KFOR: Kosovo Security Force on joint exercise (N1)
• Kosovo Serbs again sent a request to the EU, USA and Quint due to institutional violence of Pristina (Danas)
• Milenkovic about the intention of the Leposavic Mayor to evict 17 families (Danas)
• Vucic, Djuric met Troccaz  (Kosovo Online, Tanjug, media)
• Kovac: We are pointing out to PACE representatives that Kosovo must not be rewarded for unfulfilled obligations (Tanjug, RTV, Tanjug)
• Annalena Baerbock elected President of the UN General Assembly (Beta, AFP, KiM radio, KoSSev)
• The University of Belgrade among the best in the latest Global 2000 list (N1)

Albanian Language Media 

Osmani summons parties tomorrow, will set date for local elections (Express)

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani has summoned the political parties to a meeting tomorrow to consult on setting the date for local elections. Bekim Kupina, an advisor to Osmani, told Gazeta Express: “based on her constitutional competencies, President Osmani has called the political parties to a meeting on Wednesday, June 4, 2025, for consultations on setting the date for local elections. Immediately after the consultations, the President will set the date for elections”.

Besa Shahini to run for mayor of Pristina in next local elections (Koha)

Former Minister of Education of Albania, Besa Shahini, will run for mayor of Pristina in the upcoming local elections this year. Shahini, who was born in Pristina, said in a Facebook post that the capital city needs radical change. “Four years ago I returned from Tirana to Pristina, a city that I love greatly, and which has exceptional potential but which has taken a wrong direction in its development. It is a city mainly covered in concrete and without enough green spaces … Pristina needs a radical change and a development turn. I want to be part of the change therefore in autumn I will run for mayor in the 2025 local elections,” Shahini said.

Kos: Kosovo’s path to EU goes through dialogue not unilateral actions (Koha)

EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos said during a debate at the Foreign Policy Committee of the European Parliament that the European Commission is ready to prepare an opinion on Kosovo’s EU membership bid when the Council requests this. She said that Kosovo however needs to form its institutions as soon as possible and bear in mind that progress on the path toward the European Union is linked to the dialogue with Serbia. “In Kosovo, after the February elections, it is crucial for institutions to be formed soon and to move forward with key reforms in the judiciary, media and public administration. A functional government and assembly are needed for Kosovo to be able to benefit from the growth and reforms plan,” she said.

Kos also said that “the Commission stands ready to prepare an opinion about Kosovo’s membership bid in the EU once the Council requests this. But let me be clear, Kosovo’s path toward the EU goes the normalization of relations with Belgrade and not through unilateral actions”.

Police operation in three regions against drugs trafficking, cybercrimes (media)

Kosovo Police have launched an operation early this morning in three different regions of Kosovo in relation to drug trafficking and cybercrimes, Koha reports. Police spokesperson, Baki Kelani, said the operation was a success and that it has not concluded yet. “After an operational and investigation work by officers of the Investigations Department of Kosovo Police, authorized by the Special Prosecution of the Republic of Kosovo, early this morning a successful police operation was carried out. During the police operation, controls were carried out in three regions of Kosovo including a considerable number of different locations, against drugs trafficking and cybercrimes. All further actions will be taken in cooperation and coordination with the judicial bodies, and once the operation is completed you will receive additional information,” Kelani said.

Spokesperson for the Special Prosecution of Kosovo, Arbnora Luta, told Telegrafi that the operation is linked to suspected smuggling of narcotics. “We inform you that the Kosovo Police, based on an order issued by the competent courts, requested by the Special Prosecution of the Republic of Kosovo, has carried out an operation against suspected smuggling of narcotics. The raids were carried in several locations, under the leadership of the duty prosecutor of the Special Prosecution. The public will be informed about other details during the day,” she said.

UN Kosovo Team reacts: We cooperate strongly with the government (Express)

The news website reports that the UN Kosovo Team reacted today to media reports from Monday evening according to which the UNKT Coordinator had asked the UN agencies in Kosovo not to maintain official contacts with representatives of the Kosovo government over lack of legitimacy. The UNKT however today denied the allegations saying that it reaffirms its continued and strong cooperation with the Kosovo government. “We remain firmly committed to Kosovo’s development priorities and value our long-standing partnership with Kosovo,” the post notes.

US citizen who trained and fought for ISIS sentenced to 10 years in prison (media)

Several news websites report that Lirim Sylejmani, a Kosovo-born naturalized U.S. citizen, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 10 years in prison in connection with undergoing military training with the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) and then engaging in at least one battle with U.S.-led coalition forces.

Sylejmani, aka Abu Sulayman al-Kosovi, pleaded guilty on December 12, 2024, to receiving military-type training from a designated foreign terrorist organization. In addition to the prison term, Judge Rudolph Contreras ordered Sylejmani to serve a lifetime of supervised release.

“This defendant will spend a decade in prison thinking about the betrayal to this country,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “Anyone thinking that ISIS is the answer to their questions, best think again. We will go to any lengths to root out subversive individuals who want to overthrow the government and harm its citizens.”

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

Serbian Language Media

KFOR: Kosovo Security Force on joint exercise (N1)

A KFOR press release said that the Kosovo Security Force (KSF) will take part in one of its exercises for the first time later this month, reported N1.

It said that KFOR, EULEX and the Kosovo Police will conduct the Golden Sabre 2025 exercise at Camp Vrelo in Pristina on June 9-10. “For the first time, the Kosovo Security Force will also participate in this exercise, in accordance with its original civil protection mandate, through training activities on the safe handling and disposal of explosive ordnance and hazardous materials,” the press release said.

It said that the exercise for more than 600 personnel will test the implementation of crisis management procedures in different security scenarios and will help enhance the ability to operate together. “Golden Sabre 2025 is another, tangible demonstration of the well-developed and long-standing cooperation among KFOR, EULEX and the Kosovo Police,” the KFOR press release said.

Milenkovic about the intention of the Leposavic Mayor to evict 17 families (Danas)

Seventeen Serbian families in Lesak near Leposavic were notified by the municipal authorities to move out of their houses by Vidovdan, without explanation or alternative housing. The inhabitants of Lesak claim that they are ready to defend their homes with their lives because they have no other means, and no one offers them other methods of appeal, reported Danas today. 

In the notice, handed over to them, it was ordered that the tenants are obliged to remove their personal belongings, furniture, and useful construction materials within 30 days, because their houses will be demolished, Danas reported. 

The notice was signed by the president of the municipality of Leposavic, Lulzim Hetemi, and delivered to the tenants by his deputy, Marina Bogojevic. Danas recalled that Hetemi was elected mayor of Leposavic in the 2023 elections, which were boycotted by the local Serbian population. Hetemi was elected to that position with only 100 votes.

Marko Milenkovic from the NGO New Social Initiative explained to Danas that the basis for the eviction was constructed.

"Formally, the land may be owned by an institution, but legal and institutional practice in such cases implies an assessment of the real situation — and here we are talking about people who have lived there for decades, often on the basis of permits from the same administration," noted Milenkovic.

He pointed out that the problem was that the legal framework was used selectively and retroactively, which indicated a politically motivated action.

"Also, those same institutions should first advocate for the interests and needs of citizens, and not endanger them, as in this example, with a complete absence of transparency and responsibility, that is, without any explanation as to why this is being done, and whether there is any public interest at stake," said Milenkovic. 

Speaking about the possibility of an appeal, Milenkovic claimed that legal mechanisms exist, but that in this context they are more of a facade than real protection.

"The only real possibility at the moment is political and media pressure — through public mobilization, engagement of international actors and continuous pointing out of the abuse of institutional power," he explained, adding that passively waiting for the outcome in institutions that did not enjoy the trust of citizens was a waste of time.

When asked to what extent politics plays a role in the motives for the decision to evict 17 Serbian families, Milenkovic said that it was obviously a matter of political interest.

"This is probably a local political operation, most likely conducted in the personal capacity of individuals without democratic legitimacy, but with the desire to profile themselves as "defenders of the law" in front of the central institutions in Pristina," said the interlocutor of Danas. 

He claimed that such moves simultaneously raise tensions and introduce additional instability, adding that it was harmful in the long term for the Serbian community and for any normalization process.

Danas recalled that this was not the only case of an order for the eviction of citizens in the municipality of Leposavic. Displaced persons who received apartments from the Commissariat for Refugees also received a summons to return the keys and move out of their apartments.

Vucic, Djuric met Troccaz  (Kosovo Online, Tanjug, media)

The President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, announced that he spoke today with the special envoy of France for the Western Balkans, Rene Troccaz, on important topics for Serbia, the region and Europe, the situation in Kosovo, the European path and bilateral relations with France. Vucic reiterated that Serbia remains a serious, responsible and constructive partner in all processes aimed at preserving peace and prosperity both for our citizens and for the entire region.

President Vucic added that he once again thanked France and President Emmanuel Macron for his personal commitment to the support provided to Serbia's progress on the European path and in the dialogue with Pristina.

Serbian Minister of Foreign Affairs Marko Djuric met yesterday with Renc Troccaz. 

Djuric provided the Special Envoy with a detailed overview of what he described as the latest wave of unilateral and provocative actions undertaken by the authorities in Pristina.

He emphasized that serious and frequent human rights violations against the Serbian population occur almost daily and represent a significant challenge to preserving peace and stability, both in Kosovo and the wider region.

Djuric expressed his gratitude to France and President Emmanuel Macron for their consistent and principled support of Serbia in its efforts toward full membership in the EU. He pointed out that cooperation with France was of strategic importance for Serbia, and that the shared vision of a European future for the region forms the foundation of stability and development.

Djuric extended an invitation to his French counterpart to visit Serbia to continue and strengthen the ongoing dialogue between the two countries.

Kosovo Serbs again sent a request to the EU, USA and Quint due to institutional violence of Pristina (Danas)

The signatories of the Appeal for Peace, 163 of them prominent citizens from the ranks of the Serbian community from Kosovo, once again called on the representatives of the European Union, the United States of America, Germany, France, Italy and Great Britain to take the necessary measures in order to preserve peace and create conditions for the coexistence of Albanians, Serbs and other communities in Kosovo, without institutional violence by the central authorities in Pristina, reported Danas.

On this day, June 3, 2023, 163 prominent citizens from the ranks of the Serbian community from Kosovo - intellectuals, journalists, activists, professors, artists, teachers and other members of the Serbian community - issued a joint appeal for peace, addressing representatives of the international community, primarily the European Union and the countries of the Quint, they remind in the press release.

"The warnings and concerns of the signatories regarding the pressures on the Serbian community have mostly come true, but their hopes that those who recognized Kosovo's independence - promising to build a multi-ethnic and democratic society and working for years to affirm Kosovo's statehood - showing determination in preserving peace and security for the Serbs in Kosovo, have not come true. Also, the necessary pressure was missing on the Government of Kosovo to stop unilateral, uncoordinated, and often illegal actions of the Kosovo police and other institutions towards the Serbian community, its institutions and establishments", they warn.

They remind of the numerous pressures that the Serbian community was exposed to during the previous two years, that is, since the Appeal for Peace was sent.

In this regard, they state:

• We have witnessed numerous violations of the code of police ethics in the north of Kosovo using brutal force, often with elements of torture, against members of the Serbian community, among whom the victims are often minors.

• Occurrences of sexual harassment of women in the north of Kosovo are becoming more frequent, and the fact that the Kosovo police authorities recognized the problem only last week and took certain measures to prevent this deviant behavior is particularly worrying. However, the proper reaction of the judicial authorities is still lacking.

• The practice of selective arrest of Serbs, often without a warrant from the prosecution, continued.

• The abolition of the use of the dinar as a means of payment, as well as the suspension of banking and postal institutions, had a significant impact on the quality of life of the Serbian community, but also on reduction of the volume of economic activity in Serbian areas.

• Under the pretext that they are financed from Serbia, institutions and establishments that provide services that the Kosovo authorities are unable to organize in Serbian areas were abolished - including institutions in the field of culture and sports, the abolition of which particularly affects the youngest layers of the population.

• The ban on the import of goods from Serbia was introduced and is practically still in force, although in a modified institutional form.

• Illegal expropriation of private land for the purpose of building police forts and bases in the north of Kosovo continued.

• Under the pretext of the "rule of law", legal solutions are selectively applied in a way that disrupts the ethnic balance and leads to the deprivation of social and economic resources from the Serbian community, creating systemic pressure for its members to move out of Kosovo, and those who remain to become politically passive.

• Mayors of municipalities in the north of Kosovo, elected from among the Albanian community with the legitimacy of only about 3% of the local electorate, make decisions that directly negatively affect the quality of life of the majority Serbian community.

• Even religious buildings are not spared from the institutional violence that comes from the Government of Kosovo, which is most obviously seen in the illegal confiscation of two churches belonging to the Eparchy of Raska-Prizren, as well as through the prohibition of church representatives from entering the property, the prohibition of construction works and the destruction of church property.

• We also remind you that we appealed for peace more than a hundred days before the armed conflict in Banjska, because we knew that there would always be those who would rather choose war than suffer in peace. And we want peace.

That is why they once again call on the representatives of the EU, the USA, Germany, France, Italy and Great Britain to take the necessary measures in order to preserve peace and create conditions for the coexistence of Albanians, Serbs and other communities in Kosovo, without institutional violence by the central authorities in Pristina.

“As we emphasized two years ago in the Appeal for Peace, you bear historical and moral responsibility for the fate of the Serbian people living in these areas. Our future depends on your determination, and on the speed of your action - the preservation of peace in Kosovo. History will remember your next moves; hence we appeal to you to be responsible for the values of democracy and multi-ethnic coexistence on which Western civilization rests," conclude the signatories of the Appeal for Peace in a statement delivered to the editorial office of Danas.

Kovac: We are pointing out to PACE representatives that Kosovo must not be rewarded for unfulfilled obligations (Tanjug, RTV, Tanjug)

Vice President of the Serbian National Assembly and Chair of the Committee for European Integration, Elvira Kovac, stated that for now, there is no Kosovo’s request to obtain special guest status in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), and that Serbia is successfully delaying the inclusion of that request on the agenda, hoping it will be dropped, reported Kosovo Online, citing RTV. 

She said that, as a member of the Serbian delegation, she is working to point out to PACE representatives that now is not the time for Kosovo to be rewarded in any way.

“PACE representatives try to tell us they are neutral, that they are objective, and of course, they are aware that what Albin Kurti is doing is not right and should not be rewarded. We are trying to explain to them that whatever status they (Pristina) are given, they will present it as a major success and as the next step toward full membership in the Council of Europe,” Kovac said.

She emphasized that the formation of the Community of Serb Municipalities, which has been pending for more than ten years, is the fundamental condition.

“We know that this has been Pristina's obligation for over a decade, if we talk about the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue and the Brussels Agreement, and nothing has been done regarding the formation of the CSM. Therefore, there should be no discussion about CoE membership. I think this is a very strong argument for why this issue is not currently on the agenda,” Kovac said.

Annalena Baerbock elected President of the UN General Assembly (Beta, AFP, KiM radio, KoSSev)

Former German foreign minister Annalena Baerbock was elected yesterday as the president of the 80th session of the UN General Assembly, during an unusual vote requested by Russia, reported KiM radio, citing AFP.

The President of the General Assembly is elected every year for one year, but those elections with only one candidate determined by geographical rotation are usually carried out by acclamation.

This year, Russia asked for a vote, diplomatic sources told AFP.

During the mid-May debate with Annalena Baerbock, Russia clearly expressed its opposition to the German candidate.

"Baerbock repeatedly demonstrated her incompetence, her extreme views and her lack of knowledge of the basic principles of diplomacy," said the Russian ambassador's assistant Dmitry Polyansky at the time.

The decision of the authorities in Berlin to push her candidacy instead of the candidate they announced earlier and who suited everyone, "is nothing less than spitting in the face of the world organization", added the Russian ambassador.

The rotating presidency of the General Assembly of the world organization for its 80th session belongs to Western countries and others (Turkey, Israel, USA, Canada, New Zealand, Australia). Germany nominated diplomat Helga Schmid in September, but changed its mind in March and nominated Annalena Baerbock, who was stepping down as foreign minister after parliamentary elections in February.

During the secret ballot yesterday, Baerbock gained 167 votes "for", 14 states abstained and seven voted for Helga Schmid.

Baerbock said after the election that ''today we live in a difficult time and a time of uncertainty, but that the birth of the UN 80 years ago reminds everyone that the world has gone through other difficult periods''. "It is up to us to face those challenges," said Baerbock. 

The University of Belgrade among the best in the latest Global 2000 list (N1)

The University of Belgrade is positioned in 387th place out of a total of 21,462 ranked universities around the world, according to the recently published Global 2000 list of the Center for World University Rankings (CWUR), announced the Rectorate of the University of Belgrade. As stated in the announcement, the University of Belgrade has continuously, for eight years, been among the 1.9% of the best-ranked higher education institutions in the world. 

The Rectorate explains that the key elements for ranking universities according to the CWUR list are: Quality of education (25%), Alumni employment (25%), Faculty quality (10%), Research output (40% total), Scientific papers (10%), High quality publications (10%), Influence (10%), Citation (10%).

Rector Vladan Djokic thanked all teachers, researchers, associates and alumni of the University of Belgrade whose achievements in education, professional development and science contributed to a high-ranking position in the world.