UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, March 18, 2025

Albanian Language Media:

Bislimi: Agreement, implementation annex must be fully implemented (media)
Sorensen visits joint Kosovo-Serbia border crossing: Work must resume without delay (Express)
Trilateral memorandum signed among Albania, Kosovo, and Croatia (RTK)
Maqedonci: Our cooperation is not a threat against anyone (Albanian Post)
Haxhiu requests Special Chambers’ clarification on decision against Thaci (Koha)
Musliu: It is time for Assembly to abolish Specialist Chambers (media)
Specialist Chambers: There is no request or public decision for Thaci to be granted permission to attend his father's funeral (Klan)
Roth: Kosovo belongs to EU and Europe belongs to Kosovo (media)
Hoti: Poor election result, LDK needs new leadership (media)
Kica-Xhelili calls Hoti's request for change in LDK leadership "ridiculous" (Koha)
KFOR donates aid to Kosovo Police in support of victims of domestic violence (Koha)

Serbian Language Media:

NGO CASA: Police in Kosovo not a neutral institution, but an instrument of political power (Kosovo Online)
Registration of newly born and deceased persons halted in Mitrovica North municipality, reasons unknown (KoSSev)
The court rejected Dragisa Milenkovic's defense evidence due to the lack of diplomatic relations with Serbia (KiM radio)
"The March pogrom continues, only by other means": The 21st anniversary of the expulsion of Serbs from Kosovo marked, without Pristina's reactions (Danas)
Sorensen visits Brnjak crossing point, says people and goods should move freely (Kosovo Online, social media)
Day of mourning in Serbia for tragedy in North Macedonia (N1, TV Most, media)
15 Minutes of Silence vigil to be held in Mitrovica North (KoSSev)

Opinion:

What will happen with Kosovo if, or when, this government in Serbia falls? (KoSSev)
Student-led protests besiege Serbia (eureporter.co)

International Media:

Two Kosovo men plead not guilty on espionage charges (PI)
Waste management: A systemic crisis in Kosovo (PI)
Turkey moves to put military agreements into force with three Balkan countries surrounding Greece (nordicmonitor.com)

Albanian Language Media

Bislimi: Agreement, implementation annex must be fully implemented (media)

Kosovo’s Deputy Prime Minister Besnik Bislimi met with the EU Special Representative for the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia, Peter Sorensen, and briefed him on Kosovo’s progress over the years and the development opportunities that Kosovo offers, highlighting the IT sector and the young average age of the population as important assets.

Bislimi and Sorensen discussed a number of topics, with a focus on the way forward towards the full normalization of relations within the framework of the dialogue process. Bislimi stressed that the Basic Agreement and the Ohrid Implementation Annex should be fully implemented through a fair and equal sequencing plan between the parties. He also appreciated the public position of the European Union that Serbia’s behavior in the Council of Europe is a violation of the agreement.

Sorensen visits joint Kosovo-Serbia border crossing: Work must resume without delay (Express)

The EU envoy for the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue, Peter Sorensen, together with KFOR Commander Enrico Barduani, visited a border crossing between Kosovo and Serbia. Sorensen said it was “impressive to see and learn about the Joint Crossing Points. While much has been done, we must resume the remaining work without delay. It is about allowing people and goods to move freely – a cornerstone of European integration,” he wrote in X. He also thanked KFOR for its logistical support.

Sorensen will be in Kosovo today and tomorrow, while the EU has announced a visit to Serbia after his visit to Kosovo.

Trilateral memorandum signed among Albania, Kosovo and Croatia (RTK)

A trilateral memorandum in the field of defense was signed in the Albanian capital Tirana. The Ministers of Defense of Albania, Kosovo and Croatia have established their official cooperation offices in Tirana. This signed memorandum aims to promote cooperation in building defense capacities and the defense industry, increase interoperability through education, training and exercises, countering hybrid threats and strengthening strategic stability, providing full support for Euro-Atlantic integration and regional defense.

Maqedonci: Our cooperation is not a threat against anyone (Albanian Post)

Kosovo’s Minister of Defence, Ejup Maqedonci, said today that the tripartite military agreement between Kosovo, Croatia and Albania, aims to increase the defense capabilities, cooperation in the defense industry and improve military compatibility through joint education, training and exercises. He told a press conference that the agreement signed today is the finalization of one-year efforts. “The objective of this cooperation is not a threat against anyone, but a message to all those that threaten security, peace and stability in the Western Balkans, among our countries that share common values and interests. We have come together to face any threat or risk that aims to destabilize the region,” he argued.

Haxhiu requests Special Chambers’ clarification on decision against Thaci (Koha)

Justice Minister Albulena Haxhiu has called the decision of the Specialist Chambers to prevent former President Hashim Thaci from attending his father’s funeral unfair. She has addressed questions to the Specialist Chambers, calling on it to take “immediate measures to ensure that his rights are not violated.” “We believe that this decision is unjust, and given the circumstances, it should be reconsidered. I ask you to address my concerns and to take immediate measures to ensure that Mr. Thaci’s rights are not violated,” Haxhiu’s request to the Specialist Chambers reads.

Musliu: It is time for Assembly to abolish Specialist Chambers (media)

Ganimete Musliu, MP from the Democratic Party of Kosovo has reacted to the decision of the Specialist Chambers which has rejected the request of the former President Hashim Thaci to participate in the funeral ceremony of his father. She said that this is not justice, but a shameful act. She wrote on social platform Facebook that the Assembly of Kosovo should abolish this court.

"The POLITIZED Kosovo CHAMBER in The Hague is once again demonstrating force instead of justice by preventing a son from attending his father's funeral. This is not justice, this is a shameful act that proves how far this court can go, which is shaming justice at its core. The decision not to bring the President to his father's funeral is yet another proof that this court of our collective shame is abusing every human value. No court and no judge sold out for purely political interests will succeed in defaming the liberators of this land. Our pride will challenge any international arrogance camouflaged under the guise of justice. The time has come for the body that made this farce of international justice possible, to undo it! We are with you, President! May God increase your patience and grant you the strength to cope with the pain of losing your father. Stay stoic as you have always been,” Musliu wrote.

Specialist Chambers: There is no request or public decision for Thaci to be granted permission to attend his father's funeral (Klan)

The Hague Specialist Chamber, through spokesman Michael Doyle, has stated that there is currently no public request or public decision by any judge regarding the possible release of former President Hashim Thaci to attend his father's funeral ceremony in Buroje, Skenderaj today. Doyle, in a response to Klankosova.tv, emphasized that the Specialist Chamber publishes all public documents on the Court's website. "All public documents, including submissions from the Defense and the judges' decisions are published on the Specialist Chambers' website. There are currently no requests or public decisions on this matter," he told Klankosova.tv. “So far, the Specialist Chambers have managed 13 supervised visits to Kosovo for detainees,” Doyle said.

Haxhi Thaci, the father of the former president, will be buried today at 3:00 PM in the village of Buroje in Skenderaj.

Roth: Kosovo belongs to EU and Europe belongs to Kosovo (media)

German politician Michael Roth reacted to a decision by Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani to award him with the Presidential Medal of Merit. “Kosovo belongs to us. And Europe belongs to Kosovo. A free, democratic and independent Kosovo in the very heart of Europe is in our strategic interest. Dear People of Kosovo, you can count on me! Friends will be friends,” Roth wrote in a post on X.

Hoti: Poor election result, LDK needs new leadership (media)

Member of the leadership of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) Avdullah Hoti, has stated that the party need new leadership, while noting that in the last four years, the current leadership has been committed to restructuring the party in branches, adding that “in many cases this has been done selectively.” He said that the LDK’s election result is not satisfactory nor close to what we had hoped for “after four years of preparation.” "Therefore, to restore the trust of the membership and the wider electorate, the LDK needs new leadership. There is no other way to restore trust in the LDK. The LDK needs leadership with a team approach, which is inclusive, with clear political orientations of the center-right, which gathers professionals around itself and returns the LDK to the epicenter of the best professionals in Kosovo, as the LDK has been. The LDK needs a leadership that works with full transparency towards party structures at all levels, that returns the party to statutory functioning, that makes collegial decisions based on the LDK statute (which is the party constitution) and in broad consultation with the central and local party structures. The LDK needs a team leadership that heals divisions, that shows care for all young and old activists, that brings together all the pieces of the LDK in all four directions of the country and in the diaspora,” Hoti wrote on Facebook.

He stressed that the current leadership, led by Lumir Abdixhiku, must support change within the LDK, adding that the LDK can regain trust together. He called on the party to put aside grudges and dissatisfaction and “dedicate ourselves to strengthening the LDK for the interest of Kosovo.” Hoti also spoke about the diaspora votes, saying that the Vetevendosje Movement was voted for disproportionately compared to voting in Kosovo. He expressed concern, adding that this phenomenon is not natural.

Kica-Xhelili calls Hoti's request for change in LDK leadership "ridiculous" (Koha)

The deputy leader of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK), Doarsa Kica-Xhelili, has called the statement of this party's official, Avdullah Hoti, to change the party's leadership a "ridiculous request."

"As the deputy leader of LDK, I declare that this is a ridiculous request. The LDK structures have given and continue to give full support to the current party leader, who took the party from its greatest historical decline of 12%, and turned it into the greatest historical trend of rise (with a 70% increase)," she said on Tuesday.

LDK deputy leader Gazmend Muhaxheri has also spoken out against the dismissal of LDK leader Lumir Abdixhiku and the LDK leadership following the February 9 election results. Muhaxheri said that it makes no sense to dismiss someone who increased the party by 70%.

KFOR donates aid to Kosovo Police in support of victims of domestic violence (Koha)

KFOR Deputy Commander, Brigadier General Cahit Irican, together with Turkish Liaison Monitoring teams, Civil-Military Cooperation team, and leaders of the Regional Command East, participated in a donation ceremony in Gjilan. The ceremony commemorated KFOR’s donations to the Kosovo Police, which aim to improve family rooms that support victims of domestic violence. As stated, this initiative aims to create a safer and more comfortable environment for the recovery of victims. “These efforts are part of KFOR’s daily mission to guarantee a safe environment for all communities living in Kosovo,” the KFOR statement reads.

Serbian Language Media

NGO CASA: Police in Kosovo not a neutral institution, but an instrument of political power (Kosovo Online)

The Center for Affirmative Social Actions (CASA) stated that based on the research they conducted, the main conclusion was that the current police structure in the north of Kosovo is not perceived as a neutral institution for law enforcement, but as an instrument of political power, which deepens divisions instead of overcoming them, reported Kosovo Online.

In its press release, the NGO CASA explains that it conducted research that deals with practical policies concerning "the key interests and rights of the Serbian community in the process of normalizing relations in Kosovo."

They explain that research on security, protection of cultural heritage and access to personal documents and legal identity have pointed to systematic violations of the rights of the Serbian community.

"The most alarming situation, although far from the only problem, is reflected in the issue of the security of the Serbian community in the north of Kosovo, which has been further aggravated by the deployment of special police forces and the withdrawal of Serbs from institutions, primarily from the police. Such a policy has created a security vacuum that Pristina has used to establish political control over the instruments of the rule of law," the NGO said in a statement.

They say that the research was conducted according to internationally recognized methods and parameters of police work in divided societies.

"Among them, the politically motivated actions of the Kosovo police, the systematic use of excessive force, as well as the lack of institutional responsibility in such cases stand out. As a result, there is a serious lack of trust and alarming legal insecurity among citizens in the north of Kosovo," they said in the statement.

As a conclusion of the research, they highlight that the current police structure in the north of Kosovo is not perceived as a neutral institution for law enforcement, but as an instrument of political power.

As a solution, they propose the introduction of a so-called hybrid model, which would harmonize the positions of the negotiating parties. This model is based on the voluntary return of part of the Kosovo police officers who resigned in November 2022, with the establishment of clear criteria for the professional integrity of those officers, as well as the fulfillment of the ethnic quota through the hiring of new recruits from the Serbian community.

"The basic prerequisite for such a solution is the creation of political will for its inclusion in the dialogue process conducted under the auspices of the EU, as well as international pressure on the negotiating parties in order to reach a compromise solution. That is why most of the recommendations from this research are aimed at the international community," concluded NGO CASA.

Registration of newly born and deceased persons halted in Mitrovica North municipality, reasons unknown (KoSSev)

Registration of newly born and deceased persons was halted in Mitrovica North municipality, it has been confirmed by the KoSSev portal.

Such a decision came from the respective ministry in Pristina, and applies to registration requests as of February 1.

Fatime Stavileci from Mitrovica North Municipal Civil Registry told the portal they are not aware of why such a decision was made. She also told the portal that Pristina would explain better why it was done as they are not informed of details, but only told to halt the registration process.

She could also not provide details if this decision relates only to registration requests based on the Serbian documents, following a decision of Kosovo Interior Ministry from November last year to allow such registrations, or there was a complete halt to the process to register newly born and deceased persons in Mitrovica North municipality. She also declined to say when Mitrovica North municipality precisely stopped providing this type of service.

“I do not dare, I am not responsible for it, please call Pristina”, portal quoted her as saying.

Reasons behind?

As instructed by Mitrovica North municipal civil registry clerk, the portal addressed two ministries in Pristina, that of Internal Affairs and the Local Government Administration.

In a brief conversation with a female official, and then with a male official from the Local Government Administration Ministry in Pristina, the portal is told to address the secretary of the ministry, who did not respond to the calls.

As far as the Ministry of Internal Affairs is concerned, the portal called the number assigned to the secretary of the ministry to which a female person answered. When the journalist presented himself in two languages, the ministry official hung up the phone and did not answer it any longer.

The portal tried to contact the public relations officer from this ministry, and also Jeta Telaj, chief of the interior minister cabinet, but failed to do so, as they did not answer the calls.

The court rejected Dragisa Milenkovic's defense evidence due to the lack of diplomatic relations with Serbia (KiM radio)

With the presentation of evidence by the Special Prosecutor's Office and the defense, the trial of Dragisa Milenkovic from Kisnica, accused of alleged war crimes against the civilian population in Kosovo in the period from 1998 to 1999, continued.

The trial panel rejected all the evidence of the defense due to, as they stated, the impossibility of establishing their originality, due to the lack of diplomatic relations with Serbia.

Attorney Dejan A. Vasic requested that the witness statements given to UNMIK and EULEX be submitted to the defense, to which prosecutor Ade Dema stated that those statements do not exist either in the prosecution or in the police.

"At the time when Dragisa was taken into custody, apart from the statement of that neighbor, there was not a single piece of evidence that confirmed reasonable doubt why Dragisa was arrested. All the evidence obtained by the investigation is based on the statement given by Dragisa himself. When we heard the witness A.S., it was revealed that this witness made two more statements that the prosecution either does not know he made, or does not have, or will not give them to us. The UNMIK Mission forwarded all the documents to EULEX, which submitted the complete documentation to the Special Prosecutor's Office. These statements exist one hundred percent in the prosecution. This is not the first time. In many proceedings, it happens that the prosecution will not give the statements that the witnesses gave earlier. Trials for war crimes did not start when the Special Prosecutor's Office and local prosecutors took over to do this, they were working on this for 15 years before that. The prosecutor is obliged to open the archive and provide us with those statements," said Vasic.

Lawyer Jovana Filipovic stated that the defense submitted to the court the evidence that it considers to be important for the decision in this proceeding.

"This evidence proves that this act cannot be a war crime, that there are discrepancies in the witness's statement with the material evidence. Unfortunately, we did not find understanding from the court, the court refused to present that evidence in the evidentiary proceedings, and we had no right to object to that court's decision. Unfortunately, the court's explanation was that there are no diplomatic relations with Serbia and that is the reason why they rejected this defense proposal. All the evidence was submitted in the original, so we believe that the court's reasoning does not stand, that it is not possible to determine the originality of these documents," explained Filipovic.

Lawyer Dejan A. Vasic added that it is worrying that there are a large number of statements taken by UNMIK and EULEX that are lost.

"Did UNMIK not submit those statements to the Special Prosecutor's Office, did the Special Prosecutor's Office misplaced those statements somewhere, but in many cases, even in case of Dragisa, we cannot find statements that were taken from various witnesses and victims in criminal proceedings for war crimes by the prosecutors and police officers of the UNMIK and EULEX mission," he said.

Vasic stated that the defense of Dragisa Milenkovic will turn to UNMIK and EULEX to check whether these statements exist and whether they have been submitted to the Special Prosecutor's Office of Kosovo.

"Without the words that those witnesses gave immediately after the war, when their memory was freshest, the credibility of those witnesses cannot be properly determined."

"The March pogrom continues, only by other means": The 21st anniversary of the expulsion of Serbs from Kosovo marked, without Pristina's reactions (Danas)

The 21st anniversary of the March 2004 pogrom was marked, but without any reaction from the Pristina authorities. Interlocutors of Danas state that the pogrom continues even today, only by other means.

Danas recalled that the previous year, Kosovo PM Albin Kurti said on the anniversary of the pogrom that 20 years passed since actually three boys drowned in the river Ibar in the village of Cabra in Zubin Potok. He then added that on that day four Albanian children were followed by a group of young people from the Serbian community, who, in order to escape the attack, jumped into the Ibar River, from which only Fitim Veseli came out alive.

Danas recalled that exactly this fake news, as the UNMIK police investigation showed, published on Radio-Television of Kosovo (RTK) was the reason for the destruction of 39 churches and monasteries of the Serbian Orthodox Church, the burning of 900 houses and the expulsion of more than 4,000 Serbs.

This year, there was no official reaction from Pristina to the anniversary of the pogrom.

The 21st anniversary of the March pogrom was marked in Gracanica, where Metropolitan Teodosije of Raska-Prizren held the memorial service. The memorial service in Belgrade was held by Patriarch Porfirije, in the Cathedral Church of Saint Michael the Archangel, and on that occasion, he said that the history of the Serbian people was also the history of Serbian suffering.

On the occasion of this anniversary, the president of the Association of Journalists of Serbia, Zivojin Rakocevic, stated that the violence from 2004, in his opinion, could be organized again in a few hours because the institutions do not actually exist, just as they did not exist even in March days 21 years ago. He said, there was no development of democracy or institutions, nor the return of Serbs to the cities.

Other interlocutors of Danas also agree with Rakocevic. As Stefan Veljkovic from North Mitrovica, the vice-president of Serbian Democracy, noted, the perpetrators of the March Pogrom have not yet been convicted, and the events of that fateful March 17 and 18 are often ignored by the Albanian public as "Serbian propaganda".

"It is the fact that someone tried to expel us from Kosovo then and partially succeeded in doing so. Now there is a silent expulsion that is not visible," noted Veljkovic.

According to Veljkovic, the Serbian businesses are now being closed due to the arrival of economic "foreigners" under the baton of the Self-Determination, special forces' bases are installed, and land was seized through "legal" means.

"The March pogrom continues, only by other means. The Kosovo government is not ready for dialogue with the Serbs. I agree with Rakocevic's statement, because the institutions themselves are often the perpetrators of violence - legal, linguistic and physical," said Veljkovic.

According to Milija Bisevac from Zubin Potok, the president of the Serbian National Movement, the 2004 pogrom was one of the most tragic moments in the area of Kosovo.

"The pogrom began on March 17, 2004, when the Albanian masses, spurred on by false information about the attack by Serbs on Albanian children, started violence against Serbian and other non-Albanian communities. The pogrom lasted for several days, during which 19 people were killed, and after more than twenty years we are in a situation that suggests that such a scenario is possible again," he noted.

Interlocutor told Danas that the inter-ethnic conflicts are happening today and are fueled by the authorities in Pristina, and Belgrade clearly is putting pressure on the Serbian population.

One of the reasons for such a thing is that even today, after more than twenty years, no one has been prosecuted or held accountable for the violence that was carried out, Bisevac stated.

"Unfortunately, political instability and student protests in Serbia put March 17 to the second plan," concluded Bisevac.

Sorensen visits Brnjak crossing point, says people and goods should move freely (Kosovo Online, social media)

EU Special Envoy for Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue, Peter Sorensen visited today Brnjak crossing point in Zubin Potok municipality and said that although a lot was done, more work still remains, Kosovo Online portal reported.

“Impressive to see and be briefed on the Common Crossing Points. While a lot has been done, we need to restart the remaining work without delay. It’s about allowing people and goods to move freely - a cornerstone of 🇪🇺 integration. Thanks to @NATO_KFOR for the logistics’ support!”, Sorensen said in a post on X social platform.

Day of mourning in Serbia for tragedy in North Macedonia (N1, TV Most, media)

Serbia on Tuesday is observing a day of mourning following the tragic incident in North Macedonia, where at least 59 people were killed and 155 injured in a nightclub fire, N1 reported.

The North Macedonian Government has declared seven days of mourning in response to the disaster.

Flags at all state institutions and government buildings in Serbia have been lowered to half-mast, and media outlets, as well as cultural institutions, are required to adjust their programming in accordance with this day of mourning.TV Most reported that mourning day is also observed in the Serbian areas in Kosovo and the Serbian flags are lowered to half-mast.

The fire broke out at the Puls nightclub in the town of Kocani on March 16, at around 3 am, resulting in the tragic loss of life.

15 Minutes of Silence vigil to be held in Mitrovica North (KoSSev)

Students of Pristina University with provisional seat in Mitrovica North will organize one more 15 Minutes of Silence vigil in Mitrovica North tomorrow to pay tribute to 15 victims of Novi Sad railway station canopy collapse claiming the lives of 15 people and seriously injuring two more, KoSSev portal reported.

The gathering will commence symbolically at 11.52 at the main city square near Tzar Lazar monument. This will be the tenth silent vigil organized in Mitrovica North commemorating victims of Novi Sad tragedy.

Opinion

What will happen with Kosovo if, or when, this government in Serbia falls? (KoSSev)

By Miodrag Marinković

As protests in Serbia continue unabated, pressure on the government is mounting, while its attempts to control them become increasingly banal, transparent, and exhausted. Here in Kosovo, the question is being raised with growing frequency: What will happen to the negotiation process if the regime in Serbia falls?

This is undoubtedly a complex issue, as Serbian society in Kosovo has not seriously debated this scenario. The ruling party’s long-standing narrative - “after us, the flood” - has lulled many into complacency and frightened even more. At first glance, a change of government in Serbia could introduce uncertainty regarding the Kosovo issue. However, a closer analysis reveals patterns and logical reasoning that demystify “the day after,” whenever it may come.

Some things are clear, while others require deeper analysis. It is evident that after 12 years of SNS rule and its affiliates, things could hardly get worse for Serbs in Kosovo. This requires no special explanation - one only needs to compare where we were and how many of us there were in 2012 versus where we stand today.