UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, March 17, 2022

Albanian Language Media:

Osmani writes to Biden, asks for support towards NATO membership (media)
Sarrazin: EU membership perspective applies to the whole region (RTK)
Spanish foreign ministry asked to comment on calls to recognise Kosovo (G.Express)
Osmani awards medal to KFOR’s Ukrainian contingent (Koha/Kallxo)
Mehaj: We need to be cautious to malign influence on information (media)
Kosovo institutions targets of cyber attack, no damage incurred (Klan Kosova)
Protest against homophobia takes place in Pristina (media)
COVID-19: 33 new cases, two deaths (media)
COVID-19: 33 new cases, two deaths (media)

Serbian Language Media:

Marking the 18th anniversary of the March 2004 violence (media)
“Video spot of Besa Bese group misuse of child and hatred call against Serbs” (Radio KIM)
Arsenijevic files criminal report against author of video on boycotting Serbian products (Radio KIM)
Around 2.500 refugees from Ukraine staying in Serbia (RTS)
EU Ambassadors: We know we can count on Serbia (N1)
Nehammer: EU will not be complete until it is joined by W. Balkan states (Tanjug)
Djuric at international conference in Washington on ‘Open Balkans’, regional cooperation (Tanjug)
Jevtic: Police action and arrests in Strpce mere politics (RTS)
N1 invites Vucic, Ponos to presidential debate (N1)

Opinion:

Legal framework for Kosovo Serbs tailored to Pristina (Part V): NATO, EU, Council of Europe (KoSSev)
We need to talk about Serbia (Kosovo 2.0)

Humanitarian/Development:

Wave of Fake News Confuses Kosovars About Ukraine War (Prishtina Insight)
Drop of fuel prices in Kosovo announced (EO/Koha)
Kosovo's economy grew by over 10 percent in 2021 (Kallxo)
Vucic: Serbia will have enough food to export to neighbours (N1)

Albanian Language Media

Osmani writes to Biden, asks for support towards NATO membership (media)

President of Kosovo Vjosa Osmani has written a letter to the U.S. President Joe Biden asking for his support in Kosovo's NATO membership bid. Osmani said that in light of the "unprecedented" events in Europe, Kosovo's membership in NATO is "our key national security priority."

"Europe is facing the darkest and most dangerous times since the end of the Cold War. As we share the joint goal of protecting and promoting global security, Kosovo's membership in NATO has become an imperative," Osmani said. "Kosovo is the most pro-American and pro-NATO country in the world. Nonetheless, to this day, Kosovo remains excluded from the NATO enlargement process, arrangements and programs," she continued.

Osmani warned about the "fragile situation" in the Western Balkans, saying that it is exposed to destabilising efforts by Russia. "In the face of these developments, the Republic of Kosovo stands lockstep with the United States, the European Union, and other democratic countries around the world against Russia's threatening actions tacitly and visibly accepted and otherwise supported by its proxy in the Western Balkans. The launch of NATO's PfP program initially, and ultimately, full membership into the Alliance, would significantly contribute towards the consolidation and empowerment of these efforts."

Sarrazin: EU membership perspective applies to the whole region (RTK)

Germany's special envoy to the Western Balkans, Manuel Sarrazin, said in a visit to Tirana that he plans to visit all countries of the Western Balkans region.

"I want to make it clear that Albania, the Western Balkans, and the EU membership perspective of the region are of strategic importance for Germany. These are of high priority," he said.

Spanish foreign ministry asked to comment on calls to recognise Kosovo (G.Express)

Despite developments in Ukraine and the calls towards authorities in Madrid for the recognition of Kosovo's independence, Spain says it continues to maintain its position on non-recognition of Kosovo as a state, Gazeta Express reports quoting officials from the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

"Spain continues to hold an unrecognising position towards the unilateral declaration of independence by Pristina in 2008", the Ministry said in a to Gazeta Express. However, officials from Madrid say that Spain's approach will be very constructive and that they support dialogue and reaching an agreement between Pristina and Belgrade.

Osmani awards medal to KFOR’s Ukrainian contingent (Koha/Kallxo)

President of Kosovo Vjosa Osmani awarded the Presidential Military Medal to the KFOR Ukrainian Contingent for their contribution in Kosovo. The Ukrainian troops are concluding their twenty-three year service in Kosovo.

On the occasion, Osmani highlighted “the solidarity of the people of Kosovo with the people of Ukraine as they face this extraordinary aggression on their freedom and democratic values.”

Mehaj: We need to be cautious to malign influence on information (media)

Kosovo's Minister of Defence Armend Mehaj said on Facebook that “Russia’s campaign against the truth has for years stretched to its allies across the world, including our Western Balkans region.”

He said that in face of events unfolding in Ukraine, “it is our responsibility to be even more careful to malign influence on information in our region.” Mehaj added that this is particularly true when it comes to which source of information the people use to get their news.

“As state-controlled Russian media bombard the audience with misinformation about the alleged ‘special military operation’ of Russian forces against Ukraine, the Putin regime is intensifying its aggressive campaign against independent media to prevent the Truth from reaching the Russian public. Kosovo proudly supports the courageous Ukrainian and Russian voices of the Truth, who are resisting at great risk to themselves,” he wrote.

Kosovo institutions targets of cyber attack, no damage incurred (Klan Kosova)

The Government of Kosovo and the Ministry of Internal Affairs have been the target of cyber attacks in recent days, Klan Kosova reports.

The Ministry of Interior in a response to Klankosova.tv said that there was no damage from these cyber attacks. "Kosovo's institutions are constantly subject to cyber attacks, mainly of the 'Phishing' type, but on a small scale. On 26-02-2022 there was a 'phishing' type cyber attack of larger dimensions, but even this cyber attack has not blocked or damaged information or data", the Ministry said.

Protest against homophobia takes place in Pristina (media)

A group of citizens have gathered in front of the Kosovo Assembly protesting against use of homophobic language used by MPs yesterday during the discussion of the draft law on Civil Code.

"Homophobe, your place is not in the Assembly", "Love is not a sickness", "No country with homophobes" were some of the placards the protesters displayed.

Yesterday, the Kosovo Assembly failed to adopt the draft of the new Civil Code, with 29 MPs voting against, 28 in favour and four MPs abstained. The stickiest point of the code proved to be the provision regarding the civil union between members of the same sex.

COVID-19: 33 new cases, two deaths (media)

33 new cases of COVID-19 have been recorded in Kosovo in the last 24 hours, the Ministry of Health today. 23 persons recovered during this time.

There are 644 active cases of COVID-19 in Kosovo.

Serbian Language Media

Marking the 18th anniversary of the March 2004 violence (media)

Serbian media reported today on the 18th anniversary of the events of 17 and 18 March 2004.

Most Serbian media have noted that “Albanians, during the March pogrom, first in Kosovska Mitrovica and then in other parts of Kosovo and Metohija, organised the expulsion of Serbs, the destruction of their property and religious buildings''.

The anniversary was marked in Gracanica with a memorial service in the Gracanica monastery, cultural events, and the academy "We have no right to oblivion".

N1 reported that the reason for the riots was the accident of three boys of Albanian nationality, who drowned in the Ibar in the village of Cabra in Ibarski Kolasin, for which the Albanians accused the Serbs.

On that day, ''six towns and nine villages were ethnically cleansed, and more than 4,000 Serbs had to leave their homes'', reported N1, adding that ''eight Serbs and 11 Albanians were killed, more than a thousand people were injured, including dozens of members of international forces. About a thousand Serbian houses, ten Serbian schools, health centres, post offices and other institutions of the state of Serbia were set on fire or severely damaged’’.

N1 recalled that in two days, 35 churches and monasteries were demolished or destroyed, and more than ten thousand valuable frescoes, icons, and many other church relics disappeared or were damaged.

Serbs were expelled from Kosovo Polje, Obilic, Plemetina, Lipjan, Urosevac, Djakovica, Gnjilane and for the second time, Serbs from Belo Polje near Pec had to flee their homes, where all returnee houses were set on fire again, reported N1.

N1 and Beta news agency recalled that although the action of destruction took place in front of 38,000 KFOR soldiers from 39 countries and 8,000 UNMIK police officers in charge of maintaining the security of all those living in Kosovo, the organisers were not punished and those who directly participated were sentenced to minimal prison terms.

The Director of the Government Office for Kosovo and Metohija, Petar Petkovic assessed that March 17, 2004, is one of the most difficult days in the recent history of Serbia.

"All this took place in a period of peace before the eyes of the international community. That is why March 17 is a stain on the face of the international community," Petkovic told RTS.

He added that it was a "very coordinated" action aimed at expelling Serbs from Kosovo and ''erasing every trace of Serbian life in the area''.

He also reminded that no one has yet been held accountable for the suffering of Serbs and the burning of the SOC monastery in the March 2004 pogrom.

The president of the Serbian List, Goran Rakic stated that the pogrom against Serbs in March 2004, "must not remain a crime without punishment".

Citing a written statement, Serbian media reported that Rakic said "memories of that event cannot and must not fade. On that day, everything that was called by the Serbian name was destroyed in this area, but despite everything, the fight and faith in a better tomorrow is inevitable because we, as a nation, came out of difficult moments even more united in attention to survive and stay at our homes."

He also reminded that no one was responsible for the suffering of Serbs in the March 2004 pogrom.

The President of the Assembly of Serbia and the Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS), Ivica Dacic, says that a difficult anniversary is ahead - eighteen years since the pogrom of Serbs in Kosovo on March 17, 2004, ''aimed at ethnic cleansing of Serbs, which the international community has never condemned'', TV Most reported.

"The pogrom was the result of Albanian separatism in Kosovo and the desire for ethnic cleansing of Serbs, and that was not the only time, unfortunately. To this day, I do not know if anyone was held accountable for what happened, whether the perpetrators were registered or whether an indictment has been filed against anyone and whether anyone has been convicted. That speaks of the attitude towards Serb victims in crimes against Serbs," Dacic pointed out.

The leader of the Social Democratic Party (SDS) and former Serbian President Boris Tadic assessed today that Serbian state institutions could not prevent the pogrom against Serbs in Kosovo in March 2004, because, as he said, any entry of the army or police into the area would mean conflict with members of KFOR, i.e., NATO, reported NMagazin portal, citing TV Prva.

Tadic told TV Prva that Serbia did not have the potential to react militarily at that time, but that it reacted with "military diplomacy", which is why, according to him, intervention of NATO took place on the second day.

He assessed that since 1999 and the arrival of the KFOR mission in Kosovo, "in some way" violence against Serbs has been legalised, with, as he said, ''the tacit consent of UNMIK missions and, above all, KFOR'', cited the portal.

Visoki Decani Monastery announced on Twitter that “today we commemorate the 18th anniversary of March Pogrom 2004. Despite the international peacekeepers’ presence thousands of Kosovo Albanian rioters destroyed 35 Serbian Orthodox churches. 4000 Serbs were forced to leave their burning homes. This was the worst post-war violence in Kosovo”.

The Humanitarian Law Centre (HLC) tweeted that it had published a report "Ethnic Violence in Kosovo" in July 2004 documenting the events of March 17 and 18, stating that 23 people lost their lives at that time..

"On March 17 and 18, 2004, during ethnic violence throughout Kosovo, Albanian protesters attacked Serbs, Roma and Ashkali, their property and Orthodox religious sites," the HLC recalled.

Radio television of Vojvodina reported that the Prime Minister of the Republic of Serbia, Ana Brnabic will attend today the commemorative academy at the National Theatre in Belgrade on the occasion of marking March 17, 2004, i.e., the Day of Remembrance.

“Video spot of Besa Bese group misuse of child and hatred call against Serbs” (Radio KIM)

Radio KIM wrote yesterday that a new campaign against the Serbian products in Kosovo was launched by the Besa Bese group. Unlike previous campaigns that related to the Serbian products only, this one is directed against the Serbian people. Serbs in Kosovo feel intimidated with this campaign, but also disappointed in the institutions that do not react to the spread of hatred towards the entire ethnic community.

The author of the video spot B.P. published on Besa Bese Facebook page and rerun by some Albanian media on their portals and websites, sends a message that one “should not buy Serbian products”, but that was not the only message of the spot, Radio KIM added.

A video spot featuring a father and a child alleges that Serbian products “were poisonous”, should not be purchased as “grandma told us”, adding that Serbs were responsible for the murder of entire family of a girl they both know who is “now all alone”.

“How is it possible to misuse a child in such a way? The history of child misuse in this area for political context is something that should remind us we must never ever think to instil the hatred against others in those young minds”, Gracanica-based journalist and President of the Association of Journalists of Serbia (UNS), Zivojin Rakocevic said.

Gordana Djoric, from Businesswomen Association Avenija said this is not only a campaign against the Serbian products, but also against the entire Serbian population. She added that everybody should react to it, in particular the EU, given the aspirations of Kosovo to join the EU.

Journalist and New Social Initiative (NSI) representative Milica Radovanovic said that the current ruling party set foundations for such a campaign already back in 2011.

“Firstly, by overturning trucks transporting Serbian goods. The same they did in 2016, and then in 2018 there were 100 percent tariffs on goods from Serbia, there was ceremonial burning of Serbian products in Pristina, calls to boycott “Plazma” biscuits and so on. What we see today only represents a continuation of a decade-long consistent policy, often supported by highest officials”, Radovanovic said.

She added she was concerned over the attitude of the media towards this and similar campaigns “that not only contain elements of inciting ethnic intolerance, but also represent misuse of children for political and propaganda purposes”.

Veroljub Petronic from Human Centre Mitrovica urged the Albanian civil sector in Kosovo to react and oppose such a campaign, adding that responsible institutions should also react.

Djoric added she fears that reinforced negative rhetoric against the Serbian community could lead to deterioration of the security situation.

Radio KIM recalled it became noticeable that some public personalities in Kosovo and also a number of Albanian journalists got engaged in a negative campaign against Serbia over the last couple of weeks. In addition to expressing criticism of the political acts of Serbia regarding Ukraine and Russia, often their posts on social networks call for boycotting Serbian products.

Arsenijevic files criminal report against author of video on boycotting Serbian products (Radio KIM)

President of the Civic Initiative Survival and Mitrovica North mayoral candidate at last elections, Aleksandar Arsenijevic filed a criminal report against A.P. author of a video spot calling for boycotting Serbian products in Kosovo, Radio KIM reports.

He filed the report to the regional investigative unit of the Kosovo police in Mitrovica, saying the author was responsible for “inciting hatred and intolerance, discord, and endangerment of the safety as well as for misusing children for propaganda purposes”.

Arsenijevic also said that the author “has created a disgraceful video spot directed against the Serbian community and products from Serbia”. He also mentioned the impact this video spot and messages conveyed in it will have on Serbs in Kosovo, in particular those living in the isolated places.

A video spot calling for boycotting Serbian products but also containing libelling statements against the Serbs in general was posted on the Besa Bese Facebook page, Radio KIM reported.

Around 2.500 refugees from Ukraine staying in Serbia (RTS)

Almost three million people from Ukraine left the country over the last three weeks, RTS reports, adding that half of them are staying in Poland, and that some of them also arrived in Serbia.

Nikola Sakan from Serbian Commissariat for Refugees told RTS their teams are on duty all the time at Horgos crossing point (between Hungary and Serbia), adding their job is to provide refugees from Ukraine with all information about services and support they can get in Serbia.

“We distribute brochures in Ukrainian language with phone numbers and email addresses they can contact at any time of day or night if they have a problem or need additional support”, Sakan said.

He also said mostly women and children, and rarely men are among the refugees, mainly on the transit route.

He said there are families staying in Serbia with their friends or relatives and advised them to contact local commissioners for refugees in places they stay so they can register their presence in Serbia.

Around thirty persons stay at the centres of the commissariat and these are mainly families with children. They have accommodation and food provided.

During February and March, Sakan said that 12.500 refugees from Ukraine entered Serbia, and 2.500 remained in the country.

In addition to Horgos crossing point, the teams of commissariat are present at Vatin and Jasa Tomic crossing points (between Serbia and Romania).

EU Ambassadors: We know we can count on Serbia (N1)

European Union member state ambassadors in Belgrade said that the Union knows it can count on Serbia’s hospitality and compassion for the Ukrainians fleeing from the war in their country, N1 reports.

The ambassadors wrote an opinion piece for Nedeljnik weekly recalling that a huge number of people have left their homes in Ukraine because their situation has become unbearable and even lethal. “More than 2.5 million people have fled the illegal Russian invasion and there are more every day”, they said, adding that this is the worst refugee crisis in Europe since WWII.

Opinion

Legal framework for Kosovo Serbs tailored to Pristina (Part V): NATO, EU, Council of Europe (KoSSev)

By Dragutin Nenezic

In recent weeks, an increasing number of proposals arrived from different sides calling for Pristina to join NATO and the EU, as a form of Western Balkan reaction to the fratricidal war in Ukraine. Readers of this portal are undoubtedly familiar with these proposals (as well as those that preceded them), so I won’t dwell on them any longer, thus, I would like to draw attention to the somewhat overlooked proposal, made by Viola von Cramon, for Pristina to replace Russia in the Council of Europe. I would like to give my contribution to the comprehension of the conditions for Pristina’s accession to all these organisations, as well as attempt to assess the future course of events in this regard, however thankless it may be.

NATO

The conditions and procedure for NATO accession are regulated by Article 10 of the North Atlantic Treaty:

The Parties may, by unanimous agreement, invite any other European State in a position to further the principles of this Treaty and to contribute to the security of the North Atlantic area to accede to this Treaty. Any State so invited may become a Party to the Treaty by depositing its instrument of accession with the Government of the United States of America. The Government of the United States of America will inform each of the Parties of the deposit of each such instrument of accession.

Therefore, among other things, it must be a European state invited by unanimous agreement by other signatories, among which Greece, Romania, Slovakia and Spain do not recognize the unilaterally declared independence of Pristina.

Humanitarian/Development

Wave of Fake News Confuses Kosovars About Ukraine War (Prishtina Insight)

Kosovo is being deluged with fake news about the conflict in Ukraine, making it hard for citizens to tell what is true or false.

While fierce fighting continues in Ukraine, the opportunity for media propaganda is massive. Instead of supplying quality information at a time when every piece of information has more weight than usual, some portals in Kosovo pay little heed to the truth.

Faced with a barrage of clicks, financial gains and a shift in perception of what is really going on, there is a lack of fact-checking and citation of unverified and unreliable sources about the fast-paced events occurring in the war zone.

Social media play an inalienable role in political and social processes, but as long as people are killed and territorial integrity is violated in one country of the world, misinformation changes perceptions of the real situation, as has occurred throughout the history of wars.