UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, November 1, 2022

Albanian Language Media:

Lajcak to participate at the Berlin Process summit (RTK)
Latest poll: Abdixhiku’s LDK continues to rise, Vetevendosje declines (Nacionale)
Rizvanolli: Can’t rule out energy price increase after temperatures drop (Kosovapress)
Caplan: Kurti is within his rights, but he should consider how dangerous the license plate decision is (Albanian Post)
MPs and Swiss ambassador talk about continuation of Swiss KFOR mandate (Koha)
Maliqi: Kosovo in danger of losing in peace what it gained in war (Express)
Over 125,000 Albanians registered in Presevo, Bujanovac and Medvedja (Klan Kosova)

Serbian Language Media:

Radojevic: Serbs will not change stance on re-registration (RTS, Kosovo Online)
Hill: Licence plates dispute will not resolve crucial issues (KoSSev, RTS)
COM KFOR visits Visoki Decani Monastery (Kosovo Online)
Odalovic: US offered “honourable way out” to Pristina, Kurti ignored it (Kosovo Online)
Dacic: We will not invite the Serbs to accept licence plates with 'Republic of Kosovo' markings (NMagazin, Beta)
Vucevic: Army in state of alert because of Kosovo, combat readiness level raised (N1)
Malikovic: Usurped property and bureaucracy are the main problems of the Serbian community in Istok (KoSSev, Radio Gorazdevac, KiM radio)
Kosovo police start handing out warnings over licence plates (N1)
Vucic meets IMF delegation (Tanjug)
Office for KiM: KLA inscription on a family house in Suvi Do (RTS, KiM radio)
Rada Trajkovic says she “de facto lives under house arrest”, Serbian and Albanian stakeholders cooperate in her persecution (Radio KIM)

Opinion:

Full Euroization of Kosovo: A Sustainable Strategy? (Prishtina Insight)
Synchronicity is the path to the solution for Kosovo (Euractiv)
Vucic Keeps Options Open With Serbia’s new Govt (Balkan Insight)

International:

Expired: Unused COVID Vaccines Cost Balkans Tens of Millions (BIRN)

Albanian Language Media

Lajcak to participate at the Berlin Process summit (RTK)

The leaders of the six countries of the Western Balkans will participate in the Berlin Process meeting to be held on November 3. They will be received by the Chancellor of Germany, Olaf Szholz.

The European Union emissary for the Western Balkans and tasked as a mediator in the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue for Miroslav Lajcak is also expected to participate at the summit.

"I can confirm that emissary Lajcak will be a participant in this summit, at the invitation of Berlin," said Zoi Muletier, spokeswoman for the EU. However, she did not clarify whether there are planned meetings between the Prime Minister of Kosovo Albin Kurti and the President of Serbia Aleksandar Vucic.

"I suggest that you contact the relevant offices of Kosovo and Serbia regarding their participation in this summit," Muletier said.

Kosovo government spokesperson Perparim Kryeziu said that the agenda of the Berlin Process summit will be announced in time.

Latest poll: Abdixhiku’s LDK continues to rise, Vetevendosje declines (Nacionale)

The news website claims to have seen the results of a recent poll by a public relations company about the popularity of the main political parties in Kosovo. The question in the poll was “If parliamentary elections were to be held this Sunday, which political party would you vote for?”. According to the poll results, the Abdixhiku-led Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) would win 26.5 percent of the vote. The ruling Vetevendosje Movement (LVV), led by Prime Minister Albin Kurti, according to the poll, would get 33.9 percent of the vote. The Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) would win 20.1 percent, while the Haradinaj-led Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) would win 6.4 percent of the vote.

Rizvanolli: Can’t rule out energy price increase after temperatures drop (Kosovapress)

Kosovo’s Minister of Economy, Artane Rizvanolli, said today that she cannot rule out an increase in energy tariffs after temperatures drop in winter. At the meeting of the Kosovo Assembly Committee on Economy, Rizvanolli said that the energy tariffs on the international market have marked a significant drop due to good weather and the lower demand for energy. But she said that during winter there could be an increase in the tariffs and justified the government’s proposal to extend the emergency measures for energy supply for another 30 days.

Caplan: Kurti is within his rights, but he should consider how dangerous the licence plate decision is (Albanian Post)

"Do you want to be happy, or to be right?", say the Americans. The prime minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, should ask himself this question when he considers the implementation of the decision on licence plates, says the professor from the University of Oxford, Richard Caplan.

“Kurti is within his right to implement the decision according to the Agreement reached in Brussels and not allow cars with illegal Serbian licence plates in the north, but he is the one who should think about the consequences of this decision,” Caplan told the news portal.

Caplan said that he has dedicated a good part of his studies to the postwar situation in Kosovo and in general to the states that emerged from the former Yugoslavia.

"Kosovo and Serbia agreed on the Association and I think that it is important for Kosovo to respect the agreements, Kurti may not agree, but Kosovo has accepted the terms of that agreement and the Association should be established and can be established," Caplan said.

“There are no signs that they are preparing to enter into a final agreement, it does not seem to be the moment," but, the professor adds, "it is difficult to predict the future".

"There is always a potential for the escalation of violence between Kosovo and Serbia. We have already seen it with the licence plates in the past months, but I don't think it will become serious because you have the presence of NATO and EU forces and they will make sure that there will not be a serious escalation, so I do not expect something like that, but there could be an increase in tensions and there could also be an outbreak of violence, but I don't think it would reach a worrying level," Caplan told the Albanian Post.

However, he also spoke about the danger of escalation in Bosnia and Herzegovina saying that this development would certainly "destabilise the Balkans".

"Russia supports Serbian separatists, as for instance in Bosnia and Herzegovina, in Republika Srpska, then it is trying to undermine the EU. Here it is trying to divide the EU from Serbia, it is supporting politicians who are separatists, or who are more friendly in relation to Russia, it is also developing a relationship with businesses and in this way is contributing to destabilise the region".

"I think that the EU has played an important role for a long time, and I think that they are serious, but the EU has always had the same problem: they cannot speak in one voice," he said.

He however added that in context of the problem between Kosovo and Serbia, the EU is not the biggest problem – Serbia is.

"Even Vucic said this month that 'until we do not feel so much pain that we cannot continue, we will continue this policy'. He said that ‘it is not so painful for us now’ and that ‘it would be more painful if we had to recognise Kosovo.’ That is the problem,” Caplan concluded.

MPs and Swiss ambassador talk about continuation of Swiss KFOR mandate (Koha)

Kosovo Assembly Committee for Foreign Affairs and Diaspora held a meeting with the Swiss ambassador to Kosovo Thomas Kolly.

The chairman of the committee Haki Abazi said that they discussed the help that the Swiss state can offer as a member of the Security Council.

"We talked about specific issues of bilateral relations, the continuation of the mandate of Swiss soldiers within KFOR, also about Switzerland's role as one of the members of the Security Council that will be from 2023-2024 as well as the help the Swiss state can provide for Kosovo," Abazi said.

He said that Switzerland's position towards Kosovo is friendly, there is an extraordinary relationship between the two countries also due to the large number of the Kosovar diaspora there.

Maliqi: Kosovo in danger of losing in peace what it gained in war (Express)

Political scientist Agon Maliqi said that Kosovo is in danger of losing in peace what it won with a lot of effort in the war, giving some arguments why this could happen.

“Serbia failed not only because of our resistance but above all because it misunderstood the geopolitical moment and had a legalistic and absolutist understanding of the concept of sovereignty, which can be limited by powers if it causes wider security consequences or causes humanitarian consequences.

He further noted that Kosovo seems to be headed down the same path of collective sovereignist madness and misunderstanding of the geopolitical moment. “With this approach, Kosovo risks losing in peace what it gained in war,” Maliqi wrote.

Over 125,000 Albanians registered in Presevo, Bujanovac and Medvedja (Klan Kosova)

The census in Serbia ended yesterday and Albanians living in Presevo Valley – the municipalities of Presevo, Bujanovac and Medvedja – have participated en masse for the first time since 2001. According to Nagip Arifi, mayor of Presevo municipality, the number of registered Albanians is over 125,000.

Serbian Language Media

Radojevic: Serbs will not change stance on re-registration (RTS, Kosovo Online)

Mitrovica North mayor Milan Radojevic told RTS today that Kosovo police at administrative crossing points Jarinje and Brnjak started issuing reminders to the Serbian licence plates vehicles’ owners, adding that this, however, will certainly not change the stance of Serbs in northern Kosovo regarding re-registration.

“Serbs in northern Kosovo are no threat to anyone, we want to live dignified lives. There would be no incidents or problems whatsoever from our side, as long as the first fine is issued, which may happen in 21 days as per Pristina’s announcements. However, we shall see what reality on the ground is”, he said.

Radojevic added he can not imagine the situation in which Kosovo police issues fines to a medical ambulance or a bus transporting children and that Serbs stand by the side just because they have KM licence plates. He also said Serbs can travel across the world with those licence plates, except in Kosovo and Metohija because of “one man from Pristina caprice”.

He noted people remain decisive not to change their licence plates.

“The question is how this decision would be implemented on the ground, concerning issuing fines. I have absolute trust in the people at the North Regional Directorate and I think they will make the right decision in the interest of the people”, he said.

He emphasised that over the last period Pristina built several bases in northern Kosovo and brought police units from other areas there.

“What we can expect is that those units issue reminders but also fines. I hope that during the next three weeks the international community will exert additional pressure on Pristina and prevent tensions. We witness persistence of Albin Kurti to continue implementation of this decision”, he added.

Hill: Licence plates dispute will not resolve crucial issues (KoSSev, RTS)

US Ambassador to Serbia, Christopher Hill said overcoming the dispute on re-registration of vehicles will not contribute to resolving crucial issues between Belgrade and Pristina, KoSSev portal reports.

Talking to journalists, on the occasion of a reception he organised for the members of US business delegation visiting Serbia, Hill said Pristina authorities feel as if in grey zone when it comes to the membership in international organisations, including UN, but that Serbia has the right to ask what will happen with the Serb community in Kosovo.

“Serbia has the right to ask questions about what will happen with the Serb community in Kosovo, could Serbs feel comfortable in Kosovo, can they feel supported and protected by the law, can they preserve their identity. Those are the questions of a crucial significance in a sense that the Kosovo issue is internationalised, and that the Serbian community will not be forgotten”, he said.

Instead of that, as Hill said, we are “dealing with licence plates issue”.

“Whatever this issue concludes, I do not think it will resolve crucial concerns of the both sides – membership of Kosovo in international organisations and the issue of the future of the Serbian community. Licence plates will not resolve it”, he added.

Noting that he is not a negotiator in the dialogue, Hill also pointed out that the “EU worked hard and long on that issue”. He also opined a solution should come from the Brussels dialogue and that Belgrade and Pristina should cooperate in resolving open issues.

“We do not want the dialogue to turn into resolving the disputes, we want the dialogue to resolve bigger issues”, he said.

COM KFOR visits Visoki Decani Monastery (Kosovo Online)

KFOR Commander Major General Angelo Michele Ristuccia visited Visoki Decani Monastery and spoke with Abbot Sava Janjic about current issues affecting the Monastery, Kosovo Online portal reports.

Abbot Sava also thanked KFOR for the protection of the monastery.

“Today we welcomed the new KFOR Commander Maj Gen RISTUCCIA🇮🇹 & his team at Dečani #Monastery. After the visit to the church, COMKFOR talked to our Abbot Fr. Sava about the current issues we are facing. Fr. Sava expressed gratitude to @NATO_KFOR for the protection of our Monastery”, Visoki Decani Monastery wrote on Twitter.

Odalovic: US offered “honourable way out” to Pristina, Kurti ignored it (Kosovo Online)

Chairman of the Serbian Government Missing Persons Commission, Veljko Odalovic said the US with its request to postpone decision on licence plates by ten months offered Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti “honourable way out”, however, as he said, Kurti ignored it and continues playing with a fire, Kosovo online portal reports.

“Kurti continues playing with the fire. Those are acts aiming at additional destabilisation in northern Kosovo and Metohija, additional pressure on Serbs with various measures adopted by their government. On the other hand we hear more and more louder messages that what he does is not good. Before anyone, by those who have supported him the most strongly, the US. They gave him an honourable way out to postpone the decision by 10 months”, Odalovic said.

He added what Kurti did was to absolutely reject what has been asked from him to do.

“He now elaborates the plan in phases, and that is ignoring the US, which along with the EU sent a clear message. Those ten months should have served as a room to return to the dialogue and look for solutions that will not be imposed and won’t cause such conflicts and tensions. Obviously there is no one in those institutions caring about Serbs or helping them in any way. Implementation of the Brussels agreement is the only way”, he added.

Dacic: We will not invite the Serbs to accept licence plates with 'Republic of Kosovo' markings (NMagazin, Beta)

Minister of Foreign Affairs Ivica Dacic said tonight that the government of Serbia will not at some point invite the Serbs in the north of Kosovo to accept plates for cars that say ''the Republic of Kosovo'', reported portal NMagazin, citing TV Vojvodina.

"As you heard from President Vucic, we want a compromise, we don't want to make a single move that would be interpreted as an incident or provocation, but you also heard the Serbs themselves that they will defend their interests. Certainly, Serbia will not allow anyone to threaten or to conduct a pogrom (against the Serbs)," said Dacic, for TV Vojvodina, in the ‘Pravi ugao’ (Right angle) TV Show.

He stated that Serbia "will continue to be a predictable partner, but when you tell someone that you are a predictable partner, it means that you know exactly what we can and cannot do, and what we will not".

For now, there is no change in the policy on sanctions against Russia, Franco-German proposal unacceptable

Dacic said that for now there is no change in the policy established by the National Security Council on not imposing sanctions on Russia.

"Currently, the percentage of our foreign policy compliance with European policy is 46 percent. We will try to make it even higher, but the problem is that most of the resolutions and declarations that we need to accept refer to the crisis in Ukraine and Russia. We must have a careful and balanced approach." said Dacic in the ‘Pravi ugao’ TV show.

He said that an "understanding of our situation regarding the issue of Kosovo" is needed, which is related to Russia's support.

"If someone tries to solve the Kosovo issue by the fact that we will lose those countries that support us when it comes to Kosovo, and we will not get a balanced approach towards our territorial integrity, which has no chance of success," said Dacic, stating that the Kosovo issue must rest on a principled basis.

When asked about the Franco-German proposal, he said that he had not read it, because "agreement is not to spread it", but based on what Vucic presented at the recent National Security Council, "there are no good grounds to discuss the details of all that at all".

"There is no discussion about what political solution is that, but it is interpreted that the solution is already there - that means the independence of Kosovo, and that Serbia has a role not to protest too much", stated Dacic, adding that members of the National Security Council declared that this was unacceptable.

He stated that Serbia is ready to continue dialogue and be constructive but is not ready to unblock Kosovo's admission to the United Nations, reported portal NMagazin.

Vucevic: Army in state of alert because of Kosovo, combat readiness level raised (N1)

Serbian Minister of Defense, Milos Vucevic said that as per order of President Aleksandar Vucic the Army of Serbia is in a state of alert and the combat readiness level has been raised, because of the situation in Kosovo, N1 reports.

Vucevic told Happy TV that Serbia is a serious state and no one should play “war games”.

“We can’t stay relaxed, and we advocate for dialogue”, he noted.

He also said that the army was ready to carry out any Vucic’s order, who is also a Supreme Commander, protecting all the citizens of Serbia, including Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija and that “no one should doubt it”.

“Serbia is for dialogue. It is better to negotiate for a thousand days, then to spend one day in trenches”, he said.

Malikovic: Usurped property and bureaucracy are the main problems of the Serbian community in Istok (KoSSev, Radio Gorazdevac, KiM radio)

Osojane is in the municipality of Istok, a village that many say is the most successful example of a return to Kosovo. Those who returned, or want to return, have problems with usurped property, obtaining personal documentation. There are a large number of pending requests for return, Vesna Malikovic, officer for communities and return in the municipality of Istok, said in an interview with Radio Gorazdevac.

Usurped property and bureaucracy are the main problems facing the Serbian community in this municipality, says Malikovic.

"The negative thing is that the bureaucracy and procedure is a bit longer. If you report the usurpation of property, that process lasts, it is not resolved immediately, but it lasts, for example, a year. Bureaucracy is the biggest problem. And I always say that politics is the biggest problem, that rhetoric directed towards people and citizens of Serbian nationality is a great evil," said Malikovic.

Citizens in the municipality of Istok also complain about the infrastructure and the lack of jobs for young people, she told Radio Gorazdevac.

"There are many things that citizens complain about, the usurpation of property - that is the biggest problem, we have a problem with infrastructure and, of course, an employment problem," she stated.

The office for communities in the municipality of Istok has the most requests from citizens related to the construction of houses.

"We have the most candidates to build a house for them, and it is not clear to me that all the commissions pass, and then nothing happens. You cannot explain to a citizen who has been waiting for 23 years why he did not get a house. It is really very difficult. Until two or three years ago, it was done very well, but in the last two or three years nothing has been done," said Malikovic.

Services to citizens in the municipality of Istok are at a good level, but Malikovic states that the biggest problems are related to personal documents.

"The big problem due to some cases is about identity cards. The administration is asking for citizenship under some new law, which is absurd if someone was born in Kosovo, there is really no need to ask for citizenship and wait two years," she said.

When it comes to public debates on the budget or other public meetings, citizens of the municipality of Istok are not very interested.

"A small number of citizens are interested in it, not only Serbian but also Albanian. Because that budget is not fulfilled during the year. We have been looking for a road since 2014, Srbobran-Osojane. It is a road that people cannot pass. We have not yet entered the system for that road, and it has been delayed every year since 2014. There is always a reason to say there is no fund. There is no fund for every slightly larger project," said Malikovic.

Apart from the problem with personal documents, the official in the Office for Communities, Vesna Malikovic, says that there is no discrimination against citizens by the institutions in this municipality.

"I would not say so. I do not really know any examples of that. Except for ID cards, which irritates everyone; if someone is really a resident of Istok and has not changed their Serbian ID card, I do not understand why someone would be discriminated against," she said.

In the municipality of Istok today there are the most returnee communities in Kosovo in which the Serbian community lives.

Kosovo police start handing out warnings over licence plates (N1)

The Kosovo police last night handed out the first warning to a vehicle with Serbian issued licence plates with abbreviations of towns in Kosovo, N1 reports.

At the Jarinje administrative crossing point between Serbia proper and Kosovo, just after midnight and after the expiry of the deadline for the re-registration of vehicles with Serbian licence plates set by Pristina, a reprimand was given to a vehicle with Serbian licence plates driven by a woman.

There are no crowds at the Jarinje crossing, but the implementation of Pristina’s new measures on the re-registration of vehicles in Kosovo started at midnight, Serbian public broadcaster said.

At the administrative crossing points the Kosovo police are handing out to drivers of vehicles with Serbia-issued licence plates certificates confirming that they have been informed of the obligation to re-register their vehicles and containing instructions for re-registration.

Kosovo Internal Affairs Minister Xhelal Svecla repeatedly called Tuesday on owners of vehicles with Serbian licence plates to re-register them, reported RTK2.

Kosovo Online portal reported that by midday today 40 reminders were issued at Jarinje administrative point.

Vucic meets IMF delegation (Tanjug)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic met with an International Monetary Fund delegation on Tuesday to discuss fiscal, monetary and energy stability, Tanjug news agency reports.

The parties agreed that Serbia had registered a good GDP growth rate of 4.1 pct in the first half of this year but that real growth was expected to decelerate to 3 pct by the end of the year due to the Ukraine crisis, a cause of major global economic problems.

The IMF representatives insisted on stricter monetary and fiscal policies and proposed adequate measures, the presidential press office said in a statement.

Thanking them for the proposals, Vucic noted that, since the beginning of a fiscal consolidation in 2014, Serbia had always complied with IMF recommendations and maintained active arrangements with the financial institution.

The parties also discussed energy security, and Vucic noted that the main objective was to develop an investment plan for the energy sector, with projects including construction of new gas interconnectors that would boost energy security and stabilise electricity production. He said the plan would be presented as part of an updated development strategy for Serbia's energy sector, which will include projections until 2050.

Office for KiM: KLA inscription on a family house in Suvi Do (RTS, KiM radio)

The Office for Kosovo and Metohija announced today that in the multi-ethnic village of Suvi Do, Lipljan municipality, the inscription KLA was written on the fence of the family house of Ilija Filipovic thus upsetting this family and the other Serbian families living in this area, reported RTS.

The Office announcement continued as saying that "since the beginning of last year, this is the 20th reported case of writing graffiti of a notorious terrorist organization on Serbian schools, houses, and kindergartens, so it certainly cannot be seen as an isolated case, but as a planned and designed intimidation and harassment of Serbs with the aim of expelling them from the area of Kosovo and Metohija", reported RTS.

The incident, added the Office, comes on a day when ''tensions and anxiety among the Serbian people have increased in the territory of Kosovo and Metohija due to the unilateral decisions of the Pristina authorities regarding KM licence plates''.

"The unilateral political moves of the Albanian authorities directed against the Serbs in Kosovo directly encourage the open display of hatred and intolerance and cause incidents on the ground," the statement said.

The Office for KiM therefore demanded from the competent institutions that the perpetrators be punished as soon as possible, and that a civilised life be ensured for all Serbs in the area of Kosovo and Metohija, but also security to be raised to a higher level, especially in mixed environments, reported RTS, citing the statement.

Rada Trajkovic says she “de facto lives under house arrest”, Serbian and Albanian stakeholders cooperate in her persecution (Radio KIM)

Serbian politician and president of European Serb Movement from Kosovo, Rada Trajkovic said she “de facto lives under house arrest” in Belgrade and goes to the public only to attend the hearings of the lawsuits filed against her “by controversial businessman from Kosovo M. R.”, and as she said “his close friend, B.D. a high ranking official of Serbian Security Informative Agency (BIA), Radio KIM reports.

She also said that “from history of her persecution it is obvious that there is a level of coordination and cooperation of malignant stakeholders from Serbian and Kosovo-Albanian systems”.

In a statement sent prior to the conference, Trajkovic alleged that her persecution started “when she shared with the public founded doubts on involvement of a criminal group from northern Kosovo in the murder of Oliver Ivanovic”.

She said that upon those statements she was unable to continue working at the Health House in Gracanica, got retired from the post of Professor at Faculty of Medicine, and that her son got fired from a job he had in Belgrade. She also said that a coordinated media attack against her commenced in April 2019.

Trajkovic further said she was “the most directly endangered” by allegations Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic voiced against her, as she started receiving “fierce threats” and announcements that “she will get out of all of this in a very difficult manner”.

Trajkovic said it was very concerning that her testimony given to Pristina institutions about the murder of Oliver Ivanovic was sent by Pristina to President Aleksandar Vucic, adding this indicates that there is “a nontransparent connection” between Belgrade and Pristina.

The lawyer, Bozo Prelevic said in the case of Rada Trajkovic it was concerning “that there are lots of similarities with Oliver Ivanovic”. He added the police is informally telling Trajkovic that she is threatened by “some Albanian mafia” but provide no response to the question what Albanian mafia it is.

He also said the son of Rada Trajkovic was also endangered, adding that he has lost his job, and “could not lose it because of Albanian mafia”, and that person Trajkovic stays with while in Kosovo faced inconveniences.

Opinion

Full Euroization of Kosovo: A Sustainable Strategy? (Prishtina Insight)

Opinion piece by Jean Francois Ponsot, Full Professor of Economics at Pacte-CNRS, University Grenoble Alpes, France. His research interests are directed towards monetary innovations and dollarization. He supervises the In-Moco research programme on the issue of confidence in times of monetary crisis and transition.

In theory, use of the euro is supposed to help the country in Foreign Direct Investment. In reality, it brings higher interest rates, and – if Kosovo cannot accumulate reserves in a foreign currency – will bring stagnation in the economy.

While Kosovo attempts to join the European Union and the path seems quite far off, paradoxically, it belongs already to a much more privileged group within the EU – the eurozone.

Kosovo doesn’t take part in meetings of the Eurozone ministers of course, as the country has unilaterally adopted the euro. But such a situation raises many questions about how Kosovo manages its fiscal policies and whether having the euro benefits or costs the country.

One of the main challenges of a new political entity is the choice of monetary regime. The need for a sustainable currency is important in building macroeconomic and political stability. In general, most newly independent countries aim to assert their sovereignty through the creation of a national currency.

Read full piece at: https://bit.ly/3SSFS1d

Synchronicity is the path to the solution for Kosovo (Euractiv)

Orhan Dragas is the founder and director of the International Security Institute based in Belgrade.

The EU and the US correctly assessed that further delaying the solution to the Kosovo problem suits the Russian interests to destabilise Europe. Russia is trying to encourage escalation in the Balkans because it wants to ease its position in Ukraine by shifting part of the West’s focus to another hotspot. That is why speeding up problem resolution on the Pristina-Belgrade line is the right response to Russia’s destructive ambitions.

A proposal is on the table that is usually called Franco-German, although there is no doubt that the US also participated in its drafting. It is encouraging that neither Belgrade nor Pristina rejected it; moreover, both found positive aspects in it.

The proposal envisages for Serbia to allow Kosovo accession to international institutions and organisations, including the UN, and in return, an accelerated admission to the EU of Serbia, with significant financial support from the West. It is also essential that Serbia would not be required to recognise Kosovo as an independent state.

International

Expired: Unused COVID Vaccines Cost Balkans Tens of Millions (BIRN)

As interest wanes in jabs, Balkan countries are expected to lose millions of euros in expired vaccines by year’s end – but authorities say it was a calculated risk from the start.

At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020, Balkan countries were either criticised or praised, depending on how quickly they got a hold of significant batches of COVID-19 vaccines and started jabbing their populations.

Money was less of a problem than availability, governments reiterated, as they scrambled to get enough vaccines, which they eventually did by the latter part of 2020.

Now things have changed. Vaccination has drastically fallen since peaking during the summer months. Thousands and thousands of unused vaccines lie in storage.

Some are destined for imminent destruction due to their expiry dates; more will probably end up the same way by the end of the year.