UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, March 25, 2024

Albanian Language Media:

Kurti: A rule of law governance for all and without difference (media)
Kurti commemorates Kosovo Albanian civilians killed in Kacanik in 1999 (media)
25 years since the massacre at Krusha e Madhe (Albanian Post)
Meeting about the dinar has started in Brussels (media)
German ambassador demands full implementation of agreements (RTK)
Joseph: CoE membership would be a start for both Serbs and Albanians (media)
Kusari-Lila: We do not support motion of no confidence (RTK)
The PDK demands investigative commission for single-source contracts (media)
AAK demands parliamentary debate and Kurti’s resignation (media)
Hovenier meets leaders of economic chambers of Kosovo and Serbia (Reporteri)

Serbian Language Media:

Meeting of Belgrade, Pristina delegations begins in Brussels (Tanjug, Kosovo Online)
UN SC session on NATO bombing anniversary scheduled, format still unknown (RTS)
Mijacic on Pristina’s letter to Bakoyannis: They promised to implement everything that should have been implemented already (Kosovo Online, social media)
CBK decision makes lives of persons with disabilities additionally difficult (Radio KIM)
Movable fence in front of Zvecan municipality removed, Cyrilic signboard as well (Radio KIM, Radio konakt plus)
Vucic: Pristina and international community worked together all the time (Kosovo Online, media)

Opinion:

Recalling a Bombing 25 Years Ago (RealClearPolitics)

International:

Love Under Fire: How an Ethnically-Mixed Couple Survived the Kosovo War (Balkan Insight)

Albanian Language Media

Kurti: A rule of law governance for all and without difference (media)

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti said in a Facebook post today that there is more rule of law in Kosovo and that corruption is being fought. “On the Transparency International Corruption Perception Index, we have moved up by 23 points in the last three years and this is our highest ranking ever. The elimination of corruption depends on the prosecution and the judiciary,” he argued.

“Kosovo Police have confiscated over 2.4 tons of narcotics. Kosovo Customs operations have resulted in the seizure and confiscation of nearly €37 million of goods and assets. The number of inspections by the Central Inspectorate for Market Supervision has increased by around 63 percent compared to 2019 – a record number of inspections. Public funds are spent responsibly and protected. Over €145 million were saved from the Kosovo budget in three processes that were won in international arbitrage”.

“Illegality in the north has decreased, and lawfulness and security are on the rise. 27 illegal routes have been closed, and 9 narcotics labs, 6 cryptocurrency labs and 4 weapons depots have been destroyed. We have seized alarms, cameras, weapons and assets belonging to illegal structures worth around €15 million as a result of investigations into the terrorist and paramilitary attack of September 24, when we lost sergeant Afrim Bunjaku but we won a Hero of Kosovo and we emerged triumphantly. Now there are 9 police stations to supervise and control the border now, and there were none until 2021. After 24 years, in the northern municipalities the offices of the Kosovo Business Registration Agency and the municipal cadasters for the citizens and legitimate businesses have become operational. With the removal of illegal license plates, public security is better. We are building roads that connect villages in the north and with municipalities in the south. Houses of residents are being built and rebuilt, and the telecommunications and internet infrastructure is being modernized. A rule of law governance, for all, and without difference”.

Kurti commemorates Kosovo Albanian civilians killed in Kacanik in 1999 (media)

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti, in a post on X on Sunday, remembered the killing of Kosovo Albanian civilians in Kacanik on March 24, 1999. “On this day in ’99, as NATO airstrikes began, Serbian forces killed 25 Albanians in Kotlina of Kaçanik, Kosova, dumping their bodies in wells and later using explosives to collapse the well walls. Months later an international forensic team identified the scattered remains,” Kurti wrote.

25 years since the massacre at Krusha e Madhe (Albanian Post)

The news website recalls that from 25-27 March 1999, in the village of Krusha e Madhe, the municipality of Rahovec, Serbian forces massacred 243 persons and destroyed 893 private houses and social properties. The massacre in Krusha e Madhe is the biggest wartime massacre in Kosovo, and 25 years later no one has been held accountable.

Meeting about the dinar has started in Brussels (media)

A tripartite meeting has begun between the delegation of Kosovo and Serbia at the level of chief negotiators, with the mediation of the EU special representative Miroslav Lajcak, on the issue of the Serbian dinar, the use of which was banned in Kosovo last month.

Unlike last week's meeting, when Lajcak first held separate meetings with Kosovo's chief negotiator, Besnik Bislimi, and Serbia's, Petar Petkovic, in today's meeting he met them immediately in a tripartite meeting.

German ambassador demands full implementation of agreements (RTK)

The German Ambassador to Kosovo Jorn Rohde has requested the full implementation of the international agreements between Kosovo and Serbia and has said that such inaction affects the dialogue.

"I completely agree. The Brussels/Ohrid agreements need full implementation. Failure to do so damages the dialogue process," Rohde wrote in X, commenting on the post of Gerald Knaus from the European Initiative for Stability.

Knaus has criticized the Serbian government for their contradictory positions in relation to the signed agreements.

"Serbia cannot ignore an agreement where it was pledged that 'Serbia will not oppose Kosovo's membership in any international organization' and then argue that because of the same agreement, Kosovo should be blocked," Knaus wrote.

Joseph: CoE membership would be a start for both Serbs and Albanians (media)

Several news websites cover a post on X by Edward Joseph, foreign policy analyst on the Balkans, who said that 25 years after the NATO air campaign, “Serbs and Albanians desperately need a positive breakthrough. Council of Europe membership for Kosovo would be at least a start for both”.

Kusari-Lila: We do not support motion of no confidence (RTK)

Mimoza Kusari-Lila, head of the parliamentary group of the Vetevendosje Movement (LVV) said after the meeting of the presidency of the Assembly of Kosovo that two plenary sessions will be held this week. She said that a plenary session will be held on 28 March amid establishment of the parliamentary commission for negotiated contracts. She added that a special session will be held on 11 April, on the anniversary of Koshare battle.

Kusari-Lila added that they will not support the motion of no confidence. "We have already made a statement on the request for the motion of no confidence. We do not support the request for the motion, there are many reasons, there is still no consensus within the opposition parties", Kusari-Lila said.

The PDK demands an investigative commission for single-source contracts (media)

The head of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) parliamentary group, Abelard Tahiri, has announced that he has submitted a request for an extraordinary session for the establishment of the parliamentary investigative commission for single-source contracts. According to Tahiri, the Kurti government has misused over 150 million euros through single-source contracts.

"This scandal must and will be investigated to the end. Not only these contracts but also the other millions of euros, the spending of which was done in an illegal manner", Tahiri wrote.

"The parliamentary majority has the opportunity to vote for this commission and prove the will to join the request for accountability that must be exercised by the Assembly. On the contrary, any attempt to block or reject the establishment of this commission is clear evidence of panic and fear to face the facts and the truth which sooner or later will triumph. The investigation will definitely happen", Tahiri wrote further.

AAK demands parliamentary debate and Kurti’s resignation (media)

The head of the parliamentary group of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK), Besnik Tahiri, in the statement on the occasion of the meeting of the presidency of the Assembly, expressed their request for parliamentary debate, which also includes the request for the resignation of the Prime Minister Albin Kurti.

“We have entered the fourth year of governance, we are in an election year and Kosovo is stagnating, including in economy, employment, justice and everywhere. This is a document that contains some of the topics that we want to address in the parliamentary debate and demand the resignation of Prime Minister Kurti. The moment he talks about elections, it is his surrender,” he told the media.

He emphasized that Kurti's dismissal has been requested for a year and six months, as he said that "victimization is part of his strategy".

"A purely internal issue which is regulated by a constitutional institution, and that is the CBK, I am seeing the damage that is being caused to Kosovo on this topic. Instead of focusing on an international agenda, we are dealing with an internal issue (the dinar issue) that can be resolved very easily," Tahiri said.

Hovenier meets leaders of economic chambers of Kosovo and Serbia (Reporteri)

The ambassador of the United States of America in Kosovo, Jeffrey Hovenier, has announced that he has held a meeting with the president of the Chamber of Commerce in Kosovo, Lulzim Rafuna, and the president of the Chamber of Commerce of Serbia, Marko Cadez.

“Good conversation with the leaders of odaekonomike and Privrednakomora on ways to improve cooperation between Kosovar and Serbian business communities in Kosovo and Serbia. Normalizing relations between the two countries will increase regional stability and prosperity,” Hovenier wrote.

Serbian Language Media

Meeting of Belgrade, Pristina delegations begins in Brussels (Tanjug, Kosovo Online)

A meeting of chief negotiators in the EU-facilitated Belgrade-Pristina dialogue, Petar Petkovic and Besnik Bislimi, began in Brussels on Monday. The trilateral meeting is also attended by experts, a Tanjug reporter said.

The delegations of Belgrade and Pristina began the discussions without prior separate bilateral meetings with EU special envoy Miroslav Lajcak. The discussions are due to address Pristina's decision on cash operations, which is effectively a ban on the Serbian dinar.The previous meeting of the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue was held in Brussels on March 19.

Petkovic said at the time Belgrade's delegation had primarily insisted on the establishment of a Community of Serb Municipalities and that the dinar ban had been the other main issue.

Later in the day, Kosovo Online portal reported that a trilateral meeting in Brussels, which started at 10.00 hrs, ended after three and a half hours of direct talks. The meeting of the Pristina delegation with the EU followed afterwards, and then the Belgrade delegation will meet with the EU as well.

UN SC session on NATO bombing anniversary scheduled, format still unknown (RTS)

UN Security Council session on the 25^th anniversary of NATO bombing of the-then Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SRJ) is scheduled today at 15.00 hrs, New York time, as per initiative of Russia, however, it remains unclear yet what format it will be held in, Serbian public broadcaster RTS reported this morning.

Number of Western countries criticized this initiative, saying it was unnecessary to come to New York because the session will not be held at all.

Speaking about the session Serbian Foreign Minister in technical mandate, Ivica Dacic said Serbia does not wish to be arbitrator in relations of the major world powers but wishes to present its truth about what happened 25 years ago during the NATO bombing of his country when, he stressed, international law and legal order in an entire world had been impaired.

Deputy Head of Russian Permanent Mission to the UN, Dimitry Polanski also said Western countries criticized the initiative to call a session because it is for them, as he underlined, a very unpleasant topic. He also said “NATO aggression and illegal secession of Kosovo from Serbia impaired in fact the legal order of the Final Helsinki Act and it was a starting phase of deteriorating relations between Russia and Western states”.

Mijacic on Pristina’s letter to Bakoyannis: They promised to implement everything that should have been implemented already (Kosovo Online, social media)

Coordinator of the National Convent for the EU Chapter 35, Dragisa Mijacic commenting on a letter that Kosovo top officials, Vjosa Osmani, Albin Kurti and Glauk Konjufca sent to the Council of Europe rapporteur Dora Bakoyannis in which they said they will honor obligations, recalled that 16 years ago some Albanian leaders in Kosovo also made promises that they will implement Ahtisaari’s proposal and Constitution after recognition, Kosovo Online portal reported.

In a post on X social platform Mijacic mentioned the list of obligations that Kosovo officials said they will “faithfully honor” such as “independence of judiciary, future legislations in full accordance with Ahtisaari’s plan, reducing tensions in the north, undertaking urgent measures to reintegrate Kosovo Serbs in police forces, restraining from using special police forces for regular police activities, protection of minorities, implementation of A/CSM and Brussels/Ohrid agreements, allocating resources for use of languages (for example learning non-majority communities languages in schools) socio-economic integrations of non-majority communities, work on reconciliation”.

“In other words, when they become a member of the Council of Europe, they will implement everything that has already been written in the Constitution or in already accepted agreements”, Mijacic said.

He added Self-determination Movement MP Mimoza Kusari-Lila said the letter was “formality”, pointing out the promise will not be fulfilled.

“Some other prominent Albanian leaders also some 16 years ago promised they will implement Ahtisaari’s plan and Constitution once Kosovo independence is recognized. Occasionally you (US) urge them for accountability for that promise…. Can they deceive you twice?”, Mijacic asked.

CBK decision makes lives of persons with disabilities additionally difficult (Radio KIM)

The Central Bank of Kosovo (CBK) decision on payment transactions and ban of dinar makes the lives of persons with disabilities who receive the funds from the Serbian budget more difficult, Radio KIM reported.

And while Pristina and Belgrade negotiators are attempting to find a short-term solution for dinar issue in Kosovo, persons with disabilities currently do not have opportunity to receive social remittances from the Serbian budget to their home addresses as it was the case before. Post office workers no longer bring their allowances as there is no dinar available in Kosovo. The last allowances they received was back in January. Among those affected is Stefan Perovic from Caglavica who receives so-called care and support financial allowance.

“I have received this allowance from Serbia since I was born. It is allocated in line with the degree of disability. I have 100 percent disability and I used to receive around 30.000 dinars (approximately 256 euros). I used to receive it from the Post Office. The mailman brings it to my home address, I have cheques, he brings that to me at home, I sign and he gives me the money. Now with this ban in place, I have not received it for two, three months”, Stefan said. Since he is unemployed, these allowances are very significant for his daily functioning, primarily to purchase necessary medications.

“It is about the most marginalized group and this decision causes additional problems to them. There are very difficult cases, so they need someone to help them, take them to central Serbia, then they can make authorization. My wife was forced to go to Raska to withdraw the money, while I spent all that time without any assistance at home alone, waiting for her to come back”, Stefan Ristovski from Mitrovica North said.

The same problem is mentioned by Stefan Petrovic from Caglavica. “If I want to withdraw that money, I would need to go to Serbia ... .I could go, but it is not only me going there, there are queues, there are people waiting for their salaries and pensions, and I would need to wait long hours”.

Kosovo Inclusive Network, a coalition of nongovernmental organizations working to promote the rights of persons with disabilities warned of their difficult position, adding that their rights have been additionally endangered by CBK’s decision on use of dinar in Kosovo. That is why they demanded from Pristina and Belgrade negotiators, as well as the international community, to find an urgent solution to this problem within the dialogue ongoing in Brussels.

Movable fence in front of Zvecan municipality removed, Cyrilic signboard as well (Radio KIM, Radio konakt plus)

A movable fence placed in front of Zvecan municipality had been removed, and at the same time a Cyrilic signboard with the inscription Municipality of Zvecan has also been removed, Radio KIM reports today.

Previously the fence was placed to allow the citizens to use the road in front of the municipal building, while the access to the municipal facility was prevented. As Radio kontakt plus reported, Cyrilic signboard with inscription Municipality of Zvecan is no longer visible and Kosovo flag is placed on the top of the roof.

Currently one vehicle of Kosovo special police is staying in front of the building and a smaller number of special police officers and regular police are also visible.

Citizens who have been protesting the presence of special police units and because they could not access their working places in the municipal facility are still present in tents located in the vicinity of the municipal building.

KFOR units that were also present withdrew from the municipal building on February 25. KFOR said back then they decided to withdraw because the situation stabilized. Their forces remain in the area by conducting regular patrols, Radio KIM recalled.

Vucic: Pristina and international community worked together all the time (Kosovo Online, media)

Serbian President, Aleksandar Vucic, said Sunday on the occasion of granting Kosovo status of an associate member of NATO Parliamentary Assembly, that this is one step higher compared to what they had before, pointing out that Kosovo - during the time it is under sanctions - has received visa liberalization, and will probably also receive a membership in the Council of Europe.

Vucic also pointed out that the international community likes to do it "on dates like this", reminding that on Sunday the 25th anniversary of the NATO bombing of FR Yugoslavia was marked.

Opinion

Recalling a Bombing 25 Years Ago (RealClearPolitics)

By Marko Djuric, Serbian Ambassador to US

Twenty-five years ago, today, on March 24th, NATO commenced a terrifying bombing campaign against the then Yugoslavia. The sorties lasted 78 days, and by the Serbian government’s estimates, led to the loss of several thousand civilian lives in the bombings and the displacement of more than 250,000 citizens. Heavy damage was inflicted on our armed forces, which were – only declaratory – the main target of the attacks. In order to exert higher political pressure on the authorities in Belgrade, NATO conducted an extensive bombing of vital civilian infrastructure as well – including the destruction of bridges in key cities such as Novi Sad, the second largest city in the country, located hundreds of miles away from Kosovo and Metohija. Among civilian targets, there were also electric and energy power plants, hospitals, schools, kindergartens – even the building of the Radio-Television of Serbia (RTS), the biggest national broadcaster, was bombed, which led to the killing of 16 media workers.

The direct result of the order of military intervention against Serbia and Montenegro in 1999 was the death of 79 children and several thousand civilian casualties. Regardless of the circumstances, there was not and there can never be any justification.

The consequences of NATO’s allying with the radical KLA echo to this day. As a result of KLA wartime actions and rule – especially its leaders who were subsequently appointed to lead the highest institutions in Pristina – and the internationally supported unilateral declaration of independence of Kosovo in 2008, the status and livelihood of Serbs and other non-Albanians continues to gravely deteriorate daily. Its Serbian population continues to suffer long-term discrimination, repression, and persecution. The Kosovo region’s community of some 350,000 Serbs has declined by 250,000. And the 100,000 or so who remain in the province are denied basic rights and harassed on a daily basis by the Albanian-controlled institutions in Pristina—all with the intention of forcing these last remaining Serbs to flee and creating a mono-ethnic territory.

International

Love Under Fire: How an Ethnically-Mixed Couple Survived the Kosovo War (Balkan Insight)

When Ali and Jelica married in the 1960s, Albanian-Serb relationships were less unusual in Kosovo. But after the war and NATO’s bombing campaign began 25 years ago, they had to deal with heightened prejudice as well as fear.

When the first bombs of NATO’s campaign of air strikes against Yugoslavia fell in Kosovo on March 24, 1999, Ali Zeqaj told his family to get ready to leave home.

Zeqaj and his wife Jelica Kerezovic are an ethnically mixed couple, Albanian and Serb. But having a Serb wife did not shield him from being targeted during the war.