Albanian Language Media:

• Osmani: Fight for justice for victims of sexual violence in war won’t stop (RFE)

• Rohde slams Dodik on blockade to visa-free regime for Kosovo (media)

• Stano: Kosovo and its PM do not decide on the removal of measures (Express)

• Kryeziu responds to Stano: Measures should be removed (media)

• Stano: No information about a next meeting in EU-facilitated dialogue (Paparaci)

• New COMKFOR Barduani meets UNMIK chief Ziadeh (media)

• First commander of KFOR Sir Michael Jackson dies at 80 (media)

Serbian Language Media: 

• Dacic: The government's policy towards Kosovo has not changed (Tanjug, Vecernje Novosti) 

• Lazar Dejanovic sentenced to eight months in prison for assaulting an official (Kosovo Online, KoSSev)

• KFOR following PR claims on Serbian army near the ABL and the Gendarmerie on Merdare crossing: We are ready to ensure security, regular contacts with the parties (KoSSev) 

• Vojvodina, China’s province Shandong sign agreement on cooperation (Beta, N1)

International: 

• CEFTA trade bloc keeps Balkans just outside EU membership (DW)

• Montenegro census results: Montenegrins 41.12%, Serbs 32.93% of the population (EWB)

• Remembering Paul Lowe, photojournalist who pictured Sarajevo in war and peace (BIRN)

Albanian Language Media  

Osmani: Fight for justice for victims of sexual violence in war won’t stop (RFE)

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani said today that the fight for justice for the victims of sexual violence during the last war in Kosovo will never stop. The news website notes that the exact number of women raped during the war in Kosovo is not known, but in the postwar period different local and international organizations have said that the number could be as high as 20,000.

Osmani said that the perpetrators thought that they could dishonor Kosovo through sexual violence, “but in fact they never could and will never be able to do that”. “You are the heroines, you are the pride, and you are the very honor of Kosovo,” Osmani said in her address at an international conference on sexual violence in conflict organized on the 25th anniversary of the Kosovo Rehabilitation Centre for Torture Victims. 

Osmani thanked the Centre for their work and said that it had served for years as a safe haven and shelter for countless victims that have found support there and were assured that they can speak before the people of Kosovo and the world for what happened to them. “We need to fight to make sure that history will not repeat itself. Injustices must never pass in silence, and justice, we all know, is not achieved without holding the perpetrators accountable for their crimes. Our joint focus should be on the fight for justice,” she said.

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti said that despite their trauma, the survivors have shown exceptional strength to start new lives.

Feride Rushiti, head of the Centre, mentioned the period after the war and the major difficulties. “The period after the war was very difficult. The stigma experienced by women survivors of sexual violence, the silence, the shame in family, these were all difficult to cope with,” she said.

Vasfije Krasniqi-Goodman, the first woman to speak publicly about being a victim of sexual violence in the war, said that much more needs to be done for the survivors and also criticized Kosovo’s authorities for the procedures that are needed to confirm the status of a victim. She said it is difficult for the victims to prove something that happened 25 years ago. “When someone tells you to your face ‘you are not a survivor’ that too is a kind of abuse, when [what you experienced] is denied,” she said. Krasniqi is a special representative of Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani to address issues related to sexual violence in conflict. 

Denis Mukwege, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 2018 who also attended the conference, said that society needs to put a stop to the denial and exclusion of sexual victims because it recreates the trauma for the victims. “The victims are never guilty for the crimes they have experienced,” he said.

Mukwege also called on Kosovo’s authorities to care for the victims, offer them protection, and to include the right for justice, truth, compensation and guarantees that such cases will never happen again. 

Rohde slams Dodik on blockade to visa-free regime for Kosovo (media)

German Ambassador to Kosovo, Jorn Rohde, said in a post on X that German Envoy for the Western Balkans Manuel Sarrazin praised the decision of the Kosovo government to allow visa-free travel for the citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina, a positive step in the spirit of the Berlin Process. “Meanwhile, Milorad Dodik’s blockade of visa-free travel for Kosovo citizens shows disregard for his people's freedom of movement and progress,” Rohde said.

Stano: Kosovo and its PM do not decide on the removal of measures (Express)

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti, in his meetings at the Berlin Process, repeated his call for the EU measures against Kosovo to be lifted. Asked to comment on the remarks, EU spokesperson Peter Stano told Gazeta Express on Tuesday “it is not Kosovo or its Prime Minister that decides if the measures will be lifted or not. The decision should be made by the member states”. 

Stano also said that discussions on the matter are ongoing between member states. “The High Representative issued a statement on behalf of the EU on June 3, followed by the report about the fulfillment of EU’s requests by Kosovo. Discussions on lifting the measures against Kosovo are ongoing between member states at the Council,” he said.

Kryeziu responds to Stano: Measures should be removed (media)

Spokesperson for the Kosovo government, Perparim Kryeziu, has responded to a statement by EU spokesperson Peter Stano who said that it is not Kosovo or its Prime Minister that decides when the EU will lift its penalty measures against Kosovo. Kryeziu said: “We all know that Kosovo does not make decisions for the European Union. No one in Kosovo is claiming that. Prime Minister Kurti in all his meetings with European leaders and decision-makers in the European Union, rightfully called for the removal of measures because they don’t reflect the reasons why they were introduced or the situation on the ground. Moreover, since June this year, there has been a report by EU High Representative Josep Borrell which calls for the removal of measures against Kosovo … After the statement and assessment of the EU High Representative, it is no longer an issue whether or not the measures should be removed or who removes, but rather why they are not being removed. This is the question that should be answered by the Office of the High Representative, Josep Borrell, namely by Mr. Stano and the European Union”.

Stano: No information about a next meeting in EU-facilitated dialogue (Paparaci)

Spokesperson for the European Union, Peter Stano, said today that he doesn’t have any information about a new meeting in the EU-facilitated dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia. Asked to comment on the possibility of a high-level meeting in Brussels, Stano said: “first we never comment on any speculation and second there is no information about a new meeting in the EU-facilitated dialogue”. 

New COMKFOR Barduani meets UNMIK chief Ziadeh (media)

NATO’s peacekeeping mission in Kosovo – KFOR – said in a Facebook post on Tuesday that COMKFOR, Major General Enrico Barduani, met with the Special Representative and Head of the United Nations Interim Administration in Kosovo (UNMIK), Ms. Caroline Ziadeh. “The meeting was an opportunity for the Commander of the NATO-led KFOR mission, Major General Enrico Barduani, to share his intent with the Special Representative and Head of the United Nations Interim Administration in Kosovo, and also to reinforce relations with UNMIK,” the post notes.

First commander of KFOR Sir Michael Jackson dies at 80 (media)

All news websites report that General Sir Mike Jackson, the first commander of NATO peacekeeping troops in Kosovo, has passed away at the age of 80. The British Embassy in Pristina said in a Facebook post that “General Sir Mike Jackson KCB CBE DSO was born in 1944, and was educated at Stamford School, RMA Sandhurst and Birmingham University. Commissioned from Sandhurst into the Intelligence Corps in December 1963, he studied for an in-service degree in Russian Studies from 1964 to 1967. After graduating, he spent 2 years on secondment to the Parachute Regiment and subsequently transferred from the Intelligence Corps in 1970. During the early 70s he served in Northern Ireland, and with the TA in Scotland. He attended the Staff College in 1976, after which he spent 2 years as the Chief of Staff of the Berlin Infantry Brigade. He then commanded a parachute company for 2 years, once more in Northern Ireland. After a 6 month course at the National Defence College at Latimer in 1981, he joined the Directing Staff at the Staff College. His two and a half year tour at Camberley included a 10 week attachment to the Ministry of Defence during the Falklands”.

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti expressed high appreciation for General Jackson’s role and said that “his health condition did not allow him to come to Kosovo and to join us on the 25th anniversary of the liberation of our country, but General Michael Jackson has entered the history of modern Kosovo forever”.

Kosovo’s Defense Minister Ejup Maqedonci, in a Facebook post, expressed condolences for Jackson’s passing and said that “he led the command of KFOR in the most important period of democratic transition for our country”. “We will always remember General Jackson for his important contribution in creating a peaceful environment in Kosovo after the end of NATO bombing against Serbian and Yugoslav targets, as well as the return of Albanians to their homes,” Maqedonci said.

Serbian Language Media 

Dacic: The government's policy towards Kosovo has not changed (Tanjug, Vecernje Novosti) 

Minister of Internal Affairs Ivica Dacic stated that the goal of the authorities in Pristina is to reduce the number of Serbs in Kosovo as much as possible, to erase their perspective thus creating awareness among them that they cannot survive in Kosovo, reported Tanjug. 

In an interview for today's Vecernje Novosti, Dacic said that these are the long-term goals of the PM Albin Kurti, who does not pay attention to the agreements reached in the dialogue process.

Dacic added that it was the first time that the international community came to the fore when Kurti had to make some concessions and lift the ban on Serbian goods and stated that Kurti did it only because the international community blackmailed him with status in some regional organizations.

Lazar Dejanovic sentenced to eight months in prison for assaulting an official (Kosovo Online, KoSSev) 

The Basic Court in Pristina accepted the agreement that the defense reached with the Special Prosecutor’s Office in the case of Lazar Dejanovic, who was accused of participating in the riots in Zvecan on May 29 last year, reported Kosovo Online. 

The judge sentenced Dejanovic to eight months in prison for the offense of “assault on an official” which will also include the time Dejanovic spent in detention. For the crime of “participation in a crowd that commits criminal acts and hooliganism,” the judge imposed a prison sentence of six months, which can be replaced by a fine of 10,000 euros.

The defense waived the right to appeal, so the verdict will be final today. 

Dejanovic's lawyer Ljubomir Pantovic told Kosovo Online that ''the circumstances were such that we had to enter into a plea agreement with the Special Prosecutor's Office. That agreement was accepted, sentences were imposed for one offense of eight months in prison, and for the other offense a fine," said Pantovic.

According to Pantovic, Dejanovic was satisfied with the agreement.

KFOR following PR claims on Serbian army near the ABL and the Gendarmerie on Merdare crossing: We are ready to ensure security, regular contacts with the parties (KoSSev)

"We are closely monitoring the situation along the administrative border line, through our increased presence, patrols and surveillance activities. We are in regular contact with the representatives of the Kosovo security organizations and the Serbian Army," KFOR told KoSSev, responding to the inquiry on Pristina's latest claims - alleged Gendarmerie on Merdare and the movement of the Serbian army near the administrative line near Kamenica.

On Saturday, the latter claims were made by the Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti.

"Serbia provoked again today by moving its troops to about 50 meters near the border line with Kosovo, near the territory of the municipality of Kamenica," he said, publishing photos with uniformed faces and a military vehicle on them, as well as coordinates. The persons, he said, fled when they realized that they had been noticed.

The Ministry of Defense of Serbia then accused Pristina of spreading misinformation directed against the Serbian Armed Forces, whose members, they emphasized, acted in accordance with the Military-Technical and other agreements. They claimed that actually securing the administrative line then prevented the illegal transfer of timber towards the territory of Kosovo.

Already on Monday, the Kosovo police reported "another provocation", that is, along with photos, as they claimed, the Serbian Gendarmerie at the Merdare crossing and their vehicle. 

KoSSev asked the NATO mission in Kosovo - KFOR about all these claims., receiving an answer today.

They are carefully and actively monitoring the situation along the administrative line, they said, but are also in contact with the security forces on both sides.

"We are closely monitoring the situation along the administrative border line, through our increased presence, patrols and surveillance activities. We are in regular contact with the representatives of the Kosovo security organizations and the Serbian Army".

In the following, they say that to maintain safety, it is important to:

"Ensuring coordination and refraining from actions that could lead to tensions."

They say they will take all the measures they deem necessary to preserve stability and prevent "the risk of renewed tensions and violence."

They once again assure the citizens of the security provided by their mission, in accordance with the mandate of the United Nations, i.e., Resolution 1244.

"Our mission has a visible and flexible presence. We are well placed to ensure that we continue to contribute to a safe and secure environment for all people and communities living in Kosovo and freedom of movement, at all times and impartially, in accordance with our longstanding UN mandate, based on United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244 of in 1999".

KoSSev recalled that Pristina's claims about the Serbian army and Gendarmerie followed the recent address of the Kosovo PM at the main Committee of Self-Determination, in which he called on NATO to abolish, that is, expand the Land Security Zone to 5 kilometers.

"Since Serbia brought the army closer to the border several times, the land security zone must be restored to a perimeter of 5 kilometers around the border of Serbia. This is being misused by the regime of Aleksandar Vucic, who is introducing artillery into this 5-kilometer zone," Kurti said recently, reported KoSSev.  

Vojvodina, China’s province Shandong sign agreement on cooperation (Beta, N1)

Head of the Vojvodina Provincial Government Maja Gojkovic and Shandong Governor Zhou Naixiang signed in Yantai, China an agreement on cooperation between the Autonomous Province (AP) of Vojvodina and China's Shandong province.

The agreement enables incentives in the areas of the economy, trade and tourism as well as the promotion of joint investments and investment projects in agriculture, the processing of food products, science and technology, education, culture, transportation, the Vojvodina administration said.

Among other things, the participants of the event concluded that the opening of a China-Europe railway distributive center in Vojvodina’s town of Indjija has opened new possibilities for a faster and better transportation of goods between China and Serbia.

“The Autonomous Province of Vojvodina and Shandong province are deepening cooperation in all areas and in this way we would like to attract new investments in our country, thereby contributing to overall relations between Serbia and China, which have an ironclad friendship,” Gojkovic said. She added that the largest number of infrastructure projects in Serbia had come precisely from the Shandong province, like the Linglong factory in Zrenjanin, which is “the biggest greenfield investment ever in Serbia.”

The agreement was signed on the first day of a conference of local leaders of China and Central and Eastern Europe, said the press release.

International

CEFTA trade bloc keeps Balkans just outside EU membership (DW)

A club of Balkan countries has been waiting to join the EU while using the separate CEFTA framework to trade freely with each other. Brussels hopes the pact will ease their EU entry, but CEFTA has a life of its own.

The Central European Free Trade Agreement (CEFTA) is sometimes dismissed as the EU's waiting room, or even as a set of training wheels that Brussels provides to aspiring members to learn the art of free trade before they join the bloc's massive free market.

And for the most of its history, CEFTA has functioned as a stepping stone towards the EU. The free trade deal, whose rules are based on EU legislation, was first signed by representatives of Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia and Hungary in 1992. With Brussels' backing, it was gradually expanded to include Slovenia, Bulgaria,  Romania and Croatia. All of these states later dropped out of CEFTA to become full-fledged EU members.

The last major expansion of CEFTA was in 2006, when Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Albania, North Macedonia, Moldova and Kosovo joined. Those seven countries, with a combined population of under 20 million, now comprise the trade bloc's entire membership. 

Read more at:https://tinyurl.com/bpa3y52k

Montenegro census results: Montenegrins 41.12%, Serbs 32.93% of the population (EWB)

PODGORICA – The Statistical Office of Montenegro (Monstat) announced today the results of the census conducted last December. The majority of Montenegrin citizens identified themselves as Montenegrins (41.12%). They are followed by Serbs at 32.93 percent, while 9.45 percent of citizens identified as Bosniaks. A total of 4.97% of citizens identified as Albanians, while 2.06% identified as Russians and 1.63% as Muslims. 17.907 citizens or 2.88% chose not to declare their nationality.

The Director of the Monstat, Miroslav Pejović, said during the press conference that  Montenegro has 623,633 residents with a regular place of residence in the country, as well as 44,017 citizens who are working, living, or studying abroad.

“A total of 667,650 individuals were enumerated, excluding foreigners who do not intend to stay in Montenegro for more than a year”, Pejović said, Vijesti reported.

Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/mvhxnt46

Remembering Paul Lowe, photojournalist who pictured Sarajevo in war and peace (BIRN)

Paul Lowe, who died at the weekend, was renowned for his photographs of ordinary’s people’s lives during the wartime siege of Sarajevo – but was also a brilliant educator and dynamic instigator of creative projects, writes his co-author and friend, Kenneth Morrison.

To learn of the death of a friend always brings with it great sadness and grief. The death of a friend in such a tragic manner is even harder to come to terms with, and it is in a state of shock and grief that I find myself writing a tribute to him.

Paul Lowe will, naturally, be remembered for his work and the quality and significance of it. His outstanding contribution, as an award-winning photojournalist and as an academic, has, after all, left a significant legacy.

As a photojournalist, Paul had covered many conflicts in places such as Rwanda and Chechnya, but it was his work in Sarajevo during the 1992-96 siege that was of particular significance.

While many other photojournalists were focused on getting close to the frontlines, Paul meticulously documented the lives of ordinary people in the besieged city, the challenges, privations and suffering that his wife, Amra Abadzic-Lowe, would write so eloquently about in her book, ‘Sarajevo: The Longest Siege’. His vast collection of photographs is not only a hugely important historical resource but a testament to how much he loved Sarajevo, the city he made his home after the siege had ended.

His academic achievements were noteworthy, too. Having come to academia relatively late, his ability determined that he could quickly rise through the ranks, becoming a Professor of Conflict, Peace and the Image at the University of the Arts London in 2022, where he taught his world-renowned Masters programme in documentary photography.

Read more at: https://shorturl.at/xt2aw