UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, November 5, 2021

Albanian Language Media:

Lajcak from Thessaloniki: Remove visas for Kosovars (Klan)
Another group of Afghan citizens leave Kosovo for U.S. (media)
Kurti: We cannot be at peace until justice for Astrit is served (media)
Kosovo not invited to Biden's democracy summit (Koha)
Isufi: KSF expected to deploy to a mission in Poland (Klan)
Open Balkan, still in the wishful phase leaving room for speculation, says expert (euronews.al)
Rama interferes in Kosovo-Serbia relations without fully grasping them, says analyst (euronews.al)
COVID-19: 14 new cases, no deaths (media)

Serbian Language Media:

Vucic: I expect Pristina will soon attempt to takeover Valac power station (Radio KIM, BETA, N1, KoSSev)
Drecun: Possible that Pristina will attempt to take over transmission substations in the north of Kosovo (RTS)
Petkovic with Schieb on situation in Kosovo, agreements on energy (Radio KIM)
Djilas to VOA: We only expect support for democracy; reconciliation but not recognition of Kosovo (VoA, N1)
Petkovic: Djilas bothered by the Serbian List, but not by Albin Kurti (Radio Mitrovica sever)
US Embassy in Pristina: Kosovo and Serbia to honor their commitments (Radio KIM)
Open Balkan leaders call EU to speed up integration (N1)
Stefanovic thanked Spain for principled position on Kosovo (Kosovo-online)
WHO appoints new head of Serbia office, envoy for the Balkans (N1, RTS)
Serbian opposition leaders meet Escobar in Washington (N1)
Pension of Rada Trajkovic blocked (Radio KIM)
Supreme Court: Serbian List fined 8,100 euros (RTK2)

Albanian Language Media

Lajcak from Thessaloniki: Remove visas for Kosovars (Klan)

The EU Special Envoy for Dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia Miroslav Lajcak was part of the Thessaloniki Summit where he said that it is important for the EU to lift visas for the citizens of Kosovo and stressed the need to start talks between the EU, Albania and North Macedonia, Klan Kosova reports quoting Tirana’s ABC News.

"For me, the question is not whether it should be, but when and as a first step I will recommend to start talks without delay with Albania and North Macedonia and to lift visas for the citizens of Kosovo," Lajcak said.

"Prime Minister Zaev lost the election because he could not fulfill his promise to start talks with the European Union, while he did not fulfill his promise not because he did not do his part, but because we, the Union European, could not fulfill our part. As a result, they lost a partner who was loyal to the European idea, constructive and committed, one of the best partners in the region. To me, it is a clear signal that the region does not have time to wait for them and it is time for the European Union to act because more European partners will be lost," Lajcak said.

Another group of Afghan citizens leave Kosovo for U.S. (media)

A group of around 100 citizens of Afghanistan left Kosovo this morning, bound for the United States, online media report quoting the U.S. Embassy in Kosovo.

"Just this morning, a 4th flight departed Kosovo, with over 100 Afghans who will soon start new lives in the U.S. Thank you Kosovo for your generosity & hospitality," the Embassy said on Twitter.

Kurti: We cannot be at peace until justice for Astrit is served (media)

Prime Minister of Kosovo Albin Kurti paid honour to the Vetevendosje activist Astrit Dehari on the fifth anniversary of his death while at a detention in Prizren.

"We cannot be at peace until justice for Astrit is served, until the authors have been tried and convicted and until the truth is fully enlightened," Kurti said.

He added that Kosovo will undertake deep reforms in the judicial system "for victims of crimes perpetrated by Serbia, victims of organised crime and corruption, and of political crime as was the case of Astrit's killing in prison.”

Kosovo not invited to Biden's democracy summit (Koha)

Politico has published the list of 100 countries invited to the Summit for Democracy, which will be hosted by the U.S. President Joe Biden in December.

Although Politico reported that Biden aides are still shaping the agenda for the Dec. 9-10 virtual summit, and much of their work is confidential, the list of invited governments obtained by the media outlet does not include Kosovo, Koha reports.

In addition to Kosovo, Serbia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina have also not been invited to take part in the summit while Albania, Montenegro, and North Macedonia appear on the list of invitees.

Koha has reached out to the Government of Kosovo for comment but has not yet received any.

Isufi: KSF expected to deploy to a mission in Poland (Klan)

Sefer Isufi, chief of strategic communication department at the Kosovo's Ministry of Defence, said that the Kosovo Security Force will be deploying a contingent to Poland.

"Following the conclusion of the first mission abroad, we are working on agreements for deploying a new contingent of soldiers in missions outside the country, in Poland, as part of the U.S. command for Europe," Isufi said.

He said that the first mission of KSF abroad, under U.S. command, proved that "Kosovo as a country that until now has imported security is ready to effectively act alongside our partners, specifically the United States, as exporter of security."

Open Balkan, still in the wishful phase leaving room for speculation, says expert (euronews.al)

‘The Open Balkan initiative is still unconsolidated, something which would have been possible through a clearly set-out agreement, therefore it leaves room for various speculations’. These were the opening remarks made by economy expert, Ilir Ciko on Euronews Albania’s Morning program.

“It is still in the wishful phase. We’re at a level of political or business meetings but not at the level where we can have an internationally recognized agreement,” – argued the economy expert.

In addition, Ciko underlined that so far, it is difficult to speak of winners or losers, but time will tell whether or not Albanian businesses were also able to export their products abroad.

Commenting on the initiative, the expert added that no country in the region should be excluded from Open Balkan.

“An effort to include Montenegro into this agreement, in reality, leaves Kosovo [isolated] in an island within the region,” said the expert, while emphasizing that Albania has a responsibility to protect and not violate the interests of Kosovo.

Lastly, Ciko declared that Serbia recognizes Kosovo as a trading partner, represented by UNMIK.

Rama interferes in Kosovo-Serbia relations without fully grasping them, says analyst (euronews.al)

“A superimposition of past agreements”. This is how analyst, Donika Emini described the ‘Open Balkan’ initiative, adding that it is still unclear and raises many questions.

The analyst also underlined that this initiative hasn’t only been met with the hesitation of Albin Kurti, but Hashim Thaci’s as well because there is still much information about it that people are not aware of.

In addition, Emini declared that Kosovo can risk remaining an isolated island, but she did maintain that if this initiative begins to succeed, then all other nations in the region should be open to joining.

Lastly, she commented about Rama’s stance on ‘Open Balkan’, underlining that the Albanian prime minister is interfering with political matters that concern Serbia and Kosovo, without understanding their bilateral problems whatsoever.

COVID-19: 14 new cases, no deaths (media)

14 new COVID-19 cases have been recorded in the last 24 hours in Kosovo. 17 persons recovered from the virus during this time.

There are 440 active cases with COVID-19 in Kosovo.

Serbian Language Media

Vucic: I expect Pristina will soon attempt to takeover Valac power station (Radio KIM, BETA, N1, KoSSev)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said today he expects that Pristina authorities will soon attempt to takeover Valac power station, under the pretext of charging for electricity in northern Kosovo, where Serbs make up the majority of the population, a number of Serbian media reported.

Vucic added he expects that to happen after November 6.

“I said it is possible to happen as of November 6, due to the attitude towards operators there, by seeking the reasons for alleged charging for electricity in the north. However, I am almost certain, they will try to use it in a given moment, for achieving their political goals that have nothing to do with energy”, Vucic said.

He also said Pristina will pick a moment, but he is kindly asking it not to do so.

KoSSev portal in an article on this issue said the media in Belgrade for days deal with potential action of the Pristina authorities in Valac, linking the action with November 6, and one of the interpretations of Vucic’s statement was made by Milovan Drecun, Chairman of the Serbian Assembly Committee for Kosovo and Metohija.

KoSSev also recalled that the energy system in the north of Kosovo as of December last year is no longer part of the controlling area of the Serbian EMS operator. Kosovo energy operator KOSTT took over management of the electricity system in northern Kosovo as well. Then, a possibility to implement internal exchange of electricity between Serbian public company EPS and KOSTT for the supplying needs of consumers in northern Kosovo also ended. Still, workers at Valac are still paid by Serbian operator EPS.

It is expected that soon talks at political level between the two sides in Brussels could take place, aiming at reaching a solution related to licensing EPS daughter company Elektro sever company that should be responsible for providing the electricity and operate within the Kosovo system.

Drecun: Possible that Pristina will attempt to take over transmission substations in the north of Kosovo (RTS)

Pristina's unilateral actions are not excluded in the coming period, especially when it comes to Pristina's attempt to take over the transmission network in the north of Kosovo, the president of the Assembly Committee for Kosovo and Metohija, Milovan Drecun, told Radio Television of Serbia (RTS).

The position of the USA and the EU when it comes to the implementation of the Brussels Agreement is very important, because they can influence Pristina, said Drecun.

That influence exists, it was very important that they said that they must implement the part of the agreement that concerns the formation of the Community of Serbian Municipalities (ZSO).

"Kurti not only opposes that, but also undertakes other unilateral actions that further undermine what has been achieved," said Drecun.

When it comes to the energy situation, Drecun says that it is complicated, which is why it is not excluded that Pristina will try to take over two transmission stations in the north of Kosovo, and those are two substations - "Valac" and "Gazivode".

"The transmission network in the north is managed by the Electric power industry of Serbia (EPS), and Pristina wants to take over the transmission network as well as billing. And that would again be a unilateral action. The Brussels agreement does not define the field of energy, but two agreements enabled the establishment of two companies 'EPS Trade' and 'Elektro Sever (Electro North)'. Instead of respecting the agreement and enabling the work of these two companies, they are making agreements with Albanian companies to take over the market. Since they cannot legally take over the supply in the north, it is possible that Pristina will take unilateral steps," Drecun said.

Belgrade can warn of the actions that Pristina is preparing, says Drecun, because ''our people cannot allow their lives to depend on the good will of Pristina, because Pristina is not well-intentioned towards Serbs''.

"It is a matter of life and survival. They know that the Serbian people will oppose it, and without special units they do not take such unilateral actions, and when you engage special forces, violence is inevitable," said the president of the parliamentary committee for Kosovo and Metohija.

Drecun does not expect the dialogue to continue before the end of the second round of local elections and the results, and it is not yet known when the second round of elections will be held.

The "Open Balkans" is growing from an initiative into a process

Speaking about the "Open Balkans", Milovan Drecun says that it is no longer just an initiative, but a process that should realize political agreements and the meeting held in Belgrade should contribute to that.

"I don't know why anyone would have to justify and why anyone would mind if this region developed. This is not a backup plan for EU membership, but it is in the spirit of European integration," Drecun believes.

Drecun says that you can already see a lot of workers from abroad on construction sites in Serbia, which is why facilitating procedures is important for development.

"This process will intensify in the coming period and is open to other countries as well," Drecun said.

Petkovic with Schieb on situation in Kosovo, agreements on energy (Radio KIM)

Office for Kosovo and Metohija Director Petar Petkovic met with the German Ambassador to Serbia, Thomas Schieb and briefed him about the problems relating to the implementation of the Brussels agreements on energy from 2013 and 2015, as well as about Prstina’s obligation deriving from those agreements, Radio KIM reports.

The obligations of Pristina relate to the registration of the two Serbian companies and providing licences for supply, distribution and trade with electric energy.

Petkovic said he has also informed the European Union about all these problems, as the EU is a mediator in the dialogue and a guarantor of the implementation of the agreements.

“It is of crucial importance that all relevant international stakeholders realize the severity of the situation we are currently in and to understand that unilateral actions of Pristina in this regard may jeopardize security situation in Kosovo and Metohija and bring to the escalation of the situation on the ground”, Petkovic said.

Speaking about the political and security situation in Kosovo, Petkovic stressed that Serbia remains resolute to protect security and advance living conditions of the Serbian people, however, it is very much concerned over the latest wave of attacks against the Serbs.

“Refusal of Pristina to implement obligations deriving from the Brussels agreement, in particular those referring to the Community of Serb-majority Municipalities, but also those relating to the agreements on judiciary, energy and freedom of movement represent an additional danger and source of lasting tensions and pressure exerted on the Serbian population in Kosovo and Metohija”, he said.

He also said Belgrade remains committed to dialogue as it is very much important for the peace and stability in the region, however, it is obvious that Pristina is not interested in it yeilding results.

Djilas to VOA: We only expect support for democracy; reconciliation but not recognition of Kosovo (VoA, N1)

The leader of Serbia's opposition Freedom and Justice Party (SSP), Dragan Djilas, told the Voice of America (VOA) in Washington, he and his colleague Borko Stefanovic did not come to meet the US official to seek support for themselves, but for democracy in their country.

“We came to talk to representatives of the world’s largest power and express our views on everything that is happening in Serbia,” he said after meeting Gabriel Escobar, US Special Representative for the Western Balkans.

Djilas told VOA it was up to people in Serbia to change the government in their country, but that his party expected the states which supported democracy to back “European standards”.

He refused to confirm his party participation in the 2022 elections or who might be a possible candidate of the opposition bloc for the country’s president. Still, he was optimistic about the opposition’s chances of winning the vote in Belgrade and even defeating President Aleksandar Vucic.

“I believe there will be a change. If we decide to participate, I am sure we will win in Belgrade and that the results of the parliamentary elections will be much different than many today in Serbia and the world think. And I am sure that the right candidate has chances to beat Aleksandar Vucic in the presidential elections,” Djilas said.

Asked about the constant attack on him coming from Vucic, his party officials and tabloids they control, Djilas said he never talked about his safety.

“People in Serbia know that I have 321 front pages in 365 days, that I have been on televisions for hours. I told Escobar that Vucic has been on television for hours, but so have I, with everything being negative about me and everything positive about him. However, I don’t think that’s the point. The essence is to create a country where everyone can freely express their opinion, and they will not end up on the front pages as a criminal, a pedophile,” he said.

About Kosovo: We can offer reconciliation, but not independence

When answering questions related to the issue of Kosovo, the opposition platform and what they can offer to Serbian voters that is different from what Vucic currently offers, and whether he discussed Kosovo with Escobar, Djilas told VoA that the first would be to reduce lies or to abolish them.

''The citizens of Serbia have been hearing for 10 years about us leading 5: 0 against Kosovo, that tomorrow we can enter Kosovo with our army to solve it. You have people who are criminals, really criminals, accused from various sides, suspects, who form their own list in Kosovo and then take 99 percent of the Serb votes and sit in the Government of Kosovo. Every other day, new tensions appear, people are afraid of a new war. We can offer that none of this will be the case. We advocated for reconciliation two years ago. Two years ago, we talked about the possibility of freedom of movement for people from Kosovo and central Serbia. Nobody listened to us, so we came to this conflict over vehicle plates, about some things that are not the essence. We can't agree on something. So, Kosovo Albanians want to be an independent state, we believe that it is part of the territory of the state of Serbia. Okay, we can’t agree on that, but we can agree on some other things to get people starting to live better a little.''

Petkovic: Djilas bothered by the Serbian List, but not by Albin Kurti (Radio Mitrovica sever)

Reacting to Dragan Djilas' statements given during his stay in the United States, the Director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija, Petkovic said:

"In the manner of a prominent Albanian lobbyist, which he would be envied by all politicians in Pristina, tycoon Dragan Djilas attacked Serbs from Kosovo and Metohija in the middle of the United States."

"And while Djilas is bothered by the Serbian List, which shared its destiny with its people day and night at the barricades, and defended their homes, he is not bothered by Albin Kurti, about whom he did not say a single word ?!"

"The real reason for Djilas' trip to America is now clear - to help Albanian politicians now when Albin Kurti is threatening new unilateral actions in the north of the province, to the detriment of the Serbian people. Humiliating and miserable!"

"Dragan Djilas is a disgrace and shame of every Serb from Kosovo and Metohija, but there is no doubt that he did his lobbying job in the United States properly and will now significantly increase his tycoon empire of 619 million euros, but also receive applause from Kurti, and Pristina's politicians."

''How is it that Djilas did not raise his voice when they shot at Srecko Sofronijevic, beat little Nikola Peric or broke Ranko Bacic's ribs, but raised his voice when Serbs should be attacked in the USA and help Kurti?''

''As Djilas' only policy is hatred towards Aleksandar Vucic, it is not surprising that Djilas reflects that hatred on Serbs from Kosovo and Metohija who unreservedly trust the president because they know that he is fighting like a lion day and night for them,'' Petkovic said in the statement.

US Embassy in Pristina: Kosovo and Serbia to honor their commitments (Radio KIM)

The stance of the United States remains that it is of crucial importance for Kosovo and Serbia to honor their commitments regarding implementation of all previous agreements, which includes Community of Serb-majority Municipalities, US Embassy in Pristina said, Radio KIM reports citing Klan Kosova.

“We do not describe how that, or any other agreement should be implemented, as the techniques for implementation are in the hands of the two sides”, the statement further said.

Radio KIM said Klan Kosova asked the US Embassy for a comment after Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurit told BBC he will not allow implementation of the agreement on Community of Serb-majority Municipalities.

Open Balkan leaders call EU to speed up integration (N1)

The political leaders of Serbia, Albania and North Macedonia on Thursday called the European Union to look into ways to speed up the integration of the Western Balkans, N1 reports.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama and North Macedonian Deputy Prime Minister Nikola Dimitrov said in a joint statement that the EU has confirmed its support for the European perspective of the Western Balkans at the October 6 summit in Slovenia and that the region reiterated its commitment to European values and democratic principles, democratic rule, basic rights and rule of law. They added that the EU’s questionable capacity to integrate new members and internal debate are obstructing the region’s progress towards the EU.

“The EU is developing new, far-reaching strategies while the region is desperately trying to implement existing strategies. We remain committed to achieving EU standards even though the path to the EU has gone off track”, the statement said adding that they can’t allow the negative spiral to jeopardize the future and prosperity of the region.